Monthly Archives: July 2012

It Only Took Almost 60 Years

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….. to like running

Today K and I headed out for our daily walk with Frances, early in the morning. I didn’t have any high hopes or goals for the running portion of the trip, especially after partying the day before.

When we got to the rugby pitch I placed my water bottle on the line as a marker for the beginning and end of each lap. Of course K passed me right away and I could see that beautiful form he used to have was beginning to return.

The rugby pitch where we run.

I’ve been doing interval training where I run 1/2 a lap, walk for 1/4 and then run again for 1/2  a lap. I did this for 4 laps today and then I decided to go for a fifth lap. I started walking the first 1/4 and then to my surprise I ran the remaining 3/4 without stopping. It felt great. K did 7 laps today (3 1/2 km).

I thought we were going to walk home from the rugby pitch (cool down) but to my surprise K started running so I followed him. We ran for 2 blocks and then walked for 1 and continued to do this until we got home.

The rest of the day turned out to be a good food day with very little salt and lots of water. Hopefully I’ll see some better results on the scale in the next few days.

We talked about our running experience today at dinner and I told K how proud I was of him for starting to run again. He was also very pleased with himself and knocked on the wooden deck in hope that his old injury wouldn’t come back to haunt him and put a stop to his now daily routine.

As for me I had to laugh because it’s only taken me almost 60 years to actually run and more importantly like it.

Cheers!

Beetles, Tomato With a Nose and Too Much Salt

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…. great party but up 2 1/2 pounds since yesterday

I know that the weight fluctuation has to be water but 2 1/2 pounds!!!!

My daughter, A and her partner, J hosted a family BBQ to celebrate J’s 30th birthday. I wasn’t too worried about my food choices but I didn’t count on the salt content of the foods that I chose to eat.

As you can see from the picture there were healthy choices but the BBQ’d meats were loaded with salt. No sense in dwelling on the past. I drank mostly water but did have 1/2 glass of cider and a sliver of birthday cake. Started the day with eggs and K made sure that there wasn’t any salt in them at all.

While sitting in the backyard, we enjoyed the garden and discussed successes and failures of our own gardens this summer. I learned some new tricks on trimming my tomato plants.

One of the things that I like about living in the city, where your neighbours live in such close proximity to each other, is the sharing that happens. During the party A’s neighbour leaned over the fence and handed her some of the vegetables he had harvested that day.

One of the tomatoes, literally had a cute little protrusion that looked like a nose.

On the fence, the other neighbour’s Rose of Sharon had some blooms spill over into A’s yard. Well into the party J became agitated by what she saw sitting in one of the flowers. Upon closer inspection I could see that a very large beetle was the cause of her anxiety. I quickly grabbed my camera and took a couple of pictures of this lovely beetle. Does anyone know what kind it is?

Took the Bike for a Spin Today

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…. after our 5.2 km walk/run

My bike, ready for shopping.

What a great day for moving! Not the furniture, house moving kind but rather our muscles. My husband and I started our morning with a 5.2 km walk/run with the dog. When we got to the rugby pitch I started my run around the field (500 m). To my surprise my husband started to run as well. For those of you who know K, this is somewhat surprising and not because he’s just finished all his chemo rounds.

A little background on my husband: Shortly after we were married K decided to start running again. When in high school he was a very good cross country runner and in fact he was the team. He always had to go to meets on his own and place himself amongst runners from another school.

He quickly found his stride again and decided to join a running club. To make a long story short K literally became a world class runner and was ranked 8th in Canada in the marathon. After a number of years of packing up the kids to go to races  and running 110 miles a week in training K decided to make his family and job his priority and he stopped racing.

He continued to run a little bit but he obtained a knee injury and the running stopped. Periodically he would go out and give it another try but the pain always returned.

Over the years as happens with so many of us K put on weight and lost touch with the running community.

At the moment K is on a fitness kick and works out every other day with weights and walks everyday with the dog. Until yesterday I didn’t know that he was slowly starting to run again. Of course he couldn’t stay with me, he had to run ahead of me (I don’t blame him, I’m so slow).

I decided to make a game of it and was determined that in my 4 laps I wasn’t going to let him lap me. When I started my 4th lap K was well into his 5th lap but he hadn’t passed me.    I could feel him gaining ground on me near the end of my 4th lap and I don’t know where I found the energy but I put on a mini burst and finished before he could pass me. 

When we got home we decided to get out the bikes, rather than get in the car and run a few errands in the neighbourhood. I loved it. We cycled several blocks to a house where the owner was selling fruit from his driveway and we bought so much we had to cycle home to drop it off. Then we cycled up to the main drag and did more shopping and browsing and before we headed home (we took the long way) we stopped and had a coffee at the local Portuguese bakery. From the picture you can see that K enjoyed a sweet with his coffee and I shared a slice of vegetarian pizza with him.

Upon returning home I went to the computer to track how far we had walked and ridden our bikes. Much to K’s surprise we covered 5.5 km with the bikes. Not bad for the first time on the bike this summer.

