Osteoporosis Part Two

I had a bad (horrible) reaction to the Boniva my doctor prescribed.  Luckily she wisely gave me only one pill to try it first (one pill is the monthly dose).  I do need to talk to her about other pharmaceutical options but in the meantime I am pursuing natural options - better vitamin supplements and a weight bearing exercise program.  The four books on osteoporosis I took out from the library today are filled with tips and encouraging words of advice.

So today I took my first half-hour walk (the recommended starting point for us couch potatoes) with a ten pound weight belt.  I walked my neighborhood and rediscovered the secret walking trail that lies behind some of our nicest houses. 

What a pleasant surprise!  I had forgotten how peaceful and beautiful the trail is.  It meanders up and down small gentle hills and exquisite landscaping and follows along our gorgeous hidden lake.  Benches are strategically placed at points that promise tranquility and untroubled meditation (just in case I need a rest).  

So my program is off to a better restart today and I am looking forward to many more walks in my secret corner of paradise.

PS Dolly did not mind it a bit!

;-)
 

I'm Trying

I'm trying to do better these days.  I'm having one of my periodic declarations of good intentions in which I resolve to iron out areas where I have floundered recently or have gotten complacent or just plain lazy. 

These occasional bursts of energy always start with a thorough (semi-thorough anyway) house cleaning and the purchase of lifestyle-enhancing items (like the new sofa) that make me wonder what I was waiting for.  With the house spic and span I can then focus on the harder stuff - stuff I've been meaning to do better like taking my vitamins religiously (I skip some sometimes) and calling old friends before they become former friends. 

I am happy to report that after only a few days of concentrated effort, the house is in good shape, the scale has applauded my efforts to tackle those pesky two or three pounds that keep creeping back and my social calendar is filling up.  I've checked in with folks in Chicago and my old work buddies, thrown out shoes that made my feet hurt and cleaned the inside windshield of my car.    

I vow to maintain my new energized approach.  It feels great. 

I'm trying!

;-) 

Joyride

Last night, after a rather downbeat kind of day, I grabbed hubby (who was comfortably ensconced in the new power reclining sofa) and said "let's go for ride".  I suggested we swing by the beach and see what's up with the new upscale developments which I am hoping will help make the sale of our modest beach condo go FAST.  A glorious South Florida night reminded me of how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy the ocean breezes, week-night live music on the beach and the one-of-a-kind beach-shack restaurants and shops anytime we want.  It IS true what they say, things ARE better at the beach. 

I was feeling a mite cheerier but just to make sure I would not relapse, I asked hubby to stop at D'Lites where I indulged in a larger-than-my-usual-size treat of soft-serve.  And making the loop down Sheridan to 441 (the long road home) what do I see??  A brand new Popeyes open for business!  A mere 2.8 miles from home! 

I have the beach and D'Lites and Popeyes, libraries and the shul and a plethora of other wonderful things right here close to home.  I am wondering now what I was thinking to ever suggest exploring active adult communities around the state and even beyond.  They are filled with old folks!  Hahaha

It is true that recent departures of friends to distant locales has put a slight crimp in our social schedule.  But this weekend brings two separate dinners-out with potential new couples that may grow into friendships.

Advice:  Need a new perspective?  Go for a Joyride!

;-)

Vantage Point

I'm listening to the George Zimmerman trial as I go about my domestic chores and I caught a witness saying that the key to understanding a situation is that there are many different interpretations of the same events. What is perceived is often a result on one's vantage point. The witness even mentioned one of my favorite movies, Vantage Point, another Dennis Quaid movie panned horribly by movie critics (who I no longer listen to). 

Strong-willed and opinionated people (like moi) are often sure what they believe is right.  Why can't everyone just see it our (my) way? 

;-)

Treasure

So much fun to get an unexpected gift! Even a little tchotchke like a pen from the bank or a sample at the make-up counter or a taste of something from the Costco lady.

I gave myself a present today just by looking in my cabinets and on my shelves. Six bottles of bath gelee in yummy scents like Pomegranate, Vanilla Pear, Sweet Almond and Apple Cranberry. A never-used candle in Healing Lavender. Four candles shaped like little flamingos. Wow, I bet there is lots more long-forgotten stuff where those came from, hahaha.

There's an old saying (well I say it anyway) that one should shop in one's own closet. Great advice even if I may have made it up myself!

;-)

Osteoporosis

I remember that feisty lady, Sally Field, touting on TV the benefits of Boniva, one of several drugs that help treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.  How weird to see that cute, carefree teenager Gidget chasing after grandchildren and worrying about brittle bones. 

Oh poop!  Now I have osteoporosis too.  I suspect this morning will bring a call from the Cleveland Clinic instructing me to pick up a prescription for Fosamax or Boniva.  My first (and probably not my last) prescription for those diseases that come with aging.  I am, in spite of my best efforts to remain eternally 39, officially o-l-d.

