Egoscue Method, Day 23: Loosening Up

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 20, 2010

This photo has nothing to do with my Egoscue Method theme, except that the morning brilliance reflects some of the feelings I have after my appointment yesterday. It was my third appointment, and a long drive to Portland in pouring rain with a little snow over the pass on 26.

We went through the excercise routine I'd been doing for two weeks, and Matt asked if I felt I was still getting benefit out of all of the exercises or if there were some I felt done with. Being new to this, I didn't know how to evaluate that, except that if I was still feeling stretching or pain with any of the exercises, I guessed they were still doing something. So, we went through them and talked about how I felt doing each one, where there was still any pulling or stretching, and he watched how I walked and moved, asked about feelings of balance, etc., as before.

Then he tried me out on a whole new set of exercises. After my first visit, he had kept the original routine and added three. Most of these new ones were very different, so it seems I had made enough progress with the original set to begin stretching further to deepen the results or add to them. They were hard, and some of them hurt, while others were easy, just different. By the time I was done going through the new ones, I really felt limber and less painful in a whole new way. I'm beginning to have a real feel for how this works. Matt answered some questions I had about why I still have pain in certain areas. My feet have been especially bad the past few days, and I realize that probably has to do with a) being more active, b) getting into positions with my feet at the computer or during work that exacerbate the problem, but he also explained again how the twist I've developed over the years in my upper body affects how my feet work when walking and standing. He didn't say this, but I envisioned a marionette. If you twist the shoulders and upper body, the feet aren't going to contact the ground the same way any more. You spend years walking and hiking in that condition, and you're going to create problems in the feet. I also asked about some issues with strength for lifting vs. pushing in the upper body, and he demonstrated that, too, so it made sense for the first time. What we will be doing is correcting these things, and as we did the new routine, I could see even more than with the old routine how one side of my body performed differently than the other. The goal, of course, is to balance it out. I left feeling extremely positive about my progress, and I when I got home, despite a difficult drive in the rain with car headlights in my mirror and fog on the road, I felt looser and more natural in my skin than I have in a long time.

A few things I've noticed over the past few weeks:

1. I've taken stairways rather than the elevator just because I felt like it. I used to do that until I crashed at the end of last May. It felt good doing this again.

2. I can box up orders in the store with less pain than before.

3. The exercise routine became easier over the two weeks, and I didn't find myself doing only part of it and then taking a break and going back to finish. (I also learned from Matt that it's good to do it all at one time and in the right order, because one exercise may get your muscles ready for the next one, etc.)

4. I've generally felt better with less pain, but then when I feel better I do more, or maybe I've spent more hours at the computer, so it creates a feeling of being static and not making progress unless I really notice something like taking the stairs or walking farther without thinking about holding myself back to favor my feet.

5. The pain and symptoms of fibromyalgia are improving. I don't know that I could have done this routine back in June when the relapse was new, but during the summer I did find some very simple Egoscue excercises online for fibromyalgia, and with those I began the process of feeling better. They were not as dramatic as these, but they made a difference, and they were easy enough that I could do them at the time. (I did the one linked here and two others. Here is another page that describes all three. There may be a better link somewhere that shows all three visually the way the first link shows the one, but I want to get going.)

I thought I would be really sore this morning after yesterday's new and somewhat painful workout, but I was hardly sore at all, and I still felt flexible . . . better than waking up most other days. After yesterday, I thought I would be dreading the new set of exercises, but I'm very much looking forward to them. There are 11 exercises in all, including the new ones and a few of the old ones that were kept or modified. They'll take a little longer, because one requires lying on the floor for about half an hour. I would usually rather be DOING than not doing, so this is always a tough one for me to follow through on. It will make me feel better, though, so I'll just turn up the music and relax into it.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Aug 9, Bend, Part 4: Flowers on Monterey Pines

Back home to Monterey Pines Drive after breakfast, I was struck by how beautiful the clouds were in the perfectly blue sky. It's been awhile since I've been to Bend, and everything looks different from the coast, and different from the last time I was here. I'd become trigger-happy with the Canon.

Here are some more gaillardia alongside the street across from the house. In the last post, I said, "Long may they bloom," but it appears that their season may be coming to an end. At least some of these have lost their petals.

The lavender in the front yard looks soft and beautiful.

And this lavender-colored pansy caught my attention near the front door.

I don't know what this orange flower is, but it's beautiful and it's nearly in focus. I like it.

This is also in the front yard at the edge of the grass. I think it's Queen Anne's lace going to seed, but I'm not sure. I like the patterns against the deep shade.

