Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

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Archive for August, 2015

Scratchers

Posted by terrepruitt on August 29, 2015

A cat came into our lives in 2000.  So we were blessed to have had her as our cat for fourteen years.  She had a few scratching posts and things to scratch on.  Well, she had two scratching posts, an area where cats are supposed to scratch on her tower, and another horizontal carpeted scratcher.  She never really scratched anywhere else except when she wasn’t feeling well.  That is how I knew she wasn’t feeling well.  When she got sick she started scratching on the bottom steps in the stair case.  Our stairs are split so she had two steps to scratch up.  The bottom two steps are all torn up.  Lovely.  I didn’t know about cardboard scratchers until The Dancing Cat came into town.  They introduced me to the cardboard things that the cats scratch on.  If I had know about them perhaps they would have saved our stairs.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueI don’t remember ever seeing them when I would look for cat stuff.  Well I didn’t really look for cat stuff after a while.  I mean, when you first get a cat you buy all kinds of stuff.  But then after a while you stop buying toys and things.  For us, Spot was our only child so our friends and family would kindly give her stuff – all the time.  At Christmas she would get more gifts than John and I put together.  Cute, huh?  What great friends and family we have.  Plus . . . she was like most cats, she liked bags, string, boxes, and paper.  She even liked cotton swabs.  So I never shopped for things.  I never had the opportunity to see this cardboard scratcher dealie-bobber!  I don’t think they had these things all those years ago when we first got Spot.

What great things these are.  And Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Techniquewith our cats, they already were used to using them.  The reason I knew they would be good is that I had seen one, if not both, Smokey and Esmeralda, use them while at the lounge/cafe.  They are pretty cool.  I like ’em.

They make a mess because it quickly becomes shredded cardboard particles all over, but still so much nicer than shredded couch, shredded carpet, shredded curtains, you know what I mean.  I do hope that the cats continue to use and enjoy them.

Our cats have one that has a ball on the outer edge.  They like that one, too.  The cardboard in that one is much tougher so it does not shred as easily.  They seem to like to sit on it more than scratch it.  Go figure.  There are some pretty fancy ones out there, for sale.  One looks like a piece of art to me, but I don’t know how long that would last and I would rather buy A LOT of little disposable ones than have one beautiful one that I had to discard.

I am thankful for these scratchers, the cats use them all the time and I am convinced they save our belongings from being shredded.

Do you know about these cardboard scratchers?  Do you have any if them for your cats?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Losing Lens Flexibility

Posted by terrepruitt on August 25, 2015

Recently I hosted a Nia class taught by a guest teacher.  It was a on a Sunday.  It happened to be one of the hottest days we have had.  So I thought I would allow myself to be a little cooler by wearing my contacts and not my glasses.  And by “cooler” I mean temperature-wise, tee hee!  Having glasses on my face makes me a tad bit warmer than when I don’t have glasses on.  I hadn’t worn my contacts in a long time.  Turns out a VERY long time.  When I went to read, I couldn’t.  And on top of that I kept looking down under my glasses (the ones I wasn’t wearing because I was wearing my contacts).  I also couldn’t write.  I mean I could but it wasn’t very well because I couldn’t see.  It was kind of funny, but very frustrating.  I know that it happens, I know that as we age we lose our ability to read up close, but it was really weird, because without my contacts lenses I can see up close, fine.  I can read up close without my glasses on, I have to look below them, push them up, or take them off.  So when my contacts made me a far-sighted person, it was so weird to lose the ability to see close.  I mean it made sense because my glasses do the same thing, it just didn’t dawn on me that my contacts would do the same thing and that I couldn’t push them up or easily take them off in order to see.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueI am so used to wearing my glasses that the first time I stopped dancing during the Nia class, to mop off my face I grabbed for my glasses (the ones I wasn’t wearing because I was wearing my contacts) to push them up so I could towel off my face.  Funny.  It was a funny experience.  Kind of frustrating because no matter how far or close I moved the – whatever I was trying to read – I couldn’t really see.  This wasn’t an issue during the class, but afterwards it was.  I actually borrowed by husband’s glasses for a second, just to see if they would help — they did.

