Yoga at Home

I've read many positive comments about yoga improving the quality of life for arthritis sufferers. I've never read much on what yoga involves, but I am curious. I Googled to find out what is available in yoga that can be done at home. From the pictures of the poses Mr. Yee assumes, one thought comes to mind: OUCH! I don't think my body can bend like that. Scanning the article, I only need a few props, one of which is the yoga mat, AKA a sticky mat. I see it is necessary to prevent slipping when I start to "sweat". Do I have to sweat? And just what is an upward-facing dog? Scanning further I see that a full page is dedicated to teach me how to fold my blanket. Guess if nothing else, I can learn a new way to fold the covers. Guess the pressure is on to see if I do more than scan the article and fold blankets.

Hold This, Grandma

While traveling 8 hours in a car with my granddaughter, I experienced many new firsts. Not paying as close attention as I could have, "Toots" holds out her hand for me to take something. I do. Then she hands me more. It is then that her aunt, H, grosses out. Seems Toots is cleaning the crusties from her nose and handing them to grandma. We get her a kleenex. Toots continues to clean her nose, then takes the used kleenex and wipes her pacifier with it. Aunt H can barely continue the ride. Didn't bother grandma a bit. Maybe because grandma has already been down this road with Aunt H and siblings:)

Idioms

During this year in fourth grade, I have taught my students the use of idioms. One never knows if the students are listening, much less learning. On Friday, as I announced to my class that I would be out all the coming week due to the passing of my husband's father, one of the boys quickly responded, "You mean 'kicked the bucket'?"

Time to Move Out

At what age do you think it is time to move out of the parents' home and into a place of your own. Nothing hinges on your answer? Just curious.

Hymns vs Praise Choruses

This is not mine, and I don't know the author, but my daughter said I should post it, even though I am not able to give credit. So, if it is yours...here goes. After a farmer attended church in the "big city," his wife wanted to know how it was. "Well," said the farmer, "it was good, but different. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns." "What are those?" asked his curious wife. "Oh, they are sort of like hymns, only different. If I were to say to you, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn'--well, that would be a hymn. If on the other hand I were to say to you: "Martha, Martha, Martha Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn , are in the corn, are in the corn, the CORN, CORN, CORN." "Then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well, that would be a praise chorus." The next weekend, his nephew, a young, Christian from the big city came to visit his Uncle Joe and Aunt Martha. He attended their local church in the small town. When he went home his mother asked him how it was. "Well, it was good, but different," he replied. "They sang hymns instead of praise choruses." Asked to describe the difference, he said: "If Uncle Joe were to say to Martha, 'Martha, the cows are in the corn'--well, that would be a praise chorus. If on the other hand, he were to say to her: "Oh, Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry, Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth. Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by To the righteous, inimitable, glorious truth. "For the way of the animals who can explain There in their heads is no shadow of sense Hearkenest they in God's sun or His rain Unless for the mild, tempting corn they are fenced. "Yea, those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed Then goaded by minions of darkness and night They all mild Chilliwack sweet corn have chewed. "So look to the bright shining day by and by Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn Where no vicious animals make my soul cry And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn' "Then, if he were to do only verses one, three and four and do a key change on the last verse, well, that would be a hymn."

Sneaky Feet

Took the granddaughter with us to a doctor visit for my father. She is 18 months, going on 2. She spent many minutes trying to get past her grandpa so she could go down the hall and out the door. Grandpa, good sitter that he is, posted himself near the escape opening. As she approached, he would firmly say no. That did not deter her, only made her think of new ways. This time she batted her eyelashed at him and grinned. (Boy, is her dad in for troubles ahead because he can't resist that look.) Didn't work with grandpa; don't think he even noticed. Another attempt. If I turn sideways and walk to the side, he won't notice that I am actually trying to get past him. Caught again! She tried another pass, only this time she was shuffling her feet so slowly that you could hardly tell she was moving. Maybe grandpa won't notice that I am sneaking past. Nope. He caught her again.

What's That I Smell?

Each morning as I got into my van to drive to work, I noticed a funny smell. Well, on Mon. it was a funny or peculiar smell. Tuesday I noticed that it didn't smell very well, and it was past funny. With the busy week of work and two or three activities each evening, I really didn't think to look in the van for the smell. Then on Thursday, two other teachers rode with me to lunch. When we entered the van, they both commented on the smell. One said it sure smelled like a dirty diaper. Yuk! That's it. My husband had changed our granddaughter's soiled diaper in the back of the van on Friday. Bet he forgot to take it out. So when I arrived home that night, before I had to depart for another activity, I checked out the back of the van. Yep, there it was in all its glory, a ripe, soiled diaper.

Movie Credits

I am not up on who is who in the movie business, so I am not in to sitting through the movie credits. After all, after I speed read the names, I don't recognize them anyway. At the end of the movie Take the Lead, the credits started to roll and the place began to clear out. But my sister-in-law and I stayed glued to our seats as the clips keep rolling intertwined with the credits. If you get the chance to see the movie, don't leave during the credits. Keep watching the screen to see the final dance.

Take the Lead

Just returned from viewing the ballroom dance movie Take the Lead with Antonio Banderas. It was better than expected and well worth the money. As a teacher, I can understand the difficulty of motivating disruptive children who do not want to be in school anyway. The movie was very realistic in many aspects. I would recommend it. If I knew how to link to the trailer of the movie or the comment section, I would insert them right here so you could check for yourselves. But you'll have to do that search on your own.