Cued Up on the Kindle App

OK, this is the last post of the day. I swear. But I had to tell you about this, before I run to the dentist:



The Leftovers - Tom Perotta

Imagine you and a friend are out to lunch, chatting, eating your salads. All of a sudden, your friend is just gone. Disappears into thin air. You find out throughout the day that many people in your town have just vanished without a trace.

That is the setting for The Leftovers. What happens to the people who are left behind if there is a Rapture? Is it even a rapture? Or a 'sudden disappearance,' as the government has labeled it?

Of course, nobody knows the answer to that, but so far I am loving what I've read. I think one of the main reasons I like it, is that he didn't write it from a preachy, religious standpoint. There are religious themes mentioned, but you are introduced to a variety of characters. People who are just trying to go on with life as usual...and then some who are moving on with life in not-so-usual ways. It's like he just sat down one day and thought about what would really happen if this went down.

I've found myself just reading and reading. I fell asleep next to the iPad last night. It's fiction that makes you think. I can't wait to see what unfolds next.

This Needs Help

Yeah. No bueno. This is my precarious set up for my shoes. LOL! Tinisha, my loctician, has challenged me to reduce my inventory to 50 shoes. I haven't started that transition yet. Right now, we're at about 72.

I was looking at this at the Container Store:

Two Three problems:
1. I'd need like 6 of those things. That's a lot of cash.
2. The reviews on this are pretty iffy.
3. I don't actually think my shoes would fit in these boxes...and I only wear a 7.5 (sometimes an 8 if I REALLY need the shoe in my life and there's no 7.5 available. What?).

I need suggestions. I'd really like something like the shoe organizer above. I need to find someone who's good with wood and they can just build me one from scratch. LOL!

Winning! (in my Rockstar Stacy voice)

If you've been reading through any of my yoga posts, you know that I struggle with headstand poses - both the tripod headstand and the regular headstand. There's something about being upside down.

This morning, Stacy took me into a wide legged straddle on the mat, and then said that if I wanted I could play around with tripod/tripod headstand. I decided, eh - why not?

So first I went into tripod:


(that's me from earlier this year)

Then, I got focused. I found my drishti - in yoga that is your gaze/focal point. It's helpful in balancing poses to have a drishti to keep your concentration and focus on your breathing. After that, I started my transition into the headstand. Stacy is always telling us that we shouldn't rush into poses...much like life, we need to focus on the transitions.

For some reason, I always start with my right side, so I carefully lifted my right knee from my elbow and pushed it straight into the air, then pointed my toes. Normally, I would immediately try to push that left knee up, but this time I waited. I waited until I had my balance and my abs were engaged. Then I pushed my left knee up (and this is really more about your core than your leg strength).

Voila! I was up in the air! And balanced! And hopefully it looked something like this (I don't know 'cause I couldn't see it. LOL!):


(photo courtesy of fitsugar.com)

I'm guessing that a lot of folks can lift both legs at once. I'm not there yet, and I don't know if I'll ever be there. I'm just happy I was able to stay up there for about 3 breaths before I started to tilt and had to bring my legs down. My goal is to be able to hold that for 5 deep breaths and be able to release with control. Maybe one day come back down into tripod and then move into crow.

Everything is a work in progress. Even though that ab work in yoga is no joke, I try to focus on my breathing and do it, because stronger abs and a stronger core lead to triumphs like this.

Focus on your transitions this week! :)

Last year on this date, I was at my grandmother's funeral. My dad sang "In The Garden." He struggled to even make it to the funeral. How he had the strength to get up and sing, I have no idea. But he did it.

At one point during the service, my dad was holding my right hand, and LDR was holding my left. And I wished that it could just stay like that. But I knew it could. He was dying right in front of my eyes.

I know this all went down a year ago, but some days it feels like it just happened. Does that ever go away? I guess that's a rhetorical question. Nobody can tell you how your own grief is going to play out for the rest of your life. I'm really just rambling...but it's my blog, so that's what it's here for. :)

I wondered how I would feel a year after the fact. Like my favorite yoga teacher often instructs me, I'm just going to observe my feelings and I won't judge them. They are what they are.

Wise Words

Happy Saturday, Bloggers!

I'm resting today and trying to do a little detox. Too much sugar and processed foods during the week, and I feel like a mess.

