Fitness and Routines

Since I started writing this blog in February, I have attempted numerous classes at my gym, including zumba sentao, flow yoga, traditional yoga, dynamic core yoga, pilates, body combat, balletone, dance trance, muscle pump, cx works, integrated strength, gentle yoga, and core conditioning. My goal has been to discover new and different ways of getting exercise, and to share those experiences through my blog. I wanted to see what would happen if I broke away from my usual fitness routine of zumba 3 times a week, walking 2-3 times a week, and push-ups.

I will say that my fitness routine has changed since starting this blog - I now have no regular exercise routine! This doesn't mean that I don't exercise. Instead of having a set, written in stone plan , I tend to try different fitness activities and go with the flow. Ironically, this has led to my being more fit! I believe that cross training really does work. Since doing activities that work all parts of my body, I don't experience some of the aches and pains that had previously bothered me.(like that pain in my right shoulder). I feel stronger, both mentally and physically. I want to share some of the things that I have learned from my fitness journey of the past few months. Perhaps it may encourage some of you to try something new and different in the exercise world. Below are a few observations and lessons that I will pass on.

1. Don't be afraid to try a new group exercise class -just do it!  Personally, I was forever worried that if I tried a new class I would screw up, make a fool of myself, and never come back to that class. So for years of going to the same gym, I basically went to the same class, zumba! I loved it, was good at it, and that was enough. Now I realize how much I was missing. And the funny thing is no one is watching you, so it doesn't matter if you make a mistake! The exception to this might be that a good instructor is watching you - to make sure that you don't hurt yourself. A few weeks ago, my instructor in a core class said "the woman in the back row with the pony tail" (me) "is doing a pose that is entirely different from the rest of the class". I realized that she was indeed talking about me, and shrugged my shoulders. She then said "actually, what you are doing is kind of cool", and demonstrated my made up pose. The point? It doesn't matter if you are not perfect!

2. You might meet some nice people by trying different types of exercise. I never expected that making new friends would be a reason to mix up my exercise options, but it has been a pleasant bonus. I talk to some folks on a regular basis, and have even made contacts that I will socialize with outside of class. If you think about it, you might have something in common with others who exercise on a regular basis, and I have found that I often meet interesting people who even inspire me to try new classes and challenge myself.

3. Getting out of a regular routine opens up new possibilities. Of course there are benefits to having a regular routine, particularly if you are working full time, or involved in many non-exercise activities, like volunteer work. But I feel that breaking up my routine has allowed me to be more adventurous. I don't always know what to expect, and this is good for my mental status, particularly as I get older. I am constantly learning new fitness techniques, and I therefore I exercise my brain as well as my body.

I will continue to talk about exercise in this blog, and that includes my experimenting with various classes at my gym. I still want to try spinning, TRX, and kickboxing, just to name a few. And I am still going to write about making pies. But I plan to expand my blog so that I can also discuss other topics, like gardening and travel. So be prepared for an expanded blog with a new name - once I decide what that will be. Until then, keep moving and eat an occasional piece of pie to reward yourself.

The "Aha" Moments of Travel

I am going in a little different direction today, in that, technically, I am not writing about either exercise or pie. I was thinking about some of my travel experiences this week, and thought about what made some places so special to me. These special times in travel are what I refer to as"aha" moments. It is as if I am in another world or time. The first such travel memory happened when I was ten years old, and my Dad took our family for our first trip to the Western US. I had never been anywhere west of Kentucky prior to that camping trip. The Rocky Mountains and the Badlands were fascinating, and so different from the tree covered Appalachians that I was used to. But the truly magical place in my memories was Yellowstone National Park. We stayed four days, and each day brought a new treat to behold. I remember the walks through the park, with turquoise colored geysers that smelled like boiled eggs! The beautiful colors of the Grand Canyon of he Yellowstone are still vivid to me, and the numerous bears at every road crossing will never be forgotten. Yellowstone Park gave me my first aha moments of travel!

This trip inspired me to go back to the Western US and to discover new places that I had never seen. I have been to the Western states many times, mostly in the winter to ski, and enjoyed the awesome snow covered Rockies and Sierra Nevadas. The first time I was at Heavenly Ski area in California, and stood at the top of the mountain, with the snow covered peaks on one side, Lake Tahoe, and the desert of Nevada on the other side was a true aha moment. Certainly, many of the gardens around the world have amazed me, particularly Monet's garden in Giverny, and my video proves that I indeed experienced an aha moment there. My reminiscing on this topic has encouraged me to compile a list of my top five aha moments of travel. So, here they are!

5. The first day in Oahu Hawaii- It was 1994 and I remember arriving on this gorgeous island and sitting with my new husband at a place called Duke's, that is named after a famous Hawaiian surfer and is also my maiden name. I had a mile high macadamia nut ice cream sundae and thought that I was in heaven on earth!

