The art of walking the dogs (together)

Oh yes - my gluts! I don't think they are strong at all. They should be, but I don't think they are. The biggest issue is the imbalance - hamstrings are too tight, glutes are not strong enough, and other fun things. You would think for all the spin classes I do, this shouldn't be a problem, but it is. The truth is in doing some exercises and seeing how much weight I can lift. Together, my legs work as a great team, but individually? They are wobbly and unsure of themselves. This just goes to show how a team is stronger than an individual! 

So yes -- squats need to be part of the daily routine. What I need to do is create a little workout that I can do at home on the days when I'm not at the gym. Then, I must have a good 15-minute stretch routine after the spin class. I must work on those, as my brain seems to freeze up when I get to the gym, and I sometimes repeat the same exercises! 

Yesterday was somewhat of a quiet day at my house! DH was away for the day, and I had only one presentation. I did get some work done - more writing and more prep work- but I also took advantage, and I read for a bit and finished a physical book. I MUST remember to read my physical books so they can be donated and not get books from the library. I finished the book from my shelf and am now onto another one from my shelf. 

The books were sorted with quilt-themed novels on one shelf, books from series on two shelves, and the last shelf was made up of stand-alone books. They are all novels. There are other non-fiction books in another bookcase. I aim to try to focus on eliminating some of those novels from either of the three categories. The missing books in the series must be found in the library or used bookstores. But I must read them so they can be donated. I do NOT want to move any novels when the time comes. 

I have zero interest in rereading a novel a second time, although I reread some books because I didn't check my list carefully. Most of the time, I do not remember the details the second time. But unless there is a special reason to keep the book - someone gave it to you, it is signed, or whatever (and none of those reasons are compelling enough for me to keep it), I do not need to keep a novel. All books can be found somewhere. Sometimes, hunting for a particular book is half the fun of reading it. 

So, let's keep that in mind as the year progresses. I'm reading another book about WWII (Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay), and I let my imagination wander, which I should not have. What is so horrific is that neighbors, friends, and police forces turned a blind eye and were even part of the horrific events. Why did they turn on their neighbors? Fear of being shot to death! A gun to your head or harm to your family will make a lot of people's loyalty weaken. 

I have trouble dealing with the Anne Frank story. I've been to the museum in Amsterdam, one of the most moving places I've visited. You can feel her presence in the house. They were hidden for so long, and it's shocking to know someone betrayed them. I had trouble sleeping last night, and that's all I will say. 

On a much happier note, the purpose of these presentations is to inspire the attendees. But guess what? I'm so inspired to work on new stuff that I'm struggling. Where to start? How to finish this sample off, and so on. There's just so much I want to do! All that technology is calling my name! I'll try to finish some new stuff, but it's a tough call! I still have classes to prep for this weekend and haven't done much with that, so today, I will have to play catch up. 

It was one of those fantastic spring days! No need for a jacket or even a sweatshirt! This is one of the reasons I love to feel the seasons change. It's like a reward for getting through winter.  

So, the big news of the day is that I took both girls for a walk together. Lexi has a flex leash, while Murphy does not. In the beginning, Lexi was in front, putting Murphy into a tizzy. She NEEDS to be in front, so she is hopping on her short leash to catch up! It's the one and only time that Lexi can be first! She's taking advantage of it. 

MOM - this is an injustice - I NEED to be first! 

By the time we were on our way home, they were walking side by side. Lexi was tired, and Murphy was happy to be equal, at least since she couldn't be in front. Yes - if I had a harness for them, it would have been an easy walk for me! 

MOM - where's your wagon? 

But Murphy often was in front, and Lexi was sniffing a tree. Their tongues were hanging out, especially Murphy's. Lexi is so delicate that just the tip of hers hangs out. Murphy? The entire tongue is out! This was a mild example, to say the least. 

MOM - it's so hot! 

When we got home, Murphy ran to the water dish and flattened herself to gulp the water down. For whatever reason, she runs HOT. 

MOM - I NEED WATER! 

I grabbed my snack and my book and headed out to the gazebo. I wasn't paying much attention to Murphy, but something made me glance up, and NO!!!!! She was languishing on the side of the pond with her front paws in the water. She was preparing to take a dip! I didn't even have time to take a picture - I just yelled at her, and she backed off, but not before she got partially wet. 

MOM - I need to cool off!

And that little devil tried it again, but I caught her. The pond water is filthy and filled with leaves, and there's a rubber liner in there, which I don't want her claws digging into and damaging. So, the pond is not an option. It seems a bit early to dig out the swimming pool for her!

Do you ever go about your day thinking about how you work? Multitasking is a big thing - do we multitask, and are we good at it? I think of multitasking as doing two or more things simultaneously - like driving a car and listening to the radio. It could be quilting and listening to an audiobook. I am literally doing two things at once. One is mental, and one is physical. Let's hope there isn't more physical stuff happening while driving - like eating - people do that! 

Anyway -- do we do them well? I'm listening to an audiobook now, and I know I'm not giving it the attention it needs as there are parts where my mind isn't focused on the book, and then I wonder what happened. I hate doing that as I like to listen (read) what the author wrote, and it all helps build suspense, the plot, and the characters. So if there is ANY thinking involved in what I'm doing, I am NOT multitasking well with an audiobook and quilting. I stop listening to the book, do whatever I need, and then go back to multitasking. 

I think I'm good and do NOT consider this multitasking is to use my time efficiently. If you are waiting for something to happen, can you use those seconds/minutes to do something else? Waiting one minute to download pictures from my phone. I can run my gym bag upstairs, make tea, answer an email, or whatever. While I wait for the kettle to boil, I can unload the dishwasher. This is not multitasking, as I'm only doing ONE task at any given time, but as I mentioned, it's an efficient use of time. That's how one can get so much done. 

Here's a good tip, especially with all the garbage that has taken over the internet: not reaching for your phone in those few precious moments. Do something useful - grab a couple of pieces of paper and decide if you want to keep them, file them, or trash them. STOP wasting your time watching fake AI-generated reels on the internet! It's become such a prevalent thing, and people are struggling to determine what is real and what is not. 

We need to set aside some time every day for complete boredom. Find a nice spot to sit - mine is the gazebo. Just sit there and do nothing. No reading, no phone, no talking - just sitting and existing. That is a privilege of our society - well, it's a privilege for anyone. We need to take advantage of that. Our brains need that downtime. Be BORED -- let your kids be bored. Teach them that they do NOT need to be entertained each minute of the day. Sitting back and watching the world or napping is a fantastic refreshment! Whatever you end up doing, choose that activity MINDFULLY. Do everything with a purpose, even during downtime. Don't just let society dictate what you should be doing! 

Most things that we use to cure our boredom (that damn phone is one of them) do not cure the boredom. We just crave more, so more people are creating fake or real content to satisfy that demand. Start living YOUR life, not what someone wants or thinks you should be watching. The same goes for TV, streaming services, or whatever. Start doing what you want to do - life is way too short to waste it! 

And on that happy note, I'm off to be totally bored! I have work to do, but I'm glad to do nothing. I am learning to just say NO to those damn reels. Just say NO!!!!

Wait -- there's a Virtual Retreat this weekend, and here are the links. 

Saturday, March 22 - Starts at 6 PM EST

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82693702241?pwd=QpQkm8Ppppy1XwCPOqva1bcgJCWKdP.1

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

Sunday, March 23 - Starts at NOON

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81073536036?pwd=uxRqMnK1aSKrmrcSO78w8QQs5g44eA.1

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!