Come Walk With Me...

I ♥ hanging baskets of flowers from beautiful lamp posts!

I have been making an effort to get out walking everyday for 45 minutes to an hour. I struggle with this for a few reasons. One is a knee that doesn't like pain, another is I am not the gym type or a person who loves to run the track or jump on the treadmill. I don't like sweat much either. I don't mind working hard, I just don't like the sweat. I don't wear spandex...I could go on and on. I know myself pretty well. I get bored easily with the same old routines. But I still want to get some exercise for good health and fitness.

So this past week or so I have been trying to come up with five different walks that I really enjoy. Some of the more remote places I would love to walk will wait for when Jim can go with me in just a few weeks. Yesterday I did a long rather taxing walk and so today I knew I had to rest my knee a little so this is where I went. My goal was a lot of steps but not to kill myself. Don't they always say start out slow (again) and work into it?

I am a totally visual person so I wanted to go someplace where I could see some beauty all around me.

Come walk with me...we're in Walnut Creek.

This is the prettiest little town and the
flowers are gorgeous and abundant.

There is no evidence of the recession
in this town whatsoever.

It is like a little trip to an adult
Disneyland
where all is well for everyone.

No body is sick, out of work, sad or suffering.
Everyone is smiling.

No one is lonely or hungry.

No one is rushing~just enjoying themselves.
You can pretend you are not exercising,
just out and about soaking up the sun.

You can even take a detour and stroll quickly
(is that an oxymoron?) through here,
just like the joggers running in place
at the street crossings...
you just have to keep moving.

This is truly not shopping because you cannot
buy anything you are just looking and moving...

And day dreaming at a fast clip!

And picnicking in your mind...

And planning a fun BBQ.

And before you know it your hour has
elapsed and you have had a lovely time
in a lovely fantasy place where
everyone is rich and beautiful and happy
without a care in the world.

And you realize that even if you are none of those things, that the things that were the most exciting were the beautiful art work of the Lord, his luscious little flowers in every color of the rainbow, the gleaming sunshine, the beautiful fresh air and the bright blue sky. You feel invigorated, refreshed and you can hurry home and check off the box that says 'exercised today!'

And you are thankful for the body you have been given that allows you to move and enjoy this beautiful earth in your own unique way. And that you have taken time to help it be more healthy and powerful just for today. Tomorrow you will be up and at it again. Baby steps one day at a time....you can do it!

That's what works for me anyway.
Thanks for coming with me.