Tag Archives: relaxation

Jun17

Monday Morning Musing

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Monday Morning Musing

I kept four thousand of the photos I scanned. I’ll wait until I’m back in Mexico over the winter to organize them better. There are way too many files that need to be put in a better order. But they’ll do for the time being.

If you’re on Facebook, you’ll have seen some of the photos I’ve put up of two institutions that are absolute musts when I return to Winnipeg. VJ’s for gut bombs and BDI for ice cream. I’m not a fan of Jeannie’s cakes so I’ve passed on that one.

Another place I visit when I come back is the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery. This is where my amazing friends come in. “Karen, what do you want to do today?” My reply is “Please take me to the cemetery.” Strange request? Not really. They know me. And every time I go back to the cemetery I wonder if it’s the last time I’ll get there.

I moved out of the rental and am staying with Rita for a few days. Time to veg before I start up with airports and flights. I felt my blood pressure drop ten points when I got here and cuddled with Cooper and Leo. Cooper is a fifty pound dog who thinks he’s a lap dog. Leo is a cat who also likes to cuddle and purrs happily.

The weather has sort of turned around. We went one almost whole day without any rain. Yours truly slept through a really wicked storm the other night. I can’t believe all the rain Winnipeg has had. More than six weeks of rain at some point every single day!

Duo, I hope you aren’t too sad although the emails indicate otherwise. I really do need to get back into Spanish on Duolingo. I am doing some texting to friends but I need to start talking and working on my grammar again.

My WIP has also been neglected, other than some minor editing. Those photos took up a lot more time than I had expected. I’ve been here almost seven weeks and am looking forward to returning to Washington soon. Just a few more loose ends to tie up.

Four students plan to arrive late to their final exam so they can take it the next day

By the time they arrive the exam is almost over, so they head over to the professor to ask if they can take it the next day. They tell him they tried their best to come on time, but their tire blew out and it took too long to replace it.

The professor tells them, “Don’t worry about it. You can take it today and, since there’s almost no time left, you only have to answer one question. If you get it right, I’ll give you an A on the test.” The students, thinking this is even better than they thought, excitedly take their seats and look at the question:

Which tire blew out?

Have a great Monday!

Apr20

Mindful Musing

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Mindful Musing

It’s been a relaxing couple of weeks since I’ve been back. I’ve made an effort to be more mindful and I’m actually feeling the rewards. I’m not nearly as stressed as I thought I’d be seeing as I’m still settling in and will be traveling again in less than two weeks.

For one thing, I haven’t dived back into teaching yet. I have gone to a training session and I did do a CPR refresher. But I haven’t gone back to Tai Chi classes as I’m still waiting for this sciatica to let up. And it probably will just before I have to board that next four hour flight to Minneapolis. But the long flights take a toll on my back although I make a point of getting up every now and then and walking a little. At least I’ll have a layover and will be able to walk around a little before my connecting flight to Winnipeg.

The highlight of this week was going to writers group on Wednesday. It was great to see everyone again and meet new members. The stories and poems we shared were especially amazing. I have missed the support and encouragement of my writing friends. Unfortunately it was a bit of a tease as I won’t be back now until June.

I’m looking forward to doing some volunteer work on Monday with my friend in Cashmere. Joanne is a professional volunteer in her retirement years and always has interesting things I can help her with. This time I’m helping her prepare for a kids event.

After church tomorrow, Joyce and I are going to a concert in Wenatchee. It’s a benefit for the Ukraine. One of the women in my life group will be singing and I’m sure I’ll recognize a few others in the different choral ensembles who will be performing.

I’ve started coloring again. It has been relaxing and I must admit I sleep better since I’ve cut back on the videogames and turn to my gel pens and markers instead. When I get back in June I intend to pull out my paints and pastels that are currently hidden away in my closet.

The course I’m taking online has now switched topics from nutrition and reading food labels to mindfulness. And I’m making a serious attempt to have mindfulness become my middle name.

The other day I was sitting outside waiting for a friend to pick me up when a cat sauntered by. He eyed me suspiciously through the fence. Yes. He. I’ve decided that Marmalade is a male. I gave him that name because of his coloring. And his tail has these magnificent ring-like stripes. I watched him as he nonchalantly made his way down the street.

