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Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Vibration Platform Routines
February 7, 2017
— 1 Comment
I have been using my vibration platform for at least 15 minutes each day for a few weeks. Some days I do it in different positions for 30-45 minutes. I have been experimenting with speeds, and programs, as well as positions. I have been enjoying it and think it is having a positive effect on my general health. I found a couple of good videos to teach me various new options. This smooth moving sequence above looks like a vinyasana…constantly in motion. I like the idea of using a mat for traction on the floor behind the platform. I am going to incorporate some of these ideas and positions into my routine.
My neighbor Heidi has been using it also and we both like it. We talked today about finding more material to try on our platform. I am crazy about the Philippine version below of vibration plate class. This is used like a vibrating step…wild!! He also does an eight count then changes position. I have been holding positions as long as I can, like squat, backward bend, etc. I see the fun of changing positions constantly, but we will use different music. There are other demo videos on Youtube with more ideas for those of us who love to vibrate. These new ideas keep it fresh. I am a big fan. Have you tried the power plate, gentle reader? It is an efficient way to get a great workout in t short time and drain your lymphatic system at the same time. I bought it for the lymphatic drainage, and now I find I love it for the way it makes me feel. FUN!!
Criminally Unconscious
February 6, 2017
— 4 Comments
Halls of Justice, Blurred
We will soon discover if what appears to some to be extreme Fascism will be contained by the United States judicial system. The checks and balances originally designed into our system have been blurred by political power. If religious organizations are liberated to use funds for direct political campaigning we will be in a whole new universe of crossed purposes. Many worry that when the president said he revoked Dodd Frank financial regulations because some of his friends have good businesses and can’t borrow (yes, that is what he said) that we are running fast down the road that brought us to ruin when Wall Street was too big to fail. Since we made up that term we have done absolutely nothing (except Dodd Frank) to address this too big to fail banking problem. The complicated regulations are never well understood by normal people, but we are clearly being told that banks will be able to lend more freely and do as they please (gamble) with the banks’ holdings as soon as this has been enacted. I am no banking expert, but this sounds very fishy to me. We don’t fully understand it, but we have political deja vu.
The executive branch of the government is intended to enforce the laws created by Congress. The president, the military, and the police are “arms of the law” intended not to make law but to enforce it. The judicial branch provides needed expertise to guide the executive branch to stay within the law. It adjudicates disputes about the laws that congress creates. The Supreme Court has been fully politicized to the point that the appointment is viewed now as extreme political victory. It is such a big deal that the present vacancy was “held open” until the election was concluded. This says a lot about The Supreme Court and Congress. This appointment is now a public political wrestling match which is getting messy. Is this how the government is even supposed to work?
The reason to watch the judicial branch very carefully now is that it holds the key to rule of law. With a strong independent and functional judiciary branch we can move forward and resolve disputes without running amok in political expediency. I currently trust the court system more than I trust the other two branches. In my own mind the checks and balances are wildly out of balance. A poorly educated public that does not understand how the government is intended to work is not very likely to be governed by a functional, rational leadership. This is a formula for Fascism. This is how rule of law is destroyed, with ignorance. I am not as much a subscriber to good and evil as I am to real and unreal. The evil I believe we need to fight in the world today is unconsciousness. If we think someone is criminally unconscious it is our duty to persuade them to make contact with reality. That task is much harder than judging or assuming anything about anyone. These are troubled times, gentle reader.
