Yoga CLASS

A (dear sweet) friend has (kindly and lovingly) encouraged me to get into (better) shape. As my BIG 5-0 birthday is a mere 385 days away, I have been monitoring my health (which is pretty darn good), my weight (which is something that is ALWAYS on my mind) and constantly evaluating my physique.
Which, I'll admit, it needs a little work. Sure, I run around at work (sometimes 10+ miles) and I am always on the go--but it's (obviously) not doing the trick.
Let me be really honest here, I have NO reason to not workout. I am home by 3:00 almost everyday and could be at the gym for several hours before most people get off work. I won't go so far as to say that I am lazy, but I do like to nap, blog, watch baseball and catch up on Facebook in the afternoons....
Once in a while I'd go all out and 'power walk' to my mailbox...but that was it.
Pitiful.
And so, with (a big dose of) encouragement, a recent step on the scale (which is creeping back up) and a reality check of ALL the reasons I SHOULD go workout...
I went back to yoga yesterday.
And, just so you know I'm totally into this, I'll let you know that I went back again TODAY!
And I loved it. Seriously.
Sure, my tummy (and thigh and glute) muscles are hurting tonight and I'm ready for bed here at 8:23pm, but DAMN did it feel good! I do believe, it is the perfect workout for me. It's calm. It's quiet. They remind you to breathe! The instructor tells you to let go of your worries, to stop thinking about where you need to go after class and to BE HERE NOW. I also love that there's built in 'resting' periods...child's pose is sheer heaven after a dozen or so side reclining leg lifts! I can feel my body reacting in all the places it needs assistance!
And I feel good when I'm there. I am not the oldest or the largest or the least coordinated. Not even close. I watched myself in the mirror yesterday and was just a tad bit proud that I could hold poses, balance on one foot, and get my toes to touch the ground behind my head! And, I know it's the only place where I am actually supposed to be wearing my (not so attractive, but always comfortable and WAY overly-worn) yoga pants.

Interestingly, there was a different teacher today than there was yesterday and she (strongly and often) encouraged us to close our eyes as much as possible. I quickly realized that as flexible and well-balanced as I am, I am virtually useless with my eyes closed. Well, that and I have to look around and everyone else to make sure I'm doing everything right. I'm usually going left when the rest of the class is going right. (Always has been a trick for me to follow a teacher who faces the class...my left or theirs??)

I'll take a day off from working out tomorrow, but signed up to do PiYo on Wednesday.
Apparently it's yoga with a little bit of pilates action for added excitement.

Hey, as long as I can keep my eyes open--and I'm encouraged to wear my yoga pants--
I'm in.

When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, 

and a flower with the other.  

~Chinese Proverb

A Perfect Game...

Two tickets to Paradise...

Take me out to the ballgame, 
Take me out with my dad...
He'll bring the vodka and I'll have a beer,
So happy to be here in our Dodger Gear!

We'll root root root for Dodgers,
No Broxton to put us to shame!
And we'll laugh, cheer and have a great time
at the ol' ball game!

So nice...

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

~Marcel Proust

A chip off the old block!

 As Mark Twain said, "The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. "
After spending a little time with Golden Mary today, the members of 'The Best Friends Racing Stable' (headed by Dave, of course) have made a decision--not to retire her--but to move her to Los Alamitos to see if she might just be better suited to run there! Dave spent quite a bit of time checking out Mary's knee, talking to the people at the stables and he really felt that she was much better than expected. She certainly didn't seem like a horse that was headed to retirement! She was happy and affectionate and seemed completely fine!
She'll make the move to Los Alamitos this week...and we'll go from there.

No matter what, it sure was SO nice to see and take pictures with Mary and JuJu again today...
that, along with GREAT conversations on the drive up and back to Hollywood Park...and, of course, breakfast at the track...is really what being part owner of a race horse is all about, right?

