Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape

Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Good morning everyone.  It is so hot and humid here it can be very hard to breathe. It is oppressive. Hubby has been struggling, and it is hard to keep him down.  I understand totally.  When you've always been active and then suddenly find yourself handicapped, it's hard to let go of what was.  I've been going through that myself.  My fibro has been kicking my butt lately, and compound that with osteoarthritis and I've a double whammy.  I used to keep it all under control with Motrin, but that's before I knew my blood pressure was high and NSAIDS raise it even higher. And I will NOT take Lyrica. Heard too much about the side effects.  So now, aside of an occasional Aleve when I have something that will require more time walking about, I take nothing.  But, I really have hope that things will get better for me once I get my life/health back in order.  

Number one on my list is lose weight, but I haven't been able to take off so much as an ounce.  Why does it have to be so hard when one grows older? There was a time when I was seeing a doctor because I was TOO thin.  A size 5 used to fall off of me.  Those days are long gone.  Now I couldn't get a size 5 over one leg.  But, I only have myself to blame.  I've always loved food, and aging gave me an excuse to eat whatever.  I just didn't care what I looked like...then.  I wasn't thinking about what I was doing to my health.

Speaking of getting my life/health  in  order, I went to my first Qigong class yesterday.  Everyone was pretty much ahead of me, but I already knew that was going to happen.  My only concern is this:  Qigong relies heavily on breathing as well as movement.  I have problems with anything that requires breathing concentration.  I suffered with hyperventilation in my 20's.  It was so bad that I would make people pull the car over, and I would have to get out.  By then my lips would be tingling, and I was so sure I was going to pass out. Didn't believe the doctors who told me to 'breathe into a paper bag' next time that happened.  I look back on it now, and they didn't have much of a bedside manner.  It really would have helped, and perhaps saved me a lot of fear and agony, if one of them had just sat me down and explained it to me.  It wasn't until I read a book on psychosomatics and saw myself in their illustration that I was able to understand that the problem had nothing to do with my heart.

My dad had his first heart attack at 30 years old, right at the kitchen table.  I was about 8 years old, but I guess maybe this must have stuck with me in my subconscious because when I was in my early 20's I became obsessed with my heart.  

Fortunately, I've had many years fairly free of these psychosomatic symptoms and as I look back, I realize that my only episodes within this 40 year period have occurred when I focused on my breathing for one reason or another.  I really have to find my way around this if I hope to succeed in Qigong.

I'm not going to the Center today, either.  Have a doctor's appointment this morning.  He wants updated bloodwork on me.  On the way home I'll stop at the beauty parlor and have a trim.  It's been over three months now, and it no longer holds its shape.  I know when I have to use spray for styling it is time. Hubby says it is short enough so I've put it off as long as I could, but, heck, it's my hair.  Do I say something when he has his hair shaved close to his head?  

Well, guess it is about that time.  Sorry for bending your ear, and sure do hope I didn't sound like I was whining.  I actually wasn't.  Today and everyday I do my best to stay positive.

Monday This and That

As this Monday rolls around I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a fantastic week.  The weather has been quite comfortable here since the humidity broke on Saturday, but, alas, it will be back tomorrow.  I could deal with the summer if there wasn't so much humidity.  I abhor that sticky feeling and the heaviness of the air.  I do have so problems with my breathing when it is hot and humid, but I believe that's all about the extra weight I carry around.  Hubby is the one I worry about.  He's been having a hard time.

How was your holiday. I had a wonderful July 4th. We'd planned on just hanging about doing nothing until an ex-co-worker of hubby's called to invite us over for the fireworks.  At first both of us were reluctant; it was so darn humid out there,  but eventually we agreed.  So glad we did.  Turned out to be a once in a lifetime event for me.  

They had a lovely apartment with a terrace and a fantastic view of the festivities....

Sure wish I lived there. I can just imagine having my morning coffee on the terrace watching the sunrise or standing out there and watching a beautiful sunset. We grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and ate all types of salads.  They even had shrimp which hubby thoroughly enjoyed.  After eating, they put music on, and I actually danced.  Well, to be honest, I didn't quite make it through half the song (my legs felt so heavy), but I would rest and go back and try again.  The dancing invigorated me and made me feel good about myself.  I made a decision right there and then to do a little dancing every day.  Hopefully, I will lose some weight and it will strengthen the muscles in my legs.  Maybe, just maybe, I won't even need my cane anymore.

Later, our hosts put on a CD of some of my favorite patriotic songs, and we all headed to the terrace to watch the show.  Here are a few of the better of the photos I took.  

