Month: July 2016

Walk with me, talk with me

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Walking.  Just about anyone can do it.  Nothing special required.  I do not wear adorable, coordinated outfits (wish I had some!), my hair is always crazy so I don a baseball cap, forget makeup.  I downloaded a free app for my phone called Runkeeper.  It’s everything I need to see how fast I walk, how far I walk, and how many calories I burn.  Very basic.

I don’t mind walking by myself, but I love to walk with my husband or kids.  Mostly, I walk with my teenage son.  We talk about everything.  We look at landscaping.  We notice cool cars.  Once, we rescued a Chihuahua!  Anything’s bound to happen.

Walking makes our brains happy and so much more.  There’s only one thing I’m going to ask you to do when you’re walking … make contact with those you see.  Call “good morning!” to the elderly lady putting out her mail, wave to the young man leaving for work,  smile at people.  Without much effort you are promoting community.  Good for you!!!

Here are a few resources you might find interesting:

https://www.tescoliving.com/articles/8-reasons-why-walking-is-great-for-your-health

http://www.marksdailyapple.com › Low Level Aerobic Activity

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in…/walking/art-20046261

“It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood…”

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Are you a neighbor?  Or do you just live next door?  We’ve experienced both and ‘neighbor’ WINS.

I’m not sure how it happens.  Chatting across the fence.  Waving as you pass their house. The need to borrow a tool usually clinches the deal.  I believe we all crave community.  Relationships.

This doesn’t mean you invite those living next door over, as soon as they regain consciousness in the middle of their yard (true story).  Some situations are best left to prayer.

Yes, there is the vulnerability factor.  What if they think my house is a mess?  Children have amazing timing to break something, fight, or require discipline, usually in front of a crowd. Generally my feeling has been, it’s your house, those are your kids.  I’ve got my own backyard to keep picked up.

We’ve shared ‘fence mail’ with two sets of neighbors.  A quick phone call with the cryptic message, ‘there’s a bag on the fence’.  It’s like Christmas, I’m not kidding.  It might be a recipe, hand-me-downs (for the kids or even me!), Chinese pancakes on New Year’s Day. Ya never know.

A couple of years ago I organized a surprise party for my husband.  It was such a blast inviting old neighbors.  Old neighbors meeting other old neighbors meeting current neighbors.  Lots of laughs and dozens of stories.

These people have mowed our yard while we left to bury my father, babysat so I could take our foster babies for their visitations, borrowed eggs, shared leftovers, cried over moves.  I love them one and all.

Step out of your comfort zone.  Take a plate of cookies over.  Make eye contact.  Makes the ride more enjoyable.