everydaytaichi.org
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    • lucy featured in Honolulu newspaper
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  • The Art of Tai Chi
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  • everydaytaichi
    • What is everydaytaichi?
    • Where is everydaytaichi?
    • How did everydaytaichi begin?
    • How old is everydaytaichi.org? >
      • everydaytaichi.org celebrates our 5th anniversary
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    • What Are Some Opportunities for everydaytaichi students?
    • everydaytaichi Oldies but Goodies
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    • everydaytaichi promotes everydaytaichi health
    • Lucy's Personal Project Apple Store in California
  • Tai Chi Aloha Around the World
    • Tai Chi During Global Pandemic
    • Tai Chi Aloha to Singapore >
      • Asian Civilization Museum
      • Aloha to Singapore Botanic Garden
      • Singapore Zoo & Aquarium & Museum
      • Aloha to Singapore River Walk
      • Lucy's Magical Tai Chi Ball
      • Gardens by the Bay
      • Farewell Singapore!
    • Lucy's Tai Chi Aloha to the Silk Road >
      • Come Take a Virtual Tour of the Silk Road
      • Lucy's Itinerary to the Silk Road
      • Lucy's Tai Chi on Silk Road
      • Come see the once in a life time experiences!
      • Taste the Food of the Silk Road
      • Ancient Treasures of Silk Road
      • Last Day: Beijing Walmart
    • Lucy's Tai Chi Aloha on Maui >
      • everydaytaichi family on Maui
    • everydaytaichi spreads tai chi aloha on Kauai >
      • everydaytaichi family on Kauai
    • everydaytaichi in Osaka + Kyoto, again
    • everydaytaichi in Hokkaido Japan
    • everydaytaichi at Osaka, Japan
    • everydaytaichi at Waikaloa & Volcano on Hawaii Island
    • everydaytaichi at Coconut Island, Kaneohe Hawaii
    • everydaytaichi on Baltic Cruise >
      • everydaytaichi in Sweden
      • everydaytaichi in Finland
      • everydaytaichi in Russia
      • everydaytaichi in Germany
      • everydaytaichi in Denmark
    • everydaytaich Ken Christmas Island
    • everydaytaichi Duets by Lucy & Ken
    • everydaytaichi lucy on Maui for 71st
    • everydaytaichi at Ko Olina Beach
    • everydaytaichi at Sequoia National Park
    • Gallery: Sequoia National Park
    • everydaytaichi in California: Irvine & San Mateio
    • Gallery: California- Irvine & San Mateio
    • everydaytaichi in Japan 2016 >
      • Japan Alps Gallery
      • Tai Chi Aloha in Japan
      • Tai Chi Poses In Japan
    • everydaytaichi visits New Zealand...a quick guide >
      • everydaytaichi in Auckland
      • everydaytaichi in Hamilton
      • everydaytaichi in Rotorua at a Farm
      • everydaytaichi sees sheep shearing at Argodome
      • Lake Taupo + Green & Blue Lakes, New Zealand
      • Wai-o-tapu Geothermal Spectacular Geyser
      • Waimalu, Geothermal Spectacular
      • everydaytaichi goes to Devonport, New Zealand
      • Redwood Forest, New Zealand
      • Huka Falls, New Zealand
      • Hobbiton, New Zealand
      • everydaytaichi ken cooking green mussels, grilling lamb...
      • everydaytaichi family having fun
    • everydaytaichi visits Alaska...quick guide >
      • everydaytaichi in Seattle, Washington
      • everydaytaichi on board ship
      • everydaytaichi visits Juneau, Alaska
      • everydaytaichi visits Skagway, Alaska
      • everydaytaichi visits Ketchikan, Alaska
      • everydaytaichi sails to Glacier Bay, Alaska
      • everydaytaichi activites on board ship
      • everydaytaichi goes to Victoria, British Columbia
      • everydaytaichi back in Seattle, Washington
      • everydaytaichi back home, Honolulu, Hawaii
    • everydaytaichi in China 2010 >
      • Beijing
      • Great Wall
      • Summer Palace >
        • Videos
      • Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City
      • Olympic Park Bird's Nest Stadium
      • Xian
      • Bund in Shanghai
      • Suchow and the Grand Canal
      • Yangtze River Cruise >
        • Videos
      • Chongqing
    • everydaytaichi does Luk Tung Kuen in Hong Kong >
      • Photos
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    • everydaytaichi travels to Southeast Asia 2011 >
      • Vietnam >
        • Videos
      • Cambodia >
        • Tai Chi Videos
        • Videos
      • Thailand >
        • Videos
      • Taiwan >
        • Video
    • everydaytaichi in the US >
      • California >
        • Tai Chi at San Mateo >
          • Tai Chi Videos
          • Family Album >
            • Aa's Newest Kid on the Block Comic Strip
            • ET's Comic Strip Page
            • Aa & ET Boulder Project Replica
            • Operation Bear
          • everydaytaichi Granddaughter's Album
        • Tai Chi in Ryder Park
        • Tai Chi in Redwood City
        • Tai Chi at Half Moon Bay
        • Tai Chi at the Gardens, Central Park
        • Tai Chi in Roseville
      • Massachusetts >
        • Family Album
        • Tai Chi in Cambridge
        • Tai Chi at Harvard
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        • Tai Chi at the Boston Public Garden
        • Tai Chi in Dover
        • everydaytaichi in Germany
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      • Maine >
        • Tai Chi Video
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    • everydaytaichi in Europe 2009 >
      • Prague, the Czech Republic
      • Vienna, Austria
      • Budapest, Hungary >
        • Videos
    • Zion National Park >
      • Tai Chi Videos
    • everydaytaichi in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii >
      • Makapuu Hike Ka Iwi Trail Jan. 2015
      • Makapuu Hike Ka Iwi Park >
        • Makapuu Beach
        • Videos
        • Makapuu Lighthouse everydaytaichi family
      • Sandy Beach >
        • Videos
      • Queen's Beach
      • Bellows Air Force Base >
        • Video
      • Kuliouou Beach Park >
        • Videos
      • Hawaii Kai Marina >
        • Videos
      • China Wall Koko Head East Honolulu >
        • Video
      • everydaytaichi at Ala Moana Magic Island Yacht Harbor, Waikiki Beach Sunset
      • Kuhio Beach, Waikiki >
        • everydaytaichi lucy in Waikiki Hawaiian Village Beach Walk
        • Diamond Head from Kapiolani Park >
          • Video
        • Kapiolani Bandstand, Waikiki
        • everydaytaichi lucy at Waikiki Beach
      • Kualoa Park, on Windward, Oahu, Hawaii >
        • Laniloa Point, Laie, on Windward, Oahu, Hawaii
      • Waikahalulu Gardens in Downtown Oahu, Hawaii
      • Nuuanu Pali Lookout Oahu, Hawaii
      • Lanikai Beach Park Oahu, Hawaii
    • everydaytaichi in Maui >
      • everydaytaichi takes the road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii
      • Tai Chi at Iao Valley
      • Tai Chi at Kula Upcountry
      • Maalaea Harbor
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      • Family Album >
        • Video
    • 24 Movements Around the World >
      • Video
      • Commencing Form, Parting the Horse's Mane
      • White Crane Spreads its Wings
      • Brush Knee
      • Playing the Lute
      • Repulsing the Monkey
      • Grasping the Bird's Tail
      • Single Whip, Cloud Hands
      • Kick Out, Double Punch
      • Serpent in the Grass
      • Maiden Working Her Shuttles
      • Needle at the Bottom of the Sea
      • Flash Arms like a Fan, Turn, Deflect, Parry and Punch
      • Apparent Closing, Cross Hands, Closing Form
    • everydaytaichi friends & students spread their everydaytaichi aloha around the world >
      • the Chuns' Niu Valley Boulder Removal Project 9-2011
  • Special Events
    • everydaytaichi celebrates >
      • everydaytaichi.org is 10 Years Old!
      • World Tai Chi Day 2020
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      • World Tai Chi Day 2018
      • World Tai Chi Day 2017
      • everydaytaichi lucy hosts Prof. Li Deyin at Kilauea Park
      • everydaytaichi.org is 8YO, Lucy's Mother's 101
      • everydaytaichi lucy & ken celebrate Brennan's Kalani Graduation 2016
      • everydaytaichi lucy celebrates 3rd annual World Tai Chi Day at Kahala Mall
      • lucy Family Reunion to celebrate 70th
      • everydaytaichi lucy celebrates her 70th
      • everydaytaichi lucy celebrates 2nd annual World Tai Chi Day at Kahala Mall
      • everydaytaichi lucy & ken celebrate Justine's Iolani Graduation 2015
      • everydaytaichi lucy featured at the Mayor's Summit on Living Age Friendly
      • everydaytaichi lucy: Guest Speaker for Her Sorority
      • Lucy's Premier Show Private Party
      • Happy New Year Tai Chi at Kapiolani Park, Waikiki, Hawaii
      • December 30, A Day of Multiple Celebrations
      • Merry Christmas from the Chun Family
      • Merry Christmas from Luk Tung Kuen Kahala Mall
      • Merry Christmas to Our Tai Chi Friends
      • Happy Birthday Sophia Lucille Chun!
      • everydaytaichi lucy "Rookie of the Year" Award
      • everydaytaichi.org celebrates our 4th anniversary
      • everydaytaichi.org celebrates from 10-07-10
      • everydaytaichi lucy hosts Yomeiji Taikyokuken Shikoku Chuo Tai Chi Club
      • everydaytaichi lucy celebrates World Tai Chi Day 2014 Kahala Mall
      • everydaytaichi by lucy celebrates family >
        • Thanksgiving 2014
        • Mother's Day 2014
        • Thanksgiving 2013
        • everydaytaichi by ken celebrates Gungie's Day
        • everydaytaichi by ken celebrates Father's Day
        • everydaytaichi by lucy celebrates Mother's Day
        • Double Celebration: Birthday + Easter
        • Christmas Gift 2012 >
          • Merry Christmas from Tai Tai
          • Happy Holidays from everydaytaichi students
          • Christmas Gift 2011
        • Thanksgiving 2012 >
          • Thanksgiving
          • Family Album
          • everydaytaichi Mother's Day in L.A., California
          • Black Friday
          • 10-10-10 October 10, 2010
      • Lucy, a life long learner >
        • Visitors from Japan Play Tai Chi at Kilauea Park
        • Makapuu Hike Ka Iwi Trail Jan. 2015
        • everydaytaichi Black Friday Special
        • everydaytaichi students at Mayor Country & Craft Fair
        • everydaytaichi student Dr. Joseph Young is the Mayor of Chinatown
        • everydaytaichi lucy \\"Rookie of the Year\\" Award
        • everydaytaichi lucy & ken welcome the Polynesian ship, the Hokulea at Maunaloa Bay in Hawaii Kai
        • everydaytaichi lucy speaks on Luk Tung Kuen and Tai Chi Hawaii COPD Seminar
        • Labor Day Monday at Aina Koa Park NON Instructional Tai Chi
        • everydaytaichi by lucy presentation:Lion's Club Hawaii District 50
        • Hawaii Celebrates World Tai Chi-Chi Kung Day
        • everydaytaichi by lucy on KITV News
        • Going Green
        • Fourth of July
        • Another day...another year
        • Pussywillows in Hawaii
        • Lucy's Personal Project >
          • Tai Chi at Hillsdale Mall
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          • Gallery
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          • Breaking News
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        • Aloha, Genie
      • Luk Tung Kuen Around the World >
        • Luk Tung Kuen 2014 Easter at Kahala Mall
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        • Luk Tung Kuen Kahala Mall after Thanksgiving
        • Luk Tung Kuen Evelyn at Kahala Mall
        • Luk Tung Kuen Celebrates Irene's 100th Birthday
        • Luk Tung Kuen at Christmas Kahala Mall
        • Luk Tung Kuen Hawaii Kahala Mall with Our Centenarian
        • Luk Tung Kuen in Hong Kong
        • Luk Tung Kuen in San Mateo
        • Luk Tung Kuen at Christmas Kahala Mall 2012
        • Lucy & Evelyn do LTK Kahala Mall Xmas
        • Lucy does LTK at San Mateo, California
        • Luk Tung Kuen Hawaii Christmas 2011 Special
      • Ken's Retirement >
        • everydaytaichi ken celebrates his big 7-0
        • Narcissus Bulb Cutlture everydaytaichi ken >
          • Ken's Narcissus Culturing for Chinese New Year
          • Narcissus Bulb Crab Claw Culture
          • Narcissus Bulb Cutlture Long Stem Traditional Style
          • Narcissus Bulb Culture 2013
          • Narcissus for Chinese New Year
        • Fishing Tales
        • Tako Tales
        • Tako and Fishing Tales
        • Mixed Plate, a Potpourri of Carpentry, Landscaping, Gardening + More >
          • Reconnecting with a Friend
        • Family Album >
          • Kwock Family Reunion Picnic at Bellows AFB
  • everydaytaichi4U
    • Everydaytaichi Home Style Practice
    • Tai Chi Basics
    • Lucy's Home Studio Lessons
    • Kilauea Park Classes >
      • Yang 10 Form Tuesday 10AM
      • Yang 16 Thursdays 9AM
      • Yang 24 Thursday 1015AM
      • Yang Style: 10, 16 & 24 Forms
      • Yang 88
    • Proper Alignment & Key Words >
      • Tai Chi Walk
      • Commencing Form, Part Horse's Mane
      • White Crane Spreads its Wings
      • Brush Knee
      • Playing the Lute
      • Repulsing the Monkey
      • Grasping the Bird's Tail
      • Single Whip
      • Cloud Hands
      • High Pat on the Horse, Kick Out Right
      • Double Punch
      • Kick out Left
      • Serpent in the Grass, Golden Cockerel
      • Maiden Works her Shuttles
      • Needle at the Bottom of the Sea
      • Flash Arms like a Fan
      • Turn, Deflect, Parry and Punch
      • Apparent Closing
      • Cross Hands
      • Closing Form
    • Refinement: Coordinating Body Movements + Breathing >
      • Lesson #1: Tai Chi Walk, Movements thru Single Whip
      • Lesson #2: Single Whip thru Closing Form
      • Lesson #3: Shift, Rotate, Spiral
      • Lesson #4: Complete Elements in Movement at Same Time
      • Lesson #5: Coordinate, Shift, Rotate, Spiral, Synchronize Elements
      • Lesson #6: Repulse Monkey, Grasp Bird's Tail, Cloud Hands
      • Lesson #7: Cloud Hands, Maiden works Shuttles, Turn Deflect
      • Lesson #8: High Pat on Horse thru Serpent, Golden Cockerel
      • Lesson #9: Needle at Bottom of Sea, Flash Arms, Turn Deflect...Closing Form
      • Lesson #10: Turn Deflect Parry Punch, Apparent Closing...
      • Lesson #11: Turn Deflect..., Apparent Closing, Cross Hands, Closing Form
      • Lesson #12: more refinement of Turn Deflect & Repulsing the Monkey
    • YouTube channels: everydaytaichi4u + MORE
    • YouTube Playlist for 24 Movements
    • YouTube Playlist for Yang 10 Form
    • Yang Style Tai Chi 24 Movements Called Out
    • Warm Up Exercise
    • Tai Chi Posture, Tai Chi Walk
    • Yang Style Tai Chi Back View >
      • Grasping the Bird's Tail thru Cloud Hands, Single Whip Back View
      • Single Whip High Pat on Horse, Kick Outs, Double Punch Front Back View
      • Serpent in Grass, Golden Cockerel Front & Back View
      • Serpent, Golden Cockerel, Maiden, Needle, Flash Arms thru Closing
    • 24 Movements Slideshow >
      • Commencing Form, Parting the Horse's Mane
      • White Crane Spreads its Wings
      • Brush Knee
      • Playing the Lute
      • Repulsing the Monkey
      • Grasping the Bird's Tail
      • Single Whip, Cloud Hands
      • High Pat on the Horse, Kick Out, Double Punch
      • Serpent in the Grass, Golden Cockerel
      • Maiden Working the Shuttles
      • Needle at the Bottom of the Sea
      • Flash Arms Like a Fan, Turn, Deflect, Parry, Punch
      • Apparent Closing, Cross Hands, Closing Form
      • everydaytaichi students travel and keep tai chi alive!
    • Chi Kung & Tai Chi Music
    • everydaytaichi DVDs & CDs by lucy chun
  • Testimony
    • everydaytaichi students' personal opinions
    • everydaytaichi students expression of gratitude
    • everydaytaichi students' insights
    • everydaytaichi is appreciative for...
    • everydaytaichi friends around the world
  • Classes
    • NEW Tai Chi Classes Kilauea District Park
    • Locations >
      • Where is Kilauea District Park?
      • What Bus Do I Catch?
    • Types of everydaytaichi classes by lucy chun >
      • Levels of Classes/ Registration Info
      • NEW Tai Chi Classes Kilauea District Park
      • Spring 2016 Add On Classes
      • ADD On REFINEMENT Classes: Kilauea Park Between Regular Sessions
      • Tai Chi Aina Koa Non-Instructional Session
      • Tai Chi Kilauea Park Non-Instructional Session
      • Tai Chi Kahala Park Non Instructional Session
      • Tai Chi NVMS Non Instructional Session
      • Private Lesson 1 on 1 Lesson
    • Luk Tung Kuen >
      • Luk Tung Kuen Slideshow
      • Luk Tung Kuen 2014 Easter at Kahala Mall
      • Luk Tung Kuen Christmas at Kahala Mall
      • Luk Tung Kuen Kahala Mall after Thanksgiving
      • Luk Tung Kuen Hawaii Kai Welcomes the Hokulea
      • Luk Tung Kuen Evelyn at Kahala Mall
      • Health Benefits of LTK 36 Movements
      • Luk Tung Kuen at Kilauea District Park, Honolulu, Hawaii
      • Luk Tung Kuen Celebrates Irene's 100th Birthday
      • Luk Tung Kuen at Christmas Kahala Mall
      • Luk Tung Kuen Instructions for Exercise
      • Luk Tung Kuen Led by Students Kahala Mall Honolulu, Hawaii
      • everydaytaichi students also do LTK
  • Contact
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Examples of WFPB items, as I try to clean out the refrig...

7/24/2019

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Coconut tapioca topped with fresh cranberry sauce, fruits from family and neighbors to make fruit smoothie along with kale, guava, turmeric and mint from the yard...and a first time mochi with azuki beans from Grace, my walker friend.
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Simple but good...

7/23/2019

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Ken's brother, Dennison, stopped by...

7/23/2019

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YES they are delicious!
​But, to show off these beauties, the setting has to be just RIGHT!
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You may recall that last year ken was a serpent under his brother's li chee tree!
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This year's crop also gets a "double punch" and a " kick out, left."
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One of the best things to do is climb up the ladder to pluck watercress and mint in Gong Gong's aquaponic garden...

7/22/2019

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Click on the play arrow to see how much fun it is to eat from the garden!
You will also see in this video below that feeding the tilapia and saying "Hi" to them is also a fun thing to do, it's part of Colin's daily routine!

After that we go in to " showie" and then relax and listen to tai chi music that Colin turns on.
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Tai Chi Aloha Around the World from Cincinnati to Honolulu

7/22/2019

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Monday morning tai chi practice brings a nice way to start a new week of tai chi.
Not only were Ric and Jim here, but Melody and Don from Cinncinati, Ohio came out to play tai chi with us...
altogether, 30 of us enjoyed the camaraderie... the social perk that tai chi provides.
Mahalo to Jean for photos and video!
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Hard to let go!

