A Big Pink Butt

Friends and Kitties!

Sheebie here.

I'd like to start by apologizing for dropping off of the commenting merry-go-round; I couldn't sustain it any longer.  Please know I still read approximately elebenty hundred blogs daily and if you suddenly, out of the blue, feel a snarky comment--it's mine!  I just sent it to you via brain waves instead of the internets.  Since Scott "gifted" me with a FitBit in December and our trip to Hawaii (where I climbed two volcanoes and realized I needed to step it up for next time) I've gotten serious about working out which consumes a couple of hours daily; time that I used to spend sitting and doing social media stuff.

I have discovered I love being active, again.  I don't know what the heck happened because I used to do aerobics and walk and lift weights, but after we moved to Nevada I became a slug, I think in large part because of the crazy shift work I did to begin with and then inactivity became habit.

Yoga started the ball rolling in 2013.  Breaking my kneecap set me back for a few months, but the silver lining was learning patience in dealing with injury and to be okay with not being "perfect".  (Which is a huge part of a yoga practice--acceptance--just being happy with what is.  It's harder than hell some days and usually only happens for a few minutes at a time.  Small steps.)  I absolutely look forward to every class I attend and never fail to do something great--maybe a really pleasurable stretch--and the feeling I get from class is euphoric, I can't put it any better than that.  You know the pleasure you get in your mouth from a delicious piece of chocolate?  It's like that, throughout your entire body.  For an HOUR.

And that damned FitBit...ruling my life...but I gotta say the thing is a wonderful tool.  There are real concrete results.  My resting heart rate is 10 bpm less, I have more energy, I can eat more (and have lost a bit of weight!) and I--for the first time in my life--can jog, comfortably, for a few minutes at a time.  I am amazed at myself, who knew?  There have been some unexpected benefits from all the walking and leg strength, too; my practice has progressed beyond my wildest expectations.  I'll be exploring this pose for a good long while before I feel confident, but I got UP and that's a major win right there.

I'm gonna use this one for a Sunday Selfie, even though I had to utilize the Hubby as the photographer:

Running Man Pose, or Eka Pada Koundinyanasana 

Eka = One,  Pada = Foot,  Koundinya  = the Sage Koundinya ,  Asana = Pose

(the link has a lovely photo of the pose)

Scott also kindly took a photograph highlighting my big pink butt.

You are Welcome.

Happy Sunday!

XX  Sheebie  XX

Join the fun at The Cat On My Head!

A New Creature

Kitties!

First toads, and now this:

A Mojave Desert Scorpion!

Mommy is working on expanding faith in her body.  She is so chuffed with this pose; she has major willies about a) balancing on her arms, and b) back bends, so this is a big move forward for her practice.  She says it is amazing how achieving something unexpected physically also breaks down mental barriers.

We're gonna be off line until July 1--Mommy is traveling back to her home town in Illinois for the first time in sixteen years.  Daddy will spoil us rotten so don't worry about us!  

If you are so inclined, you can follow Mommy's exploits on Facebook...no telling what sort of crazypants mischief she'll get up to without us snoopervising her.  

*sheesh*

Happy Thursday!

XX  The Katnip Lounge  XX

Sheebie Sunday Selfie

Kitties!

Sheebie (aka The Mommy) here.

Consider this:

PERSPECTIVE. 

Same alignment, different view.

Look at something in a new way today.

Happy Sunday!

XX  Sheebie  XX

click HERE for more fun selfies!

Sunday With Sheebie

Kitties!

We ask you: is this our Mommy, or a pretzel?

This yoga business is getting out of hand--pretty soon she'll be able to bathe like us!

This is our entry for the Sunday Selfie Blog Hop,

 sponsored by The Cat on My Head

and now, a message from our Mommy:

Friends!

Sheebie here.

As you can see, I'm progressing with my practice.  I made a commitment to attend three classes a week this year and as a result I'm accomplishing things I never thought I'd be capable of doing.  Not only with difficult (for me) asanas, but mental benefits as well.  There's something wonderful about not thinking for an hour and a half, losing my sense of self, simply moving and breathing.  It's addictive, and it carries into other areas of life.  I sleep better, think more, and let things go a little easier.  I enjoy the challenge immensely.  This pose--astavakrasana--has plenty of room to grow, in fact last week was the very first time I've been able to get my butt off the floor sideways, ever.  However, this doesn't mean that I've mastered anything, that isn't why I practice.  I do yoga because every day it's different.  Each pose always has a little something to extend, explore, breathe into.  I'll never be done, never finished, either physically or mentally, and this is the most important thing I've learned.  It is humbling. 

