I did work around the yard for a couple of hours recently.  I mowed, whipper snipped, and pulled some weeds.  I do not deserve a medal or anything as it is just something that needs doing.  In fact, that was my thinking.  I was umming and arring and then thought “just do it.”
I would normally go into how the way it makes me feel can be attributed to getting older and the stroke.  While that I believe is legitimate it occurred to me that some things I think I bring on myself.
It seems that some things heard when younger apply even more when older.  That is the necessity of warming up and down.  When younger it is often a case of “why?” or even “that may apply to others but not to me.”
I think I have seen the wisdom of doing it.  If I want to minimise the aches and pains and the sense that I am good for nothing else in the day, I reckon it is important I do the warming up and down.  It does not alleviate all the aches, but it certainly makes them less than they would have been.
I really reckon that applies to life in general.  I need to warm up and down where possible.  It is pointless to me having all the strength I need only to break down because I rushed into something rather than taking the time I need to prepare for the task or day at hand.
To that end it is important to me to start and end the day right.  I feel it when I don’t.  I do not feel as prepared for what the day contains as I might have been.  It may be just a very normal day.  Yet my thinking is normal is no substitute for extraordinary.
It’s weird I know, but sometimes it is the opportunities I miss that goad me.  All because I did not take the time to warm up.  It can be that the excuse is made that “I don’t have time to warm up.”  My thinking is I do not have time not to warm up. 

From what I have seen it is the condition of the heart that determines outlook more than environment.
That is not to say there are not environments that need changing, or there is never a time when my environment should not be escaped if possible.  I would be foolish to stay in a dangerous environment or one that pulls me down big time.  If I have the opportunity to escape, escape.
For many situations my outlook is why take the hard way when there is an easier way.  I was close to someone who deliberately chose hard to be prepared for hard.  To me it was like choosing misery now in preparation for misery later.
I must admit that is not me.  There are times when I know hard does me good.  Yet I will not seek hard in preparation for hard.  Hard tends to happen anyway.  My preparation for it is to gather provisions in summer for scarcity in winter.  It is not something I peruse with a “why me?” attitude.  It is just something I do, and I have what I need when I need it.
Where I can I know I need to flee things that will pull me down.  To me that is not a mark of weakness but of strength.  It is a knowing my capacities at a certain point.  It is not saying I will never be good in the environment, but it is saying that right now I need to work on me to increase my strength.
I am no good for anyone if I am no good for me.  I feel the best way I can help another is to have faced and overcome the same debilitating situation.  Where I have not faced something a person is going through, I reckon my best is to be with them where possible but always to let them know I am alongside to help.
When it comes to bad environments, many to aid are definitely better than facing something alone.  Battle are won with superior fire power and overwhelming.  Sometimes environments compound a bad situation and distract from the condition of the heart.

​Ok This is late. Ok not just late this is very late. In fact I think I have set a new world record for late posting of one of my posts. I'm a world record holder.

This morning I woke up ahead of time and thought I can sleep for the next three quarters of an hour or so. Turned out I awake about ½ an hour after my usual get up time.

I decided that I would do my post after I got home (we go out extremely early of a Monday.) We got home and the coffee was calling me. I thought ok it is post time. But almost immediately forgot.

Merril has decided to spend four hours a day for three days a week studying. I decided I would spend the time doing things I know I need to do.

The first thing was a visual presentation of the usage each week of the several places we have available at our church (I do the organizing of the maintenance and things that need doing.) I wanted a clear picture in my head of when places are used and when they are free. We are finding the centre is being hired more and more. Some things necessitate a set up by me. I also wanted others to know when the hall is available.

It has become bigger than Ben Hur. I decided templates were inadequate for what I want so I made one. Of course I have discovered a need for other things as I have gone along and that has meant adjusting the template as well. Still it is happening.

I had decided it was break time when someone arrived to do some things in the yard. We are way happy for that. As I said to the person who arrived we are basically over it. If we can afford to have someone else do what we used to do, we will get them. We pay them and they are happy, and we are happy.

So I came back to continue the work on the template and remembered I have not posted yet. Merril just came in and seeing her reminded me I need to do something she asked. Easy to do but it really is indicative of the sort of day it is. But I am at it again and closer to finishing then I have ever been!