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Mentor

What's outside of your picture window today?

Posted by John, Volunteer Mentor @johnbishop, Nov 25, 2020

As we get ready for the real winter to show up and COVID-19 still playing a major part in our lives I like to spend moments of my day de-stressing about what's going on in the world today. All I have to do is look out the window and observe some of natures beautiful creatures, how they interact and ponder how small it makes my troubles seem. Sometimes I may even get the opportunity to take a photo or two. How about you? Anything going on outside of your window(s) that you want to share?

For those members that have the ability to size your photos before you upload them to the discussion, may I suggest using the following sizes:
– 500 x 335 pixels (landscape)
– 210 x 210 pixels (square)

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Just Want to Talk Support Group.

ess77 - Elizabeth | @ess77 | Sep 11, 2022
In reply to @loribmt "Hi @hearttoheart1 Summer is quickly turning into autumn in the north woods of Wisconsin. I’m appreciating..." + (show)
@loribmt

Hi @hearttoheart1 Summer is quickly turning into autumn in the north woods of Wisconsin. I’m appreciating the cooler temperatures during the daytime and the crispy nights! Great for sleeping! I know you had an uncharacteristically hot summer across the ocean where you are. I hope you were able to keep cool and enjoy your summer, though I know you’re missing Michale terribly and this had to be a difficult season for you. I would expect that his passion for gardening is still bringing you joy when you see the flowers blooming and the plants growing. They have a way of reminding us of continuance and renewal of life…
I just had to share with you the little surprise I discovered one of my apple trees back home! Ripe apples and blossoms at the same time! What do you make of that!!?? ☺️

Have you been able to visit more with your granddaughters? Do you have any pictures of your garden you’d like to share?

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@loribmt, @hearttoheart1, and all.....
Lori, what a beautiful apple tree. I had a small Grove of cooking apple trees in NC when I was a small girl. Such fond memories of those trees and days.

My son has a cocktail tree on his patio, in the ground. It's about 15' tall, full of bright green leaves, bowing now with growing weight from the fullness of a huge crop of lemon/limes. We normally have lemons and occasional limes. The fruit is large, like a grapefruit, and delicious. I'll get over there later and send a few pics.

We've had heavy rain storms with lightening every afternoon the past week. Our days are now in the 80s, nights in 70s.

I'm attaching aching a couple of my little rescue plant pictures so you can see how they're surviving. I'm still enjoying them immensely.

Please see if you can identify the huge bulbous plant with unusual growth. I thought money tree but not now. Ideas anyone?

I'll send pics of the wall planters with succulents. They're doing well. And, the white shell planter with orchids and succulents is doing well. I'm getting some hens and chick's to add to fill it.

Also, an African Violet decided to show off. I must include it.

I'm resting today after a week of ptsd nightmares and life. Still helping my son organize for his life now. That's fun, but he's a trip. Tough guy to work with at times since I get tired easily. But, we're getting good things done.

Florida is nice this time of year if you ĺike rain...and a hurricane or two.
Blessings to all. Elizabeth
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Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Sep 11, 2022
In reply to @callalloo "I think that I finally learned how to resize photographs so I can upload some. Here..." + (show)
@callalloo

I think that I finally learned how to resize photographs so I can upload some. Here is a view outside my window, with Blue Ridge Mountains in the background. A picture of the purportedly largest magnolia tree in North Carolina in the front. And a sign outside the local Health Food Co-op. I don't know what a flying spell is but it sounds amusing.

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Henbane (hyoscyamus niger) is also known as "Black Nightshade" - a potent poison, and ironically unrelated to the "Deadly Nightshade" (atropa belladonna) we were taught to avoid as children. There were medical uses throughout the ages, but while their sign is humorous, I hope no one tries it out thinking it would be a cool trip.

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1 reply
callalloo | @callalloo | Sep 11, 2022
In reply to @sueinmn "Henbane (hyoscyamus niger) is also known as "Black Nightshade" - a potent poison, and ironically unrelated..." + (show)
@sueinmn

Henbane (hyoscyamus niger) is also known as "Black Nightshade" - a potent poison, and ironically unrelated to the "Deadly Nightshade" (atropa belladonna) we were taught to avoid as children. There were medical uses throughout the ages, but while their sign is humorous, I hope no one tries it out thinking it would be a cool trip.

