Something different

I took a yoga class yesterday. A chair yoga class, designed for those of us with mobility issues, that made me safe and secure during the class and pretty darned good afterward.

Parts of it were very easy. I've practiced yoga before, and was able to do very difficult poses. Probably still could, if I bothered to try.

But parts of the class were very difficult. I cannot, while seated, place my right foot (that's the artificial hip limb) on my left knee. I can do the opposite, but don't have the flexibility or strength to do right on left. So that's a challenge to work on.

And balancing on my left leg was a problem. I would have thought the right leg would have been more difficult. But I would have been wrong.

The chair class is only offered once a week. I'm not sure if I'll go again, or if I'll go every week. Drop-in classes are $10 each, and a class package (8 classes in 10 weeks) is $65.

At any rate … it was good to try something new.

It's quite cold today. I have a dentist appointment in Beckley at 2. The roads are ice- and snow-covered, and it won't melt because the temperature won't get above the upper teens today. I'll need to give myself plenty of time to get there. This is the impression visit. I'm honestly worried that one of my lower teeth will come out with the impression material. Ugh.

Other than that … nothing to report.

Be kind.

At least we didn't get any ice

Sometimes you have to reeeeeeeeallllllly stretch to find something for which to be grateful.

Took this when I got up, about 6:45 a.m.

As both of you know, I'm pretty darned sick of winter. Our winter storm warning doesn't expire until this evening. The snow began to fall shortly after 3 yesterday afternoon and it's still snowing. We have nearly a foot of it right now. I'm going to have to exchange the plastic ruler for a yardstick soon.

But. I'd sure hate to be in Georgia or the Carolinas today.

Our electricity is still on. The heat pump is pumping, the water is running, THE COFFEE IS DONE!

And I have everything I need to make this. Heh.

The walking streak ended yesterday, after just 13 days. I simply couldn't force myself to walk outdoors when it was only 20° and I also couldn't force myself onto the treadmill or the elliptical. I'll be shoveling (and shoveling and shoveling) today, but there's not much point in starting that job until the snow moves on. 

Jen left a most sympathetic comment yesterday, and I do appreciate it. She's had to deal with a lot more snow than I have this winter. And we are of like minds: Enough, already! I am completely unmotivated to move my ass when it's this cold. I enjoyed walking one snowy day last month, but it would be pretty close to impossible to walk outside for pleasure today.

Crafty lady

So the internet went out a couple days ago. It came back yesterday afternoon sometime, but I've spent most of the day digging the driveway out and going to town. We hadn't picked up the mail in a couple days and needed milk, fruit, yogurt and metal washers.

Because life just isn't complete without metal washers.

KIDDING! Here's what I did with them:

I'm going to a West Virginia Federation of Democratic Women (WVFDW) event Saturday, if I'm not snowed in AGAIN. We had to postpone our December meeting because of weather, and I have all these little goodie bags for the Christmas exchange. At the last minute I decided to add one more thing.

I'm like the knitter who finishes all the holiday projects and casts on for another one BECAUSE THERE'S TIME. Oh. Wait. I'm not like that knitter, I AM that knitter.

Anyhoo ... I coated the reverse (blank) side of a large conversation heart with Mod Podge and let it dry. Then I attached a magnet disk to the back. My dilemma was how to present it. I ended up making the business cards and adding a metal washer to attach the magnetic heart to.

I can't take credit for the idea. I saw it somewhere on Pinterest, and I think it's genius. I used it Christmas before last when I gave my daughter and daughters-in-law each a set of personalized glass magnets. It really does make for a nice presentation.

Shoveling the driveway (which is about .05 of a mile long) will have to count as the intentional activity du jour. Unless making a pot of no-bean chili counts as exercise.

Hoping you all are safe and warm and cozy, wherever you are. Unless you're in Australia, and then I'd love to send you some of this snow! You deserve a break!

It's winter. And it's snowing.

The sky! It's falling!

Because that's what it does in winter.

This is going to be an all-day event, with a predicted snowfall of four to eight inches. Four is as bad as eight if you're driving in it, I suppose.

I'm not going anywhere.

