In the first Bunco Biddies mystery I wrote, Dumpster Dicing, two of the retired citizens at Sunset Acres discover a body in the community dumpster on their daily morning power-walk! Walking in the early morning was one of the ways they stayed fit and healthy up into their sixties and seventies.
No matter your age, the more you can keep moving the better. Studies show just a brisk thirty-minute walk first thing in the morning can do wonders for your health, psyche and metabolism. So, recently, I decided to emulate my characters and get up, get out and get going.
Here in Texas, summer heat can be brutal by 11:00 a.m., so the earlier you can throw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and lace up your walking shoes the better. I have chosen to rise with the sun. I have my half hour of devotional and reflection time, down 16 ounces of water, then open my apartment door and greet the day. Here are a few of the benefits I have discovered during my early A.M. trek so far:
- I am meeting more neighbors. I can offer a friendly wave or say, “Good morning” and help get their day started off on a positive note. That helps me do the same.
- I hear birdsong, watch squirrels dashing across the branches, and even notice small insects going about their work.
- I notice my stature is more erect. My shoulders slump less. My lungs fill with air. It always seems fresher in the morning.
- I am sleeping better at night. Unless of course, one of the rafter-rumbling Texas summer storms roll through.
- I have some nice conversations with my Maker as I stroll and enjoy His creation around me.
In my youth, I associated summers with sleeping in, being lazy and basking. Then life, work, raising a family and volunteering filled my days. Now, as I get older, I see I have missed out on a lot of the beautiful quiet times. True, we have to schedule them. But I am glad I decided to be more like my Bunco Biddies, Janie, Ethel and Betsy Ann, by getting out there daily and moving….hopefully I won’t find a body in my complex’s dumpster!
If you’d like to preview Dumpster Dicing, click here: http://www.juliebcosgrove.com/dumpster_dicing.html
Where Did You Find God Today? 
Too bad we don’t live closer. I LOVE walking in the early mornings. Except for now when my allergies have kicked in. Can’t wait to check out the Bunco Biddies!
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Oh my goodness, you sound just like my husband with all that fresh air, water drinking, and exercise. Maybe if I’d go to bed before midnight I could meet the morning with a better attitude. 🙂 I hope there are no bodies in the dumpster too.
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