no regrets

Feeling so good right now :-)

Cleanse, tone and moisturize. That’s what the magazines told me (when I read them in my teens and twenties — I’m assuming they still sing the same song).

Slip, slop, slap. That’s what the Australian PSAs, with their catchy jingle, have said for decades.

I’ve pretty much ignored both messages. My ‘beauty regimen’ consists of an evening wipe of olive oil on the eyelids to remove the scant makeup, and a morning shower lather with Cetaphil. I spend time outdoors every day, without sunscreen, only protected by sunglasses and a baseball cap.

Maybe if I’d cleansed, and toned, and moisturized, and sunscreened all my life, I would have a peaches and cream, wrinkle-free, complexion. But it’s too late now. Sun damage is forever, and I can’t turn back the clock. I’m 52, and while some people tell me I look much younger, my skin is certainly ageing. And I’m totally OK with that.

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One day, I may look like this. Actually, I aspire to this level of joy and comfort. For in the words of The Cat Empire:

I’m gonna die with a twinkle in my eye, ’cause I’ve sung songs, spun stories, laughed, loved, and drunk wine.

And I certainly won’t die from Vitamin D deficiency.

How about you? What’s a decision you’ve waited too long to make? And are you OK with that?

what i’ve been up to

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Besides working and hanging out with the bf a couple of times a week ….

I’ve:

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• had a few dates with girlfriends I don’t see often enough, and more are on the calendar.

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• been making gifts like a madwoman; I will post a bunch of photos in a few days, all together so my peeps won’t know which one is coming their way.

• planned a trip DownUnder for the birth of a certain little missy.

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• almost kicked my month-long cough to the kerb. Such a relief. I’m back at the gym. Wow it feels good.

What I haven’t been doing enough of:
• hiking
• reading
• calling my family

What have YOU been up to? What have you not been doing enough of?

i can be a badass (in a good way)

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Tonight my friend Evie shared her list of things she’s learned (this past week) on summer vacation. Which got me thinking about the things I’ve learned lately. Which got me art journaling.

Re the last point:

At CrossFit, ‘badass’ is a compliment. It means tough & strong. It means you strive hard, and push yourself, and break through your barriers. That’s what I’ve been doing, in my ‘protecting my knee’/'I’m 50 not 20′ fashion.

So when I just googled the term and found definitions ranging from ‘ultra-cool motherfucker’ to ‘a tough, aggressive, or uncooperative person’ (neither of which I am) I wondered if this was a label I wanted to adopt.

But when I think back to last night, and the hardest workout of my life, and the high-fives and encouragement from the kids decades younger than me, I know … yeah. I can be a badass.

And it feels fucking fantastic.

thank you, modern medicine

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Pre-melanoma, be gone.

we only get one body. so treat it right.

Getting ready for my lunchtime walk. I wear this #hat nearly every day when I spend time outdoors. I've had it for years; those who know me are familiar with it!

I’m considering upping the ante on my exercise routine. I walk nearly every day, usually at least 3 miles (5k). I do pushups and crunches. Every now and then I dance for 2 hours straight. Sometimes I do a Tabata 4 Minute Workout.

I am incredibly grateful for the health I enjoy. No chronic disease. No congenital defects. But I want to get stronger. More toned. Tighter. I’m leaning towards this. I even bought a gallon jug of water tonight to use for the dumbbell rows.

Now that my time is my own, I can commit to whatever I want. And along with a peaceful soul, I want to commit to the healthiest body I can manage. Because it’s very very apparent to me that this is the only one I’m going to get. You young whippersnappers out there (who, at some level, believe you are immortal) don’t realize it yet. But it’s true. We only get one bod. And there is NOTHING else that we truly own, except this body. Everything else is borrowed, or an illusion, or irrelevant.

So yeah. Bodyweight exercises. It feels like the next thing for me.

What’s the next thing in YOUR journey to optimal health?
(If you smoke, please tell me it’s giving up smoking.)

so many voices. which ones do you listen to?

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Oh Evie, you have steered me right today. First up I went to see your chiropractor, who is amazing. I think he will forever change the way I hold my head and shoulders. And hopefully also fix my jaw, because I am so so tired of the chronic pain. I am ready for healing, and he has given me hope.

While we were (very closely, but therapeutically) embracing, I asked if I could take him home with me. I may have even moaned a little. He very professionally said that yes, he does house calls, for a fee. I am sure he has women moaning in his arms every day (he’s that good). I will be going back for sure. In four days, actually.

Then this afternoon I finally visited Malibu Wines, also at my sweet friend’s recommendation. What a lovely place to spend a summer afternoon.

They opened six years ago, so why has it taken me so long to get there? Oh yeah, maybe because J doesn’t drink wine. I learned that fact on our first date. My immediate thought was, “Oh, this isn’t going to work.” I should have listened to myself. Maybe next time I date someone new, I will pay attention to these gut reactions.

What suggestions have you listened to lately? Were you pleased you did? On the other hand, what intuition did you stuff down and ignore? How did that work out?

How do you know if it’s fear or love that’s talking? Where’s the line between believing your internal critic, and opening up to possibility of awesomeness?

And yes, those are a (very nice) man’s knees in the photo above. And no, it was not a date. We are just acquaintances, approaching friendship :-)

one little word: checking in

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My one little word for this year is ‘healthy’. At first I picked ‘heal’, but then decided to aim higher, to go beyond healing, to robust health.

With a third of the year past, I thought it time to touch base. And I’m happy to report that I’m so much healthier than I was on New Year’s Day, when J broke up with me for the second time.

  • I’m at a good weight for my height (50lb less than I was in Feb 2011*).
  • I’m exercising every day.
  • Since forgiving J, our relationship is easy and mutually supportive.
  • After a 20 year hiatus, I recently rejoined Mensa and am enjoying socializing with new people. Not that I’ve abandoned my existing friendships. Me and my girls are still hanging out :-)
  • I’ve had nearly all my annual medical checkups, and everything’s looking good. My dermatologist kindly removed a suspicious growth from my back yesterday, and I’m waiting for the biopsy results, but am not concerned.
  • I’m meditating every day. Good for mental health.
  • And flossing every day. Good for oral health.
  • I feel happy nearly all the time, which feels, shall we say, awesome?

So yeah … I’m pretty content. Healthy is good.

I hope you’re feeling it too.

*I stopped eating grains.

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