Stretch with Gretch

Facebook and LinkedIn feeds are filling up with North Texas Giving Day posts. This is a big day for North Texas nonprofits and your donation to any one of them is greatly appreciated.

I have the privilege of sitting on the board of Journey Forward Mentoring. We are a small but mighty organization that provides one-on-one mentoring to four Dallas ISD High Schools.

We've been selected as one of Dallas Doing Good’s top 10 picks for North Texas Giving Day - https://dallasdoinggood.com/ntx-giving-day-journey-forward-mentoring-paves-pathways-to-higher-education-for-dallas-youth/

We have a goal to reach 100 donors by the end of the day and we’re only 27 donations away.

Will you help us reach our goal by donating to Journey Forward today?

Simply click this link to donate - https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/story/Gretchenforjfm

And thank you for your support!

-g

Support Gretchen's Fundraiser - Journey Forward Mentoring on North Texas Giving Day Help me raise money to support high school & postsecondary students through the power of mentoring!

Journey Forward Mentoring is one of Dallas Doing Good’s top 10 picks for North Texas Giving Day.

https://dallasdoinggood.com/ntx-giving-day-journey-forward-mentoring-paves-pathways-to-higher-education-for-dallas-youth/

Help me reach my $2500 donation goal.

https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/story/Gretchenforjfm

NTX Giving Day: Journey Forward Mentoring paves pathways to higher education for Dallas youth | Dallas Doing Good Anjulie Ponce joined Journey Forward Mentoring in 2016 as a mentor and became Executive Director in 2018, inspired by the profound impact of mentorship on students' lives. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded its programs and support systems, offering long-term guidance from high scho...

men·tor /ˈmenˌtôr,ˈmen(t)ər/
noun
An experienced and trusted adviser.

I was assigned a mentor when I started my first job at AT&T Bell Labs. Jerry had been there and done it all. He smoked like a chimney. My desk was on the factory floor not far from the smoking area. Every couple of weeks, he'd tap on my office and ask if I needed a smoke break. He knew I didn't smoke, but I never said no because there was always a nugget of wisdom he'd drop during our 15-minute chat.

He's since passed away. I'm not sure I ever properly thanked him. I'm doing my best now by serving on the Journey Foward Mentoring board and helping raise money for our high school and postsecondary programs. If you'd like to pay it forward for your mentors please consider making a small donation to my North Texas Giving Day campaign.

If you're interested in being a mentor or serving on our board or one of our committees shoot me a DM.

Support Gretchen's Fundraiser - Journey Forward Mentoring on North Texas Giving Day Help me raise money to support high school & postsecondary students through the power of mentoring!

Work capacity days are no joke! This was my first group workout with Tyler

He's super nice and knows his stuff. He explained the workout, led us through a warmup to get familiar with each movement, and was a great cheerleader offering recommendations on rep counts, form, and breathing throughout the workout. The gym is spacious and well equipped. I'll be back next week.

Oak Cliff, you should join me!

Do it for future you.

Have a great semester, baby girl! ❤️❤️❤️

Go Terriers!

If you're intimidated by dumbbells and barbells, another great way to utilize weights is to carry them. Toss some books in a backpack or invest in a ruckpack or weighted vest and go for a walk.

The added weight will help you build strength and increase your cardio endurance. You'll work your whole body. Your legs get a workout from the walk, and your abs, shoulders, and back get a workout from maintaing form while stabilizing the weight. You'll also burn more calories than walking without weight - up to 2-3 times more depending on your pace and the terrain. And probably the most important benefit, especially for the ladies, carrying the added weight helps slow down and potentially reverse bone loss.

In solidarity with my college kids who walk miles every day to classes and my high schooler whose backpack weighs more than they do, I'm adding a 20 pound vest to my morning walks.

Won't you join me?

Holy moly! Still feeling Wednesday's squats. Taking a rest day.

Amazing trip, but there is no place like home. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Back to our regularly scheduled programming soon.

Today, I got to put some faces with the voices on the early morning conference calls I've heard taking the past two years. I had a nice visit and lunch with members of the Quorum Pune team. I've been a Quorum girlfriend/wife for 26 years, almost from the day it started. It's been a delight to watch the company grow.

