Road Gypsies - Val & Holland: wildfire haze is clearing up

Showing posts with label wildfire haze is clearing up. Show all posts

Saturday, August 8, 2026

PEACE IN THE VALLEY/SHABBAT SHALOM~Self-Care; Castle Rock-WA

This painted picture perfectly [fits]; the air is clearing & breathing is easy, again.

The thick wildfire smoke has thinned, so Holland went into Kelso today -

The clearest Day we've had in a week; the haze is clearing.

I stayed home & cleaned Independence's surfaces 🧼, and every corner 🧹: it needed it, and him being out-of-house if the only chance I get to do deep cleaning.

The houseplants were watered 🌱; and I spotted another leaf shooting up on the Amaryllis, I bought last November in Coalinga-CA … this will probably be the last watering this plant will get until October, some time. I've never tried to get an Amaryllis to rebloom - so I'm curiously excited about the prospect 🧐🙏😁

Amaryllis leaves' 2nd sprouting, since February; I have high hopes for December blossoms.

I even had time to fit a stretching workout 🧘, in; I had been stretching, bending, & reaching overhead, while cleaning … but I wanted to target specific muscle groups. I also included alternate chair assist exercises to match the worksheet rundown:

At 70 (which I will be, in December), the goal of exercising the body is functional strength and mobility, not maximal strength. Support-assist movements improve balance, leg power, and independence while minimizing joint stress. Heavy sumo squats (like those in strength-level standards for women) are not recommended without medical clearance and proper training Strength Level. Bottom line: For a 70-year-old woman, a safe starting point is 10–15 bodyweight sumo squats x1–2 sets … or 10–15 chair squats, x2–3 times per week, progressing slowly as tolerated. Always prioritize form and stop if you feel pain. Key safety points: Form over weight (1) Keep knees tracking over toes, avoid inward collapse, and maintain a neutral spine Pain is a stop signal: If you feel sharp pain in knees, hips, or back, stop and adjust form or reduce load (2) Progress gradually: Increase reps, sets, or weight slowly to allow muscles and joints to adapt. (3) Listen to your body: If you have knee, hip, or back conditions, consult a healthcare provider before starting or increasing intensity.

10–15 reps EA Exercise x1–2 sets

Alternative: Chair Assist Sumo Squat-Raised Heel~Aim for 10-15 EA side x2

Standing Side Leg Lifts~Aim for 10–15 reps EA side x2

Alternative: Chair-Assist Side Lunge~Aim for 10-15 EA side x2

Alternative: Standing Assist Fire Hydrant~Aim for 10-15 EA side x2

Alternative: Chair-assist Butt Kicks~Aim for 10-15 EA leg x2

Alternative: Standing Chair-Assist Ab Abductions~Aim for 10–15 reps EA side x2

After stretching exercises, I thought I'd work up a new broom-handle-cobweb duster; the one I have is still useful, but it is from my previous life … and in this Life, I want to start fresh.

So, I went online to track down a pattern (my old pattern cache is long gone):