Wisdom in small bits

Episodes of Happiness

2011-04-13T05:45:00.000-07:00

When I wake up first thing in the morning, my first thought is to figure out what day it is. This morning, I ran through the grey matter in my mind and figured out it was not a Saturday or Sunday. My first thought was to be grumpy that I had to go to work. Then I remembered I had set it up to work from home today. I was no longer grumpy. This was an episode of happiness.

Another episode occurred as Abbie and I walked this morning. She ran into another sharp object this weekend and ended up getting seven stitches in her leg. Monday morning, she quit walking halfway into the walk. Yesterday morning, she was so woozy with the medication that we didn't even walk. This morning, she is on the mend, running like the wind, stirring up dust in the fields. I experienced an episode of happiness.

Yet another episode happened last night. Ken and I decided to have fish and chips for supper. He had caught a nice catch of bluegill on Sunday. We ate half the batch that night. Instead of freezing the second half, I thought we might want fish again this week. We did. There was a small episode of happiness.

We set up the fry daddy in the "north kitchen," Ken's man cave. A new NCIS episode was on TV, the chips came out perfect and the fish was melt-in-your mouth delicious. Ken said, "Lays had nothing on my chips." When my husband loves eating my food, I experience an episode of happiness.

I could go on and on describing more episodes of happiness; moments in time with my sisters this last weekend, satisfaction in completing tasks on my lists at home and work, etc., but it's time to get to the point. Happiness can be a state of mind. If you make up your mind to be happy, you will be. However, these episodes of happiness are the moments you remember. These moments are marked with a glowing satisfaction deep in your belly that moves all the way up to your brain and puts a smile on your face. If you can string enough episodes together, you could actually become giddy and are indeed blessed.

Wishing you an episode of happiness today and every day.

Death on Facebook

2011-03-31T05:28:00.000-07:00

An interesting twist in social media is the ability to share a death experience with friends. My friend, David, passed away around midnight central time, 10:00 pm California time. His Face book posts started talking about migraines in January and how bad he felt. We (his Face book friends and family) all cheered him on and followed his doctor appointments as well as his blood tests. The doctors said he was fine. When I talked to him in late January, he was experiencing crazy coughing fits and he told me he was dying. He knew it even though the doctors were not finding the cause of his illness. Our conversations have always been the deepest emotional levels and this was no exception.

He went to the doctor again in February. They put him in the hospital, did MRI's and cat scans. They found six brain tumors and lung cancer. They said he had four to six months to live. He did a few rounds of radiation and signed up for hospice. The last few days he has been unconscious. Friends and family have been posting on Face book for David during this time. Friends were able to connect via face book and by calling his caregiver who would hold the phone to David's ear.

I read the posts last night around 10:00 pm central time and I knew he would not make it through the night. He was in my dreams and when I woke, I knew he was gone. During my morning yoga practice, I had a sensation for a brief moment that David was with me, just passing through as his spirit made it's trip to visit all of the friends he has made. When I got on Face book, his death was confirmed.

There are many people who were recipients of David's friendship. I was one of the lucky ones. David knew my soul from the very beginning and we had a friendship that was deep from the moment we met. Even though distance has separated us, we have kept in touch - and now he is gone. The world is a smaller, sadder place today because we have lost him on earth.

During February, David and I had a few phone conversations. I asked him what his plans were and what his thoughts were about dying. He had been thinking of ways he could connect with his friends from heaven. One consideration was to turn off the hot water in people's showers. I have no doubt that he will figure out a way.

Rest in peace David. I love you brother.

Friendship and Gratitude

2011-03-14T05:59:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks have been amazing. My birthday celebration started on March 1st with the traditional monthly "rabbit rabbit" e-mail from my sister asking me if I wanted to see the musical, Wicked, as my birthday present. As the week progressed, I had a lunch date with my other sister, nephew and mother complete with presents, a lunch date with two co-workers - more presents, cards in the mail, e-mails, facebook wishes from friends and family, and got to see my friend from Utah for the first time in six years. My husband provided a wonderful birthday celebration on the actual evening of my birthday.

The next two weeks should be almost as wonderful. The visit with my Utah friend continues for another week, I have lunch dates planned with two other friends, and invitations to get together with facebook friends. I have a three day work week - instead of five.

