A New Routine

Labour Day has come and gone - now the fall routine (such as it is) begins. My activity calendar will look a little different from here on in.

Over the past weeks I've heard my 82 year old mother complaining about how bad the streets and sidewalks are in our city. Despite her mobility challenges she likes to get out every day to walk for an hour or so. The horrid conditions of our streets and sidewalks make it extremely difficult and unsafe for her to go for her walks. There were a couple of instances where she thought she was going to fall because the wheels of her walker got caught in cracks and holes.

Last Friday I suggested to Heidi that we invite my mother to join us as our guest at the fitness center we use. So Saturday morning we took her along and she went for an hour long walk around the track. She loved it! The track is level and cushioned making it so much easier for her. She was very enthusiastic when she talked about her experience with my siblings the rest of the weekend.

I contacted all my siblings and asked them what they thought about giving her a one-year membership as a birthday/early Christmas gift. Everyone agreed to pitch in. On the suggestion of one of my siblings I extended an invitation to our kids and our adult nieces and nephew to participate in this gift giving and I received many immediate and enthusiastic responses.

This morning I signed my mom up at the gym. Now I have an extra push to get to the gym and work out because I've committed myself to taking her there every morning. I'm glad of the push because I need to catch up to my wife in losing weight and getting in better shape. Heidi has lost over 60 lbs since the beginning of Feb, 2012. I've got a lot of work to do.

So the focus this fall and winter is to exercise more, lose weight, get healthier, and also continue to work on my writing projects. That, and my other daily activities (Bible reading, meditation, prayer, household chores) should keep me from getting bored. Somewhere in there I need to find time for all the reading I like to do too.

The exercise will also help stave off my usual seasonal descent into depression. I also have to be aware that too much stimulation puts me at risk of slipping towards the manic side of my Bi-Polar Disorder affliction.

Keeping a balance - not one of my strengths. We'll see how it goes.

"There comes a time in the affairs of man 

when he must take the bull by the tail 

and face the situation."

~ W. C. Fields