I didn't have much to say, but I did want to share some excellent advice from someone I really respect and admire. Way back when I first went natural, my friend Rob said, 'you need to let Tinesha do your hair.' I had no idea what I was doing, but for some reason I never did take him up on that.

Fast forward to 2011, and not only is Tinesha the bestest loctician EVAH, through her I've met two other wonderful ladies - Jessica and Kelley. These three women have the greatest spirits - I knew it from the first time I met them. There is just something about them. They make me laugh. They make me think. And every time I leave their salon, I just feel better. I mean, of course my hair is on point, but I just feel better INSIDE.

Take a gander at her post about letting the RIGHT people into your inner circle.

Namaste. :)

Moving Into New Spaces

Moving into the rental house has been a blessing, and I'm enjoying my new space (although, sometimes it can be a little TOO quiet, lol). There's something about moving into a new space that is just exciting for me. New challenges, a change from the norm. Maybe it's the Aquarius in me. As a child I was always changing my room furniture around. My mom used to say, "if you move that furniture one more time it's gonna fall apart!" Of course, now that I'm older, my furniture is much heavier so I can't move it like I used to. But I enjoy changing up what I can.

In my yoga classes, my teachers are always challenging me to move into new spaces. To expand my flexibility and build strength. When I started, lots of poses had to be modified because of my inflexibility, or my myriad injuries (lol). Now that I'm stronger and a little healthier, I try to do the full expressions of poses whenever I can. I don't put my knee down in side plank anymore. I try to open my arms when I'm in my chair with a prayer twist. I reach for the floor in my side angle pose instead of resting my forearm on my quad. I love to feel my practice expand.

As far as my career, I've been in the same space for a minute now. The company I've been working for since 2008 was bought out by another company in our industry. The culture of the old company and the culture of the new company are like oil and water. Total opposites, and they do not mix. It's going to be a drastic change. And it's not one I'm sure I want to be a part of. Everything ain't for everybody...the older I get, the more I understand that phrase. They've pretty much showed us that they don't really care about the people. It's very "like it or lump it." Well, in a recession, most folks are not in a position to lump it. I can just see that it would eventually drain my spirit, which is no bueno. I desire to move up in the ranks, but I don't know if this is the place to do it. Do I really want to (essentially) start over somewhere else?

On a whim, I did post for an internal position, but I was really debating about what I'd do if they DID offer it to me. They call it a "lateral move," because they say that our job grades/pay grades from the old company are much higher than theirs. Translation: we'll move you to this position and give you more work, but we're not going to give you a raise. This internal position involves some files that are in litigation. I've had a small amount of litigation experience; the problem with positions that involve litigation is that they already want you to know how to handle litigated files. OK, well how can I learn if no one will give me the chance?

I kicked azz on the phone interview, and according to my current manager, they "loved" me, but their only concern is the litigation experience. *crickets chirping* You can pretty much teach anyone anything, unless you're just dealing with someone who has no ability to retain information. I'm not that person. Everyone I've worked under will tell you that. When I came into claims I had zero experience. You don't go to school to learn about claims. Everything I had to know I was TAUGHT. I bring things to the table that you cannot teach: my personality, ability to work with all kinds of people, ability to work independently or within a group, the ability to lead, the respect of my peers, my thirst for knowledge, and that internal drive that I will do my job and do it well, because it's not within me to put out shoddy work product.

If they can overlook all that, they've answered my question about whether or not it's time to move on to a new space outside of this company.

So, I'm taking the leap to find a new position. I had a phone interview two weeks ago for position, and now I have an in-person interview on Tuesday. I don't know why I'm feeling so nervous. Maybe because I really want to get away from where I'm at now. I think a lot of my peers are going to start looking, and I don't want to get caught in the rush of people flooding the job market. I want to move NOW, while folks are still debating.

I've gotten offers on every job I've ever interviewed for since college, except for one. And that didn't have anything to do with my skills, but with my credit report (ah, youth. LOL!). I'm hoping that streak will continue. If it crosses your mind on Tuesday around 3:00pm, send out some positive vibes for me. :)

Are you moving into any new spaces in your life?

Dear Grandma...

It's hard to believe you passed away a year ago today. You made it through 99 years on this earth. I'm 36 and some days I just feel tired. But I think sometimes our technology and advances have served to make our lives a little more difficult. You kept it simple: God and your family.

