Hi 👋 We're Val & Holland Redmill … living our Life Story as silver-haired Road Gypsies in our 5th wheel RV Home~41 months married & 65,000 miles traveled across America; covered in grace every Day & trying mightily not to lose our sanctification during the bad & ugly times. I post everywhere - about everything: and if what I post can help someone else, I'm glad for the experience. But from sunrise to sunset, we live our Life for US. Trusting Elohim every step of the way.
In my youthful years - and even the first 2 years of my 1st marriage - I would have occasional eczema outbreaks; the angry rash during those first 2 years of married life was the worst. Bob took me to a skin specialist, who diagnosed me - then explained to Bob that the rash was due to unexpressed emotional upheaval, & that I needed to be able to express myself more freely. The rash was not due to anything Bob was doing - or not doing: it was the direct result of childhood trauma fallouts from a highly dysfunctional family background. I had learned that it was safest to stay quiet & unseen. When I married Bob - he came with his own dysfunctional childhood traumas & a messy divorce. He had visitation rights, and a crazy ex-wife to deal with. Our marriage was good - but I was a teenage bride, who in 9 months from our "I Do's" … added a new life to the population count. I was internalizing a lot, to keep peace in my life; and in our home.
The doctor explained very carefully to Bob that I would need the freedom to be able to open up and express myself. Bob was a good man - he gave me free rein to express, and the rash went away. I kept expressing myself, to the chagrin of overbearing family members, relatives, and children. But Bob understood - and that's all that mattered.
"No" became a standard: I no longer faded into the background to be ignored or bullied. I no longer silenced my voice. I no longer tailored my responses, or replies, to fit someone else's narrative of how my life was to be lived - or accepted. I became "difficult!" for self-centered people to handle. I shouldered the "hateful person!" accusation hurled at me from narcisstic egos - I knew I wasn't hateful … I just was no longer going to "go with the flow" when the flow was foul; I was not going to be forced to accept what was unacceptable to me.
And I'm still standing that ground.
"No" is a complete sentence that does not need to be explained. To anyone. For any reason. "No" is a necessary line in the sand - it is not a dare: it is a healthy boundary for a well-balanced life.
"No" is vital, important, self-care.
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It is a scientific fact, rather than a theory, about why the most giving, most self-sacrificing, never-say-no people so often end up with their bodies breaking down.
The simply - and a little terrifyingly fact - is that when you spend a lifetime unable to say no, even with your words, eventually your body says it for you.
1) The mind and body were never separate.
We were raised to treat them as two different departments - the emotional stuff over here, the physical stuff over there - but well-being studies dismantle that mindset, completely. Your nervous system, your hormones, your immune system, and your emotions are one single conversation. What happens in your feelings happens in your cells. Once you really absorb that, you can't go back to thinking of stress as "just in your head."
2) Suppressed emotion doesn't disappear; it goes underground.
The anger you swallow, the exhaustion you override, the needs you ignore - none of it evaporates: it settles into the body and quietly accumulates, sometimes for decades, before it ever shows up as a symptom. The people who "never let anything bother them" aren't processing the stress. They're storing it … and eventually, it will raise it's head and show itself in unexpected physical form.
3) Anger is a boundary, and so is your immune system.
Studies show that anger and your immune defenses do the same job - they both protect your edges, they both say this far and no further. So when you spend a life refusing to feel anger, refusing to defend your own boundaries, your immune system can lose the thread too.
Sometimes it stops defending you. Sometimes, in autoimmune disease, it turns and attacks the body it was built to protect.
4) Saying no is not selfish. It might be survival.
The relentless caretakers, the ones who put everyone first and cannot register their own needs - become the sickest patients. The best prescription doesn't come from a doctor's notepad to a pharmaceutical outlet … it comes from learning to feel your own feelings, honor your own limits, and say no out loud. Not as an indulgence. As medicine.
Disease is never one single thing: hidden, chronic emotional stress is a real risk factor we've been trained to ignore, and tending to it is not weakness. It's part of healing.
Productivity is taking place in this Redmill Home 👏👩❤️💋👨
Holland engaging in productivity during the midnight hours; I like seeing this progress - I like my Home's foundation shored up on the Solid Rock.
