get healthy

Day 22

Day 22! Today is about love. Whether sharing it with someone or a day of self-love. I am going to do both today. I am lucky to have found my Gomez. I also need to show myself some love.


Today I am going to be kind to myself. The last two days were rough. They were a combination of grief and depression made worse by being fat-shamed yesterday. I just hope that today people use their words for kindness. Please remember that you have no idea what others are going through and cruel words can do further damage.


Today I am going to wash all of that off of me and do things I love today. I’m not going to write today, instead, do things that make me happy.


Coffee and classic movies.
Read some True Crime.
Dinner with my love.
A trashy B movie at Trash Palace.


If it was warm weather, we’d even fit in a bat walk, but that will need to wait until Spring.


Today’s photo is all about fur babies. They love you unconditionally. Humans need to take a lesson on how our fur babies love us. If we did, we’d live in a nicer society.

Day 21

Day 21. Doing it even when I didn’t feel like it today.


This morning, I woke up feeling depression creeping in paired with the beginnings of a headache. Yesterday once again showed me the awfulness of the human race. How vile and horrible they can be. During yoga today I tried to let it all go, but it’s hard. Every single day I wish that we could become a kinder and more compassionate society. I begin to see that happening and then the horridness of how humans can be, bulldozes its way back in again.


Through yoga, I’m learning to breathe again. With each breath out I am trying to release the negativity. I just wish people could take a moment to do the same before they speak or do.


Because of the way I am feeling, I wasn’t going to share a happy thing. Then I reminded myself, happy things are what keep me on this side of the darkness.


Spook Show, Midnight Spook Show, Spook Party, and Midnight Ghost Shows are a few names given to a popular form of entertainment from the 1930s. (another reason I love the 30s) What is a Spook Show you ask? “These mixed-media shows, held in movie theaters, utilized magic, special effects, and horror films to appeal to teenagers in the years before television.” (quote from The 13th Floor)


Oh, how I would love to get into a time machine and go back just so I could witness an original Spook Show. I know I have a few friends who would join me. In recent years a few artists I know have tried to revive the Spook Show and I have even considered putting one on myself (when I ran my cabaret), but nothing will ever compare to the original.


To learn more about Spook Shows, here are some links.


http://www.the13thfloor.tv/2016/03/03/the-spooky-history-behind-the-long-lost-midnight-ghost-shows/


http://www.halloweenclub.com/spookshow-history


https://www.denofgeek.com/us/other/midnight-monster-shows/240672/midnight-spook-shows-a-brief-history

Day 20

Day 20! If anything else, by doing this every day, I will end up with strong arms and core. Holy Moley today was all about the core! Well, not all of it, but a lot of it! That’s gonna be sore tomorrow! Even when I’m sore or tired, I’m motivated to do this!


I may have a wee bit of an obsession with True Crime. This obsession didn’t start with the recent trend. I’ve been fascinated by it for a very, very long time. As a child I was (and still am) scared of clowns (that included Satan… erm Santa — creepy old man) and this led me to read about John Wayne Gacy. Along with reading about serial killers, I would also read Detective magazines along with the stack of Agatha Christie, Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and Hardy Boys books. You can’t say I wasn’t covering all the bases!


These days I listen to a variety of podcasts, documentaries and still read True Crime Books. It might be time to get my hands on some of those detective magazines again.


Who else has a True Crime obsession? How was your yoga session today?

Day 19

Day 19! I’m feeling stronger and stronger every day, but that last move… it wasn’t happening today. Instead, I sat and watched to see how to do it properly and one day, when my body is stronger, I will do it! Just not today. Yoga With Adriene’s mantra is “Do what you can. You will get there eventually.” And I will.


Film Noir! Another one of my favourite movie genres! I love watching them on a rainy afternoon, but heck, I’ll watch them anytime! I especially love those sassy ladies. Barbara Stanwyck, Gloria Grahame, Gene Tierney, Ida Lupino, Joan Bennett, Shelley Winters, Veronica Lake, Lizabeth Scott, Dolores del Rio and so many more. Writing this, I think I need to throw on some Film Noir and melt into the shadows with the leading ladies.


What is your favourite genre of movie? Who is doing the 30 day challenge with me still or have you finished it? If you have are you still doing yoga?

Day 18

Day 18! Today was a harder video, but… I LOVE the harder videos that challenge me. Though there were some poses I couldn’t do or hold fully, I’m a lot stronger than I was 18 days ago. One day… I will be able to hold all of the poses and for the amount of time that they need to be held.


One of my all-time favourite silent films is the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. I’m also a sucker for any and all German Expressionist films of that period. Other titles you may recognize are Der Golem, Nosferatu, Metropolis, M, Asphalt and The Hands of Orlac. Fritz Lang, Paul Leni and F. W. Murnau are two of my favourite directors.


Which German Expressionist films are your favourite. Who is still doing the 30-day yoga challenge with me?


If you want to learn more, here is a great article.


https://www.movementsinfilm.com/blog/german-expressionist-films-1919-1931

Addition: I forgot to add, the last few days I’ve walked 10K+ steps (am trying to achieve this as often as possible) AND since starting yoga, my hips don’t hurt the next day!

