I'M HONORED!! and, I love lemonade.....

http://wiseherb.blogspot.com/

Kathy G. of http://kathys-second-half.blogspot.com/2009/03/if-life-gives-you-lemons.html
has honored me (big time!!) by nominating this blog as one of her favorites! I've never participated in anything like this and don't quite know how it works, but I'll copy the rules and we'll see how it goes.

Here are the rules as established (or discovered) at this blog http://wiseherb.blogspot.com/.
If you're interested in nominating other bloggers for the award, here are some guidelines:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.


2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!


3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post and let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.


4. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

MY NOMINEES ARE: (in no particular order)


http://palocalvore.blogspot.com/ because I LOVE FOOD and wish I loved gardening. Willa is a friend who is very talented and whose universal outlook often coincides with mine.

http://kathys-second-half.blogspot.com/ because Kathy G. is such an upbeat person, a friend, and someone from whom I always learn something.

http://recycledcrafts.craftgossip.com/ because I wish I had the time and energy to perform all the magic that is written about at this blog that combines two of my favorite things - art and recycling.

http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/ because Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors of all time and because this site taught me to make my own mozzarella cheese! There is a lot of valuable, practical knowledge here as well as inspiration for my recycling 'adventures'.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index1.htm because on this site I learned how to easily, quickly, and cheaply make my own perfect 'Wendy's Chocolate Frostie'. Really! Lots of other down home wisdom here.

http://kimguzman.wordpress.com/ because I'm totally addicted to crochet (Can I nominate my own crochet blog???) and Kim is one of my favorite designers. She makes me WANT to do Tunisian Crochet even tho' I find it boring. And, despite having a teen and a toddler and a grown son, and all the life-drama that goes with that, her writing is always upbeat.

http://www.blisstree.com/hankeringforyarn because Noreen is so creative, has a wonderful sense of whimsy about her work, and writes in a very engaging manner. Another crocheter whose work I appreciate immensely.

http://margaretshooksandneedles.blogspot.com/ because crochet is meant to have fewer rules than other needle arts and Margaret takes freeform crochet in all kinds of directions. She inspires and dazzles on a regular basis.

http://working-tigers.blogspot.com/ because it's written by my daughter, her first attempt at blogging, and she has an important message for twenty-somethings as well as the rest of us.

http://www.dinamic-crochet.co.cc/ because Thata Pang is one of the most prolific and inventive crocheters I've ever had the good fortune to meet online. Her work is always an inspiration. She's the only person I'm in touch with in Indonesia. I love that the internet allows us to share so much information so easily across natural and artificial borders.

#11 - Sadly, there is no other crochet blog I've ever read that is any good. There are several other walking blogs, but I find them boring and technical, speaking far more to the marathoner than the every day person who needs/wants to take a walk!

To keep this walking-related, I'll ask who among the readers of this blog ever had a Lemonade Stand when you were a child? I don't recall ever having had one, but I certainly have come across them in my walks over the years. I look forward to walking through densely populated subdivisions this summer to determine if child entrepreneurs are still out there trying to make a few bucks selling their mom's lemonade!













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Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

MORE ON KITES

I did it! My daughter and I took our Dollar Store kites to the park and ran around (I use the term 'ran' loosely since I can't run and NEVER could run any faster than I could walk!!), throwing our colorful kites into the air. We weren't expert at the job but we did get our kites aloft. My daughter had never flown a kite and wasn't terribly interested in the whole thing. She's a rather sophisticated 23 year old and thinks such things childish. Boy, did she change her mind! She's now hooked and wants to get a 'real' kite.

The kites of my childhood were paper with flat balsa wood struts - balsa or something similar - with tails made of our old shirts. We didn't actually make the kites ourselves, but did have to supply the tails and assemble the struts. In St. Louis, there are only a few days really suitable to fly kites or drive convertibles. We've had several such days lately, altho' today was a bit cold. But, sunny and breezy is sufficient for a good kite fly.

While my daughter and I were flying our kites, my husband was taking my walk for me ;-).
The dog enjoyed that too. Nobody made fun of us attempting to get our kites aloft, although I feel sure that the Dads who were attempting to coach 6 year olds playing baseball could have done quite nicely without the distraction of two crazy women trying to fly their kites. Well, that's just too bad!



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Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

LOSING THE ANGER

Have you ever been so angry you just wanted to get out of the house (or office)? I have. When I had three teens (of my own plus extras who lived with us for various lengths of time), I would often become frustrated with their irresponsible and immature behavior. One child of mine was especially good at pressing my hot buttons. Fueling the fire by fighting back is never a good thing. But, it takes time and perspective to learn how to cope with the anger and frustration.

Once I had become a dedicated walker, I learned that if I just tied on my shoes and headed out of the house, I was able to leave all the anger and frustration back at home. By the time I returned home 15 to 60 minutes later, the situation had magically changed and the anger and frustration had dissipated. All gone.

Now, this doesn't solve problems in and of itself, but it does help maintain sanity and preserve the family without further damaging what may be fragile relationships.

This same strategy will work on the job too. Kind of like the old words 'Count to Ten' or 'Take a couple of deep breaths'. It really is effective.

Walking is a great stress reducer. Something happens in our brains when we walk for 15 or more minutes. There are actually chemical changes which can be measured. I'm not so concerned with the science of it. I just know it works! And, I'm all for anything that works, harms no one, and benefits everyone involved. And, it's way cheaper than therapy.

So, my new mantra is 'When the going gets tough, the tough go walking'. Try it! You certainly have nothing to lose and maybe a lot to gain with peace of mind and improved family relationships. I did.



