January 2020
A fantastic jazz band with a wonderful singer filled part of our New Years’ Eve after dinner. It was a lively event, with wine and a champagne toast from the Café. The fact that the band had only been hired for one hour, from 7 – 8 p.m., due to budgetary restraints, was disappointing to many. However, the band members came and set up early and started – free of charge – at 6:30 p.m.
The first week of the new year continued with PT sessions for my left shoulder three times a week, until my right hip became so painful (SI joint or spinal stenosis, whatever) that when I got a PT prescription for my hip the therapist decided with me that I should continue with home exercises for the shoulder and start work on the hip immediately. So far, I had good results, so I am happy.
At the same time, I bought a Buddy Leash for Lani; the adjustable belt wraps around my waist and an adjustable leash, coming from my waist belt attaches to Lani’s harness. I have used it for two days and I think I will finally get her to stop pulling. She will figure out that it is much more difficult to pull my body than pull my arm out of the socket. With all these measures I hope to be completely well again by March, because guess what I got for Christmas? A new yoga mat! A 10 mm thick one to protect my fragile bones :-). My previous mat was 4 mm and I never got to buying myself a newer, 5 mm one. But now, I found a 10 mm blue mat with carrying strap under the Christmas tree!
What will happen in March? I signed up for an all-day Yoga retreat with OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) at NCSU and I am so looking forward to it! I started taking Yoga classes back in Hilo after I watched someone do a Warrior Pose on the beach. How beautiful that was. And what a perfect spot to do yoga. No mat needed; solitude, quiet, with only the sounds of the ocean in the background. (I am talking about a little black sand beach in Hilo, not one in Waikiki!) I continued Yoga classes in Arizona, when they were offered, and also Pilates. I loved Pilates almost more than Yoga. These days I saw that a combination of Yoga and Pilates is offered at the Cary Senior Citizen Center. It is called Piloga. Piloga is the combination of Pilates and yoga designed to build strength and tone your muscles while improving flexibility and fostering mind and body harmony. Classes tend to start off with Pilates exercises, then move to yoga positions, and then finish with more Pilates movements. Now that would be a class after my own heart, and perhaps it will be in my future. But first comes the Yoga retreat in March.
It’s a Wonderful Life!
Until next time,
Ronny