Working Out

I don't know how many of you know this, but in April, 2004, just before we moved to Utah, I crashed my Honda Shadow motorcycle. I had to get about 15 stitches in my elbow and I totally tore all the muscles in my lower back. Since then I have had severe back pain every day. At times it is difficult to walk. I went to the doctor in 2006 and they told me the only thing I could do for my back was exercise and rebuild the muscles. At the time I thought, "Yeah, right! Cristie Roach and exercise in the same sentence doesn't compute." Anyway, in May, 2008, I tore the meniscus in my left knee. It took about 6 months to heal where walking wasn't painful. In March, 2009, I tore the meniscus in my right knee. It is just now healed, although, high heels are still painful and I only where them on special occasions. Again, exercise was mentioned to strengthen the muscles in my knees. Yeah, right! Anyway, about three weeks ago, I finally joined the gym a block away from my work. It costs $10 a month and it has an amazing amount of workout machines. I went three times last week. I am walking a mile a day and working on my core muscles and knee muscles. I actually enjoy it. I plan on working out four days this next week. I am meeting with the trainer there to make sure the exercises I am doing are correct. It should be interesting.

I have to share my first day experience with you. So here I am walking on the treadmill with an incline of 2.0 and a speed of 3.0/mph. Working up a sweat. This lady gets on the treadmill next to me and starts running. Not jogging. Running. She runs for a good 15 minutes at this pace. I would have been dying. A guy walks up to her and starts talking and she can actually carry on a conversation. Not breathless or anything. It was truly amazing. Then I hear the guy ask her about any marathons she has run lately. That explained it. I finished my mile and she was still running. My hat is off to her. Maybe one day I can get to that point ... maybe not.

I will keep you posted on my progress.

QUILTING and DEATH

There have been a lot of recent deaths around me (a 38-year old coworker, a 28-year old parent of a client) and close calls with loved ones (Tara's stroke and Mr. Roach's heart attack), so I have been thinking alot about death and dying and what is after and what is left behind. I have thought alot about what we leave behind. There are memories, but they can fade. There are pictures, but unless you are vigilant, sometimes they are just pictures, nothing more. There are children and what an amazing legacy that can be. But what about my grandkids, yet to be born. And their children? If I was to pass, would they know me? So, I came up with the idea to make quilts. A tangible object that my family could wrap themselves in and talk about Gammy Roach and how much she loved them.

This led to my obsessive behavior and I have now "planned" about 20 quilts. Crazy, I know. Planning involves creating the pattern, purchasing the material and cutting the squares. I still need to buy a sewing machine, but I am almost ready to start. I have some baby quilts, some really pretty adult quilts, some rag quilts, a variety.

I have also decided to do a memory/family tree quilt for the Palmer family reunion next year. I have the quilt design planned and have asked Donna to set aside some of Grandma's clothes to use as quilting squares. It should be pretty cool. I also have some baby quilts planned for all the wee ones that will be there next year. And possibly one adult rag quilt with a cowboy theme.

Has anyone else ever felt this way?