Tag: health

family

Catch

2chicksandapen

Today I played catch.

A baseball.

A glove.

An adult man child.

I could have said no.

I could have made up an excuse why I shouldn’t.

I could have missed out.

Instead I chose to seize the moment.

I haven’t played catch since about 2020 with this guy because it’s probably not super cool to catch a baseball with your madre all the time, but today it seemed just right. A little quality time. A little walk down memory lane. A little reminder I still can toss a strike and catch a bounce pass on a whim. I might have been surprised to know I still have my grip strength to squeeze that glove tight. Hug the ball with my hand through the leather glove.

This little break from the ordinary was fun while it lasted. A short spurt but a memory for the bank that hit the spot. I was all smiles when he tossed me the glove to go outside and I was all smiles while I participated. I might have still been in my tennis skirt from earlier but I wasn’t complaining that my outfit didn’t match the sport. As I reflect I think back to the t-ball days.  The cute baseball pants that were almost always too big. The travel ball days full of Big League Chew and batting gloves. The hours at the baseball field on tournament days. The tournament t-shirts. The decorative helmets to signify badassery at the plate. The all-star games. The politics of kids in sports. The snack bars. The nights under the lights. The younger kids in tow. All of it.

Today it was just mom and the big boy. No Big League Chew. No umpires. Just the man child and his momma. Tossing in the yard. Some fast pitches to check if we still got it. We did. Some fly balls into the sun. We handled the glare just fine. The dogs chasing the ball with full speed with each pass until they became completely wore out and panted as if they hadn’t seen water in days.

I will cherish this day in my yard. Playing catch. I will hear the sounds of the ball hitting the glove in my mind for years to come. I will recall the dogs’ zest to catch each toss and chase that ensued. Back and forth they went. I’ll remember the smile I had on my face. The warmth in my chest.

Unexpected fun in the sun.

Never say no to these rare opportunities. Your chance to catch life without really giving too much of yourself. Time is a thief most days but today time was graceful.

Just glad I played catch today.

Teddie Bear Adventures

Puppy Love

2chicksandapen

It’s so close I can smell the puppy breath in the air. A new doodle is getting ready to join my pack. A doodle trio. 2 golden doodles and 1 labradoodle. I couldn’t be more excited.

Three different shades. Three different personalities. Three different sizes. All evenly separated in ages. I call it planned parenthood. Now it’s time to choose a name. This list is tricky and growing.

Honey

Rue

Daisy

Olive

Hope

Dolly

Sassy

Which name will I choose? Which name do you think fits this diva? How excited will the pack be to add another pal? Change is on the horizon. Oh how I’m going to enjoying some puppy snuggles. I have realized that I only have two hands and doodles love attention. How will I snuggle or pet all three at once? Will I ever have any time without a pet bestie by my side?

Pinch me! It’s a few more weeks until this beauty is officially mine to spoil. Blankets are on order. Collar is ready for that tiny stage but then of course I’ll need something more unique to her once she grows some. The anticipation. The smiles. The feels. All of it.

Dogs truly are great companions. Besties. Loyal to the core. Lovable. All of these traits keep me smiling on days that could be overwhelming. What do you think about pets? A fan or not? Do you see the therapeutic value? Do you think one dog is enough?

I actually researched and 1.6 is the average number of dogs per household. However doodles don’t like to be alone thus a pal or pals is a good idea if you can afford the care. The vet bills, grooming and treats can add up but it’s definitely a splurge I don’t mind given the warmth and joy I receive in return. My pups provide unconditional love. I think most do, especially if they sit by your feet when you spend time in the restroom. That might be a little to deep for some but it’s definitely a truth bomb.

Look at these baby blue eyes.

adventure, anonymous letters, awareness

Good Medicine

2chicksandapen

Yes, I am a doctor.

As Chick 1 likes to remind me, I am not the kind of doctor that can write you a prescription for a drug. Maybe I’m not that useful.

But on a recent outing to a comedy show, a line stood out to me in the middle of a touching story. The comic was describing a group from a recent show….a grandmother and two teens. He said the grandmother stared at the teens and cried throughout the comedy routines, seemingly no concern for the actual comic….as you can imagine, this was unusual. When he asked the woman why she had been crying, she told the comic a story of how the family had experienced the tragedy of suicide. The comedy act had been the first time the grandmother had seen her grandchildren’s smiles and heard their laughs since the suicide occurred. The grandmother then told the comic to keep doing what he was doing, that the comedy was “good medicine.”

Laughter is the best medicine, they say. But all this made me wonder, what other kinds of non-drug medicine might make you feel a bit lighter?

Here are a few of my favorite prescriptions for happiness.

-Exercise

-Reading an uplifting book

-Time outside in nature

-Spending time with friends (including dogs) and loved ones

-Learning or experiencing something new

-Writing a thank you note

-Singing, dancing, and listening to music

-Lighting a good smelling candle – really, smell is big for me in general so it might be a hand lotion, diffused oil, etc.

