Tag: Amy Zents

Work hard to work easy

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There’s a song that says, life doesn’t have to be so hard. Some people make life much harder than it should be.

Case in point, they collect too much junk so when they move from one place to another they have a headache and a backache.

Also, some people take on responsibilities that are way out of their league. They pile too much on their plate, and with no proper motivation or focus, they fail at everything they do, or else they are unprofessional and mediocre, which  is the same thing.

What I’m trying to do is to simplify my life so I can succeed and make space in my life, and in my mind. It all takes a choice.

When your life is simple you can sit back and laugh at the bad choices others make. Perhaps that’s not very nice, but everybody gets a choice.

So work hard now to make work easier for you later by making good choices. You’ll be glad you did!

Musically yours,

Amy Zents

American Flab

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Land of the free and the fat!

Oh say can you see all the American Flab?

Many people pledge allegiance to the American flab.

When I was very skinny and went to Holland I told the guys that I was Canadian while l rode on the backs of their bikes.

They warned me that if I stayed in the United States for a long time I would become obese.

Most Americans are fat, they said. They don’t live a very healthy lifestyle like the Dutch do.

I scoffed and I looked down my nose. Thank you, I said. That’s not true about me. It could never happen to me.

Well now that I tip the scales at 195 pounds, when I used to be a hundred and eighteen pounds, I think their prediction came true. I’m doing everything I can to try to lose weight but the temptation of food is much too great.

I guess it must be the American way!

Musically yours,

Amy Zents

Guilt buying

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Okay I admit it. I’m a sucker for guilt. Someone tries to sell me something, and I find it hard to resist when it’s a friend. Another caveat is if it’s someone who’s talked to me at a food stand, and they give me a free sample. I sometimes feel sorry for them, and buy the product because of guilt.
I guess I would say at this point in my life my guilt shopping is 50-50. If I don’t really want something, nothing will change my mind. Nevertheless, at least 50% of the time I feel compelled to buy from a person for one reason or another. Usually it’s guilt.
When there are bigger problems looming in the world, I ask myself, why should I feel guilty?
Good question. I have a degree of empathy, and a generous bone or two in my body.
Today I tried something new from the local farmers market.
I felt sorry for the Spanish lady who had to listen to me ask about about why there was no mild salsa left.

I wanted to buy tomato salsa, the mild kind, because some salsas can be upsetting and surprisingly hot when the label says medium.
She was all out of the kind I wanted. I walked away in dismay. But I turned around and came back.

Perhaps the people around here don’t like hot spicy things. But I do!
I decided to buy her medium-strong green tomatillo salsa. I found it rather runny as I poured it over my tortilla chips.

I never had tomatillo salsa before. It is green.
I brought it home and I put it on some nachos covered with cheese. I was in heaven. My taste buds were dancing. So somehow, my guilt from talking to her and denying myself a purchase, and then changing my mind to buy the green tomatillo salsa was a success. Yummy yum!

Musically yours,

Amy Zents

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The Malady goes with the Man or Woman

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We often struggle with change. Indeed, change is hard. Often we really wish to change for the better. A temporary change can sometimes fix things, for awhile. But, human nature being what it is, we revert to our real selves.
It may make us angry, or sad that we can’t seem to effect lasting change. Obstacles and excuses stand in the way of our success.
For a time we may choose to accept our weakness as just the way we are. But, sooner or later we feel sorry for ourselves and forget about why we should be self-accepting.
We want the gold, we want the best, we want healthy minds and bodies free of disease.
We want a beautiful home, beautiful skin, a beautiful life.
Up and down we go, enslaved and at war with ourselves.
We are looking for help. We are always judging and always aware of our lack.
Perhaps now is the time to view our imperfect selves as a work in progress. Breathe deeply. Breathe easier. Be patient and in good time you will see it through!

Musically yours,

Amy Zents

Went storm shopping tonight!

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Tonight I looked in my fridge. There wasn’t much in there. In fact, the air was humid and I felt hot and sticky from walking outdoors with the two dogs. l needed more fresh fruit, eggs, canola oil, coconut water and yogurt.
What drove me to the store, besides my truck?
I think it was the impending storm.
When I left the parking lot after my grocery run, the sun had set and it was night. I looked up at the sky.
It was a lightening storm, so colourful and fierce, with flashes of orange, white and blue like an old-fashioned camera’s flashbulb.