Losing our ability to see close is part of the aging process.   It is called presbyopia and is actually a change in the eye’s focusing ability.  The American Optometric Association website says:  “Losing the ability to read the newspaper or see the cell phone numbers may seem to have occurred abruptly. Actually, these changes have been occurring gradually since childhood. But up until now, your eyes have had adequate focusing power to allow you to see clearly for reading and close work. Now your eyes no longer have enough focusing power for clear and comfortable near vision tasks.”  This is “the result of the lens inside the eye becoming less flexible.”  The effects of this loss of flexibility starts being noticed about the age of 40.  The condition just continues to worsen as we age.

There are many ways that this can be addressed or corrected, from glasses to surgery.  I want to get new glasses.  I don’t remember the last time I got new glasses.  I am thinking I don’t want bifocals or progressives.  I think I am ok with just looking under, pushing them all the way up, or taking them off.  But we will see.

For those of you who are at this point or beyond, what have you opted to do?  Anyone like progressives?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Cat Update

Posted by terrepruitt on August 22, 2015

Oh, man, I was trying not to write about the cats.  I am sitting here trying to come up with something to write about, but I am not coming up with anything.  Or I have, I’ve thought of a few things, but my notes, information, and research are not here with me, so I don’t want to write a post off of just my memory.  I am a bit tired as I am been in training all day.  Ya know, just learning stuff all day long.  It is really tiring.  It doesn’t matter what you are learning, being in a training and getting new information or even being reminded of stuff you already know, but maybe forgot – is tiring. So all I got left at this late hour is the cats.  Sometimes when I can’t think of something to write about I look through my photo album on my phone and I find something to write about.  I often snap pictures of things to remind me of a post I thought of or I find a pretty picture in there I can comment on.  All of my recent photos are of cats.  So . . . cats is what you get.  An update on the girls.

So, you may have read my past blog posts, you may not have.  Here is a summary.  We adopted two cats (sisters, what they call a “bonded pair”) on Fourth of July.  On the 13th of July we locked them in a room and started treating them with a topical medicine because we suspected ringworm.  On the 21st of July it was confirmed and we began giving them pills on that same day.  They had to take 30 days worth of pills.  On the 20th day (August 10th) of giving the meds (that means they had 10 pills left to take) we took them in to be tested again.  The vet said that Smokey (the black one) didn’t have any spots on her that could be tested.  And that the tortie, Esmeralda, only had spots on her toes.  So he took a sample to culture.  That takes 10 days.  So while the culture was being done we had the remaining 10 pills to give.  Plus we were instructed to put the topical medicine on Esmeralda’s toes.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueSo our new-to-us cats were brought into our home and enjoyed it for a week before we locked them into a room and put medicine on them for nine days, then gave them pills for 30 days.  Then we had to start putting the medicine on one of them again.  Well, we were/are really determined to get rid of this fungus so we are doing it.  We were putting stuff on Emmy’s toes for 7 days.  On the eighth day I couldn’t find which toes I was supposed to be treating so I stopped.  On the 30th day of giving pills we talked to the vet and he said that they were since they didn’t have any spots on them that they were no longer contagious and that they could be released.  So we released them after being in one room for 38 days.  BUT . . . . . . the vet prescribed 14 more days of pills for Emmy.  He said her cultures were a little fluoresced, so he wanted to make sure we completely knocked it out.  So even though she had ten more days of pills after the sample was taken he felt she needed 14 more days of pills.

Now at the end of the 30 days of pills she was getting more and more withdrawn.  And depressed.  Both of the cats would hide when evening rolled around because that is when we would pill them. They knew it was coming.  And they just seemed to get more sad and more skittish.  It was nice to finally be able to let them out, but this additional pilling with Esmeralda is tough.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueToday she disappeared.  We couldn’t find her.  We looked all over.  Finally my husband said, “I found her.”  I said, “Where?”  And where he said she was I would have NEVER thought to look.  NEVER.  I would have NEVER imagined she could have got under there, but she did.  We decided to let her come out on her own, which she did when she heard something in the yard.  But she is very pouty.

We are very sad that we are having to continue with her pills.  They make her not feel well so we don’t blame her for not wanting to take them.  Poor girl.  Hopefully she will forgive us down the line.  We will see.