-Going to bed early

-Visiting a farmer’s market or Trader Joe’s

-Riding my bike

-Being near water (oceans, lakes, streams, waterfalls)

-Creativity

-Giving gifts and treats to others

-Free time

Everyone’s medicines are different. I’m sure there are more that I can add. What would make your list, to lift your spirits? How often do you prescribe these for yourself? Do you know what’s on the list for people you love, so you can remind them of or give them their medicines in times of need?

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balance

2023’s OLW

2chicksandapen

New year, new word. New focus to carry me forward.

As usual, I played around with all kinds of possibilities before settling on….(drum roll please…)

WELLNESS.

Why wellness? Let’s just say I am turning 50 this year and I am feeling it. My weight, my body, my mindset, my spirit, sometimes each one feels like it is in turmoil. Like I am battling. And sometimes losing.

I know I’ve put in a lot of work over the past 5 or so years. I read, I exercise, I try to keep my focus clear. Over the past 5 years I have learned many things, but one is especially present: my wellness is never going to be more important to anyone other than me. And I shouldn’t expect it to be. I am the only one who truly knows how I am feeling. I am the only one who truly knows what makes me feel happy, fulfilled, at peace. I am the only one who can chart my course and embrace my goals. I am the only one who can say how I am, who I am, and what I want. I am in charge of my wellness.

After I wrote the word on the page, I proceeded to think of many things that contribute to my wellness. I picked words that start with the letters in WELLNESS, like an acrostic poem. It was kind of a fun mental exercise to see how many relevant words I could think of. There are feelings and values, nouns, verbs, and adjectives. There are activities and attitudes.

So, this is the word I am carrying with me this year. When faced with a decision, does this contribute to my wellness? If not, it should be a no. I am charting my path.

More to come as the year unfolds. Be well!

adventure

The BMW Experience

2chicksandapen

The day I have been waiting for is here. A trip to South Carolina to visit the BMW site that hosts the driver test track experience. A little fun on a day off with one of my favorites in tow.

We arrived on time. Another guy from California rolled in a few minutes later. A couple of others no-showed. We had a small group which meant more time and attention for us. A little classroom time to start the day. I thought I was a good driver but I picked up a few tips from the class that I will use in daily life. Safety was a focus but we did also talk about how people do crash. The key was listen and follow directions and all will be good. I just rolled with it.

The instructor was a skilled drifting driver. A first for me to meet. A first for me to drift with. Such a cool experience. Of course we didn’t just jump right into drifting, rather we started with off road driving. Below is one of the few pictures I took when it was my turn to drift. Drifting was fast. Drifting was definitely an adrenaline rush, but not something I need to do again.

Our first course we hit was off-road. All terrain. The off road experience was easily my favorite. Not sure I want to do it again but it was a memorable experience. We climbed up river rocks. We suspended the vehicle on the descent with two back tires in the air. We used some vehicle traction features to ease down the incline of rocks.

We waded through rushing water with water higher than my comfort level but great to experience what that is like in a controlled environment. We definitely went through some mud puddles too. We went over a tight squeeze bridge then we had the vehicle on two right wheels then two left wheels to get a better view out the window of how we were positioned (almost tipped). This is how the flexed the sturdy BMW design.

I could see the car in front of me so I knew what it looked like before I experienced each and every maneuver. I don’t think that was the best for my anxiety but I did it all with the go for it attitude. Phew. I survived that one. We then moved on to the race track itself.

Four cars. A 3, 4, and 5 series car along with a convertible. The M package was on all. My favorite was the 5 series with some upgraded exhaust. It handled well and I felt the pickup was good. The 4 was a close second but it had racing seats. They looked good but seemed a little less comfortable for my style of driving. The x3 was okay. A little smaller than the x5 we used off road, but it handled curves well and had good pickup. A little surprising but overall my third favorite on the track. Last up for me was the convertible. It was more stiff in drive and comfort. It moved but just seemed far below the others for standards and was definitely my slower lap time.

Very cool experience overall. Kudos to BMW for having such great experiences available. Amazing brand awareness built into the day. Especially when the day ends in the gift shop. If you ever have the opportunity to participate in a driving experience like this, go for it. It’s just one of those excursions you should give a try. You really won’t know what it’s like until you are in the driver’s seat.

For me I topped out at about 79 on a straight away going into a curve. I’m happy with that for my first time as a race car driver. However I was a little slower than the two guys who hit 88-90 on the same stretch. I’m not mad as the instructor said go your way and don’t worry about others. However I could see the car behind coming pretty darn fast behind me. Also I didn’t hit any cones on the course. I give my instructor credit for coaching as I always hit a barrier when I go go karting!

It was time to leave and hit the real road again. Go normal speeds and not whip around corners.  What an adjustment after 27 race car laps. The real road again. It almost seemed like a turtle’s pace sitting in traffic on the highway after this experience. I mean going from race car driver to 35mph was a little adjustment. Just a little.