Water World
I just started an aquasize class offered by our local YMCA! The other aging ladies in the group call it “water aerobics.” This may be wishful thinking but we do jumping jacks midstream in the pool and even cross country skiing (or at least we make motions to that effect).
Sometimes I feel like I am Esther Williams though. You may not remember her – a film star who was once the center of synchronized swimming. If I squint a little, I think of my current “aerobics” group as my mininons and I am Esther in all her glory. Imagination is a wonderful thing.
Social Media for the AgedAging
A charming and dedicated fellow high school graduate from my early days (those days celebrated in history books now) has initiated a new FaceBook page by-invitation-only, a private group just for us graduates of our particular year. I was so excited about participating that I immediately heaped a boatload of photos and stories onto the page. It dawns on me now there are only 21 of us participating. I think there were 600 in our class.
Rain, Floods, and Vitamin D
It keeps on raining around here in rural Virginia. Sometimes it even floods and our local Alert System is always warning that soccer team and other sports events have been cancelled. Bill and I are “hill toppers” so we are not too worried about being flooded.
I do get concerned about a Vitamin D deficiency! They say, “Twenty minutes of natural sunlight on two thirds of your unprotected body parts is all you need to self-generate enough Vitamin D for good health.” So in those brief periods of sunshine we now enjoy, I head for the deck with bare legs and arms, and with no SPF protection.
Down with a Cold or is it The Plague?
All that sunbathing didn’t help after all. I developed a nasty cold the day after water aerobics! Tylenol worked for a low grade fever, but I am left with a deep gutteral cough, light headedness, and the occcasional sweats.
I have however, found the ultimate cure-all, feel-better-right-away solution. I am reading “Year of Wonders” – a story about the Plague!
Virginia Views 
My sister and I used to play Esther Williams in our parents’ pool. And we were in college! And we used little kids funny tubes (elephants and lions heads) to make it even funnier. I laughed so many nose-fulls or water that year!
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So happy to see you here Nancy! And I am loving your new website too!
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Ah yes who doesn’t remember Esther Williams. I couldn’t swim then so used to just mimic her actions as if I was swimming,fell over many times trying to do the kind of acrobats she did in the water. Keep up the good work Dora.
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Good for you for getting into water exercise! I have thought about it but never tried it. I was an Esther Williams fan too and imagined out in dry South Texas that I was Esther. Glad you are safe from floods as hilltoppers. We feel safe too on our bluff above the bay. Hope you feel better soon and are back swimming with Esther! Cheers and have a safe Memorial Day.
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Are there actually people who don’t know who Esther Williams is? I am still absolutely fascinated by her cement hair. She could dive, swim across the whole pool with nary one hair moving.
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Feel better soon. After over 3 years of not having cold nor flu, I have gotten a nasty cold bug twice this spring! Must be a virulent form to also get to VA!
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It’s been decades since I’ve had a good noseful of water!
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I was on a synchronized swim team for a while, in high school. We weren’t any good at all, and never competed, but we had a good bit of fun, and I did learn how to do a backward somersault. I vaguely remember making a flower, and perhaps even a pin-wheelish sort of design. Then, it was on to other things.
I’ve always assumed that working along on the docks was a primary contributor to my good health (none of that being cooped up in an office with all those germs) but it may be that the sunlight’s helped, too. Heaven knows I get enough!
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I played Esther Williams on top of the water the summer I was the canoeing instructor at a Girl Scout Camp. The girls seemed to like it, and it improved their ability to handle their canoes.
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Hope you feel better soon my friend, and I totally understand about the continuous rain. It bas been constant clouds and rain here lately, and poor Mikey is afraid that the seeds will rot in his veggie garden :(. We had a beautiful day today though before another week full of rain, so I planted all my flowers and mulched my gardens while I had the chance! Now to sit back and enjoy the view from the deck for maybe a while with a good book. Who knows when I will get the chance again!!
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Hahaha! Rita, I can just picture you doing the Esther Williams moves out of the water. 🙂
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Hope you’re feeling better! YAY for you with the water aerobics!
I’m on a committee for a multi-year class reunion coming up in April of next year, so I also started a FB page for the members of my class. 600 students?? Wow! I think we had 22!
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Thank you coastal crone! Water aerobics is a first for me too but a natural fit since water is where I feel happy. Your “bluff above the bay” sounds beautiful!
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Never thought about Esther’s hair Cindy…. I just thought that shiny cement look was natural. Hahaha! 🙂
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I always feel invulnerable to these silly change-of-season bugs, but all it takes is careless exposure.
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Maybe 20 minutes of sunlight isn’t enough time for ultimate protection. Congrats on your continuing goog health and kudos for your efforts at synchronized swimming too! 🙂
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I’ll bet Esther never thought she was being emulated by a Girl Scout canoeing instructor! 🙂 Hahaha!
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And to think I used to urge you to come down South where the weather is more benign! Virginia offers no guarantees unless you like hearing the rain on the roof. Good luck to Mikey for his veggie garden though and as always, Happy Reading! Hugs…..Dor
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And lots of hugs right back at ya :).
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Nineteen days of measurable precip. here on the Eastern Shore and raining as I sit here. No free vitamin D today,
On Sun, May 28, 2017 at 10:43 AM, Virginia Views wrote:
> dorannrule posted: ” Water World I just started an aquasize class offered > by our local YMCA! The other aging ladies in the group call it “water > aerobics.” This may be wishful thinking but we do jumping jacks midstream > in the pool and even cross country skiing (or at least ” >
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Hope you’re feeling better, Dor. I love the author Geraldine Brooks and have read many of her novels. ‘Year of Wonders’ was excellent as I recall. Enjoy!
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Wishing you sunshine and roses! 🙂
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I too love Brooks’ work… just finished Year of Wonders and was sorry I got to the end. 🙂
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Good luck with your multi-year class reunion and the FB page Dianna! 🙂
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‘Caleb’s Crossing’ and ‘March’ were really good, if you haven’t read them. Her autobiography is interesting, too. She grew up in Australia.
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I have read both and enjoyed both! Must check out her autobiography though. Thanks Eliza.
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