At Thanksgiving, Pam and I try to recreate your sweet potato pies. Uncle Gene says we've done a good job so far. He's also put in his 2 cents about what we need to do or what we could do. That's your son, the retired chef. :) We know it's not exactly like your pies, but I don't think Thanksgiving would be Thanksgiving without those pies on the dessert table.

Mom seems to be doing much better. I know that she still misses you and Dad a great deal. Speaking of Dad, can you tell him hello for me? And give him a great big hug and kiss and tell him we really miss him. Today is Sunday, and this was usually the day that he and I would talk for an hour or so. I still laugh about the Sunday he tried to trick me into having LDR bring him some ox tails...knowing he could not have it. I almost wish we had given it to him anyway.


(Grandma ans a few of her brothers - date unknown)

You managed to outlive all of your brothers. I wonder if you are with them now. Or with Uncle Rafe or Aunt Lennie. I hope so. Then that means we have a whole extended network of family watching over us.

I am still working on that family tree project. I hope I can find some more of your family that we haven't met yet. Maybe they can come to the next family reunion.

Well, I just wanted you to know that we missed you. Our lives have been changed but we carry on. We hope you're looking down and that you're proud.

--C

Statesville Balloon Festival - 2011

This year, we decided we'd actually go early to the festival. Last year, we tried to go close to launch time. EPIC FAIL. We ended up watching the launch from afar.

We got there around noon this time. They had two balloons set up for tethered rides. For $10, you get to float straight up into the air, hover, and come back down. After standing in line for 2 hours, we didn't make it onto either balloon. The first ran out of fuel, and the second had to shut down to get ready for the mass launch. Just as I was going to challenge my fear of heights. Oh well. :/

The festival was gorgeous. Carolina blue skies, and everyone out having a good time. If you live in the Charlotte area, you MUST go at least once. There are food vendors, craft vendors, jewelry, clothing...you name it. One of the vineyards had some lovely sangria for $5 per cup. I spent the $10 I WOULD have spent on the tethered balloon ride on sangria. What?

I have to thank my friend Senetra for inviting me to enjoy the day with her and her 4 year old daughter. This child's vocab rivals that of most grown folks I know. Matter of fact, it exceeds. She has questions about any and every thing. It was fun to see the world through her eyes for a day.

Next year? We go early. Like 8:00 am. We WILL get on those tethered balloons!! And we will take lawn chairs and water bottles and snacks. Yep. That's the ticket.

Anywho, here are a few pics from the day. Enjoy!

Friday Fun Facts

Well, maybe not facts so much as thoughts from me. :lol:

--This morning I got ready without the tv or radio on. I actually enjoyed the silence. Gave me time to think and do a little walking meditation.

--While I was perusing one of my favorite blogs, I thought it was about 6:50 (per my watch). Looked at my phone and it was after 7:00. Looks like the battery is dying. I'm hoping there is a jewelry store on my side of town that sells Tag Heuer's and can therefore send my watch for service. If not, I'll have to drive all the way to Carolina Place Mall.

--I had to scrape ice off my windshield this morning. Hello, fall.

--I've come to the conclusion that my cat lives under my bed. She's scared of the house. That's all I can break it down to...there's no explanation. LOL! I think she comes out during the day to play periodically, because I put her cat toys away but when I come home, they are in random places. But for the most part she goes under the bed before I leave, and when I come home she comes out from under the bed. I think I'll have a chat with the vet.

--I will see LDR in 29 days. :)

--Tomorrow I'm going to the Statesville Hot Air Balloon festival with one of my co-workers and her daughter. We went last year. We're going to go early so I can go down and get close up pics with the balloons.

--I have a lot of work to do today and no motivation to get it done. :/

--These cool morning temps have made me realize it's time to pack away the summer clothes. That will be my project when I get home tonight. I'm quite sure there are a lot of fall/winter clothes from last year that I can't fit, so I will probably have to go shopping at some point.

What are your plans for this weekend?

One Rant, Coming Up!

So...most apartment complexes charge a pet "fee" here. Which is different from a pet "deposit."

The fee is you paying for the privilige of having a pet on premises. The deposit would be used to cover cleaning or damages when you move out. If the charges are less than what your deposit was, you get the balance back.

If your lease says "fee," then you're just azzed out and they can charge you an additional $145 for "pet treatment" of the carpet...even though they got your $250 when you moved in. They make a profit off every tenant who has a pet that doesn't really do any damage.