4. Clarke Quay in Singapore- This is the only place where the aha moment is an aroma. Or, more precisely, a variety of succulent, sweet, spicy, peppery, mouth-watering fragrances that I still have etched in my sense of smell. Walking in this area was a celebration of the smells of Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, Indian, and any food that you could imagine. It has never left me, nor has the fantastic flavors of the multitude of dishes.This was a food paradise indeed!

3.The night lights in Hong Kong- The night lights are what truly beckons me to visit this city again and again. Skycrapers lit up every night in Central district, lights across the bay in Kowloon, lights for celebrating both the Chinese new year and Christmas. All colors of light are used in every creative way to make this city alive and energetic. It really is like being in another world when these all come together at night. The ongoing light show in Hong Kong is a continuous aha moment for me.

2. Seeing Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip at Buckingham Palace on our first day in London.
We had arrived in London earlier in the day. Tired, but unable to check into our hotel, we wandered around the city, and eventually came to Buckingham Palace. We were enjoying the palace guard show. Suddenly we saw a man running around rather frantically, shouting "the queen is coming, the queen is coming".  My first thought was this guy was either crazy, or had a few too many at the local pub. But a crowd began to gather, and we decided to see if perhaps the queen was passing through. Then we saw the horse drawn carriage with the queen in her green suit and matching hat, with Prince Phillip by her side. My breath literally left me for a moment. Whether or not you believe in the monarchy, it is indescribable to see someone in person whom you have read about from the days of your childhood. Adding to our good fortune was the fact that we were in a spot to snap a pretty good picture with our new camera! Aha - Queen Elizabeth is passing through!

1. Hearing Mozart Requiem at Notre Dame in Paris-This was my first trip outside of the US, other than the Bahamas and Canada.  Rich and I had been dating less than a year, when one day he said "how would you like to go to Paris?" I was excited about the idea of Paris, although it had never been the place in the world that I most wanted to visit. (I thought Rome or London). Our first day caught us walking around and catching the sights of Paris which I realized, even after a few short hours, was the most romantic city I could imagine. We saw a group of sidewalk artists and right there in front of me was Notre Dame Cathedral! I had seen the movie "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" many times, but never dreamed that I would actually see Notre Dame itself. How awe inspiring it was from the outside! But the aha moment occurred when we walked in and a choir was performing the Mozart Requiem. I had been exposed to Mozart's requiem in D Minor when I was a member of my college choir. Hearing the melodious instruments and singing in this epic place really was the most thrilling aha moment of a lifetime. I fell in love with the city and the man!

These are my top five ahas, but of course there are many more in my travel memories, and hopefully many more to come. I realize that I left out one very important aha moment, however. Almost 15 years ago, Rich and I traveled to Asheville for a weekend getaway. We marveled at the beauty of the mountains, the cool people, and the hip downtown. On a Sunday afternoon, before heading back to Atlanta, we walked along Pack Square, with the sun shining and the bright blue sky above us. I remarked, with tears in my eyes "this is absolutely perfect!" And the rest of this aha moment is history!

Strawberry Pie and Ribs

We had my family visiting for a few days, and I decided to make a strawberry pie for us to enjoy. The Four and Twenty Blackbirds cook book has several recipes for fresh strawberry pie, including one with rhubarb, another using ginger, and a third with balsamic vinegar. I decided to go with a basic strawberry pie with straight fresh strawberries, some sugar, and cornstarch. Not everyone appreciates "different" flavors with their strawberries, so I decided to take the safe path. Although I did use the delicious butter crust recipe from the cook book, I went online to find a basic strawberry pie recipe. This was an easy pie, with fresh strawberries, and cooked strawberries as the thickening sauce. I made the pie, chilled it, and kept thinking how delicious it looked! I was dying to get a slice of this pie, but decided to wait until my daughter- in-law got in, so she could be in on the tasting.

Meanwhile, my stepsons had given my husband a smoker for a Father's Day gift. He really wanted to try it out, so my husband and stepson bought ribs and a brisket. These delights cooked for several hours, and we were waiting for them to be cooked enough for dinner. As the time passed, I couldn't help but think about that strawberry pie waiting in the fridge. I have a really bad sweet tooth, and could no longer resist the temptation to cut into that pie. So I suggested to everyone that they may want to try the strawberry pie as an appetizer before the ribs course. I knew that once the ribs came on, even with my sweets obsession, I might be too full to indulge in the pie. So I sliced the pie, and several of us enjoyed the pie as an appetizer. The basic strawberry pie was tasty, and satisfied my dessert desire.

The smoked ribs were yummy, and we managed not to burn down the house in the process. Our dilemma was whether the Western NC tomato barbecue sauce or the Eastern Vinegar sauce was better. I have always been partial to the Western tomato sauce, but will have to admit that the vinegar sauce was not bad. I think the consensus was that both were equally good. I will say that our driveway had the best aroma of anyone in the neighborhood, with the smoked flavors! Overall, a wonderful rib and strawberry pie eating frenzy! This just goes to show that you can have your ribs and strawberry pie too!