Almost 60 Life's walks affirm

Happy 60th These kids got a kick out of it

Well I have 9 more days until I am 60. Spring break so we celebrated a little early. I am pretty proud of all the kids I worked with this year. For my part I being recharged got into helping each one with an accepting environment to improve and work hard. They have done their part so the smile on my face is genuine. Affirmation and smile, maybe the best thing I do.
The sun has come out so I am off for a walk. I will post a picture of today later. Inserts improving my ankle by unpinching my nerve.
I have written a new page on inductive Bible Study. I could say more but if we just read the bible book by book it would help.


Liam stops for pose

For all those inclined to be a couch potato, read the page to start walking and you will see an easy schedule from Mayo Clinic that I think can get you going. On my walk today I warmed up for 5 minutes and did aerobics for 7 minutes and cooled down for 5 minutes walk. Just like week one in the Mayo plan. After the walk I stretched  out my muscles and enjoyed sitting by the pond. The inserts are helping. Barb and I went to the movies and after walking out to the car was pain free.


This week I will get into daily walks and therapy.
In my Bible Inductive page I referred to ideas Andy Rooney said about not understanding the Bible. While I contrasted his idea I always liked his rantings.
Here are a couple of  good quotes:

The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

Being kind is more important than being right.

Love, not time, heals all wounds.

Orthotics are working, Enjoying Spring

Time to look for these guys

Good news on walking. I have inserts for my shoes that help my foot not go outward. This helps not to pinch a nerve. I am having another one made with a stronger design to do this. My problems won't go away but less pain is good. I am also working on therapy to strengthen and stretch my foot. Three weeks with better eating and losing weight. My goals are to walk  30 + minutes and move in my day.
Do you have a battle in your life? Yours is probably different from mine. Don't you find long term issues are hard to deal with. We see conflicting articles, we have different things that happen to us that make it harder to deal with. We learn so much and yet that doesn't mean we are free of our fight for some aspect of health. It can be discouraging.
If you have followed my blog, you know I think it is OK to share our pain. But who wants to stay in that moment? Not me! Hey if there is something I can do that relieves my pain, I'm all for it.
One blogger I am following Carolyn Scott Kortge (The Spirited Walker) uses walking as part of her battle with cancer. That is something that touches all of us. In her battle she is living each day enjoying each moment she has. I can do that. I have no idea what I may do about my CP as I age. My hope is I will be walking at 70, 75, 80, 83? The key for me is what am I doing today? Like Jesus said,  "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself." Matt. 6:34 Our long term problems need to seen in the moment. You bet we need intelligent counsel and a treatment plan. We already know it is not easy.
Consider the blue bird. The male pictured here has a wonderful song. When you see them they are striking. I am looking at the changes of spring that way. Each day the weather may be different but I floored by the flowers, shades of green, blue sky, trees getting their leaves; all of these thing are God's gifts. This week I am planting a tree. As I look out my window I will see its flowers in early spring. Years ahead others will enjoy it. Today I walked and soaked in a spring day. At work I laughed with kids as we worked through their classwork. It was easier laughing because my shoe implant eased my pain. Not bad, keep walking

Yo Ho me harties, Yo Ho! We are blessed with life

Always protect the dome!

What happens if you throw a green rock into the Red Sea? It gets wet
What happens if you throw a yellow rock into the Black Sea? It sinks to the bottom.
Ta dum de dum
Recieved good news about a week in Florida. One of my hobbies that I am quite good at is listening to the wind and watching the waves. I love watching sea birds and sunsets. Indian Rocks has a great beach. Key lime pie is on and under a umbrella lots of cool drinks and a mystery. Need to cool off relax in the Gulf. It is all good. (Thanks Ray)
 I cut my grass today. 50 minutes of aerobic workout. Paying attention to my walking form, I was able to finish the job. Tomorrow I see about support for my ankle. PT has already begun. Empasis on movement, strength and flexibility. When I walk I am going to focus on better movemnt.
Had a good Bible study. Called a few friends and enjoyed the cool air fill the house.