As I watch the disaster in Japan on the news, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for our safe dry warm home, our dog sleeping beside me on the couch, the hot coffee in my cup, the ability to take the day off of work, and most importantly, my friends and family. Even without the comparison to the horrors of Japan, my gratitude is immense. I am healthy, I have wonderful people who love me, an income producing job, a home, pets, clothes, food and talents waiting to be fulfilled.

Life is good. Thank you God for the gifts I have been given.

Risk Taking

2011-03-03T07:01:00.000-08:00

This morning as Abbie and I were walking, she took considerable interest in the thin layers of ice over the melted snow in the ditches. During our afternoon walks, the ice melts forming moats. These moats provide a challenge for her to jump across. Overnight, the water freezes, supplying morning adventures. This morning, she started at the ice's edge to determine just how far she could venture onto the moat. The process involves stepping into the ice just until she hears cracking, then she backs up. Then she starts taking bigger risks, stepping farther into the middle of the ice until she hears cracking. Once, as she stood in the middle of the frozen pond, she turned to smile and show me how smart she was. She explored each moat this way until she saw something interesting in the middle of one frozen pool. She stepped onto the edge, then gingerly stepped toward the middle and the object of her curiosity. The cracking began and she stepped back one step. Then she leaned toward the object, stretching her nose closer, yet keeping her feet on solid ice. Just then, her front feet went through the ice and she was up to her chin and chest in freezing water. Her back legs remained on frozen ice, so she scrambled back to dry ground.

Her curiosity for the object overcame her need to stay dry, so she attempted once again to walk on the ice far enough to gain access to the object. Once again, she broke through the ice. At that point, she decided the object was not worth the effort so she took off on a new adventure.

Abbie's desire for the unreachable object only went as far as she was willing to go into the freezing, undesirable water. As it is with risk taking. As we look toward goals we want, objects of our desire, how far into the uncomfortable zones are we willing to go?

Today, I am taking a bigger risk and the water is not that cold.

Age and wisdom

2011-02-25T05:07:00.000-08:00

In the words of Socrates, "The more I learn, the more I learn how little I know."  Age is definitely helping me realize that there is a depth of knowledge that I have failed to learn over time. As I near my 50th birthday, I realize that the more I understand about people around me, but more I can learn about myself. This statement, coming from a validated introvert, actually means I am becoming more interested in the people around me and what I can learn from them. My interest is focused on their life's experience and how it has affected them rather than the knowledge they have.

Last night's lesson came during my first book club meeting. There were three other women in the group, a retired English teacher, a health care professional, and the leader. We all read the same book, but getting their points of view reflected the things that were of interest to them. While we had similar items of interest, we also had points that one person totally missed, while the others thought them quite note worthy.  The women in this group were either older than I or of similar age group, but we all had quite different life experiences which made us pay attention to the various items of interest.

Another lesson I learned yesterday is that young people, people in their 30's, are involved in serious life altering decision making processes.  A co-worker's husband is taking the same journey in life that I did in my late 30's. As I hear the story from my co-worker's point of view, I am contemplating the best path to help her either a) understand her husband's search; let him go and find his own way or b) give her information that might make him alter his path, which would be better for her. For me to give this advice brings me back to my original sentiment, I am not smart enough to help in this decision making. What's right for him is right for him - not me, nor his wife. OR is it our lot in life to guide each other through sharing our life's experiences and hope that we make a difference along the way?

I have learned a great deal when friends and family have offered advice to understand my behaviors.  I have appreciated their insight. So am I smart enough to help others deal with their lives or do I still have a lot to learn? Do I have to offer advice or can I live by example and hope that what I have learned is available to those who would benefit? The answer is the unknown future, and again I realize, "The more I learn, the more I learn how little I know."

Namaste (meaning..the wisdom in me bows to the wisdom in you). .

The colors of winter

2011-02-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

I've heard people saying they're so tired of winter and how ugly it looks outside. Here's an image that contradicts that statement. The snow in the country reflects the colors of the sky. During sunrise and sunset, we get to see pinks, oranges, blues and various shades in between. The reflection on the snow looks like a water color reflection off of water.

During the day, the colors display various shades of gray: steel gray, purple-gray, red-gray, blue gray, green gray. There are shades of brown and black intermixed with the with the grays and whites.