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Luckily the store selling it won't sell it to someone without confirming that the person really understands the plant and knows that it is toxic. But I still would like to know what a flying spell is, LOL.

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1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Sep 11, 2022
In reply to @kilh "JK, hi the start of another week. 1.5 miles at one time, I have never done..." + (show)
@kilh

JK, hi the start of another week. 1.5 miles at one time, I have never done that my legs would never get me home. This is probably something I should be doing for my heart. I have not been able to start cardio rehab yet but hopefully, through Mercy Virtual, I get to talk to a PT for some home exercises. A dietician for some advice on what to eat to help build muscle and maybe gain some weight and more get up and go. What do you do for exercise at home?

Looking out the car window on the way home this morning, I saw a flock of geese flying south. This seems early, the first day of Fall has not arrived yet. They sure are pretty to watch their flight. KLH

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@kilh
As I commented, I have cut back on my walking. I will not walk on my street. As soon as I walk out my driveway I either have to go left and up a hill or right and down a hill which of course means to get back I will be going up. Hills bother me.

In NH they took unused railroad routes, took the tracks up, and paved them. It is all over the state, sometimes there are breaks in the continuity but it goes for many miles. It's flat of course because railroad tracks were flat and it's generally through pretty wooded areas so very pleasant. Find a good place to walk, your own street if it's flat, and just start out with five or 10 minutes and go from there. I try to walk briskly so it will be cardio but yesterday I was just trying to accomplish it because my legs have been hurting so my HR never got up as far as 90.

I use a lot of YouTube videos for exercise at home. There are many that I like and they come in all different levels and some use weights. You can use weights as light as water bottles. If you go to YouTube and search for these they will come up and then you can hit the "subscribe" link and you will get the new ones whenever they are available.
My favorite YouTube videos are:
~Jenny McClendon - she has older videos plus newer ones that you have to pay $10 a month to subscribe to. She did just actually add one to the free ones too. She was a physical therapist so she knows what you should be doing to be safe.
~Senior Fitness by Meredith
~Silver Sneakers
~Joanna M -- she does senior videos. I haven't used her recently.
~Denise Austin -- I am not a big fan of hers but she does have some good, brief videos.
~Annie Murtagh -- she has a lot of brief videos using light weights.
~Shellea Fowler (Fabulous 50s) She does not show her credentials anywhere so I do some of her short videos but I don't feel 100% comfortable with what she knows. She also seems to think she's an authority on how you should dress and many other areas.

There's yoga ones, pilates, dance, anything you want.

I like the videos that are 10-15 minutes, I find I get bored if they are longer than that, although the ones that are Tabata can generally keep my interest. Tabata is doing high intensity for a short time followed by a brief rest time. One of the ones I like does 40 seconds of exercise followed by 20 seconds of rest. It follows 9 different exercises, and each exercise is repeated 8 times.

Good Luck with finding some that you enjoy. There really is something for everyone out there.
JK

REPLY
2 replies
Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Sep 11, 2022
In reply to @callalloo "Luckily the store selling it won't sell it to someone without confirming that the person really..." + (show)
@callalloo

Luckily the store selling it won't sell it to someone without confirming that the person really understands the plant and knows that it is toxic. But I still would like to know what a flying spell is, LOL.

Jump to this post

Purely a guess, but it is hallucinogenic - if it doesn't kill you...

REPLY
kilh | @kilh | Sep 11, 2022
In reply to @contentandwell "@kilh As I commented, I have cut back on my walking. I will not walk on..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@kilh
As I commented, I have cut back on my walking. I will not walk on my street. As soon as I walk out my driveway I either have to go left and up a hill or right and down a hill which of course means to get back I will be going up. Hills bother me.

In NH they took unused railroad routes, took the tracks up, and paved them. It is all over the state, sometimes there are breaks in the continuity but it goes for many miles. It's flat of course because railroad tracks were flat and it's generally through pretty wooded areas so very pleasant. Find a good place to walk, your own street if it's flat, and just start out with five or 10 minutes and go from there. I try to walk briskly so it will be cardio but yesterday I was just trying to accomplish it because my legs have been hurting so my HR never got up as far as 90.

