A Charlie Brown Christmas

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

    Don’t you just love the story about Charlie Brown’s Christmas? Poor Charlie Brown. He starts out so sad and depressed by the thought of the upcoming holiday. It seems his depression was exacerbated by the enthusiasm displayed by his little friends who were eagerly anticipating Christmas. He was so disheartened he even sought help from the local psychiatrist. Why he trusted her with his fragile emotional state is a puzzle to me, since there was already some history between them. She never missed an opportunity to knock him down and call him a Blockhead. True to form, her advice appeared to be the psychological equivalent of smacking him upside the head and still charging him 5 cents for her services. Sheesh. That doesn’t seem right.     Everywhere Charlie Brown turned,...

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It turned out to be a pretty good day….in spite of myself.

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

I started out my weekend in pretty low spirits. When I woke up Saturday morning, I couldn’t shake off the bad mood I was experiencing. It didn’t help that my very sweet little geriatric Italian Greyhound had crawled into bed with us the night before and had become incontinent sometime during the night. Sheesh. I felt the weight of the world coming down upon me. I also felt like the entire world’s population was looking to do the same thing to me during the day that my little dog did the night before. I jumped out of bed, sprinted through the kitchen past the fresh brewed coffee that my husband had just made and directly to the laundry room. I washed the sheets, cleaned the mattress and cleaned my little dog. The nice thing about an Italian Greyhound is that they rarely require...

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And the journey continues….

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Ninja Notes.

It takes a tremendous amount of courage for a woman to walk into a testosterone infested  Dojo and begin training. It also takes an enormous amount of trust. I had neither. I was scared to death for the first two years. However, the guys were incredibly tolerant, gentle and patient with me. Most of the time I was the only woman in class, and they dutifully took turns working with me. I thought that was awfully magnanimous of them. I soon discovered that it was because I was prettier and smelled better than any of the guys, even on my worst day. They had plenty of opportunities to work with each other, and they seemed to enjoy tossing me around for a change. Even though I was enjoying the classes, I was still incredibly intimidated. I was a good student, not because I was interested in going...

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That’s how the journey began….

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Ninja Notes.

Eight years ago I began my training as a martial artist. Full disclosure; I did it on a dare. I honestly thought I would take a few classes and then quit. After a month or two, I realized how much I enjoyed the classes. However, I wasn’t going to continue training. I had proved a point, and now I could quit at any time with my dignity intact. I didn’t know why, or how it happened, but I just kept showing up. As intimidated and terrified as I was, at least twice a week I found myself in the Dojo, wondering what I was doing there. I knew I wasn’t going to stick with it, and I surely wasn’t ever going to test. I could certainly remain a white belt since I would be quitting soon, anyway. After three months of training, one of the guys badgered me into testing for my yellow...

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What I learned on my Thanksgiving vacation.

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

    My three day Thanksgiving vacation was rich with learning experiences. I discovered how restful, restorative and rejuvenating three days can be, if you just let go of expectations. I found out how much fun winter hiking is, as long as you dress appropriately. I realized that it really is possible to cook a full Thanksgiving dinner in an unfamiliar kitchen, no matter how small it is.         Life is full of opportunities to learn. All we have to do is let go of expectations, dress appropriately, and get a little adventurous!  Be healthy!Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

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What I did on my Thanksgiving vacation.

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

    Most people do something extravagant and memorable for their 25th wedding anniversary, like going to Hawaii or the Caribbean for a week or two. We kept it simple. We combined our anniversary celebration with our Thanksgiving holiday and spent three days in Estes Park.     Estes Park is located north of Denver and is at the foot of Rocky Mountain National Park. It is also the home of the historic and beautiful Stanley Hotel, where we got married all those years ago. We spent the next three days visiting the hotel, hanging out with the local residents, hiking a few trails, and cooking a Thanksgiving dinner in small, unfamiliar kitchen. All in all, it was a great anniversary and the best Thanksgiving we’ve ever had!     Having our photo taken under the watchful eye of the hotel’s...

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Giving thanks….a special Thanksgiving.

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

    I have always loved Thanksgiving. For me, Thanksgiving marks the end of fall, and a quiet time for reflection before the mad rush of the Christmas season. This Thanksgiving is even more special as my husband and I celebrate our twenty fifth wedding anniversary.     So, I approach this holiday, as usual, with time for quiet reflection. And as I look back on the cornucopia of blessings that have been showered down upon me over my lifetime, the most precious and most sacred of all was the one I received twenty five years ago, when I looked into the eyes of the man I love and said those two simple words that changed my life forever….”I do.” Be healthy!Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

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Looking back….on the end of a season.

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

    I love the autumn. I always have, and I always will. I love everything about it. I love how the long, hot, summer days transition into the short, cool days of fall. The days are shorter, but so much brighter and more beautiful. It’s almost magical watching the trees slowly change their deep green leaves to  vibrant yellow, gold, scarlet and orange. I love watching the pumpkins and corn stalks appear, and seeing the fall festivals in full swing. It’s harvest time. A time to reap the final rewards of the end of a season of growing.     After the heat of summer, fall feels like a glorious relief; a time of renewal, of new beginnings rather than endings. Of looking back on a year gone by as we put on heavier clothes, close our windows against the cold nights, snuggle in and...

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Agendas, propellers, and life’s simple pleasures.

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

    My sisters and I often joke about the tribal belief system under which we were raised. We start  each day with a schedule and run around as if we had little propellers under our feet until we complete our Agenda. We  even refer to our Agenda with a capital letter “A”, as if to give it more importance and reverence. Any interruption or obstacle in our Agenda causes mild consternation and a flurry of reorganization to make sure that every item on our list will be successfully completed. Although we laugh and tease each other about our Agenda, it’s even funnier how we take turns admonishing each other to take some time for ourselves and slow down!  So far none of us are taking the bait.     Last Saturday was a beautiful fall day. I kept looking out of the window as I composed...

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