No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on July 20, 2020

When Caroline and I walk, we try to do so with good posture. Head up and arms back with spine floating over the hips. We did it to try to relieve the stress we are putting on our bodies, especially our necks, over the day. It is something we did.

What I am finding is that posture can help mental health. I have read several articles about how bad posture can impact your mental state. 

And we, as a country, have poor posture. I think it is because we spend so much time on electronics which causes us to bend our necks thus putting additional pressure on our necks and spines. 

There have been a number of studies done on posture and how it effects one mentally. That hunched over we look in a defensive/defeated posture but standing up straight gives an aura of power and confidence. 

It also opens up the lungs and allows us to breath freely. Hunching over not only cuts into lung capacity, it also put your diaphragm in a bad position. More oxygen to the brain can help your mood a lot.

Standing up straight can improve your response to stress.

Good posture has to be worked for. You are exercising your body to retrain it to stand up straight. 

I plan to make a record of my posture this week to see where I am. I will focus on my posture and see how it makes me feel.

I am grateful for good posture.

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Posted By Kathleen David on July 19, 2020

Peter has only two sports he is truly a fan of. They are bowling and baseball. 

This weekend for the first time in a long time, he has both.

The PBA is showing nine hours of bowling over two days.

The Mets are playing the Yankees in two pre-season games. 

You can guess what Peter is doing this weekend. I don’t mind at all because he is so happy to see live sports again. Also, I like bowling and baseball too.

I have no idea what live sports I will see this the rest of the year. I have heard the plans and the controversy of each of the plans. I think some of these sports will be back this year and some next year. I can wait until it is safe.

I think colleges should just shut it down for a year. I dunno. Maybe just be houses of higher learning? I do know that some colleges are using the pandemic to get rid of sports they think are under performing. Title Nine is taking a true beating and when the dust is settled there will be fewer scholarship opportunities for female athletes. 

It might be good for universities and colleges to figure out how they might survive without sports. Football controls a number of campuses to where they are football with a college attached. I think that needs to go away. Emory has not had a football team ever and they are doing just fine. We do have sports, but they do not overshadow the academics. 

As to the professional sports leagues, the owners need to pay the players because it is not their fault they cannot play. The minor league players really need to be paid because they make peanuts. In the NFL there are some big money makers, but the average salary of an NFL player is not in the millions. Pay the players so they can be ready for the next season. Same for the NBA.

Sports are part of our culture and it is nice to get them back in our lives even with limitations. 

I am grateful that Peter can see the sports he loves again.

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Posted By Kathleen David on July 18, 2020

I am sure there will be a lot of people writing about John Lewis and what he meant to the world and the Civil Rights movement. He did so much for those without a voice to make sure they were heard.

His graphic novel March is well worth a read and deserves every accolade it received.

There is a new documentary about his life entitled “John Lewis: Good Trouble”.

I would like to talk about the time we met him at DragonCon in 2014.

On Saturday night is the DragonCon Awards banquet where the guests of honor are honored and awards are given.

That night Caroll Spinney received the Julie Award. Peter is the goto presenter for that award. 

We were seated with Caroll, Deb, and Nichelle Nichols along with their friends. Caroline ended up next to Nichelle and they chatted about various things.

After the banquet was done, John Lewis came over to talk to his friend Nichelle and ended up having a long conversation about the Civil Rights and the current situation for marginalized people. Caroline held her own and impressed them with her knowledge. 

Afterward Congressman Lewis came over to me and complimented me for raising such a smart and aware young lady. He predicted she will go far in whatever she does. He said she was the kind of people we desperately needed these days.

I was and am so proud of her.

(For the VI: Caroline is on the left and John Lewis is on the right. She is wearing a grey t-shirt with Agnes from Despicable Me holding up Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy. The Caption reads “It’s so fluffy!” John Lewis is wearing a black suit with a blue tie and white shirt)

(For the VI: On the left is Nichelle Nichols and on the right is Caroline. They are both seated. Caroline is wearing the same t-shirt as in the previous picture. Nichelle is wearing a black and gold gown with a very styled gold necklace.)

John Lewis said for us to “get into trouble, good trouble, necessary trouble.”  Getting into good trouble was his motto.

I have to agree. 

To his friends and family, you have my deepest sympathies at his passing.

I am grateful we got to meet John Lewis.

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Posted By Kathleen David on July 17, 2020

A late start on the day for me. I have no idea why, but I do know I got a decent night’s sleep.

I feel awake rather than sort of awake because my eyes are open.

No kitty politics this morning. Everyone picked their spot and settled down for their morning cat nap.

I even have my day charted out.

Wear your dámņ mask. We could stop this in its tracks if people actually did what they are supposes to do for a month. Also, we are finding that having this virus, even if it is a mild case, can screw up your body for life. So, Masks on NOW!

I got bug bit again last night. I missed a spot with the organic bug spray and they went for it. Caroline is fine. I would rather they bite me because she welts worse than I do.

We did see plenty of fireflies on our walk. I love watching them light up the lawns. Nothing like I use to see, but a fair amount. The frog chorus is back. I love hearing the croaks and trills as they try to find a mate. The goslings have shed the last of their fluff and are full geese all be it a little smaller.

Our neighbors are spending a lot more time taking care of their lawns and gardens. We have some serious contenders for best yard. I think my favorite is the one that is using native plants and flowers along with well-placed moss for their front yard.

Something is weird about my computer. It is not letting me save my word documents and others from weeks ago are popping up. I am going to try to work through what is going on.

Facebook’s new interface is not my favorite for one reason only. I cannot set the controls so I see new entries rather than the popular ones.

A great joke Caroline found on the Internet.

An astrophysicist, a biologist, an electrician, and a graphic artist walk into a bar…It’s Queen and they are they to play a gig.

Which was funny enough, but someone really did add the punchline

A guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and a pianist walk into a bar…It’s still Queen and they are there to hang a star chart, fix your lighting, check the fermentation on your beer, and redesign and paint your new logo on your window. Those guys are really widely talented.

I think I am listening to Queen today while I work through my tasks of the day.

Be safe and be well.

I am grateful for having seen Queen in concert with the original gang.

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Posted By Kathleen David on July 16, 2020

Because That is Where My Head Is

But I have coffee and it has kicked in.

It is Day 9 of the Cautionary Tale.

This is the latest I have slept in a while. Might have been a little too much as I awoke muzzy headed. But a shower and a cup of coffee took care of that.

I did get most of the chores I wanted to get done yesterday. Today is going to be catching up on several projects I need to do on the computer that I owe various people. 

Tomorrow we go back to cleaning.

I want to finish that cleaning project and then get back to making art.

I may have accidently found a side business I can do. I just need to figure out the business model and how to do it.

I have been thinking a lot about how I can monetize what I can do and trying to find some outside of the box ideas that I can do.

I miss going to conventions. I miss my convention family. I miss the adventures we went on. I miss Disney.

But I know, right now, it is not a good idea on any level.

This weekend we have bowling and baseball. Peter is in his happy place right now as his two favorite sports are back.

I am grateful for friends who encourage me to be my best but understand when I am not.

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