7/20/2019

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On a lazy summer Saturday, a dish of Garlicky-Parsley Pesto Pasta with a lei of Malabar steamed spinach might re-energize you...

7/20/2019

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Fresh oio fishcake, taro with coconut milk glaze, and sesame shoyu tofu surrounded by steamed Malabar spinach

7/18/2019

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Singing "Wheels on the Bus" goes super well with building a lego tower!

7/17/2019

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Click the play arrow below to hear baby's rendition of the song,  "Wheels on the Bus."
Be sure to watch the complete video footage, you will see why!

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Odds & End, mid week, Wednesday...

7/17/2019

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Pan seared eggplant and peppers with garlic and oyster sauce.
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Super kale!
Kale chicken pasta
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Yet, another hand sawed / built and stained shelf by handy man, ken!
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Pesto Tuesday!

7/16/2019

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Team work at it's BEST!
After my morning walk and video taping ken at Kuliouou Park, our oldest grandson, Brennan came to help make oodles of pesto.
 Ken harvested 2 buckets stuffed with sweet basil.
Brennan, Caroline and I spent 2.5 hours processing pesto for a total of 12 cups of vegan organic basil pesto.
​Quite a feat!

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Little farmer "junior" follows "Gong-Gong's love of the outdoors...

7/16/2019

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First, weeding and dumping rubbish into the bin.
​Oh, to manuever the dust pan takes strength and skill!
Mowing the lawn, but, don't forget to get under the guava tree, too!
Baby is a real gardener, loves to taste all his favorite herbs!
Thyme, Cuban oregano and watercress are the first ones as he makes his way up the garden path...( Gungie's brick road )
and the juicy Japan tomatoes from seeds "Gong-Gong" brought home from Hokkaido.
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Baby can't wait to turn the compost bin around like he sees ken do so often.
He knows to call this bin "ga,"  which is his word for GARBAGE as in garbage truck.

Never forget the shiso, rosemary and mint...and another round of thyme and watercress before we go in for a showie!
Then turn on stereo to listen to tai chi music while Mama or Baba come to take baby home.
( By then, "Ga-ga" ( older brother, Andrew ) and " Je-je" ( older sister, Sophia ) will be also home from basketball practice!)
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Monday morning kale project with a beautiful sky stretching out for another busy week!

7/15/2019

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Dinosaur kale leaves measure about 24 inches, full of texture, crunch, deep color...just plain super to cook and eat!
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Simple Ways To Prevent Falls In Older Adults by LUISA TORRES on NPR

7/15/2019

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As we age, the risk of falling increases and becomes increasingly perilous. A fall can be a real health setback for a frail, elderly person. And, more older adults are dying from falls today than 20 years ago. A recent study showed that more than 25,000 U.S. adults age 75 or above died from a fall in 2016, up from more than 8,600 deaths in 2000, and the rate of fatal falls for this age group roughly doubled.
But the risk of falling can be minimized, says Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom, professor and chief of geriatrics at Oregon Health & Science University. "A lot of older adults and a lot of physicians think that falling is inevitable as you age, but in reality it's not."
NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro and Luisa Torres spoke to Eckstrom about the most common causes of falling among seniors and the best ways to prevent them.
This interview combines two separate conversations with Eckstrom and has been edited for clarity and length. 
Are seniors falling more than they used to? Or are there more seniors? Does something else explain this increase?
I think it might be a little bit of both. There are so many more seniors, and there's probably better reporting than there used to be. There's more awareness about falls as older adults and doctors are starting to think about it a little bit more. I think our older adults are starting to [be more active], and that also is going to put you at risk for falling. I always tell people to please not be sedentary to prevent falls. That's the worst thing you can do. You've got to be out and active, but being out and doing things does allow you to put yourself in a position where you could fall.

