Ideas, Insights,& Intuitions

Why would any intelligent person–especially one with a scientific background–believe in astrology? Because it’s fun. And because when it tells me something that I have to admit is right, it is fascinating. Astrology is a mix of science and art. The science consists of mathematical calculations to determine the exact positions of the sun, moon, and planets, and often a few more optional heavenly bodies, at an exact sidereal time (if possible) in relation to the latitude, longitude, and horizon of a person’s birthplace. Then the angles formed by these bodies and points to each other are calculated. The art consists of interpretation of these placements and their relationships to each other.

I studied astrology intensely for a few years about four decades ago. I cast horoscopes for everyone I knew or met, and for important events. It helped me to understand some people better, I thought, and helped to account for the intense attractions I felt for a few people, as well as why I had problems with them. I still have a current Ephemeris.

When I discovered that Venus, by progression, went retrograde in my chart when I was in my 40^th year, and did not turn direct again until my 80^th year, I was saddened. I thought it meant I was doomed to a failed and unhappy love life. And it does appear that it was not my destiny to find enduring happiness with one person for life. But I have had some relationships that I will never forget, and some that transformed into something better.

I was meant to live the most productive years of my life alone, and once I got used to it, I liked it. Still do!

 Anyway, getting back to retrograde Mercury, the planet appeared to stop and start going backward in relation to Earth on May 27, when it was in 21º of Gemini. It will continue its “retrograde” motion until June 20 when it “stops” in 13º of Gemini and starts forward or “direct” motion again. Traditionally this warns against making important decisions, signing contracts, or completing transactions if they can be postponed. It also gives a chance to study pending deals that have gotten “hung up” or delayed by red tape so that corrections can be made or decisions can be reversed if it seems wise.

 Retrograde Mercury has been blamed for troubles with communications, scheduling and keeping appointments, mail delivery, and traffic congestion. Anything having to do with cell phones and messages might also be affected. Certain things can be misplaced, too. If a person was born in the Sign of Gemini or Virgo, Mercury retrograde can be especially potent.

Let me tell you about my experience! Three separate problems fell into place within days of each other, as Mercury was slowing.

1) Non-receipt by mail of a supposedly delivered birthday present I had sent to my daughter (who is a Gemini native.)

2) I lost an uncashed check.

3) There was a charge on my doctor’s bill that I did not owe.

The first one required tracking the delivery record of the package and suggesting that it may have been delivered when she was not at home, and taken back to the Post Office.

The second problem cost me considerable time searching through my purse, car, and even the check images from last Sunday’s collection at my church (in case I dropped it in the plate by mistake), and calling the person who wrote the check to see if I had left it there (I had not.)

The charge on the doctor’s bill was resolved immediately when I called, receipts and copious documentation in hand, and was told that insurance had paid the amount… today!

My daughter got her package. And yesterday I picked up a Post-it note stuck to a piece of note paper with a website address on it, under my coffee cup on the computer desk…and folded in the notepaper was the check I had put in my pocket with the note!

Oh, and I also opened a bag in a stack of stuff that I wanted to rearrange, and found the orange Poof foam ball that I misplaced months ago–again, today!

How, we might ask, did that happen?

Uh…Jupiter trine natal Neptune in Virgo; Uranus opposing Neptune; Aquarius Moon opposing my natal Moon, which opposed natal Jupiter in Aquarius; and Saturn transiting Virgo, opposing Venus, maybe??? LOL! Round and round we go!

This week I maintained a program of 5/15/5. This means that I pedal on average at 7 mph for 5 minutes to warm up, then increase to about 9.5 mph for 15 minutes, and cool down by pedaling the last 5 minutes at 6-7 mph. I left the tension knob set at a ½ turn to give a small amount of resistance, as if I were climbing a slight grade. I also kept the radio playing beside me to make the time seem to pass more quickly.

This allowed me to “travel” a daily average of 3.503 miles, or 21.02 miles total. I also burned a daily average of 315.67 calories, or 1894 total. That’s almost 2 days’ allowance of food on my 1,000-cal. Diet! So why am I still stuck on 221 lbs.??????????

However, another problem has appeared. I am experiencing extreme stiffness and hip and knee weakness with transient pain around those joints when I stand from having sat or reclined for more than just a few minutes. Although it feels at first like I may not be able to stand or walk without a cane, it very quickly goes away if I perform a few straight-leg kicks to the side and back. I did not have this problem until I increased the hi-sp segment to 15 minutes, So I am thinking that I should go back to 10 minutes next week and see if the problem reverses.

If it does not, I will have to think of another way to relieve this stiff, weak feeling (which may be coming from my lower back nerves.) I think I need to continue riding the bike, since I have had so many good results from this exercise.

For your entertainment: click on the link below and enjoy a short video that I saw on the Kim Komando site. (Don’t wait too long!)

