Murphy Doodle's Fun Run

today I galloped across the prairie without a lease, i am still pretending to be a buffalo

waiting on letty to catch up

letty said i could run free without the lease because i new how to old bay, i think old bay is good because i bay on the day when the loud si run blows and letty rubs my ears

i did not run very far today like i do when there are clouds over the sun, i ran to the shade tree until letty caught up, then i ran to the next shade tree and rolled in the cool grass, she gave me hot water to drink but i did not complain, it tasted good,

after three good runs we came to a lot of shade trees and she let me play on my own and smell the animals, she laughed at me and said it looked like i was smelling the flowers,

i wish she could understand what i smell, i think if i use my nose i can tell her when another dog has been here because it smells musky and i could tell her she needs to run away from danger if i smell something fright full

if i smelled danger i would run and she would chase me, then we would both be safe but today i just kept leaping from shade to shade chasing flying critters and bugs, i even catch flies at home and jack always says GOOD MURPHY, 

nose down and sniffing

we sat down and both had a drink of water, she said her water was hot too, we heard a noise, she looked around and pointed at the clouds nearby, she called thunder and we decided to walk back to the car, but along the way i smelled something fusty, that made me so happy that i rolled and rolled in the fusky filthy grass  

letty had walked on to the next shade tree to wait on me, so i kept exploring and rolling the brown grasses, it felt so good until i noticed that letty was not in the shade, oh no no no i barked, she showed up, she was teasing me by hiding

i ran lickety split up to her and around her and the trees like a galloping pony, suddenly she started yelling at me that i smelled RANK, RIPE, REEKING OF A PUTRID ANIMAL, yippee i barked, i smell fresh and like a buffalo,

when she said murphy sit i stopped running and sat in the sun, i was so hot and tired that my tongue was hanging out, she put water in the red bowl away from me in the shade and i walked over there to drink it up, i laid down to drink the water and stretched out on the grass

she just stood there watching me shaking her head back and forth, she even put her hands on her hips and looked mad, i rolled over on my belly

should i come or should i go

after a long time for her to think she said in a mean tone, murphy you walk by me now, we walked together back to the car, i did not have to wear the lease because i was a good dog, on the way back i got to thinking maybe i was not a good dog because he did not rub my belly

at the car i just wanted to jump in and be cool but she made me wait until she found my old towels to put on the seat, i jumped in and the car was cool, 

on the way home she kept asking me what i rolled in, i hung my head because i new she wouldn't understand that it was important for me to roll in dead animals bodies 

when we stopped the car in the garage she opened all of the doors for me, and that was confusing, i picked one and ran to the door but it would not open, i had to go around back and stay

i guess you now how my story ended

it ended in a bath, a long soapy in my eyes and ears bath, but letty is happy now

The Golf Gypsy--KICKS THE OLD WOMAN OUT

Letty and Hayden 2022 Celebration Golf 2022

In the heat of this summer, on a 100 degree day I found something I had lost a decade ago. I noticed it on the first hole at The Trails Golf Course when my drive nearly reached the creek. I couldn’t believe my eyes when we pulled up beside the ball and I had the longest, not the shortest drive of the threesome. Smiling inwardly my voice emitted a slight grunt of accomplishment. On hole #14 my body, usually tired, sweaty, and limp after thirteen holes of golf I realized that I hadn’t lost it. My swing felt young, my step felt light and springy. I hit my second shot onto the green pin high. Walking up to the green with putter in hand I felt younger but the temperature was climbing to 102 and the heat index blazing in RED. What exactly had I found? Where did this distance come from?

The sixteenth hole, a par three over water, over a winding drainage ditch, and between two bunkers filled with sand, a player may find the green at a 130-160 (195 for men) yards away. I had become so weakened with old tight tired muscles and lazy butt syndrome that I often pulled out a club that carried the water and gave me an opportunity for a decent chip shot to the green. Lately, I’ve been bolder and daring, like those decades of being 10—65 years old. At 74 I’ve felt my age and let it shrink me inside and out.

I stepped up and envisioned my tee shot flying to the green. I settled into my ready golf position, slowly swinging the club back, and allowing my hips to turn back right, with hips and legs working together then pulled the arms and club downward to contact, and through to the target, and on upwards until I completed a full swing.  My eyes briefly saw the ball land on the green. Instantly, I jerked back to my ready golf position and wiggled and jiggled over the ball, relaxing. My feet danced. I knew what I had lost had been found.

My legs and hips were stronger. My core was tighter. I felt muscles pulling the club downward and muscles pushing it forward and my feet vibrated with energy at contact. I nearly danced a jig on that tee box realizing that I had SHUT THE DOOR AND KEPT THE OLD WOMAN OUT, at last. The fact that my tee shot was on the green in regulation added to my delight.

Having played golf most of my life, I have spent many hours since 2008 in and out of physical therapy, all of which have kept me walking and playing golf. The last few years I could see and feel that I was not progressing nor getting stronger. I vowed to remain active not matter what.

Last fall I quit playing golf. I hurt, too much and the pain caused stress that my body could no longer handle and remain healthy. I continued to walk and stretch regularly but noticed that I could not strengthen nor relax my muscles, the old woman was taking control.

Then I learned about “pelvic floor exercises."  I had these issues and a few more, with which many of us over 70 are facing.

Symptoms Treatable by Pelvic Health Physical Therapy

• Difficulty with normal activities such as, sitting, rising from a chair, standing or walking 
• Difficulty with recreational activities 
• Pain in the groin, buttock, low back, hip, sacroiliac or abdominals 

P T Central in Norman, Ok

Step up strengthening, helps lift the foot off the ground. 

Psoas stretch, helps to life the legs for steps and loosening hips for turning. 

In mid-May I began weekly appointments with a PT Doctor who specialized in pelvic floor issues. By July the gentle work she performed on me loosened my tight hamstrings. We then began to work on the hips, lower back, and the connecting muscles, tendons, ligaments, and surrounding tissues.

*I highly recommend needling to loosen our tight muscles.

I can jump, not high, but I can get off the floor. I didn’t realize as I grew older that one day I would not be able to play hop-scotch, jump rope or that my muscles would be so tight that I lost all flexibility to be physically playful. In two and half months of 3-5 workouts weekly I’ve regained what I lost. I have two sets of workouts at home: Odd days and Even days. I use stretching, 2-5 pound weights, and stretch bands. Stretch bands and home health workout.

Like the old commercial, Relief is Just a Swallow Away 1958 or in my case “relief is just a knotted muscle away.”  (If nothing else laughter is the best medicine and these old videos will cause hysterics.)

My youthful exercise guru, Denise Austin, now 65 years old still exercises regularly but not like she did in her 40’s and 50’s. She writes, “I’ve always said there are three important elements of fitness, and I do them every week: cardio, strength training, and flexibility: cardio I walk, no more high-energy aerobics; strength training involves light weights and resistance bands; I maintain my flexibility by doing some form of stretching every day.”

If physical therapy is not an option then at least consider using a tennis ball to roll away those knots in the hips, buttocks, lower back, and leg muscles. Place the ball on the tight spot on your leg, hip, or buttocks area. Back into or lean into a wall keeping the ball between you and the wall. Doing squats or slide movements, roll the ball up and down or around stopping each time you come to knot or painful location. Stop rolling, lean into the knot to release the tension, letting the ball press into the muscle. I only do this for a short period of time once or twice a week, but it does give the muscles release of deep tissue massage.

Above all else: Release the tension and build up strength to KEEP THE OLD WOMAN or MAN OUT.

Tennis Ball Therapy use these ideas on the floor or on the wall, which ever is easier. 

Tennis Ball Therapy