Category Archives: renewal
I Am Not A Groupie By Nature
After the Girl Scouts, I can’t remember having the desire to join a group. Didn’t pledge a sorority in college much to the disappointment of some, no ladies clubs (not me) bridge or other. So you get the picture. Anyway at this phase of my life I find myself affiliated with three groups that I couldn’t do without. My Bergen Crafters (they are as crazy as I am about crochet and my knitting love is gaining on some of them), my newest Brick City MasterSwim (they make me see possibilities I hadn’t considered) and my Willing Hearts Weight Watchers group ( cause they feel my pain and my victory). So here’s to groups!
This is the after Zumba face!
Picture says it all. I am always glad when class begin and ends!
After Zumba. Yeah!
Accomplishments
Today I received my 50lb. weight loss disc from my Weight Watchers leader. I was and am still pumped. Must keep the momentum!
Fifty Pounds and Counting!
Conquer the Pool
Not sure what day this is but I must say that the water is addicting. For the first time I did one lap (25 yds) freestyle without the flippers on! I was tired but I got there. I am concentrating on this stroke and take all the advice I can get from Coach and swimmers. Don’t want to get bad habits I can’t break later. While the group practiced their flip turns, I tried to flip. Hmm, water up the nose, not a full flip but I tried. Some of the team did a 4 mile bike ride before the pool. Good grief, these people are determined to get me physically fit. What next?
Are You Going to Jump or What?
I have vivid memories of jumping double dutch when I was a kid. My friends would turn the rope and I would do that step one does when getting ready to jump in but I wouldn’t (jump that is). After a few seconds the people turning the rope would say are you going to jump or what? Well here I am at 60 and sadly I’m still hearing “are you going to jump or what?” It kind of the way I’ve lived my life. Now that I blog I follow lots of young people and admire the guts that they have. More than one telling the world that they gave up a “good” job or left an industry they were trained to work in to follow their passion. Guess what? they jumped and so far it seems to be working out okay. For sure they may not be rich yet but they’re happy. A lot can be said for being happy.
So I’m making a commitment at this late date to jump when I get the opportunity. No more hesitation, taking the time to talk myself out of something I really want to do. Care to join me anyone? Are you going to jump or what?
Signs of Summer The First Watermelon
I realize that the rest of the world doesn’t celebrate this auspicious occasion but it brought tears to my eyes. I took a chance and bought a melon at the store next to my Weight Watchers meeting. Paid $8.00 for it but guess what, it is so sweet. I can’t tell you the delight I felt. Hopefully this a good summer omen. I so enjoy summer fruit. Melons and berries and peaches oh my! Happy Cinco de Mayo
Two Funerals – Big Lessons
Believe it or not this morning I attended a funeral and this afternoon a memorial service for two friends who died this week. Both in their fifties and both ill for a long time. The first, my friend Larry apparently suffered from a life long illness that eventually led to his death. The second my friend Jerry was like a brother to me and he succumbed to cancer after a twelve year battle. So I am not writing this to talk about how sad it is that they died. But rather to talk about how well they lived.
I knew Larry for over twenty years professionally and to some degree personally (we shared personal friends) and I never knew that he was ill. He was always cheerful, had a laugh that could cheer up anyone and never complained although he was probably not feeling well often. He seemed to enjoy life and probably had an appreciation for the good times that we all should have. The church was full of friends, former co-workers and church members all paying tribute to a well loved man.
Jerry was diagnosed with cancer twelve years ago and was told that he had two to three years to live. He too was in almost constant pain but never complained. Today a gentleman got up to speak and said that he has cancer and that in 2004 he was defeated, depressed and ready to give up and then into the Chemo room walked Jerry. He said that Jerry came into the room and announced that he was told that he should have been dead already and that he was a fighter and that everybody that had chemo with him needed to be a fighter. The man said it changed his attitude. Wow!
So I will miss my two friends. But they will always be in my mind and when I get up with my aches and pains I’ll remember that sometimes we have to put a smile on our face and keep it moving.
Re-Fit/Re-Tool/Re-Think
When companies that run heavy equipment change direction they are said to re-fit or re-tool their operations. This process means that they get rid of old obsolete equipment and replace it with new or more useful stuff.
Today’s thought is that we need to sit back periodically and do the same thing. If the ‘stinkin thinkin’ isn’t working change it. This may not be easy but it’s probably necessary. It’s hard to move forward if we are only thinking about the past. What’s done is done. Leave it where it fell and pick up today. What have you got to lose except a bad attitude?
First Steps the Hardest 