Self-care
We've been doing quite a bit of walking … just cruising grocery stores, or walking through the Walgreen aisles waiting for prescriptions to be filled, can rack up an easy mile walk ✅ So, exercise has not stalled - it's productivity just morphed into another form. Which is a good thing, since we've been out-of-house quite a bit, & considering my husband likes fast foods rich in grease and calories 🍕, like the yummy deep pan pizza we grabbed in Coalinga the other day while there picking up Holland's prescription for his nebulizer - then, we utilized the drive-through pick up because I could walk to the pizza place, across the parking lot:
Picking up Holland's liquid Albuterol treatments; Coalinga-CA
Supper; Saturday splurge … and calorie cutting sabotage 🤦🏻♀️
This morning, though, I did engage in some home-based physical stretching & dumbbell exercises 🏋️♀️:
Standing Toe-touch
The Bending Standing Toe Touch exercise primarily works the hamstrings, calves, and lower back while stretching them, and engages the abdominal muscles (rectus abdominis and obliques) and hip flexors for stabilization and movement. The movement relies on flexibility in the back and hips to achieve the stretch, while the core muscles provide support. The gluteal muscles, including the gluteus maximus are also employed to help with hip extension and stability during the movement.
A senior woman should start with 8 to 12 repetitions of the standing toe touch, doing 2 to 3 sets. It is crucial to listen to your body and focus on slow, controlled movements, stopping if there is any pain.
A standard bending toe touch exercise may not be safe for a senior woman with conditions like osteoporosis, because it can put excessive stress on the spine and increase the risk of fracture.
Lower back (Erector Spinae) & Hip Flexor muscles
Glutes Muscles
I did two sets of dumbbell exercises this morning, using two different sized dumbbells; this is what works best for me.
I started out with my 3's … and bumped them up to my 5's for the finish.
The Biceps Curl Dumbbell exercise works the biceps brachii (the primary muscle on the front of the upper arm), the brachialis (located underneath the biceps brachii), and the brachioradialis (a muscle in the forearm). Supporting muscles that help stabilize the movement include the forearm flexors and the anterior deltoids (shoulder muscles).
the bicep curl with dumbbells is generally okay for a senior woman, as it's a safe and effective way to build upper-body strength for daily tasks. It is crucial to start with light weights, focus on proper form, and consider modifications like performing the exercise while seated or with a smaller range of motion.
Aim for 12–15 reps for muscle endurance and 8–12 reps for muscle growth (hypertrophy), and 8 reps or fewer for strength
Forearm Flexor Muscles
The Lateral Raises Dumbbell exercise primarily targets the lateral deltoids (the middle part of your shoulders) but also use the anterior (front) and posterior (rear) deltoids, as well as the upper trapezius and rotator cuff muscles for stabilization. The main goal of the exercise is to build the lateral deltoids, which contributes to the "capped" look of the shoulders, while the other muscles help support the movement.
Generally, dumbbell lateral raises can be a safe and effective exercise for a senior woman, provided they are performed with proper form, light weights, and modifications if needed. The primary risk is with using weights that are too heavy or performing the movement incorrectly, which can strain the delicate rotator cuff muscles in the shoulder joint.
Weight-bearing exercise stimulates bone growth, which helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis. This exercise also helps combat sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass. Stronger muscles improve the ability to perform daily activities, such as carrying groceries or getting up from a chair.
A senior woman should aim for 10 to 15 reps per set for general fitness and 12 to 15 reps per set for building endurance. For those focusing on strength, a lower rep range of 8-12 may be appropriate.
The Chest Row Dumbbell exercise strengthens the latissimus dorsi (lats), and secondary muscles in the back such as the trapezius, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids. It also engages the biceps, forearm flexors, and rotator cuff muscles.
The chest row dumbbell exercise is generally safe for senior women, provided it is performed with proper form, appropriate weight(begin with very light dumbbells, such as 2-pound or 5-pound weights, and gradually increase the weight as you get stronger), and after consulting a doctor if necessary. It's a good strength-building exercise for the shoulders and back, but it's crucial to start with light weights and avoid any form that causes pain. Stop the exercise if you feel any serious pain.
A good starting goal is three sets of 8-12 repetitions. Strength training helps maintain and improve bone density, which is particularly important for women over 50.
Lats Muscles
The Shoulder Press Dumbbell exercise focuses on the anterior deltoids (front shoulders) and triceps, but also engages the trapezius, lateral deltoids, and core muscles for stability. Other stabilizing muscles like the upper chest (pectoralis major), serratus anterior, & rotator cuff assist in the movement.
The dumbbell shoulder press is generally safe for a senior woman, provided it is performed correctly and the individual does not have pre-existing conditions like a past rotator cuff injury. It is a beneficial exercise for building shoulder and core strength, improving stability, and maintaining muscle mass, but it's crucial to start with light weights (1- to 3-lb weight), focus on proper form, and gradually increase the weight and intensity.
2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions using a very light weight. The specific number of reps and the weight used should always be tailored to the individual's strength, fitness level, and overall health.