Goodbye Mary

  My dear friend and co-horse owner, Dave, called today to let me know that he was going to very reluctantly retire (Sweet) Golden Mary. It seems that Mary is in pain, having either bone chips in her leg or, perhaps, arthritis. Rather than put her through surgery or have her on medication, Dave has made the wise, yet oh so difficult choice of letting her go.
I cried. Yes, I only own 15% of Mary...but she's been a 100% joy in my life.
For someone who never in her life liked animals, I'm telling you, this really hurts. And, as accustomed as I am to disappointments in life, this one is a bit of a heart breaker. It hurts me to know that Dave is so sad too...It just seems she really never got a chance to be a race horse. But, the more I thought about it today, the more I realized the AMAZING joy she brought! We all fell in love with Golden Mary.
Dave had bred her and been there when she was born. We had watched and visited her from when she was just a sweet little filly and saw her grow into one of the biggest horses you've ever seen! And, also, one of the gentlest. She would hear us coming, perking up her ears and, I swear, almost smiling when she saw us! Always happy to pose for pictures with us, full of affection and kisses and delight...I would be wrong if I didn't tell you that Mary had fallen in love with us too.
The visits to Santa Anita's barns--dozens and dozens of times--were full of unmeasurable happiness.
For me, the events of the last nine months or so...seeing Golden Mary at the stables and at Santa Anita and, most recently at Hollywood Park...have been absolutely pure joy. Our early morning drives out to Arcadia, cold mornings at the track, the beautiful snow-capped mountains in the distance, bacon and eggs at Clocker's Corner...and a visit with our girls...
I'm not exaggerating when I tell you, they have been some of the best days of my life!
I was always SO EXCITED to see her run...I would even CHEER her on in her workouts!

I do believe (as I am sure you do too) that I have more photos our sweet horses in the last nine or ten months than of anything else ever! It's been sheer enjoyment for me.
Golden Mary was my very first horse...my first experience with horse racing.
She opened up a whole new world for me.
Oh man, yes, I will miss our girl! And, though it would have been great to see her win a race and collect a big purse, the unexpected and exhilarating joy she brought to me--to us!--in OH so many ways--is an incredible win...and absolutely priceless.
I wouldn't trade it for the world.
So proud of our sweet, beautiful Mary. And EVER so grateful for what she gave us.

Happy Birthday Elijah Rhythm!

13 months from today

...I will be 50. 

Time to start planning a big party...or perhaps a really nice trip...

I am looking forward to the future with a smile.

One for the ages...

Talk about an inspiration! 

Jamie Moyer turned in a vintage performance Tuesday night in becoming the oldest pitcher to ever win a major league game. The 49-year-old Moyer threw seven masterful innings helping the Colorado Rockies hold on for a 5-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.
Relying on a consistent cutter and mixing in a 78-mph fastball, the cunning lefty gave up just six hits and two runs – both unearned – as he kept the Padres hitters at bay and off balance.
That's been a winning recipe for Moyer over a career that's stretched nearly a quarter century and included 689 games.
Moyer earned that elusive win for the ages in his third start of the season. His is 49 years, 150 days old.

Away from the mound, Moyer hardly looks like a kid anymore. He has gray streaks in his hair and frequently dons reading glasses that sit perched on the tip of his nose. But once he steps on the mound that youthful exuberance returns. He's transformed into a kid again, sprinting out to the mound after each inning. He looked more like a spry rookie than a veteran nearing retirement.
The aged wonder used his wealth of experience to his advantage against the young Padres, six of whom weren't even born when Moyer made his major league debut in 1986. ~Huff Post Sports

Jamie Moyer's birthday is November 18, 1962 making him almost exactly six months older than me. 

I was SO thrilled to hear that Jamie got his win as I KNOW that you're never too old to do what you want to do--and it's never too late to make your dreams come true! 

Today, Jamie is the only player in baseball who is older than me. 

And I'm so proud of him!

All I need is my one star in the sky, to wish for you everyday...

Happy 5th Birthday Elijah!

 

Happy FIFTH Birthday to my sweet nephew, Elijah!