I couldn't get Will up on the platform to pose with these life size giants.

Life size Lincoln and Douglas were an odd pair. here is
where they debated in Freeport, Il. 1858. 

There debate lasted three hours with each candidate given 1 1/2 hours apiece. They had seven of these debates and dependent on the newspaper if they liked you, your speech got edited and if they didn't like you, your speech stayed unedited. You have to love the consistency of Illinois politics. Neither side would admit to their hand in preventing fair coverage.
It is amazing to see the contrast in size of these two men. Douglass small in frame had a large voice to speak to 15000 gathered here with out a mike. Lincoln long and angular would use his body language  and movement to communicate his ideas. Douglas won the election but he lost the National support for his presidency. That happened here in this speech and changed the outcome of the Presidency. Actors have recorded the speeches and the one for Lincoln is my Son's neighbor.
Usually Lincoln is the good guy and Douglas the bad guy, but I believe we see here two intelligent political

 opponents who understood the National pulse at this time. These two country hicks took center stage. The artist who created the pair really worked out the looks of our 16th president.
The real sell of the park is a great ice cream shop near the park. Definitively a 5 star ice cream parlor.
Did an indoor walk this morning and enjoyed two other small walks on a perfect day in the 70's.Keep finding ways to keep moving. 

odds and ends, disc golf, don't expect perfection, don't give up

Hear is a way to work abs, two cans of
soup would work

Our weather this week is very much like an Hawaiian Vacation, High 70's to Low 80's. Low humidity. Yesterday Barb and I did a round of disc golf walking up and down wooded areas. There were two holes we walked through because to get an errant throw would be difficult. It was a good workout with more hills than you would walk on a golf course. Some of my throws were good for me. I am amazed the way people can throw the disc. I would have liked to have played the game when I was younger. We will do a round or two on vacation. We easily walked over an hour and probably walked around three miles. When you factor in the terrain it was a aerobic. Tonight we will walk a trail. Both of us got over 150 minutes of aerobic and strength training minutes this week.
I was studying my Bible in John 16 today and I like to share a quote from J. VernonYou won’t find peace in the church. You won’t find peace in Christian service. Peace is found in the person of Jesus Christ. " We need both church and service in our lives. Both have to do with people and like ourselves things aren't always peaceful. Don't give up on them for we really do need them. The other half of the quote is true as well, In Jesus there is grace, love, acceptance and provision we need to get through the stress and problems in our lives.

McGee that I have absolutely found true. "

In the New York Times this week reported the benefit of cardiac rehab even in the oldest people who experience a heart attack. You are never too old it appears to benefit. What people told me is the depression that often follows any open heart. With that follow your doctor as you go through that and get the care and support you need. It is good to know exercise helps.

http://news.yahoo.com/cardiac-rehab-may-benefit-oldest-patients-195624021.html

Keep walking

 

My theme has been summer workouts, It is good to sweat 150 minutes a week

Ann Cassidy A Walker in the Suburbs took this shot

Cooper Aerobics Think I will gave this note on adult exercise in the summer time.

"Adults ages 18-64 should accumulate 2 hours and 30 minutes of aerobic physical activity each week at a moderate level of intensity, or if vigorous activity is more your style—1 hour and 15 minutes. But you don’t have to stop there. Increasing the duration of activity to 5 or more hours each week can increase health benefits! While the recommendation is a total accumulated amount, it is ideal to spread your aerobic activity out over 3 or more days. Strengthening activities, like push-ups, sit-ups, and weight lifting are important for adults to participate in at least 2 days a week."

There is growing research that looks at exercise over a week's time. A 150 minutes of exercise has health results for adults. Walking, biking, swimming, using stairs, cutting grass, shoveling snow, strength training all can add up to a healthier body.

On the warm days of summer it means more sweating. That means more hydration as we move. I sweat more than most people in part because of my CP and my body always tensing up. Working up a good sweat in a workout and the good feeling afterward is actually good for us. Intensity may change as we get older but is a good boost.

Working out and walking indoors and out I have been careful with my Achilles tendon. It has a tendency to tighten so I have to apply good stretching and relaxing the tendon. My overall fitness has improved so I don't want any set backs. It helps to wear support shoes throughout the day. Climbing stairs also helps. My stairs to the second floor are steep but that works out as a good thing for my fitness. My plans are to do disc golf tonight. I have my stick laid out and am ready to go. Keep walking

 

In the summer time...

Getting ready for a vacation in a state park. I am looking forward to the trails and a few rounds of frisbee golf near by. At White Pines they put on a play so it should all be a hoot. I have been dropping weight and walking and strength training. In some of the warm days in was good to do the indoor walking.
I been reading Craig Johnson's The Dark Horse,  a Longmire mystery. Also reading A Ted Deckker book my daughter likes. I'm hooked.
I know summer will end but it has been good. Keep walking

Good news about getting older, I think?