While the landscape does not show the brilliant greens of spring, there's no shortage of colors to admire in the winter landscape. If you are tired of the winter and need a pick-me-up, take a drive out to the country. Bundle up with layers of clothes, bring your dog, take a walk and soak in some winter beauty.

Yoga sequencing - Warrier Series

2011-01-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

While I would love to spend an hour on my daily yoga practice, I have finally decided that 15-20 minutes every morning is better than wishing I had more time to spend. Recently, I have been working on sequencing yoga poses, coming up with some interesting flow movements. I would like to start adding some of these series to my blog, so that you might incorporate them into your own home yoga practice. One of my favorite flows is the Warrier series.

Start with a 2-4 Sun Salutations (1-2 on each side).

Once warmed up, move through the following series, spending 2-5 breaths on each pose.
1. Warrier 1
2. Warrier 2
3. Reverse Warrier (back arm to leg, front arm to the sky)
5. Side Angle
4. Triangle
5. Reverse Triangle
6. Standing splits/forward fold/hands in reverse namaste
Switch to the other side and repeat.

It's all relative

2011-01-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

4:30 pm. I had put in my day's worth of work and it was time to go home.

The temperature outdoors was 42 degrees Fahrenheit, only 10 degrees above freezing. I put on my long wool coat, wrapped my knitted scarf around my neck, buttoned up my coat and walked out the door to my car. The sun was shining. There was no wind. If it had been a day in November and 42 degrees, I would have huddled my neck down into my scarf and thought it was really cold. Instead, I unbuttoned my coat and raised my face to the sunshine, thinking it was an absolutely gorgeous, downright balmy, day.

I raced home, thinking Abbie would enjoy today's afternoon walk as compared to the single digit to teens temperatures we had been experiencing. As soon as I got home, I changed my clothes and put on my walking shoes. Abbie was ready to go after spending the day in her kennel.

We took off outside. Her tail rose like a metal flagpole. We took off down the road. Her tail whipped, giving her back legs a lift off of the ground. She loves the heat, and often lies on the tiles in front of the wood burning stove to soak in the heat. But today's difference in temperature was noticeable to her and she wasn't begging to go back to the house. Instead, she jumped and bounced as she raced down the road, tail wagging, ears perked, nose engaged.

In the cold mornings, we often get half way through our walk when Abbie decides she is ready to turn back to the house and its warmth. Today, there was none of that behavior. The snow in the ditches was still deep, but instead of being fluffy and easy for Abbie to run through, it was heavy and wet with melting. Abbie took off through the ditches, sinking up to her belly in the snow and loving the challenge of the workout. As she emerged out of the ditches onto the road, she would shake her entire body, starting at her head and through to her back legs, doing a twist as her back legs danced off the ground.

By the time we were at the end of our first mile, the sun had set and it was time to turn around and go back to the house. Abbie was ahead of me, so I decided to keep walking. There was still enough light in the sky and the sunset's colors were a brilliant orange fading to pink. The blue sky above was crossed with condensation trails of people traveling to places unknown. Several flocks of geese had also flown overhead. I didn't want this time to be over and neither did Abbie.

When we did finally turn to go home, there was a faint wind in my face that smelled like spring. The melting snow and warming earth created that spring smell that made deep breathing a joy as the wind caressed my face. Thoughts of crocus and daffodils crossed my mind.

By the time we got home, the temperature had dropped to 36 degrees. It was only four degrees above freezing; still cold but not frigid as it has been. The wind was mild and it smelled like springtime. Abbie enjoyed running through the soggy snow as much as I had enjoyed watching her and the sun setting behind the horizon. Cold? Maybe, but it's all relative. We would look forward to tomorrow morning's walk, no matter what the temperature.

"What you think about, you bring about." Mary Kay Ash

2011-01-03T05:21:00.000-08:00

As I start this first Monday of 2011, I was thinking about how much I do not want to go to work and wishing I was already retired.  My Applause magazine from Mary Kay was on today's stack of reading materials and the phrase, "What you think about, you bring about," was brought to my attention.

Here I was, thinking about NOT wanting to go to work, when what I should have been doing was sitting in my lovely little writing room, doing what it is that I want to do, which is writing.  Today's TV commercials are full of new year resolutions; loose weight, stop smoking, get fit.   My commercial today should be, "get your life on track by doing what you want to be doing. Keep thinking about it, outline the simple steps, and do them."