Saturday's adventure began with breakfast and a tour at the Parshwa Prandyalay Jain Temple in Talegaon Dabhade. My pictures don't begin to capture the temple's beauty. There were roof repairs in progress, so Jerri, my fearless companion, and I followed Piyush up the ladder and onto the roof for some spectacular views.

The institute hosted a lovely Guru Pournima celebration this morning. In very simplistic terms, this is a teacher appreciation celebration.

I am grateful for Abhijata and Raya, who are preserving the knowledge and method of Iyengar Yoga while also making it accessible for more students, especially the next generation of practitioners.

I am grateful for my teachers both in yoga and academics who have helped me become the teacher and student that I am today.
💛
🩵

Words can't describe what this month been like.

Such a full day with Piyush, Rupali, and their son. I will miss these new friends the most.

More pics from this adventure to come.

The power was out in Model Colony yesterday, so I mostly read, napped, and of course, ate.

We did venture over to the Handmade Paper Institute. The first picture is the paper ceiling in the store.

Dinner was thali at Shabree. 😋

Monsoon showers bring Pune flowers!

Weather wise, Pune has been quite pleasant. Much better than Texas.🫠🔥 The temperature is 75-85 °F. One minute, it's humid, and the next minute, it's cool and breezy. It does rain every day - maybe a sprinkle or a short down pour. Flowers are blooming everywhere.

(A day without food pics. 😋)

There's always room for ice cream! The mango is good but the Keshar Pista (Safron Pistachio) is my favorite.

Putting the food pics at the end because I do, in fact, do more than eat here...

Today, I picked up my handmade bloomers and skirts from .in

They are absolutely gorgeous and fit perfectly!

Lunch was Darshan Restaurant's signature dish - Chole Bhature - and I made room for the hand churned safron pistachio ice cream. Check out the size of that poori!

Another Thali lunch and then a restful day in the apartment. Sharing just a few random photos.

Tonight, our apartment host and his lovely wife took us to Maharaja Bhog for a traditional Thali dinner. For folks in the US, imagine Fogo de Chao but with Indian dishes. So delicious!

Random cow pics.

Meet lovely Sunita Shroff-Naik. She's turning this beautiful fabric into yoga bloomers and skirts. And I'm bringing home some of my favorite colors for new bolster covers. I had my fitting today and can't wait to wear the finished products!

Sunday, we explored the Ajanta Caves.

From the UNESCO site:

The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly decorated caves were added to the original group. The paintings and sculptures of Ajanta, considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a considerable artistic influence.

Field trip to the Ellora Caves.

Delicious homemade meal prepared by the lovely Swati. 💜😋

A few scenes from Pune:

1. Inside the practice hall
2. Coconut after class
3-4. Prashant's 75th birthday
5. The apartment we are renting. 2nd floor on the left.

We had to come all the way to Pune, India to workout together in person.

Made it!

More to come. Now rest.

Have you seen The Imitation Game?

Thursday, I toured Bletchley Park to see where the code breakers worked secretly during WWII. Most papers and machines were destroyed after the war, but the grounds and buildings are still there.

1 - purple flowers at the entrance, no significance. I just love purple
2 - the mansion where the code breaking began
3 - Alan Turing's office
4 - a replica of the Bombe Machine invented by Turing
5 - an Enigma machine
6 - the lake
7 - the hut where the WRNS ran the bombes
8 - a picture from the wall honoring the service of carrier pigeons

I didn't get a picture of Turing's royal pardon, which came much too late. 🏳️‍🌈

If you're a reader, I recommend The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. It's an historical fiction novel about three young women who worked at Bletchley Park.

Scenes from London.

1-2: the garden across from my hotel in Shoreditch
3: a cute building to sketch later
4: hotel breakfast
5-6: inside the Tate dogs eat cake
7: Cecil Court
8: Brioche bun filled with Chantilly cream and dipped in chocolate, so 😋
9: Kings Cross Station 9 3/4

Sometimes, you put a wish out into the universe, and she sends a friend moving cross country that doesn't want to haul her weight set to answer it.

I'm training in the big leagues now!

Time to sign up for that new annual membership.

About to break this baby in!