Melinda F’s BodyBlog

The Rose

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John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and

studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station.

He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the

girl with the rose. His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in

a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued,

not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin.

The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the

front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis

Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York

City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to

correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War

II. During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other

through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A

romance was budding. Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She

felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like. When

the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their

first meeting - 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York. “You’ll

recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel.” So

at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but

whose face he’d never seen. I’ll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened:

A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde

hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as

flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit

she was like springtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely

forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small,

provocative smile curved her lips. “Going my way, sailor?” she murmured.

Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis

Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past

40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump,

her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green

suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen

was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman

whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own. And there she

stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a

warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small

worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her. This

would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps

even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be

grateful. I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the

woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my

disappointment. “I’m Lieutenant

John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet

me; may I take you to dinner?” The woman’s face broadened into a tolerant

smile. “I don’t know what this is about, son,” she answered, “but the young

lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on

my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and

tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the

street. She said it was some kind of test!” It’s not difficult to understand

and admire Miss Maynell’s wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its

response to the unattractive.

“Tell me whom you love,” Houssaye wrote, “And I will tell you who you

are…”

Thats a beautiful and very true story sent to me today.

So heres my workout today:-

pull ups…………….10 again!!!! I did it! then 8 and then 7

deadlifts on smith machine standing on step……….40kgs x 3 sets of 8(doing this on the smith felt very different andmuch harder than doing them with a barbell - for me it puts more emphasis on the middle back)

barbell deadlifts………….55kgs x 3 sets x 8 reps

t bar rows…………………………….30kgs x 5 sets x 5 reps

lat pull downs…………………45kgs x 5 sets x 5 reps (tried for 50kgs here but form was not great)

seated cable rows………………45kgs x 5 sets x 5 reps

 one arm dumbell rows…………….22kgs x 5 reps x 5 sets (per arm)

standing lat pulldowns at cables…………35kgs x 7 sets x 10 reps (just felt inspired here)

back extensions with 10kg plate…………….3 sets x 15 reps

seated calf raises……………….45kgs x 5 sets x 15 reps, 1 set x 20 reps

seated calf raises, drop sets……….75kgs x 10 reps, 60kgs x 10 reps, 45kgs x 10 reps (did this 3 times and was actually had tears streaming from the pain ( had a friend help me get the plates off )

I really enjoyed this workout and totally love the feeling of being able to do 10 pullups. I had the best day ever - got to speak to a friend and that just made my day. Yes you, you may read this - you made my day - thank you.

“It is the joy within that creates a magnificent life on the outside. It doesnt matter where you are, who you are with, or what is happening around you, you take the joy with you.”

Fabulous day to you and those you love.

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