On another day I was treated to a small procession of quail strolling across the street. Mama in front and the babies trailing behind. They were all oblivious to the traffic that had stopped for them so that they could safely proceed to their intended destination.

It’s common to see cats in the neighborhood as well as quail. But I know I looked at them differently this time. Mindful musing.

Sep1

Friday, My Day

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Friday, My Day

This morning I was lazing in bed with coffee playing word games on my tablet, music by Phil Wickham in the background. It’s the first chance I’ve had to do that since I returned from Canada. Usually I’m up and out the door early. Saturday was Waterville, Sunday was church, on Monday I was out with Ann, on Tuesday I had a workshop with my writers’ group and then Tai Chi, on Wednesday I was off to Linda’s in Leavenworth and yesterday I was off to Leavenworth to teach a fitness class and then back to Wenatchee for Tai Chi. It’s so nice to have one day this week with absolutely nothing on the calendar.

Of course there are things I need to do today, among them online banking and catching up on emails. I also need to come up with something for my writers’ group meeting next week. And it’s also time to start checking out flights back to Mexico. So much for nothing on the calendar today.

My street looks like a war zone. New water pipes are being installed. Piles of dirt and heavy equipment make traveling down the street an obstacle course. They’ve been at it since back in May. We have the same two seasons here in Washington that they do in Winnipeg…..winter and construction.

Linda and I have been binge watching The Lincoln Lawyer. Last night I caught an old episode of Perry Mason. Those were the days when lawyers actually got innocent people off rather than getting guilty people off on technicalities. Our world has changed.

I’ve been watching the crazy weather and have pretty much decided to stay away from the coastal airports when I fly back to Mexico next month. I’m leaning towards Guadalajara again. I detest Mexico City anyways and have been reading about all the expected cancellations due to cutbacks on the number of daily flights allowed. I’ve been in Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta when there have been hurricanes and it wasn’t fun.

Have a safe and enjoyable long weekend!

May15

Sleep

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Sleep

I did a program the other night on Zoom. The topic was sleep. And I found out I’m doing everything wrong at night before I go to bed. Yet somehow I fall asleep easily and sleep through the night. Okay, the odd time I don’t. But usually sleep comes easily and is restful.

I’m not supposed to color at night. The lighting is supposed to be dim. I need light to color.

Reading is okay if it’s a book and not on a screen. Hmmm, I like to read on my Kindle. That doesn’t work for me.

Technology. Turn off your phone. Let your phone sleep too. I admit I do turn off my ringer. And I do try not to chat.

And now the tablet. I like to unwind playing Candy Crush and Word Connect at night. I don’t find it stimulating enough to prevent me from sleeping. So much for screen time.

The surprising one was to avoid sex. Apparently studies have found that there is too much pressure to perform and that is not considered conducive to getting a good night’s sleep.

Another hint was sitting in a chair to unwind before getting into bed. Bed should be for sleep only. Nope. I prefer to review my day while lying comfortably in bed.

Don’t meditate before going to sleep? Another one I totally disagree with. There’s nothing like doing a full body scan technique to relax at night.

Fresh air. Yes, that one I agree with. I always sleep with a window open. Of course I don’t do winter in a cold climate anymore.

Avoid caffeine and don’t eat a heavy meal prior to bedtime. I’ll go with that although I do indulge in chocolate from time to time.

Noise. Loud is not good. Some people find sound machines soothing. Personally, I love to hear waves lapping as I listen to Pachelbel.

Here’s one of my favorite strategies that wasn’t mentioned on the Zoom program. That one is prayer. If you don’t do that one already, then you really do need to try it. The religion you practice doesn’t matter. God hears it all.

If your sleep pattern goes wild and you feel out of sorts, you should get a referral to a specialist in the field of sleep medicine. Got to love all this new terminology.

Unfortunately far too many people rely on prescription medication or may self-medicate with the variety of available over-the-counter products. Sometimes these may mask physical conditions that are affecting sleep. Of course sleep deprivation itself causes a variety of problems such as depression. In a way, it’s kind of a vicious circle.

In conclusion, there is no generic cure for insomnia. Not everything works for everyone. I have my regimen and I’m sticking to it, whether recommended or not.