October 20th: We're so happy with this PM - and we are going to keep up with the yearly exams: Holland likes this doctor, & so do I - she friendly, personable, listens, and takes the time to explain things clearly. I admit I was more concerned than Holland … and I was glad last night, when he showed me the PM: "Hey Baby - you got a minute? This just came through and I want you to read it with me" - we read it together, and I admit I teared up (guess I was more concerned than I thought I was):
GOOD NEWS!
WHAT TO DO/That Is The Question~Self-Care; Castle Rock-WA: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/10/what-to-dothat-is-questionself-care.html)
I said, "Benign - that means you're okay. Praise God." He said, "Everything's gonna be alright Baby; you can relax now." I suppose I have been like a cat on a hot tin roof, waiting for this message - {smoking since he was 14 y.o., breathing construction dust the majority of his life (before, during, and after he was working construction himself - it was always present), oil field fumes, living in high-pollution areas, second-hand smoke on top of all of it …} yeah, I've been concerned. And he's not fooling me: he's been concerned, too. It felt good to enjoy good news & take a breath that held freedom in it.
There is still the COPD to deal with, but that is manageable - and we are on staying on top of that, too.
As soon as Holland finished his coffee this morning, He called his SIL & said he'd be over directly to bring Bleu home - we've both missed him. While Holland was in Kelso collecting our furry son, I did a leg workout:
Darebee's Barre Strength Workout borrows the quiet discipline of a ballet studio and strips away everything except the hard part: holding still. Nine poses, each held for a count of ten, flowing from a relevé stand into single-leg side raises, through a series of wide plié squat holds, and finishing on the floor in planks with raised-leg variations. There are no reps here at all. The entire workout is isometric - your muscles work at full effort while nothing visibly moves, which is exactly what makes barre training deceptively brutal.
The sequence descends deliberately from standing to floor. It opens on the balls of your feet to wake up the calves, ankles and balance reflexes, then loads each hip in turn with a held side leg raise - ten counts per side, so neither leg gets to coast. The middle block parks you in a plié squat and keeps you there through three consecutive holds, shifting weight onto your toes as you go, which stacks fatigue in the quads, glutes and inner thighs without ever letting them shorten or lengthen their way out of the work. The closing plank trio does the same for your trunk: a full plank first, then one leg lifted, then the other, so your core has to fight rotation while already tired. Isometric holds recruit the deep stabilizing fibers that fast reps skip over, and they build the kind of strength that keeps joints steady.
Count honestly and breathe through every hold - the temptation is to rush the count or hold your breath, and both cheat you out of the benefit. In the side leg raises, height matters less than posture: keep your torso upright and lift the leg from the hip rather than leaning away to fake extra range. In the plié holds, push your knees out over your toes and keep your tailbone tucked under you instead of letting your hips drift back. When you rise onto your toes, go up with control and keep your ankles from wobbling outward. In the leg-raised planks, lift the leg only as high as you can without your hips twisting or your lower back dipping.
No music, no mirror, no barre required - just you, nine poses, and ninety honest counts. Grace is strength that doesn't show off.
Make it Harder: Double every hold to a count of 20.
Make it Easier: Count to 5 in each pose and rest your raised leg on a chair back for the side holds.
Hold EA Pose for a ct of 10~Aim EA Pose for a ct. of 60
Muscles Worked
I'm so glad I am able to upload YouTube Video's again.
BARRE Strength Workout - FULL:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQJ1eG1NR4s&t=43s)
I had just finished my workout - when I saw Betsy pull up outside the front door; I opened Independence's door at the same time Holland opened Betsy's back seat door … and Bleu was so excited to be back home that he jumped from Betsy's open door to the front steps - and straight into my arms, stretching his full length (which shocked me to see that he is as long as I am tall, now!) and covered my face with his happy doggie kisses. Our handsome little fella is glad to be back with us - and we're glad to have him back.
He also got a bath; Holland and I both laugh that he's the only dog we know that loves to get a bath - he will literally put himself in the shower stall & wait for Holland to scrub him down. He also got excited when I was unpacking his things, and he heard the jingle-jangle of his old harness - he tried to shove his head into it … but he's an adult dog now, and it's too small. So, I promised him I'd buy him a larger one; now he wears a choke collar, and I don't like that. A harness works better (waste bags can be stashed in a pouch, & there is a top handle that comes in handy if he needs an extra boost-lift), & is a lot safer when we're out walking trails.