Which is why I occasionally feel a wee tad weird posting photos of myself; it wars with my pride of accomplishment.  Well, we see who won the battle this time...if only to document that, years on in my dotage, that I actually did this, once!

Namaste, and Happy Sunday!

XX  Sheebie and the Kats  XX

What the Fur?!?!?!? Wednesday

Kitties!

Believe it or not, this is an example of Cat World Domination:

Because if we kitties didn't rule Mommy, she'd have never started blogging and met other Crazy Creative Cat People who would egg her into doing the splits in the Hallmark aisle of Walgreens!

We are a Force to be Reckoned With.

Obey the Kitty!

Happy Cat World Domination Day!

XX  The Katnip Lounge  XX

EveryKitty's a Critic

Kitties!

Maui here.

Mommy has been learning a new yoga pose: Bird of Paradise, or in Sanskrit, Svarga Dvijasana.  Oftentimes she recruits Daddy to take photos so she can see where her body actually IS in space as opposed to where it FEELS like it's at.  (Which usually turns out to be two totally different things--ed.)

A little Cat Critique never hurts, either.

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Kitties, my work here is done.

Happy Thursday!

XX  Maui The Yoga Coach  XX

Squashed Bug Saturday

Kitties!

It's not what you think...

MOMMY is the bug! 

We were sorta sad that this bug was too big to eat.

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Or at least, that's how she refers to this pose.  The correct Sanskrit name is Kurmasana, or Tortoise Pose; something she thought was appropriate because our Finnish friends' tortoise Tessie has just woken up this week from her long winter's nap.  heh heh...Mommy had grave doubts that Tessie was even alive when she peeked at her, hibernating beneath the bookcase--shows her how much she knows!

And yup, that's Maui photobombing the upper left-hand corner...the peeps can't do anything around our house without a Cat Inspector.  It's a rule.

Happy Caturday!

XX  The Lounge Kats  XX

You can read more about Kurmasana HERE.

Perched

Friends and Kitties!

Remember that article that used to run (maybe it still does) in Reader's Digest; "Boy, Was My Face Red"--relating various embarrassing incidents?

Well, here's one for you, literal and metaphorical:

Moral of the story--don't demo an arm balance pose for your spouse when they have a camera in hand!  

 Thank goodness he wasn't behind me...

This is my Sunday Selfie entry!

Happy Sunday!

XX  Sheebie  XX

Snuggling with Sheebie

Friends and Kitties!

We're joining the Sunday Selfie Blog Hop:

Sheebie here, with a kinda-sorta snuggling selfie.

As you can see, I never lack for feline company.  

I'd like to apologize for not commenting on as many blogs as often lately--the pure-D fact is that I'm burned out.  Don't worry, I'm not considering stopping blogging because I'm incapable of shutting up but I wanted to let y'all know that we still make the rounds and enjoy reading every day.  

Thanks for all the nice comments on my yoga post!  I'd like to encourage all of you to give it a try sometime, even if you have a disability you can benefit from seated poses either on the floor or in a chair.  What I'm doing is the result of a year of practice and I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I'd be capable of the flexibility I've achieved--not to mention the wonderful feeling of mental centeredness that lasts far beyond the actual routine.  Scott practices regularly as well which helps him cope with his arthritis.  He uses a series of DVDs put out by a yogi named Peggy Cappy, and she is great; each pose/asana has variations according to your physical ability.  (She has stuff on YouTube, check it out!)

Scott and I have gone back into the kitchen and have been chef-ing up a storm lately.  Neither one of us cares for restaurant--or even prepared--food any more (flatus, anyone?) so out of self-preservation we've re-divvied up the household chores and I've made time to bake and cook.  It's funny, I wander into the kitchen thinking I'm "just going to do thus-and-such" and HOURS later I stagger out, laden with loaves, meals, and sides.  Scott, who up until recently was indifferent to my cooking (he used to be the chef) is now actually requesting certain dishes!  It's very fulfilling to prepare something nourishing for someone you love.  Even if it's yourself--we all have to eat.

