Intentions Review for March 2019

My Star Word for this year is “Empathy”. The internet defines empathy as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Merriam-Webster says, “Empathy is similar to sympathy, but empathy usually suggests stronger, more instinctive feeling.”

Here are my intentions for 2019.

Physical Health

• Continue to eat real food, and, hopefully, lose about 20 more pounds this year. – I’ve hit a plateau and am only down 3 pounds so far this year.
• Continue to average 150 miles a month on my Fitbit. – Again, I’ve done well.
• Continue to work with my personal trainer for strength, balance, and endurance. – Check. We worked regularly until last week when she got sick – so I’ve been on my own for the last week of the month. I really miss her.
• Return to weekly Tai Chi classes. This is a non-starter.
• March was better than February, except I was out-of-town from 3/18-3/20, and Sarah was ill from 8/25-present. I was making progress, but now I fear I’ve dropped back.
• “Nevertheless I Persisted” has been discontinued. WordPress in it’s great wisdom decided to start charging me, and I figured I could keep those stats on a spreadsheet just as easily as on a blog.

Emotional Health

• Practice empathy by taking a picture a day of someone who crosses my path. – The picture a day this has also gone the way of all good (?) ideas.
• “Tribes” is no longer active.
• I AM trying to remember “empathy” in my interactions with people I meet.

Intellectual Health

• Expand my leisure reading from fluff mysteries to more substantial novels. – Books read this year.
  • The Library Book by Susan Orleans – finished
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – finished
  • Becoming by Michelle Obama – finished
  • Womanish Midrash by Wil Gafney – finished
  • The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – finished
  • The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Hazel Gaynor – finished
  • Entering the Passion of Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine – reading all through Lent
  • Silent Night by Danielle Steele – finished
  • Autumn by Ali Smith – finished
  • Winter by Ali Smith – reading
• Continue to read the Washington Post and the New York Times for reasonably non-biased reporting. – I scan the headlines and read articles that interest me.
• Continue to watch the Rachel Maddow Show to feed my angst and resolve. – Check
• Return to writing.
• Keep writing midrash poetry, as I’m inspired by the Sunday sermon or weekly Bible study. – I’m working on one about the Daughters of Zelaphahad.
• I’m also writing things for the Poetry class that meets twice a month. I wrote five or six “narrative” poems this month. A couple of them may be worth keeping.

Spiritual Health

• Continue to participate in weekly Bible study, and weekly Worship. – Check. I’m a regular at the 11:00 o’clock service.
• Try to carve out time daily for intentional prayer and meditation. – Keeping up with the “photo-a-day” from #RethinkChurch is forcing me to spend some time in the Bible every morning.
• I attended NEXT Church in Seattle, and reconnected with many of my PCUSA friends from around the country. I also got a “pick-up” roommate who is a sister of one of my on-line friends from Centralia, WA. It was a small world thing. She put a notice on the board asking if anyone had an extra bed, and I had one, so we hooked up for two nights. We got along fine.

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones. – I still regularly attend the Gazebo Group (the folks who meet on Monday evenings for Happy Hour.)
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church. – I also regularly attend Bible Study. Coffee Hour is between the services, and it was held upstairs (adjacent to the Sanctuary) this month instead of on the lower level. I’ve been going pretty regularly and will continue next month when I am Lay Reader.
• Tend the relationships I have on Social Media. – I try to keep up with people I call my friends on Facebook. It’s hard when so much of the stuff there is political.

Miscellaneous

• Keep up with People Power as an Admin. – A new group of people has become very active as admins, and I’m allowing them to take the lead. I keep up with what’s going on, though, and support if and when necessary. I’ve been more active towards the end of this month because the ACLU is starting a new initiative called “Right for All.” The kick-off was today and we sent 200,000 texts inviting people to attend the on-line initial meeting.
• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials. – Attended a town hall in East Tacoma with all three of the District 27 legislators.
• Attend GA Nominating Committee meetings, both face-to-face and virtually. – The first meeting is scheduled for the end of April. I have my train tickets, and plans are made.
• Support #BlackLiveMatter, #Me,Too, #ThePoorPeople’sCampaign, #ClimateAction, and other social justice movements. – I donate regularly to MoveOn, the ACLU, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. I attend rallies and marches if I’m available.
• I attended the second Interfaith Women’s Conference here in Tacoma. We had most faiths represented there and it was nice to meet with women who were interested in that collegiality.
• I attended a vigil at the local mosque after the horrific shooting at the mosques in New Zealand. It was well attended by elected officials and people from local Christian and Jewish congregations.

