Welcome to my first blog post. My intention is to share my ongoing story not just of my bone health but the unexpected journeys that have become the adventures I live each day. I am incredibly grateful for my life and the courage I am finding to finally, yes finally be comfortable with my authentic self. Thank you for reading. I hope you decide to be my dance partner.
“Up until now, you didn’t have me.” That is what I have begun to let my anxious clients know when they come to class feeling doubtful about their ability to use their bodies the way they need to and I say the same to you - up until now, you didn't have me, but now you do. And I am so happy to have you in my life too. Thank you!
My name is Penny but I almost always use Penelope or sometimes my Hebrew name that is Pnina. I grew up in Syracuse, New York and as you will soon find out, I am moving back there in a few short days to be close to my aging mom. This move is a big part of what has inspired me to be more transparent. I have chosen to move from a life that I love in a place that I love to be with a woman I love, the first woman I ever loved not because she asked me to in so many words, but because I am 63 and she is 84 and she needs me and I still need her.
We have lived apart since I was 17 and left for college. We will still live apart but I am moving into an apartment in her building and am excited to be part of this new adventure. I hope with all of my heart that I can bring the magic of what I have been teaching and living for decades to her and that she will feel better too.
My mother has osteoporosis too, and has lost at least 6 inches of height. Her stomach is very high and it makes eating and digesting food a challenge. The compression and GERD are not things that come up in doctor or hospital visits but these are common when vertebral compression fractures put your internal organs into positions that they aren’t meant to go into. Have you ever tried to wear too tight clothes all day or close an over stuffed suit case? Imagine that these are the kinds of things being forced on your beautiful body when you have severe osteoporosis and don’t know that the posture you are living with is making it worse. …Now you have me,Mom.
-Penelope 7/26/25
I had to write and tell you how much I LOVE my coffee bliss each morning. Plus, it is filled with spices that are amazing for our health and I’ll get to that but really I just love everything about coffee.
I love how it smells. I love grinding the beans and seeing the texture and colors. Generally I drink dark roast now. When I was in college at Syracuse University, I had a part-time job at Old Erie Coffee House. It was a family owned shop and it was superb. This was in 1981 and there were huge burlap sacks of coffee beans that we would, scoop, weigh, and grind for customers. It was before coffee shops were any more than diners or donut shops so this was exotic and also, not for the moms, like mine who bought giant cans of Folger’s or Maxwell House which was what I grew up with. The shop sold coffee makers and French presses and lots of imported teas and spices. This was when my love affair with coffee began. Little did I know that decades later I would tour coffee plantations in Rwanda, Jamaica, Hawaii, and South America as part of my job with Changing Tastes or devise a recipe to put seaweed into coffee brownies for a famous ice cream company in my goal to make fun food more nutritious for bone health with Sea & Flour.
I look forward to my mornings and am grateful that I don’t have to rush them. As soon as I open my eyes I recite the Modeh Ani prayer out loud. This is one of my favorite Jewish traditions and I taught it to my children when they were young. We say “I am thankful to you source of all who lives and exists for restoring my soul with compassion, great is your faithfulness, Amen.” You don’t have to be Jewish to say this morning prayer and I promise you, it is life changing. Mary Morrisey is a powerful spiritual leader and she teaches about the power of expressing gratitude for each new day upon awakening too.
I always drink a large glass of water first thing because it is my easiest glass of the day. We have fasted all night when we sleep and our bodies need hydration. Then, it is time to make my coffee bliss drink. The spices I add help with cognitive function, memory, joint health, are rich in antioxidants and help to prevent inflammation. I also love the taste. Although I don’t drink milk, I love cream or half & half in my coffee. The fat is important to help metabolize protein and the honey has a myriad of health benefits too.
It’s the little things that make our lives special. My youngest son and I still love to share a “little cup of happiness” together although when he was young, that meant cocoa for him and a mocha for me. A bit of magnesium rich chocolate in the afternoon is always a good idea, especially if you can combine it with coffee!
When you start to be grateful for small blessings it’s when the bigger miracles happen. Not everyone can have that morning cup of happiness. I am grateful that I can.
-Penelope 7/26/25