Swiss Humor
February 3, 2017
— 4 Comments
Europe is having more fun at President Trump’s expense. After a spoof of Trump’s “America First” slogan from the Netherlands went viral, the Swiss comedy show Deville Late Night made the case for “Switzerland Second.” The bit begins by burning the Dutch—”they so flat, total disaster”—before taking aim at Trump on issues like women’s rights,…
via Switzerland Parodies President Trump’s ‘America First’ — TIME
Cards and Letters Roll #InCoWriMo
February 1, 2017
— 5 Comments
first letter and vintage postcards
high school graduation invitation
On my first day of International Correspondence Writing Month I was completely surprised by my friend in New Jersey. He started early and mailed a letter to me so that it arrived on the very first day—way to go, Marc. You completely shocked me. I started to unpack my desk drawer full of cards, writing paper, and postcards and found that the situation is much more serious that I thought it was. I knew I had hoarded some paper goods, but I drastically underestimated the volume of my stash. I have removed less than half of the contents of the drawer and have a selection on the table of at least 200 different ways to send mail in February. I found 7 plain vintage postcards of unknown age, that my mom left me with 2 cents postage printed on the front. I am going to send one of those to the Postmaster General in case it has some value.
I have cards from all over the world, and I still think they are as artful as the day I bought them. I found 2 copies of my high school graduation invitation, so for the first day I gave my neighbor an invitation to my graduation. We joke about having too much stuff stored in our houses all the time, so she was the perfect recipient of this 49 year old card for which nobody has any earthly use. I found another copy and wish I could find somebody who went to that high school to be the surprise recipient of the other. I might work on that because it would be funny.
Maybe I will just get into mailing things and keep sending them until they are all gone, but that would take years of daily diligence. This is a crossroads, for sure. I need to use these paper goods or release them to another more loving home where they will be used and appreciated. I am now even more pleased to have decided to join the correspondence challenge in February now that i review my vast collection. I realize the people to whom I mail these cards will get a charge out of them, and I have the possibility of freeing up a large drawer in my desk to use for other purposes. Win/win. If you want to help me win the battle of the paper drawer send me your mailing address, gentle reader. Thanks.
post cards from the world
post cards from the world
post cards from the world
post cards from the world
the drawer half empty
Lawrence Washington, 11th Great-Grandfather
January 31, 2017
— 1 Comment
St Mary the Virgin with St John Churchyard
grave of Lawrence Washington
grave of Lawrence Washington
When Lawrence Washington and his twin brother Robert were born in 1568 in Sulgrave, Northamptonshire, England, their father, Robert, was 24, and their mother, Elizabeth, was 21. He married Lady Margaret Butler on August 3, 1588. Lady Margaret was heiress to a wool fortune. Her father helped Lawrence prosper in the wool trade and become a prominent citizen. He was mayor of Northhampton from 1532-1545, and acquired a manor house known as Sulgrave. Lawrence and Margaret has 17 children, 8 sons and 9 daughters. They married well and created an illustrious lineage, that includes George Washington, the first US president….and me. Lawrence died on December 13, 1616, at the age of 48. He is buried at St Mary the Virgin with St John Churchyard, Great Brington, Daventry District, Northamptonshire, England His plot: Grave is below a stone slab in the chancel of the church.
