Full Steam Ahead

I made up for my lazy day yesterday.  I got up early to do a run.  It was 60 degrees and perfect running weather.  I'm happy to report that my run was a lot better than it has been of late.  I felt good and was able to run without feeling the need to take walk breaks nearly as much.  I probably could have run the entire four miles without any breaks, but I knew what was coming, so I took it a bit easy. My pace was the fastest it's been in recent months.  I got home and just had time to catch a shower and dress before I went to my Praise Moves class.

I really liked the class.  I went to a yoga class last Saturday and enjoyed that class too, but it felt just a little strange assuming meditative poses without a clear focus for meditation.  I am a Christian and I like the fact that in the Praise Moves class the focus is very clearly on core beliefs that I hold dear.  Leslie mentioned in a comment to my last post that her teenage daughter  was practicing yoga at a Christian camp and was criticized and upset by a camp leader who told her that yoga was an "agent of the Devil" and non-Christian.  I'm so sorry that happened.  I think the person who said that was wrong to criticize and also wrong in her statement. To me yoga is a wonderful exercise, good for posture, balance, mental clarity and muscle tone as well as an ancient expression of faith and belief.  Our yoga leader last Saturday (who was an Indian American) sang to us as we did the final relaxation pose at the end.  She had a lovely voice and it was a beautiful song in Hindi and, as she explained to me later, it told the story of an early Hindu saint.  If I didn't have Praise Moves available, I would not hesitate to take the yoga class--not for any religious reason, but for its other benefits.  In the end, though, I loved the Praise Moves class, the leader was very good and the class was well paced.  I enjoyed spending time with some friends I seldom get to see.  The class is a drop-in class, offered three times a week.  I can't do three times a week, but will try to do at least one of the classes each week.

I got home just in time to receive J&E.   After I gave them lunch we walked over to the nearby elementary school.  They are both ga-ga over school buses!  We played on the front lawn while school let out and they got to see a lot of school buses.  We counted them.  Several times.  They loved seeing all the children and it was fun to see all the parents greeting their children.

Tomorrow is my DIL's birthday and they are coming to dinner.  I'm making lasagna roll ups (individual lasagnas made by rolling up a noodle with the filling, cinnamon roll style.  Because of different likes and allergies, I'm making both a standard (WW) lasagna and a seafood (scallop & shrimp) lasagna.  I have a detailed shopping list and am headed to the store early, before J&E get here.  I promised E that she could help me make the birthday cake.   She wanted to be sure that I have her apron ready.  (It's FUN being a grandmother!  I never wear aprons, but all of my grandchildren have them and wear them.)  It's the day before my WI, so I'm hoping that I can eat the way I should eat tomorrow without face planting in the cake or overindulging in the lasagna.  I'll send the leftovers home with the birthday girl.

Oh!  I'm delighted to report that when I did my kettle bell routine last night I was able to do TWO of the dreaded Turkish Get Ups!  The funny thing is that I could only do them from one side.  I couldn't wrap my head around reversing the moves.  I was most satisfied with my two though, and decided to rest on my laurels.  I also have graduated to doing most of the "real" moves rather than the abbreviated moves for beginners.  Yay me. Only six more sessions until my guaranteed results!!