I found this, probably on Facebook, but it made me laugh and it so perfectly puts January in perspective. So many folks like to kick-start the New Year with “dry January” or “new me” or “this year I’ll exercise more and eat less” the list goes on an on. There is nothing wrong with setting a goal and working towards it. I think the reason that I and so many like me fail at this is because we set a goal that is really unrealistic and difficult to attain and after the initial effort doesn’t show immediate results the effort begins to wane. Been there, done that. My plan is to just get back on track once again. Watch what I eat and drink and keep on exercising and make sure to get enough rest. I like the rest part a lot. Life is like that.

What to Keep and What to Throw Away

This was one of the things I saw when researching what to add to my exercise regime. Admitting that I am a senior (over 70) and that chair Yoga might be an option that I could do at home, I was looking for something not too taxing to add into my day. Well I tried it for one day and decided that it wasn’t for me. Then I tried Slow Flo Yoga and ended up with very sore hips, so then I went back to the Restorative Yoga that I had been doing. I even tried some chair pilates – ugh – that didn’t suit me at all. I need to admit that I am a walker and that is something that is just not going to away as long as I can put one foot in front of the other. But I thought you might get a kick out of the pathetic effort on my part to change things up a bit.

Walking This Week

It was a beautiful day on Monday so the dogs and I took off for a late afternoon hike. I had on my new backpack, had my walking stick and despite a little bit of ice in the fields it wasn’t too bad. We all had a wonderful time. The light on the hillsides was just beautiful. The rest of the week was not conducive to outdoor walking. We had rain almost every day and the mud wasn’t fun for me or for the dogs. Then we had a snow day where everything got pretty again but the walking was treacherous so back on the treadmill. I am so lucky to have that option.

Bean just isn’t sure about this treadmill thing. She was outside watching me through the window on the treadmill and the look is clearly “come on outside and play with me”. However, she couldn’t go anywhere but right around the house because the snow was and is too deep for her. I did manage to get in six days of walking, one outside (see above) and five days on the treadmill. Finally found some classes with music that make me not only walk but dance and move around on the treadmill. Makes me happy. I usually do 30 minutes of fairly intense walking and hiking and then a 10 minute extra which could be a cool down or just an extra 10 minutes. I have the window wide open so I do get the fresh air. It’s not quite the same thing as being outside but it is better than nothing. After that I do 20-30 minutes of restorative yoga and stretching. This practice seems sustainable.

Update on Jenny Lane

Thanks to the Roomba Jenny Lane is cleaner than it has ever been. I love to take a couple of hours to read in the afternoon and discovered to my delight that while reading I can get the Roomba to vaccuum room by room. All I have to do is empty the bin when it beeps me to do so. That way I get to do what I want but I also get a clean house. A win-win situation if ever there was one. John has been working very hard getting nail holes filled in all over the place. The painter is supposed to come back and do some interior work that we have been putting off for awhile. So it really was/is important for him to get the prep work done. We also are going to get some more of the trim work done hopefully this week. Perhaps we might even get the missing doors at some point. This is not exciting stuff but it is important.

Food For Thought

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was trying something new, Farmer’s Juice, and that I would report back about it. I am on my second order of it and have decided that I rather like it. This time I order just two kinds of the juice rather than the mixed version that I got the first time. It does taste good and believe it or not, it gives me a pick-me-up. They are very low in sugar and high in vegetables and fruits. If you are looking for something to try to get a little bit healthier they are a pretty good juice.

An a special treat was Eggs Benedict. Once a year because this is loaded with butter but it was oh so delicious. English muffins, Canadian Bacon, eggs and Blender Hollandaise Sauce with lots of lemon. A very yummy brunch.

Good luck with your New Year’s Resolutions. I’m going to keep working on mine but with a smile on my face.