Breaking a Fast with a Feast

 Today is Friday ... we call it Fasting Friday. Sometimes we succeed at fasting, sometimes we don't. This morning I was determined. We had our coffee, I drank several glasses of water, and I ate my obligatory apple, but my plan was to eat nothing else all day - just water.

As of 2pm I was doing pretty good. But then I remembered. Tonight is the community Christmas party. We participate in this community so little that, if we're here when there's a party, we're going to go. And, we were hungry! Salad, baked Ziti, Swedish meatballs, Chicken Tikka Masala - and a whole table full of desserts. Maybe next Friday we'll fast.

We dressed up in our Christmas best.

The community center and Pool here are so beautiful, we really should go there more often.

It's good to meet the neighbors!

The Luxury of Time

 I say that I'm a lazy person, yet it feels like I'm working all the time. I think it has something to do with how much I value my free time. What I want is to be lazy. I am not driven to achieve great things, I am driven to enjoy myself. I am driven to do whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it, and so often what I want to do is accomplish something in my work: make videos, write articles, teach classes etc.

The older I get, the closer I am to that laziness goal. Back when I ran a traditional business (Computer Savvy Training 1983-96) I worked all the time. I had multiple appointments daily with clients, business associates, and employees. I taught classes, went to business association meetings and more. I remember not even having time to relax in the bathroom! If I couldn't get my business done in a couple of minutes, it would just have to wait, I had things that needed to be done!

I remember, the first week after I sold the business, I looked at my calendar and there was only one appointment on it. My Women's Executive Luncheon. That was not work, I loved going to those luncheons. These days the calendar gets filled up with webinars - both taking them and teaching them. But, the last 2 weeks of December - right now - I have intentionally left completely blank! Oh the luxury.

I even had time to follow thru on my desire to give Keith a thank you for coming on our show. A bottle of Champagne and a card with a photo collage from the show. And, I'm reading a book! I love reading books, but I rarely take the time. When I do take the time, you'd think I'd read something fun and fiction, but Nooo. I pick a book called "Gunfight" by Ryan Busse about the gun industry in the United States. Very disturbing, but riveting. I did read a fun fiction last month called The Wednesday Sisters about a group of women who come together over their writing. I would love to find a group like that.

The other thing that I do with my time is sleep! As long as I can! No alarms in this house - except for Thursday mornings. We have to get up at 6am in order to be ready for that meeting. I NEVER want to get up, but I'm ALWAYS glad I did. It is such a good group and Toastmasters is such fulfilling concept. I do try to take a nap on Thursday afternoons :-)

On the couch, reading a book (using Kindle on my Chromebook) with our Christmas tree and fireplace in the background :-)

A fun LIVE show

 We've been doing our live YouTube show since 2014 and we've been thru several different live-streaming technologies. I like doing the live shows because it gives me motivation to produce lessons and do the teaching. I think Jim likes learning the different live-streaming technologies and he does a great job. I actually don't know much about it. All I know is that Jim handles the production so I can concentrate on the lesson. We're a good team.

This Sunday, we interviewed our neighbor, Keith about the podcast he's been making over the last couple of years. Keith and Jacob live in another unit in our building. They've lived here for a long time. They knew Mom and she liked them. So do Jim and I, but we don't know them very well. When we learned that Keith had been making a podcast, I had the idea to have him on our show. It was a delight. Meet Keith in our video here.

We know Keith much better now! What a trip. You live next door for years yet you get to know your neighbor by interviewing him on your YouTube show! 

What a world we live in!

Getting Unkinked

 I've had a kink in my neck for several weeks now. It's not unusual and most of the time it just goes away. This time it just kept getting worse until it motivated me to do something that's been on my list for a while. Go to the Chiropractor.

I'm a big believer in Chiropractic. For much of my life I would get Chiropractic adjustments regularly. A healthy spine helps with all other areas of your health because everything flows through the spine. I got out of the habit during our years on the road and it's been on my list to get back into it now that we have a home in Fort Lauderdale. I've noticed a sign for Chiropractor, right next to our dentist, just a half mile from our house. I've been telling myself to go check them out all year and I haven't gotten around to it. Yesterday, when I simply could not turn my head, I was motivated. I called and they were able to get me in that afternoon. Whew.

The first visit is more involved than when you go back for subsequent visits. I first saw the Dr. - Chiropractor. He asked some questions and took an XRay.

He pointed out lower vertebrae of my neck and how there is no spacing. That's bad. He called it arthritis. But, it's something that most everyone over 60 has. So, not that big a deal.

Next I went with an assistant to another room where he put rubber pads on my back attached to a machine that sent electrical stimulation to my muscles. It tingled and relaxed. Next came a massage therapist who rubbed, dug, and massaged those same muscles. Some of them were tight as piano wires, her prodding fingers hurt, but it hurt good!

Then I was ready to see the Chiropractor again. I was loosened up and ready for an adjustment. I was laying on my back and he would pull my head while at the same time pushing my shoulder, very gently yet forceful. After a few of those forceful push/pulls, he gave a quick twist and I heard the crack and felt the release. YES.

My neck is still sore today, but it's obvious that the kink is gone. The soreness is just residual.

A kink in the neck is like a kinked hose, until you unkink it, your life force can't flow. I was going to get around to going to the chiropractor some time, but it took a severe pain to make me do it. 

Listen to your body!

Chris' body, "You said you were going to visit the chiropractor, I would feel better if you did."

Chris, "Yeah, you're right, I'll put it on the list."

Chris' body, "No, you're going NOW."

Public Speaking

 I joined a Toastmistress club when I was 12 years old. They didn't allow women in ToastMasters then. I joined a Junior Auxilary because my 5th grade teacher was a member. That's me, second from the left.

Now I've been a member of the Fort Lauderdale, Earlybird Toastmasters for about 30 years. In case you don't know, Toastmasters is an International organization where people meet and practice public speaking. You'd think I'd know how by now!?! But, there's always improvement to be made with practice, and I so enjoy the camaraderie with my fellow members. We meet once each week. This week I gave, yet another "Icebreaker" speech. This is where you tell something about yourself in under 6 minutes. Since we're meeting on Zoom, the speeches are automatically recorded. You can watch me talk here. 

If you're interested in Toastmasters and need a club to join, come visit us! Leave a comment here and I'll send info.