Lawrence Washington (1568 – 1616)
11th great-grandfather
Richard Washington (1592 – 1642)
son of Lawrence Washington
John Washington (1632 – 1677)
son of Richard Washington
Richard Washington (1660 – 1725)
son of John Washington
Elizabeth Washington (1689 – 1773)
daughter of Richard Washington
Elizabeth Lanier (1719 – 1795)
daughter of Elizabeth Washington
Martha Burch (1743 – 1803)
daughter of Elizabeth Lanier
David Darden (1770 – 1820)
son of Martha Burch
Minerva Truly Darden (1806 – 1837)
daughter of David Darden
Sarah E Hughes (1829 – 1911)
daughter of Minerva Truly Darden
Lucinda Jane Armer (1847 – 1939)
daughter of Sarah E Hughes
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of Lucinda Jane Armer
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
Sulgrave Manor
New Moon, Year Of The Rooster 2017
January 27, 2017
— 3 Comments
Rooster paper cut
Year of the Fire Cock 2017
The lunar year of the fire rooster begins today. In many parts of the world this is the most significant and superstitious time of the year. The lunar calendar was widely used around the world before Pope Gregory of the Roman Catholic Church had his way with time keeping, creating the solar Gregorian calendar in 1582. It has become the most widely used, but plenty of people are still on the lunar system. Jewish calendars and Asian calendars are lunar, as they have been forever. Countries varied greatly in adopting the system:
Adoption of Gregorian Calendar
1582: Spain, Portugal, France, Italy,
Catholic Low Countries, Luxemburg, and colonies
1610: Prussia 1700: ‘Germany’, Swiss Cantons, Protestant Low Countries, Norway, Denmark 1873: Japan 1912: China, Albania
1584: Kingdom of Bohemia 1648: Alsace 1752: Great Britain and colonies 1875: Egypt 1915: Latvia, Lithuania
1682: Strasbourg 1753: Sweden and Finland 1896: Korea 1916: Bulgaria
1918: USSR, Estonia
1919: Romania, Yugoslavia
1923: Greece
1926: Turkey
Greek and other Eastern orthodox churches celebrate Easter on the lunar calendar, which explains why it does not match the Roman Catholic date. When you look up your Chinese year on the placemat at the restaurant you may be in error because our western new year is never the same as the one in Asia. Ours is January 1 every year. Theirs falls between the end of January and the middle of February. The significance of the animal of the year is considered to be a big deal to those who celebrate this holiday. A change is expected in luck and finances, and much attention is given to enhancing both at this time. Gifts of currency with symbols and pictures of the animal are given to increase good fortune. Adjustments are made to the feng shui to make the most of the new energy that will flow. You may not personally believe that astrology or calendars have any significance, but a very large part of the world’s population does believe it. It can’t hurt to learn a little bit about it. This is a time to reinvent whatever needs to be changed.
The year of the cock is not expected to be the lucky year for those born under the sign of the rooster themselves. Their trademark weaknesses, boastfulness and vanity, will get them into more trouble than usual this year. Their active, talkative nature will cause problems. They will be challenged to put up or shut up, which is hard for them to handle. Everyone turning 60 this year is a fire rooster. They include famous fire Roosters Dawn French, Donny Osmond, Martin Luther King III, Stephen Fry, Hans Zimmer, Dolph Lundgren, and Jools Holland. This year the new moon in Aquarius begins the reign of the rooster over good luck and chance. I wish all my gentle readers a healthy, prosperous, and happy year. I appreciate your presence here.
#WritePhoto, Half Shining Armor
January 26, 2017
— 11 Comments
waiting
Beneath the staircase of the palace, lurking silently in the dark
The master’s old Tudor dynasty armor stands guard as if alive
Little has changed in the basement rooms since jousting was the sport
The aristocrat concerns himself with wealth and status in the court
Royal drifters follow in the entourage of holy soldiers and servant slaves
In service of some magic majesty that never showed up when expected
We thought time would both heal wounds and protect us from the ravages of injustice
The clock of destiny has not been kind to the greedy crusaders
Marking time with the shattered bones of their broken glory
There are no knights left to tell the end of this frightening story
Their legacy has been buried, lost all meaning of chivalry and grace
The names fade fast in history’s book, vanishing without a trace
Don’t trust armor from an ancient time to protect you from the storm
It may be impenetrable and conductive, but it is anything but warm
The photo prompt comes from Sue Vincent’s blog and is used as inspiration for writing short fiction and poetry. Try your own hand if you like. Please visit Sue, or use the hashtag #writephoto on twitter to find other interpretations of this image. Thanks for visiting, gentle reader.