 

Jacob has the idea how to age -
be cool man

The New York Times Paula Zahn reported Denmark seniors are living healthier and with less dementia then previously. The study was done with two groups of seniors born 1905 and the second group born in 1915. The study was done with seniors ages 93 and 95. There was an improvement in cognitive activity and mobility. Education and world events were similar but health care, diet and financial resources were possible reasons.
Another study the Times reports in England and Wales, that "dementia rates in a sample of those over age 65 had dropped by a quarter over the past two decades."
Medical care is a significant factor in why we are living longer and many times better. Diet which improves vascular health and immune health would factor in. The science of aging weighs in somewhere.
Her report points out the struggles of being 90 but people are doing it better. Check it out for yourselves.
http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/
The people in the Denmark study were more mobile but as to strength and speed they were the same. How does walking play into being 90+? It seems aging is a great equalizer in some ways. Dr. Cooper reports weight lifting can improve muscle conditions in our 80's and 90's. As more people practice flexibility, aerobics and strength fitness I believe it will improve the quality of life.
Somewhere in our 70's to 90's we also should note, "Hey we did it!" Moving is better than not and living is better than complaining. It appears our Denmark seniors found ways to enjoy being 90+. Weigh in on what you think. Keep walking 

Remembering Prairie Dogs like it was yesterday

T 

I am mindful of the privilege it is to travel. Mykonos friend Jim took a trip I took two times. The first time was in 1974. Fresh in my mind was the songs of John Denver calling to see the Rockies. I had been to California two years earlier cross country and returned by air. This time I would be hiking the back trails. On my earlier trip I remember a brief side hike in a canyon when I got to the the top I was feet from a black bear. He paid me no mind as I quietly climbed back down.
In 74 I recall traveling with four wonderful girls to meet up with a larger group. In South Dakota the girls slept in a car and I slept end in a field under the stars. To my surprise I woke up with stark to the sound of 100's of prairie dogs. Jim and Donna's picture I will enlarge and put on my wall remind me. They wake up at 4:15 am by the way.

The photo on the right is the horns of the alter recovered in 1976 in Beersheba, Israel. Today it is in a British Museum. I was studying in the summer of 1976 with my new bride and visited the sight where the discovery was made. They were actually removing it from a wall while I was looking on. Young king Josiah destroyed the alters because it had trend into idolatry. They took the stones and put them in a wall waiting 2700 years to be put back together again. Now we have an idea what the alter looked like in Jerusalem. Touching history like that was a high for me.
Thanks for those of you who shared your trips, virtually I got into it. One of the reasons I like to walk is the idea to ready for future journeys. Keep walking

Recommend Ken Boa's Face to Face

Photo from Lisa Brosak

I started using Ken Boa's Face to Face Praying the Scripture for Spiritual Growth. This is the second book in the Face to Face series. Mr. Boa writes portions of the bible in 1st person so as you read them you can pray and respond on a personal way back to God. As you get the hang of it you can reword many scriptures back to God. Just to say to some of you wise guys we are not talking about the genealogies. The devotional is a daily guide and I will use it about two days a week for my devotion. I have used his first volume twice through over the years and I am glad to be using this volume to enrich my devotional life.
I think it is part of my blog I enjoy the most and hope you are encouraged too. Health is more than walking and diet. It involves relationships and spirituality. For sure it involves our brain health. There are so many challenges. Don't  get discouraged. Church or body life has its difficulties and I am not sure why. We need the fellowship and worship and prayers. It can be part of fighting loneliness as we age. How to develop a love for the spoken word is a challenge for the preacher as well as the listener. Participating in body life is much needed in our digital and virtual worlds. Real life experienced can't be beat.
Time with God has to be experienced. Praise or sorrow are not spectator activities. Keep walking

more of us are moving...what about the way we eat

Let's be wise

Are we exercising more yet still gaining weight? Apparently yes according to a study published this week. How we change the way we eat has more to do with weight loss? Years ago I knew you can't out run a big mac. It is easy to out eat our movement.
But let us not lose sight of a good habit of exercise, walking, running, swimming, biking, yard work, and other workouts. Burning calories is good for us. Aerobic activity most days of the week improves our health, and helps with blood sugar, high blood pressure, artery health, immune system.
Leslie Sansone often reminds us one good habit can lead to another. Moving and being fat is better than not moving and being skinny. I have read many times that being sedimentary is like smoking a pack of cigarettes. We have a problem with obesity and losing weight I believe is harder than  we think. So let's think about our diet. Are we willing to learn what amount of food we need to maintain or lose weight? Are we willing to trade unhealthy fat for taste in the way we prepare food? Are we willing to prepare our own foods and eat out less? Are we willing to change and not go back to eating that got us fat in the first place? These are hard questions?
Have we given up? We will never look like______, so who cares! We may look better at least in our clothes, but we can feel better. We may need help with being older or why we eat food for comfort rather than life. Let's move forward and change both our exercise and diet. Keep walking
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-americans-exercise-not-losing-weight-20130709,0,1516487.story

