We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Mrs. Salt Water New England's garden. Not sure what the plants are. Deep leaf mulch from last fall, and the black stuff. Very neat. Everything she does is neat and stylish. So are her boats.
It looks to me as if lots of people do weights and cardio on the same days. I never do that, unless you count a little jump rope between lifts to loosen up.
My reasoning is that a weights day calls for at least one (or two days for those over 40) of active muscle recovery, by which I mean just calisthenics or "cardio." That's why I have weights days, "cardio" days, and calisthenics days.
However, if you do cardio and some heavy weights on the same day, do the weights first. If you do them the other way around, you may not have the oomph to move the amount of weight you need to.
42:1 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. 42:2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? 42:3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, "Where is your God?" 42:4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help 42:6 and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 42:7 Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billows have gone over me. 42:8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. 42:9 I say to God, my rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?" 42:10 As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, "Where is your God?" :11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. 43:1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people; from those who are deceitful and unjust deliver me! 43:2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you cast me off? Why must I walk about mournfully because of the oppression of the enemy? 43:3 O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling. 43:4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. :5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Bless the bed that I lie on. The are four corners to my bed, Four angels round my head, One to watch, and one to pray, And two to bear my soul away. Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Two years ago, I wrote about how Connecticut morphed from a low-tax state to a high-tax state. The Nutmeg State used to be an economic success story, presumably in large part because there was no state income tax. But then an income tax was imposed almost 30 years ago and it’s been downhill ever since.
Northwestern CT, and north into the Berkshires of Massachusetts, is one of the most charming antique parts of the USA. Rolling wooded hills, more horse farms than real farms (but still some of those). A fair share of elegant country estates. People there fuss about their gardens, are civically-engaged. It's not tattoo-land.
I'm talking about the area from Great Barrington MA down through Salisbury CT, Kent CT, Litchfield, Washington, Warren, Goshen, Woodbury, Southbury, etc. Perfect semi-rural villages, each with its dominating Congo church.
We visited the Hollister gardens again this weekend. I like the way that even their formal gardens are not manicured - sort-of random but always with good structure, good garden architecture.
Over the years, I think I have grown weary of the vegetable gardening hobby. It was more fun when the kids were young, and learned from it. Some of my pals have wonderful and attractive vegetable gardens, but it can become just a chore. I just focus on tomatoes for now. Too many other fun things to do on weekends, not to mention social duties. I focus more on shrub borders, perennial borders. I'd rather mow a meadow on a tractor, with a cold beer or two and a ceegar, than hoe a vegetable garden.
To each his or her own, I guess. I have my eye on a rural property in Litchfield County with a pond, a trout stream, meadows, and woodlands. Antique farmhouse, barns, and cottage. Trouble is, we never seem to have free weekends.
Where we planted my dear brother-in-law's ashes on Saturday afternoon, in the family churchyard next to my parents. Typical of the Bird Dog family, his widow's first words: "Let's make this quick, everybody, cuz I'm paying the gravedigger by the hour." We all got an F in Solemnity class.
Damn, I miss that good guy, and will miss him terribly in Cape Cod this summer. Navy vet, outdoor-lover, running buddy, fishing buddy, beer-drinking buddy, body-surfing buddy, hiking buddy, farm work buddy. Always up for anything energetic or challenging. Wry, dry humor.
It sucks, as my sister says. Yep. Happy trails, Uncle Bob, and maybe catch ya later in the great unknown.
We took my father in law out for dinner yesterday to our favorite Italian joint. I had two appetizers for supper (I often like to do that): Carpaccio, and the steamed PEI mussels in Green Harissa.
Well, that harissa/mussel broth was the tastiest new flavor I've tasted in a year. Wow. Luckily for me, there was no cilantro in it (I am among those for whom cilantro tastes like gasoline).
There are many variations on Green Harissa - you can google them. It's not meant to be overly hot, just tangy. As best I can tell, this one contained jalapenos, garlic, mint, scallions, black pepper, salt, flat-leaf parsley, olive oil, lemon zest, a little sugar. Some water. No spices, because the mussel broth had plenty of good flavor. Mix raw in blender or immersible blender.
For vegetables or fish, you might want to use some of the spices the recipes suggest.
Countless workout fads have come along since the heyday of Jazzercise: Tae Bo, Pilates, Zumba, boxing, spinning, pole dancing. And yet Jazzercise persists
Readers know that we recommend scheduling two hours of calisthenics/week as part of a balanced fitness program (ie resistance, cardio, and calisthenics).
Calisthenics are for athleticism, generally addressing a mix of cardio, balance, agility, speed, endurance, without much focus on strength. While playing basketball or doing martial arts count as calisthenics, most of us do calisthenics routines in the gym, preferably in fitness classes, or on our own. The classes are more intense, thus better, I feel.
Because my class sched changed, here's what I did on my own this morning as an example:
- 10-minute elliptical warm-up - 30-sec sprints, and 60-sec recoveries. Sweat. - 1st rotation of 3 rounds: Pushups, pullups, Roman Chair leg lifts, elbow planks, jump rope, squat and holds - 2nd rotation of 3 rounds: Kettlebell swings, heavy ball squat and throws, "bicycles", rower - 60-sec sprints
I have another rotation list with which I alternate the above list when needed, just keeping the pushups, jump rope, and pullups. (List #2 includes other things like lunges, farmer walks, step ups, box jumps, mountain climbers, inclined pulls, etc). These things are good and semi-fun complements to my other things.
Do our readers incorporate calisthenics in their fitness routines and, if so, what do you do?
Theater of Dreams: 
8 Fun (and Possibly Dangerous) Activities Enjoyed by Past Generations
We took my father in law out for dinner yesterday to our favorite Italian joint. I had two appetizers for supper (I often like to do that): Carpaccio, and the steamed PEI mussels in Green Harissa.
Budweiser's Father's Day campaign 
Readers know that we recommend scheduling two hours of calisthenics/week as part of a balanced fitness program (ie resistance, cardio, and calisthenics).
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