Time for new walking shoes

A few weeks ago I bought new running shoes from our favorite sports store, Track Shack.  I have had the Asics I'm wearing for almost 3 years of walking and it was time.  I kept them to putz around the house inside but how nice these new Ghost Brooks shoes are.  

Since I'm on an almost daily walking regimen, I wanted to be sure to have some new comfortable shoes this year.  A bit pricey, but hey, I'm worth it and it certainly helps to keep my feet and back from tiring out. Trying to do 4 miles each day 5x a week.  It's amazing that you can actually lose weight by walking!  My doctor was right:   Don't exercise harder, just exercise LONGER.

The next step?  Lace up your shoes and step out your front door.  Even it it's just around the block, get yourself moving.  :)

It is good to be small

Some days I wish I could snap my fingers and be sitting or walking barefoot here.  It's a bit cold in Florida this week, so not today, although we have many photos of walking on the beach all bundled up for cold weather.  

The sound of the ocean and the seeming endlessness of the sea reminds me of how constant and omnipresent God is to me every single day.  There is a calming effect about being so small in such a vast place.  It is good to be small.

What lies within us

This card holder sets on my windowsill so I read one of these each morning and throughout the day.  It is interesting how many sayings are paraphrased are from the Bible.  Guess these famous people must have read it after all.  :)

Thought for the day:  What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.--Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The Bible puts this in a different way:

1 Sam 16:7 ... for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Make it special - surprise accessory

Check out this sweet stretch bracelet I bought from Sorta Southern Boutique online.  I discovered the shop on Instagram and bought a scarf there a few months ago.  They sent me a 50% off coupon which I just used on this cute bracelet which will be fun to wear with jeans as a surprise accessory.

The next step? Add a sparkle or unexpected surprise accessory to whatever you are wearing today.  :)

Cutting out the caffeine -- nutmeg, cinnamon or vanilla in your coffee

I have often put cinnamon in my coffee grounds for a little added flavor.  I've been advised by my doctor to not drink caffeine [see post about.   I'm too lazy to wash the coffee pot 2x and brew it again, so I drink Folger's instant decaf.    By adding a little cinnamon or better yet, NUTMEG, it tastes exactly the same as regular!   I made it extra special by picking up a jar of whole nutmeg balls and I grate (using my zester) a little bit of FRESH nutmeg each morning. The aroma is wonderful and it is delicious.

The next step?  Try flavoring your coffee, whichever kind you drink, by putting cinnamon, nutmeg or even liquid vanilla in  the grounds.   You'll love it!

This saved the day / spare car key

This key in my wallet saved the day last week. I put it here two years ago and had not used it since I had not locked my keys in my car in all that time. I stopped at the grocery store to run in for  a few things and left my car keys on the seat.

I had a meeting to attend before my husband got home and I would not have been able to go. 

I fussed and fumed for about 30 seconds and then remembered I had this key tucked in my wallet which was a really good thing because everyone in my family was a long way from where I was.    

Think ahead... If you have ever locked your keys in your car, keeping a spare in your wallet might save you one day.

The next step?  Get an extra car key made and put it in your wallet.

Just take the next step - Learn something new / doTerra Essential Oils

Every now and then I like to learn about something totally new.

Recently, I've been reading and learning about essential oils which are used for health benefits.  I downloaded an eBook from Amazon titled Best Essential Oils Guide which is both inexpensive [99 cents] and interesting as a resource.

I've also also signed up with doTerra through a friend to be able to purchase and sell oils myself.  Not going full force on this yet until I learn more, but if you are interested in doTerra, let me know.  If you already know about essential oils and know what you want but just need a site from which to order, I'd appreciate your business.

HERE is a link to my doTerra store.

I started small with one or two oils in the $10-$20 range and every couple of months, I buy another one to try.  So far, they have been very helpful with digestion, healing insect bites, preventing colds and aromatherapy.

The next step?  Spend 99 cents and get the eBook.  I think you'll like it.

Which do you prefer? Curly or straight hair?

Some days I use a blow dryer and a brush and basically straighten my hair.  On cooler days like today, I just flip it over and blow it and get lots of waves and curl.  This is me in the YMCA locker room (after the FitLinxx circuit and an hour of water aerobics) ... a flip and quick blow dry. 

I've always liked my curly / wavy hair.  If it were shorter, the curls would really show.  How about you? Do you prefer straight? or curly?

Just take the next step -- when there is a bump in the road

Some days start off beautifully and then without warning there's a major bump in the road.   Don't you wish there were a sign like this when you got up in the morning so you would be prepared when that happens?  I could have sure used one today.  Maybe  that is why the Lord prompted me to take this photo. 😊

Of course, in my morning devotion I was reading Isaiah 45. I sat down to read it again this afternoon and realized I should've spent more time on it this morning. 

Is. 45:7 I form light and create darkness,

I make well-being and create calamity,

I am the LORD, who does all these things. 

If He allowed the conflict to happen, then it must be for my good. The other person is also a Christian, so it must be for her good, too. I will rest in that. 

The next step?  Pray, rest and wait.   Start again on Monday.  

One step at a time: tidy up one drawer

I wish I had taken a picture of what the store looked like before I organized it. They were toothpicks all over the bottom ...there were all kinds of things just thrown here and there ...flower preserver, candles, batteries, jar lids... Tidying it took a total of 12 minutes.

One step at a time for a clean, organize kitchen.

Just take the next step: walking and high blood pressure

If you had seen my blood pressure reading at the end of October you would have been aghast.  It was 194/111    while waiting for a Pap smear (if that doesn't raise your blood pressure, I don't know what will).  I am now the proud owner of a blood pressure monitor which, by the way, every family should own.  I had no idea that I had dangerously high blood pressure.    My husband and I had just returned from a 7-day cruise in the tropics.  I literally could have had a stroke or heart attack!

My readings got lower over the next the week after that shock but my doctor advised drinking more water and a low dose blood pressure medicine for six months or so on the condition that I exercise one hour 5 days a week. One hour --that sounded impossible.  But it's very doable by walking 30 minutes in the early morning (I listen to the audio Bible) and 30 minutes in the late afternoon (I listen to music or walk with a friend).  I do this 3 days a week; I also go to the YMCA and do a weight circuit and a one-hour water aerobics class the other two days. 

This has resulted in the reading you see below which is a huge improvement for me and a weight loss of 10 pounds, even with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's holidays!

Every morning when I go out of the house to walk I just think about taking the next step towards good health. 30 minutes goes pretty fast when you have an  incentive (my mind had gone from high blood pressure to open-heart surgery!) 

I encourage everyone to walk for good health. In our Florida weather you're able to do this almost every day. If you have to walk indoors check out Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home on YouTube.    Younger people may enjoy the more high impact exercise programs that are out there.  

This is the year I turn 60 and I'd like it to be the beginning of very healthy for the rest of my life.  I encourage you to do the same.  

Psa. 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 

Quick healthy egg scramble omelet

30-minute walk, then a quick, healthy breakfast. One egg, splash of milk, a bit of cheese, whatever veggies you like (I used tomatoes, mushrooms, green pepper).  Nuke (microwave) for 2 minutes or longer.

Empty the dishwasher while waiting for it to cook

Delicious.