Random Thoughts

Improvement wears many dresses...  

My wonderful 80-year young neighbor Mrs. C has been taking me walking again this week. This started Saturday when I cut class early so I could go to the Farmer's Market. She wanted to see if they had any "goodies. (I found some luscious spinach, mixed greens, purslane, and some budding plants at the Market.) Mrs. C and I haven't been walking in a long time for various reasons: my classes, she was hurting, weather was too cold, weather was too hot and so on...

Last Saturday, she complained how badly she hurt from that simple trip to the market and back again. After some discussion, she said she would think about going walking with me first thing in the mornings again. I really didn't expect her to call me bright and early Monday morning with her usual "Ready Freddie?" We went walking. 

We did again this morning. About half way around the library park, she had to sit down.  She encouraged me to finish my lap but hastened to tell me to hurry up about it or she would just go home! *laughs* So I went walking around the park, quicker than I usually do.  Needless to say, my legs were cramping fiercely by the time I was halfway finished, but because I was afraid she would get up and leave, I walked through the cramps. I'll probably pay for that later but I amazed myself that I could find that level within myself and walk through the cramping instead of stopping and whimpering like a baby. 

I reminded myself  when I began this journey two years ago, I couldn't walk around the park at a snail's pace without coming home exhausted. I had to stop at every corner of the park because the cramping was so bad that I wanted to fall down and move past merely whimpering into an ambulance for a ride home.  I hurt that bad. 

At the time, my various doctors explained that I had blood clots in my legs and arms and that caused the vicious cramp-burn-muscle knotting pain I experienced. At the time, only one doctor gave me any advice that I would follow that was not related to surgery. He told me to simply walk every day. 

 So now I feel a sense of pride about one of my goals because it's reachable. I feel like one of those pioneer women who gave birth one minute and  defended her home from marauding outlaws while saving her homestead from burning to the ground. 

Ok...may be NOT that good.  But I definitely understand that I have improved because of my lifestyle changes. I also understand that this journey of mine will never be an easy one because I crave carbs dressed as cookies and breads and rice and cookies and pasta and potatoes and cookies and cous cous and cookies and...Well you get the picture. 

Speaking of that, how come giving up smoking was so much easier than giving up carbs?  

The BC Life...
Otherwise Known as The Confessions of a Coffee Addict

Since I've moved to the percolator for our coffee pot, I have about a half hour every morning before it's finished. My old life used to be "Don't talk to me, don't ask me to feed you, don't ask me to do anything complicated like think about the day or ask me if I know where something is and don't wake up cheerful of all the gawd-awful things to do BEFORE COFFEE!"   

Some mornings I would give only one warning: "It's a two-cup day."  That meant don't do anything or ask me anything or even talk to me until I've gotten at least two cups of coffee down me first. And you would be safer if you let a half a pot get into my system before even breathing or looking in my direction. 

A dear friend who used to be a classmate called me this weekend and asked me, "Have you had your coffee yet?!?!?!"  Since she called me at 8:30 in the morning, her question was legitimate. And then she reminded me that I used be really, really bad BC. She remembered the days when I was trying to reduce my consumption of coffee down to something that was "reasonable" and how fellow classmates brought me cups of coffee before class so I would be "reasonable." 

Yeah, yeah, yeah...and that was a long time ago. I've changed. No seriously--I've really changed.

To give you some examples: This morning I went walking with Mrs. C BC.   Before our current drought initiated the severe water restrictions, I would water and sometimes weed the garden BC. I feed the cats and the birds BC. I start laundry or do a quicky load of dishes BC.  I read my favorite blogs BC. I answer emails and phone calls from students BC!

How's that for seriously changing from the coffee hag into who I am today? *grins at you*

Alright--I confess. I warn my morning statistics students with "I've only had a cup and half of coffee today--so I hope you had your protein because we're going to hit this hard and heavy so I can get that last cup in before it's too late for me to have any!"  

Nonetheless, there's still life before coffee!

Humongous Bead Give Away Reminder!
If you haven't signed up--please do so! The bead drawing is coming closer and closer to its finale! Go to Denise Yezbak Moore's blog and check out her huge, ginormous, bestest ever give away! The Bead Addict is screaming at me--actually pulling at my hair because I'm reminding all you beady readers there's still time to enter. She wants all these beads to for us to keep--but I believe in "What comes around, goes around." Since you've been generous with me--I'm spreading the news! 

My Neighbor

If you have been following my blog for a bit, you would have read my mention of my neighbor. Mrs. C is 80 years old and is a lovely, lovely woman. My husband runs her to the grocery stores when she's in a bind, and she makes him food. If she has problems that he can fix for her, she makes him food. We wash her windows a couple of times a year so she can see outside and she makes my husband food. I go over to visit several times a week, and she makes my husband food. I fixed her clogged vacuum cleaner and she made my husband food. When she's ill, I take care of her and she makes my husband food. You see where this is going, right? 

You're probably wondering why I don't get any of her foods. Remember, I have dietary restrictions and unfortunately I can't eat her foods. She makes delicate puddings, a mean chile, and to die-for empanadas. She makes a lot of foods I just can no longer sample--but I remember the flavors and textures very well. It's one of those things that I had to sacrifice in my life's journey. Nonetheless, my lovely, lovely neighbor is very good to me.

Mrs. C takes me walking. About every other day, she drags my happy butt around the park or other places and I let her. That's right--I LET HER. It keeps us both healthier by going for these walks. It gets her out of the house and gets me away from my computer. Walking gives us fresh air, exercise, and time to chat and visit. Our doctors are all happy that we've both been walking. 

Mrs. C's plan is to have me walking all over town by summer. Last summer we went to our local Farmers' Market twice a week. This fall, we've concentrated around the library park, but occasionally, we go other places. I thought I'd show some of the places we see on our walks.

 

Mrs. C

Carnegie Park

 Mrs. C usually hikes my butt around this park every other day

Immaculate Conception Church 

Going around the park means transversing the ICC with its two parking lots.

This is Mrs. C's church and she adores Father George.  

 

 The Las Vegas Peace & Justice Center

In my final year of graduate school, I completed my practicum at this wonderful little center.

 You wouldn't know by looking at this place, but the people of the center are all volunteers and have worked towards stopping herbicides from being used on our local watersheds, assist the local jail in being more humane, and were the forerunners in developing state voting reform.

 

Semilla Natural Food Store

Our local health foods store where I get some of the foods I can eat.They have a small selection--nothing you will see at Whole Foods, but their selections are excellent. 

I also get my Burt's Bees products here along with other of life's necessities!

Sometimes, if we are lucky--we get to see some of the local wildlife on our walks.

 

The other day, Mrs. C needed to visit her bank. So we walked downtown and found the city was putting up our holiday tree. It was a delightful surprise!

 

Downtown

They were getting it centered before adding the tree topper. I'll take another picture when it's lit up.

Thanks for "walking" with us!