Computer illiterate coworkers

Posted using ShareThis

MONDAY—This week I tried to start earlier, since temps have reached 80F by 11:30 AM. I started out at last week’s rate of 20 minutes total (10 minutes in the hi-sp segment.) On that program, I was able to pedal for a distance of 2.82 mi. and burn 254 calories. Later in the day I performed Lower Extremity Active Range of Motion exercises (LE AROM). These involve the joints and muscles of the hips, knees, and ankles.

Note: I can tell that I have achieved some conditioning. But I have to remind myself to take some deep breaths! I normally breathe at ~4 per minute!;-)

TUESDAY—I cranked up the resistance to ½ turn of the knob, and found that I could not easily pedal at 10 mph. My speed range changed to 6.5/9.5. I ‘travelled’ only 2.7 mi. and burned only 244 calories. I found my thigh muscles burning in the middle of the hi-sp segment, but they recovered in the last 2 min. Later, I performed my Foam Ball presses.  (See previous post.)

WEDNESDAY—I got a late start and it was 82F with only a light breeze stirring the humid air. (I was tired from grocery shopping and errands Tuesday.) So my distance and calorie count were off a bit. Later that evening, I got out the Fitball and managed to get down on my knees on a thick pillow, so that I could lie prone on the ball and perform my neck, shoulder, back, and hip extensions. (I did not expect it to be so awkward and difficult getting onto my knees and then getting back to standing after this exercise. Care needed to be taken at my age, but I didn’t expect it to still be so  hard! Ten years ago I had no problem with this.)

THURSDAY—This day I got started at 10. It was already 78F and calm, but I  was able to extend the hi-sp seg. to 12 minutes, making the total time 22 minutes! Speed was 7-9.5, but I travelled 3.05 mi. and burned 275 calories. PM exercise was Foam Ball presses.

FRIDAY—We had a good rain Thursday night, and Friday broke cool and comfortable. It was only 70F at 9:40. I found it possible to maintain the 12 minute hi-sp seg for a 22 minute total @ ½ turn of the tension knob. I actually ended up at 22:40 min. for a distance of 3.12 mi. and burned 281 calories. I went to a movie with friends in the afternoon, and my exercise consisted of walking what seemed like a block from the far end of the parking lot to the theater; then back again after the movie. Only 6 weeks ago I was huffing and puffing, and actually experiencing some chest pain under the same conditions. This day, I was breathing faster, but I was also walking faster with longer strides, and the effort was not causing me any distress! I can’t think of a better reason to keep it up!

SATURDAY—A great way to end the week!  Total time was 22:25 min., speed was 7/9.5-9.8 mph, distance was 3.2 mi., and 288 calories were burned.

SUNDAY—Day of rest! It may be time to start short walks next week.

When I worked as a Physical Therapist Assistant for Home Health agencies, I usually had elderly patients who were chronicaly ill or disabled. In some cases, they did not have use of one or more extremities. The first exercise tool that I was told to issue to the patient–and instruct them in its use–was a wide elastic band which could be used for resistance in range-of-motion exercises to strengthem the muscles. While I could get pretty creative in finding different ways to use the elastic band, there were still muscle groups that could not be addressed, especially by one person working alone.

Then I found a simple toy ball 7″ in diameter, formed of a synthetic rubber foam, and not hardened on the outside. It was made by Poof-Slinky™, and meant to be harmless when thrown or squeezed by children. After handling one of these for a few minutes, I realized that it could be used by extremely weak individuals, even those confined to bed. And, of course, it could be thrown between 2 or 3 people to improve coordination. I began to use these in my therapy, and was soon ordering them from the company in case lots, and selling them to the families I visited for what I paid for them. Below are some of the ways to use the Poof™ ball:

Pushing down on the ball in seated or semi-reclining position, using only the arms, is amazingly effective in activating the abdominal muscles. If they are very weak, the abdomen will push outward at first. After some strength is gained, the abdomen will move inward with the exercise.

The ball is also useful in loosening and strengthening stiff neck muscles: sitting in a high-back chair, the person places the ball behind the head and pushes back against it with his head. There are more ways to use the ball–I have found at least 25 different muscle groups that can be helped in this gentle way.

I found my first Poof™ ball at Wal-Mart, but it is not always easy to find one. I had to use a Poof™ football, which is much firmer, when I restarted my exercises recently. Online you may be able to purchase one or more from Poof-Slinky™ at retail cost ($5 plus shipping the last time I checked.) They run about $3 at Wal-Mart if you can find them.

During this past week, I have increased the duration of my hi-speed segment from 8 to 10 minutes, and the total time I pedal the bike during a daily session from 18 to 20 minutes. The speed at which I pedal does not change so much–I start the warmup at 5 or 6 mph and usually settle at 7 or 8 mph during the cool-down (5 min. each). I had been doing 10-10.5 mph consistently during the hi-speed segment, but cranking up the resistance about a quarter-turn has made it uncomfortable to maintain more than 9.5.