The Pectoralis Major muscles & Serratus Anterior Muscles
Today's exercise routine was light - but that's okay: I'm simply strengthening my body, toning my aging muscles, and giving myself a boost of natural dopamine. 17 minutes is slightly under the recommended 21 minutes of daily movement needed, to hit that 150 minute weekly goal of physical activity that helps lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, & insomnia … but 17 minutes of physical productivity is better than 0 minutes 😉
You don't need to put in massive amounts of time for beneficial results.
In the wee hours of this morning, I finished 2 micro preemie sweater & designed matching beanies to go with them 👌; I hope to drop them off 🤝 in Hanford when we drive there next week sometime (Holland is thinking probably Wednesday):
Completed Micro Preemie Sweaters.
I worked up matching beanies; MOD
Holland is finally grasping that I need to be busy. My southern-minded man likes to spoil me, and treat me with princess pampering (and I do appreciate that) … but his yankee queen needs to be productively active - that's how Yeshua hard-wired me when He created me. I'm always in motion. If I'm not enjoying walkabouts or daytrips to enjoy the scenic wonders and delights of creation, I am enjoying the pleasant activities of drafting designs and working them out. These things are part of who I am - if I sit for too long I get bored 😒; when I get bored, I get cranky 😤. I need to be productively busy, doing.
So, when we go into Hanford, I will be coming back with bags of yarn 😘
When I mentioned to Holland the other day, that I want more yarn, he said, "I want you to have more yarn, so we'll definitely make sure you have more yarn." I burst out laughing at his quick reply 😂🤣 because (1) he knows that when I am busy with yarn, I'm happy … but I am also quiet (sometimes for hours 👌); and (2) I know that when I am not busily crafting I tend to get chatty (sometimes annoyingly so, because I am bored). Having lots of yarn on hand, is good for both of us 😉 When my husband craves quiet, I can be contentedly busy - when he starts missing the sound of my voice and wants interaction .. he'll get my attention, & engage; and I'll set my project aside until he needs quiet again. We're finding a domestic rhythm & flow 🕊️👩❤️💋👨
Finishing off the last of my morning coffee, I noticed the potted Chrysanthemum I bought a week or so ago, was looking kinda scraggly - so, I clipped the dead foliage & fading blossoms ✂️ for continued productivity, fertilized it, and placed it near the open door where fresh air & sunshine can reach it ✅ It looks kinda bare now, but it will eventually perk up and fluff out, again. Chrysanthemums are perennial plants; I'll pamper it while it blooms; then overwinter it in the basement - and each year it will show better.
Again today, we drove to Holland's favorite little corner store in Coalinga - and he veered off onto a new road 😎, on the way back home ❤️; it was a nice country road through miles of orchard & scrub grass - just the kind of road I like to be on 😘
Some Fall color for a Fall Day.
Fish & Chips Lunch in Coalinga-CA; we won't revisit.
Holland veered off onto a road, new to us. We came out on S El Dorado Ave.
An old, abandoned warehouse.
Holland explaining to me how the warehouse had operated.
The orchard is still in operation.
Back home, I got online to map the new road, and found out where Turk is - we drive past the road sign every time we drive back and forth from Coalinga, & I always assumed 🤔 it was over yonder, by Avenal-CA
Live and learn 💻
{{Turk Station is a small area near I-5 in Coalinga, California, that was established in 1963 when Buster Allen diverted Los Gatos Creek to run water to the site. The area is now home to the Allen Farm, a large agricultural research facility for West Hills College, which has invested millions in its infrastructure, including a precision agriculture program for students. The Allen Family donated 213 acres to the college in 2001 for use as a college farm.
Infrastructure and Investment: The West Hills Community College District has invested over $25 million in on-site infrastructure at the Allen Farm, including more than $600,000 in irrigation technology and management equipment.
Student Access: Students have access to a precision agriculture inventory valued at over $300,000, which includes computers, software, and field data loggers.
Current Use: The farm is now a modern agricultural facility used for teaching and research purposes.}}
S El Dorado Ave tied into the main highway to Coalinga one way … and the freeway, the opposite direction; Holland turned Betsy towards the freeway.
Towards Home.
And a song lyric tickled my funny bone - and even had my husband chuckling while I made this video 😂🤣😘
Back home, fat & sassy from our short excursion out-of-house, we just relaxed and let the Day fade in slo-mode.
As the sun began to set, I happened to glance out my window, and saw that the trees seemed to be lit with a bright orangish-red-glow of an autumn sunset: each sunset is a new masterpiece of wondrous color 🤩, which leaves in it's wake, a new memory 😁👌
The Eucalyptus trees looked lit with a fiery glow in the sunset.
Sunset; Coalinga-CA
Now, I'm going to productively work on another little project, listen to some vintage October tunes, and watch a couple old cheesy black-n-white's 🎬 - like a classic October-themed "Earth vs The Spider" (1958) …
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