One of My Favorite Reasons to Work Out
I am not gonna lie. I love a project. When I get a project in my head I can't rest until it is started and finished. I think I get this trait honestly from my mother and my grandmother. They tended to want their projects completed yesterday.I am also a "do it yourself". I'm a big believer in this quote:
I always say if I had been born a man I would have loved to be a handyman or own a lawn service. Really, I'm not kidding! I love that stuff! Physical labor? Bring it on!Recently, this bed of overgrown, old and messy azaleas began to bug me.
I've been working on cleaning out and de-cluttering around our back and pool area. This bed seemed the perfect thing to tackle next. Isn't it a mess? We had a beautiful Sunday afternoon recently and I grabbed the shears and began trimming and cutting and cleaning out. After I trimmed all of the bushes down to their stubs I began trying to dig them up. Over the next couple of days when I had time I got back out to work on the bushes. It was immediately clear that I might have bitten off more than I could chew. There were about 15 of these bushes and it was pretty evident that they had been there for years and had some really stubborn and established roots. On day two I was afraid I might have to hire some help. . . .that is something that also happens to me. I can get a bit over ambitious with my projects and abilities. I think I can do some things that just might be a bit bigger than I am. I hate it when that happens!Well, I just kept digging and digging and moving and hauling. It was a ton of stooping, pulling, squatting, lifting, dragging and sweating. Every afternoon was a workout in itself and I admit I am glad that I had the strength for it or I might have had to quit . . .or been in back traction!
After the clearing out, I thought it would be a great spot for a fountain. For the base, I spread bags of rocks the Husband and sons delivered for me. Of course, I under measured and had to get more. By myself. Things are pretty much self service at Home Depot, right? Loading bags of rocks onto carts, loading into my car, unloading and hauling across the patio area to the spot, and emptying and spreading kinda felt like a miserable CrossFit workout. I was a bit sore the next day!I had to enlist some manpower help in setting up the fountain. The Husband and I unloaded the fountain pieces and carried them to the rock bed. Not a light and easy task! However, of course, after the initial placement it had to be moved. And, of course, there was no one around to help me, so there was another workout. That thing is in two really heavy pieces - much heavier than it looks. . .
Finally, it was level and ready for water. Project completed. Whew! It is a much cleaner, neater, interesting bed now. I'm glad I picked up those shears that Sunday afternoon and got to work.There are so many reasons to stay strong and fit. Functional fitness should always be one of our goals when doing a workout. We are not exercising merely to fit into our skinny jeans. I hope you know that message from me by now! Being strong and fit to carry out our every day activities and chores is a crucial part of enjoying life. We need to be able to haul groceries, climb ladders to change lightbulbs, pick up children, carry boxes, do household and outdoor chores when we want and need. And, of course, we want to be physically able to do our own projects when we want! My grandmother was a great example of someone who kept moving as long as she could. She could haul her dirt in the wheelbarrow for gardening, lift her bag of potting soil, move her boxes of jars for putting up vegetables, drag her vacuum and deliver her baked goods to neighbors.Isn't that what it's all about? My goal is to continue to be physically active and keep myself strong so that I can continue to get things done on my own for as long as I can.
Why do you work out? Are you a project person? What was your latest? Do you do them yourselves or hire out? Enjoy Your Day!