TRACTION: Coalinga-CA

I listened to Victor Davis Hanson, while drinking my morning coffee ☕️, today - I like Victor; he is a knowledgeable man with extensive "higher education", and comes from a long line of people educated/practicing in American History, Education, & Law knowledge 🧐

Victor Davis Hanson: The ‘Schumer Shutdown’ Gains Traction Each Passing Day: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSUwHdLVcNI)

And I did a little self-care introspection 📖💡🙏, & got stew going in the crockpot …

Self-care to curb the spinning wheels of my thoughts.

VAL'S CROCKPOT BEEF STEW Recipe; Coalinga-CA https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2025/10/vals-crockpot-beef-stew-recipe-coalinga.html

Supper taken care of, and my spirit tended to - I spent some time toning my body 🏋️‍♀️

Lunge Step-ups Exercise

Marching exercises work a wide range of muscles, primarily targeting the legs, core, and hips. It strengthens the hip flexors, glutes, quads, and hamstrings while also engaging the core (rectus abdominis and obliques), erector spinae, and shoulders. This exercise increases cardiovascular endurance, balance, and joint mobility.

Shoulder Muscles

This exercise is a gentle, low-key motion that improves circulation and strengthens the legs without putting stress on joints. It is especially good for those with limited mobility. It is generally safe for a senior woman to do the marching steps exercise, as it is a low-impact movement that can improve balance, strengthen muscles, and increase cardiovascular health. However, it is important to listen to your body, modify the exercise as needed, and start slowly.

The Lunge Step-Ups exercise works the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. The exercise also engages the calves, core (abs and obliques), and stabilizing muscles in the legs and feet for balance and stability.

External Abdominal Oblique Muscles

Foot & Ankle Muscles

Lunges and step-ups can be safe and beneficial for senior women, but it depends on their current fitness level, health, and any pre-existing conditions, such as knee or hip injuries. Lunge step-ups build lower body strength, improve balance, and enhance stability by working the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes  It is crucial to consult a doctor before starting. Modifications like chair-assisted lunges or reverse lunges are highly recommended to reduce strain on the knees.

Calf Raises primarily use the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, also known as the calf muscles. The gastrocnemius is more active during standing calf raises because of the straight knee, while the soleus muscle is more engaged during seated calf raises, which use a bent knee.

Calf Muscles

It is safe for a senior woman to do calf raises, as it is a beneficial exercise for improving balance, walking stability, and ankle strength, which helps reduce the risk of falls. It is recommended to start with a seated or standing version that uses a chair for support and to listen to your body, starting with a comfortable range of motion.

Side Leg Raises primarily work the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles (outer glutes), which are essential for hip abduction and stability. They also engage the tensor fasciae latae (TFL), hip flexors, and the core and obliques for stabilization. Depending on the movement and variation, the adductors (inner thighs) and even quadriceps can be activated.

Tensor fasciae latae muscle

Adductor Muscles

Side Leg Raises are generally safe for a senior woman to do, provided she has good balance and no underlying hip conditions like a recent hip replacement. It's essential to start slowly, use support like a chair for balance, and listen to her body to avoid injury. Consulting with a doctor or physical therapist first is crucial, especially if she has pre-existing health issues.

Leg Swings engage the primary muscles of the hips, such as the hip flexors and glutes, along with the hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip abductors and adductors in the thighs. Depending on the direction of the swing, the focus shifts, and the core and some calf muscles can also be involved.

It is generally safe for a senior woman to perform leg swing exercises, provided they are done with proper form, controlled movements, and adequate support. Leg swings are a recommended, low-impact exercise for older adults to improve balance, hip mobility, and flexibility, which are crucial for reducing the risk of falls and maintaining independence.

Wall Planks primarily engage the core, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques. They also work secondary muscles like the shoulders (deltoids), glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and the muscles of the lower back (erector spinae, quadratus lumborum).

