by Kat | 4 hours ago | Aging Gracefully, General, In This Moment
is for finding one’s way back!
Several years ago… and I mean several several’s… I was a paying member of Robin Long’s online Pilates workouts. And then I stopped being a paying member and I remember thinking, I know all the “moves” and I can just keep going on my own.
I think you all know the answer is I did not.
And then “things” started happening… I had issues with a hip flexor muscle and did a good number of weeks of PT to work on that issue. (you would think this would be my wake up call and I would at least try to remember and do the “Pilates Moves” on my own, but nope, I did not!)
This latest “thing” is not fun at all, I must confess. This bladder/pelvic floor muscle issue I am having is the biggest pain in my backside…literally. So now I am back at weekly PT working on a different muscle group… in roughly the same area where those hip flexors intersect… the “thing”?? It’s the little thought but incredibly important pelvic floor muscles and how they can impact one’s quality of life. I have the opposite issue many women my age have – being too relaxed. Sigh. Mine are in a constant state of tension…which they might not be if their neighboring muscle groups were doing any work at all.
And so, I have been spending the past 3 weeks working on waking up those neighboring muscles… doing yoga that very much feels like Robin Long’s Pilates exercises. Each week, my therapist adds a couple more things to add to my routine… which is now taking me just over an hour to complete each day… way more time than the 15-ish minutes that Robin’s routines typically lasted. Sigh.
Pro-tip… don’t abandon something that is working with thoughts that you can “do it yourself”… I can’t help but wonder if I would have needed any PT ever had I just stayed the course with Robin.
I might be slow on the learning curve but I am paying attention now… and yes, I renewed my Pilates membership over the weekend. And now I need to get that first “round” of PT exercises in and then poke around and figure out the new Pilates App!
Happy Monday, everyone! See you all back here on Wednesday!
by Kat | May 12, 2025 | General, In This Moment
Greetings everyone,
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. The weather was perfect here in my neighborhood… cool mornings that invited one to pull on a sweater easing into warm afternoons… a celebration of perfect spring days!
I let Steve know that we are “opening the porch” next weekend. He was not thrilled!
Now it is Monday and I am contemplating my week (besides opening the porch, lol) I started PT for my bladder issues before we left for vacation and had my second visit last week. I am sort of feeling a bit silly… my therapist has me doing a bit of a yoga routine coupled with some diaphragm breathing exercises. Perhaps if I had just continued with pilates, I might not even be having these issues but I am carving out time each day to do the routine.
I also spent some time contemplating my “Stitch Book” layout. I also tested out raw edged pages and decided that won’t work … or at least I don’t like how it will look, so I will be doing some sewing to assemble the pages together.
And with that, let the week begin! See you all back here on Wednesday!
by Kat | May 5, 2025 | General, Looking Back
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. — Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
This quote sums up completely the vacation to Erie last week. It was a study in contrasts.
Did calm ever settle in? Oh, hell no. The stress levels were high and remained so… for the duration. I figured it would be stressful at the start, but I also figured that after a few days hiking around Erie that stress would… diminish … but thanks to a giant storm that crushed Pittsburgh last week the stress never diminished and the end result was that we headed back early from vacation to clean out refrigerators and the freezer after 48+ hours of no power. Fortunately, we had little exterior damage but my neighborhood lost so many trees.
I, somehow, managed to stitch and paint a little each day (I finished the last painting after we got home… it was a good break from the Major Appliance Clean Out!) And I even managed to get Steve to sit down to watch the first episode of The Pitt (and believe me the only reason he agreed was because it was “in Pittsburgh” so a huge thank you to the producers of The Pitt for that initial opening to the show highlighting Pittsburgh!) Thankfully, he liked it so I wrangled 15 hours of “watching time” so I could get another vest started!
For me, the walks in Presque Isle were my salvation. I found new trails and I met the “Ambassador of Presque Isle” who clued me in to some rare sights in the park! Thank you, Mr. Berchtold for sharing your “spots” with me! I have never seen Sandhill Cranes in “the wild” and seeing a nesting pair on Presque Isle was a treat beyond measure! As was seeing an Eastern Screech Owl nesting! I was astounded by the number of active Osprey nests on the peninsula as well… a good half a dozen that I saw! I must have been channeling Vera because I saw so many turtles!! Frankie found all the people extremely stressful, so he only went along on walks a few times… I knew this going in… he does not like “random” people but he learned a new thing while we were there… barking! Sigh.
Walkies? Yes, please! I can practice my Newly Discovered Barking Skillz!
I did not take many photos but that is okay… I channeled the part of Yutori about being still and being present in the surroundings! That stillness helped me “find” 10 new-to-me birds!
Now it is a “normal” Monday and I am happy to be back to it! I will see you all back here on Wednesday!
by Kat | Apr 21, 2025 | General, In This Moment
I am happy to report that I almost have two pairs of pants complete… they are each just a bit of elastic and a hem away from completion!
In fact, I am nearing completion on several things… tomorrow I begin the last page of my 100 Day Stitch Book. I am nearing the end of the Mystery Gnome. I am at the point of “stuffing” which means there is not much knitting left to do! I am also at the point of the Great Divide on the Swirly Vest!
Completions make room for new beginnings and I love that excitement… starting something new!
And that is all I have for today! I will see you all back here on Wednesday with some Unraveling!
Now, for all of you who are contemplating a word this year… Next Monday is our April Check In! Yes, April 28 the link up will go live and be open for the entire week.
by Kat | Apr 14, 2025 | General, In This Moment
…is for giving myself a bit of a “kick in the pants” to get some things done!
For the past two weeks I have put “sew pants” on my list for the week… and for two weeks that item has remained undone. Sewing those pants is on my list again this week… but I am hopeful that by sharing it here I will just get it done!
I did order more yarn so I can complete that spiral vest and it is supposed to arrive today! I would like to wear this vest on vacation at the end of the month so that is back on my list as well!
And with that, I am going to get started on that list! Happy Monday everyone!
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