It's Opening Weekend

I’m alive! Just returned from a nice visit to the beach after a long, cold, Colorado winter. Born in the summertime (hence the crab theme), I come alive during the summer months! Yay! They’re here! Memorial Day is just approaching which is normally our planting season. Spring came early, so we planted a few weeks ago. The garden is in full sprout already. 


Al and I have taken on a creative project including a live monologue from Ernest Hemingway. We belong to a writing group that studies the lives and writing styles of successful authors from days past. We loved the Woody Allen Movie Midnight In Paris which portrayed the relationship between Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway. Our project is a narration of Hemingway’s life by Stein, with live acts from Hemingway himself. We are really enjoying the research and writing collaboration. If this is what retirement is all about, I’m all about retirement. 


Still teaching my Senyasa (senior yoga) class and working with my long time fitness clients (both human and horse), I’ll be gardening and working on our play this summer. Vegetarian recipes, fitness updates, and horse fitness stories will still be coming as they happen. This weekend kicks it off. Let’s get it on!

Sprouts!

The garden is up! This is my favorite time of year! Spinach, tomatoes, lettuce, parsley, strawberries, basil and more and more and more! Bring on summer!

Liberta

I recently had a reunion with my best girlfriends from high school We are all turning 60 this year. What a blast that we had. Our husbands all got along and weren't bored with our conversations because we were current. We didn't hash out too much of the old days, just a little. One of my friends was going back to a really stressful job. It was then that I realized that having completed a 35 year career in my own special interest, I can now enjoy each day doing whatever I want. I write, workout, and scheme new ideas for the future. Liberta. In Italian it means liberty. The freedom to do whatever I want. This is a milestone for me. The realization that I don't have to be showing up at a meeting, or teaching an aerobics class. Liberta. The epitome of my life. At last! Here are two

photos of my recent reunion. Yes, I made the sparkly glasses, and yes, that is our husbands. Whee! Liberta!

Wallowing In The Weather

I only came indoors for breakfast. There is nothing like this time of year in the Colorado Rockies!

The today show is doing a segment on people who have overdone it with plastic surgery and Botox to their lips. There is a plastic surgeon confirming the fact that your lips lose their fullness as you age. Thank God! Where did my lips go, anyway?

Here's to growing old naturally and taking the best care of our one and only body. Who knows, maybe eating lots of fresh, raw foods and vegetables will keep a gleam in my eyes and and a healthy glow to my skin. That's all that I ask! I don't want lips like the women on this show! Happy Monday, I'm back out to the garden. Ciao.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter and spring kickoff! I just had a wonderful workout outside. One of the things about living in a colder climate is that springtime is a huge deal. Exercising outside is a real thrill.

If you are mindful of world affairs, I hope that you will take a minute to research the origin of your Easter chocolate. The chocolate trade is one of those industries that still uses child slaves in their farming practices.

Please refer to www.eatocracy.cnn.com for a list of organic, slave free chocolatiers. Thank you for being mindful of child slavery and for shopping American!

Wow! What A Gorgeous (But Early) Off Season

This gorgeous weather has its good and bad points. First of all, the warm winter has seriously affected the Aspen ski season. No snow, warm weather = slow tourism. Since work is slow, we've been taking the time to enjoy the outdoors. It is seriously windy today ... I am converting my office into a small training studio. I am thrilled to be back to training people for their summer sports, and really thrilled to be working with older adults. I am able to put great programs together for older adults because I am one! Oy Vey.

P.S. Yes! Still fit training horses. Want your horse fit by the competitive summer season? Get my book, The Fit Horse Companion at Amazon.com.

Spring Rolls Are For The Springtime!

I love fried Chinese food. There is no doubt that I will always have a weakness for fried stuff that can be dipped in something! Recently, I stopped at the Vitamin Cottage for one of their fast grab from the deli case lunches when I stumbled upon Spring Rolls in Rice Paper. Something to dip, but not fried.

You might think that since they’re not fried, they might be doughy. Not so. Although the Vitamin Cottage does not carry rice paper, I was referred to the local Oriental Grocery Store where the

rice paper is carried. 8 1/2 inch in size, and stiff like a piece of parchment paper, I was instructed to soak the paper discs in warm water, then wrap whatever I want in them. The owner of the store set me up! Here is what she sold me;

Rice paper, cellophane noodles, hot sauce, rice vinegar, and a vegetable slicer sort of like a potato peeler, but it slices veggies like carrots and cukes in long, stringy lengths.

I soaked and cut (like vermicelli) and cooked the cellophane noodles, soaked the rice paper, and sliced the vegetables. Simple. I wrapped the mixture in the cool paper. Then I mixed the hot sauce with the rice vinegar for dipping. That Oriental Hot Sauce is hotter than Mexican Hot Sauce or Tabasco, so cool it with a lot of the vinegar.

I have saved so many calories by not using bread in my lunch. This is an exceptionally low calorie, healthy and delicious dipping lunch! I have substituted French Salad Dressing, Mustard, and a few other things for the hot sauce, Try it. If you don’t have a local Oriental Market, Amazon.com carries rice paper.

If you’re a meat eater, shrimp, pulled pork, or many other fish and meat choices can be made. This is my new summer meal. Try it!