Later in the day I drove downtown and picked up my girlfriend, D, and we went to our friend, M’s birthday party. We decide to eat before the party and stopped at a cute little Vietnamese restaurant where we shared 2 dishes and 2 fresh rolls. We drank clear tea and didn’t have dessert. I knew that the scale might show an increase because I tend to retain water after eating Asian food. Sure enough I was up 1/2 pound this morning but I was down 1 yesterday so I’m still going down.

At the party I literally had 1 shrimp, 2 pieces of cheese and drank water. I even passed on birthday cake. Feeling good about my food decisions. I have another party this afternoon at my daughter’s house but I’m confident that the food won’t be an issue.

Have to get ready to go. I’m literally sitting here in a towel as I write this. TMI??

Holding Steady at 25

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…. still down 25 pounds but experimenting with new foods is stalling my weight loss

I feel great, my clothes are looser and my size 16 pants are baggy around my waist but I’m learning that certain foods, even in moderation, stop or slow down my weight loss. Those foods that I need to avoid or limit even more are sweet potatoes, potatoes, nuts and dried fruit and pork products.

I have started running again and went out 2 days in a row while up at the cottage. I was all set to run again this morning but I took too long getting ready and as I was leaving the house, K returned with the dog from their walk and we had to get ready to go to the hospital for K’s follow-up check-up. On that front I’m happy to report that he’s doing well and the doctor’s only concern was his need for some vitamin supplements.

Later in the day it got too warm to run and frankly I was exhausted and fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon. I have to admit that I was disappointed that I didn’t lose more weight over the last 5 days, especially after all the exercise I did but I wasn’t completely surprised either. I do get very involved with my summer reading and even though I walk, run, swim and rake the grounds, I also am very stationary for hours at a time while I get lost in my books.

The last book that I finished was recommended by my good friend, B. I had a hard time getting into it but I couldn’t put it down either. Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman is set in modern day London, England and is written in the voice of a 12 year old boy from Ghana who witnesses the murder on a young boy in his neighbourhood. Together with his friends he tries to gather evidence for the police while at the same time avoiding the bullies and the pressure to join a gang. The language is colourful and at times difficult to understand. The book is often compared to Room in it’s writing style. The author combines humour with the harsh realities of living in a new country in a state of poverty. At times the story is endearing but disturbing and funny but sad. I would rate this book 3 out of 5.

Snakes, Seagulls, Surf, Sunsets and Scrabble

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…. I didn’t intend to create an alliteration when I took these photos

This week at the cottage I was presented with some interesting moments for taking pictures. The first happened when my friend D was leaving my place and noticed a garter snake slithering along the ground at the bottom of the deck stairs. She suggested that photos of this little guy might make an interesting contribution to my blog. Check him out!

The next day the winds came up and we were treated to huge and powerful waves on the the bay.

Later that evening, the wind died down and as I was walking along the beach I witnessed this beautiful sunset.

One of my favourite games to play at the cottage is good old fashion Scrabble. I have to admit that I wasn’t very good at it the first few times I played it but my good friend D gave me a few pointers (which I’m sure she’s regretting) and I’ve been on a bit of a winning streak. Notice the word ‘zooid’. A good one to remember. 

Oops! I guess the word ‘zooid’ was on the previous board. Anyway it’s a biological term meaning ‘a cell capable of spontaneous movement’. The word on this board that may be new to you is ‘natron’, meaning ‘a mineral, hydrated sodium carbonate’.

The picture below is of me and my Scrabble buddies, D and her daughter, Dy.

You can thank your lucky STARS that it was overcast last night so that I wasn’t able to take pictures of the night SKY and that I wasn’t interested in taking pictures of the SHOWERS today. Maybe next time. I’m home for a few days. I’ll post my weight loss progress tomorrow. TTFN

My Abundant City Garden

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….lost all track of time while I worked in the garden yesterday and my plans to head up to the cottage vaporized

I love the garden but it is a huge commitment and requires love, care and TIME.

I had packed my clothes, shopped for the necessities to bring back to the cottage BUT I needed to do one more little thing in the garden before I left…..

Well that ‘one little thing’ turned into many little things and before I knew it I was on a roll and couldn’t stop. It felt good to tidy up the weeds, trim the hedge (again!), cut the grass and pick the ‘fruits of our labour’. That evening I sat outside with my husband enjoying a lovely dinner of grilled vegetables and salmon fillets. Looking over the garden from our deck gave me a great deal of satisfaction and a feeling of pride.

This morning I walked around the garden and took pictures of the flowers and some of the vegetables that will be ready for harvesting in the coming weeks. If you remember my  post from May where I showed you the beginnings of this garden I think you’ll agree that it’s come a long way. NOT BAD for a garden in the middle of Toronto.