Also, I think one of the biggest problems for falls is that so many older adults are on risky medications. Those sleeping pills, pain pills, a lot of the drugs that older adults have been prescribed for years and years have markedly increased risk for falling. And if we could get everybody off of those pills, it would be so helpful.
How do pain pills increase the risk of falls?
Pain pills have similar side effects [compared to] sleeping pills. They can make you dizzy. They can make you confused. They can make you lethargic. They can cause you to not be as sharp so that you're not paying attention to curbs or uneven sidewalks. 
Are there any other drugs that seniors should be aware of?
Yeah, absolutely. There are a lot of drugs that fall into a class called anticholinergics. It's the class that has cold medications in it, like Sudafed, [and] drugs to help control bladder problems, like Detrol. All of those drugs are in that very dangerous anticholinergic class, [which] increases your risk for falling. 
The other thing that a lot of older people take is blood pressure pills. Managing blood pressure is a little tricky [because] you don't want your blood pressure to be too high, because that increases your risk for heart attacks and strokes. But if you take too many blood pressure pills, it makes your blood pressure too low, and you get dizzy and you fall.
A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that physicians routinely failed to perform basic interventions to help prevent falls. Why do you think that is, and how could doctors help?
Most primary care doctors have no more than 15 minutes with a patient, and they're managing their diabetes, congestive heart failure, their asthma — all of those other medical conditions. And [they] don't recognize the importance of fall prevention in that milieu. It takes a lot of work to help an older adult reduce their risk for falling. You've got to talk about the glasses; you've got to make sure they're wearing the right shoes; you've got to make sure they're using a gait aid [like a cane or a walker] if they need one — and all of those things take time. 
The CDC has also done a beautiful job of putting together a fall prevention package in an initiative called STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries). You can go to their website and find all sorts of useful information to help both clinical teams, older adults and families to reduce risk for falling.
Can you remind us why falling is so dangerous for older adults?
About a third of older adults who fall actually have some form of injury, and a lot of those are hip fractures and head injuries. And those can be fatal, of course. A vitally important thing is fear of falling, and many older adults who fall curtail their activities because they're afraid they're going to fall again. And, again, that's kind of the worst thing you can do because now you're losing mobility, you're getting weaker and you're not moving around as much. 
What are some of the interventions you've used that can help seniors?
You can do so many things. First of all, I tell everybody you've got to do some balance training. Tai chi is probably the best exercise to prevent falls, but whatever works for you. And, interestingly, just walking does not reduce your risk for falling. So a lot of doctors will say, "Just get out and walk 20 minutes every day, and that'll keep you safe. That'll help you stay healthy." Walking is great for your heart; it's great for your brain; it's great for lots of it. But in order to really reduce your risk for falls, you've got to do something specific to balance.
What makes tai chi a good exercise to prevent falls? And why isn't walking a good alternative?
Walking is kind of just keeping you in one plane moving forward, and it's not doing any kind of postural training. What tai chi does is it gives you an increased area of postural stability, [which is] kind of your being able to remain upright in space. When you do tai chi, you do stepping moves to the front, to the side; you move your arms out, you reach, you bend. And basically that increases the size of your postural stability so that you can catch yourself and not have the fall. You can be a little bit off kilter and right yourself.
Do you have any more advice on how seniors can prevent falls?
For most people, it's not just one bad thing. It's not just your balance, or it's not just your vision, or it's not just one pill that you're taking. If somebody wants to reduce their risk of falls, they should really think about all of the various ways: making sure you're wearing the right shoes, using a walker if you need it, getting off those risky medications. It's really important to tend to all of those little details to really get your fall risk as low as possible. I encourage people to just work on that really, really hard. It's worth the trouble.
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Basil everywhere you turn: in the garden, along the fence, along neighbor's driveway, numerous volunteer plants that need to be tended to...

7/14/2019

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Kale plants going crazy, too...giving us more than what we can handle!
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...and lemons galore, over 100 the last time  ken counted after thinning them out to allow fewer fruits to grow bigger than too many smaller lemons.
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