Aqua what?

Hi,
A least once a day, someone living in our complex, down here in south west Florida, stops me to tell me their success story. They are walking better, they don't have to use their knee brace, they don't ache or creek as badly, they can reach a top shelf that was too high a few weeks ago, their arthritis isn't barking at them as loudly... It goes on and on. What is causing this "poor" health to "good" health reversal? Aqua fitness!

Every morning, six days a week, I lead a combination of yoga poses and cardio exercise in our pool. It started with one lady asking me if I could give her some exercises to do for her aching back and has turned into 55 or more people showing up at 9:00am to do almost a hour of activity together. It is standing room only in the water. I could be selling tickets it is so popular.

The best thing about this whole activity is that it is working for people. Everyone seems thrilled with their personal results, be it more mobility or less aches and pains. It is all good. The smile on their faces says it all. Now the biggest problem seems to be how to continue this new found physical activity once they head home. I can't move to everyone's home town to lead the force. I am hoping they go and find a hatha yoga class or an Aquafit program at a health club or Y near their house. Now that they can see and feel the benefit to a little physical activity, they need to keep up the good work.

Since it is spring break for a good part of the universities and schools this month there are also a bunch of grandchildren who are joining in. They are huffing and puffing their way through a class some mornings, shamed at the end because their 80 year old grandparents doesn't seem as winded or sore as they do. Hopefully this will serve as a wake up call for them to get off their butts, and phones, and find something active to partake in. One can only hope.

It's time to hit the pool again. The crowd starts to gather earlier and earlier everyday. Prime spots in the pool get snapped up like rock star parking spots on Oscar Night in LA. Who would every have imagined this would become the highlight of the day for a group of retired people? Off to pump some muscles into shape.

xox

m

What I do on Marco Island.....

Hi,
It's been a long while since I have paid any attention to my blog. Forgive me. I have several excuses, none of them good, but "time flies when you're having fun" seems to be the best one.

Life is busy on Marco Island. My days are filled with activity, volunteering, more activity and then collapsing in exhaustion from all the coming and going. My week looks something like this:

Most mornings I start with my beach walk. Two hours of pure bliss up and down the north end usually, it's where the birds hang and the seashells are more plentiful. I cover about 6 miles in my walk, watching the sun rise, the pelicans fish for breakfast, dolphins play and ibis wander the shore. It is glorious. I have to make sure I am back at the complex before 9:15 or I'm in big do-do with my exercise group. On to the next program......

Saturday to Thursday I lead an Aquafit Yoga class in the pool, 9:15am to 10:00. Right now the season is in full swing and we average 30 people every morning but my highest attendance so far has been 55 souls in the water at once, breaking all records and the pool maximum capacity of 45 bodies. The men and women who show up have become die hard fans of bending, stretching, kicking, jogging and laughing in the water for 45 minutes every morning. They will even brave cold weather, some mornings it has barely reached 58 degrees out with a north wind blowing. Try getting out of a pool when you are soaking wet and it feels like 45 degrees out. Not fun. Or the pool heater is broken and the water temperature makes you think of the polar bear swims in Lake Ontario in January. The best part is I get to do my physiotherapy with an audience that plays along and thinks it's all fun and games. I've never been in better shape in my whole life thanks to this crowd.

The funniest event has included my dad. He comes down most mornings and does his flutter kicking exercise in the pool while I lead the class. He chats away to people near him as he paddles for almost an hour. It has helped with his sciatica problem and even given him some social status. One morning, as he left the pool during the Aquafit class, I called out 'bye Dad' and waved. Now the whole class yells 'bye Arnold' and waves at him as he makes his exit every day. He is a celebrity with the Aquafit crowd and our unofficial mascot. I think he really likes the fuss and attention he gets. Arnold waves at the people in the pool as he struts to his towel and hoodie... It is his Michael Phelps moment.

After Aquafit class is done and I thaw out in the sun a bit, then it's upstairs for some breakfast, checking of emails, housework, laundry, bill paying and general upkeep of the condo. That usually consumes several hours of the midday.

Monday afternoon from 1-4 I play Maj Jongg with the ladies. Last week I won $2, Whoo-hoo!

Tuesday's I volunteer at the Rookery Bay Research and Education center. I give an hour lecture on sea turtles. It is a great gig. The Rookery provides a power point presentation (which I have altered slightly to be a little less boring) and I get to talk about turtle trivia, their plight and the research the Rookery is doing to help the loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtle population. I also volunteer for event support at the rookery. This weekend is the 'Batfish Bash', a fund raiser for the organization. I'm not sure what I will be doing but it gets me in the event, bypassing the $175/ticket entrance
fee in exchange for several hours of volunteering time. I'm all for helping out when it includes dinner and some entertainment. Why not?

Tuesday night I get together with friends and play Mexican dominos while their husbands play poker.

