Back To Our Normal Routine

Our bodies and minds are slowly returning to normal.  Mentally and physically we were very fatigued.  Today we saw our standard routine working its magic.

The sunsets are from other times and places, but seem somehow
 appropriate at the end of the year.

Gene and I are both people who function best with a schedule.  We get up and go to bed at the same time each day.  We go about our tasks, whether chores or for pleasure, at about the same time every day.  Our meals are at regular times and we generally eat a low fat, high fiber diet.  If any part of this routine is disrupted, especially over a period of days, our bodies begin to complain.  Those complaints are usually manifested in some type of digestive distress.  Gene’s stomach has been hurting for several days and I’ve had acid reflux, but the most serious issue is Gene’s blood pressure.  While we were out yesterday, he checked his blood pressure at one of those do it yourself machines in the pharmacy.  It was way too high.  We’re guessing it’s due to all the extra stress plus the yummy, but rich foods we’ve been eating during the holidays.

Yesterday, we’ve started on a low fat, low sodium, high fiber diet and gotten back into the exercise routine, as well.  Already, we’re both feeling better.

For our exercise, which really helps clear the cobwebs out of our minds, we went just around the corner to Beaman Park.  It’s a nice little park, but it isn’t our favorite in town.  It is, however, very convenient and since we have been driving back and forth across the county every day this week, we wanted something close.  It was cloudy and windy, but the temperatures were a little above normal making for a very pleasant day for hiking.  Apparently, others thought so, as well.  We saw more people on the trail today than we normally do.  Maybe everybody’s trying to work off those extra holiday calories.

We had a bit of sad news today.  We heard this morning that one of my uncles passed away yesterday.  John was in a nursing home in Spartanburg, South Carolina.  His death was no unexpected, but it’s sad nonetheless.

Our weather forecast for tomorrow looks about like today--cloudy and windy with a slight chance of rain, but the temperatures will be on the warm side.  We’re going to take advantage of the weather and help my folks take down the outside Christmas decorations and take the tree to the tree collection center.  Their house always looks very festive, but it sure is a lot of work to get everything put away after the party is over.

I think that’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.