Raised vegetable bed, ready for planting, May 21, 2012

My Garden in the Morning, July 22, 2012

Is it a Book or is it a Purse?j

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….. I loved these clutches

Last Wednesday I took a detour on my way home from the cottage and headed into Midland. I parked the car and strolled up and down the main street. One of my favourite stores opened a few years ago and I was pleased to see that it was still in business. So many new businesses in ‘cottage towns’ don’t last more than one or two seasons. The name of the store is Homecoming and is located at 298 King Street.

I loved browsing and checking out the new food items such as homemade jams and mustards. Up near the cash I noticed an ironing board, stacked with piles of pre-cut fabric so I asked the clerk what he was making. He excitedly showed me some of the finished projects. How clever! They looked like books but were in actual fact clutches and purses. The small one, which I bought, are about the size of a paperback novel (large enough to hold your credit cards and a ‘smart phone’) and the larger ones have a strap long enough to put over your shoulder. There were a variety of actual book covers that one could choose from.

I’m sharing the clutch that I bought. Price? $24.95.

What do you think?

Down 2 1/2 More Pounds

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…. was hoping for 1 or 2 but that extra 1/2 is definitely a bonus

After being at the cottage for 5 days I took a leisurely trip home and stopped at numerous places that I usually pass by because I’m in a hurry to catch a ferry or get to an appointment in the city. I checked out several stores in downtown Midland and made a stop over at the outlet mall off the 400 (used to be called the Cookstown Mall).

In Midland I tried on some designer clothes, very funky and fun and ‘on sale’. Such a treat to put on an XL and find it too big. Unfortunately the dress didn’t come in a large and I thought I would be pushing it if I went for a medium. I’ll go back at the end of the summer and try on the smaller sizes after I’m down another 10 pounds.

The last 3 pairs of pants/shorts  that I’ve bought have all been size 16. I thought I was doomed to always wear a size 18/20 when it came to pants because that’s where I carry most of my weight. My next goal is size 14.

At the outlet centre I treated myself to 2 new pairs of sandals. I need to go through my closet at home and start throwing away some of my older shoes that I haven’t worn in awhile.

When I got home last night, K was prepping for his colonoscopy so I quietly warmed up chicken I had pre-cooked the day before and arranged it on a plate with raw vegetables and dip and sat on the deck and enjoyed my dinner by myself.

We got up early this morning and as usual when I’m home I got on the scale and was thrilled to have lost 2 1/2 more pounds. I’m down a total of 25 1/2 pounds. If I keep going at this rate I might be very close to reaching my next goal by my birthday on August 28th. By the way I finally got an appointment for a complete physical. The first available date was August 28th. I’m not thrilled to be spending part of my big day at the doctor’s but the next appointment was on the first day of school. No one takes the ‘first day of school’ off, ever!

Now that I’m feeling better I’ve started to think about running again. I think I need another race to motivate me. I’m going to look into what’s happening in September on the running circuit. If I had someone to run with me it would be even better. Any takers out there?

Cheers!

                                                       New Sandals

A Charm of Hummingbirds

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One of life’s little pleasures is watching hummingbirds visiting the feeders strategically hung around the cottage. Actually hummingbirds are very aggressive and they routinely dive bomb and swoop down on each other and they seem to have no fear of humans. Many a time I’ve had to duck to avoid being charged by a hummingbird. I’ve had visions of a hummingbird being lodged in my forehead.

Today I was experimenting with my simple digital camera and got some amazing shots of my speedy little friends.

In the Garden of Beasts – A Book Review

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…. by Erik Larson

After reading Devil in the White City, and several reviews for this book I wasn’t sure I was going to like Erik Larson’s new book. I found the afore mentioned book very interesting but at times it was  slow and the details were cumbersome.

My husband read In the Garden of Beasts before I did and he couldn’t put it down. He read it in a day and a half. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.

Set in Germany, after Hitler came to power, the story focuses on the American ambassador, Dodd and his daughter, Martha and how they viewed life in Berlin from 1933 to 1937. Dodd quickly realized how dangerous Hitler and his henchmen were and despite his warnings to his bosses in Washington and President Roosevelt, he was considered weak and ineffective in his role as ambassador.

Martha Dodd had a completely different opinion of the German people and the Nazis. In fact she befriended and dated numerous high ranking officials in the Nazi party and invited them to the ambassador’s home for social functions. At one point she is introduced to Hitler, himself, to be considered as a potential wife for the German leader. I was amazed at how many lovers this woman had and how accepting or perhaps naive her parents were about their daughter’s numerous affairs. She was certainly playing with fire when one considers the company she kept.

In time Martha begins to see the Nazis for who they really are and tries to disassociate herself from their company. She falls in love with Boris from the Soviet Union embassy and becomes enamoured with communism. Sounds like a good piece of fiction but is in fact non-fiction.

Larson has carefully researched this dark period of history and painstakingly documented all his resources. Writing this saga through the eyes of the Dodd family and how those in power in Washington turned a blind eye to what was really happening in Berlin gives the reader a new perspective of how Hitler ascended to power.

Compelling and informative. Rating: 4/5