I Own Gym Clothes!

See last night I was doing some laundry and as I hung up my yoga pants and tees, it occurs to me that I own gym clothes!
I laughed so hard that tears streamed down my face..
I'm really not the gym type you see.
I used to actually just be a fairly active person. Lots of gardening, housework, always had a physical job..
then, age..less physical employment.. extra weight..
it all started creeping up on me.
plus my crummy feet.
added all together I began to develop arthritis is various joints, aches and pains here and there
etc..etc..
Finally, I did what I should have done at the first twinge of arthritis.
I joined a gym. And really, it's not too bad at all.
I happily pedal my way through House, The Closer, or what ever television show happens to be on that night. Then I let the Elliptical Machine kick my ass for 20 or so minutes.
( I totally have a love/hate relationship with that machine!)
Ha! So there you go!
I own gym clothes!
Hahahahaha!!

I'm thinking of scouring You Tube for unbelievable commercials from my child hood.
When I watch something like this, I realize just how different the world I live in now is from the world that I grew up in.
Everything was not better in the old days.. no matter what they say! Just different.
Mandi and I were talking about some of the changes earlier in the day. We were discussing my mother , who as a young wife in the early 50s, had three babies in the first three years of her marriage. She was, needless to say, a housewife.
Three babies... no Pampers. Cloth diapers. Wringer washer on the back porch. No clothes dryer. A clothes line in the back yard. and funny little arrangements made from what looked like wooden dowels, to set around the house and dry clothes on if the weather was inclement.
No microwave ovens. Barely any "ready to eat" type foods. Campbells Soups a few other things I suppose.
No children's programming on television ( which I assure you would have been totally discouraged by my father anyway!) to entertain the kiddies so she could grab a moments peace.
and she was just the average housewife.... amazing
No wonder she got a job outside the home when all us kids were in school!
Anyway, I've spent much of the day thinking about some of the many changes in our culture just in my lifetime ... . Like a great snowball rolling down hill, picking up speed at an astronomical pace..
so weird..

How to love the life you live ~ since it IS the only one you get!

Today I post this again as a reminder to myself of how I wish to live my life.

May others find a little something to take with them as a reminder to enjoy their life also.




1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

3. Sleep for 7 hours.

4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

5. Play more games.

6. Read more books than you did in 2008..

7. Make time to pray. Prayer provides us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink plenty of water.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

14. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his past mistakes. That will ruin your present happiness.

15. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

16. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime..

17. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

18. Smile and laugh more.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Forgive everyone for everything.

26.. What other people think of you is none of your business.

27. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

28. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

29. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

30. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

31. The best is yet to come.

32. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

33. Do the right thing!

34. Call your family often.

35. Your inner most being is always happy. So be happy.

36. Each day give something good to others.

37. Don't over do. Keep your limits.

whiny post

sick,sick,sick of being sick..

that's all I've got to say about that right now.

30 days

I have joined a new group on flickr. One object/30 days.

I so enjoyed the One Object 365 Day Project, but couldn't manage the commitment. I think I can make a 30 day go at it though.
Right now I'm still trying to decide what to photograph for 30 days. Something small-ish, portable, maybe with some texture and colors that will translate nicely.
I plan to start January 30 and go through February 28.
It seems that all I have around here in terms of smallish items are elephants, that are mostly grey and besides Ele ( if you have time, follow the link. he will melt your heart. guaranteed!) set the standard for elephant photos on flickr. I wouldn't even want to try to match up to that.
I have an assortment of chickens and roosters that were given to me during the Willie days. But that would seem too, I don't know, rooster-ish. Willie is my main dude in roosters.
Maybe I'll have to purchase something. I have 11 days yet.
I'm looking forward to this though. And hopefully in the interim I'll finish my ABC project. I still need X,Y and Z. I was challenged by a flickr friend to not use x-ray for "X". If anyone happens by this post and has any ideas, I'm open for suggestions!
anyhoo... It's going to be fun!

vitamins

I have to know.

Why do they give daily multiple vitamins such weird names?

Today as I swallowed my "Centrum Silver",I fondly remembered the days of
"Chocks Chewables"

Where has all the time gone?
and why such weird names?

Maybe this is why?!
(life imitates art?)

dang, I really do love Lucy!

Pe-yew!

somebody call Al Gore.

I have discovered what is apparently an inexhaustible energy resource.

It's like this... I've been home for three days with a couple different itis-es
(or maybe , itisii)
either way, I've been sick at home sharing my time with Bart,
a largish lab and dalmatian mix and
Peanut, a fattish chihuahua.

What they apparently do all day while we're away at work is fart!

seriously,the quantity of methane gas produced in my house is phenomenal.

If this energy could be harnessed, I'd say it could easily power an entire large city.
Maybe there could be a sign on the way into town, like the signs that indicate population or elevation.

Something like

Welcome to Paris!
Home of the Eiffel Tower!
The Louvre!
and all energy provided by Bart and Peanut!

Maybe they would even get paid!
now that would be cool.
They could go from eating machine fart producers
to productive members of society.

Thankfully, I believe I'll be able to work tomorrow.
The dogs can have the house to themselves again..

Reading through Rachael's post "This is one do you can't undo" prompted me to think back to the shiny moments in between that I've enjoyed. I think that I wouldn't want to know the future.
What might you miss if you could see every life event ahead of time and weed out the imperfections?

Of course even this philosophy is flawed, as all of them are.

This "prescription for melancholy" pop song of Garth Brooks comes to mind.
I know. It's designed to make you feel emotional and sappy. Still, I love the words.


Hey who's to say you know I might have changed it all
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance

resolutions...

ok so it's true, I don't make New Years resolutions.

I do try to make changes, and although they seem subtle at first, in the long haul they do carry an impact.

In 2008 I decided to try putting myself in other's shoes a bit. I believe that I came out on the other side as a more understanding person. ( duh! that's what our mothers were trying to teach us when they told us to " put yourself in their shoes for a minute!")
Good thing it took slightly less than half a century for me to really give it a go! What if I never tried?
And I still don't remember to do it 100% of the time, yet even I can see the marked difference it has made.

Pray don't find fault in the man who limps,
or stumbles along the road
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears
or struggled beneath his load.
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt,
though hidden away from view,
And the burden he bears placed on your back
Might cause you to stagger too

author unknown


I can't wait to see what changes 2009 will bring.

Happy New Year!

Adele

amazing..

and... Happy New Year!