I use a lot of YouTube videos for exercise at home. There are many that I like and they come in all different levels and some use weights. You can use weights as light as water bottles. If you go to YouTube and search for these they will come up and then you can hit the "subscribe" link and you will get the new ones whenever they are available.
My favorite YouTube videos are:
~Jenny McClendon - she has older videos plus newer ones that you have to pay $10 a month to subscribe to. She did just actually add one to the free ones too. She was a physical therapist so she knows what you should be doing to be safe.
~Senior Fitness by Meredith
~Silver Sneakers
~Joanna M -- she does senior videos. I haven't used her recently.
~Denise Austin -- I am not a big fan of hers but she does have some good, brief videos.
~Annie Murtagh -- she has a lot of brief videos using light weights.
~Shellea Fowler (Fabulous 50s) She does not show her credentials anywhere so I do some of her short videos but I don't feel 100% comfortable with what she knows. She also seems to think she's an authority on how you should dress and many other areas.

There's yoga ones, pilates, dance, anything you want.

I like the videos that are 10-15 minutes, I find I get bored if they are longer than that, although the ones that are Tabata can generally keep my interest. Tabata is doing high intensity for a short time followed by a brief rest time. One of the ones I like does 40 seconds of exercise followed by 20 seconds of rest. It follows 9 different exercises, and each exercise is repeated 8 times.

Good Luck with finding some that you enjoy. There really is something for everyone out there.
JK

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The railroad track sounds wonderful. I walk out of the house to a gravel driveway (not very steady yet) and then onto a chat road that needs grading badly, with a lot of ruts. It is not wide and everyone drives too fast down the road. They do not slow down if you are walking and usually they are driving in the center of the road. It can be scary. The other way is to walk out to the big barn and make a loop coming out the east driveway and you are on the county road. Then it is a short walk to the house. Going that way is gravel, dirt, grass, and weeds. Not easy walking on. Then I have to use a cane so I do not lose my balance and fall. Nothing flat around here. I have been walking in the yard now that the grass is mowed. Oh, the joys of living the good old country life which is great but to for walking or running. Walking slow pace is my speed right now.
I would like to do Silver Sneakers but our supplement does a different program. If accepted it has a fee. The YMCA offers it and that is not far. Something to look into. ECHO over and 12 lead EKG tomorrow. Sure hope there are things that I can finally have done. KLH

REPLY
1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Sep 11, 2022
In reply to @kilh "The railroad track sounds wonderful. I walk out of the house to a gravel driveway (not..." + (show)
@kilh

The railroad track sounds wonderful. I walk out of the house to a gravel driveway (not very steady yet) and then onto a chat road that needs grading badly, with a lot of ruts. It is not wide and everyone drives too fast down the road. They do not slow down if you are walking and usually they are driving in the center of the road. It can be scary. The other way is to walk out to the big barn and make a loop coming out the east driveway and you are on the county road. Then it is a short walk to the house. Going that way is gravel, dirt, grass, and weeds. Not easy walking on. Then I have to use a cane so I do not lose my balance and fall. Nothing flat around here. I have been walking in the yard now that the grass is mowed. Oh, the joys of living the good old country life which is great but to for walking or running. Walking slow pace is my speed right now.
I would like to do Silver Sneakers but our supplement does a different program. If accepted it has a fee. The YMCA offers it and that is not far. Something to look into. ECHO over and 12 lead EKG tomorrow. Sure hope there are things that I can finally have done. KLH

Jump to this post

@kilh The railroad tracks, called the "Rail Trail" really is great. I love it. There is not supposed to be anything on it that has a motor but bikes can use it. The pictures are of a section I used to use but right now I have to go to a different section due to road work being done there.

