60plus and loving life

all about the dog

In the park having a scamper

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Happiness is a joyful dog!

 

Took George for a walk in the park, it’s about to rain soon, so I thought we’d get out before it hits! I managed to get this video of him scampering about, watching him run makes me happy too!

Not that he minds going out in the rain, he has a yellow raincoat and neither of us care about getting wet. But getting out before it rains means I don’t have to dry him off when we get home, he’s a total water sponge! 😂💦

It’s true that having a dog is good for your emotional and physical wellbeing. Dogs need a walk and for some folk that’s their exercise for the day, which is a good thing.

Going outside is good for the spirit too. Grass, trees, the sky and a dog, what’s not to love?

 

 

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all about the dog

Trails, tails and my daughter too!

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Walking the trails

My daughter came over yesterday to spend the day with me 🥰 I love it when it’s just the two of us. We are really close and have a special bond and really enjoy hanging out together.

She suggested we and my dog, George, head over to our local nature reserve and hit the trail.

Dog and woman walking

The weather was good, mild and sunny and perfect for getting out in nature. It was a bit muddy, we’ve had some rain lately, which is a good thing.

George was thrilled to get out for a long walk/run. We started on leash, but it’s a leash off area, so he had fun galloping around and rolling in the grass and dirt! 😅

There’s a certain joy in watching a happy dog. His happiness in his freedom to run around gives me an almost visceral pleasure to watch.

My happiness quota was off the scale! Spending time with my daughter and watching the un-selfconscious joy of my dog are two things that elevate my wellbeing. It’s the simple pleasures in life and being present in that exact moment that work for me!

 

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dancing

Dancing makes my spirit sing!

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dancing woman

Dancing!

I love dancing, it makes me happy. It’s a great way to socialize and catch up with friends and it’s also a good workout! I started dancing four years ago after years of thinking it was something I would not enjoy. I never felt particularly coordinated and at weddings and suchlike I always stumbled around and stepped on my partners feet. 😂

I joined a jazz ballet class when I was in my teens, I think I lasted all of one class! I was too shy, could not follow the moves easily and all the other girls seemed to float like fairies through the various moves. So I quit. Fortunately, over the years I have become less of a quitter when I try something new and different.

When I realized I might actually like to learn dancing, I thought I’d try out rock & roll and jive dancing (although since then I have picked up the walz, evening three-step and some progressive dances to add to my repertoire). The classes go in 6 week rotations, with a beginners class then the improvers/advanced class afterwards. When I started it was beginner’s jive. I’m glad that was the case as rock & roll was a lot harder to learn with all the spinning around. I think it took around 4 months for me to stop losing my balance when spinning and another year or so to feel like I was a competent dancer.

I know a lot of people join dance classes and then leave early on when they struggle to learn the steps or dance in time with the beat. Others are too shy (like I was) to join a dance class or think they have to have a partner to join. You don’t. Most of these classes give you the opportunity to dance with everyone, so you are never left on the outside looking in.

However, I and many others have found a partner at dance class. I met my partner 3 years ago, I’d been going for a year and he joined two years prior. That’s the joy of meeting someone at class – you both have at least one thing in common and as you get older it is more difficult to find common ground/interests with potential partners.

My partner does not want to feature in any of my blog posts and that’s fine, this is my interest. I love writing and sharing thoughts and ideas with people and he’s been learning a musical instrument. It’s lovely to have something in common and also lovely to have something that is uniquely our own pursuit.

couple at a dance
from the back so he can remain anonymous!

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nature makes me happy

Western Australia – my home

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Margaret River, Western Australia

I love getting out of the city and exploring my state. I live in one of the most remote cities in the world and it’s the biggest state in Australia, covering nearly one third of the country. There is great beauty from the Kimberley’s in the north and down to Margaret River and further down south

Horizontal Falls Broome
Horizontal Falls – Broome. Western Australia

So much of the scenery is breathtaking and varies from crystal blue ocean to deep red/ochre rock formations. So much of the place is remote and you really feel the vastness when travelling.

Rock formation Broome
Isn’t this stunning? Kimberley’s W.A.