I felt a little frightened, yet mesmerized.
Storms always get me nervous as a cat!
Storms always get me to the store as well!

Musically yours,

Amy Zents

My Road, My Rules

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Driving home from swimming laps, I had a great urge to smash into the side of a car that failed to stop at the stop sign and pulled out in front of me.
l used to like playing Bumper Cars at the CNE and the Demo Derby is not a thing of the past.
Needless to say, I had the right of way on the main thoroughfare.
What this ignoramus did not take note of was the fact my vehicle is older, and I could certainly use a new truck!
But, not even thinking of who was behind me, I  slowed down to yield to the intrusive driver.
It was like a game of chicken as the stupid driver selfishly cut into my path, and could have caused a pile-up.
Often we must yield to idiot drivers.
I predict that, until we get safe self-driving cars, with more people on the roads, matters will only get worse.
In a perfect world it would be, my road, my rules:
Keep your eyes open, look both ways two or three times to make sure the coast is clear, and then proceed! Oh, and put your phone down and obey the red octagon sign, it’s there for a reason.

Musically yours,

Amy Zents

Summer in Minnesota

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Here in the Northern Hemisphere Summer arrives a little after 5 this afternoon.
We are right where we need to be temperature-wise here in Southern Minnesota.
75 degrees and sunny.
Spring was lovely.
There were a few days and nights which were either too hot, or too stormy, but farmers and gardeners expect a bumper crop this year.
Alas, the weeds are proliferating along with the good plants.
So, summer is almost here and it will be a great one!
I am glad to be in the state of Minnesota in the summer.
Except for the mosquitos and other buzzing, biting bugaboos.
I am glad that the parks, fields and gardens are blossoming in spite of the fierce storms and heat that came and went.
I know Autumn here is a huge delight as well.
So we press on and watch baseball or see it on the radio. We go to the lake or we stay in the air-conditioning and cool off with good Schell’s beer.
That’s what we do here in the Land of Lakes!
Musically yours,

Amy Zents

It’s All About the Comic Con

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Can I help it that I am excited? Yes, it’s that time of year again when I devote hours planning what I will wear to the San Diego Comic Con(vention) International 2016!
The digs are reserved, the press badges confirmed, and the airline tickets are paid for.
Now it’s time to buy, or put together from my overstuffed closets things to wear to the party!!!
What a party Comic Con is!
Ok, let me admit I am a sucker for Cosplay!
I am a sucker for celebrity-sightings as well.
The mama-side of me tells me that celebrities are just people like you and me, but the girlish side of me gets extremely excited when she espies Danny De Vito, OMG! He’s so short!
Kevin Sabo. OMG! He is so sweet! He waited to have his photo with me before getting on the elevator! And giving my music CD Molly and Sonny Boy to Adam West, the only real Batman in my books. OMG! He took it!
Can’t wait for Comic Con!
Now let’s see who will I pretend to be?

Musically yours,

Amy Zents

A.I. OK

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We live in a very electrified, artificial world.
We accept it.
We use voice-activated technology, an Internet chock full of apps and gadgets, such as calculators and navigational, translator tools far smarter than ourselves.
Our homes and our cars, our screens, our food, and even our bodies are touched by technology and it’s all A-OK.
To me, this sudden realization all seems weird and it’s only going to get weirder.
The vulnerability of our world is at risk, and yet to those who have money the future seems a lot brighter. Yet, even banking is a trust that we take for granted.
Each day we need to be thankful for all our blessings.

We are all in this together, for better or for worse.

Musically yours,

Amy Zents

Range of motion

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There are too many people getting hurt. The fault is usually unintentional. That is why I am a holistic athlete!

What this means is, that in spite of all the hype about pushing your limits, I am injury-free because I know my limits.
This does not mean my flexibility should not be improved. This does not mean I do not need to strength-train.
However, my range of motion is something that needs to be tended, day in and day out, as long as I live.
Connective tissue does not replace itself as quickly as muscle.
Joints need ligaments that are supple, not stiff or tight.
Loosen up people!
A holistic athlete is first and foremost health-conscious.
You’re going to be a lot happier if you take your time, take it easy, take it slow,
if you plan on getting to the athletic goals that you are dreaming to go! 

Musically yours,

Amy Zents