Yes. Stinks. Not only that, but if I skip my work-outs my body feels sore. And if I do my work-outs my body may also feel sore. 😂 I'm not sure how to actually 'win' this race. I think it simply becomes a journey of ups and downs, and hopefully the ups outweigh the downs.

What kind of tick remover do you have to use for humans and animals? I see a few different types available on-line. I'm not positive which type is the easiest and most effective to use.

With all the added excitement of a hospital visit yesterday, and the nausea from the meds, I missed completing my yoga and push-ups. I did play some volleyball, tennis and walk the dog, though. I tried to do a few push-ups in the evening, but my arms were already exhausted from the ball games. So I'm back to my regular routine today.

Welcome! That's great you are building in healthy habits to your daily routine. It's amazing how over time a regular 'dose' of healthy eating and physical activity can improve quality of life. Sounds like you've already put in place several key elements. The tricky part can be to keep doing them for the long-term. That's where I find it essential to have other people I can connect with to share the achievements and struggles. This thread is a great place for that!

Do you also have Lyme disease with some of your ticks? Glad your shoulder is back to normal! Wonderful your weight is doing well. I will look for pre-treated clothing as well. Ticks are pretty new in our area, plus our weather has still been quite cold, so I've not been thinking tick prevention. Now I need to start! Home-made pizza is the best! Glad you are able to enjoy this treat.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!! Hope you have a wonderful day. @Laura Corin Great job with your walking and yoga! @IvyInFlorida So glad the nausea is passing and the excitement is building! 😄 @Monica_in_Switzerland Yay on the running! Don't stress too much with the food. It will all work out. You are doing great things! @soror Hope the painting is all finished and you are able to enjoy the finished product. Bad news: I woke up and discovered a tick and bite on my hip this morning. Dd managed to remove most of it, but I had to go into the ER to get the remaining bit removed and get a shot of antibiotics. All is good now. Good news: Our Home Depot opened back up and we were able to buy more paint, so we'll be back on track soon. I've been getting in my daily hiking and backyard ball sports.

If you ever get a chance to swim using a swim mask, try it. Your nose is covered, so you never have to worry about water going up the nose. The visibility you get with the large glass area is also fantastic. Put on some flippers to speed around fast with little effort (flutter kick, no arm action needed), and you are set. Using a snorkel to breath is optional, and this is actually the most challenging piece of the snorkel ensemble. You can use mask and flippers in a swimming pool and simply check out the bottom of the pool, or venture into a lake. Costco often sells adult and youth sets for very reasonable prices. They are a lot of fun to play around with. I'd forgotten how much fun it is, and I'll have to pick up a couple sets this spring. 😀 https://www.costco.ca/body-glove-youth-snorkel-set.product.100530547.html

EEK!! It's snowing this morning! There is already 2 inches of snow on the ground covering up the volleyball court. It just doesn't seem fair, when the leaves were just starting to pop out and the temps were getting warm. Oh well, I'm sure it won't stay on the ground very long. It is a shock waking up to, though. My plan was to go for a nice long hike in the woods with a friend this afternoon, but I'm not sure whether we are up for it. I'll keep on with my indoor push-ups and yoga.

Ice cream and chocolate sounds wonderful! Glad you're feeling better today. How are things in your region? Are things opening back up again?

My mother was a non-swimmer until she took lessons when my younger sister was born. She never felt super comfortable in the water, but, like you, she always made the effort to expose us kids to swimming and other water activities. I have so much admiration for adults such as yourself who conquer the fear of being in the water and learn to swim. I know that it is not easy at all. I have taught some adult learn-to-swim classes. Congratulation to you! You've come a long way, and who knows what you'll be able to handle in a few years. You could well end up snorkeling in some crystal clear water with your children, or simply playing a game of volleyball in the water with them. ☺️

Exactly! Dh and I are doing the same thing with volleyball. Yesterday was 'my day' and he took a rest. Today it's his turn. When the pools open up, you could do swimming with your dd. No sure if she is swimming yet, but age 4 is a wonderful age to learn to love playing in the water. There are sometimes Parent and tot classes, or you can simply play in the water with her during public/family swim times. Thanks so much for the sweet potato recipe! I do have some Asian spices, so hopefully I can include most of the essential ingredients.

My dd19 was teaching music to young children. She had to stop teaching for the last 2 months. The student were too young for on-line learning. Hopefully she'll be able to continue teaching again soon.