Happy 2011. May it be a year of bringing about what you're thinking about.

Christmas cookies

2010-12-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

Today is the winter solstice, and so I decided to spend a few hours reading Rosamunde Pilcher's Winter Solstice. The wood stove is lit, the front room is toasty warm, and there are ice cubes in my glass of wine. The dog is restless as we did not go for a walk after work, so she gets up periodically to bark at the reflections the lamps are making in the windows.

A vehicle pulled up in the driveway and I kept reading thinking it was our neighbor who lets herself in without knocking on the door. Instead, there was a knock on the door. The dog barked, so I got up to see who was bothering my quiet evening.

A young man and a small boy stood at the bottom of the steps. He introduced himself as Greg W.... and his son Seth. They are our neighbors who live two miles down the road and 3/4 mile north. He expressed remorse for not stopping by earlier to introduce himself as he handed me a beautiful tray of Christmas cookies. We had a nice short visit and I invited them inside out of the cold. He indicated they had other trays to deliver but that we should get together in the future.

We wished each other a Merry Christmas as they got in their big white Chevy Suburban and they drove away.

All day long, I have been doing a very good job on my diet. My weight loss goal established on 11/1/10 is attainable by 12/31/10, but difficult at this time of Christmas goodies at every turn. All day long, I have turned away the cupcakes, cobblers, and high calorie free lunch until this beautiful tray of handmade goodies showed up at my door.

I'm sure that Christmas love has deleted all of the calories in the chocolate dipped fudge balls, and the white almond bark coated crackers with peanut butter between. I'm even more sure there are very few calories in the rolled out sugar cookies with blue sparkles and the chocolate coated mint graham crackers. Even if there are a thousand calories, the tray brought back memories of the many years I used to bake endless batches of cookies and distribute trays to our friends and neighbors.

Calories don't count tonight. My heart is glad with holiday giving.

Peace for Christmas

2010-12-07T18:34:00.000-08:00

This year, I'm trying something new for Christmas. I know, Christmas is all about traditions, but it seems to be a good year to try something out of the box and get out of my comfort zone.

Traditionally, Ken and I go to our river property to select the best possible red cedar tree to decorate for Christmas. Grandma and Grandpa used to decorate red cedar trees and the smell brings back memories of Grandpa’s chewing gum and favorite dollies from Santa. Red cedar trees are considered weeds and are typically cut out of pastures. They are prickly and have meager limbs. It is challenging to find a tree that is nicely shaped and has enough branches to support decorations.

Since Ken isn't much of a tree person, I end up decorating by myself and have to listen to whatever football game or NCIS episode happens to be on the television instead of listening to Christmas music. I also end up enjoying the tree by myself, since he doesn't think that sitting in front of my glowing cedar "bush", is entertaining. The more I decorate, the more he detaches. As I considered Ken’s dislike, the freshly steam cleaned carpet and the work required to cut, decorate, water daily, keep the cats and dog out, and undecorate seemed to require more effort than I could summon. So, there is no tree nor holiday bling in our front room.

When I got home late from work tonight, supper was ready in the crock pot and Ken was out hunting. I made a cup of tea, lit a fire in the wood stove, and sat on the couch. Maybelline, the youngest of our cats, purred on my lap. It was peaceful. It was warm and relaxing. I read my entire Better Homes & Garden magazine. It was a silent night, a holy night. .

From the quietness of my evening, I wish you peace.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T16:45:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is an amazing day. Today started with such vision, such a to-do list, so much excitement for the day ahead. This excitement has been building for weeks. I knew that we were going to host Thanksgiving dinner for our family in September and so I knew there were things I wanted to get done before everyone arrived - steam clean the carpet, wash the windows, etc. As November approached, I started getting things done and the lists started getting longer. There were many details to be done, yet there needed to be a great deal of flexibility in the plans as I wanted to make the day special for everyone, no matter what the request.

As planned, people started arriving shortly before 11:00 this morning. The turkey was cooling on the counter, the potatoes were cooked, ready to be mashed, the table set, the cranberry relish made, the butter softening for the rolls, the bar set up, the dressing in the oven. As people arrived, more food dishes arrived and the kitchen got complicated. The potatoes got mashed, the turkey got carved, the gravy got made, the food got put on the table.