Silver Sneakers has videos on YouTube. You don't have to be a member or anything like that, you can subscribe free. I do not qualify for membership either. I think just the Medicare Advantage plans have that benefit but regular Medicare works better for me.
JK
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carolc66 | @carolc66 | Sep 12, 2022

these are such uplifting posts to read. Out my window are lots of deer, eating my plants and trying to fatten up for winter.
Does anyone else grow Grecian Roses? My friend, who also has cancer, gave me some starter plants and they have spread all over my garden. they are delightful plants with beautiful yellow flowers in the early summer.
It is a bit of a struggle every day to stay cheerful but I keep very active. I will be starting treatments for my NET soon and I don't know what that will leave me feeling like but I hope to carry on.
I am alone some of the time so I try to fill every day with some "friend" activity. I play cards with one group and mahjong with another. which has been a tremendous anxiety breaker.
I also am very active in a service organization. Just try to keep going.
I have been staying off the internet as I don't want to be pulled down into the land of statistics. God is my doctor and He can perform miracles.
I need to get some physical exercise in so I ordered a stationary bike. I live in a cold climate and I wanted to get something that would allow me to exercise all year long. I am going to take JK's advice and watch some youtube videos on yoga, pilates, etc. sounds like a good idea
I am also fasting which is a great way to feel better. I have researched is some and it is beneficial for those people fighting cancer. Does anyone else fast?

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3 replies
Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Sep 12, 2022
In reply to @carolc66 "these are such uplifting posts to read. Out my window are lots of deer, eating my..." + (show)
@carolc66

these are such uplifting posts to read. Out my window are lots of deer, eating my plants and trying to fatten up for winter.
Does anyone else grow Grecian Roses? My friend, who also has cancer, gave me some starter plants and they have spread all over my garden. they are delightful plants with beautiful yellow flowers in the early summer.
It is a bit of a struggle every day to stay cheerful but I keep very active. I will be starting treatments for my NET soon and I don't know what that will leave me feeling like but I hope to carry on.
I am alone some of the time so I try to fill every day with some "friend" activity. I play cards with one group and mahjong with another. which has been a tremendous anxiety breaker.
I also am very active in a service organization. Just try to keep going.
I have been staying off the internet as I don't want to be pulled down into the land of statistics. God is my doctor and He can perform miracles.
I need to get some physical exercise in so I ordered a stationary bike. I live in a cold climate and I wanted to get something that would allow me to exercise all year long. I am going to take JK's advice and watch some youtube videos on yoga, pilates, etc. sounds like a good idea
I am also fasting which is a great way to feel better. I have researched is some and it is beneficial for those people fighting cancer. Does anyone else fast?

Jump to this post

Hi Carol @carolc66, I find these posts uplifting too. I think it's great that you ordered a stationary exercise bike so that you can get the needed exercise in the colder months. I have had one for quite a few years along with a few other inside toys to provide exercise. I do intermittent fasting, mostly to control my weight but also because I fall in the prediabetic category and it helps me limit what I eat and how much. There is another discussion that you might find helpful since you asked about fasting.

-- Low-carb healthy fat living. Intermittent fasting. What’s your why?:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/low-carb-healthy-fat-living-intermittent-fasting-whats-your-why/

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1 reply
Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Sep 12, 2022
In reply to @carolc66 "these are such uplifting posts to read. Out my window are lots of deer, eating my..." + (show)
@carolc66

these are such uplifting posts to read. Out my window are lots of deer, eating my plants and trying to fatten up for winter.
Does anyone else grow Grecian Roses? My friend, who also has cancer, gave me some starter plants and they have spread all over my garden. they are delightful plants with beautiful yellow flowers in the early summer.
It is a bit of a struggle every day to stay cheerful but I keep very active. I will be starting treatments for my NET soon and I don't know what that will leave me feeling like but I hope to carry on.
I am alone some of the time so I try to fill every day with some "friend" activity. I play cards with one group and mahjong with another. which has been a tremendous anxiety breaker.
I also am very active in a service organization. Just try to keep going.
I have been staying off the internet as I don't want to be pulled down into the land of statistics. God is my doctor and He can perform miracles.
I need to get some physical exercise in so I ordered a stationary bike. I live in a cold climate and I wanted to get something that would allow me to exercise all year long. I am going to take JK's advice and watch some youtube videos on yoga, pilates, etc. sounds like a good idea
I am also fasting which is a great way to feel better. I have researched is some and it is beneficial for those people fighting cancer. Does anyone else fast?

Jump to this post

Hello @carolc66

I'm glad that you are developing an at-home exercise program. You might check out some YouTube videos. One of my favorites is, yes2next. There are a variety of videos of different types. Some are just stretching and some are seated exercises. Here is a link to the YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/c/yes2next.

Your stationery exercise bike should be helpful as well. Exercise has a way of helping us physically and emotionally!

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