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Aug 9, Bend, Part 5: Clouds, River, Umbrellas - A Lazy Afternoon at Red Robin

We thought it would be nice to sit out by the river, so we decided to meet at Red Robin, which has the closest seating to the water. Several restaurants are close, but Red Robin was today's choice. Above: More on today's theme: flowers. Note: Lee seems to have aquired even more muscles lately with all of the swimming and bike riding.

Down by the river: clouds, flags on the bridge. The day was pleasant, if a bit warm. Actually, it was kind of hot, but not sizzling hot.

We found shaded seating and a breeze near the water. The Old Mill District has turned into a place to hang out, eat, drink something cold, or shop if you're so inclined.

I was enjoying the sky and the shapes and colors of the umbrellas.

The cars are parked on the other side of the river.

Floating down the river looked fun. Today felt lazy, though, and we just sat, had salad and drank cold things.

More floating. Maybe later this week. . . .

June 19: Cruise ship "The World" glides past Astoria

Luckily, I heard from my neighbor that the ship was due within the half hour, gliding downriver from Portland. I hadn't seen it on the day it went up. Not only is The World huge (also, bright, shiny, and beautiful), but it's unlike most cruise ships in that these are not staterooms, but condos. The berths come in several sizes, and they are owned, not rented for the trip. Some people live here year-round, and others use it as a second home. The ship sails the world, and wouldn't it be nice to be onboard? I think so!

Dulcye Taylor's photos on Facebook give you some idea of how big this ship is compared to the normal big ships we see. You may have to be a Facebook member to get this link.

April 14, Warrenton and Astoria: Beautiful sunset sky, beautiful light

I took this photo just outside the Columbia Fitness Center in Warrenton, just across the Youngs Bay Bridge from Astoria. It's a swampy area alongside the river, so there's a lot of plant life there.

I took this picture from the same location. It's less dramatic, but I like the image and the colors. The clouds were beautiful this evening, and the light was really nice. It was just after 7:30 p.m., so it's clear that the days are getting longer. During winter, it's dark by 5 pm, and in summer, you can still see light in the sky at 10:00. I enjoy the changes we get this far north.

I took this pic just before 7:00 p.m. as I was getting ready to go to the gym. The light had that special quality that told me there could be a really good sunset. You never know what form it will take, but a certain mellow quality in the light and certain moisture in the air usually give interesting results. It's better for ship photos, too, because there's less contrast. Too often, the white "castle" on the ship burns out, and I'm not good enough with the camera controls yet to get it right. When I exposed for the castle in some experiments the other day, the rest of the photo went dark. Anyway, I love this lighting.

Bend: Breakfast and clouds

I worked inside most of the day, so my time outside consisted mostly of breakfast in the morning and clouds at sunset. Both were teriffic. Above is a lighting fixture that looks like a snowball, or something like that. It was homey and comforting inside Nancy P's.

This is about what's left of the snow at the moment. Fun to have around, but not that pretty any more to look at.

Although mostly dry, it's chilly, so breakfast outside didn't seem to appealing. Inside all of the tables were full. One cleared out just at the moment we were ready for it. Perfect. And then I worked on web pages for the gift shop most of the day making changes, taking down sold-out items and adding bigger pictures to the page of wooden animal pens. I talked to Sue on the phone, but the connection was worse than usual. It was pouring buckets in Astoria, and she and Barbara both left early. It was already flooding in Naselle, where Barbara was headed.

The clouds were so dark and massive against the bright evening sky when Lee and I went out to pick up his car from the body shop where it had been fixed after someone had knocked into it in a parking lot. It was warm coat weather, but not all that cold compared to what it has been here.

I'm always fascinated by lenticular clouds. They form over mountains and have the most wonderful smooth shapes. Sometimes they look like flying saucers. I liked the way this one floated above the dark, heavy clouds below. There's a deep, almost mystical darkness among the trees that counters the brightness of the sky. It's hard to describe. You almost have to crawl into the picture to feel it. Try blowing it up by clicking on it.

This cloud caught my attention. It was enticing. I asked Lee to stop the car. We'd just passed the best viewing spot, but, in socks and sandals, I scrambled up the soggy mud of the embankment near the railroad tracks only to find that trees were in the way. I scrambled down the other side onto the tracks and ran for a bit until there was a clearing and tried to get the best exposure I could. Four pre-teen boys came alongside on bikes, wondering why I was taking pictures of the sky. I told them I liked the colors and the shapes of the clouds and I would put them on my blog. They knew what that was, and we talked about how fast the clouds change, and about the beautiful colors. It tickled me that these kids seemed to relate. In a few years, I thought, they might have none of it. And then the boy in a green shirt who had reached me first said, "I saw a cloud one time that looked like a heart." This was nice. I didn't stay long, though, because I'd left Lee along the roadside when I'd quickly disappeared into the railroad culvert and I didn't want him to worry.

