An Exercise Bonus

     Living the good life as you age depends a lot on keeping moving.  Numerous articles have been written about the value of regular exercise for graceful aging with a better quality of life.  Beyond prolonging life exercise clearly can improve the quality of life.  

    I have a daily routine of exercising.  Because I have a bit of arthritic degeneration in my lower spine, I need to loosen up after a night of rest.  Later in the day I will during the ski season, but other days an hour on the recumbent stationary bike is is order and often yard work or hiking.  Beyond this activity keeping me going, this morning I had a bonus to start my day.  My back loosening exercise upon rising is to sit in a folding chair and bend to touch the floor 100 times.   It is a low stress exercise mostly aimed and getting freer motion.  My chair is oriented to face our open living room.  I am  still waking up so not always very observant.  This morning I was blessed with a remarkable scene.   (See the photo below).   Amazingly the sun was at just the right angle to come in through a window and door and reflect off a desk cover and spotlight my wife's  collection of dancing figures.   A beautiful sight of figures and shadows underlining the grace and athleticism of dancers.  Isn't dancing a great endorsement for the value of exercising?  I only wish I could fulfill the longing of my wife for having a skilled dancing partner.   Oh well, she may not get the skill and grace but I am always trying to improve!

    

    

Remembering Geezers Who Have Passed

     At this stage in my life it seems that too often I am reading the obituaries of my contemporaries.  So far I have been blessed with a long and essentially fortunate life.   As a survivor, I regret that that as I approach the beginning of the new ski season, too many of my companions of the past are now memories of past glory days.

    Recently on of my good friends unexpectedly passed away.  Last winter our geezer friend Phil Dankert was at least an occasional visitor to the slopes.  A retired research librarian, he was a most erudite individual; an avid reader of books our group was passing around!   He also had great wit and could twist almost any conversation into a bit of wry humor.   Over the years there have been dozens of geezers who have been fixtures of our local Greek Peak ski slope.  Each could be identified by their unique style of skiing and and favorite gear.  I am thankful for all their good memories.   Living in the precious present and enjoy each remaining day I believe  is a good goal to strive for as a means of honoring those that have past.   Hopefully I can go on leaving some great memories for my companions at least for a little while longer.