Last weekend we took our granddaughter Grace to the Seattle for a weekend getaway. We shopped, laughed, ate, shopped some more and took in some art and antiques. Grace took this shot of my husband Steve and I on one of our ferry trips across the Puget Sound. We explored the Alderwood Mall in Edmonds, had lunch at the American Girl Store Bistro (I know we're older than ten but fun is fun right?) shopped at the teen scene and of course some places for our patient driver to browse too. The next day we took the ferry to the Kittsap Peninsula and explored Port Townsend before stopping in Poulsbo for the night. None of us can decide the best part because it was all great. I wish I had a picture of Grace though...she is pretty camera-shy at 14, but then so was her mother at that age!

Water In My Ears Oh My.....

This is a picture of how I would like to swim someday!

Now that I am working harder on my freestyle stroke, I have experienced water in my ears! I have searched online to see if there are any 'new' ways to clear the ears without using a drop of alcohol in my ears. I have searched so many places I honestly don't remember how to correctly cite the pearls of wisdom I found. Several people swear by medicine cabinet cures such as the rubbing alcohol or a mixture of 50% vinegar with 50% alcohol while still others swear by a 2-1 combination of water and the alcohol.

I used rubbing alcohol alone a few times with success after wiping out on my water ski. I have an aversion to water sloshing around my ear canal because as a child I had chronic ear aches, infections and sessions with my (warm) hot water bottle on my pillow. After the earache was over, mother dropped hydrogen peroxide inside and swabbed it out after it produced warm tickling bubbles, cleansing the remains of liquid wax in my ears. Just a bit of that water takes me back to those days of wearing cotton in the aftermath of all that loving care for my ears.

I'd rather do without that but my wish to master this swimming begs the question or rather the answer to keep myself motivated and not the least bit squeamish to give it up. Every day I search for more ways to stay motivated enough to find solutions rather than excuses to keep going.

Swimming,Swimming, Swimming....

6:30 will be here before I know it and I will be hitting the pool for another swimming lesson. I am trying to master the art of breathing properly. I thought it would be easy but I have a tendency to panic. It is not that easy for me. It is work. Today my instructor gave me a drill to help with this problem. I swim two strokes, breathe, exhale under water and then repeat the same every two strokes on the free style swim.

I was holding my breath too long, gulping and at times panicking. The last lap was far less taxing once I practiced this new drill.

Tomorrow morning, I plan to focus on just two strokes at a time and blowing all my breath out, one bubble at a time.

Tuesday Motivation

It is too easy to lose motivation while making changes in our lives. This quote inspired me this morning about how important it is to stay focused on my goals.

“Rely on your own strength of body and soul. Take for your star self-reliance, faith, honesty and industry. Don't take too much advice -- keep at the helm and steer your own ship, and remember that the great art of commanding is to take a fair share of the work. Fire above the mark you intend to hit. Energy, invincible determination with the right motive, are the levers that move the world.” - Noah Porter, 1811-1892

Breathing Lessons...

I am looking forward to my swimming lesson tomorrow morning.  I am trying to master breathing with my arms & legs...timing is everything, especially for a klutz like me. To add another twist to my latest venture in the pool, I agreed to meet my coach 15 minutes earlier @ 6:30 a.m...I am that determined!

Losing Weight Without Gimmicks....

I have been trying to lose weight for some time. I know how to do it but just have not gotten the surge of desire necessary to focus on  the process.  A year ago I joined a group of women and a nutritionist in a 6-month session focused on making all my calories count.
The program concentrated on counting calories and journaling every bite I ate. The first week was disappointing at the scale and over time I lost weight. But, celebrations and vacation came along and it was hard to get back on track. Now I have a sedentary job and need more creativity.

I am going to journal my journey on this blog. I will learn what works for me and what I need to avoid as quick fixes and fads. Lasting weight loss is my goal. I like real food in the real world and I am not going to count carbs, proteins or points. I am going to enjoy my food in reasonable portions.

I am getting more active. I started swimming lessons so I can swim real laps for fitness. I swam a lot at the pool growing up but the self taught fun is not the same as breathing properly and swimming with my eyes open. My instructor gave me a pair of goggles and a swimming cap to protect my hair. What a difference they make.  I just finished up my third week of lessons and to celebrate I bought myself a pair of real goggles. Tomorrow at 6:45 I will strap on these goggles and glide once more in the water. The rolling of my body, the kick and reaching with my hands will help me re-shape my body. It is fun, and I think I can stick with it. Why? Because I like it and my coach is helping me believe that I can do it and that is itself is a motivator.

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