Wednesday morning there is a farmers market on the island. I walk over to get fresh veggies and fruit, brows the stalls for everything from hats and art to crab cakes from Maryland and fresh shrimp from the Gulf. It's fabulous, delicious and always bustling with people, their dogs, kids, grandchildren, visitors... I have no idea where everyone comes from but they all seem to show up on market day.

Thursday night at 7:00-9:00pm is Tablet Talk. Marshall and I started an informal group to offer technical info on using your smart phone, tablet, or lap top to the senior members of the South Seas community. These people get new technology and haven't a clue what to do with it. We offer an informal class to help solve problems and teach how to turn the darn things on and off..... it's very popular.

Friday morning is Team Ocean duty. I join a crew of 5 or 6 people who go out through the Rookery Bay organization. We get a boat ride through the estuary in exchange for the pleasure of combing the Ten Thousand Islands for beach trash to pick up. We also are supposed to talk to visitors about good boating and beach stewardship but mostly we haul trash. It's all great. I love the crew, we have a blast together. Occasionally we find great treasures, like the new Levi's jeans that were hanging on a tree that fit one of the men perfectly. How someone left the beach without their pants was anyones' guess but it kept us entertained making up scenarios for this story. From 9 till noon every Friday it's a treasure hunt on a beautiful beach with a boat ride... what could be better.

Saturday is condo cleaning day, either our own or my dad's. I refuse to let anyone else do this, they charge a small fortune and do a crappy job. I handle a dust rag better than anyone and when the places are done, they are truly clean.

Another week is over and I start again..... see, time just flies!

xox
m

The Sign

Hi,
It's all about size. The bigger the better. It's why we put up skyscrapers, build jumbo jets and super-size our Coke. The yard sale sign for our event this weekend, it had to be huge!

Sign painting is not my strong point, I make a better cheesecake, but this one didn't come out too badly and it paid for itself in one day. We put it out by the road late Sunday afternoon and first thing Monday morning there was a huge guy with a van parked in the driveway. Scott introduced himself, produced a business card and asked if he could look at what we wanted to sell before the sales event. Sure, come on in! He said he dealt in antiques and collectables 'did I have anything?' You betcha! Eight hundred dollars later he was happy and we had a little less stuff to deal with. We also had another guy show up from Philadelphia who talked a big game but ended up spending $50 and took opened bottles of liquor. Please don't ask me what that was all about, I have no idea why. I didn't want to know what they planned to do with Chinese rotgut whiskey that could strip paint off a car.... And please don't ask me why we even had a bottle of this stuff. That is too long a tale.

It's all about the sign. Come join in on the fun Saturday, June 14th, 9am-2pm... All reasonable offers accepted. Everything must go!

Xox
M

What do you eat?

Hi,
What do you eat versus what should you eat? It is the new modern dilemma. Making good food choices has never been more difficult. Genetically modified, organically grown, processed, packaged, pre-made.... No matter which way you turn there is an issue to deal with.

We watched the documentary "Vanishing Bees" the other evening. It dealt with the bee colony collapse problem that was all over the news in 2007-2009. Commercial bee colonies used for pollenization of crops were 'disappearing' from their hives, leaving the bee keepers completely stumped and putting them in financial jeopardy. The documentary brought to light the issue of chemically induced seeds that were developed to grow insect repellent plants. The pollen and nectar produced from these mature plants was affecting not the bees collecting the pollen, but the next generation being feed the nectar. The baby bees were 'drugged' and unable to do their jobs as adults causing the hives to collapse. Sounded like the 60's all over again.

Now take that problem and extrapolate it to the human condition. We eat these plants, fruits, nuts, seeds, produce everyday. Our meats, dairy and grains are all raised so that we see perfection on the plate but when was the last time you thought the tomato tasted like a real tomato or the strawberry and peach had that aroma you remember as a kid. We have bred the flavour out of almost all our foods in exchange for visual appeal. Sure, the apples have fewer bruises but they taste like potatoes. Yes we can pick peaches when they are green, they ripen slowly in shipping and they look pretty, but they have no smell or taste. The beef is big and juicy looking but without a ton of flavour enhances as you cook it, there is no taste to your meal. The growth hormones we feed the animals has made us big and fat they way we expect them to be before  slaughtering them. My favorite example is the giant Asian kid whose parents are barely 5' in height but the children are over 6' tall. How did one short generation produce such a tall next generation? It's not just better food, it's chemically enhanced  food. Bigger chickens produce bigger humans when consumed.

I don't believe most food sensitivities are actually about the food. I think they are sensitivities to all the chemicals we use to produce our food. Why do so many children have peanut allergies? Why are we all going gluten-free because our stomachs are rebelling? Why is autism on such a scary rise in the population? Could it be the chemical overdose we take in on a daily basis? That's my bet.

We demand perfect looking, inexpensive, out of season foods. Maybe we need to rethink our wants and look closer at our needs. One hundred years ago we had a healthier diet. I believe it's time to reset the clock and go back to eating what is local and in season. It may not be pretty but I'm betting it will be healthier.

M

Lucky Me!

