MISS DEES'S ACCOUNT/1957/1965

I started exercising in August of 2022. I began by finding a video of Leaya Cohen doing Tai Chi, and she said that it doesn't matter which exercise you do. It matters that you make it a habit, and after 100 days, you reap the benefits. So I started my journey.  I did my version of the arm movements, and it tired me out. An hour later, I did some more. I was beginning my eye opening view of my own limitations, but I kept at it. I had some down days, but I made a conscious decision to live. If I kept on the way I was going, I would have died. I wanted so much to thrive. I didn't want to merely exist anymore.  I maintained doing everything I could to help myself. I changed my diet and became a vegetarian. I started drinking plenty of water. I exercise all day long now. I also get plenty of sleep and relax when I'm tired.  For breakfast I eat fruit and steel cut oats. For lunch I'll have an avocado and fish on  whole grain bread. I'll have a good dinner with lots of veg

Off Topic Publishing, " Jim " was published in July of 2023. I have been ill, and also I'm learning the rules of publishing and want to credit them. They were very gracious to me and I appreciated the fact that they wanted to publish me, even though I was an unknown author. I received an Honourable Mention from them and won that in the Summer Contest. I had submitted the piece to them a few weeks before and thought nothing of it. I had been previously published in an anthology entitled "Quae Nocent, Docent", a book of poetry put out by the Friendly Handshake Press. I was mailed a copy of the anthology from a long time member. At first, I was going to decline Off Topic Publishing, but when I thought about it, I decided to go along with the publishing of my piece. It really encapsulates my feelings around my brother's death and my silent longing for him. We were so close that I have really realized how much I depended on him to boost me up. My life is much mor