Learning to kind to our selves can be hard to do

Carol writes a blog, a spirited walker where she has experienced a fall where she broke her arm on a hike. It is easy to be doing something we should be doing and suffer an injury. It is easy from a recliner to say, you shouldn't put yourself in danger by such hikes. Carol's hike is a part of her living and surviving. Walking helps her to stay strong for the battle of life. The broken bone hurts and may remind her to take care on the trails, but she can't quit. For her and us there are bigger battles than a broken bone, hurt knees or sprain. We are fighting heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. It is those battles that kills 91% of us. Walking helps live well and fight these diseases.
You can read Carol's story at http://thespiritedwalker.blogspot.com/
Today my workout was body and band exercises. I will remind you of push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. I have added dips off the kitchen corner counter. I use my legs to lighten the move so I can do it. I am working on increasing the weight used. Bands have a lot of potential off my deck and swing set. I can duplicate just about every move that can be done in a gym.
Carol had carved into a rock "be gentle to self" a good idea. When we have a set back we need to be kind to ourselves and heal. Don't beat yourself over injury or pain. Find healthy ways to move while you are healing. I had a heal spur that limited my time on my feet. But that is when I got into sit ups and push ups and resistant training. Biking and swimming were motion activities I could do with that injury. I injured my knees this winter that make me aware to limit my falls. Indoor walking and a walking stick and being mindful have all helped. If rest is the ticket, then we can work on a healthy diet. We can watch a funny movie, read that book you have been meaning to get to, enjoy your favorite room. hang in there and keep walking

Great summer night

Tonight Barb and I had dinner in out out door room or what you may refer to as our deck. Our fountain and flowers are beautiful as we had a perfect grilled dinner with steak seasoned with a new rub recipe. Wax beans and salad from our garden. With the frequent rains we haven't watered very much. The lawn is still a lush green. A night time treat was seeing the lightening bugs.
To arrow Barb and her brother are off to the art museum in Chicago. They love to slowly walk through the place and read every display. Myself I move through the rooms and sit and enjoy what ever fancies me. Our pace is completely different. So I give them the day to enjoy without being a distraction.

My walk tonight was a real workout. On warm evenings I can sweat a lot.
I was watching a taped late night news program in which they banter back and forth and they

Congratulations M. Bartoli, and yeah your pretty!

discussed their ideas of the ladies Wimbledon champion not being pretty. I thought she was cute. End of story. People don't need dumb talk. Some Brit show host thought he was funny in putting her down. I actually think it tells far more of the fellow's bad taste. BBC issued an apology, why? Let the guy get nailed with his own medicine.
People are who they are and the older I get people look better to me. How we feel is even more important. Enjoy the people you are with and keep walking. 

Perfect grandchildren - I'm not lying! Happy 4th

Yesterday I played a round of frisbee golf at Freeport, Il. With my son's family. There is a great park and course there that will be a challenge for any disc player and walking the course is challengeging for any old man. The kids grilled a great meal and my grand children were perfect. It was a good day.

Today I was a little under the weather but I am perking up.
Looking at my twitter contacts I looked a feed on body language and the speaker shared using a power position for two minutes can change the chemistry in our brain to an outgoing person willing to take risk and face challenging situations. You can check out the science of it.
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html?source=facebook#.Udio0HgoumA.facebook
At the hotel I walked to a Leslie Sansone video on YouTube. Yesterday I used my walking stick to walk the disc golf course. I am rehabbing my knees and I don't want to fall. The walking stick helps a lot for me to reduce my risk. I was reading a Holmes mystery and he and Watson use walking sticks for defense and walking the 19th century streets when I think about it would have been way more uneven that our walkways. Myself I have always found the cracks. I have seen people use poles to include a full body workout. Maybe I should get a stick with a sword inside. OK that may be a little over board. I know I can use a walking stick better on soft trails than paved.
I was looking at a full page ad to have freedom from all religion in the Chicago Tribune. I imagine the foundation that sponsored the ad did so in major papers through out the country. What is not stated is the idea that group wants everybody to adhere to their point of view. In a real sense a lack of freedom. Anybody who has God in their thinking and reason will be outside the lines. The founding fathers could not have been more diverse. Who today would not love to be in a local pub with those guys to listen and debated the wonderful ideas they discussed. Excluding God is not the answer, infact keeping the dialogue open may lead to bigger and better ideas. The old boys quoted in the articles had read the Bible more and heard more sermons than most people today attending religious services.
What I like about many of them were their ideas on walking, fresh air and exercise.  They debated these things too. Keep walking