Autumn Yoga

Happy Autumn, my friends. I've already written about changing seasons and their nostalgic associations so I won't do that again, but wanted to point out that I've selected a new background for the blog to celebrate the season. Too clever, I know.

So I thought I would give you a sense of what a yoga class with cancer patients is like. I used to like doing "hot yoga" which is basically fast yoga in a room heated to about 98 degrees. I was the least skilled at it, but it was so efficient. I got the benefit of yogic breathing and stretching in addition to the "cardio" that came from trying to keep up with the pace, and mimicking positions that hurt like hell and couldn't possibly have been good for me. But when I was in "downward dog", the resting position, I could see the sweat drip on the mat from body parts that I never knew could excrete sweat. Gross but gratifying.

Yoga with cancer patients is a different experience. I arrive at class five minutes late. No problem. The ladies (it is all ladies - with breast cancer) are still signing in, pulling out mats, strolling back and forth to the bathroom, the water fountain. Fifteen minutes after the class was scheduled to start the group is lined up, standing on their mats facing the instructor. The instructor talks for 10 minutes about the importance of breathing. The instructor tells us to swing our arms around our bodies to enjoy the "stretch" that comes with the slightest twist of the torso. Someone farts. We are instructed to pull up a chair, have a seat, breeaaaatttthhhhh. Stand up, grip the back of the chair, make sure we are well balanced, then (this is the climax of the class)  lean over to "stretch" our hamstrings. Someone farts.

Someone asks, "can you write down these steps so that I can do them at home?" Someone else says, "what a good idea! I only do this "exercise" in class. I should really try to do it more often." Someone farts.

Then the following conversation takes place:

"My daughter-in-law has been doing yoga for years, and she looks fabulous."
"Oh, is that the daughter with the twins?"
"Yes. I spent the afternoon with them yesterday. They are too funny."
"Did I tell you? My son's wife is due in December!"
"You must be so excited."
"Oh, I am. I hope I live long enough to meet the baby."

To those of us still bent over our chairs, the instructor says, "stand up straight and swing the arms to release the muscles, and breeaaaath." "Now it is time to lie down on our mats. Raise the knees and breeeeaaaaath." Relax your toes, relax your ankles (huh?), relax your knees, relax your buttocks, relax your pelvis (once again, huh?), relax your lower back, your stomach, your shoulders, your neck (you'll note one body part we needn't bother relaxing, since for most of us that body part is in a landfill somewhere).

Loud snoring is heard from the back of the room. Someone farts.

Farming Update

Dear Blogees,

BIG NEWS ON THE FARM!

Yes my friends, the hens have blessed us with...an egg. Just look at that thing! Is that beautiful or what! And for a first try it ain't too shabby. The picture below gives you some perspective:

Our is the little one on the end. Stop laughing! Those other, stinky, commercial ones, (though organic, free range, grain fed and whatever) are Extra Large. I would say that our egg would weigh in as Regular? Medium? Who knows. But that is one nice egg, you've got to admit. Check out the artful little speckles on one end.

There's just one problem. What should we do with it? I've got zero interest in eating that thing. I know where it came from and it's not a pretty place.

The husband has a web cam in the coop and he knew that the girls were getting close. So we both spent more time than we should have today checking out the goings on in the coop from our desks. I swear, we saw that girl sitting in her little box (lower left), prepare her little nest, and squat that thing out.

We are very proud egg guardians. I am especially proud of the husband who put in an inordinate amount of labor, love, and money to deliver that egg. When you think about it, that is one precious egg. (I'll have to google cryonics for chicken eggs...) Those birds better get busy if they want to even begin paying us back.

On another matter. I apologize for my last post. I "published" it by accident, unfinished, unedited, un-illustrated. But I guess it doesn't matter among friends.

Be well.
Love, Amy

Still Here

Yes, my friends. I ain't dead yet. I realize it's only been a week or so since my last post, but don't forget that in addition to cancer, there are buses that could run me over, criminals who might slit my throat, snakes that if they came too close could give me a heart attack, and all kinds of other dangers out there that could knock me off, or you off, for that matter.

Don't mean to bring you down. I am feeling rather cheerful this morning, really. The annual physical went okay yesterday, although the suggestions for additional medical consultations could pretty much fill all my time:  dermatologist, bone density, genetic testing, questions for radiologist, questions for oncologist, future appointments with her. Add to that all of the consultations that will be required for exploring and possibly implementing breast reconstruction...you begin to wonder about quality of life after cancer diagnosis. Maybe I should take a walk across the Mass Pike.

Still sounding a bit negative, am I? Okay. This time I will really try. I am looking forward to the day. It is Saturday. The dogs let me sleep in until 7:30. I don't have to see any medical professionals today. The sun is shining. I am looking forward to a fun evening out with the husband. Maybe there's an egg in the chicken coop. My plan for the day is to rip out all of the withering vegetable plants from the garden which will make it look tidy and fertile. (Sometimes I prefer a garden that has nothing in it, to one that is filled with messy, dirty plants.) Tomorrow, good friends are coming to visit.