Virtual Graduation

Tuesday we celebrated our graduation by joining on-line and watching members of the IIN Community congratulate us for our year of hard work and success.  Some of us were featured on the video and all of us were celebrated with our names listed at the end of the broadcast.  Some of it was pre-recorded which was a disappointment to many classmates.  The live part however was fine.  I was one of those featured during the show and also listed on the graduation roll.  It was fun to see and since they recorded it I went back and took a photo of the photo seen here.  I had to click fast as it was scrolling through but I got it.

During the broadcast, John came and sat next to me and handed me a little package wrapped in Christmas paper.  Inside it was the cutest little owl in a graduation cap from Pandora for my bracelet.  I was so touched and very grateful that he took the time to recognize this milestone in my life.

What I am doing for myself this holiday

When I was recovering from my heart attack last summer, I added yoga to my life.  I knew that I needed to be active and to build my strength slowly.  I have always been a walker and certainly was focused on getting myself stronger by building my stamina back up through walking but I definitely needed something more.  So that was where yoga came in.  When we returned here to South Carolina in mid-November, I decided to join a group doing yoga twice a week here on the island.  Best decision I could have made.  Our teacher is absolutely wonderful.  The sessions are 1 1/2 hours long and involve lots of poses and some restorative yoga too.  The best part is the meditation and the focus.  I am so focused on the poses and the movement that my mind goes completely blank of all worries and stresses.  I truly had no idea that it was possible to do that.  So I am taking the time and going to yoga even through the busyness of this week.  Hope you are doing something for yourself too.

I mentioned in last week’s post that I was upping my walking game and I did make a real effort this week to see what a difference going from 60 minutes of walking to 90 minutes of walking makes.  I really like the 90 minutes and am pretty sure I could walk longer, certainly here in South Carolina where it is sunny and relatively warm.  Not so much fun when it is super hot or super humid but on the clear days it is lovely.  The interesting part will be whether I can continue up north where it is colder and maybe we will have snow.  I don’t remember liking that too much but we shall see.  I managed 45 miles this week which is close to what I will have to do to get myself to the 200 mile mark.  I will be adding ski poles to my walk which I believe will also make the walk more aerobic.

Family Arriving

On Friday we drove to Charleston to pick up the first of the family to arrive.  Katie, Jack and Libby flew in to Charleston from Manchester.  They had a great flight and arrived early enough for us to drive back to Beaufort and go out for dinner.  Usually they get in very late and it is after midnight when we get back to Dataw.  This was a nice treat for all of us.  We managed to get some errands done in Charleston which was a good thing and to have a nice lunch.  We are going to kick off the holiday week with a Christmas concert this afternoon.

On Monday, Margot, Hadley and Brew will arrive from Asheville and we will have everyone here.  We are blessed with good friends and neighbors here on Dataw and one couple, John and Betty, have offered their guest room as they will be away.  This works well for us as this is a very small house and getting us all in for more than a night or two is a bit problematic.  It can be done but having that extra room and bathroom is such a bonus.  We are so very thankful to them.  Pictured at right are Margot, Hadley and Brew hiking up in the mountains in Asheville this weekend.  No snow there either and I believe there often is snow there this time of year.

My sister’s daughter, Krista, who lives in Vancouver, BC arrived in Montreal with her fiancee at the same time as Katie arrived here.  I thought that was really neat.  I also had cousins in Nova Scotia whose daughter, husband and grandchildren arrived in Halifax at about the same time.  Truly family arriving everywhere.

Eating something healthy?

I found a great recipe that could be used for a Christmas brunch.  It was included in a news letter from Dr. Mercola.  Hope you like it.[mpprecipe-recipe:13]

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.  Take time to enjoy each other and to give yourself a treat too.