Thursday, August 29, 2013
Country Life The Retirees: After an hour of yoga I feel that I stand taller a...
Country Life The Retirees: After an hour of yoga I feel that I stand taller a...: After an hour of yoga I feel that I stand taller and look thinner. The effects of an hour of gentle stretching, twisting and breathing sta...
After an hour of yoga I feel that I stand taller and look thinner. The effects of an hour of gentle stretching, twisting and breathing stay with me for hours afterward. Thank you to my yoga instructor Jackie Casal Mahrou. She sends me to that place of total relaxation, mentally and physically. If you haven't tried yoga yet you might want to give it a try. You can sample lessons for free on http://www.yogadownload.com/. And if you like it you can purchase classes to do in the privacy of your own home. Jackie is my favorite instructor, probably because she is my daughter inlaw and the mother of my infant grandson!
My favorite class is Gentle Hatha. Its calming and strengthening moves give me just what I need to calm my mind and strengthen my core. I walk away from that hour feeling like a ballerina. Jackie also has her own blog at http://www.yogadoesit.com/ where she talks about yoga and a healthy life style.
About 8 months ago I decided to change up my life a bit with exercise and diet. I quit eating meat and have tried to increase, improve and perfect my yoga practice. I'm not at perfection yet with either of these efforts but I keep trying. I'm retired with not much else to do but improve myself.
I don't miss the meat and I do recognize a difference in my overall being. I can't put my finger on it. I lost a few pounds without cutting out anything else. And the weight seems to stay off without much effort of any other kind. Jackie seems to think I keep my metabolism up by grazing. That I do, all day. I don't like being hungry and I don't like being full. Of course I should mention that I don't eat fast food and most of my food is fresh, not from a box or can. I also discovered the wonderful flavor and texture of kale which I consume daily in salads, soups or stir fry. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies also. I can't seem to give up bread but I do make my own which seems to justify my need to eat it! Reading this a person would think I am the picture of health. I'm not but I keep trying. In two months I will be eligible for Medicare. Maybe the fact that I don't take any medications qualifies me as being semi healthy. I'm waiting for the boom to drop though. I've been lucky with health most of my life. No surgeries yet and no major illnesses. I avoid flu shots and am probably obsessive about hand sanitizers and washing my hands after being in public places.
I enjoy cooking and have discovered the wonderful world of meatless cooking. It has brought out a new form of creativity in me. I have learned to flavor my dishes with veggie and bean broths. I must say here that I am not total vegetarian. I will not give up cheese or seafood. A plate of beautiful cheese and gourmet crackers is pure art in itself. And who doesn't love art?
A recent meal my husband and I created together is brown rice with cabbage stir fry pictured below.
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1 to two cups steamed brown rice
Saute cabbage in olive oil with sliced onion and 3 minced garlic cloves till brown, adding a few tablespoons of water to aid in caramelizing.
Soak 1/2 cup raisins in water, drain and add to cabbage mixture
Add 1/2 cup slivered almonds
Season with 1 teaspoon or more curry powder, salt to taste, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne(optional) 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Dissolve a few saffron threads in 1/4 cup warm water and add to mixture
This is a healthy meal with a tossed salad:
4 large romaine lettuce leaves chopped in bite size pieces
2 large kale leaves chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 avocado chopped
1 apple chopped
2 green onions chopped
1 cucumber chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
sea salt to taste
Toss well
I'll be posting my flat bread recipe soon.
My favorite class is Gentle Hatha. Its calming and strengthening moves give me just what I need to calm my mind and strengthen my core. I walk away from that hour feeling like a ballerina. Jackie also has her own blog at http://www.yogadoesit.com/ where she talks about yoga and a healthy life style.
About 8 months ago I decided to change up my life a bit with exercise and diet. I quit eating meat and have tried to increase, improve and perfect my yoga practice. I'm not at perfection yet with either of these efforts but I keep trying. I'm retired with not much else to do but improve myself.
I don't miss the meat and I do recognize a difference in my overall being. I can't put my finger on it. I lost a few pounds without cutting out anything else. And the weight seems to stay off without much effort of any other kind. Jackie seems to think I keep my metabolism up by grazing. That I do, all day. I don't like being hungry and I don't like being full. Of course I should mention that I don't eat fast food and most of my food is fresh, not from a box or can. I also discovered the wonderful flavor and texture of kale which I consume daily in salads, soups or stir fry. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies also. I can't seem to give up bread but I do make my own which seems to justify my need to eat it! Reading this a person would think I am the picture of health. I'm not but I keep trying. In two months I will be eligible for Medicare. Maybe the fact that I don't take any medications qualifies me as being semi healthy. I'm waiting for the boom to drop though. I've been lucky with health most of my life. No surgeries yet and no major illnesses. I avoid flu shots and am probably obsessive about hand sanitizers and washing my hands after being in public places.
I enjoy cooking and have discovered the wonderful world of meatless cooking. It has brought out a new form of creativity in me. I have learned to flavor my dishes with veggie and bean broths. I must say here that I am not total vegetarian. I will not give up cheese or seafood. A plate of beautiful cheese and gourmet crackers is pure art in itself. And who doesn't love art?
A recent meal my husband and I created together is brown rice with cabbage stir fry pictured below.
.JPG)
1 to two cups steamed brown rice
Saute cabbage in olive oil with sliced onion and 3 minced garlic cloves till brown, adding a few tablespoons of water to aid in caramelizing.
Soak 1/2 cup raisins in water, drain and add to cabbage mixture
Add 1/2 cup slivered almonds
Season with 1 teaspoon or more curry powder, salt to taste, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne(optional) 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Dissolve a few saffron threads in 1/4 cup warm water and add to mixture
This is a healthy meal with a tossed salad:
4 large romaine lettuce leaves chopped in bite size pieces
2 large kale leaves chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 avocado chopped
1 apple chopped
2 green onions chopped
1 cucumber chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
sea salt to taste
Toss well
I'll be posting my flat bread recipe soon.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Country Life The Retirees: Fall is almost here again and it looks as if we ha...
Country Life The Retirees: Fall is almost here again and it looks as if we ha...: Fall is almost here again and it looks as if we have pretty much settled/civilized these acres we call home. We only saw and killed one ra...
Fall is almost here again and it looks as if we have pretty much settled/civilized these acres we call home. We only saw and killed one rattlesnake in the spring and have seen no more during the summer. The swallows came and raised a few generations. I'm now waiting for them to head south again. I'll know if the weather is changing when they leave. This year they totally took over our wrap around porch with about 7 nests. I saw a mama swallow feeding her very young babies last week. I suspect that will be the last generation to hatch this year. Even though they make such a mess they are still joyful to watch with their evening ballet and symphony as they fly in and out of the stone pillars and arches. I will miss them when they take off on their fall journey to the south.
My garden this year was a disaster. The weeds grew in faster than I could destroy them. We even took our garden down to a tiny patch about 1/6 of the size it has been in previous years. I managed to get a few tomatoes and some arugula from it this summer. I planted green beans, squash and okra, none of it survived long enough to get much produce except a bit of squash. However we were treated to blackberries which my toddler granddaughter loved. I expect to have much more next year. Our grapes also did well this year. The figs gave fruit for the first time and we are still enjoying them. The pomegranate tree is loaded with big red globes waiting for us to harvest and enjoy. We got a few peaches, one tiny apple and about 6 pears waiting to be picked. The plum tree was loaded with flowers in the spring but lost them all to a wind/rain storm. Gardening in Texas is not easy.
My dogs have escaped from being quilled by porcupines this summer. Perhaps the porcupines finally moved on to safer hunting grounds themselves.
I spent my summer knitting for grandchildren and making craft aprons of which I sold a few on a knitting forum I belong to. They are cute craft aprons with lots of pockets. They are also good for my lifestyle....keeps my cell phone handy, my clothes clean, my knitting/crochet notions handy and good for collecting eggs from my chickens daily.
Below are a few pictures of them. I'm selling them for $15/ea plus $5 shipping and handling. If you are interested in one leave a message on the blog.
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These were such fun to make. It's a pleasure to create something that another finds useful.
