Surviving July

Two ominous realities for this new month: As I approach my '60's, I've noted with alarm that yard work which used to be almost routine now is anything but. And I desperately need to continue doing yard work because it is my one link to hard physical activity. See, we don't have a normal yard. It takes me in excess of an hour and a half just to knock out the front - and not because I'm going slowly. I ramp up my walk-behind mower to the fastest speed I can comfortably walk and I attack the enemy.

But this year, I've had to take a break at the 45-minute mark, sit on the front porch for a spell, and contemplate a youthful energy that is long gone. And then there is the day after; when getting out of bed sounds like someone shaking a bag of Legos. And then, there is weed-eating to do, but that's a whole 'nuther blog subject. And I'm fully aware that I need to continue to keep the yardwork routine going...if I pull over to the side of the road, metaphorically speaking, I might never get the car started again.

What's ominous about this is the reality that twice during this month, Carole and I are keeping pairs of grandkids for a few days while their parents get a much deserved vacation w/o the kids. We can't wait for the opportunity to enjoy these wonderful, beautiful, highly-intelligent children - it'll be a rare treat. What I wonder is whether I can keep up with them. The last thing we want to do is sit on the couch and read the paper and tell the kids to entertain themselves. I want to spend as much time as possible in the floor, playing with the munchkins.

I just don't want to have to have Carole call the paramedics to pull me up.