On that note, I had a request for my pretzel roll recipe and it's at the end of the post.  I've  tweaked it a little to suit our taste, but the unaltered recipe can be found HERE--as well as lots of other excellent cooking ideas.  I find they are best eaten the day you make them (they take about 2 hours start to finish) or frozen then zapped in the microwave.  We always have some in the freezer, they are our go-to for sandwiches.

So, you have your instructions for the week:

1. stretch

2.  eat well

3. love yourself

Happy Sunday!

XX  Sheebie  XX

WHOLE WHEAT PRETZEL ROLLS

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 packet active dry yeast (2-1/2 tsp)
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or other fat)
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup baking soda
Pretzel salt or coarse ground sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions:
In a small saucepan, heat the milk, 1/2 cup water, sugar and molasses to 105 to 110 degrees F. Add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the water mixture and wait 10-15 minutes until the yeast blooms.

Combine flours in a mixing bowl.

Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the blooming yeast, and then add in the coconut oil. Mix on medium speed until the dough has come together and is smooth and elastic in texture and pulling away from the sides of the bowl, 5 to 7 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board and form into a ball. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece into a ball and place onto a lightly floured surface. Cover with a dish cloth and let them rest in a warm place for 12 to 15 minutes.

Once rested, flour your work surface again and form the balls into flat discs, about 3" across. Place back in the warm spot and let rest for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place one oven rack high and one low. Line 2  baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.

In a large pot, bring 8 cups water to a boil, and then add the baking soda. In batches (3 or 4), place the discs in the water and cook for 30 seconds on each side.

Using a slotted spatula, remove the buns and place onto the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with pretzel salt as they come out of the water to ensure the salt sticks. Then cut 3 diagonal slits on top of the bread, not too deep.

Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, rotating between the top and bottom racks of the oven halfway through the cooking.

Enjoy!

Sunday with Sheebie

Friends and Kitties!

Sheebie here.

It's been nearly a year since I was able to resume exercising after fracturing my kneecap.  You never realize how much effort it takes to simply move across the room until you break something important.  Overall, I'd say the rehab has been more painful than the actual injury--limping and favoring one side of my body for several months atrophied the muscles and tendons on my left side visibly.  Seriously, my pants were looser on my left leg than my right, and I had (still have, occasionally) chronic lower back pain from the unevenness in my frame.  

Last year I started practicing yoga, and I'd been at it about twelve weeks when I had my accident in May.  I enjoyed it so much though that I knew I'd resume it just as soon as I could, and when I went down to Arizona to visit my parents the following October I went to a couple of classes with my Mom (thanks Mom!) and that got the ball rolling for me again.  As long as I respected my knee's edge I was safe.  And oh, how I love it.  The past year has been a revelation in what my body can do--me, almost 52, learning to do a headstand in the middle of the room!  I am amazed and proud of myself.  I've gone at least twice a week for an entire year now and I'm happy to report that my knee is at 100%, and the back/hip pain no longer distracts me enough to deter a good night's sleep or a long walk.  I go to a great studio with small classes and wonderful teachers where there's lots of hands-on adjustments and feedback--it's an incredibly warm and nurturing place for the body and soul.

On the days I don't go to a formal class I like to practice at home, even if it's only for twenty minutes because 1) it's so energizing, and 2) I know that if I don't keep my hip limber I'll suffer that evening--pain is such a powerful motivator!

So I thought I'd toot my own horn for 90 seconds and do a Sun Salutation for you.

Notice my Helper?

or click HERE

It gives me such joy to practice.

Thanks for letting me share!

XX  Sheebie  SS

Helping

Kitties!

Mommy did her yoga on the Catio today.

We helped.

Extreme Side Plank

Wild Thang

Group Chanting..."Me-Ohmmmmmm"

Happy Friday!

XX  CC, Sylvester, Rupert and Sweet Pea  XX

TortieYoga

Kitties!

May Ling here.

Mommy is working unCodly hours the next ten days--so as soon as she got home I preemptively plonked her fat arse shapely bottom down on the indoor trainer bike for an invigorating spin, and then stretched her out on the Cushy Green Mat in the vain hope that a little exercise might help exhaust her Chihuahua-like OCD tendencies and she wouldn't run around like a crazypants nut job trying to do housework, laundry, et cetera.

I felt she needed a little encouragement with the Cat-Cow pose:

Click here for the YouTube link

You know what's funny?  I snuck up underneath Mommy (her eyes were closed) and when she arched like a Cat she stuck her nose in my nethers!

heh.

Happy TortieDay!

XX  May Ling  XX