I think that's bogus! If my pet damages the apartment you should absolutely charge me for it. And you SHOULD do the pet treatment on the carpet. I'm in total agreement. But to just charge $250 for GP?!? And the fact that North Carolina allows this foolishness is just... #iCant

The things we do to make money in America. Sigh. At least tell folks up front - look. Put away about $145 'cause that's what we're going to charge you to treat the carpet when you move out. Regardless of this $250 pet FEE you just handed over. At least then, it would feel like you gave me the courtesy of using some Vaseline. &*^%%#@(!!!

As I said, this is a rant...because it's in the lease and there's nothing I can do about that. I've already paid it. I just felt like ranting. That's my disclaimer for the legal eagles who may peek in. :lol:

What's on the Kindle App

After reading about this via Yoga Journal, I decided to download and check out the hype.



All I can say is, Suzanne is hilarious! I love her writing style. She's had me being introspective, grossed out, laughing hysterically...everything. I was at the hair dresser when I got to the part about her yoga retreat in Bali, where the teacher advised them to avoid the local water and to keep themselves healthy by drinking their urine.

Yep.

In the beginning she referred to them as pissdrinkers. #iDied

According to the Kindle app, I've gotten through about 62% of the book. The last yoga book I read was fiction. There are some points in this book that I forget she's actually talking about something she went through. It's basically set up like journal entries, of the journal she kept while at the retreat. I'm not sure if she posted entire entries, or just the meatier parts (I'm sure some editing had to be done before it was published).

If you like yoga, and you're not afraid of cuss words and honesty, then I'd recommend this read. :)

The Things Folks Do For Love

I have a co-worker who is going natural. She said she was ready to cut her hair off, but she has to go to a wedding this weekend for a cousin on her father's side. So she's just going to get it blown out and flat ironed. I asked her why didn't she just cut it.

She said that her cousins/aunts on her dad's side of the family take after her grandfather in terms of features. Her words were, "they're all AKAs with long, straight hair." O_o So basically, if she showed up with her short natural, they would have a fit, ridicule her, etc. So she said she was going to just go ahead and straighten it out and just deal with it, and that she was doing it to keep the peace, for her dad's sake. This side of the family often berates her for her weight gain as well. She said when she was in college, skinny with long hair, everything was gravy.

Um...if my dad WAS alive, I just can't imagine him asking me to subject myself to this type of ridicule or behavior, or ask me to go through all kinds of changes to keep the peace with people who are CLEARLY too concerned about what's going on with everyone else's life. Thankfully neither side of my family is like this.

I told her that I can't fathom or envision putting myself into this type of situation purposely. I'm all about self preservation. Maybe I'm just selfish. I love my family to death, and I would hope that they would never subject me to anything like this. Nobody should be that concerned about what's going on with my follicles or weight gain except ME. And I would not be in attendance at that wedding.

Sigh.

Her story made me sad, yet grateful at the same time. I'm grateful I'm surrounded with the people I have in my life.

Locs Check In

It's been almost a year since I started my locs. I can't believe it. They are coming along slowly but surely. I just got them washed/groomed on Friday.

I've been so happy that they won't come out when they get wet, that I've apparently been over wetting them. :/ My loctician wants me to focus on using oils instead of water based products. She also told me to ditch the bonnet and sleep in a scarf that will keep them together and should keep them from getting as frizzy. Maybe the front ones will loc a little better. I'll have to go back to cleaning my scalp with cheesecloth & witch hazel, and only do a full on washing when I henna.

It's a learning experience every time I get my hair done. Maintaining loose, natural hair was so much easier! But nonetheless, I love the journey.

The photos were taken today with my iPhone. I usually try to take pics with a real camera right after grooming, but I got sidetracked.

If you run across this post and you're newly natural or just starting locs, hang in there! Your hair is unique to you. It will take you through trials and tribulations, but stick with it. :)

Sunday Randoms

RANDOM BRAIN DUMP in 5...4...3...2...

Some of my new neighbors continue to remind me on a daily basis why we cannot rise as a people...

I miss having a Starbucks right up the street. When you have to get in the car and make a lengthy drive, suddenly the latte is not as important. LOL

The Cardiac Cowboys aka the Dallas Cowboys continue to give me chest pain.