I got my car inspected and a new battery installed yesterday, and walked to Tiny Kroger while the work was being done. (After walking four miles earlier with my husband. PATTING MYSELF ON THE BACK HERE!) The grocery was jam-packed with folks buying milk, bread, eggs and peanut butter. Because the snowpocalypse! It's happening!

I bought bananas and cereal (for the husband), and said to the manager on my way out, "You must love winter weather forecasts!" He's such a nice guy. He said, "I don't, but I'm sure the company does!"

Because he has to drive on these mountain roads, too.

So. There will be shoveling today for intentional activity, instead of walking. Or maybe in addition. I haven't walked in the snow in a long, long time, and if I bundle up, it could be a very peaceful, meditative addition to my day.

It really is kinda pretty.

November 27 - No!

It actually is kind of pretty. And it'll be gone in a couple of days. But still.
We haven't had a pre-Thanksgiving snow in many, many years.

What happened to yesterday?

A MASSIVE headache and intense dizzy spells, that's what. Not only did I not want to look at a screen, I didn't want to leave my bed. I tried, I honestly did, but it wasn't happening.

My blood pressure was normal, I had no fever. My husband (who is a doctor) listened to my heart and lungs and I checked out all well and good with a strong, steady beat and no wheezing.

The dizziness was especially disturbing. I haven't had a drink in 22 years, but it was like being spinning drunk. Without the booze. Ick.

Anyway, I was fine by dinnertime (OF COURSE!), and had no trouble eating a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, after not eating anything all day.

I'd planned to run some errands yesterday, but I wasn't about to risk your life by getting behind the wheel of a car. I feel like I can manage it today, and so am headed to Sam's and Tractor Supply. I need the usual – coffee beans, freezer bags, detergent – at the former and I need new fenceposts and fencing tape at the latter.

You know what fencing supplies means, don't you? It's time to start working on the garden! Yay!

Taken Thursday evening. Two inches and still falling.

I brought home some kale and two kinds of lettuce from the garden center Thursday and they're more than ready to pop in the ground. The ground's not ready for them, however. I'm itching to get something in there. We're all hoping the freaky snow we got Thursday (which has completely disappeared) is the last of it.

As soon as I finish the laundry, I am outtahere! I'm waaaaay short on mileage this week and hope to walk today and tomorrow afternoon. It will depend on how badly I wear myself out fighting the weekend crowds at Tractor Supply. Heh.

Feedback. And feeding.

Thank you all, ever so much, for your comments yesterday. I began writing a response this morning and I just couldn't do it. I appreciate all of you taking the time to share your feelings. I think the liability insurance idea is a very good one, and law-abiding gun owners shouldn't flinch at acquiring it.

Wouldn't it be awesome if we implemented a single-payer health care system here in the U.S. and morphed all the health insurance products into firearm insurance products? Wow, there's a pipe dream if I ever had one.

I'm just so disheartened about this topic, and the crazy way Republicans and the NRA are defending their precious Second Amendment rights. If you want an automatic weapon or a high-capacity clip, then join the fucking army. Isn't that what a well-regulated militia is? It certainly isn't the guy that sets his target up across the road I walk on, and then fires away.

But enough about that.

The lemon squares were … not quite awesome. Cooking Light shaved about 175 calories and 5 grams of fat from a typical serving by completely eliminating the butter and drastically reducing the amount of sugar. The final product is plenty sweet enough, but honestly? I think I'll just save room for The Real Deal next time I want lemon bars. A shortbread crust needs butter. And, sometimes, so do I! Heh.

We eventually hit 10 inches.

In other news, it snowed here yesterday afternoon and evening. A lot. We filled the bird feeder as the rain began changing to snow, and I'm so glad we did. Our feathered friends would find precious little to eat if they had to dig through 10 inches of snow! We didn't expect that much, certainly.

As it had rained for a good 24 hours prior to snowing, the ground is saturated and there's truly no place for all this snow to go once it melts. I think we will experience some pretty bad flooding. I'm in no danger, as the rivers are far away from my house. But a couple years ago the nursery where I work was devastated by flood and several years ago the town of Alderson was nearly wiped out.

Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself. The next few days will be sunny but cold. Maybe there will be more evaporation than melt.

And maybe Congress will do something right and good and worthy of our trust.