Wordless Wednesday - April is National Jazz Month

 

YouTube Video Credit: Black History in Two Minutes or so

John E, Lawrence Masterpiece

Contemporary Jazz

Kenny G - The Moment (Official Video)

YouTube Video Credit: Kenny G

70 Minutes of Gospel Jazz Music - Saxaphone

YouTube Video Credit: No Stress Life

Muffins with Mom – When the student becomes the teacher

A teachable moment

 

I stood behind them in quiet observation. My son  leaned over near his vehicle’s tire,  explaining to his dad, how he realized the tire needed attention. Their voices were muffled, but the gestures and body movements played like a silent movie as I looked on.

Have you ever wondered whether you child has listened to the lessons you tried to teach them? As my children grew through the stages of learning and developing, there were times when they made me question my sanity (that’s when I leaned on faith). Today when I watch them silently, and listen to the things they say, I know they have learned many lessons.

If I’m being completely honest, there are many times I learn lessons from my sons. There are days when I’m excited to learn something new, then there are days when I fight change. For instance, I don’t like upgrading my cell phone. My son said, “A new phone has so many features that you can use for your blog and writing.”

“That’s okay, I’m just getting comfortable with the features on the phone I’ve had for two years.”

My son finally convinced me to get a new phone, one that was outside of my technology skillset. “I’ll help you get it set up,” he said. And he did.

It was the middle of the night (10pm) as he to coach me through various features of the phone. “Do you want to set up face recognition for unlocking your phone?”

“Sure, why not” I said.

“Take off your glasses and follow the directions.”

I did as my son instructed, I removed my glasses, and stared at my reflection in the phone…and screamed with my eyes. My hair bonnet was perched on my head, the collar of my warm fleece housecoat was prevalent, and there appeared to be dark circles under my eyes. I moved my head up, down, and side to side as the arrows on the phone directed me.

My son fiddled with his phone as he waited for me to complete the task he had given to me. I interrupted his focus. “Um, I don’t think this facial recognition is going to recognize me tomorrow.”

As I learn to do different things with technology, my son learns to be patient. As you age remember, you’re never too old to learn something new; And it’s okay that the student becomes the teacher.

What is one thing that you have learned recently?

Fitness Friday – There’s an app for that – What tool do you use for fitness?

 

Workout complete!

Fat, fat go away, don’t come back another day. I repeat that mantra over and over, in hopes to convince my inner thinner girl to show up. Some days are better than others in search of a consistent fitness lifestyle.

One thing that I have found to be valuable in a fitness routine is use of a fitness app. You can access a workout from almost anywhere…and that’s exactly what I did, while on vacation.

I rolled out of bed, leaving behind four plush down filled pillows, and warm blankets. The room was dark, the only audible sounds were the humming of the heater, and a creaking noise. I soon discovered that the creaking sound was from my ankles and other joints snapping into place in the early morning.

A few stretches later, I was dressed in yoga attire, shoes laced, and ready to exercise in my hotel room. I selected a 30-minute workout from my app, that didn’t require weights or other equipment. My body weight proved to be suitable for a strength workout (comparable to lifting  heavy weights).

The warm-up started, the repetitions became more intense, the trainer talked…I yelled back, as much as I could in a quiet room with strangers on the outskirts of my area. Following the trainer, I was jumping and, twisting, with added heavy breathing and grunting that he wasn’t doing.

I was praying that sleeping vacationers in rooms next to or below me didn’t hear muffled sounds, and my feet slapping the carpet and assume I needed to place the Do Not Disturb door hanger in view.

After thirty minutes, I chanted once again, Fat, fat, go away, don’t come back another day.

Find the tools that work best for you, that will keep you consistent in your self-care. Whether your tool is an app, or something entirely different…Don’t give up on yourself.

What tools do you use for fitness motivation?