Having to choose between the Eagles and the Redskins today was like having to choose between beets and pickled beets. I kinda wanted the Redskins to win. And the bamas let me down.

The other day at the dentist my BP was 110/66. SCORE! That's yoga, baby.

I think I've either strained or torn some of the muscle in my calf. It hurts to even touch it, and I noticed earlier today that it was a bit swollen. I will probably have to go to the doctor. I wish I was comfortable with a sedentary lifestyle, because these injuries are for the birds.

Girls' Night In was great! We never did watch the movie we had planned to watch. We ate, drank wine, talked about natural hair care, and watched crazy YouTube videos. Everyone had a good time. Not sure when the next one will be since the holidays are coming up. But I definitely want to do another one as I had two ladies who could not make it.

I have become obsessed with vacuuming my carpet.

Bogey has been here 2 weeks and every day she acts like it's her first day at the rodeo. Bless her heart. She's just petrified of every little noise or thing.

It's coming up on a year since my grandma and my dad passed. Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday.

I still haven't deleted my dad's info from my phone. :(

It's jeans week at work. That will make my life much easier this week, wardrobe wise.

Tomorrow morning I have my final walk through at the old apartment. If these folks even think about trying to charge me for stuff that is normal wear and tear we're gonna have issues. LOL

When Chris (maintenance guy) was here, he thought my HairVeda CoCasta Shikakai hair oil was soap and tried to wash his hands with it. LOL!

A Different World

I knew that renting a house was going to be a different world from renting an apartment. First and foremost, I have a yard now. I have zero yard maintenance equipment. LOL! And even if I had it, I'd have nowhere to keep it because I don't have a garage or a storage shed (this was built as a starter house during the housing boom).

Secondly, there are a TON of kids in this neighborhood. I mean, a ton. I don't mind people's kids when they know how to act, but some of thse hellions have jumped straight off the screen from "Bebe's Kids." They look at you like you're in the wrong when you're driving down the street, even though they need to get the h*ll outta the way. I blame this on the parents that always seem to be missing in action. Sigh.

Third, is the amount of time it takes for them to respond to a maintenance request. They have one maintenance guy named Chris. He hails from Detroit. They are apparently working him like a hebrew slave because he wasn't able to make our appointment yesterday at 5:30. That actually worked out well, because I was stuck in traffic due to an accident. But note that I put the maintenance request in shortly after moving in on 10/1. Yeah.

So Chris arrived this morning a little after 10:30 and promptly went to unclogging the tub and sink drains in the master bath. I know you're probably thinking, why didn't you use some Drano? The type of drain that's in this tub is screwed in and you can't just lift it out. He had to use pliers. Not to mention the isht that was in there when he pulled it out. He told me he's found Barbie legs in drains before. LOL! I did not stay there for the whole cleaning process, but when I walked back in all this gunk was sitting in my tub before he rinsed it down. Needless to say, I'll be bleaching the tub tonight. O_o

I showed him the ill-working fridge they threw in here. When I first saw the unit, I was excited. Side by side fridge and freezer, in door ice and water dispenser. Then I discovered that the ice maker and water dispenser don't work. OK then. Not a big deal. Never had one before, don't need it now. Then I opened it up, and it became clear that this was a used unit. Again - not a huge deal, I'll just need to clean it out well. But when you give me a fridge that doesn't get cold enough, now we got a flag on the play.

It builds up a layer of ice on the back of the freezer, but none of that seems to make a difference. So I pretty much have a refrigerator where the freezer should be, and a refrigerator that's relatively useless. He told me he'd email the property manager (who is on vacay in the Bahamas - must be nice!) and let him know. He started talking about getting a unit similar to what I have. That's when I had to step in and call the 30 second time out.

Listen, dude. I just need a freezer-on-top unit that WORKS. As in, a new one. Tell the owner of the house to use some of the rent money I paid him PROMPTLY on 10/1. LOL! I don't need anything with bells and whistles. I simply need frozen food that's frozen, and cold water when I need it. Not soupy Ben & Jerry's and lukewarm juice.