As we neared the time when we could dish up our plates, it was time to say our prayer and thank God for our blessings. I had planned this part during my walk this morning, but I was so excited and things had gone so well, that I felt the need to stand in our kitchen, hand in hand with our family, and thank God for his gift of family and our many blessings. The prayer I offered wasn't exquisite, and it wasn't wordy, and I felt like so much more needed to be said, but my husband saved me by saying Amen, and we started to dish up our food.

The food was amazing. There was a more than a family of 10 could eat, but we ate well, and we had a good meal together. We had three kinds of pies for dessert, so after we got done eating, we decided to take a break and have pie later. Everyone helped with the dishes and putting away the food. Eventually, the men broke away and went to Ken's man cave to watch football.

After the dishes were done and put away, the rest of us went to the front room to watch a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, we had recently gotten a different TV, and the DVD was not set up properly. Even the two technical people in the room decided it would take more time than we wanted to devote to this, so we sat, talked, and munched on snacks. Some break from food eh? Soon enough though, it was time for pie and coffee. It was so good, and we were so stuffed when we were done.

Again, we did dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. My Mom and Step-Dad left, my brother-in-law, niece and nephew watched football in the front room and my sisters and I sat around the kitchen table and watched my older sister learning to knit. Eventually, we had another cocktail (Jamesons from Ireland to remind us of the trip we took together this spring), as we continued to visit.

I'm not sure why all of these details are significant, but they are important to the story. They are what people do when they are close - when they are family. We cook together, we eat together, we do mundane tasks like dishes, we talk about our lives, we practice new talents, we drink and relax together.

When everyone left, it was not yet 6:00 pm. My very full heart was suddenly empty and sad as they drove away. The richness of my blessings had come, visited, shared their time, then had to go on with their lives. I too went back to the everyday activities of my life, throwing a load of laundry into the washing machine, doing another batch of dishes, and pouring myself another cocktail. But it was important to catch the essence of this feeling, to catch the importance of the day, to share the love of my family.

Thanksgiving is an amazing day. I am blessed with family that I love and who want to share their time with me. Thank you to my family for sharing your time, your love, your generosity and yourselves.

A moment in time

2010-10-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

As Abbie and I walked on this beautiful autumn morning, we reflected on how catching a moment in time is such a marvelous thing.

A plane was doing touch and goes from the small airport a mile down the road. With the bright sun shining at a challenging angle for my camera viewer, it was difficult to view the image of the plane in the screen, so the fact that I finally caught the moving plane is a tribute to technology and a stroke of good luck.

I also tried to capture the moment in time showing Abbie in mid-stride as she catapulted down the road in front of me. Since her feet are not touching the ground, you can start to imagine how fast she runs.

Today's pictures of our glorious fall weather are posted in hopes that you will be able to enjoy the same moment in time that we enjoyed this morning. As you look at the pictures, imagine the cool breeze against your face, so cool that it brings tears to your eyes as you walk into the wind. Imagine the sounds of the soon to be harvested corn stalks rushing into each other like the leaves of the cottonwood trees next to the river, a constant whispering that is comforting like the waves of the ocean. Imagine the birds twittering in the trees as they wake and offer up their songs for the day.

I hope the fall weather in your part of the country is as glorious as it is in the midwest. I hope you are able to get out into the great outdoors and talk a walk with your dog, with your friend, or with your own company. I hope you are able to enjoy a moment in time that is yours and yours alone. A moment that is as glorious as the fall day we enjoyed today.

A New Day

2010-10-06T05:52:00.000-07:00

So today, I woke up all crabby and mad that I haven't won the lottery yet and that I had to go to work again. The drugery of it, the stupidity of it, the people I don't like to work with, etc. etc. etc. You get the picture. I definately woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Since we have established our habit, Abbie and I went for our walk. They have been harvesting soybeans around our house, so the fields no longer have the beautiful drying soybean plants with their colors changing daily from green to gold with the tops a nice shade of reddish purple. Now the fields lay flat, endless to the horizon. It is still beautiful, but different.

I was happy for the farmers this fall. It has been fabulous weather for harvesting - quite different from last year when it was so moist - then the snow fell and never let up until April. Being happy for them made me feel a little bit better.

