Skip to main content

Year Three, Day 182: Speed Bumps



I am sitting in my library office. It is 4:51 p.m. It is quite dark out. A light rain. But not too chilly or windy.
On the walk down from the bus stop, I realized that I was taking in deep breaths of sweet, moist air. It felt so good to draw the air deep into my lungs. I had a good night's rest last night. Still coughing a bit, but no more wheezing! My head feels clear.  Feeling quite balanced today!

Today is Veterans Day. And thanks to those who have served, I have a day off from teaching at the music center. I had planned on going downtown this morning to a music club meeting to perform a few of the pieces I'm working on. But I emailed my friend last night that I would probably be staying home to heal my lungs. Good thing, because she is also sick and will be missing the meeting. She has a sinus infection. Lots of that going around!

Speaking of illness, Baby Gracie has her first cold!  I am glad I have been staying home and working on my own health this week.  I may have had a bit of a virus and I do not want to pass it on to my sweet granddaughter.  Her mom and dad to her to the doctor, He said it is probably just the common cold. She only had a slight temperature.  My daughter said she had been quite cranky yesterday. Her dad was sick too. So my daughter had two babies to take care of! Thankfully my mom has Baby Gracie shifts this week. She went over every day this week to help.

Oh, I miss my Baby Gracie and can't wait to snuggle with her again. Two more days! I do believe I am having withdrawals!

Luckily my daughter sends me many pictures!



I am proud to say that I have made good use of my day off. I had a nice hoop workout on the back sidewalk.  Then I practiced the piano for 2.5 hours!  I have my script all typed up for my little concert. I will make some revisions after I blog.

Then I shall stop at Starbucks for some tea and head back home for more practice!

I have a system of marking all the "speed bumps" in my music score. The spots in each piece that I hold my breath when I come to, hoping I make it through. Well today, I used some acquired wisdom and practiced only the speed bumps, very slowly, working out some suitable fingering. 

When I go home for my next round of practice, I will play through the whole program. This time breathing through the speed bumps because I have smoothed them out!

Tomorrow I teach at the church all day, but I have some breaks where I can practice. On the grand piano. Yay!

Sunday I will finally hop on the Max to Cascades Station and then over the river to see my daughter and grandbaby! DOUBLE YAY!  I am not yet sure if I will be going to church with them. If not, I'll practice at home before I leave. But I think church would do me good. I am in the need of some inspiration.  And other people. I have been quite a hermit this past week preparing for my concert and healing my lungs.

I do think the ginger, tea, soup and extra layers of clothing, hat, gloves and scarf is doing wonders.  The wisdom of my Czech grandmother from the old country runs deep in my blood.  The Chinese pastor at the church I teach at heard me coughing last Saturday. He gave me some stewed apples with ginger. Then he looked at my feet and shook his finger at me. "If you had a Chinese grandmother, she would tell you to put your shoes on!", he scolded playfully. 

I like to take off my shoes when I teach.  But perhaps he is right.  Grandmothers are known for their wisdom. It is about time this grandma starting behaving more wisely!

I am hoping I can conquer this lung issue. I am so looking forward to more exercise. I may try to go for a run this weekend. But I am really wanting to get back to lifting weights.  And I would also like to move forward with my weight loss. I am stalled at 180. I have been backsliding a bit with eating.  I have been allowing myself to eat for comfort since I have not been feeling so great with my chronic bronchitis/COPD or whatever it is I have.

Need more fresh fruits and veggies.  I have been letting chocolate, potato chips, fries and diet sodas creep back into my diet! Aack! I guess I have speed bumps in my diet as well as on the pages of the music I am working on!

But now that I'm feeling better, I'm going back to not eating after 7 p.m., and staying away from the above mentioned foods, all of which are acidic and not healthy for anyone!
 

I am going to spend some time reading from my Joyce Meyer book, The Mind Connection over my cup of tea.  This is a constant process, retraining my mind to think positively. Negative self talk also seems to run deep in my veins.  But I am determined to conquer.  There is no time like the present!

And on that note, I would like to wish you a happy Friday. Happy Veterans Day! Thank you to all who have served!

Talk to you tomorrow!

Love,

Zita


P.S. Here is today's hooping video. Day 145!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Year Four, Day 328: Success at Last!! This is What I Do

Hello My Long Lost Friends! Or, perhaps it was I who was lost? And now I think I am beginning to find myself!  Under layers of fat, and self loathing!  How's that for an opening line!  Or perhaps the title of a novel:  Layers of Fat and Self-Loathing! Today I stepped on the scale.  I am weighing myself every morning these days. I was shocked! I told my partner the scale must be broken!  Yesterday I weight 186. Today 185! I have been on a strict intermittent fast for the past 10 weeks. I have officially lost 12 pounds!  And the best news is I think I not only can stick to this way of eating, I am actually beginning to really enjoy it!  And look how far I've come! I've been writing since May 12, 2015.  Over 8 years now!  I know this blog post says Year Four, Day 328, but there have been many pauses in blogging. For instance, when I am not pleased with progress or simply have no words! I was 53 when I first began blogging. I am now 61. I honestly feel better than I did 8 years
Post a Comment
Read more

Year Four, Day 335: "Crisis Fatigue"

Hello Friends! I have missed you! I have been so utterly exhausted and downright depressed, that I couldn't summon enough energy to even lift my fingers to this computer keyboard to write.  Apparently there is a mental disorder for people going through crises.  Crises such as pandemics, systemic racism, political division, unemployment, police brutality, civil unrest.... It's called "crisis fatigue". When humans are presented with a threat, adrenaline is released to give us quick energy. This is called the "fight or flight syndrome". But when threats are overwhelming, and perceivably continuous, like this year, it overwhelms the system. People can feel numb, depressed, anxious and irritable. Yup. That's me.  I guess I'm quite normal after all! I found an interesting article that describes crisis fatigue, especially in relation to current events.  But it doesn't really address how to take care of ourselves during these unsettling times!
1 comment
Read more

Year Three, Day 58: Marilyn Monroe's Measurements

Day 24 of daily hooping. I am determined to shrink these abs, if it is the last thing I do! Perhaps I should have that written on my tombstone: "Here lies Zita". Flat abs at last!! Well I certainly hope to attain my flat abs goal BEFORE I am dead and gone! Today's video was another rush job. But I downloaded some fun tunes to my Kindle last night.  I enjoyed my hoop session more listening to the Punjabi music. It reminded me of the "Maritime Bhangra Dancers".  If you haven't heard of them, you should look them up. They never fail to put a smile on my face! I am not smiling so much looking at this video. My hooping skills have improved a bit, but that menopot has got to go! After my hoop session, I walked 3/4 mile to the bus stop. I was planning on attending the 10:00 a.m. Mass at the Grotto, but it was cutting it close. Plus, I was feeling the need for a Starbucks iced tea.  Today was Iced Passionfruit/Black Tea, no sugar whatsoever.   The ic
Post a Comment
Read more