#writephoto
Pen Pals With Pens, #InCoWriMo
January 25, 2017
— 3 Comments
The month of February, known for Valentine cards, is also the month for #InCoWriMo, international correspondence writing month. I have started a bullet journal to switch at least some of my writing to my own hand, but I am slow getting started on that project. I heavily rely on digital media to both send and receive everything. When I discovered this challenge to send or hand deliver one hand written note, postcard, or card each day for the month of February I was nostalgic for my old pen pal of childhood. My pen pal lived in England and was also a Brownie Scout. Many of my fellow scouts burned out fast on writing letters, but I stayed in touch with mine for several years. I started sending letters to Ann of England around second grade and carried on until about sixth, I think. I remember the gifts she sent me at Christmas, but I don’t remember what I sent her. I know there was an effort to make the gift represent America somehow. I also was forced to write to my grandparents and send thank you notes to anyone who gave me anything or invited me to go anywhere. I had to write a legal pad page of cursive every day at my father’s orders because I got a C in handwriting in school, which was not acceptable. I hated doing that intensely, but I adored buying fancy stationery and writing to my pen pal. I think I can revive the excitement by writing by and to people all over the world next month.
I know some dedicated print and mail specialists who make sure they stay active by sending letters and snail mail. My friend Marc Zazeela, @MZazeela, has been a logistics and shipping expert for his entire professional career. He knows all there is to know about sending anything anywhere at the best rate. He serves commercial and international clients, but is a strong proponent of sending handwritten notes. Hellen Rittersporn, @HELENSstudio, writes a wonderful blog all about letterwritting called Anchored Scraps in which she stays current with stamps, pens, history of correspondence and more. She is naturally on board for the February challenge, and has written this very informative piece on the subject.
There are many famous folks who want to receive letters, such as the Postmaster General of the United States. Many more of us not so famous people have set the intention of finishing this challenge by publishing our mailing addresses on the site for sharing. The website and e mail reminders you will receive when you sign up are very helpful and inspirational. They have designed a planning calendar to help you design a strategy, or just fill your dance card:
2017 calendar InCoWriMo
Now there is a crustacean on instagram running a contest associated with the program. countcrustaceo is running a contest to make things more interesting. Now you can’t say this is not fun:
What Are Health Savings Accounts?
January 24, 2017
— 1 Comment
HSA
I have had a health savings account at my bank for many years. It is a simple savings account earning little interest. My accountant advised me to contribute to it, and I did without understanding the full reason. Now that I am on Medicare, in a relatively safe position, I am extremely happy I have a hefty HSA. I can use it for any approved medical expense that is not covered by my insurance. To qualify in the first place I had to carry a high deductible health insurance policy. This virtually guaranteed all the expenses would be paid by me, since I never hit my deductible amount in a single year. Now that I am on Medicare I can’t contribute any more, but that is fine also. I believe I have just the right amount for my own situation. I was not taxed on the initial deposit and the expenditures always qualify as legitimate medical expenses on my taxes. I get to essentially write it off twice, even though it earns little interest.
There are few caveats, such as making sure the use you make of it is an approved expense under the law. I made a costly error couple of years ago by paying for some body work from that account that did not qualify. I paid an IRS penalty larger than the original payment, just to make sure I am in compliance with the law. Now I will never cross that line again, as I know the consequences. I did get a written prescription from a doctor for lymphatic drainage treatments, shiatsu, and reflexology at the U of A Supportive Care for Healing at the hospital. Without the written orders those treatments would not be allowed, but with doctor’s orders it is fine. The same is true of over the counter medicines or vitamin supplements. Make sure you have the doctor’s orders filed with your tax documents, just in case you need them. My plan and my HSA account is personal, so there is no other entity for me to satisfy other then the IRS and the bank where the account resides.
There are plans in which employers contribute to HSA as an alternative or supplement to insurance. The law creating HSA’s was signed by George Bush on Jan 1, 2004. Previous to that time a similar medical savings accounts existed for employees of small businesses. The present law is open to employers of all sizes, not just those with fewer than 50 employees. Now the HSA is being promoted as an alternative to health insurance. I am very pleased I have one, but it is no way an alternative for insurance. It is effective to the extent that it meets the individual’s needs. It can be spent on preventive care not covered by most policies, so it can upgrade the health care of the customer. It can be invested in a more lucrative way than my own interest earning savings plan at a bank. I have a debit card I use for all medical payments during the year. The feature I like the best is the full accounting of all the money I have spent on health care during a given year. The HSA bank statement is all I need to do my taxes at the end of the year and keep track of my health care spending. I am glad to have it, if for no other reason than ease of tax accounting.
