Day One

Posted on May 15, 2012 by karen

Well, I’ve hit my markers. It’s a tad after 8:00 pm and I’ve done 8198 steps and 15 floors. I’ve used my weights. And except for the leftovers from the freezer, I’ve been vegetarian.

I decided that I like to walk the dirt road behind my house, but not the paved state highway that gets me there and back. So, on my way to town, I tried turning left, not right, and drove down the dirt road and parked at the end. It’s just a half mile back to the farm, and then a half mile back to the car. I walked to the farm and back to my car, and then drove off to the store. On my walk I met a friend  out for a walk with his dog, and then another friend who stopped, rolled down her window, and we chatted. Pleasant.  One of the pheasants that escaped last October kept crossing the road in the middle, staking claim to his territory, I imagine,  and giving me the “squawk.squawk” from the field as I walked by. All in all a pleasant way to kill a half hour.

My hips, which hurt when I walk any distance, did burn on my way out toward the barn–but hurt less on my way back to my car. Good sign. I tried to walk with good posture, holding my pelvis at the right “tilt”, whatever that is (tuck tush and pull in stomach?), and that may have helped. New insoles may have helped. Walking on dirt, not pavement, may have helped. And maybe, just maybe, more moving equals less pain. I do so hope that may be true!

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Moving into the top 30%

Posted on May 14, 2012 by karen

I’ve decided to get into better shape. Now, so that I’ll hit 70 years old running. Or at least moving a bit faster, with less gasps for oxygen. I’ve got a year plus a few months to do this. I just took a seniors’ fitness test, described in an article by Dean Anderson on SparkPeople.  I’m still breathing a little fast, but passed all six parts, although doing least well on the more aerobic ones. (The tests are based on a book by R.E. Rikii and C.J. Jones, Senior Fitness Test Manual. It’s pricey, and best for fitness coaches, I think.)

The SparkPeople article states that only 32% of those over 65 follow a regular exercise plan. That’s the group I want to move into,  so I’ll need a plan. And regular follow- through.

I’ve been using my Fitbit, getting 5000 steps  and 10 floors climbed on most days. My first step is to up that to at least 8000 steps and 15 floors. After two weeks I’ll evaluate whether I should up that or not.

I’ll keep out the 5 lb weight I got out for the fitness test, and use it every day. Well, actually I’ll try to find the second one, and use them both. Curls and shoulder shrugs with weights. Again, for two weeks.

I’m turning somewhat vegetarian. There are a few sausages, some chicken and shrimp in the freezer. Once they are gone, I am going to try to do without buying any more meat. Maybe replace the shrimp, we’ll see.  I’ve tried seitan recently, and survived. Maybe I’ll find the right method to cook it, and like it better. At least I know I’m not sensitive to gluten. I’m relying on Tempeh, smoked tofu, grains and beans. And every vegetable I can.  Fruit I’ll add, but vegetables are my preference.

I’d like to say I’ll hike, but after going out into the State Forest last week with my son to see the yellow lady slipper in bloom, and coming home to find six deer ticks imbedded in me, I may wait until they calm down this summer. Or stick to well groomed trails.

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A note about Spring

Posted on March 21, 2012 by karen

I went out in the back yard last night, and yes, the peepers are singing, and I can still hear them, in spite of my hearing going south, or somewhere, but they are perhaps a bit more muted than in the past.  And the daffodils are in bloom, while the crocuses are already past. Leaves appearing on the crabapple near the house, and buds are swollen on many trees. It may reach 80 degrees tomorrow; who can work?

Narcissus, or Daffodil, if you wish, in front of my house. And behind my house is the pheasant that has been around since October when the early heavy wet snow took down the nets at the pheasant farm across the street. This fellow would like a mate; he sits on this downed tree in the late afternoon catching the last of the sun.

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Hanging out in Salisbury

Posted on March 20, 2012 by karen

I had to get my car worked on this morning: it was leaking automatic power steering fluid and groaned and moaned at the idea of turning. A new rack(?) was needed, and one that was new to my car was installed. While waiting, I first had a coffee and then walked down to the ski jumps,  the John Satre hill, where in spite of our 70 degree weather there was still snow at the bottom.

I didn’t take that picture (though I took one like it with my almost never used cell phone, and must not have seen the “save”  or something what with the sun on the phone, so no picture.) I was contemplating walking up the stairs along side the large jump; just so my “Fitbit” would count the floors I’d climbed. Luckily I remembered how much I dislike heights and veered over to the steps along side the smaller jump, the one to the left with snow on it in the picture. And even then I didn’t walk all the way up; since jumper’s don’t walk down there is no railing,  I didn’t want to teeter off a step into the ether. It did get counted for a few floors by Fitbit.

The library was now open, so I walked over and skimmed through a book called “My Reach: A Hudson River Memoir” by Susan Fox Rogers. I’ve gotten interested in writing a memoir, and her aligning her life events with time she has spent on the river in her kayak was very effective.  I’ll definitely read it again more carefully. Then back to the garage, and I find I have enough time to have lunch, so I buy a sandwich from the market and sit outside in the warm, welcoming sun. Everyone walked by with a smile on their face, a lilt in their step. The first day of Spring.