Plus, he likes a harness.
He wanted all his old routines.
Bleu is so happy to be home.
He got a bath … cologned & kerchiefed, too.
He was home and wanted his home comforts.
The Plan when we started Road Gypsying, was to travel America, & have a home base in AZ; but we've since come to the sad conclusion that we will never be able to live in Arizona - it's beautiful, but it's not for us. However, before that deduction was understood, we had rehomed Bleu so he could enjoy a quality life - AZ's Park rules about dogs off-leash, & AZ's wickedly unkind, thorny, landscape pains on tender paws were the main reasons he was rehomed with Lana after her dog jumped the fence and ran away. We made the right choice for that particular space in time.
REHOMING BLEU: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/02/rehoming-bleu.html)
But, when Scott died last August, she just doesn't have the strength to care for him properly. So, she honored the agreement we'd made when rehoming … and she called us before handing him over to strangers.
I'M GALD: I have missed him every day since he was rehomed. And when we realized that we could never live in AZ because the dusty atmosphere is bad for our damaged, struggling lungs … I wanted him back, but didn't want to be viewed as an "Indian Giver" by Holland's family. However, I did pray every day that he'd be coming back home.
And now, he has ❤️
I also read 6 more chapters, while Bleu slept at my feet. I think I've read this book before … but, I'm going to read it, again - just to be sure:
Cussler~Fargo Adventure novel with an Aztlan link uncovered in Zanzibar.
Land sharks are just as dangerous as the water creatures.
A pattern, not coincidence.
The Shenandoah was originally a British merchant ship launched as Sea King on August 17, 1863, but was later repurposed as one of the most feared commerce raiders in the Confederate Navy: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS_Shenandoah)
{{The Confederate Ghost Ship That Fought On
~Missed History Editorial Team • March 2026
On June 28, 1865, the Confederate ship CSS Shenandoah attacked and sank 24 American merchant vessels. The crew celebrated their victory.
The United States Civil War officially ended months earlier. Robert E. Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865. But the far-off Shenandoah did not know.
This ship was a commerce raider. Its goal was to hurt the Union's economy. It sailed under the Confederate flag, even after the Confederacy was gone.
A Mission to Disrupt
The Shenandoah started its journey in October 1864. It left from London, England. Captain James Waddell led the ship.
Their task was to target Union shipping. They wanted to hurt the North's whaling business. This would hopefully force peace talks.
For months, the Shenandoah did great damage. It captured and sank many Union merchant ships. Most of these attacks happened in the Pacific Ocean.
A Shocking Discovery
By June 1865, the ship was near Alaska. It kept attacking American whaling fleets there. The crew still believed they were fighting for the Confederacy.
Then, in early August 1865, Captain Waddell met a British ship. Its captain told him the war was over. The Confederacy had lost months before.
This news hit the crew hard. They had been acting as warriors without a country. Under international law, they were now pirates.
Captain James Waddell's Bold Move
Captain James Waddell was in a bad spot. He faced charges of piracy or treason. Surrendering to the Americans was not an option for him.
Instead, he made a risky decision. He would sail the Shenandoah all the way back to Liverpool, England.
The journey took 98 days and covered 10,000 miles. On November 6, 1865, the CSS Shenandoah finally reached the Mersey River.
It was the only Confederate warship to sail around the world
It was also the very last Confederate unit to surrender. The ship had fought until the very end.
The CSS Shenandoah truly was a ghost ship, fighting for a cause that no longer existed.
https://www.missedhistory.com/article/confederate-ghost-ship
&
In 1866 the US took possession of Shenandoah and sold her to the first Sultan of Zanzibar. He renamed her after himself (El Majidi). On 15 April 1872 a hurricane hit Zanzibar and Shenandoah, one of six ships owned by Seyed Burgash, was blown upon the shore and damaged beyond repair. The most feared commerce raider in the Confederate States Navy was no more.
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/confederate_ships/shenandoah.html }}
It's been a good Day, today.
We've all been touched by the thankful-grateful-blessed vibes - and big love in abundance.
Chris LeDoux - 'Big Love':
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUsX_qXpwjA)