Do you have a health savings account, gentle reader? Is yours done through an employer or is it a personal plan? I think it is a good idea, but there is much to know to choose the right one and deposit the right amount for your future needs.
IRS
#WeekendCoffeeShare, Faith In Enantiodromia
January 21, 2017
— 1 Comment
#WeekendCoffeeShare
Enantiodromia is a concept made popular by the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. Carl is known for being deeply difficult to interpret because of his writing style. He was first friendly but later became a rival of Sigmund Freud. If we were having coffee today, on the day of the women’s march on Washington, I would make an effort to explain this idea. I think if we look at the United States as an entity created by history we can see that our society has become more and more at odds with “the Other”. Carl explains this blame game as transference, or finding fault in others rather than looking into our own responsibility for any given situation. In personal relationships this is common, and now it is the norm for our politics. I have really been thinking hard about this as we approached the inauguration. I share feelings of doom and despair with many, but I am taking solace that we are establishing a new rock bottom from which we can only bounce. Our collective consciousness is a mess, in need of clarity and healing. The United States, the nation, is delusional. We need to face this fact and remedy the cultural issues that we have made such a big deal of establishing. Neither “other” is right. Both are out of touch with reality. This is another way Carl looked at action and reaction. He said there is not so much good and bad as real and unreal. The pendulum has swung to the outer limits of unreality now, and the center is strained to the max. Will it hold?
Please help yourself to tea or coffee, or a big glass of fresh grapefruit juice. It is rainy and cool out, but the wood stove is roaring and the armchair with the ottoman next to the fire is ready for you. Snuggle in and tell me how you are dealing with events these days. I stayed quiet this week, mostly because my car went to the shop for 3 days to be repaired. I wrote another short piece of fiction based on a photo prompt this week. It turned out to be very disquieting, haunted and macabre because my mind was on the national spirit. I am a bit surprised at my own darkness in these short stories. I guess it reflects by subconscious as well as my desire to make up stories. I thought I would be funny in fiction, but I am a bit of a horror writer, much to my own horror.
This is the perfect time for me to segue to enantiodromia, the phenomena. Simply put, it means that any force in overabundance will produce it’s opposite in order to keep nature in balance. If one single aspect of a consciousness is developed at the expense of all others, the equal and opposite reaction will be triggered by the extreme condition of the psyche. Often in individuals this shift precedes a breakthrough into a more integrated personality. Once the “other” is seen in a realistic light an enlightenment can take place.
In Jung’s own words:
The grand plan on which the unconscious life of the psyche is constructed is so inaccessible to our understanding that we can never know what evil may not be necessary in order to produce good by enantiodromia, and what good may very possibly lead to evil. (“The Phenomenology of the Spirit in Fairytales”, Collected Works 9i, par. 397)
I am placing all my hope in enantiodromia to save our society. We elected our shadow, and now we will be forced to view it, ironically against the backdrop of the White House. We can’t blame our shadow into evaporating because it represents (imperfectly) the ideas of “the enemy”. We have to meet it straight on, and see what part we have played in establishing it and then giving it power. This is deeper and weirder than just Republicans vs Democrats. This is real vs unreal, in which everyone has a little of each. We are codepending with everyone and everything. Our journey to balance will require enlightenment and compassion for all those “others”.
Diana hosts the coffee party each weekend from New Orleans. Please visit us to read, write, comment, or just consume a few cups of digital coffee. This party is a wonderful place to keep it real and share your thoughts in a safe, creative atmosphere. Thanks for dropping by this week.
Carl Jung
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