Wall Planks Exercise

Wall planks are generally safe for senior women and are a great beginner-friendly exercise to build core strength, which is crucial for balance and fall prevention. However, it's important to start slowly, maintain proper form, and consult a doctor before beginning any new exercise program, especially if there are pre-existing injuries or limitations.

3 full sets of toning, plus wall planks; very little calories burned.

Supper underway ✅

Spirit & body tended to 💖

I set my Thanksgiving cactus & chrysanthemum in the sunny window brightening the dining nook, where I was settling in to work a couple more g st panels on my current little project:

Plants placed in a sunny spot - hoping for holiday blossoms on the cactus; and seeing new growth on the clipped back Chrysanthemum.

Back portion, finished up.

And, while I knitted my rows, I also did a little under table peddling for a little extra exercise ooph & calorie burn traction 🎯; my folding cardio mini cycle is not fancy, but it gets the job done 😉

Folding Cardio Mini Cycle.

Do Mini Exercise Bikes Really Work?

(https://www.tousains.com/blogs/news/do-mini-exercise-bikes-actually-work-benefits-and-drawbacks?srsltid=AfmBOorGb0Lkrz_FTg95akWclLZdpmdD-i1uPxMzTB0A8FYHheAzhWdj)

After supper, a couple loads of laundry was done … then it was time to enter onto my 24-hr. period of Shabbat Rest ☝️🕊️

Shabbat Shalom

Timeless Hebrew Tunes - 'In Your Healing Hands/B’yadecha Ha-Merappe’ot'

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgnDEfiGjPI)

SOUL SINGING SOFTLY; Ocean Park-WA

1972 Christian Music, Love Song -  'Love Song' ~ Full Album: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66DlLkh6o4Q)

Both Holland & I need to lose weight. Serious weight loss.

The inhalers are the culprit; but until our healings come through 🙏, our lungs need them 😟

I woke up thinking the other day that the only way this would be possible was to stop eating for a few days - Holland apparently has the same inspiration, because as soon as the sleepy cobwebs were cleared from his thoughts, he said, "I'm thinking about going on a 72 hour Fast".

BINGO! 👍

Confirmation.

I readily agreed 😁

I chose Monday thru Wednesday … so, that is how I started off this week: and I did it. Holland didn't think I could - but, I have fasted before, and I knew I could do it. I honestly did not feel hungry during that entire length of time: when I set my mind to do something, it is s.e.t. 😉

Holland, because he is taking medications, needs to eat something light during his days, so the medications don't chew his stomach lining up: and that's okay - fasting can be personalized; and people fast for different reasons 👌

Weight loss is the main thrust for our fasting period.

But, I am also going to be seeking spiritual insights. I want continual peace in our home - and that will only occur when Yeshua reigns in our Home 🕊️

The main thing Holland keeps carping about is religion - we both have pretty strong opinions concerning what we believe. Personally I have come to the conclusion that Holland was literally born into a cultic religious atmosphere 👺, and never really had his own personal {come to Jesus moment}; every time he starts talking about the redmill religion 🤪, my conclusion 🧐 is reaffirmed anew.

Holland was raised in a familial family that read the Bible - and could quote Scripture like a scribe, but the way he was taught was lopsided … a weird Heinz 57 familial beliefs that runs through the family tree on both sides of the familial root stock, that believes they could pick and choose what was "inspired" & was was questionable; "backsliding" was common, and a ready excuse to do whatever - and let the chips fall where they will. There was no Biblical accountability. And because there was no actual relationship with Elohim, or concrete belief in Yeshua, disasters seriously eroded familial relationships, & sin led to deaths without the saving knowledge of eternal Life 😢

It is sad - fatally sad - when people live a religious life void of Yeshua. Grace does not overlook outright sin 😈👹

That was the way he has lived his life to date: he does not like hearing 🤬 that he is living apart from Elohim's grace.

His family still lives that way 😳🤔

I am not stretching the truth when I say that 95% of all of the arguments between Holland and I stem from Holland's twisted religiology.