Stats Averages:

Time: 20 min.

Speed: 7-9.5 mph

Distance: 2.8 mi.

Calories: ~240

  Knowing that I am not going to make much progress if I continue to sit around most of the day after I’ve done the bike , I have managed to haul my mass out of the recliner long enough to do a set of one of the following in the afternoon:

1) Arm, leg, and neck extensions x10 while lying prone on a Swiss ball.

2) Standing Active Range of Motion (AROM) to the leg joints x10 each.

3) A set of about 25 different muscle-strengthening exercises resisted with a Poof football (firm foam), plus overhead arm lifts and straight leg lifts using the ball, x10 each. (I will show some illustrations of these in my next post.)

My legs have continued to improve because of the pedaling. I can go most of the week without my compression stockings, and I no longer have the swelling that I used to have in the knee joints. While I still experience general body stiffness after prolonged sitting, it goes away quickly after I start moving around. My walking posture is straighter and I have been able to lengthen my stride.

Sour note: I am still stuck on 221 lbs. But I ate a scoop of scrumptious vanilla ice cream anyway at my Mother’s Day dinner at The Outback!

*Week 6 coming up!!!*

Family and friends who have known me for a long time are aware that I have other sites on the Web, and they have seen my Homepages, my classic movie star fan photos and letters (autographed) that my mother left to me, and my e-novel, Feline Fairy Tales, about 50 pages of text and images.

If you have not seen them, I invite you to click on these links under Blogroll in the PAGES sidebar:

Feline Fairy Tales

My Homepages

Mama’s Classic Movie Star Stuff

Let me know what you think!

Yesterday I completed my 4^th week of stationary bike exercise. I’ve noticed a number of differences in the way I feel–some of them too subtle to describe easily. My knee joints have better range of motion, there is less edema in the lower legs, and I hope that soon my ankles and feet will stop feeling like I am wearing thick sox (I am not diabetic.)

My low back usually loosens up as I ride and feels better all day. I also have better arm strength from pumping the handles. My breathing apparatus (lungs, diaphragm, windpipe) feel sturdier, and my resting blood pressure is usually lower, though I couldn’t say that with any reliable proof, since the wrist monitor I use has given me some highly suspicious readings.

Notable achievements:

1) I am now pedaling for a total time of 18 minutes. I warm up at 5-6 mph, then increase speed to 10 or 11 mph for 7 minutes, and cool down for 6 minutes. It now feels comfortable to cool down at 8 mph.

 2) The distance I “travel” averages 2.5 miles.

3) I burn about 230 calories per session.

Not so notable: I did not lose any weight this past week. I think I must have hit a plateau, or perhaps I have added muscle which weighs more than fat.

 I am still looking for that extra energy that I ought to be feeling, though to be truthful, I don’t think I will find it by sitting around for the rest of the day!

By the time I am able to carry on for 20 minutes, 6 days per week, that will total 2 hours per week. That’s not bad for a nearly 70-year-old. :-) Have started taking the radio outside with me so I can listen to the morning talk shows while I pedal. Great as it is for the cardiovascular system, stationary bike-riding is about as boring as it gets–which is why they have TVs at the gym, right?

Yesterday I made a weekly trip to my local supermarket, having finally accumulated enough items on my list to make the trip worthwhile. I needed cereal, so as I turned into that aisle, I was prepared to search the shelves for a ready-to-eat product as close to natural grain as possible, without sweetening, crunchies, extra flavoring, cute shapes, coloring, or vitamins. I also hoped to find something that was not a “whole grain” that was milled, separated, ground, shaped, then recombined.

Kellogg’s Unfrosted Mini-Wheats comes close. They finally got the message that some people need, or would like to eat, just plain whole-grain cereal for breakfast. Kellogg’s, however, still thinks people need to have vitamins and minerals added to make this a healthful breakfast. (I already take a 5¢ vitamin-mineral pill every day.)

Well, lo and behold! When I rounded the corner of the cereal aisle, there was a new product, all honest and unassuming: bright family-size (20 oz.) boxes of Mom’s Best Naturals Toasted Wheat-fuls–100% whole grain! Sure enough, there was nothing else in this cereal, shaped like spoon-size shredded wheat biscuits. It was preserved with Vitamin E. And when I read the back of the box about how this Northfield, MN, company, family-owned since 1919, purchases 100% of the electricity consumed by the production of their cereal from Windsource® and recycles 99% of the waste in their plant, I was sold!

I took home a box of the Wheat-fuls, and this cereal tastes as good and fresh as I could hope for. I add half a  banana, sliced, and no sugar. They also make a few other types of whole-grain cereals naturally flavored to appeal to children and young adults, and I may try them, too.

 On their website, I found that I could print out a coupon for $1 off on my choice of cereals or instant oatmeal, in exchange for filling out a very short survey.

Read their story and get your coupon at http://www.momsbestnaturals.com.