Waffle House

So we're picking up a friend tomorrow at the Atlanta airport and because this friend has lived in St. Paul the past few years, she doesn't have access to the Waffle House. She surely has other food treats we don't have; but in talking with her earlier in the week, she requested a stop at the WH for lunch.
Ahhh. You can take the girl out of the South, but ...

Good advice

Live in rooms full of light
Avoid heavy food
Be moderate in the drinking of wine
Take massage, baths, exercise, and gymnastics
Fight insomnia with gentle rocking or the sound of running water
Change surroundings and take long journeys
Strictly avoid frightening ideas
Indulge in cheerful conversation and amusements
Listen to music.
~ A. Cornelius Celsus

(From Wikipedia.com: Aulus Cornelius Celsus (ca 25 BC—ca 50) was a Roman encyclopedist, known for his extant medical work, "De Medicina," which is believed to be the only surviving section of a much larger encyclopedia. The De Medicina is a primary source on diet, pharmacy, surgery and related fields, and it is one of the best sources concerning medical knowledge in the Roman world. The lost portions of his encyclopedia likely included volumes on agriculture, law, rhetoric, and military arts.)

More weight, less fat

Tina Haupert at Health.com writes here about adding weight/circuit training to your cardio routine. It can slim you down because your body keeps "working" even after you've put up the weights. (Don't ask me exactly how this works.) Weight training builds muscle, rather than fat, as well. I myself have gotten out of my weight training. It just happens. I love my Spin class so much, and riding outside, that I neglect the weights.
Even if you don't have a gym membership, you can find at-home circuit training routines online.
Like this one.

Resilience

Here's a good article on resilience and overcoming, in the face of great adversity such as cancer. And how hope can keep people well, not only psychologically but also physiologically. (The flip side, of course, is the mystery that even the most hopeful and resilient person can die of cancer. Sometimes disease overtakes.)
Still, maintaining a sense of hopefulness is good for the soul, and for those who come in contact with us.

"Angela's Ashes"

Still catching up on the news from our absence. The L.A. Times ran this obit last week on author Frank McCort of "Angela's Ashes" fame.
I like what he said about his age (which, at the time of an interview, was 66): You're either expected to die then, or get hemorrhoids.
McCort, a great storyteller who won the Pulitzer Prize for "Ashes," managed to squeak out 12 more years after that. Interestingly, he spent most of his career as a teacher, at this famed New York school.
Another one of the greats passes on.

Vacay

A super time in the mountains. This is a bridge between Hwy 107 near Cashiers and Highlands, NC. The river is the Chattooga. Very picturesque. We went out on the river Wednesday evening and saw some fly fishermen and hiked along a trail.
The "road" over the bridge is mostly gravel and mostly one-lane (and quite curvy), but a shorter route between Cashiers and Highlands, for sure.
One story: Driving back to our cabin one night (on a paved road), we were behind a van. Suddenly a deer ran alongside the road and apparently tried to jump over the van. He didn't quite make it. His left side hit the back windshield, and he sort of rolled off. But, amazingly, he bolted right up and ran to the other side of the road. It happened in a matter of seconds. The van seemed unharmed.

I Feel Bad About My Neck

This is the title of a great bargain find this afternoon at the Columbus Public Library. (The Friends of the Library had a sale for the store, where My Mama is a volunteer.)
Nora Ephron wrote it. I'd been wanting to read it, so at $4, why not? It'll make a great vacation read. (We're heading out tomorrow, in case I haven't mentioned this enough. Please don't rob us.)
Ephron was also recently profiled in The New Yorker. Fascinating woman. And I've loved every single one of her movies, notably "You've Got Mail" and "Sleepless in Seattle."
Here's a 2006 review of "I Feel Bad About My Neck."
Have a great weekend and week, all.