 

#NYTWellChallenge – 3/6

Today we were exhorted to MOVE.

The New York Times Wellness Challenge for today they suggested we find our discomfort zone. The exercises are FAR from strenuous. Sorry NYT, it will take more than a 7-minute workout for me to find discomfort.

Cardio – March in place – 30 sec.

Rest 15 sec.

Lower Body – “Sit to stands”. – 30 sec.

Rest 15 sec.

Upper Body – Push-ups with my hands on a chair – 30 sec.

Rest 15 sec.

Plank – I did a seated plank. – 30 sec.

Rest 15 sec.

Rinse and repeat.

Rest and stretch

Before this, I spent an hour at the Wellness Center, and pedaled the recumbent cross trainer for and hour.

 

#NYTWellChallenge – 3/5

Today we’re working on REFRESH.

The New York Times Wellness Challenge is to make a list of things to do tomorrow right before you go to bed. I keep a pretty detailed calendar in my Outlook, so I rarely, if ever, need to worry about missing anything. I prefer to do a “brain dump” of things that made me happy today. In fact, I am cultivating a habit of posting “Five things that made me happy today” every evening on Facebook. It keeps me mindful during the day, because I have to notice and remember the things that make me happy so I can write them down in the evening.

 

#NYTWellChallenge – 3/4

Today we were exhorted to WRITE YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS.

The New York Times Wellness Challenge for today we’re back to the 7 minute workout. I didn’t follow this at all today, because I had an appointment with my Personal Trainer. The suggestion was to make write a letter to my self about my intentions. Sorry, NYT, I already did that at the first of the year. You can read all about it here.

Cardio – Obstacle Course (including cones, dots, and steps) – 3 min.

Lower Body – “Sit to stands” – 10 times – twice.

Upper Body – Flexible Bar (20) – 15 down, 15 up, 15 in

Cardio – Up the ramp to third floor, Down the stairs

Upper Body – Close-Grip Row – 60 lbs, 12 – 2 reps.

Plank – Seated plank – 10 sec. twice, 15 sec. twice

Stretch

60 min on the recumbent cross-trainer while I watched Upstairs/Downstairs on Prime.

 

#NYTWellChallenge – 3/3

Today we’re working on REFRESH.

The New York Times Wellness Challenge is do a 10-minute Walking meditation. I spent 10 minutes outside walking – it was cold, but sunny, and not as uncomfortable as I was afraid it would be. I’m longing for the time when we will have temperatures in the upper 50s and/or lower 60s. Until then, I guess I’ll just have to walk and meditate indoors.

 

#NYTWellChallenge – 3/2

Today we’re working on NOURISH.

The New York Times Wellness Challenge asked us to Reverse our Pasta. They had several suggestions for putting more vegetables in our pasta sauce or toppings. This didn’t resonate with me at all because I rarely (if ever) eat pasta. I’m just not fond of it. I did make a plan to being more deliberate about my suppers (I eat my main meal at noon). I bought some really good artisan whole grain, sugar-free, organic bread, and some pate to add to my cheese for dinners. I rarely eat sweets or sugars, but I love good bread. Since Dave’s Killer Bread was sold to who knows who, it hasn’t been very satisfying to me. But I’m trying this new bread to get more fiber in my diet.

#NYTWellChallenge – 3/1

Today we were exhorted to JUST DANCE.