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Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

SPRING SPRINGS FORTH

I love Spring. It's my favorite time of year. I'm not a fan of cold weather and detest those gloomy, dank days of Fall and Winter. Summer and Spring are the times of year when I feel most alive. Fall is pretty, but my asthma always raises its ugly head then, so I don't look forward to it.

This week, we have had Spring in St. Louis. Many trees, the colorful ornamentals we have so many of around town, are starting to bud. The first green spears of tulips and other perennials arise from the messy flower beds. Hens and chicks, those cute green succulents, begin their spread. The grass (or maybe it's just the weeds) in the lawn greens up nicely, having shed its winter coat of dried leaves.

This time of year is pure walking inspiration for me. I've walked outside every day - sometimes twice a day - despite the sprinkles and wind. The freshness of the breezes give me hope that despite the political and economical gloom and doom we can't avoid hearing and reading about will be swept away like those dried leaves.

My dog, Lizzie, is re-learning how to walk on her leash. She is walked year round, but she was naughty two years ago, pulled me down and broke my wrist, so I have been loathe to walk her. Now that she's past the puppy stage and calming down, I'm getting ready, with my husband's help, to give her a second chance at her favorite thing in life - walking with me!

She's a great walking companion except when there's another dog nearby. Then, she forgets her manners and jerks forward. If I'm not alert, she'll have me face down on the concrete or blacktop. If that happens again, she'll be forever consigned to the walking schedule of her 'dad' which is not nearly as regular as my regime.

Despite the friskiness and lack of manners of my own dog, I highly recommend having a dog as your walking companion. Lizzie is ALWAYS ready to walk. She doesn't care what time of day it is, what the weather is like, or what's on TV. She's like the Energizer Bunny - always ready!


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Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

GO FLY A KITE!

One day last week, one of the first days that really felt like Spring, I walked with Kathy G. at the park near our homes. There was a middle-aged woman flying a kite. I love kites. Kathy admitted to not being 'very good' at getting or keeping a kite airborne.

I decided to go fly a kite. Had to buy one first. On a weekend trip out of town, I got a great deal at Dollar Tree - two kites for $1. I don't care what design is on the kite, so I'm easy to please. These are two thin plastic 'fabric' with wooden dowels and 120 feet of nylon 'string'. I think that flying a kite would count for about as much time as walking, especially if I walk up to the park from my house.

So, Kathy, I've got a kite for me and one for you - and we're gonna go fly kites one day next week. I'm hereby challenging you to a kite flight - not a duel. We'll help each other get our kites airborne and walk around the park showing off. What do you say??



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Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

WHO WOULD YOU WALK WITH ?

If you could walk with ANYONE you wanted, living or dead, who would it be? I was thinking about this the other day when I was wishing that my beloved Jasmine, my cockerpoo who began my walking journey with me about 10 years ago, could be with me to walk on a sunny day. She SO loved her walks!

George Clooney has been in St. Louis recently, making a movie. I'd be happy to walk with George Clooney. Not only is he a hunk, but I bet we could have some good talks about his travels to Africa. Other candidates for my 'ultimate' walking partner would be other hunks like Sean Connery or Gregory Peck. But movie stars seem too obvious. Of course, Barak Obama would be fun to walk with. I'd have trouble keeping up with his long legs! Michelle Obama would be grand to walk with, too.

My Dad (who died in 1995) would be a bad choice because he HATED such activities. He's in Heaven sitting in a comfy recliner with a remote, flipping thru every sports channel, with a bowl of cheezits and chocolate chips. Yep - ate those together every night and never gained an ounce. Life ain't fair! My father in law, OTOH, would be a great choice because he was a great observer of nature. Same for my Mamaw. She could identify every flower, tree, and bird we would see on our walk.

I think I would enjoy walking with Barbara Kingsolver, Bill W. , Bill Cosby, and Harper Lee. We'd have lots to talk about. Lesser known, but outstanding walking partners would be John Taylor Gatto (my teaching hero), Maria Montessori, Marie Curie, or Queen Elizabeth.

I'm sure there are others I could dream up. I have a wide-ranging list of interests and never enough time to explore them all. Even Martha Stewart might be fun to walk with - but I wouldn't let her in my house. She'd likely have the vapors if she saw the state of my 'home decor' - as in, we don't have any!!

So, who's on your list of Most Wanted Walking Partners? Don't be shy.


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Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

FINDING YOUR WAY

So, how do you know where to walk? Get out and chart your neighborhood. Get a mental picture of the best routes for walking. Is there a park nearby which you can head to or at least include in your journey? Is there a house with an especially nice yard that you enjoy walking by? Is there a house you want to avoid?

Are you looking to walk on a level route or include some uphill walking in your regime? Level is best for beginners. But, try to add some ups and downs as you gain endurance.

Do you want to avoid busy intersections? When I have my car serviced, I can walk home from the shop but the route requires my crossing a 6 lane state route that looks pretty much like an interstate highway with stop lights. I'm familiar with the signal sequence, so I know when I have time to get all the way across. However, I avoid this route in rush hour. It's just not a walker-friendly route.

If you have school age kids and their school is within walking distance, you have an instant walking route. Plus, you'll have time for quality conversation with your child(ren) and encourage them to walk more too. Remember how most of us over the age of 30 walked to and from school every day? No one came to harm and it was a great time to de-stress from the school day.

So, think of a destination - the library, the grocery store, the school, the park - and walk to and from it if you can. Maybe you'll only do this on fair weather days. That's okay. You're in charge of your walks so walk when and where it suits you. But, do walk. Try to make it meaningful, enjoyable, worth your time. Before long, you'll wonder why you ever drove to these neighborhood destinations.



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Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.