This sunset is for you

Liam has been fun to have around. Grand kids have a way of keeping us willing to think about enjoying them to grow up and see them as adults. Everyone of my grandkids helps me one way or another want to hang in there. To see a movie or frisbee golf or have them on vacation it is all good. All of them love to tease me in some way. Liam at 15 months he walks up to me gives and big smile and turns on a dime and runs before I can get him.
In the last few years I have noticed how much our troubles and struggles define our lives. Self preservation is a powerful thing. There have been a few things I have become passionate about that isn't about me. Enjoying a walk is bigger than me. It is good for all of us. We feel better and our bodies say thanks. I was reading about a woman who walks as part of her battle against Cancer. Many are passionate to raise money and awareness to help them yes, but also to help others as well. Whatever happens to me I am going to choose walking, movement for as long as I can. It is good to have a big God.
Thanks for reading my blog. Over 2,000 hits from all over the world have visited the fat man walking. I will publish your comments or not if you wish. Love to hear from you. Keep walking

Life's Changes...can be Painful

Signs of Spring

Our summer will end for awhile as he weather changes. Oh, it is March and it is supposed to be a little colder.
Changes in life are often good. Changing how I think about work has been good. Changes in my home has made my family's experience there better.
What we worry about is when changes are bad and we have to try and deal with them. In the Bible we are presented with changes that are called trials, Peter says "grieved by various trials," James uses the same words but the Message Bible translates, "when tests and challenges come at you from all sides" and the Living Bible translates, "troubles" we get the idea that in life changes can be negative.
But the funny thing is we are to great these troubles as with joy.
Why? I think I could write a book or two on that. Troubles come to all of us. Darby O'Gill reasoning in the pub felt "humans need the bad with the good." I don't know, but I do know we do get the bad with thee good. I know from experience and what is taught in 1 Peter, 2 Corinthians and James that God uses the troubles as trails that test us and strengthen us. As we draw near to the Lord, He works through the trial and makes us more in character like Jesus. Many of my troubles have been resolved. Many of my past worries have faded in my memory. Some trials have been life long.
Paul talked about a condition many people think that made it hard to see. He called it, "a thorn in the flesh." We may have treatments for his disease today, but he didn't. Many of my trials have been over come. They do indeed make us who we are today.
My Cerebral Palsy has taken a turn for the worse. My bones are good but the tissue and structures in my foot have been stressed and probably will require complicated surgery and a long recovery. I am going to try braces and whatever physical therapy I can do first, but surgery may be what I will have to do. I can't quit moving for that outcome is worse. Trials are not always brief, they actually can be a life time. I know that each and everyone of us has something we battle with.  I am committed to taking these trials on and do so in a way that I continue to enjoy life and be useful in my service to my Lord. I didn't want the CP to get worse, but I can lean on the Lord and look at what I can do.


Flowering trees at Joliet Central

I like a fight analogy because there is real pain and draining of energy that I am experiencing. It has been a fight. Some fights you lose a bout. You may take a beating that takes time to recover. Returning to the ring may be unthinkable. The body recovers and with recovery comes renewal. The fighter retrains and the rematch happens. The outcome of the fight could go either way. The fighter retires but still trains because that has been his life.
I am not perfect, thus the fat man walks. Problems and trials can't be ignored. They hit us in the face everyday. I do what I can, walk, exercise, read, pray, relate to others around me.  My goal is to continue to live life and enjoy life, getting the most out of my trials and troubles to move ahead. The flowering trees at work caught my eye. Joliet Central is a beautiful campus. The staff are skilled and hard working people. Teens can drive you crazy, but I like the students at Central. Most of the staff are much younger than I am. They are good people. I have been blessed with good friends and family. Hey I will continue to walk, bike, swim because life is worth living, keep walking.

Walking a trail at night to see the stars

Jupiter Venus and the Moon

Last Weekend I took a walk at night to move away from the lights of the lodge and parking lot. The lights are all part of the light pollution we have all around us that prevents several generations now from seeing the night sky. We can't get away from lights but I hope someday we figure out the use of lights and to bring back viewing our night sky. This summer I hope to take a few trips to see the sky like I did when I was a kid. I was in awe of the night sky as I watched it from my back porch or sleeping under the stars on a warm summer night. On the occasion I was with my dad fishing we would sleep out with no camp gear. With my dad it was all about the fishing. For me, I would look at the stars and I would pick out a constellation or two. I could view the stars in the city where I lived. The night sky has always fascinated me.

Northern Arizona

When I lived in Africa, I got to see the sky where the only light was from the campfires of near by villages. Here I viewed new constellations. I traveled out west and viewed the night sky many nights.  The best night ever for me seeing the stars was sleeping in the Hava Supai parking light under the stars waiting to hike down the canyon at 4 O Clock in the morning. The stars were like balls in the sky being so high in elevations.
NKJV Amos 5:8 "He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning And makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the face of the earth; The LORD is His name."
A couple of things I get out of stargazing is I get in touch with my Creator, another thing I get is a perspective of time. Abraham, Job, David, Moses, have all look up at the night sky and prayed and thought with the backdrop of the night sky. Jesus and His disciples would have looked up and seen the sky as they slept out under the stars. They have seen the night sky as I have seen it. I know time and light has passed but Amos saw the same constellations we see today. 4,000 years is not a lot of time in anybody's view of the cosmos. We share the view with those who have gone before us. Today we live our lives where this view is blocked. I think it effects our thinking. Missing what we need for contemplative thought. I know I sound like an old man, but get out and see the night sky where you can view a couple of thousand stars with your own eyes. Keep walking 

Walking with out falling...hoorah!