The New York Times Wellness Challenge for today we’re back to the 7 minute workout. They suggested we warm up by dancing. Sorry NYT, I warmed up with an hour on the Recumbent Cross Trainer. Don’t feel like I need another warm-up.

Cardio – March in place – 30 sec.

Rest 15 sec.

Lower Body – “Sit to stands”. – 30 sec.

Rest 15 sec.

Upper Body – Push-ups with my hands on a chair – 30 sec.

Rest 15 sec.

Plank – I did a seated plank. – 30 sec.

Rest 15 sec.

Rinse and repeat.

Rest and stretch

 

 

#NYTWellChallenge – 2/28

Today we’re working on CONNECT.

The New York Times Wellness Challenge asked us to read out loud to someone. Luckily, today was my poetry writing class, and we each had the opportunity to read the poem we had written out loud to the rest of the class. This is mine.

Fish
By Abbie Watters

The menu said “Pan-fried Trout”
And my heart rejoiced.
I love eating fresh-water fish.

Papa was an avid fisherman,
Mama liked to fish because
He liked to have her with him.

One sister and my brother both
Loved to fish, one of my sons loved it.
One of my foreign-exchange boys went fishing with Papa.

My brother-in-law died in a boat
After a long morning of fishing.
We knew how happy he must have been to die that way.

Quiet moments standing on the bank
Flinging my bobber, sinker and hook
Into the middle of the current.

Or sitting in a gently rocking boat with Papa
Casting my lure into the lily pads,
Watching the bass rise from the depths

With a great WHOMP!
That will get your blood pressure up.
Floating in a canoe or row boat,

River, lake or ocean
Motorboat, either outboard or inboard,
Or cabin cruiser. It mattered not.

Worms, minnows, or flies for bait.
Drifting with the current, paddling from staub to staub,
Trolling slowly with the trolling motor,

Sunnys, perch, crappie, big-mouth bass,
Black bass, sand bass, catfish,
Trout, or wall-eyes. Fluke, flounder,

And blowfish who puff up
And will bounce like a ball
When you catch them.

Pike, pickerel, or even gar.
Needle-nosed, bony, and viscious
With prehistoric teeth in long jaws.

The waitress returns to the table
“I’ll have the trout” I say,
And return to my reverie of warm summer days on the water.

Intentions Review for February 2019

My Star Word for this year is “Empathy”. The internet defines empathy as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Merriam-Webster says, “Empathy is similar to sympathy, but empathy usually suggests stronger, more instinctive feeling.”

When Facebook sent me my “Year in Review,” the thing that stood out for me was that 90% of the pictures I posted through the year were of landscapes, seascapes, and skyscapes. There were VERY few pictures of people, and very few posts about people. I suppose that’s not unusual for an introvert like I am, but I also realized that I tend to flit through life without getting really close to other folks. It’s part of the shell that I’ve built up to keep from suffering the grief that comes from separation. After the nomadic life that I’ve lived (27 houses in eight states and three countries), I realize that I’ve always just found new friends, and forgotten to tend the old ones. But I’ve never had a BFF. The closest thing I’ve had is my family – siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles, parents and children. I try to keep up with them, but I do a poor job of it. The ones I’m reasonably close to are now living in Washington, California, Texas, Arkansas, New York, Illinois, and Alabama. We gather for weddings and funerals and are able to take up where we left off. Anyway, I’d like to change a little of that this year, and, with my Star Word, try to become closer to the people who matter to me, and closer to the ones near to me.

Here are my intentions for 2019.

Physical Health

• Continue to eat real food, and, hopefully, lose about 20 more pounds this year. – I’ve done well with the weight loss, and am down 4 pounds so far this year.
• Continue to average 150 miles a month on my Fitbit. – Again, I’ve done well. According to my Fitbit, I’ve walked 167 miles this month.
• Continue to work with my personal trainer for strength, balance, and endurance. – Check. She has added more core training, and we do both stairs and ramps, in addition to single steps up and down without a railing.
• Return to weekly Tai Chi classes. I’ve dropped out of Tai Chi again. Sorry. It just doesn’t fit into my schedule. Maybe later in the year.
• I’ve been following #NYTWellChallenge. I’m in the third week, and if you are following this blog, I report on what I’m doing with it every day.
• February was almost a lost month. We were house-bound with the snow for two weeks, and locked out of the Wellness Center for another week because of illness in Assisted Living. I did the best I could, but I feel like I lost ground on my steps and endurance.
• You can follow my success (or not) on my blog “Nevertheless I Persisted.”

Emotional Health

• Practice empathy by taking a picture a day of someone who crosses my path. – I’ve almost dropped the picture a day because (see above) I was not out in the world for most of the month. The people I saw were usually people I had already taken pictures of.
• Try to learn the story of each person I take a picture of. – Again, this is a fail. Maybe next month.
• Post those on a new blog “Tribes“.

Intellectual Health

• Expand my leisure reading from fluff mysteries to more substantial novels. – Books read this month.
  • The Library Book by Susan Orleans – finished
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – finished
  • Becoming by Michelle Obama – finished
  • Womanish Midrash by Wil Gafney – finished
  • The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – finished
  • The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter – reading
  • Entering the Passion of Jesus – reading all through Lent
• Continue to read the Washington Post and the New York Times for reasonably non-biased reporting. – I scan the headlines and read articles that interest me.
• Continue to watch the Rachel Maddow Show to feed my angst and resolve. – Check
• Return to writing. Try writing a story about each person I take a picture of. – See above.
• Keep writing midrash poetry, as I’m inspired by the Sunday sermon or weekly Bible study. – I don’t have one going right now, but I think I may do the Daughters of Zelaphahad.
• I’m also writing things for the Poetry class that meets twice a month.

Spiritual Health

• Continue to participate in weekly Bible study, and weekly Worship. – Check. We will be expanding to two services the beginning of February. I’m still going at 11:00.
• Try to carve out time daily for intentional prayer and meditation. – I’m not doing very well with this, although my midrash poetry and Wil Gafney’s book are driving me deeper into my beliefs.

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones. – I still regularly attend the Gazebo Group (the folks who meet on Monday evenings for Happy Hour.)
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church. – I also regularly attend Bible Study. Since Coffee Hour is now between the services, I am missing it, but I will be Lay Leader at the early service in April, so maybe I’ll develop a new habit there.
• Tend the relationships I have on Social Media. – I try to keep up with people I call my friends on Facebook. It’s hard when so much of the stuff there is political.

Miscellaneous

• Keep up with People Power as an Admin. – A new group of people has become very active as admins, and I’m allowing them to take the lead. I keep up with what’s going on, though, and support if and when necessary.
• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials. – Attended the Environmental Priorities Lobby Day at the State Capital in January. The Lobby Day with Faith Action Network was cancelled because of weather, unfortunately.
• Our City Council representative was here and met with the residents this month. He was able to slip through between the snow and the illnesses.
• I will be attending NEXT Church next month in Seattle.
• Attend GA Nominating Committee meetings, both face-to-face and virtually. – The first meeting is scheduled for the end of April. I have my train tickets, and plans are made.
• Support #BlackLiveMatter, #Me,Too, #ThePoorPeople’sCampaign, #ClimateAction, and other social justice movements. – I donate regularly to MoveOn, the ACLU, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. I attend rallies and marches if I’m available.

 

#NYTWellChallenge – 2/27

Today we were exhorted to MOVE.

The New York Times Wellness Challenge for today we’re back to the 7 minute workout. They suggested we begin with a mindfulness exercise for about 3 minutes.

Cardio – March in place – 30 sec.

Rest 15 sec.

Lower Body – “Sit to stands”. – 30 sec.

Rest 15 sec.

Upper Body – Push-ups with my hands on a chair – 30 sec.

Rest 15 sec.

Plank – I did a seated plank. – 30 sec.

Rest 15 sec.

Rinse and repeat.

Rest and stretch

Before this, I spent an hour at the Wellness Center, and pedaled the recumbent cross trainer for and hour. Refueled with my personal trail mix.