It is great that neither my husband nor I got the fungus.  We played with the cats and handled them as if they were not infected.  But we washed our hands after.  Hubby would walk from cat room straight to the sink to wash his hands.  I would sometimes use hydrogen peroxide to wipe my hands, legs, and feet.  It it really nice to not have to change clothes just to see the cats.  It is really nice to have them out in the house with us.  We have eleven more days of pilling Emmy.  We can do it.

So that is an update on our little situation.  I still have to put my office back together, getting all the stuff I took out of it out of the rest of the house.  But we are doing ok.  Thanks for “listening”.

Posted in Cats, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: , , , | 10 Comments »

He Got Me With Something New

Posted by terrepruitt on August 18, 2015

Oh my!  I bet you are relieved to hear that I only took a few pictures of the Nia event.  I say that because I took so many of the last two events that I couldn’t decide which ones to post, so I posted a lot.  In March Jason came to town and taught his Nia routine Frankie Say Nia and a Nia FreeDance Playshop.  We had a great time.  You can see pictures and videos on my posts What Did Frankie Say?, Dancing, Learning, Posting, Editing, The Nia FreeDance Playshop Was Awesome!, and What Do You Mean Nia FreeDance Tool?.  This time Jason was driving through California again so I invited him back to do what he is calling Franking Say Redux.  It is so fun.  One of the things he said was that we were going to do things we had never done before.  I teach Nia so I thought that was a tall order and I shared my skepticism.  But I was also eager to see what that might be.  Well, a song or two in he had us doing . . . . something I had never done before.  And I said, “Alright, here it is!”

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueSo even though he was here in March and we did the same routine he did it a little different.  While he traveled throughout the United States he adjusted it.  Plus sometimes part of what a Nia Teacher does while teaching is adjust moves or what we say to encourage different movement.  The move was not only new to me but it was so funny I had to laugh while I was doing it.  It was a Cat Stance Tail Wag with Jazz Hands.  Now, if you know what that is get up and do it.  It is hilarious.  You don’t even need music to get a giggle out of it.  I am sure part of my laughter came from the fact that we were doing other things leading up to or right after the move that doing it was almost a joke because there was just so much going on!

Some of you may need a reminder:  a cat stance is balancing on one leg while the other leg is up, a tail wag is when you wag your tail (I like to do it with a release in my spine), and Jazz Hands are your fingers spread wide.  Yeah.  Ha, ha, ha.  Try it!

Loved it.  I can’t remember what was before or after, but I know the whole thing was very funny.

We had a small group, but we had a great time.  My supportive husband even joined us.  Jason is always fun and we always learn something.  I think I will just have to keep inviting him back until you come and see for yourself.

Doing something new is such a great way to stimulate the brain and with that the nervous system.  Doing something new and having it be physical is a way to stimilate the brain, nervous stystem, and the whole entire body.  Jason had us doing all kinds of stimulating things.  It was very fun.

Does your exercise class stimulate your brain?  Do you do knew things?

Posted in Nia | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Oil And Paws

Posted by terrepruitt on August 15, 2015

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueSometimes it is nice to have a nice flavored oil to do the job instead of putting in all the seasonings and spices yourself.  I decided to cook some kale tonight.  To me, kale is one of those veggies that can really stand up to a lot of seasoning.  it needs strong flavors because it is a strong flavor.  I was trying to think of something different to cook the kate with, plus it was late, I was tired, so I wanted something fast.  Then I remembered a bottle of olive oil I received as a gift.  I had used it before on something . . . I forgot what, but I did remember we loved the flavor.  So I pulled it out and used it to sautee the kale.

It is Big Paw’s Pizzeria Savory Dipper – Dressing – Marinade.  It is olive oil with a mix of garlic oil, rosemary oil, herbs, and sea salt.  And it taste like pizza!  I love Big Paw’s products.  They have a Mission Fig Balsamic that is good enough to drink.  I haven’t gotten it in a long time.  But there was a time when it was a staple in my cupboard.  Now that I am talking about it, I think I should invest in some.  They also have a really yummy peach balsamic!