This lovely reflection in a puddle along the roadside was my reward for being out there on foot at this time of day.

Moon and pine. A nice ending for the day.

Or maybe this is the end. Taken from the parking lot where Lee got his car fixed.

NOTE (January 10, 2009): It seems that some of the most disturbing parts of the law that I'm ranting about below have been changed, but it remains to be seen what happens with the rest of it, and how much was actually changed, how much will be enforced, etc. I have not read the law yet, it's just what little I've heard on the news. Here goes:

OK now, totally changing the subject here - an unfortunate end to a post filled with pretty clouds. There's something I should be talking about because it was in the news today and will affect so, so many people, virually everyone. I don't want to say much until I learn more, but I spent a lot of time thinking about it after I'd read an article in the Bend Bulletin this morning. On February 10th, there will be a new, much stricter and probably very stupid law about testing children's products for lead. Of course kids should be protected from lead poisoning, who wouldn't agree to that? But from what I've heard so far, this law is so far over the top it's hard to believe. Is it true that EVERY product sold for use by a child 12 and under must be tested even though the manufacturing process INVOLVES NO USE OF LEAD? Are we kidding? As of February 10th, they have to test kiddie t-shirts and stuffed animals for lead? With new products, that's expensive and may kill certain types of small business, but the most pathetic waste will occur at the family and craftsperson level. As I understand it, this law will effectively prevent crafters from selling knitted sweaters and blankets for babies and children anywhere - such as on eBay - because it will be illegal to buy or sell clothing and toys that have not been tested or cannot be proven to have been tested for lead for the use of anyone under the age of 12. Who's going to pay to test individual items? Will this law take away major funding sources for charities who rely on donations of clothing for thrift shops and garage sales? I cannot think that the lawmakers would want this if they they had given the consequences a moment's thought. I read that only three US Senators had the courage to vote "No," and Obama abstained. I think I'm still in denial, hoping it's not really going to be that bad, that I've misunderstood it, or that it will go away. What about the many parents and grandparents who buy kids' clothing and toys at thrift shops and garage sales? What about the people who make a few bucks selling their used things at garage sales? What about flea markets? Will a parent really not be able to get a used sweatshirt for 50 cents or a dollar any more? Good god. Regular toy and clothing stores may fare better, because they buy from vendors who can test the products in lots - but prices, already high, will be forced to go up yet again. The provisions sound completely crazy. I'll find out more before I go on a real rant. I hope this is just a bad dream.

November sunset in Astoria

The sunset was blazingly beautiful tonight to the west from our side deck. But ugh! the telphone wires and power lines! I knew there was little time, but I went out the front door and took a picture from the front of our place of the sky over the building at 14th and Commercial (below). Sunlight is magical and the sunrises and sunsets fade so fast.

This photo is not in good focus, but it's that thing I like where the electric lights are seen against a morning or evening sky.

A new year, a journal, and cloud waves over Oregon

Happy New Year! I'd told Kate that I was looking for one of those five-year diaries like I had when I was young. I always seem to find some way to journal (even if it's taking photos rather than writing), and I thought that during these busy years, the limited, organized work spaces would be a good way to go. My gosh, she remembered! I was surprised when I opened the beautiful red five-year diary. Due to my love of writing, we both wondered if it would really satisfy, but she got it for me anyway, and it was gorgeous.

On January 1, I wrote:

"2007. Monday. I woke up in Bend this morning. Lee and I have been here for the week. I did almost nothing but check code on the web site after our demise in Google. We drove home after noon. No celebration of N Year."

That's all there was space for, but it served to mark the dates. My Web site disappeared from Google around December 5th. I won't go into it now. It was a financial disaster. I spent the next month day and night doing anything I had to to fix it.

The drive from Bend to Astoria was mud, mud, mud. Mud over snow.

And then look at this! The sky is leaden, but the clouds are almost singing. I took this one somewhere en route to Astoria, but I don't remember where. I love the waves. There were some even softer waves to the left, but they're buried behind power lines.

Spring storm, Palisade, Colorado

Here it is the end of March already. Not all of the trees have leaves, but the globe willows are glorious in their bright pale green. This is some of the first color in the trees each year. I love it. I love the wonderful contrast between our globe willow, the sky, and the Bookcliffs on a day like today.

These are all taken from our front yard on Milleman Street.

Amazing sky: Palisade, Colorado

Some days you win the jackpot, and this was one of them. What a magnificent storm. All four photos were taken from our house on Milleman Street. Wow.