The critters aren’t always friendly and you need to watch out for the bitey ones! Don’t worry, I surely did not get too close to this one! That’s why you need the zoom option on the phone camera! There are warnings to keep clear of croc habitats and don’t worry, the intense heat (usually in the high 30s-40s [celsius] or 90+ degrees (farenheit) is never hot enough for me to think of sharing the water with the local wildlife!

😲

Crocodile
Crocodile – Broome W.A.
Down South of Western Australia:

I love travelling down south, there are so many gorgeous towns to visit as you meander along the coastline or inland for a different perspective. Margaret River is one of my favourite places, best to visit in the off-season as it does get a lot of tourists, local, interstate and overseas and can get a bit hectic.

They have the best wineries in Margaret River and there are also some interesting critters to be seen. These stingrays are kinda friendly and can be found close to the shoreline in Hamelin Bay. They are a protected species and you should not get too close to them or step on them, but you can be in the water whilst they are swimming around nearby and they will approach you as they are curious. They are pretty docile and amazing to see them so close up!

Hamelin Bay Stingray

I really don’t get out of the city often enough and it’s when I go through my photos and remember all the beauty to be found just in my corner of the world, I get a real hankering to take off again travelling!

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food & recipes

Scrambed eggs & tofu with baby spinach

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scrambled eggs and tofu with baby spinach

In the spirit of not making you read my entire post before giving you the recipe, I thought I’d start with the recipe and then you can read the rest of my post if you want 🙂

Scrambled eggs & tofu with baby spinach recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 or 2 or 3 free-range eggs (depends how hungry you are or if it’s a shared meal)
  • half a block of soft tofu (or whatever amount you want to mix in)
  • a handful of baby spinach
  • ground black pepper
  • mixed herbs

Method:

Pour into saucepan and mix around with a wooden spoon or spatula, until you get the consistency of regular scrambled eggs (which can be slightly runny for you or firmer for me!) Then add the baby spinach and fold through until it’s a bit wilted.

Flop onto your plate and add in side veg of your choice! Enjoy!

Now for the rest of my blog post.

I decided to put the recipe first and then write up my rationale and thoughts afterwards. I’ve looked up recipes loads of times, only to have to wade through a really, really, long blog post (which may or may not be interesting) or endlessly scroll to get to the actual recipe. I guess that’s a technique to make people read the post before getting to the part that they are really there to read about – the food! And kudos to them, it works mostly. I’ve found myself fascinated with the story prior to the recipe, but equally I’ve been a bit frustrated trying to get to the recipe as I may need to buy ingredients or I’m in a bit of a rush to get things going.

This recipe came from my daughter, she’s great at experimenting and trying different things and we often share recipes or ideas. Scrambled eggs are another of my go-to recipes for Sunday brunch. I’ve also tried straight up scrambled tofu. However, as much as I love tofu, scrambled tof just never really did it for me taste-wise or texture and mouth-feel. Probably because I’m not so fond of soft tofu, I prefer the firm kind.

Putting together eggs and tofu on the other hand gave it a better structure and overall flavour with the addition of black pepper and herbs and the flavour is enhanced. Plus you are getting a good protein boost, which is necessary for muscle repair, especially after a good gym session!

So there you have it. When I post recipes, I’ll always put them first to make it easier for you and if you have the time and/or the inclination, feel free to read my post and leave a comment 🙂

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food & recipes

Sunday Breakfast #1

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avocado on toast with mushrooms

One of my favourite go to Sunday breakfasts is avocado on rye or multigrain toast, with a grinding of fresh black pepper. I don’t use any butter or marge on the toast as the avo is enough.

Alongside, I usually dry-fry some mushrooms (I have the kind of pans that don’t require oil and I find oil or suchlike makes my mushrooms soggy). I prefer swiss brown or field or maybe some enoki mushrooms if I can find them at the store. Then I sprinkle on whatever herbs I have to hand. Experiment and find what works for you!

Then to make it pretty and complete, I throw a few mini roma tomatoes on the plate! The colour combo is matched by the flavours, subtle and complementary.

It’s delicious and healthy and makes me happy. I know it’s likely not everyone’s idea of what makes a perfect Sunday lunch or brunch, but it is nutritious and delights my tastebuds!

When I eat well, I feel like I’m being kind to my body, mind and spirit and that pleases me and makes me feel all is right with my world.