The good old Brooklyn Bridge.  Such a history. Every time I see it I think of that movie, 'Kate and Leopold' with Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman.  Totally love that movie. 

Well, that's about it.  Hoping you all have a good one. 

Forgetfulness (A Wee Bit Different than My Other Posts)

 May you never forget what is worth remembering,
or remember what is best forgotten.

 Anonymous

Good morning on this glorious day before the 4th.  Well, actually, the weather is not so 'glorious'; it's hot, humid, and storms are on the way. I want so badly to go to the Center today for their 4th of July menu--hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni salad, potato salad, baked beans, all topped off with a nice slice of watermelon.  Not bad for 50 cents.

This is the type of July 4th menu I grew up with,  and just the thought of it spurs so many memories. I always loved the cookouts. I don't have the opportunity anymore. My hubby might indulge in a hot dog and a hamburger, but none of the other foods are a part of his culture.  I understand. There are foods from his culture, such as blood pudding, I wouldn't think of touch. And,  there are plenty of foods I have introduced him to that he has enjoyed, but salads and Boston baked beans are just not part of that  list.   When the boys were around I'd make all those things, and a bit of gondulas and rice for hubby, but now that they are out on their own and rarely come for the 4th, it is just too much to make for one person.

Lately I have found myself forgetting little things.  Like the other morning, I was on the bus heading for the Center when it suddenly hit me that   that I hadn't taken anything out of the freezer for dinner. By the time I got home it would be too late, so I figured that takeout Chinese would be on the menu that night.  Then, when I got to the Center I discovered that I had forgotten my water, my yogurt, and my grapes (my mid-morning snack).  The next day I ended up bringing an expired yogurt which I had meant to throw away but forgot. And lately I find myself  going to bed and then remembering that I had forgotten my Hyland's Leg Cramp medication only when the cramps in my toes set in.  Sometimes I find myself  in the grocery store trying to remember what I had gone for in the first place, or  putting food in the microwave to refrigerate. Forget coming home with everything but what I needed. That happens all the time.

I can't remember being this forgetful, and my first reaction was to worry that it might be Alzheimer's.  I think many of us hold that fear in the back of our mind as we  grow older, but, in reality, most of us over the age of 65 are more forgetful than we were when we were younger and this doesn't mean we have dementia.  It's not uncommon to experience 'senior moments' such as not remembering where we put something or recalling someone's name on occasion.   Someone with early dementia, however, repeatedly forgets names or plans, and soon afterwards forgets all about the incident.

I found a wonderful video by Teepa Snow, one of the foremost experts on Alzheimer's. She uses a fictional character named Jenny to show the difference between age-related forgetfulness (1) and Alzheimer's (2). 

(1) Jenny is seated in her favorite chair reading a book when she suddenly feels like having  a cup of coffee. She leaves the chair and heads off into the kitchen to make the coffee, but on the way there, the phone rings. On the other end is Jenny's friend who has called to invite Jenny to go to the mall with her later that afternoon. Amongst other things, they talk about where they will meet and what restaurant they will eat in. By the time they finally hang up, Jenny has forgotten what she had come into the kitchen for.  She looks about, but can't remember so she she shrugs her shoulders and heads on back to her chair in the living room.  Once she sits down in the chair and picks up her book, a light bulb goes off in her head, and her memory returns.  She had gone to the kitchen to make coffee. The chair was a cue to her memory. 

This has happened to me many times , and as frustrating as it is, it is good to know it is  normal age-related memory forgetfulness.  The next little skit is an example of what might happen if Jenny had Alzheimer's. 

(2) Once again we find Jenny sitting in her favorite chair.  She decides that she would like a cup of coffee, so she gets up and heads towards the kitchen.  The phone rings.  It is her friend inviting her to go to the mall. They chat for a few, and then hang up.  However, this time when she hangs up the phone she not only has forgotten all about the coffee, but she now begins to have totally illogical thoughts. When she finds a bottle of water and a glass  on the kitchen counter she  decides this is exactly the proof she needs that there has been people who sneak upstairs from her basement and eat her food.  She puts the glass in the freezer so that her son will see it when he goes for some ice. The coffee is long forgotten now.  Later when her friend calls to find out why she didn't meet her at the mall, Jenny not only can't remember that they had spoken and made plans, but she also becomes agitated with her friend.  This lack of recall is not normal.

