Me, a Groupie?

After all these years I'm finally going to admit to something silly.  I realized yesterday afternoon that I am a bonafide groupie.  Of whom (or is it who?) you may ask.  Ok, when it comes to gardening, my Gardener Extraordinaire Idol would be Adrian Bloom of Bressingham Blooms fame whose garden, 'Foggy Bottom' has always and ever been an inspiration.  I adore his gardening style even though he doesn't use (any?) rocks in his landscaping.  Mr. Bloom lets his plants speak for themselves without the need for stone in the garden.  He doesn't have a rock obsession.

But there's been another idol in my life since the first of the year that has nothing to do with gardening. 

I came to this realization yesterday when I was out by the road tidying up the flowerbed by the mailbox.  I spotted a 'Karl Foerster' grass I hadn't cut back yet.  Since I'd been cutting grasses back all afternoon, my hands were tired of hacking through the stalks with my Felco.  A quick check of my pockets revealed I had a book of matches on me.   Since it wasn't too windy, I got lazy and tried to light the clump on fire.  At first it didn't catch very well, so I decided to check the mailbox before making another attempt.

 (In case you've never burned grasses in the spring, some ornamental grasses, calamagrostis especially, burn VERY aggressively and very quickly, so NEVER burn them near a building or any other trees or plants you don't want destroyed.)

The grass started to burn and then sputtered out.  I was out of matches, so I opened the mailbox and found a package stuffed inside.  At first I wasn't sure it was mine since our sons still have stuff they mail-order for sent to our house.  But then I saw my name on the address label and I remembered--I had put in an advance order for Leslie's latest workout quite some time ago and here it was!

 I went after that envelope with my Felco pruners like a duck on a June Bug; I had to see the newest addition to my stable of workout DVD's.  There she was, on the cover, looking radiant and beautiful.  She's only four years younger than I am, so why, oh why don't I look like her?  Well, part of my problem is I haven't been doing her workouts for the last 25 years like she has.  Just goes to prove, exercise does a body good.  I've only been following in her "Walk, Walk, Walk"-steps for three months, so maybe there's hope for me?  (But in 25 years, (IF I'm lucky) I will be almost 80.....drat, I started too late!)


While I was reading all about what new moves and miles I was going to have access to with this DVD, the grass I'd tried to light on fire suddenly decided to catch with a mighty flare-up and I had to put Leslie safely back in the mailbox and tend to the blaze.  As soon as the grass was burned down and I made sure it was out, I trotted to the house to take a look at the new DVD.  Yes, that's right, in the middle of the day when I should have been continuing on with my gardening, there I was, perched on my exercise ball in front of the TV listening to Leslie's introduction.

Carl was home by this time and came in from the Formal Garden to see what I was doing. 

"Didn't you exercise already today?" he asked. 

Well, yes, I had, so that was why I was only watching and not walking already.   Hey, I don't want to overdo the exercise, I might waste away.  (Ha, ha...)  This is a really neat DVD with a separate walk for Monday through Friday with strength training and stretches and an option to create your own walk by selecting the miles and other workout routines you would like to do.  Very cool.

50 years old this year, can you believe it??  She motivates me!

This morning I did Friday's walk which is five miles with a stretching floor routine at the end. There are a few new moves in this video, too.  I liked it a lot, but there was just one teeny thing I missed.  Usually Leslie walks with people of all ages and body types.  This time the walkers were all young--- as in not yet 30, heck, maybe not even 20, and they are all very, very fit.  I know that's what everyone should aim for, but I did feel like a geriatric ol' granny flapping around my living room.  I cringed thinking how much I'd stick out on this video if they suddenly plopped me into the group.  There wouldn't be any place to hide, they're all way too thin.  Oh well, I kept up fairly well and was, as usual, drenched in sweat at the end of the hour.  Funny how the time has flown, I don't feel very old, but then I see those young girls working out and I have to face the truth.

I'm as old as dirt. 

Last weekend, a local band that used to play rock and roll in the 70's was playing in our small town.  I had heard from a few high school friends who were headed out to dance so I decided to go, too.

Normally, I'm too chicken to do this sort of thing.  

 

   The band looked as I expected for three guys who are probably nearer to 60 than to 50 and they played well.  Trouble is, I never heard them play back in the 70's because for some reason or other, Carl and I just didn't go to bars back in the day unless there was a wedding or something.   I invited Ann to come along with me.  Carl opted to stay home and solder on the Laburnum lamp.  He would have hated it anyway.  He did offer to lend both of us earplugs before we left and we should have taken him up on it. What the band lacked in youth, they made up for in decibels.  See, I AM old.......does it have to be THAT loud?

Ann and I went to the dance and it was fun; we danced a few songs and then went on home by 11PM.  I've come to the grateful realization that I am not a rock 'n roll groupie.  I had no urge to climb over the railing separating us from the band and accost them as they tried to play.  There was one lady my age who was extremely enthusiastic about them, though.   She was either trying to get over the railing or was practicing a ballet move, I'm not sure which.  After a struggle, she managed to get her leg off the railing and remained on the dance floor.

See, that's how I look when I'm exercising, not a real pretty sight.  That's why it's a good thing I can Walk At Home. 

I don't want to scare my chickens.

   Some things cannot be Un-seen. 

And I'm a groupie of Leslie's, I'll admit it.  She has nothing to fear from me, though, I won't stalk her.  I'll just keep walk, walk, walking as long as I can.  (It's easier now, I've 'misplaced' 21 pounds so far.  I just hope it doesn't find me again!)