I didn’t get out on the trail, but did walk-walk-walk, and my Fitbit recorded it all. It’s an expensive pedometer, but it does more: notes changes in elevation (floors), notes how many miles walked, counts calories burned (sort-of) and will record sleep patterns (I sleep much more soundly then I would have imagined). And it sends all that to your computer wirelessly, when you are within range. I’ve only had it a few days, and today was my first 10,000 step day, but it is a motivator, and will be fun to take on the trail.

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Back to the Trails

Posted on March 19, 2012 by karen

I’ve been delighted with the early spring; honestly, unless you plow snow or live to ski, who wouldn’t have liked the winter just past. Technically spring begins in just a few hours, early tomorrow. Since writing those first sentences I have gotten in the car and driven up to Roy Swamp, a few miles away. I needed to determine if I was not hearing any spring peepers here, at the house, because there aren’t any chorusing yet–or if in the past year my hearing has gotten so bad I just can’t hear them. Well, at Roy Swamp, the peepers are singing away. Not as shrill as I have heard in the past, but that must be my lack of hearing the high ranges. Back home–not a sound. Are my local peepers late this year? Or are they just gone? Amphibians are suffering from toxic run-off; I’ll listen for the nest few days/weeks and try to determine if they still are my neighbors or not.

I’ve got a training hike I am now taking again. Up from the parking along the road, through the crevice in the rocks, to a lookout point. Then turn around, back down. Up is easier for my aching joints but harder on the lungs; down makes my hips cry for mercy. I will keep at it, though, because being out on the Appalachian Trail gives me a giddy kind of pleasure, like I could just keep going, forever. white blaze after white blaze, and what a mighty fine trip that would be. I’m going to steer this blog more towards the attempts of an almost 70 year old lady to get into shape, into being fit for hiking. Will she be able to sleep on the ground?  Stay tuned and find out.

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My one man show

Posted on February 21, 2012 by karen

I’m hung in the local library but not with a noose,  rather it’s my paintings that are hung up.. Fifty-five of them. for two months. It’s the local library, on the upper green, a venerable stone edifice with it’s stained oak interior intact. a grand staircase, and high ceilings. I did some larger paintings, over the last months, specifically for the space. That was a challenge for me, who thinks anything over a 9″ x 12″ painting is big and out of my comfort zone.  I  made sure I liked the larger ones, as no doubt they will be mine again when the show comes down. Lots of the others have sold, though, and it’s all a grand success as far as I’m concerned. (So long as I don’t have to do it again soon.)

Here are the larger ones in the reading room:

 

And these are on the staircase:

 

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Cycles of being and non-being

Posted on July 2, 2011 by karen

When we bought our house in the mid 70′s, one of its charms was the old, well built out-house.  The owners had used it to store hand rolled newspaper ‘logs’, which they burned in the little Ben Franklin pot-belly stove in the house. We replaced the stove with a heat producing Rite-way wood stove, which I still use. The out-house maybe was used infrequently, though never by me. Then it became the sturdy end of a glass-working studio by my son.   And this is what has become of it today:

 

The Ash tree that is taking it out is still alive, but began to lean a few years ago and hasn’t stopped. It’s somewhat held up by neighboring trees and may just reach the steps to the barn loft, but won’t do any damage, (I hope).  More firewood. More summer sunsets.

I’ve been bitten by the genealogy bug. Perhaps I always had it but now it’s flared up.  This early photo I scanned at Ted’s two years ago.   I had decided they looked like farmers dressed up for the photographer. The hand written label said “The Phelp brothers, I think.” Last week I found the Phelp brothers, relatives of my grandmother’s stepmother, and yes, they all were farmers, in Pontiac, Michigan, in the mid-1800′s.

 

 

 

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Painting

Posted on February 17, 2011 by karen

I am going to try to get some daily discipline in my painting. The easel is right there, set up in the kitchen, in a toasty spot not far from the wood stove. I want to develop that illusiveness in my painting that I can sense but not easily recreate. Practice, practice. I shall also practice photographing; here are some closeups of yesterday’s work on a 5″ x 7″ panel. Trying to use bigger brushes; trying to get the camera to focus.

painting 2/16/2011 #2

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The Snows of Winter

Posted on January 29, 2011 by karen

This has been a cold month—but the best winter for snow. I shovel a few times a week, and feed the birds a few times a day.

Love it.

January 2011

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Change of seasons

Posted on October 31, 2010 by karen

I really have not done enough to get ready for winter. The Fall equinox was over a month ago, and it’s obvious that colder weather is just around the corner.  I have windows to seal, leaves to rake up, pots to empty or turn over so they won’t crack, a bit of a Siberian Iris to dig and mail off, bulbs to buy and plant, and wood to stack.

Aaron stopped by and was helpful in cleaning my chimney—the cap was completely plugged.  And since the leaves are still falling,

Fall leaves

I’m working on stacking the leftover wood. Three new cords will come in a few weeks, so the old wood needs to be out of the way. Today I got one row on the pallets  filled:

wood pile

And if I am still able tomorrow, and I intend to be, I’ll get the next row done too.

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