Arrrgh!!!

This past week I have been the guest leader of our exercise class. Our guru, Lynda, has become a grandma again, and she wanted to have a week with her daughter and grandchildren. I'm always pleased when she asks me to sub. It's the closest I get to teaching these days. She first asked me to sub three years ago when her parents became seriously ill. She gave me the music for the class, and a list of the exercises she was doing during each song. I spent a long weekend counting out the beats of the music, to determine how many times we needed to repeat the movements. I copied that information onto large sheets of poster board, in what I call my personal "cheat sheets."

We have upgraded exercise since then. We're working harder and a little bit faster. Lynda discovered that we old folk are capable of doing more than she expected, so she has added more yoga and balance to the sessions. When I use this older set of exercises, we are all aware that it's a bit less challenging. I'm at the point where I will have to spend another weekend counting out music and exercises and making another set of cheat sheets to upgrade the level of effort.

I was pleased that Monday's exercise went well. Wednesday the room was full! Most of the class of forty turned out. Today, I thought we might be lucky to have six or eight people come to class since it was the start of the long holiday weekend. I didn't stop to count, but I think we may have had about 26 people in class, and they were all there to work!

I feel blessed that my fellow exercisers are willing to have me lead the class, and further blessed that they make it so easy to guide them. I've really enjoyed the week. There were a couple of unexpected benefits. I've had some knee problems that are just beginning to improve. When I was leading class, I forgot to baby the knee, and I discovered that I could do more than I expected. And, when I lead class, I tend to work harder, so I got more benefit from the exercise than usual. I've felt really good all week!

So....Thank you, Lynda, for inviting me to sub for you. It was MY pleasure!

Thursday, I was driving down to see Elegante Mother. I'd been to exercise, stopped at home long enough to water plants, and was on my way. I was about a third of the way there when I realized I was having trouble staying awake. That alone should have scared me into waking up, but I really needed to close my eyes.

I was passing the parking lot of a very large park district sports field. It was almost empty, so I thought I would pull in and take a quick nap. I've never done this before, but it seemed to be the best of the choices open to me.

I left the car running so that it would stay cool. I was parked so that I was facing away from the sun. I tilted my head back and was gone in a flash. About ten minutes later there was a loud knocking at my passenger window. A young woman was there, asking if I was all right. I'd fallen asleep with my mouth open, and she must have assumed that I had had a heart attack.

I was mightily embarrassed to have been caught like that, but comforted that a stranger would stop to check up on me. I reassured her that I was fine, and both of us left the parking lot. It seems that just ten minutes made all the difference. I made it to my destination without any problems.

I used to be the original sleep anywhere kid, but as I've gotten older my sleep patterns have changed a bit, and not for the best. I have a bad knee that makes it difficult to find a comfortable position in which to sleep, and it wakes me several times during the night. It addition to that, despite the fact that I want to be up at 5:00 in the morning, I still don't have the smarts to be in bed at 9:00 at night. I really need to work on that. Short changing myself of sleep when I'm already deprived is just stupid! (Don't tell my step-daughter I used that word. I'm supposed to be erasing it from my vocabulary for the sake of our granddaughters!)

At any rate, all's well that ends well.

Yup, I'm yet livin'! I've been busy, but no busier than most of you. I've had a flurry of obligations followed by the calm of low tide.

I made a two day trip to Iowa, with my sister, Frankie, of Just My Opinion. It was a voyage of remembrance for me, and one of discovery for her. Our grandparents and their children lived in Iowa. My sister had heard stories of "the farms" all her life, and it was time for her to go see them, and get to know those who farm them better. I enjoyed the trip down memory lane, seeing the houses where my aunt and grandparents lived, and the house where my father was raised. I was astounded by the generosity of everyone we met in Iowa. They were generous with their time, their information, their smiles, and concern. This was perhaps the best quick trip I have ever made! Thank you, Iowans!

Monday, just past, I was scheduled for an insurance audit. I was prepared, but just to be on the safe side, I skipped exercise to be sure that everything was ready. Eleven o'clock came and went with no auditor at my door. By 11:22 I called, to see if she was lost and needed directions. No answer. I have still not received a return call. I believe a letter to the company is warranted.

I've started a new quilt top. I have a small wall-hanging-size quilt that is bands of four patches on point alternated with strips of solid fabric. I have it folded into quarters and Ed, the cat, lays on it when I am at the computer in the living room. I've always loved that little quilt and decided to make a larger version of it. True to form, I may be making two larger quilts. I started cutting up scraps and ends of small pieces of fabric before I had the design planned out. Of course, now I have more squares than I need for one quilt, so I may put together two to use up all the cut pieces. Pictures to come, sooner or later.

I have a great deal of weeding to do. I thought I was going to have help from a grandnephew, but that's fallen through. I'm going to try to work tomorrow morning while it's still cool, and the sun is not overhead. I may even work at it this evening once the gardens are in the shade of the house. If I can't keep up with the weeding, I may see if my favorite landscaping company can give me a couple of hours. I'm going to have two willow trees planted this summer, so perhaps they can do it then.

Our exercise guru's daughter gave birth to her second baby recently. Lynda will be going to spend a week or so with them, and I've been invited to take over the class next week. I need to spend a little time reviewing the music and the moves and create a new cheat sheet, if necessary, before Monday morning. I really enjoy working with the class, and they seem to be willing to have me lead them.

Thank you notes. I have a stack of thank you notes I need to write. Frankie puts me to shame with her beautiful, hand-written, notes. I think I'll print up a list of the notes I owe, and do a few now and then through out the day. This is one obligation I really want to get done!

I finally stopped at the local upholstery place to start looking at fabric samples. Of course, I've waited so long that the color I want, spruce green, is no longer available. There is a sea of moss, tarragon, sage, basil or even lime green to be had. I think the people who choose what colors will be offered each year must have been very hungry. I had originally planned to have two chairs and an ottoman done in a solid green, but now that I think about it, It might be a better idea to have a chair and the ottoman done in a floral print, and then have the couch and loveseat done in a solid green. There are SO many variables, it makes my head swim. And this is going to be done piecemeal, so I can't just order everything at one time, which makes it even harder. This is one chore I'm not enjoying.

I have finally repotted three plants that have been waiting for months for just a little dirt! Two plants for my bathroom, and a geranium that I wintered over are now the proud possessors of new homes! There's a plant in the green room that needs to be killed off. It's grown oddly and can no longer get enough food and moisture from the pot it's in. It's too leggy to save, so I'm going to have to do the unthinkable and cut it up. There is also a euphorbia, that I'm going to take cuttings from. This plant has grown so well that it can't hold itself up in the little pot that holds the roots. Luckily, it's an easy plant to propagate, so I'm going to get new pots and soil, and get started on that. I think I may give one to my Mother.

And the last bit of news...I cut off half my hair. I walked into the salon for my appointment and said...."Shave my head!" My hairdresser smiled, and said, "We can do that." I back tracked a bit, and we compromised on cutting all of the lower length, and most of the sides. Now, I look a bit more like my sisters, who all have short hair. I don't think it was a mistake, but if it is, it will always grow back.

I hope you're all having a good day, and wish you the best for the weekend!