I, on the other hand, "came to Jesus" in the Winter of 1964 while hearing a sermon in Grand Rapids-MN, on the love of God … and knew I wanted that: I gave my heart to Jesus right then and there; and was water baptized at Bible Summer Camp in the summer of 1965. I knew what I was doing - no one else in my family were Christians, so I was not influenced, coerced, or birthed into a religious home atmosphere. My salvation was purely the real deal.

I was the only Christian in my familial family. When I decided at 8 years old to get saved, baptized at 9 years old, and live the rest of my life as Yeshua's willing bondservant - and the Temple of the Ruach HaKo'desh.

I took what the Bible said to heart: it was the Word of Almighty God; unquestionable.

I still live this way.

I am not perfect by a long shot, and I am a continual work in progress - but I do not deviate from Truth ✝️ when it is brought to my attention by the Ruach HaKo'desh.

Most of our personal, & relationship issues, are based around Holland saying, "Well I don't agree with that - we'll agree to disagree." And me responding by saying, "Well, Holland, it doesn't matter whether you agree or not … facts are facts. Scripture is not arguable; what Elohim says is set in concrete - and if, as you claim, you are a Christian - then you have got to accept e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Yeshua set forth as unquestionable; you can't just pick and choose to accept the things you're comfortable with - and disregard the things that make you uncomfortable; or things you don't understand." That makes him angry 😤 And he withdraws, ending the convo with a ticking cheek muscle.

Holland has a respect for Elohim & Yeshua; but he doesn't have a full understanding of either because he balks at getting spirit filled - he needs to be in control … and giving himself over to the full control of the Ruach HaKo'desh, frankly scares him - he doesn't want to look foolish. He truly believes that he can save himself, by himself; doing good works. Having met most of his family members, it's safe to state that he, like the rest of his familial family tree [leaves], have never really submitted to the Lordship of Yeshua - they know about Him … but, they don't intimately know Him. A spirit moves them - but not the Holy One.

Randy Stonehill - 'Counterfeit King' song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luCPgVjLojE

BUT, Yeshua & I, both, intend to get Holland into Heaven 🤝😉

This promise is a reminder that Elohim has the power to transform individuals and communities, offering the possibility of a new life in Him.

This Covenant promises a deeper relationship with God, where His Laws are not merely external … but internalized within the hearts of Believers.

The "stone heart" represents a heart hardened by sin and rebellion, impervious to Elohim's (Father God) grace.

The "flesh heart" signifies a heart that is sensitive, compassionate, and responsive to Yeshua's (Jesus) love.

The "new heart" symbolizes a radical shift in one's inner being, characterized by a renewed desire for Yeshua and a willingness to follow His ways.

The "new spirit" refers to the indwelling of Elohim's Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKo'desh), empowering believers to live a life pleasing to Him.

The baptism of the Ruach HaKo'desh is a core part of Elohim's Plan for spiritual restoration and renewal of Life; a promise that completes a full  transformation of the heart - a spiritual move from a state of sinful rebellion and self-centered hardness of obedience and love.

We will both woo his soul with a love song - and the Ruach HaKo'desh will be softly singing it 💗

YOU ARE WORTH THE REST~Shabbat/Yuma-AZ

Tonight, set down the load you’re carrying. Even if it’s just a bit, or it all, or for a short time. 

Sometimes it’s heavy, sometimes we don’t even know it’s there, sometimes it’s too much, and sometimes it can be scary to let it go. 

That letting go part can be hard because we have to be strong and carrying the burdens and worries and to-do lists and expectations, while too much, keeps us focused on the strong because we fear we might break.

And our intimate relationships need the strong. 

So we keep going. 

But the load is heavy.

And you, my friend, need that breath.

You need the moment of peace on your heart, hope in your soul, and refreshment for your spirit.

You are worth the rest.

You are worth the peace.

You are worth the calm.

You are worth the break.

You are worth it.

So tonight, for this 24-hour Sabbath Rest, just let some go.

Suck in deep gulps of Elohim's peace … and breathe hope, and calm.

Breathe.