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Another oil that I love to use is Consorzio’s Meyer Lemon Olive Oil.  I am not a big fan of lemon flavor, but this add just the right amount.  I sometimes sautee vegetables with this, but my favorite use for it is to put it in the rice cooker when making rice.  It adds the PERFECT amount of flavor.

Oh, and I just remembered . . . speaking of BIG paws . . . have you seen this?  (The picture below)  This AMAZED me.  I knew bear paws were big.  I know that they are as big as a human head and combined with their strength bears can be very dangerous.  I know all that.  But seeing this woman holding this bear paw . . . . wow.  I stared at this photo for a long time.  It is amazing.

I also stare at photos of people next to lion’s heads and or paws.  Their noses are usually the size of half a person’s face.  Just so big.  This paw just floors me.  And then I look at the claws.  Look, they are longer than the woman’s nose!  Whew.  Just amazes me.
Update:  July 05, 2016 – someone commented on this post with a link to a picture with information as to the true nature of the photo.  I did more research and did find a few sites that confirmed the information.  I even found one site that claimed to have received an e-mail from the sister of the person who killed the bear.  So, the picture of the woman posing with the trophy-that-once-was-an-animal is no longer available on this site.  I only posted it because I believed the caption that was attached to it (it stated the animal was sedated).   It has been replaced with a big hairy paw!

Oh yeah, back to oil . . . . do you have a favorite flavored oil that you cook with?  Do you have one you like to put on your salad?  Or use as a dipping oil?  Or one that you use as a marinade?

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

I would like to note that I don’t know “West Coast Native News”.  One of my friends posted this or commented on it so it showed up on my newsfeed on Facebook.  I didn’t look at West Coast’s page, but this is their picture or it’s @sasagronomy’s picture and I want to keep the information regarding the picture with the picture.  This is not a trophy picture!  Update:  July 05, 2016 – Turns out it was a trophy picture, it is no longer available on this site.

Posted in Food | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Butterfly, Baddha Konasana, Bound Angle

Posted by terrepruitt on August 11, 2015

A great hip opener is Baddha Konasana.  Baddha means bound and kona means angle.  So this is Bound Angle.  I learned this pose as Butterfly.  I like this pose.  This is great for the hips.  It can be a very intense stretch for the inner thighs.  This is the pose where you sit up tall, legs straight out in front of you, then bend your knees and roll your thighs outward, so your knees are facing out to the sides.  You have the soles of your feet together.  Your heels are as close to your pelvis as is comfortable.  Then you hook your two fingers of each hand around your big toes.  Your knees are the “angle” and your hands hold your feet for the “bound”.

In my gentle yoga classes I instruct the students to bring the soles of the feet together while their legs are out in front of them.  Then I have them bring their their feet to their pelvis.  This way people are getting the stretch that is enough for them.  People will bring their feet in as far as they can.  I have also instructed this asana where the students bring one leg in close to the pelvis, then the other.  The idea is to get the stretch your body needs and will allow.  When props are available they can be used to help support the knees.  Without props it works to bring your feet in only as far as is comfortable.

If holding your toes is not comfortable, you can use your hands to support you, allowing you to keep your spine long and tall.  Check to make certain your weight is balanced on both sitz bones.

This pose is said to have the following benefits:

—frees the hip joints
—stretches the adductors
—relieves mild depression
—relieves anxiety
—relieves fatigue
—strengthens the back and the spine
—improves circulation through the hips, legs, and pelvic region
—keeps kidney and prostrate gland healthy
—treats urinary tract disorders
—keeps ovaries healthy
—helps open blocked fallopian tubes
—good prep for child birth

If you want MORE of a stretch you can gently press on the knees, pushing them towards the floor.  Or you can fold forward from the hips.  But remember to listen to your body.  Having your knees touch the ground is not necessarily better.  Wherever you SENSE the stretch (“wherever” as in wherever your knees are) is where you should be.  The pose is about stretching the hips and legs, so whatever you do that does that is great!

Also . . . keep in mind that the benefits are listed as possible benefits people may have experienced.  The list in no way represents a substitution for medical attention.  This is pose is not a substitute for seeing a doctor if you have known or suspected issues with any of the things listed.

