Healthy Routines for Seniors

 

During retirement, you have the whole day ahead of you to plan and seize.  You have time to go for a walk, to hike, cook nutritious and satisfying meals, or engage in your favorite hobbies.  Yoga before bed is my favorite routine.  It stops any numbness or tingling in the extremities for me.  It just requires commitment and effort.

This week, I am making my first loaf of sourdough bread.  initially,  it felt like too much work.  To my surprise,  I am enjoying the process of stirring the starter, replacing the plastic wrap on the glass bowl, and covering the project with a dish towel.  The wet, sticky dough is methodically bubbling and developing.  Tomorrow I will add the flour, knead the dough, let it rise, and bake it.  The anticipation and growth is very satisfying.  Bread is so ancient and universal.  It will be a treat to dip it in some extra virgin olive oil and salt.

I recently canceled my streaming service.  Instead, spending time gardening barefoot, knitting with groups and at home, and reading Barbra Streisand’s autobiography have become my new chosen  activities.   It is such a relief to choose healthy, talented company.  How are you using your free time?  Does it suit your needs, your soul and personality?

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Knitting Through the Cold Winter

 

Some of you asked to see a photo of my Stockholm Sweater.  Here is how it looks so far…I will start the second sleeve tomorrow.  I absolutely love the feel of angora and silk.  The yarn is held double, which gives it more strength and warmth.  It is also not so sheer this way.  I found it easier to wind the yarn double before knitting with it.    

 I also learned to do German short rows recently.  After practicing them on my latest pair of socks,  I am pleased with the results. I knit a lot of socks, so it was an easy way to learn a new technique.  I had the point of reference and understanding of the shape from doing so many wrap and turn heels.

What are doing creatively at home these days?  Winter is such a cozy time.  It is starting to become my favorite season.  How about you?

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Winter Chores and More Wildfires in California

 

Winter is a peaceful and gentle time at the cabin.  The dogs and I get up early, go outside, I give them peanut butter treats, feed them, and make an Italian stovetop cappuccino for myself.  We sit down by the fire to enjoy the sunrise.  Blankets and shawls are piled high to keep warm. 

The fireplace insert needs to be fed a few times during the night to keep the house warm.  I empty the can of ashes every few days.  There is snow on the ground, and more headed our way this weekend.  I have been stacking firewood  in preparation for the storm.  

The Hughes Fire in Castaic was an inferno twenty miles from the cottage.  I used to teach for the Santa Clarita Parks and Recreation at that location.  I have never seen such an enormous black cloud of smoke in the air.  One firefighter described it as, “Nuclear.”  Having a go bag is so important in these times.  If you leave right away, you can avoid traffic and chaos.  I am thankful to have a comfortable place to go.

How are things with you?  What are you making?  I am loving my knitting right now.  I am on the first sleeve of my Stockholm Sweater.  It is so soft, warm, and fluffy.  It is a divine pattern and project.  The yarn is exquisite.

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Safe From the Los Angeles Fires

 

Thank you for your inquiries about my safety.  I have been fortunate, so far…the devastation is mind boggling.  I haven’t been able to blog because this disaster has made me feel sick.  Many of the dancers and dance teachers I worked with for decades have lost their homes and neighborhoods.  It is tragic.   None of us saw this coming.

 Knitting has helped me to ground and be productive.  I finished the pink socks.  I plan to gift them to my friend who lost her childhood home and current residence in Malibu.  I used to housesit for her parents, and the views and energy were breathtaking.

Thank you for your comments.  They add so much talent and energy to the blog.  Please reply in English.  I’m sorry, but those with links will not be published.  If you enjoy the posts here, please share them.  Comments may take a few days to appear; they are moderated.