534.

Never did get that nap.

I did lay down, right here on the living room floor, couch cushions arranged just so.

But the phone rang. It was my beau, calling with words of love and allure that snatched me away from any thoughts of snoozing.

After we said goodbye, I got up and dressed for my evening walk.

Today I walked with the consciousness of walking correctly.

The outcome: awareness definitely assisted improvement.

I was able to walk for 20 minutes at a brisk pace with good form. (That's 10 minutes less than usual because when I started out, the thunder and lightening were threatening to invite rain.)

What I like most and least about my walk every day is the small lake at our local park.

The best thing about the park is the lake, the animals that live in and around it, the path that winds around it.

The worst is having to navigate all the duck/duck/goose poop the critters drop at random spots along the path.

*sigh*

The thought of stepping in anything squishy -- barefoot or while wearing shoes -- is one of those things that makes me gag.

As much as I don't want to see the poop, I know the poopers aren't going anywhere But I don't want to walk without including the park so I guess I'll be side-stepping droppings for the duration.

And now I must be getting to bed. It's been a long day and I'm... tired. (I almost said "pooped"...)

Also, the beau invited me to breakfast and I should be there at 10 a.m.  (I love the way he asks me out, how courtly his words are, how he never assumes I can or will go...)

I'll need to get up by 8 a.m. if I want to be on time without rushing.

Good night folks.

Sweet dreams to all who're headed for bedtime...

533.

The juicing seminar was my excuse for missing my evening walk yesterday.

And God punished me by allowing me to drink that gag-inducing juice.

*chuckle*

However it might have been for the best.

Even though I've been walking approximately 46 years, I think I might be walking wrong somehow.

I'm not feeling it in my legs or thighs. I'm feeling it right where my foot joins my leg, on top.

Yesterday morning I switched up my walking style and did feel a bit of resistance in the backs of my thighs but not for long. I couldn't manage to maintain that walking style or method or whatever it is.

Grrrrr!

Maybe I need someone in the know to spot me?

I'll do some research online...

I still plan to walk this evening. I must keep the momentum going!

But right now, I need a nap.

Yesterday's date ran into the wee hours of this morning (as you already know if you've been reading this blog) and I'm beat.

As exhilarating and wonderful as these marathon dates have been, they're exhausting.

If I have no reason to get up early the next day, it's not so bad.

This morning I had an early appointment that I couldn't be late for. My old friend Anxiety visited and woke me about an hour before I needed to get up.

Shameless hussy!

I only managed to get 3-4 hours of sleep.

Now I'm sitting here hungry and nodding, a bad combination but totally my fault because if I had gotten up when I woke up, I would have had time to make a smoothie.

Lazy me. I laid there and dozed for another 30 minutes.

Currently, I'm on the couch fighting nods and knowing they'll win in the end. So why not just set an alarm for an hour, maybe two and give in?

No real reason to say "no".

Time for a snooze y'all!

532.

Good morning!

Guten Morgen!

Доброе утро! (Dobroe utro!)

Bonjour!

Labas rytas!

Доброго ранку! (Dobroho ranku)

Günaydın!

Buen dia!
 

Boker tov!

Yesterday with my beau was fun.

Our picnic was at a nearby park that is situated on one of many arms of a huge lake near my home. The place has gorgeous views. Some angles remind me of  images of Lake Como. Very romantic.

The weather was perfect: sunny and breezy. We had a good hour or two before the rain washed us into the car but that felt perfect too, giving us an opportunity to share good conversation and indulge in our passion for music (he's a musician, I'm an aficionado).

After our picnic, we headed off to a juicing seminar. It was fun and interesting. We both met new people, learned a lot about fruits and veggies, tasted some juice I never want to taste again. (Which he thought was palatable. Interesting...)

The seminar ended. We said our goodbyes to the hostess and other attendees.

I then took him on a tour of the beautiful area I am blessed to call home. It's as far north as you can get in the county before spilling over into the next. Although he grew up in this county, he didn't spend much time in my neck of the woods.

After the tour, we drove to a popular area venue that encompasses shopping, housing, entertainment, eateries, in a park-like atmosphere.

We walked a bit, caught a little of a live music duo, then sat on a bench to eat dessert, laugh, talk, kiss.