I realized I need a dream - something to look forward to. It needs to be a long term plan, something I can work toward and keep my mind off of the drudgery of work. I also need to keep my mind off the fact that my 50th birthday is 6 months away - that my eye doctor says he has the perfect bi-focal set-up for me - and that the only thing I'm really looking forward to is retirement (aka not having to go to work).

So I was thinking about my writing and how I could make that a goal - a dream - maybe an income producing type of activity. I had two thoughts - one was to continue writing about our walks on County Road 15 and make it a motivational type of document. The other is to seek out others who have turned 50 and see what their journeys were like. The documentation of these stories might be helpful to others as they find their way in the same place.

Now I have a plan for a plan. I am not so crabby, but I could still use some work on my attitude. Thanks to Abbie the dog and walking, I will be more agreeable to my co-workers.

Taking yourself (less) seriously

2010-09-22T04:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was stressful at work. When I got home, my husband was cutting down a tree to make way for the new DISH satellite - so Abbie and I decided to go for a walk to get her out of the way. As we walked, she started to play in the rainwater ditches on the side of the road. I walked, musing about my day until she got my attention with her shenangans. To amuse myself, I picked up a rock from the road and threw it in the water in front of Abbie. It made a nice sized splash and got her attention. So, I picked up another rock and repeated the process. This time, Abbie got spooked and jumped backwards. I started to laugh silently, and looked for another rock. We did this for 15 minutes or so, me laughing so hard I could hardly keep it quiet and Abbie trying to figure out what was splashing in the water.

I love our dog. She takes my mind off of what is absolutely not serious and makes me take myself much less seriously.

Still looking for a reason to adopt a dog? Want to find a good playmate? Check out the Humane Society in your town. Go for a walk and play with a dog. It'll do you good.

Morning walk motivation

2010-09-16T05:53:00.000-07:00

Fall in the midwest is truly here. The colors of the soybean fields are absolutely stunning as they turn colors from dark green to gold and even a bit of lavender on the top.

As Abbie(our dog) and I walked this morning, we wanted to share our morning motivation with you. This summer, we decided to start walking in the morning before she had to go into her kennel for the day (when we leave for work).

Both of us have come to enjoy our time in nature so much that there is absolutely no excuse that will keep us from our morning walk now. Sometimes we even go for the same walk in the afternoon when I get home from work. We have done a lot of bonding and training on our walks. It is so much fun to see her puppiness as she jumps in the water puddles and stretches out her legs when she runs. You can tell when we've had a good training session which we do during the walk (come, touch, heel). She will bound down the road, tail high in the air, showing her pleasure that she did the right thing. It makes me smile - a lot.

So as we move through the beginning of fall (and contemplate winter's excuses not to walk), this is a great time to start a walking habit. Please consider contacting your local Humane Society to see if there is a puppy waiting to be your morning walk motivation. Our local Humane Society has an over supply of dogs right now - and are having an adoption sale. I wasn't a dog person before Abbie - but I have learned to love her and am so grateful that she makes our morning walk a necessary pleasure in our life.

The Good Life

2010-09-14T06:10:00.001-07:00

This morning I was reflecting on the fact that the common things are the most interesting.

The walking shoes that I just bought this summer - but are already dirty.

My jeans from Goodwill that are a bit too long, but fit great otherwise.

The sunflowers that only recently started to bloom on the side of the road. No one intentionally planted flowers on our road, but it seems there is always something there to adorn our walk.

The fact that our dog can run like the wind and is beautiful in her actions.

My co-worker was bragging about her half million dollar home the other day. I would not give up any of the above for what she has to put up with in her home.

This morning it felt good to be grateful for the common things in our life. I hope you enjoy the images from our rural good life.

Prayer Walks

2010-09-08T05:52:00.001-07:00

During this summer, I started walking two miles with our dog before I went to work and before she went into the kennel for the day. During those walks, I moved my daily rosary prayer from the drive to work to the walking time. It seemed more spiritual to be praying in our lovely rural setting, rather than in the Honda amidst all of the other drivers who were commuting to work for the day.

Today's walk was absolutely beautiful. The low hanging clouds formed a blue and purple ceiling in the horizon while the sun was trying to peek through those clouds in the east. The cool morning air smelled of early fall and was crisp and clean in my lungs.

