Sometimes …

  

Do you ever watch a video or see someone do something and think

Poof!  I could do that!  How hard can it be? 

Yeah, me too.  In the part of my brain where lives my 20-year-old self (well, nowadays maybe 30-year-old), a little voice will pipe up and say – Hey! You could do that!  Give it a try! 

Fortunately the 75 year old part of my brain says – Are you kidding??  No you cannot do that!

And, I usually listen to the current age speaking.  That said, the other day, at our outreach organization, Hesed House, a new class was being offered.

Cardio Drumming.  Two options – high intensity and low intensity. 

Now, if you’re not familiar with cardio drumming, “cardio drumming is, at its core, high-intensity drumming, that incorporates sufficient movement to be a whole body workout while remaining fun enough for anyone to do it”. 

OK, that doesn’t sound so bad, does it.  Because of limited space and equipment, participants had to register.  No prob-lem-o!  Went to the website and signed right up.  I’m in pretty good shape so, yes, signed up for the “high intensity” option.

Then, I did the number one bad thing …. I looked up cardio drumming on the internet.

So, here’s the thing, there are many things you should never query the internet on – health related problems, relationship problems, yoga, or CARDIO DRUMMING. 

I looked at a YouTube video. 

Scared the bejesus out of me!  Complicated steps, hands doing one thing, feet another. 

I can’t do that.  Maybe I just won’t go (but you did make a reservation, says the responsible brain).    FINE!  I’ll go but I’m standing on the very back row ‘cause the rooms going to be full of 20-somethings and I’ll be the only old person there and I’m gonna flub it BAD probably fall down on my fanny and get lots of pitiful looks and and and…….. 

Actually, it was none of that.  There were only four others, the youngest being maybe 40-ish and the instructor kept it pretty simple.  It was fun.  Plus I liked all the music and knew the words to most of the songs.  And, you get to hit a big ball with sticks!  How great is that!  

In the NEWS department ----- I’m gonna be a great grandma!  My oldest granddaughter (the one that got married in September) is pregnant!  Yay!!  Baby is due in August.  Everybody is thrilled and excited!

Not much else.  Still dealing with weird weather February.  Yesterday it was 85°F.  I surely hope that does not mean it’s going to hit 95° in March and then 100°+ on April 1st.  We already did that last year.  Don’t need to do it again.

23 February 2023

February

 

is our month of SUPREMELY WEIRD WEATHER. 

All of the above can happen in a single day!

Well . . .  okay . . . . we frequently have weird weather but February tends to be the most annoying.  And, here’s a thing – the people that live here (myself, sigh, included) seem to forget that it’s weird weather month.  I’ve known this month to be cold (as in 20°F – which, as far as I’m concerned is just wrong) for days on end OR nearly 80° for the same number of days.  I know several backyard farmers that will plant their tomatoes in February to get a jump on fruit production time AND only have to cover new plants with a bucket if the temps drop a bit.  All this is leading up to the next several days which will range from lows at 60° (tonight) to low 30’s to 60° all in four days. Ugh.

Just a few Month of/Week of/Day of tidbits –

Beat The Heat Month.  Ok, I had to look that one up.  Has nothing to do with living somewhere hot and going to a very chilly place in February (although why anyone would want to do that is beyond me – yes, I know brother – skiing but that’s beyond my understanding too).  It has everything to do with spaying or neutering your cat or dog.  Spaying and neutering your pet and/or neighborhood (aka feral) cats/dogs in the winter will help avoid kitten/puppy season and stop the reproductive cycle before it really begins.  This is a good thing.  Many communities have organization that will work with local vets to offset the cost for ferals and help to socialize them for adoption.

National Condom Month and National Condom Week.  According to the ASHA (American Sexuality Health Assoc), “The idea of this holiday is to sensitize American adults to the benefits of condoms and how condoms can substantially mitigate many sexually related mishaps (most commonly unplanned pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections and diseases).  

National Mend A Broken Heart Month.  Yep, what you’re thinking.  “As lovebirds gear up for Valentine’s Day celebrations, those who are single or nursing a broken heart naturally feel left out. While heartbreak is difficult to deal with at any point in time, it’s especially difficult when everyone seems to be celebrating the month of love and romance. National Mend a Broken Heart Month is a celebration for such people. Instead of dwelling on sadness and wallowing in self-pity, the month encourages us to go have fun with friends and family, find joy in the small things, and share our love with everyone we are fortunate to call friends.”  

Pull Your Sofa Off The Wall Month.  Another holiday I haven’t heard of – “is a celebration you can’t afford to miss. Understandably, we are all in favor of a plan that entails cleaning beneath the furniture. Discover why we are so enthusiastic about getting your couch off the walls, and learn some tips on how to do it right."  Has to do with cleaning behind/beneath the sofa.  In case you didn’t know, there’s a “history of Pull Your Sofa off the Wall, a timeline starting in 2000BC through 1800’s, and a list of FAQs.  There is a website and everything - who knew??!!

TODAY is also

National Gumdrop Day.  Gumdrops came into official being in the 1850’s and while we think of them as the dome shaped, sugar coated, chewy candy, like many things this candy has evolved to include all the “gummy” things.  Bears, worms, and, yes, hamburgers

World Hippo Day.  “Did you know that before 1909, scientists placed hippos in the same group as pigs? Despite their outward similarities with pigs or wild boars, hippopotamuses are closely related to whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Hippos are semiaquatic mammals that are native to sub-Saharan Africa. They are herbivores and can weigh up to 2,000kg, making them the third-largest land mammal after elephants and rhinos.”  

Remember The Maine Day.  At 9.40pm on the night of 15 February 1898 the United States battleship Maine, riding quietly at anchor in Havana harbor, was suddenly blown up, apparently by a mine, in an explosion which tore her bottom out and sank her, killing 260 officers and men on board.  The consequence of this was the Spanish-American War of 1898.  It was a singularly unequal contest and after Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders took the San Juan Heights above Santiago, the Spanish government sued for peace.  A treaty was signed in December and Spain lost its last colony in the “New World”.  So endith the history lesson.

Susan B. Anthony Day.  1820-1906.  Champion of temperance, abolition, the rights of labor, and equal pay for equal work, Susan Brownell Anthony became one of the most visible leaders of the women’s suffrage movement.

That’s all I got for today.  Oh goodie – it’s fixin’ to get windy.  And cold.  Again.

15 Feb 2023