Be the change you want to see.

Hadn't been to visit a cemetery for many years. Got an artistic wild hair to go for a walk through one in my neighborhood today.
Really interesting. Gravestones have *fashions*. You could study the gravestone styles in a given graveyard and then learn more about artistic styles of a particular decade or era. That could be very fun.

Beautiful huge trees in this particular cemetery. Well established. One magnolia tree had roots which had encroached upon and embraced a particular black marble family marker. It was lovely, and oddly reassuring to me. (I've no idea if that makes sense to anyone who's not me.)

We don't even have any TRULY old grave markers, this area has only been settled by the kind of folks who mark their graves with tombstones, for about 200 years. And yet I came away thinking two contradictory things.

One, humans are mayflies. We are born, we live, we die, and then we are dead for a *really* long time. Same as we weren't born, for a *really long time...
Two, humans can make a giant impact on the world. Why are more of us NOT doing so? NOT improving the world, not helping other humans to live happier, healthier, more loving and compassionate lives? (mainly, WHY AM *I* not doing more to improve the world?)

Aww yeah baby.

Gym today was SPECTACULAR.
And not just because my right hip and leg desperately needed the workout. I started with the adductor and abductor machines at 50#, ten pounds down from my usual, just to try and give those complaining muscles some immediate love. That was a good thing. Then a wee bit of stretching before moving on to cardio...

There was a fun new machine, which is kind of like the love-child of an elliptical trainer and stationary bike, that was just too damn much fun, it goes REALLY REALLY FAST which is something I hardly ever do, but it didn't have a lot of resistance, so it wasn't HARD exactly. It was just hella SILLY. I was grinning like a loon (as they say.) 17 minutes was "ten laps" for whatever value of laps this machine uses. It worked upper and lower body, so I just did a little light work with the hamstring machine (because my hamstring was part of the OMG YOU'RE NEGLECTING US!! brigade) and then a little flexibility work for shoulders and core, and THEN I got on the bosu-ball, it's a balance ball, with like half an exercise-ball topped by a flat platform; you stand on the platform and it's OMG-hard. I did good stuff there, bent knees and straight, holding my core muscles, until I was making with the wobbly-knees only it wasn't my *knees*, I'm not sure what was wobbling but all of me was wobbling, and then I hopped off. I felt the muscles in the bottoms of my FEET being tired. Wow. That would explain the recent bout of foot-cramps I've been having this last few days when I haven't been working out... Okay!

Ok, now, now, is my favorite part, my most bragging part. =D
I went into the foyer, which has become kind of my default stretching and yoga-work place at the end of a workout. Got a mat, and went from Cobra to Child's pose and back a few times to limber my spine, kicking my right hip out in Crescent Moon to stretch the hip muscles (still sore, I need to get up and move again once I finish this post) ... Up-dog, Down-dog. Rolling my pelvis around on the mat to massage my lower back, I kicked my legs out and rolled up to my feet. This made me remember how much I liked rolling from Boat forward and back... and then I started to roll and kick my feet up, back toward my head, and then I almost made a shoulder stand, and then I DID make a shoulder stand. =D =D =D

And then I had to do it twice more to make sure I had really done it. I did! I did make a shoulder stand!!
This FAT CHICK did a shoulder stand! This OLD BROAD did a shoulder stand! THREE OF THEM!!

So. Much. FUN!!

And then to cap off my triumph, I got the foam core roller and pounded on my IT band and the sore hip and butt muscles, and then I rolled my SPINE, which I always forget how it hurts so, so very good. And makes me feel like I'm at least an inch taller.

Now, now my ducklings, I must go have something to eat, and some more water, and figure out What's For Dinner, because I inspired Jeff to go for a bike ride on the New Bike (which is hella nifty machine, let me tell you) and I plan to reward him by having something delicious ready when he comes home. I think scallops on linguine will do nicely.

Dance music and cooking, ahoy!

I've been napping a lot during the afternoons this week. I think the skin problem I'm currently dealing with may be the culprit, it recently got rather worse and is probably sapping my energies.

Am hoping to make it to the gym tomorrow. Picked up a couple more pairs of exercise sweatpant-dealies that should be cute and comfy. Looking less like a schlemiel when I go, when so many fitter ladies have cute coordinated outfits, will help me look forward to going.

I don't have any fear about going to the gym anymore. This was not the case when I last had a membership, something like 8-10 years ago. I was full of feelings that I was being judged, was worried people were staring, stuff like that. I was also judging myself. Lots. Feeling guilty and lots of should-have's.

I love that my life for the most part isn't full of fear anymore. My motivation does not come (or perhaps 10% instead of 90%) from fear. Wanting to be strong comes from a place of security and a desire to do what's necessary to plan for the future I want. I want to be a strong, flexible, vibrant old lady. Period.