Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Gratitude Service

My life is laden with good fortune and I had a unique chance to share my gratitude for it at a recent gathering at my campus. Clackamas Community College held a Gratitude Service in the Language Arts Center yesterday afternoon. Staff, faculty and students were all invited to attend and read a poem, essay, short story or any other verbal way to express thanks.
Sue M. shared a couple of her blog entries posted last summer from her stay in Czechoslovakia. She was thankful for the kindness of strangers who helped her overcome some physical pain and the emotional agony of being homesick. A student read her contest winning poem that will be featured on the college president's holiday card. Kate G. recited a stunning poem that she had created to express gratitude for the gentle power of the natural world. Ryan D. read an amazingly descriptive tribute to his now deceased family dog. There were more poems and another speaker recanted accomplishments on a global level that the entire earth family can be grateful for. I shared pieces from my "Gratitude Journal" and featured artwork by my grandgirl Mary and a note of gratitude from my personal trainer who couldn't be there but wanted to. It was a comforting gathering of people expressing genuine thanks for good things in their lives and turned out to be a shiny life experience for me. What a wonderful preparation for turkey eating tomorrow!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

November Wellness

My, my-November already. Summer just BAMMED shut and it's cold today! All the better for a vigorous workout with my personal trainer. I really like her but I crawl unwillingly to the workout which is challenging and tests muscles I never even thought I had. All the while, Angie screams, "Good going, Terry! Keep it up! Keep it up!" Two good activities today were the snowshoe machine and the calf/hamstring stretch. Okay, the snowshoe machine isn't its real name but I think you can picture the thing with that description. She left me alone to do so many prescribed minutes on it and I actually completed without wanting to turn off the machine. Then to the calf/hamstring stretch which involves lying on one's back and strapping a gigantic rubber band like thing under the shoe and then pointing the leg toward the ceiling and to one side and then the other. HOLY COW! Do I ever have tight muscles! They amaze my instructor and she cheers as I grunt and groan. "Keep breathing, Terry, keep breathing!" she yells over the pathetic sounds coming out of my mouth. And I have to "hold it, hold it" for so long that I think my legs will snap. But I am having great success with this sort of physical activity. I am beginning to notice a teeny tiny bit of strength coming into far corners of my body. I can even do a number of crunches without rolling over on my side moaning and begging for mercy.

But walking isn't working out. I don't like it anymore and I'm astounded at that. I walked for years and years and really enjoyed it particularly when I walked with my good friend JoAnn. But these days walking causes breathing stress which is uncomfortable. So I'm going to fall away from that for awhile. Maybe when I'm even stronger it will be better. . .if I try again.

And weight watcher eating is a total bust. I don't want to "journal" my meals. (By the way, when did the word "journal" become a verb?) I don't want that much salad. I don't want to think about vegetables so much and fruit was never ever my idea of dessert. So I'm just going to eat. I am what I am and I'll get fit the best way I know how. Unfortunately, that includes doing my best to help Pat eat a whole box of Joe's Donuts on the way over Mt. Hood last weekend. Those donuts rival Krispy Kreme and Voodoo Donuts as well. We managed to get the whole box finished by late afternoon Friday after a Thursday afternoon purchase.

So eating in a priss pure and saintly manner has wavered and activity has increased. We all work at fitness in our own little ways.