I have come to the conclusion that there is a logical explanation for my memory losses.  Yes, part of it is age-related, but in truth, I am tired.  I often thought that when I retired I wouldn't be so busy and would have plenty of time to do the things I always wanted to do, but the fact is, I am busier now than when I was still working.  Take cooking, for example.  I'm sure you must remember my cooking weekends.  Shopping and two weeks worth of cooking in one day.  Then, I had every day free until my next paycheck.   Now I cook everyday, and as I told hubby, it's not just cooking the food, it's washing the pots and putting them away, cleaning the stove and the counter, sweeping and mopping the floor...all time consuming.

And there is the Center, my classes, Church, shopping, essays for my Druid classes, housecleaning, reading, genealogy, nutrition studies, doctor's appointments, etc.  And caring for an aging pet is draining both emotionally and physically, but I wouldn't begrudge her for a moment.  Being in pain doesn't help either.  That, too, is draining. My mind is constantly active.  So many things going on.  So many thoughts.  Too many thoughts.  Might be time to slow down a bit. Haven't taken the time to meditate in quite awhile.  Even stopped attending Thursday meditation at the Center in lieu of another discussion group.  Time to set priorities in order.  That will be something to think about this weekend.

Hoping you all have a great day.

A Wee Bit of Nothing of Substance

 Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you? 

 Fanny Brice

Good morning, everyone.  After a wonderful summer weekend, the humidity and heat are creeping back up again.  It's times like this that I am really glad I no longer have to go to work.  Those crowded subway platforms and long walks to and from work, well, I just couldn't do it anymore, especially in this heat.  I regret now that I took those pain-free days of youth for granted.  But, regrets are not going to help me.  What I have to do now is stick to my goals.  

Speaking of subways....Friday was the first time I have been on a subway since I retired.  I'd forgotten how cold and unfriendly they were.  Next time, no matter how round about the trip is, I'll go to Coney on the bus.  People smile and talk to each other on the bus.  Not on the trains.  Everyone is so afraid they might have to give up their seat to you, so they all pretend they don't see that you are standing there with your cane.

For those who wanted to see one of my selfies....

Pretty bad, huh?  I was frowning and squinting because I was trying so hard to see on my phone and why my nose looks so big, I'll never know.

I can't believe it is July already.  I didn't even know until I was filling out the application for Qigong classes and asked someone what the date was.  Threw me for a loop when they responded that it was July 1st.  I don't know whether it is because since I have retired the days all seem to run into one another or is it because the older you get, the faster time seems to fly.

Qigong is the art and science of refining and cultivating internal energy. 

Ken Cohen, 

The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing

July 4th I'll be having my own celebration.  It will be five years since I stopped smoking, my own personal Independence Day.  My meter never ceases to amaze me.

Four years, eleven months, three weeks, five days, 21 hours, 11 minutes and 15 seconds. 27343 cigarettes not smoked, saving $12,988.04. Life saved: 13 weeks, 3 days, 22 hours, 35 minutes.

I remember the day I first put this meter on my computer and the numbers said zero.  The higher the numbers got, the less likely I was to relapse.  There was no way I was going to start over. 

And with that, I bid you all a fantastic day.
 

Coney Island Photos....What There is of Them

 “To stand at the edge of the sea, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh, to watch the flight of shore birds that have swept up and down the surf lines of the continents for untold thousands of year, to see the running of the old eels and the young shad to the sea, is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal as any earthly life can be.”

 Rachel Carson

And a happy Tuesday morning to all.  The humidity is supposed to start creeping back today.  As I get older I find that I don't deal with it as well as I used to.  I'd thought that since the thyroid medication was working well, my inner thermostat would work better, but darn it, I am still hot as hell when I go out.  I think, no I am sure, the extra weight has a lot to do with it.

I've a few photos that I took at Coney that I wanted to share with you.  Actually, I had taken many of what I THOUGHT were going to be lovely pictures of our ocean mother.  But, I don't know how others do it, but I can't see a darn thing on my phone out there in the sun.  I see other people checking their mail and texting, and all I have is a black screen. What am I doing wrong? Eventually, I went into the ladies room to bring up the camera and went back out and began aiming and snapping to where I remember the button was.  A once in a lifetime picture was a sailboat coming very close to shore.

You can imagine my chagrin when I got home and discovered my wonderful photos of the ocean were selfies of my forehead.  Oh my, I must have hit the wrong button.  There were 12 of them.  Not one picture of the ocean.  The following pictures I took as I entered the park, prior to the selfie fiasco.

This is the famous Wonder Wheel.  A Brooklyn landmark, it was built in 1920 and is currently protected as a registered historical NYC landmark. It rises 150 feet high with a total capacity of 144 passengers. The cars on the inside swing back and forth between the center and edge of the wheel as it rotates. Won't catch me on it.  The only time the ride stopped running was during the Great NYC Blackout in July, 1977.

The Parachute Jump in the background is no longer functional, but it still stands as another NYC landmark. It was originally created by a retired Naval commander to train military paratroopers during the 1930s and was one of the star attractions of the New York City World's Fair in 1939, it was moved to Coney Island in 1941.  It has been called the 'Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn'.

The World Famous Nathan's which began as a nickel hot dog stand in in 1916.  It is the first thing you see when you exit the train station.  I was surprised at how huge it has grown.  Now no longer just hot dogs and cheese fries, they also sell clams, soft shell crabs, and lobster.  They also have their own souvenir shop now, and when you enter the boardwalk, you find yet another, smaller Nathan's.

Snapped this as I was walking towards the boardwalk.  I saw a few police cars and officers and a lineup of motorcyclists.  Didn't realize until I was walking past them that all of them were actually plain clothes officers.  If you make the picture larger, you will see the Haunted House.

This is the newest roller coaster at Coney Island, the Thunderbolt. After going straight up, one then drops 115 feet and continues on a wild ride which turns riders every which way.  I'll not be caught on it.  I can't even take the rickety old Cyclone, which, by the way, also came out as a selfie.

Well, that's about it for my photos...this time. I hope next time will be better. Did some research and hopefully I have the answer to better pictures.  I know I have certainly learned from my mistakes.  I'll never start pressing everywhere on a dark screen hoping I got a picture. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.  

Monday Morning This and That

 “I couldn’t imagine living in a state that didn’t reach the ocean. It was a giant reset button. You could go to the edge of the land and see infinity and feel renewed.” 

Avery Sawyer

Wow, another Monday already?  Not complaining though.  Had a nice peaceful weekend.  Went to the fruit stand early on Saturday hoping to avoid the crowds, but, I swear, there is no quiet time to shop there.  Haven't seen it at 3 am, but I have passed by a midnight, and the place was still hopping.  Came home and made myself a banana, strawberry, and peach smoothie.  Yummy to the last drop.

Also bought myself three of my favorite fruits--Haitian Mangoes.

Finally got to Coney Island on Friday.  It was such a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the humidity low.  It was perfect day for the beach. 

I had to have a Nathan's Chili dog for lunch.  Heck, I haven't had a frank in over a year.  I haven't had a frank in over a year, and it sure did taste good.  Actually, it tasted like another one, but I was good.  If it was only my weight I was concerned with I probably would have had the second one, but I've got to worry about my blood pressure, and franks are very high in sodium.

For dessert I had some soft chocolate ice cream.  Yummy.  It's been a long time since I had ice cream as well, and I ate every last drop of it.

Do you remember awhile back when I mentioned the old Chinese lady across the street who waits with me while I wait for the bus to take me to Church on Sunday?  Well,  she was out there yesterday, and I snapped a couple of photos. 

Poor thing.  I hate to think of her cramped up all winter in that dark, dingy basement apartment. 

I am going to sign up for a new class that the union offers, and it is completely free.  'Chi Gong' is a healing art that aims to increase the body's healthy energy.  Classes are held on Monday mornings so I will not be able to attend the Center, but I think this will be good for me.  Not only has healing taken center stage at this time of my life, but I tend to get bored with the Center when I attend it every day.  I will probably begin my classes next week.  I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Well, that's about it for today.  Have to eat breakfast and get ready to mosey on down the road.  I have a few pictures of Coney to share tomorrow.

Friday Roundup

 Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from
a distance but disappear when you get up close to them.
 

John Shirley

Well, it's weekend time again, and so far, according to the forecast, it looks like we're in for some nice weather. Time to get out and enjoy.  Speaking of enjoying, it's hard to be leave that we are nearing the July 4th holiday. That's an extra special day for me.  On that day, it will be five years since I had a cigarette, my own personal Independence Day, so to speak.

Spent most of yesterday on my heating pad and trying out the various gadgets I was gifted with.  Aside from some relief from the heating pad and the compact hammer massager which alleviated the pain for a few hours, I didn't see much in the way of relief from the other stuff.  Guess it is just not realistic to expect instant results. I'm also hoping that the eden wand will help with my blood pressure as well.   Meanwhile, I do intend on going to Coney today.  Yes, I still have some pain but I think an Aleve and being careful with my steps will do the trick. At least I hope they do. Needless to say, if I should get over there and find I am in too much pain to make it home, I can always call hubby to pick me up.  But, I refuse to think negative.  Everything will be fine.

So, what of your plans for the weekend?  Anything special on the agenda?

Have fun  and stay safe.  See you all on Monday.