I got asked to play some volleyball with my boys yesterday. Too hard to say no, so we played until the ball went over the fence (about 30 min). I'm delighted that my body seems to be adjusting to this activity! I'm not sore. I also played a little tennis, went for a couple dog walks and a short bike ride. Our city is relaxing the rules about park use now. Sadly, tennis courts are still closed. ☹️ The kids can play soccer, though, so that's a bonus. What's your favourite recipe using sweet potatoes? I have 2 I want to make a sweet treat with. I'm debating making a sweet potato pie.

You may not be the first person annoyed by this situation. 🤪 I found this on Amazon. People will do weird things. I can't imagine picking up the lid off someone else's garbage can and depositing my dog's poop there. https://www.amazon.com/Please-Poop-Bags-Trash-Sticker/dp/B00IMM4X8I

I probably wouldn't even have noticed. We store our garbage cans outside, so wouldn't be bothered by the smell. You could avoid this by bringing you garbage cans back to your house right after garbage collection. Then there is no temptation for others to use the cans.

No worries at all. I'm really glad you enjoy swimming. It's so much fun. There are so many thing one can do in the water to keep things interesting, it's just not always possible during lane swim or public swimming with a pool full of people. I learned some synchronized swimming and diving, which are still a lot of fun to do. And way back in time I got certified in SCUBA diving. Snorkeling is also really fun, and doesn't require the same level of training or equipment. I may look into places I can snorkel.

I have a happy/sad relationship with swimming. I was a competitive swimmer growing up and lived and worked in the aquatic field for decades. I love the water, being in it, paddling on it, and walking beside it. I'll always find enjoyment with water, but I have to be careful with swimming laps due to more fragile joints with repetitive movements. I find it much harder mental to slow down the intensity of swimming to reduce overuse than slow down or eliminate the running, for example. I can't swim laps and have the patience to swim slow. I get bored, lose patience if I'm behind a slower swimmer, or I swim too fast and get sore shoulders or knees. I think a lot of competitive athletes have similar experiences with their 'main sport' when they retire. They often do other activities to enjoy.

I'm sorry that you are experiencing stomach pain on top of the stress. Apparently the 2 are often linked. My ds and I have both had problems with stomach pain and stress. You may want to look at trying a few things: - identify and specific foods that tend to cause pain and limit eating these - if the pain is from gas build up, reduce foods like broccoli, cauliflower, legumes/beans, cabbage, or other foods that cause gas - incorporate relaxation activities such as 30 min daily walks outside, restorative yoga, meditation

I've completed my push-ups and morning 'yoga.' It's sunny and warm outside, so I'll try to get in a couple walks and perhaps a bike ride. I went for a short ride yesterday. It's nice, but I pass by the trees and birds so quickly that I don't get the chance to really see them. I am surprising myself that I'm really enjoying the slower pace of walking and yoga. I've always felt to need to do things with great speed and intensity, and anything too slow was not satisfying. Realistically, my body can't and won't be able to handle too much pounding and physical stress as I continue aging, so it's really nice to discover that I can be truly happy with a slower, more gentle pace of activities. One positive result of this pandemic, I guess. 😉

Dark chocolate is wonderful! Bring on the endorphins! Glad you are feeling rested and ready to take on the day. I'm in the same boat as you with weight. It's kind of annoying that it's so quick and easy to bump up in weight. 😋

Those challenges sound really good! The 12-minute challenge in particular sounds really motivating. Thanks for sharing the details. The fit test sounds interesting, too. Will you have another one in a few weeks, so you can compare results and measure your progress?

As you are good friends, then you have her number to text her. If you do not wish to do this for a week, then text you are putting the dog in a kennel unless she has someone else to come and look after the dog. You know that your 'friendship' is going to be rocky anyway because she did this to you. Are you actually expecting to stay good friends when she is just using you to do some very gross work?

You can get vit D drops that are meant for children. I don't know if the dose will be high enough, and they aren't cheap. Check other pill brands, though. My vit D pills are very tiny and 1000ui. I'm in Canada, so I don't know if you'll have access to the same brands.

@soror That's neat you have beavers just down the road. Are they considered a benefit or a pest for flooding areas that people may not want covered in water? Glad you had a good recovery day yesterday! I don't have any big plans for today. I'd like to go for a bike ride. I'll probably play a little volleyball with the boys as they've been asking me to be their 4th player. The games don't last long before someone hits the ball over the fence, so I should be fine. 😉 I made the IKEA meatballs yesterday for supper. They were pretty good. I liked them better than the frozen ones from the store. The recipe was posted in this forum, if you want to try it out. It's very easy, which is good as I'm not a skilled chef.

Great to see you again! Hope you were about to get out and enjoy the snow during the winter. Your running and yoga sound wonderful!