Day 17

Day 17! Let your weird show. Seriously, never be afraid to be weird, which leads me to my photo for today.

I’ve always had a fascination with Zombies. My first introduction wasn’t actually Night of the Living Dead. It was in fact, White Zombie. Being a kid who grew up watching silent and pre-code movies, it was the first Zombie movie I recall watching. Next would be I Walk With A Zombie. I have a poster of that movie in my Hall of Horror!

Fast forward to the early 2000s and I am introduced to the Toronto Zombie Walk. Eventually, I became part of the group that ran it and in turn met and became good friends with the ghoulish and creeptacular Thea Faulds. Because of this, I got to meet George Romero twice.

Always, always let your weird shine through!

Day 16

Day 16 and 11,365 steps!

For the first time since starting the 30 Day Yoga Challenge, I did yoga in the evening. (I still prefer in the morning) and after walking those many steps today, it felt good to do yoga right afterward. My hips needed it. What I am likely going to do, going forward, is after walking a lot, I’m going to do 20 minutes of yoga. It made my tired hips, legs and feet feel better! I’m learning a lot about my body since starting yoga again. If you are looking for a beneficial thing to do for your body, you may want to do this as well.

I have two Betty’s in my life that I love. My Grandma Betty (who is no longer with us) and Betty Boop. Grandma Betty was a badass and someone who influenced who I am today. I think about her every single day and always will. Betty Boop is an iconic cartoon that has the personality of a kickass, sassy pre-code dame. (I prefer the pre-code Betty) Again, this is another thing I was allowed to watch as a kid and for those who have seen this cartoon… it’s not for kids. But hey… she also influenced me and many other young women. Especially, when it comes to being sassy!

Is there a woman both alive and fictional who inspired you?

Day 15

Day 15! Halfway there! I plan to keep on with daily yoga after this. It’s good for me in so many ways! I will stop posting about it once I’m done day 30. One thing it did help with is getting back into the process of blogging again.


Now onto the picture and why I chose it.


Every single time I watch a classic movie, I am drooling over all of the clothing and dreaming about making them. Look at the gorgeous outfit Joan Crawford is wearing. Back on day 3, I mentioned that I make my own clothing. I wanted to talk a little bit more about that because making my own clothing and thrifting makes me happy. I also want to talk a little about bullying.


In High School, our Home Ec teacher was treated with a lot of disrespect and bullied by a group of girls. Many times they tormented her to the point of making her cry. Those girls still live in my small hometown and have literally done nothing with their lives. Being bullies got them nowhere. More about bullies in a moment.


There was also a small group of us who loved our Home Ec teacher. We benefited from that. She went off the lesson plan with us and taught us how to finish garments, fancy seams and how to self-draft. To this day I still self-draft many of my garments and when I do I remember that wonderful woman.


I find the process of making my own clothing therapeutic and rewarding. This year I am going to fully learn how to use drafting systems and I want to learn how to grade patterns by hand and on the computer.


Back to bullying. Yesterday I shared a post (in my feed) about walking away from people who make fun of or put you down over your successes. When someone belittles your hard work and makes fun of it trying to make you look foolish for being proud of your work, that is a type of bullying. If you work hard for something, and someone tries to diminish that success, tell them to go away. Never be afraid to stand up to bullies. Never be afraid to walk away from friends who do that to you because and here’s a little tidbit for you, those people aren’t friends. Be proud and celebrate your successes. Do not let anyone take that away from you!

Day 14

Day 14! Almost halfway. I’m really learning where my body needs help. Though… my left side isn’t as tight as it was 14 days ago, it is still tighter than the right. I will see where I’m at for day 30.


Anyone recognize the photo? It’s from one of my favourite pre-code movies Three on a Match. Along with wanting to be a Flapper (and I still don’t know how I was able to get away with it) I grew up being allowed to watch pre-code movies along with horror movies. This also makes sense why I loved Clara Bow and Jean Harlow so much. Give me all of the precode movies! I want to see them all!


Both my father-in-law and friend Heather Babcock also have the same passion I do and we talk about them and often. Want to make me happy, give me movies and books about silent and precode movies!


Not sure what a precode movie is, here are a few articles.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Code_Hollywood
http://pre-code.com/
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/women-pre-code-hollywood-movies-before-hays

Day 13

Day 13! Every day I’m feeling stronger and stronger! Moves that were hard the first few days are sooooo much easier now. I may not have them completely perfect by Day 30, but I’m getting there. My weak spot is definitely my core, which once again explains my belly fat. I will get stronger there as well!


I know you’ve all been wondering why hasn’t she mentioned The Addams Family yet. It was on the list, but what better day to mention them, than on DAY 13!


When most kids were watching Spiderman or Superman or any other type of cartoon, I was watching The Addams Family. To me, this was my ideal family. Creepy factor aside, they loved each other, had each other’s backs and would literally kill for each other. Morticia as a mother and a wife was what everyone should have been aspiring to, not June Cleaver. Morticia and Gomez, should be your couple ghouls. (see what I did there) Everything about this show was perfection.


If for some reason you’ve never seen the original Addams Family… which I find odd… here is a link with more info about the history, including its original beginnings.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Addams_Family