Trail marker

Impressions of today and a weekend well spent. It is not a bad idea to walk where the are some inclines. great for strength training ab muscles and lower body. It is also a calorie burner and instant aorobics. In the moutains or canyons like you experience here it is not how far you walk but how much energy you spend walking up and down. Our walk today we were on the trail 2 1/2 hours. It takes my body time to warm up then the walk is easier. Maybe I am like a horse going back to the barn?
Water played a part in today's walk. Isn't water sweet on a hot day? I loose plenty of water when I am moving on a warm day. We drank our water on the hike and hydrated on our way back home.
It is still late winter and the trees are blooming at the same time the wild flowers are coming in Usually this time of year the flolour growth in the woods lands are worth seeing. This indian spring we shall see.

An old miner on the way side

How did I do today? I did not fall all weekend, I was careful, I used my walking stick and Barb helped me a few times. While climbing stairs when I got tired on my right side I took a momment to get my breathe. I was then able to walk up the trail with uneven boards and roots hidden in the leaves. Most of you would have no thought at all but I have to break down the task at hand to keep from tripping over an footwanting to drop rather than pick up. View comes when ground is level or I stop to look around. the rest of my time walk is work. Barb looks out for hazzards that I may experience. On these walks there is more to discover so there is more talking. For Barb and I it is walk talk. We are totally into the experience.
Earlier it rained heavily for the brooks and small falls we seen today had water. On the trails took today there were more fit walkers, young and old alike. Being a four mile + round trip sort of difined who would be walking there.
From reading, praying, fine dining, star filled night, hiking with my new friend the walking stick, atmosphere of a logged lodge and  friendly people great weekend. Little kids came our way the whole weekend. I hope parents see in ther kids what we see, active, smart,  full of life and wonder. Yea they will need limits and discipline and no but they also will be ablessing to their parents as time goes by.  Thanks to Barb who likes these kind of adventures. She has benefited from our walks, able to walk with out heavy breathing. With CPI have balance problems and a pride to do it all my self. The stick gives me a third needed point of balance and at a few points Barb gives me a forth. So up and down into the canyons I go. Venturing on the trails at night see the milky way. Some 40 years ago Mark Huber worked with me as we saw miles of the of the canyons very few have see, Mark with your skills you used my bullheaded bavery  to explore...that joy continues. Keep walking

A GREAT SATURDAY

so Barb walking to French waterfall

One thing about Starved Rock hikes there is is alot of stairs and inclines. People when they walk down are all smiles including me. But it is a different story climbing up. My fellow walkers over fifty all said the same thing. "This was alot easier when I was younger" Most of the younger people bounded up the stairs and down. I let a lot of them pass me. A tip for all my friends. When you are on a hike in the hills or mountains bring a digital camera and take lots of pictures. Take your time setting the picture up and viewing the shot. It is a natural way to catch your breath. I got a good workout today.
I have quietly decided I need to look at what I am eating. It is very easy to overeat a little each day. Walking I think helps me to pay attention to my diet. This last week I have ate less and burned a few calories more. The walking stick in the picture was what I used on uneven ground today. Barb was holding it while I took the picture. Between the stick and a hand from Barb I did not fall this weekend. I am going to use the walking stick when Frisbee Golfing. Having a third point helps my balance. It also burns a few extra calories. I may consider Nordic poles for aerobic walking. I see a few people using them and it would help with upper body as well. I like not falling.

Lodge at Starved Rock

 This was the first time I stayed at the Lodge overnight. I will plan to do this at other State Parks and National Parks. Day walks and a good read in a place like this in the evening is a treat. This summer I am also going to do a little tent camping as well. I remember seeing a 75 year old Grandpa with his granddaughter on a trail really moving. He had a backpack. There were some senior citizens today who were pretty impressive walking.
It was summer like today with a breeze. I wore a sun hat which really paid off on a 1 1/2 hour walk.
The weekend was really uplifting and it is not over with yet. Weather permitting another trail awaits or if not time well spent. Keep walking