Also, if you have knee issues this might not be the best pose for you.  Again . . . .listen to your body.

Are you familiar with this asana?  Do you do this asana?  Do you like this asana?

Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

A Nip About Cats

Posted by terrepruitt on August 8, 2015

Well, as you know, we not-too-long-ago adopted two new cats.  And with that came ringworm.  So we have not been able to start our lives together . . . in a sense . . . because we have been having to keep them locked in one room to reduce the chances of the spread and continuation of this fungus.  It is not worms, but a fungus.  In addition to the lock-down, we are having to give them both medication in the form of a pill.  Anyone that has “pilled” a cat knows that no matter the method it is not pleasant for neither recipient nor giver.  It is not something new “parents” want to have to do to their new cats.  So, really, all I have thought about is cats, lately.  Yes, I realize that I tend toward the obsessive side, but when all my spare time is spent cleaning and a lot of my energy is spent working towards getting my “new” cats healthy, can you blame me?  With all the thoughts; “cats”, it made me think of a one thing about cats that I recently learned.  Some of you might find it interesting, I know I did.  In talking to a friend after Nia class the other day, she asked me if I was going to write a blog post about it and I said no because I feel I have been posting too much about cats.  She made me think that it might be ok to do so.  So here ya go.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueNot all cats like catnip.  Well, it is not so much as “like” as it is respond to it.  It is a genetic thing.  I thought all cats liked catnip.  I thought catnip was like cat marijuana and every cat would get “high” off of it, but I recently learned that is not true.  Some cats will have a reaction to it and others won’t.  Between 70 to 80 percent of cats will react.  The reaction cats have is in a general “range”.  Most of them will “exhibit several behaviors common to queens in season (females in heat): They may rub their heads and body on the herb or jump, roll around, vocalize and salivate.”  (According to ScientificAmerican.com) And even more interesting:  “This response lasts for about 10 minutes, after which the cat becomes temporarily immune to catnip’s effects for roughly 30 minutes”.  So you can only dose your cats in 30 minute intervals.  But some cats also become immune to its effects.

Some cats get more aggressive than just rubbing their heads and rolling around, but it is not dangerous aggressive or violent aggressive.  Just maybe a little more aggressive and active than you are used to seeing your cat actually be.  But  I don’t know exactly first hand because I once read that catnip is a drug for the cat.  Some articles say that it is like LSD or marijuana.  So my hubby and I decided to keep our cat “drug-free”.  And we did.  We didn’t give our cat, Spot, catnip.  Once I bought a toy that either didn’t disclose on the website that it had catnip or I didn’t read it.  So we gave it to her, but then we put it away and it never came out again.  But with two cats, who knows what we will do.  This is new territory for us.  And by now, I had dreamed of being well into our “getting-to-know-you” phase.  Anyway . . . we will see.  In addition to the “frenzied”, “high”, “tripping” behavior a cat might exhibit there is a calm.  It acts like a sedative.  I could see that being a good thing.  But who knows.  When they have reign over the whole house we might never need a sedative.  Although from the sound of things it might be entertaining to see them on the stuff . . . .

What about you?  Did you think (like I did) that all cats reacted to catnip?  Do you allow your cat to indulge?

Posted in Cats | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Getting To Know You

Posted by terrepruitt on August 4, 2015

Wow.  I just noticed, it has been a bit since I posted a post of body facts.  The first post was Human Body Fantastic in 2011 and then the post called Body Facts in 2013.  I am sure you are ready for more.  I mean it is not like you have this incredible place at your finger tips where you can look up this information.  Ha, ha, ha.  Ok, it is more like why would you just randomly look up this information, right?  But sometimes it is just fun to learn some fact about the body.  Something that you may never have thought of if someone hadn’t have told you.  Don’t you think?  Here ya go . . . interesting things about the body.  Keep in mind that these are general facts.  There is always going to be exceptions to the rules (facts).