If I think positively (which I always try to do) the aches and pains of older age are merely the trade-offs for having (finally) learned and accepted who I am, liking myself and my accomplishments, and at last enjoying the freedom and resources to do what I want whenever I want. 

I'll try to remember that when I gulp down those pills.

;-)

Hashkiveinu Adonai

Hashkiveinu (Grant O God) is a beautiful prayer in the Reform Friday night service.  I learned it by listening to a CD of the Cantor singing the Friday night prayers.  Even though I do not know a word of Hebrew, I could listen for hours to his beautiful voice and after a while I too could sing the prayers in Hebrew (sort of).  And although I did not know what the words of Hashkiveinu meant I could tell from the sweet melody that it was a beseeching prayer, a bit unusual as most Jewish prayers are songs of praise and thankfulness, rather than ones asking for something. 

Last Friday night, the Rabbi explained the original source and meaning of Hashkiveinu and the commentary of learned Rabbis on its placement in the service.  I found his discussion fascinating and dare I say it?  Better than his usual sermons hahaha.  Hashkiveinu also has the line that I often hear whenever Israel is threatened by outside forces: Spread over us the shelter of Your peace.

I am reminded of how much I love the Shabbat Siddur (Mishkan T'Filah) we use at Temple Solel.  The traditional prayers are shown in Hebrew, English and phonetic translation of the Hebrew.  Interspersed are complementary texts that feature themes from modern Jewish life - diversity, feminism, social justice, human challenges, values, emotions and ideals.  They are lovely and several have touched me deeply.

Shabbat Shalom!

The Big Hurt

Christians are big on forgiveness.  Sometimes I hear things like "I can forgive but I can't forget".  Truth be told, I am not big on either forgiving or forgetting, especially when the hurt cuts very very deep.  There are only two people in the world that hurt us so badly I will never forgive them and I (God help me) even wish on them a portion of the agony that they inflicted on us. The pain, even after eight years, is still so great I can barely think about it.

But I do believe that if the motivation is there and the relationship is worth salvaging and you can't imagine going through life without someone in it, we can get past most things. 

The Big Hurt can happen when someone cuts you to your very deepest core, belittles the things you hold most dear, or trivializes your struggles.  It hurts even worse if you have trusted that someone with your biggest fears or most intimate emotions.

I blogged awhile back about the Hatfields and the McCoys.  It's the story of how the closest of friends turned smallish (but one could argue valid) slights, disagreements or injustices into a feud that morphed into hatred and murder.  How silly their generational altercation seems in retrospect.  How much suffering did they have to endure to maintain their prideful and unyielding sense of "we're right"?

I, of course, will never forgive the people that administered my own Big Hurt. But perhaps there are some stronger folks out there who will take the first step to repairing their damaged relationships.

Hope so...

On Top Of The World

Several friends that we would see frequently have moved away recently - Jen & Eddie and Terri & Fred and Jean & Steve.  My snowbird cousins are rarely here or available anymore.  Adult activities at the shul are down a lot since the first year we joined.  I explored options at the JCCs and the Aish center and the senior centers but the pickings are very slim. I'm kind of bummed out about our prospects for meeting new people or having much of a social life. 

So I asked hubby how he would feel about starting a search for an active adult community, something we've talked about for years but never felt the time was right.  He's always up for an adventure and immediately started studying "The Top 50 List" in the latest issue of Where To Retire magazine. He even glommed on to Denton Texas, home of the Robson Ranch retirement community. Wow!  I must admit it did look wonderful - near a quaint college town and a big Jewish community.  I asked him to file it away until we saw all that Florida has to offer. 

So we made reservations for a two night stay at On Top Of The World in Ocala.  I am impressed with its emphasis on lifelong learning, nice floor plans, and its list of clubs including a Jewish American club.  A Reform Temple is just 12 miles away and since we'll be staying over a Friday night we can check it out.  In any case, it will make a nice weekend get-away.

Could a new chapter be waiting around the corner?  Well maybe not around the corner.  Ocala is 290 miles away!

;-)

100 Greatest Part Two

Onward to Entertainment Weekly's list of the 100 Greatest novels.  Oh my, I must be woefully unenlightened as most of these tomes are of the classical variety, not my usual fare of heroic detectives, sly courtroom lawyers and grisly murders. 

I struggled through The Sound and The Fury in high school (thank you Cliff Notes!) and spent one hot summer with Gone With The Wind.  That's about it.  Luckily many of the top 100 novels (according to EW) have been made into movies (modern day Cliff Notes!) so I will attempt to broaden my horizons by adding them to my Netflix queue.  First on that list will be the latest incarnation of The Great Gatsby.

Of EW's list of the 50 greatest stage plays of the last 100 years I have seen exactly none.  That surprised me as we do enjoy live theatre and held subscriptions for many years.  Wow, there is a lot out there left for me to try. 

Right after I tear myself away from the TV set...

;-)