Hi,
I am the luckiest lady in the whole world. My health is good, I have all my teeth and I married the right man nine years ago today. Yes, it's our anniversary and to celebrate, we bought a condo. How many women get a condo as an anniversary gift?

Who would have thought, nine years ago, that we would be living in Marco Island? Not me, that's for sure. I now get to add to my list of life's pleasures, owning a piece of paradise on one of the most beautiful beaches in the USA. I am so excited to be officially calling this place home.

Marco Island is unique in that it is a man-made developed community within the 110,000 acre south-west Florida estuarine. This area is government protected and further development is not being allowed. We get to live on an island that is part wild life sanctuary and nature reserve. The beach stretches over 5 miles continuously with the Gulf of Mexico lapping at the shore. This has to be as near to heaven as I can ever imagine living.... And I get to do it with my husband. How lucky can one girl get? Dolphins, manatee, pelicans and the love of my life. What a combo!

We are so blessed and darn lucky. I just wanted you all to know that I appreciate it more than words can express. If I was a gambling gal, today I would put it all on red and I'm sure I would win. No one is luckier than me today.

Xox
M

Food, glorious food

Hi,
We eat well in North America, and it is killing us.

I admit to being a lot of a food snob. I try to avoid using anything out of a box, can, frozen package or vacuum seal when it comes to eating. I prefer market fresh when ever possible. Since my passion is food it goes along with my delight in cooking. Creating interesting things to feed people can keep me entertained for weeks on end. I am planning the next meal before the current one is even consumed. I don't eat to live, I live to eat.

Then there is everyone else in Walmart. Given the size of their food stores, it is obvious that my fellow North Americans are shopping in the wrong aisles. A small percentage of the shop is dedicated to fresh produce. I would guess 90% of the space given to food is the processed and packaged varity. The volum of sugar, sodium, fat and chemicals consumed in this boxed diet they have adopted is scary.... And it shows.

I see shoppers with carts bulging with crap to eat. At the check out I try not to notice the garbage laden piles of what they think is food on the cashiers conveyer belt.... Or the largess of the customers waist size. It's in a direct correlation to what they are spending their hard earned money on. I want to scream at them " you don't have to wear a size 28 dress or 42" pant, if you would only give up on the garbage you are consuming. No apples, no lettuce, no real chicken, fish or beef, lentils are a forgien word and it isn't yoghourt without 190 calories of fake fruit flavor in it. They don't even waddle through the area of the store where green things are sold.... Head direct to the freezer cases, do not pass 'Go', collect your heart attack, proceed straight to the hospital ward.

The new movie "The Hundred-step Journey" dealt with fabulous food and was a delight to the senses. In the movie the opening scene had to deal with buying fresh sea urchin in the market place. I could imagine the heady aroma of the fresh fish and spices. It made my mouth water. After the film was over, none of the movie patrons could identify with the market scenes. I felt like I had watched a different movie from them. Where I was swooning over the fresh ingredients the chefs got to cook with, they were appalled at picking morels in the woods or cooking a fish right out of the river. How sad for them. The thought of eating raw urchin made them gag, I was salivating and jealous that I couldn't get my hands on any.

Conclusion: they eat better in India than we do in North America. How sad is that!

M

Walmart Spa Day

Hi,
I truly hate getting my hair cut. I was happiest when I had my head shaved after my cancer surgery. It was easy, clean and cost me nothing. Who needs hair? It is such work and upkeep for a life of disappointment and a waste of money. Bah humbug!

Having grown my hair back out a couple of years ago (my husband wasn't thrilled with being married to a bald chick) I now have to deal with hairdressers again. Not my favorite thing in the world. I have terrible, thin, straight, fine, dull hair on my head plus a surgically enhanced bald spot off to one side. A hairdressers nightmare if there ever was one. There is nothing anyone can do to improve on this lot so I don't like to to spend any time or money on the whole issue. 'Wash and go' is my only speed when dealing with my hair. If a salon spends more than 15 minutes cutting my hair they wasted their time and mine. Finding someone who will get me out of a barber chair in under 20 minutes is the only criteria I have for getting my hair cut.

My last hair cut was over two months ago so it was well over due for some shaping. Marco Island is over priced for everything, including haircuts so I travelled off the island in search of a decent place to try my luck at. The Walmart has a hair cutting franchise in it, next to the nail salon and Marshall thought 'spa day @ Walmart' was beyond laughable but I thought 'why the hell not'. They advertised $12 cuts on Tuesdays so off I toddled.

I had a lovely young Mexican woman named Maria do a great job washing and cutting my hair then she told me if I bought a $20 gift card I could get my cut for $10 and use the other $10 for my next appointment. It was the best $10 haircut I've ever had.... It was even better than a lot of the $50 hair cuts I have suffered over the decades. Will I win the Miss America contest now? No way, ever, but in six weeks I will be back in Maria's chair and gladly spend $10 on my silly hair.

Works for me.

Xox
M