—There are fourteen bones in the human face
—The human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles and tendons
—Of the 206 bones in the adult human body, more than half (106) are in the hands and feet
—The pelvis is made up of six bones joined firmly together (two ilium bones, two ischium bones, and two pubic bones)
—The femur or thigh bone is the longest bone in the body, making up almost one quarter of the body’s total height
—The femur is (generally) the strongest bone in the body
—The biggest muscle in the body is the gluteus maximus
—The gluteus maximus is (generally) also the most superficial
—An estimated 2 million blood cells die per second in the human body
—An estimated 2 million blood cells are born per second in the human body
—Blood volume makes up approximately eight per cent of your body weight
—About 55 percent of blood is comprised of plasma, of which 90 per cent is water
—The brain is part of the nervous system
—Neurons send signals through the nervous system
—The human brain has approximately 100 billion neurons
—The human spinal cord has about 13.5 millions neurons
—The nervous system can transmit signals at speeds of 100 meters (328 feet) per second
—Exteroceptors – a type of nerve receptor gather information from the outside world.
—There are 100,000 – 200,000 exteroceptors in the sole of each foot.
—Tonsils are part of the body’s immune system
—Tears and mucus contain an enzyme (lysozyme) that breaks down the cell wall of many bacteria
—Teeth are living organs and contain blood vessels and nerves under the dentin in a soft region known as the pulp.
—The average human mouth produces about two liters (approximately equal to 1/2 gallon or 8 cups) of saliva every day
—The stomach of an adult can hold about 1.5 liters of material
—The adult body takes in and breathes out about 6 liters of air each minute while at rest
—At rest, a person usually breaths between 12 and 15 times a minute

So, what do you think?  I think some of it is interesting stuff.  The body is so fascinating.  Science and the way we figure things out is fascinating, too.  Were any of these facts new to you?  Which one fascinates you the most?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Now, Not The Future

Posted by terrepruitt on August 1, 2015

I admit, I am challenged with living in the NOW.  I have posted about it before in my Still Practicing Living in the Moment post.  It is a constant practice.  The idea of multi-tasking does not help.  It takes the focus off of what you are doing because your attention is split, and I talked about that in my post “Multitasking”.  There are so many things that remind me to live in the present.  There are always memes showing up on my Facebook Newsfeed.  There are even Bible verses.  Nia used to stand for Now I Am, which I was taught meant to focus on the present, to move and dance in the moment.  But still, I often don’t pay attention to the moment.  When I am not living in the moment sometimes it causes me to worry or feel anxious.  When I have a lot to do, a lot to get done, that is when I am most thinking about doing the next thing.  I am especially anxious for the future right now.  It is like when you have a vacation planned and you can’t wait for it to get here.  I can’t wait for our cats isolation period to be over with.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueWe brought them home on Saturday, July 4, 2015.  For a day or two Smokey was fine but then we noticed her starting to rub her ears a lot.  She was rubbing and scratching them bloody.  Then I noticed Esmeralda had scabby ears.  As I mentioned in my other post it didn’t really hit us that we needed to go to the vet until a Saturday.  We couldn’t get in to a vet (I called five) until Monday (July 13th).  The culture wasn’t back until Tuesday, the 21st.  John was wonderful and picked up the meds that evening on his way home from work.  So we could start administering right away.

It was on the 13th that we locked them in one room.  Now we have to give them meds until the August 19th.  We have an appointment with the vet on August 10th.  The vet will take samples at that time.  While we are waiting for the culture to come back (10 to 14 days) we will be finishing up the 30 days of medication.

We are excitedly waiting for the 19ths when we will be done with 30 days of medication.  But what if the culture doesn’t come back negative? OH MAN!  What if we have to go more isolation time and more culture time and expense? AHHHH!  What if ONE culture is negative and the other one positive?  What if we go bat guano crazy before the 19th?

So I am having a difficult time living in the now.  I have a ton of stuff to do and I feel as if I can’t really concentrate or enjoy (whatever should apply) because I am so wanting this whole thing to be over.  I want the cats to be able to free, plus I really just want to get back to living our regular lives.  This whole process is a pain in the ass.

I know I need to just focus on the moment.  It really does make things better.  It allows me to get more out of what I am doing.  I allows me to enjoy the present.  It helps me to not worry and be anxious.  But damn it is a challenge!

Can you share a story of a situation when you were looking forward to the end and anxious about it at the same time?  Have you ever had this happen where you are not living in the moment? 

Posted in Cats, Misc, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »