Nationally and worldwide, we are experiencing a heat wave like no other in history. In Denver, where I just spent a three-day weekend, it was ninety-five degrees outside every day. It was so hot I could hardly walk, hardly think, hardly able to make decisions, and for the first time in years I experienced actual sweating. But when inside I couldn’t stay warm enough. The people I was visiting, who so wonderfully welcomed me and fed me and took care of me, kept their air conditioning up so high my whole body shook from the cold. The wind on my face – the only uncovered part of me in bed one night – kept me from sleeping. I also felt that way – absolutely freezing with a blanket on me – going to and from Denver on the plane. The weather has kept me out of balance, something I’ve never thought about so much before these last few days. I’m better back in Los Angeles. I actually felt a bit of a chill when I went out for my early morning walk today. That was a welcome … [Read more...]
Getting in balance
Balance is important especially as we age My mother fell all the time in her late eighties and early nineties. She wouldn't use a cane either. Or if she took a cane with her, she'd wear the handle on her wrist like a bracelet. At first she did little damage, but her last fall resulted in a broken hip. She died a year and a half later at the age of 94. The fear of falling, which becomes more pronounced as we age, is very real. It's not only undignified, it can cause serious fractures and internal injuries. Therefore, our body's ability to right itself and regain control against gravity depends on our muscles' abilities to bring us back to the proper center of gravity. If you combine weak muscles with a lack of balancing practice, you have a perfect prescription for injury. The opposite of this equation is equally true. Practicing balancing poses and developing strong muscles that can pull you back to center after a stumble, misstep or accidental push. It can mean the difference … [Read more...]
My Choices guest today is: Jennifer-Lynn Keniston
My Choices guest today is Jennifer-Lynn Keniston, author of Afta-U. Here she tells us how she balances the fear and thrill of writing dark novels. Like Jennifer-Lynn, I believe that balance is the key to success in all our live's undertaking. I welcome Jennifer-Lynn, and I wish her huge success in all her writing. How to leave the rollercoaster of emotions on the page/computer screen when stepping away from writing a dark novel by Jennifer-Lynn Keniston As a child, I could ride all the rides in an amusement park including the big rollercoasters with daring declines and twisting turns. From what I can recall, a rollercoaster ride can be both thrilling and terrifying. When I sit down to write more dialogue and piece together a dark novel, it is like I am sitting on an amusement park rollercoaster all over again. And I'm hoping I haven't eaten too much cotton candy and fried dough before the ride starts. Emotions begin to battle one another. Now a days though, I have vertigo so I … [Read more...]
More poems from the PAD challenge
I'm keeping up pretty well with the Poem A Day challenge. Sometimes I surprise even myself. Here are a couple I've written in the last week. I've included the prompt so you know what I am trying to express. Day 6 (a Two-for-Tuesday prompt) which is actually two prompts: 1. Write a Left Poem 2. Write a Right Poem It's About Balance If I work the right I have to work the left like taking my right leg on a ride on the spin bike well, then the left needs a ride too. If I twist to right the left also needs to twist If I cross my legs in the half Lotus with one leg over the other, soon I need to change sides. But it's hard to keep it all straight. One of these days, one side or the other will get slighted and left out. I'm right on about that. Day 8 Talk back to a dead poet. Choose a poem you like by a poet who is no longer living and offer a rebuttal. Dickinson's line, I'm Nobody! Who are you? is just begging for a response. Maybe, unlike Shakespeare, your lover's face … [Read more...]