So, we'll see how this plays out during the week. Property manager is not due back from vacay until Thursday. In other news, two little boys who are TRYING to be useful members of society stopped by today and asked if they could mow my yard either today or tomorrow for $20. I like it when kids are doing positive things, so I accepted their offer. Especially since it's time for a mowing. We'll see how they do. :)

Taking Care of Home

I noticed, in my last few months in my apartment, that I just dreaded doing chores. My schedule of getting to bed early, getting up early and being gone all day left little time in the afternoon/early evening for me to address household chores. It's just me (well, Bogey is there too but she doesn't do much), but one person really can make a lot of clutter/mess! I found myself having to do everything on the weekend. I'd spend most of my Saturday and Sunday doing laundry, vacuuming, cleaning the kitchen, cleaning the bathrooms, etc.

I decided that when I moved into the rental house, I would make a much better effort to keep things in order. First and foremost, I am trying to make myself do laundry during the week. It's much easier to do 1 load per night than to have to do 4-5 on the weekends. But then I wondered, what else can I do?

Martha Stewart to the rescue. I'm not like a MS stan. I didn't/don't watch her show. I've never bought any books. But when I did my Google search on keeping home organized, I came across a checklist of hers...which led me several more checklists. I printed out 6, specifically:

--6 Things to Do Every Day
--Weekly Cleaning Checklist
--Monthly Cleaning Checklist
--Seasonal Cleaning Checklist
--Medical Supplies Checklist
--How to Keep the Refrigerator Clean

I don't know about that seasonal list...I just glanced at it, but I don't know if I'll be doing all that. I don't own the house I'm living in. LOL! However, I really found the list of 6 things to do every day to be very helpful (I did most of those things anyway), as well as the weekly cleaning list. I also need to have a better medical supplies box/first aid kit. So I plan to put those to use.

The 6 things you should do every day are:
Make the Bed
Manage Clutter (look around rooms for clutter and pick it up before you go to bed)
Sort the Mail (make bins for personal correspondence, bills, catalogs and filing)
Clean as You Cook
Wipe Up Spills While They're Fresh
Sweep the Kitchen Floor

You can find all of these at www.marthastewart.com/checklists

What do you do during the week to keep your home organized?

It's the Weekend!

So glad it's Friday! I have a couple of things brewing this weekend:

1. I have two phone interviews today. One for an internal position and the other is with a new company. The internal position is lateral with no increase in pay, but exposure to more complex claims. I will find out about the external position later today. In this economy it's nice to have two opportunities.

2. This afternoon I get to see the wonderful ladies of @revolutionEGO to get my locs maintained. They are doing really well. At the end of November it will have been a year since I started them. One of the best decisions I've made.

3. Tomorrow I'm taking a yoga workshop called Yoga for Runners from 2:30 - 4:30 at Charlotte Family Yoga Center. It's going to help us with our breathing during runs and also with some stretches to help us with the tightness and injuries that often plague runners, such as IT band issues. I am looking forward to it. I hope some of my running buddies will come out and join me.

4. Saturday evening I'm having a Girls' Night In with 6-7 friends. We're going to watch an old school movie, eat snacks we don't need, drink wine and just chill out. I think everyone needs time away from their husbands/kids/significat others to just hang out with the girls. Should be fun! :)

5. Enjoying the rental house, but not happy with their response on my service issues. Slow as molasses. I guess that's the trade off from apartment living. Unfortunately they're coming tomorrow, shortly before my Girls' Night In starts, but during the week it would be so much more difficult to meet him. I would have to leave work to go over and disable my security alarm. Hopefully he can get everything taken care of tomorrow.

6. Sunday is going to be a rest day! My Cowboys are back after the bye week and will face the Patriots. I hope Romo has had a chance to regroup. *facepalm*

What do you have planned for the weekend?

Three Things Thursday!

*blows dust off blog*

1. I'm currently on my Twitter/FB annual hiatus. It's been 3 days. I feel like Pooky from New Jack City. I will probably have the shakes later today at my desk. And of course, they decide to come out with the FB for iPad app right as I'm going on hiatus. *facepalm*

2. I strained my calf last week during our run and it's still trying to work itself out. This morning only one other person showed up for our BGR run, and her legs were tired from hill work the day before. So, we went for a 20 minute jog at conversational pace. I felt like I could have gone 15-20 minutes more. Conversational pace is where it's at! The calf is still tight, but not to bad.

3. My yoga is coming along fabulously. Ms. Stacy has been helping me take my poses further. I even held plank for a minute the other day. I've gotten to the point where I can do side planks without having my knee down. Still can't get that headstand, though. LOL!

Have a great day!