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running

Exercise surely does have benefits when you’re older!

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running woman

I went for a 6km run this morning and when I was checking my Garmin app, I had a look at my VO2 max. Now I’m not convinced the app is entirely accurate, but even if it’s indicative at best, I am pleased with the data! My VO2 max was 41, which for a woman of 64 is pretty darned good! It also said I had the fitness age of 22. So, yeah – I’ll take that as a compliment.

Your VO2 max is how much oxygen your body can absorb and use during exercise. According to Healthline – as you breathe in oxygen, your lungs absorb it and turn it into energy. This in turn powers your cells and helps reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) when you exhale.

All of that is important as it improves your aerobic capacity to exercise. Particularly as we age, our VO2 max declines. Research indicates that high VO2 max helps you live better as you age as it maintains your health and fitness into your later years. And given I’m heading into my “later years”, I’m happy to improve my VO2 max and stay in the (according to my Garmin app) “superior” category!

Garmin V02 stat
thanks for the compliment!

 

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musings about ageing

Turning 64!

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I love getting older! I’m fit and strong and loving life. Now that I work part-time (I quit the full-time gig earlier this year!), I have a heck of a lot more time to do the things I love. More time at the gym, running, swimming, reading and hanging with my dog!

For my birthday I went out dancing, which I do most weekends. I’m part of the rock and roll and jive community and there’s usually something on each weekend.

I decided to dress it up for my 64th. Nothing tame or “old lady” for me! I bought some skin tight (vegan) pants and wore one of my cute dance tops with it…

For me getting older is about being true to myself and not caring for what other people think of me (well except, yes I do like the odd compliment!)

I have no time for judgmental folk, life really is too short for that nonsense! Go have fun and be yourself, there’ll always be people ready to criticize – you just need to ignore them!

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all about the dog

Throw Back Thursday!

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puppy

 

This is a pic of my dog George when he was a pup, right after his first groom! He’s now 11 years old and he’s the most loving, sweet, and friendly dog. I picked him up from the groomers this week after his latest session and the woman who groomed him said (and I hear this often), that he is so chill when they bathe and clip him, he just sits there patiently or gently leans against them during the drying and clipping phase.

He is a very chill and relaxed dog. When he was two years old, I read about therapy dogs and volunteering. I thought that sounded the perfect thing for George and I. He loves people of all ages and I like volunteering. I signed him up for training and testing his suitability. He passed with flying colours, and they said they had never met a such a calm and gentle dog!

Over the years, George and I have volunteered at a dementia facility, childcare centres, primary and high schools and several university campuses.

It’s been both a privilege and a pleasure to bring joy and comfort to people young and old! 🥰

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running

Running!

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running woman

I love running. Outside in the fresh air and listening to music. I have bone conducting wireless headphones, so I can still hear ambient noise and traffic! I usually run 5 – 6km around 3 times/week. However, on my birthday each year, I like to run a 10km.

When I turned 64, I went for my 10km annual run. It was a beautiful day, sunny, yet crisp. I set out from my partner’s place. 3km to the river, around for another 2km and back. There are several hills on the route and a couple of really steep ones in the last couple of k’s. However, it was a glorious run. One of those runs that just felt super easy and cruisy and fun. Even the hills didn’t faze me.

I went for another 10k run a couple of weeks after and it was horrendous. It felt like running through treacle. Then at the 4.5k mark, I tripped and landed heavily on the concrete path. I grazed and bruised both hands, both elbows and my left knee.

I continued with my run, but it was tough and unpleasant and when I got home, I was shaky and sore and feeling sorry for myself. Have you tried taking a shower when covered in grazes? Stings like crazy! I do not recommend!

A couple of months prior, I also tripped and fell and grazed myself up and then limped/ran home.

I’m not entirely sure that this might be an age-related thing or just my canny ability to trip over my own feet or as I said to my daughter “my foot forgot to foot!”

Anyway, I have decided to protect my body with gym gloves, elbow, and knee support sleeves. That way if I trip again, I will be less likely to be grazed. It’ll add a little bit of time and effort in gearing up for a run, but hopefully will make a difference.

Older people never stop running, they just wear protective armour!! 😂

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