Taking care of our physical and mental health

Brooke (personal trainer) couldn't be at the gym this morning. That presented a BIG dilemma. Do I just say I'll pass this week and perhaps do some stretching at home, or do I get my butt up and go to the gym? 

Well, I went to the gym! While I may have been in great shape and somewhat flexible years ago, that has slowly disappeared. I needed to sit down to put my shoes on; I could barely get myself out of bed. Walking downstairs was becoming troublesome, getting up off the floor - totally unelegant. None of those issues were terrible - I was not at the point where I needed assistance by any means, but one day, and I'm not sure what day that was, I realized that if I continue to let my body slide, I'm going to be very old before my time. 

That did not sit well with me. I want to maintain my independence for as long as I can, and so it's up to me to do something about it. 

Within a very short time, I can easily sit down, stand up with no issues, and put my shoes on while standing (GASP!); stairs (always cautious) are so much easier. Yes - I have problems with my knees, but I swear the issues are more related to muscles than they are tendons and joints. However, I have to be realistic and know that I have a torn meniscus, so that's not fun. 

So, with a little bit of effort on my part, I am recovering my mobility and my flexibility. I am going to conquer old age. OK - so that won't happen, but I'm trying to age gracefully. I must confess that I feel fantastic this morning, and all I did was lift some weights and stretch. OH - then I used the HydraMassage bed. 

Friday morning at the gym, with or without Brooke, needs to become part of my schedule. 

But while I was there, I glanced around. The gym isn't busy at 5:00 AM, but there were people. It's shocking how many people (everyone) carry their phones with them. Some people have their exercise routine on it, and that's OK. But the number of people texting, searching, or whatever they were doing was crazy. I understand life happens, but can you not leave the phone alone? 

Here's my observation. You do a set of weights. You need to wait 30 seconds before you do the second set. OK - there's 30 seconds - let me get on my phone. Seriously? Do people not allow their brains to be "bored" for even 30 seconds? Then we wonder why people are stressed - leave the phones alone! Allow yourself some absolute quiet downtime. 

Everyone is feeling pressured to be in constant contact with their peers. You don't have to - let people sit and wait. I don't get it. 

The number of reels that are popping up is getting obscene - half of them are fake. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but how many car crashes do we need to witness? How many incidents of road rage? It's all too much! I'm trying to stay away from social media just because. I hardly post these days, but I keep an eye on the feeds, mainly to see what's happening with friends and family. 

I confess I'm getting bored of following people renovating their houses, doing crazy things, or making cute dog videos. I watch some of them but don't have the time or mental capacity to "follow" them. 

Having said that about the phone, I finished my ebook (The Plot) yesterday. OH -- what an ending. Now I have to get The Sequel. Justice? Will there be justice? 

An exciting week of presentations, and it's not over yet! I played with one of my cameras and added an extra cable, and now all of them, except the computer, are running off this box. 

My magic box

I only play with those big buttons on the bottom, marked 1, 2, 3,4. The rest? I've no idea what they do. But the entire process is so slick. Cables and wires are everywhere, but no one can see them on the camera, and that's all that counts. I can get close up and personal with every stitch with the various settings, and I swear that the participants are getting a much better show than if they were in person. They would never be able to see the detail like they can on the cameras. 

This month is all about quilting, and if you want to see me in action, let me know or check out a local Canadian Husqvarna Viking or PFAFF dealer to see if they offer any events. 

Speaking of technology, I dug out my WACOM tablet, which I bought a while ago. I have a use for it, so I've plugged it in, and it doesn't seem to be charging. Of course, there are no instructions, so I must go online to find the User's Guide. 

The WACOM tablet

As for the paperwork, I've spent several hours each day trying to get on top of it. Dare I say there is a light at the end of the tunnel? I feel under control. I might even be able to start working on some of the stuff that has gotten shuffled around for longer than it should! 

I'm trying to put notes in my calendar for things I need to remember, my filing system for things that I need for my presentations is super organized and I can quickly find any of the materials I need. No time wasted searching for things. All is good!

One of the three presentations for the weekend is complete! The second one is partially together, while the third will require a lot of work! So, guess what? It's going to be another busy day! But I will forego any paperwork to get those presentations in order this morning, which is technically paperwork! 

All I need now is some time to sew! Then life would be grand! But March is filled with other things, and I'll do what I can! 

Try, if you can, to work some downtime into your calendar! I do - if I don't get my eight hours of sleep, I NEED a nap, so I just take the time and have a nap. It makes me feel better, and I'm ready to go! I always set a timer so I won't sleep for hours and mess up my entire day! That would be bad! 

Stay off your phone! Get bored! Stay bored. Do some squats and just enjoy life for what it is. We only have one chance at this, and I want to enjoy MY life, not the life that someone else wants to share with me or show me (as on social media!). 

Yesterday, the sidewalks were treacherous when I walked the girls. I questioned why I was even out there. When I went to the grocery store in the afternoon (FYI - lots of single bananas, which I bought), they had improved considerably! I think we'll be good this morning!

Here is the next installment of 50 Ways to Keep a Quilter Happy While on Vacation. 22 - 21 - 20 - 19

On that note, I'm out of here!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!