I spent a lot of my summer playing with my new grandchildren. They are such a delight. The youngest only has basic demands of feed me, change my diaper and hold me. The oldest who is a toddler is entering the terrific two year old stage where she is learning to use her verbal skills and body language to achieve her goals. I'm thinking back on my own life and of course I cannot remember being 18 months old or two years old for that matter but I'm thinking it must be very frustrating to know what you want and not be able to communicate it. And even worse to have a much larger person tell you that you can't have it for some lame reason that you cannot begin to understand. At some point in time we learn there are some things we just can't have or cannot do. I don't recall when I learned that but I did and still don't like it. I just have learned a more civilized way of expressing my dislike. We are an amazing species.
I have a book forming in my head which I plan on writing in the future. It's a lawsuit we are enmeshed in at this time. It's going to be a good one about Texas land owners, water rights/conservation, greed, fraud and infidelity....subjects I have witnessed in my retirement from the city life I once knew. These are things I saw in movies or on tv, read about in books. I thought retirement was suppose to be relaxing and fulfilling but instead we have encountered aggression and fraud, at times entertaining. My father use to tell me that living in the country on acreage I would encounter strange people. People who had something to hide and would not be particularly friendly. He was right and I hope he hears me from his place in the "great beyond" and feels good about being right. Some of these people are nuts and maybe even dangerous. If you are following this blog, stay tuned for the book will be coming sometime in the coming year!
My garden this year was a disaster. The weeds grew in faster than I could destroy them. We even took our garden down to a tiny patch about 1/6 of the size it has been in previous years. I managed to get a few tomatoes and some arugula from it this summer. I planted green beans, squash and okra, none of it survived long enough to get much produce except a bit of squash. However we were treated to blackberries which my toddler granddaughter loved. I expect to have much more next year. Our grapes also did well this year. The figs gave fruit for the first time and we are still enjoying them. The pomegranate tree is loaded with big red globes waiting for us to harvest and enjoy. We got a few peaches, one tiny apple and about 6 pears waiting to be picked. The plum tree was loaded with flowers in the spring but lost them all to a wind/rain storm. Gardening in Texas is not easy.
My dogs have escaped from being quilled by porcupines this summer. Perhaps the porcupines finally moved on to safer hunting grounds themselves.
I spent my summer knitting for grandchildren and making craft aprons of which I sold a few on a knitting forum I belong to. They are cute craft aprons with lots of pockets. They are also good for my lifestyle....keeps my cell phone handy, my clothes clean, my knitting/crochet notions handy and good for collecting eggs from my chickens daily.
Below are a few pictures of them. I'm selling them for $15/ea plus $5 shipping and handling. If you are interested in one leave a message on the blog.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
These were such fun to make. It's a pleasure to create something that another finds useful.
I spent a lot of my summer playing with my new grandchildren. They are such a delight. The youngest only has basic demands of feed me, change my diaper and hold me. The oldest who is a toddler is entering the terrific two year old stage where she is learning to use her verbal skills and body language to achieve her goals. I'm thinking back on my own life and of course I cannot remember being 18 months old or two years old for that matter but I'm thinking it must be very frustrating to know what you want and not be able to communicate it. And even worse to have a much larger person tell you that you can't have it for some lame reason that you cannot begin to understand. At some point in time we learn there are some things we just can't have or cannot do. I don't recall when I learned that but I did and still don't like it. I just have learned a more civilized way of expressing my dislike. We are an amazing species.
I have a book forming in my head which I plan on writing in the future. It's a lawsuit we are enmeshed in at this time. It's going to be a good one about Texas land owners, water rights/conservation, greed, fraud and infidelity....subjects I have witnessed in my retirement from the city life I once knew. These are things I saw in movies or on tv, read about in books. I thought retirement was suppose to be relaxing and fulfilling but instead we have encountered aggression and fraud, at times entertaining. My father use to tell me that living in the country on acreage I would encounter strange people. People who had something to hide and would not be particularly friendly. He was right and I hope he hears me from his place in the "great beyond" and feels good about being right. Some of these people are nuts and maybe even dangerous. If you are following this blog, stay tuned for the book will be coming sometime in the coming year!
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