On Sunday, DH and I had a date to go volkswalking. It was PERFECT weather. Overcast, cool, and the rain held off till we were done. We walked through North Portland, an area we are not especially familiar with. It's wonderfully diverse architecturally, with 1930s cottages, modern Federalist revival mansions , and little 1920s stucco haciendas right next door to one another. Cottage gardens with no lawn what-so-ever, cheek by jowl with rock-covered xeriscapes, next to front lawns suitable for a softball game.
And at the end of the walk, we found Penninsula Park's rose gardens. There are rose gardens all over the city, because roses thrive here so well that we even have rugosa roses as ground cover next to the freeways. All the years I have lived in this city, I never had the faintest idea that this bit of glory was here.
It's a sunken garden. We have driven past it any number of times and been completely clueless. That's the glory of these volkswalks - we see things that have always been there, and we never noticed. I bet people get married in that pergola overlooking the roses.
The garden is centered by this magnificent fountain. and on hot days, I betcha the fountain is full of kids. This is a very formal, symmetrical garden with beautiful brick walks and manicured hedges.
We did our five K walk in good form, and then went out for brunch at Kornblatt's Deli. What a treat!
But DH is pre-diabetic. Can anyone explain to him why it's not good to roll out of bed and go for a walk without eating some protein first? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and gnawing on an apple an hour after you get up
doesn't count. Doesn't it stress the pancreas to have to produce adrenalin on an empty tank? Or something? I have never known a diabetic that liked breakfasts. Cause or effect, I don't know, but the relationship is there. I roll out of bed, and I eat. Even if I just grab a slice of bread and a cup of tea, I need that kick-start! How could this man, who I love more than chocolate itself, not be like me?
7 Comments:
At 11:45 AM ,
Amy Lane said...
I do not know-- but I think you're right. I have only now started to embrace breakfast--and I never like breakfast food for the job! (Hence my indulgence in potatoes and sausage at breakfast the other day!)
At 8:42 PM ,
Willow said...
I MUST eat breakfast! Otherwise, I couldn't even crawl out the door. Same with the Professor.
Peninsula Park, huh? I'm a native Portlander and I am not familiar with it. My excuse is that I was raised in Southwest and you know how no one ever crosses the bridges...
At 9:55 PM ,
Tim Young said...
Pancreas broken, we must nurse it along and help it. Low blood sugar will cause problems concentrating and if it gets low enough you will pass out. A friend of mine got so confused she got lost while driving home and was lucky to get home with some help. When she did get home she was to week to get out of the car. Protein stimulates insulin release and reduces spikes in blood glucose levels after meals. I'm type 2 too. Not to be confused with tutu.
At 10:51 PM ,
Rose L said...
Looks like a cool park. I look forward to seeing more of your discoveries on your walks.
At 4:43 AM ,
Donna Lee said...
Breakfast is my favorite meal, even if it's only a bowl of Cheerios and a banana. Diabetes runs in my family and I hold my breath just a little each time I get a blood test.
What gorgeous roses! All the colors. We have pine trees on the road medians. I love me a beautiful pine but roses!
At 5:20 AM ,
Benita said...
You do have a lovely place to walk - and look at all of those roses!!! I'll bet the air smelled heavenly.
I have to admit, I don't eat breakfast until about 3 hours after I get up. I'm just not hungry at that time of the morning.
At 5:22 AM ,
Saren Johnson said...
Grilltech is like that, can go hours before needing to charge up in the mornings. I on the other hand, two hours max before I start wanting to gnaw my arm off.
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