“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – Paul, 1 Corinthians 10:31

Tuesday was a really good day:

• Dad is recovering well. Much more secure on his feet, better balance, and able to use his walker once again.
• I received a report on the blood work from my “Big 65” check-up, and my cholesterol had dropped by 47 points. That’s huge, and puts me right on the edge of the excellent range.
• Then, and yesterday was a perfectly beautiful day for it, my friend George and I played golf.

The Golf:

We went out to Falls Village, around 20 minutes west of Wake Forest. The course is well maintained (other than the bunkers), it’s a beautiful location, and the architecture makes good use of the hills and valleys. The holes are cleverly designed, featuring many tricky doglegs, putting the emphasis on thinking, strategy, and placing tee shots rather than simply hitting the ball as far as you can.

It was a joy just to be out there in the early April sunshine, being with a good friend and having fun, breathing in the spring air. Of course it didn’t hurt that I was playing well, sprinkling in seven pars and even a birdie with the usual collection of bogies etcetera.

In my photography I am partial to paths, roads, gates, natural framing, and bridges. The Falls Village layout has an abundance of all these elements. I enjoyed it so much I would like to go back out with my Nikon DSLR, leave my clubs at home, and walk the course as a photographer.

The bloodwork:

While not alarmingly high, over the years my cholesterol had managed to inch its way up. So a couple of years ago, when I decided to lose twenty pounds, part of my plan anticipated a favorable shift in bloodwork across the board.

The first year the “LIPID PANEL WITH LDL/HDL RATIO” came down by 7 points. Okay, it’s a start. Then, this time around, I managed to shave off another 40 – all while maintaining my love affair with all things both fried and dairy!

I’m going to share this graph with you not in order to brag (okay, maybe a little!), so much as to show the gradual, careful progress from “pushing 190” to my goal of 165 pounds. Right now I’m hovering just under my new baseline, and seem to have settled in at 162-163.

The key here is that I feel great. Not just feel great, but generating improved health numbers to go along with the comfort.

I’d like to say here, in the strongest possible terms, that the best weight for any individual is not one that conforms with cultural expectations, but one that contributes to a well rounded health profile. Be healthy! Be confident! Enjoy your life!

The photographs:

Here, again, I have shared some photos to go with the golf outing. It’s simply the North Carolina Piedmont, tidied up a little and with a few golf holes thrown in. I say this a lot, but here it is again: we are blessed to live in such a beautiful place, in such a picturesque community, and surrounded by so many good people whom we love.

In love, and – as always – with gratitude – DEREK