Pleasures of Summer

One of my favorite things about summer is going to the local Farmers' Market. Saturdays are the best because there are more vendors and a gazillion people. I always run into people I know, including some of my patients. When I see them at the store, we tend to check out each others' cart. At the Farmers' Market, nobody has to be embarrassed about what they're buying, because most everything is healthy. My only problem is that I end up buying more than we can eat. Everything looks so good, but I'm only cooking for two.

Over the years, I've gotten to know some of the farmers. One guy always asks me about my children. I've shared my tomato tart recipe with his wife. (I'll do a post on it soon.) The best tomatoes at the market are grown by one of my patients' wives. You have to get there early because they go fast. (If her husband comes to rehab on Friday, I tell him how many I want and she saves them for me--a great perk.) Another farmer is in his 90's and still carries bushel baskets of apples to the customers cars. My favorite group to buy from does the most amazing display of their fruits and vegetables. They must have creative genes or else have taken a Farmer's marketing class.

Unfortunately, the market ends in November and we go back to anemic tomatoes. I wish we could get fresh produce all year round. But then I probably wouldn't appreciate it quite as much.

Cool Workout

Several years ago, while in Hawaii, the resort we were staying at offered a water jogging class, which piqued my interest. I assumed we would jog in waist deep water, but it was nothing like that. When I arrived at the meeting spot, the instructor had me (I was the only one who showed up) put on a flotation belt and we went out into the lagoon. We got into deep water over our heads and "jogged" back and forth through the water. She had me do different types of movement, like pumping my legs up and down, doing a cross-country skiing type motion, and scissor-type kicks. It was really fun and something totally different from my usual routine. A big bonus was staying cool while exercising in the water.

Once we got back home, I couldn't find anything similar in our area. My sweet and thoughtful husband surprised me with water jogging gear for my birthday.

Now every summer, I put on the radio and jog in our backyard pool. The music makes it fun and more energetic. It's a great adjunct to my workouts. Of course, after my workout is over, it's time to relax.

Thanks to my daughter, Anne, for being a good sport and posing for the pictures.