*sigh*

We reluctantly parted around 1:45 a.m., with plans to meet again Saturday.

531.

Date # ___________ was wonderful. (I've lost count but I think it's number four. Could be number five though. Or six. Depending.)

The picnic was fun. And romantic. And... blissful.

It rained but we were done by then. Not ready to leave the park but finished eating and had already returned stuff to the car.

We sat in the car to talk and listen to music.

I love how we feel we can ask each other any question that pops into our heads and feel like we're getting honest answers.

He said we've learned more about each other in the past few weeks than some people do in months.

Mmmmm, yes. I agree.

530.

Yesterday, Baby Bliss and I went out for a day of shopping, lunch, errands.

Nothing major. Just EarthFare, Target, Forever21, Chipotle, Aldi...

All after my morning walk.

Couldn't get my evening walk in yesterday. By the time we got home from our busy day, storm clouds were rolling in right behind us.

Bummer.

But thank you God for today!

As soon as I drink my morning smoothie, I'm out the door.

And I'm excited about today's plans!

My "new friend" has transitioned into "new beau". We're meeting for a day of shared leisure, starting with buying yummies for a picnic lunch we'll enjoy in a beautiful park nearby.

There's rain in today's forecast but no matter. He said as long as we're together he'll be happy, wet or dry.

Isn't he a sweetie?

I know it will be a long day. It always is with us.

Which brings me to this past weekend.

We had a date that spanned three days and it didn't involve anything I couldn't repent for in confession without blushing. (Yes, I was raised in the Catholic church.)

Time to get to the blender folks!

And remember:

So get out there and create your stories.

Then start a blog or write a book and share them with the world.

We want to know!

Amen.

529.

Hello, hello, hello world!

Life is peaceful and I'm thankful.

Amen.

Lately I've been walking.

It started last week Thursday, when I saw my neighbor in the post office. She and I have the same shape and are roughly around the same size. Except she looked like she'd lost 15-20 pounds.

When I complimented her and asked what she'd been doing, she said she'd been walking twice a day. I mentioned that I'd been wanting to go but didn't want to go alone. She invited me to walk with her that evening.

I did.

Now I understand what runners mean when they say running is an addiction. It feels so good when I'm walking that I sometimes want to break into a run. Not that it'll happen. Unless someone is chasing me...

Running is just not my thing. For one, I know it's stressful on the knees. And two, I actually injured my knee several years ago when I began running (in short bursts) as part of a workout plan concocted by a church member whose infectious personality drew me (and another female friend from church) into his wicked plan.

In addition to my knee injury, I also hated the itchy thigh syndrome that came with extended walking. I don't know why I didn't Google it. Probably because I blamed myself for having thighs that rubbed. I also thought it had something to do with my detergent not liking my sweat.

Well, I brought up the itchy-thigh incidents to my neighbor on our walk. She said her trainer told her it was from dehydration.

Hmmmm...

As I had been consciously focusing on drinking more water (as in "more than just a glass or two every other day or so"), I am certainly better hydrated now than at any time in my life.

I had also taken water with me on our walk so no chance of drying out along the way.

And I felt like she was correct. (And I came home to research and found very little about it, which means very little to me since the information she'd given me seemed to reveal itself as truth in action.)

I did not get the itchy-thigh that evening nor have I gotten it on any walk since.

Which has been eight walks since last Thursday, averaging two walks a day but skipping Saturday and Sunday. Not specifically because it was the weekend, just because I was busy with my beau. (Stay tuned for a new post with more detail on that subject.)

I've been walking as early in the morning as I can manage and as late in the evening as I dare, taking care to avoid going out when it's too hot or too dark when I set out.

Usually, I make my greenfood smoothie in the morning before I go out. I need the energy. Besides, if I don't get it before I go, I might not be in the mood to do it upon my return.

My Carolina godmom has been trying to get me to juice. I'm not quite there but my smoothies are full of nutrients too and I'm using a blender.

My smoothie recipe (which usually varies only if I run out of an item):

• 1/2 cup water
• kale (organic, morning juice only)
• lemon juice
• slivered almonds
• coconut oil (organic, unrefined)
• 1 large organic green apple
• 1 banana (usually frozen, sometimes fresh)
• 5-6 frozen strawberries (organic)
• 1 ragged tablespoon of Health Force Nutritionals Vitamineral Green

Please know that I don't use precise measurements for most stuff.

1. Grab a hand full of kale leaves, rinse them well, then add to the water.
2. Blend until water is green and no pieces of kale are visible. This produces kale juice and pulp.
3. Strain juice, rinse blender, return strained juice to blender.
4. Peel, core, cut apple. Slice into blender. (Or onto a plate if that works better, then add to blender.)
5. Add lemon juice, slivered almonds, coconut oil (I just pour some in... probably 2 teaspoons).
6. I always add the frozen fruit next-to-last because my blender is a Bullet-type, with the inverted cup and a lid that has the blades in it. It's easier to blend frozen fruit when it's closest to the blade and the liquid falls down on to it.
7. Blend that all together. 
8. Add in the Vitamineral Green and blend just enough to mix it in.

Doesn't mean I won't ever eat stuff like this again. But everything in moderation, ya know?

528.

Not sure why I woke up around 4 a.m. but here I am, wide awake in my bedroom.

Seemed it would be a lazy Friday chez Bliss but I guess it's my shift.

I went to bed with a headache at 11:30-ish. Thankfully it has disappeared.

Maybe I'll take my pillows and a blanket to the couch. I can watch maybe half a movie before Morpheus lures me back into his arms, the sofa being comfy for a nap if I have enough cushion.

I'd love to resume crocheting the pale green hyperbolic flower I started last week but the hook is size E and the yarn isn't very thick. Translation for those who don't crochet: the stitches are kinda small and I don't feel like straining my eyes.

What I should be doing is drinking lemon water then getting a short workout in.

Hmmm...

Stay tuned y'all.

* * *

Update: finished project.

527.

Thanks to the orderly influence of my new friend, I've been inspired to get around to tackling the overflow of paper, books, pens, folders, etc. that has become my office.

Last night I was on a shredding spree that lasted a few hours.

This morning the spree resumed but only for a few minutes.

In a pile of "what do I do with this stuff", I came across two envelopes that had been returned to me because the addressees had moved.

When I saw the envelopes, I immediately knew what was in each: programs from Mr. Bliss's memorial service.

The mail had been returned and I knew I'd tried to mail to those specific people more than once so I decided to shred the envelopes and keep the programs.

I intended to just put the programs aside but I couldn't. I re-read one in its entirety. It wasn't long. I kept it short and to the point because we assumed that only people who knew Mr. Bliss would attend and his life had spoken for itself. Everyone who met him loved him. For the most part, he was that kind of guy.

And just as I knew it would, a wave of sadness engulfed me. I rolled with it and the memories it brought back of our life together, his illness, my final minutes with his body at the crematorium.

I let the tears flow until they stopped then I got up from the floor in front of the shredder and headed for other chores.

My mind touched on other topics as I inspected the kitchen to make sure my daughter and her friend had indeed cleaned up (as they had promised) after their late-night cooking caper the night before. With the exception of a few minor touch-ups, my labor wasn't necessary.

I moved a few trash bags and recycle items outside and noticed the shredded paper decorating the porch.

It wouldn't be neighborly of me to have my confetti blowing about the neighborhood so I grabbed my broom.

While I was sweeping, I realized that despite all the tears I've shed in the past two years, I've been happy too. And that made me happy because I know Mr. Bliss wants me to be happy.

As I sit here typing these words, I'm crying once again. Not because I'm sad, just because the tears have returned. I'm also smiling because I'm listening to what has become my new theme song. And though Mr. Bliss didn't live to hear this song, I know he's listening and loving it from what ever realm he now exists in.

In retrospect, he was the happiest person I've ever known; also one of the wisest. Every day I realize how much I learned about life from him.

Thank you God for bringing us together.

In gratitude I realize I can be happy because the love and laughter Mr. Bliss shared with me lives on, in me and through me.

In gratitude, I'm happy to share my smiles, my laughter, my love with the world.

I've seen many homemade versions of this song and each one makes me happy to see how it's bringing the world together.

And with love, I say go sing along with Pharrell so you can get "Happy" too.

Amen.

526.

Three all-day dates in eight days...

Discovery: Eskimo kisses are exquisite.

Which brings to mind this favorite:  Kissing - Bliss.

525.

Saturday...