Spring in March

When we can see past the yellow pine pollen, we see the azaleas are about to bloom. This huge tangle of wisteria and Confederate Jasmine is on the way into our neighborhood from the Savannah Highway (meaning we don't go anywhere without passing this corner.)

A Canada Goose is nesting on the island on the back pond. Daddy and a couple of cousins are hanging around close-by. Last year, there was one chick, and when he/she was really tiny, they all packed up and moved to a pond about a mile away. Marcus saw them walking over there. Mysteries from the natural world.

Elizabeth Taylor died today. Now there's the end of an era. Talk about fat, thin, good days, bad days. . . she's had her share of it all.

Working on the Beach

We are down to the last 2 weeks of this crazy fitness program that is taking up all of our time. One woman on our team has a house at Folly Beach and she invited us for a beach workout and then a brunch on Saturday. It was a perfect day on the beach and fun to be anywhere but the gym!

Here we are in the flattering "Sumo Wrestler" position. Feet wider than shoulder width apart, deep bend in the knees, drop your rear as low as you can, keeping your weight in your heels. Now press your elbows into your thighs and just stay there for 30 seconds or a minute. Small wonder I chose this moment to go get the camera. Our trainer, Ryan, is 2nd from the left in the sunglasses and red headband. He has been tremendously helpful these weeks.

Duncan is playing his weight loss pretty close to his chest, but this week, I lost another 2.2 pounds and have lost a total of 15. 6. Whoo-hoo!

Me (holding a starfish), Ryan, Julia (intern at MUSC), Julia's boyfriend, Kyle, Cyndi, Duncan, and Kari

Spring Fever

You may be aware that I LOVE dishes!

I got these pretty painted plates and serving bowl at a consignment shop today for $32. It was a nice diversion from doing taxes (and a bit of a reward.)

Spring in February

 We're having a lovely early spring. Most of the garden looks pretty rough but there are some pretty spots. Here is the Lady Clare camellia we planted this fall. It is also putting out new growth. Very promising.

At week 6 of the fitness program I've lost 13.6 lbs. and am still putting ice on my knees. I'm meeting the group tomorrow afternoon for a workout at Waterfront Park under the Ravenel Bridge over in Mount Pleasant and Duncan is going to the Sierra Club's Oyster Roast where the menu is oysters, hotdogs, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. He looks forward to this all year.

The Oldies, Sweating

Duncan and I are doing this 12-week kamikaze fitness program over at MUSC and it's about to kill us.

I've never seen it, but there's a TV show called "The Biggest Loser." Yes, well, this is based loosely on that. We are on a "team." We have a "trainer," Ryan. We have the run of the health center at the Medical University.

 The Cardio Room at the Harper Center -- Sunday afternoons are a good time to go, most people are taking their day of rest. Treadmills, Ellipticals, Stair machine, and Bikes -- all have individual TV monitors so you can plug in your earphones or ipod. Watching Jeopardy definitely makes this time go by faster.

We are supposed to workout with our team Monday and Wednesday nights, do something on our own every other day of the week, and on Thursday, all the teams come together for a "weigh-in" and then stick around for a big class that features others' wild success stories and a nutritionist urging us away from processed food.

So, our weeks have become working, going to the gym, thinking of things to eat, fixing things to eat, packing things to eat to take with us because WE ARE NEVER HOME and when we are, we are exhausted and have piles of sweaty, smelly laundry to do. We are at the end of week 3 and Duncan has lost 10 pounds and I have lost 7.5.

The pool. Who thought I would like water aerobics. But it's better than jogging and "running stairs" - which when I do it, is "trudging stairs." My knees hurt, I have taken to icing them when I get home, and it's just easier to work hard in the water than is on land. The first time we did a water aerobics class on a Saturday morning, we were in bed by 8:00 PM that night.

When we work out with our team, it's a combination of laps around the track, working against the resistance of these stretchy bands for arm strength, walking up and down 4 flights of stairs multiple times, and doing a few yoga moves I've never been good at - The Dancer, where you reach back and grab your foot and bend  forward while you lift your leg back and your other arm forward - and The Plank, which is down on the floor like you're going to do a push-up but your forearms are down and your weight is divided between your toes and your forearms. Do that for a minute. This is supposed to be the new great thing for your 'abs" - now thought to be way better than old-fashioned sit-ups or crunches. What good fun we all have together.

Here is Duncan catching his breath on the evil stairs. I just flat-out won't do them anymore. I am beginning to trust this skinny, young, trainer just a bit because he is thinking of things I can do to strengthen the muscles around my knees rather than to just keep pounding on them. If I am going to exercise regularly, I am going to have to do it around these knees. I'll probably never be a runner.

We are heading into week 4. It has not gotten easier. It is hard to find time for all of it. Stay tuned. This was our Christmas present to each other! How crazy is that? The idea is to stop our descent into our retirement years as fat, tired, old people. Apparently, to feel good, you have to sweat. So, who said life is fair.

Girlfriends' Weekend 2010

I'm getting my stories out of chronological order here, but in early December I went up to Virginia and spent a weekend with long-time friends Kathy and Lee at Kathy's house in Manassas. This is our annual get together that always features fabulous meals by Kathy. My favorite dish this year was Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Smoky Lime Dressing. We keep telling her she really should write a cook-book.

 On Saturday, we ventured out and went to the Torpedo Factory -- which at one time was indeed a torpedo factory, but now is three stories of art studios and showrooms down on the waterfront in the historic district of Alexandria.

Almost immediately we encountered Tanya Davis who, along with her watercolors, was selling origami snowflake ornaments. She took the time to show me how to fold one right there. It isn't easy, but between her help and You Tube videos, I'm going to master this one.

This woman has the largest loom I've ever seen and she wove these huge tapestries with wool and some metallic elements. She had family in Mount Pleasant  and I think would have happily come home with me

There was some kind of Scottish Heritage Festival in the area so there were men in kilts everywhere we went. These dancers were on the lower level of the Torpedo Factory. We watched them for awhile but no one asked us to dance so we went on down the street and had dinner at a pizza restaurant. 

The rest of our weekend together was several other good homemade meals, talking, watching movies, dog walking, and playing Bananagram! It's always fun and so comfortable to be with them. We are thinking maybe wait a little longer for next year, and they will come to Charleston in February or March 2012. Boy, that sounds a long time away!

Christmas 2010

 

While everyone we loved was getting snow, it was a pleasant day on the beach this year. Sunny. Not windy. We arrived at low tide and had plenty of beach to walk on. Not as many people and dogs as in the past. We pretty much had the place to ourselves. 

 We took a nice leisurely walk and picked up shells and were perfectly, perfectly content. We discussed if we had become "old people."

In the next 24 hours the temperatures dropped significantly and on Sunday, snow fell even in Charleston. Our plan to join Mom and the Parkers at Green Peace in Black Mountain shfifted to joining them in Winston-Salem. They had a good bit of snow there, but the roads were clear, so we just enjoyed looking at it and being with them.