Today's prayer - the Glorious Mysteries - began with the prayers for faith and hope as we meditate on the resurrection and assumption of our Lord into heaven. The blue sky provided an clear invitation to open my heart to the gifts of the holy spirit.

As I strive to utilize the gifts God has provided, I write this post and commit to writing on a more regular basis.

People in your life

2009-10-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

I have had many profound experiences with people in my life the last two days. Their experiences have had such an effect on me, which is interesting as there really is no direct correlation (or very little correlation) to my daily life.

1. My cousin, age 46, had brain tumor surgery - 16 hours - in September. He is now at home after going through therapy, spending time at my Aunt & Uncle's house, and is on the road to recovery. His wife put a blog on the website she writes for and the whole story is very vivid and emotional. Praise to God for his recovery.
2. I suprised the janiter lady who lets me into my office door every day as she said she was deep in thought. Her daughter, age 32, had blood in her stool and they won't be able to do the remaining test until December 2nd. I could see the worry in Sue's eyes, as she told me about her own colon cancer surgery in 2002.
3. My step-dad had surgery last week and although he came through the surgery well, his recovery and future quality of life are in question. My mother's caregiving is required full time and her strength and stamina are a gift to him. Who is caring for the caregiver?
4. One of the ladies we are working for just came back from a 4 week trip to Hawaii. I asked her how her vacation was, and her answer was, "I always say my last vacation was the best ever, but this vacation was the best vacation ever. We have already booked our 5 week vacation next year. I start my move to retirement by starting to work half time in November." Her spirit and enthusiasm for life was a boost to me as we talked about her life and the many gifts that she has been given (Fullbright scholar, studying in France, etc.,), I basked in the joy in her eyes as she talked about her rich, full life and her retirement plans.

People in your life. We are all so independent and yet so interrelated. And there are so many other people in my life that I am not mentioning that have their daily struggles and triumphs. What can we all do to help each other? I pray daily. My prayer life has become a great deal fuller and richer over the past few years, so I know that is enough for now.

Enjoy your today and be well.

A very good breathing exercise

2009-10-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

The following is from my daily http://www.morningcoach.com/ e-mail. The breathing exercise is very helpful as you can do it anywhere if you do not have time to sit and meditate. Last night as I worked in the garden and my mind wanted to wander into negative thoughts, I did the breathing exercise to get back into the moment. I had a very enjoyable evening and today am in a much better frame of mind.

"The great Buddhist monk and teacher Thich Nhat Hahn spoke about how being mindful and keeping our attention focused, you will be able to gain insight into the object that you are focusing on, Thich Nhat Hahn shared a beautiful poem to help us focus on our breathing, the first word on each line represents the in-breath and the second word on each line represents the out-breath.

In, Out
Deep, Slow
Calm, Ease
Smile, Release
Present moment, Wonderful moment

If thoughts start to pop into your mind, just patiently start over again, eventually your skill will increase, and eventually you will be able to focus your mind on anything you need to gain insight into. The beauty of this simple practice is that it can be done any where, while we are driving, walking, or standing on line, use it anytime you are frustrated or impatient, it will pull your mind out of those non productive thoughts that are upsetting you and give you a moment of peace.

Please do not take my word for this, there is a line in the Buddhist text on training the mind in seven points that states” The meaning of this text should be known” what this means is that we can only truly know and understand the value something if we actually put it into practice, so as I leave you to your breath work, I will also now stop and breath in and out :)"

How I know that I am old

2009-09-19T04:36:00.000-07:00

Today is Saturday - 6:36 a.m. My husband has already left to go bow hunting for deer. That leaves me home with the dog. How I know that I am old is that I am excited about this day and the opportunities it holds.
1. I have a new cost efficient laundry soap that I am trying out on the first batch of laundry / jeans.
2. It is still dark outside so I feel like I have gotten a head start on the day.
3. It is going to be a beautiful September day. Great for hanging laundry and cleaning out the garden.
4. The new tractor is here (as opposed to our other property), so I can use it to clean out the garden.
5. By the end of the day I will have a clean house, fresh whole milk from our friend, and dinner on the table. Happy hour is so sweet when that mix all comes together.
6. I am writing this morning - a goal I assigned to myself for the new year (2009) and I am back on task.
7. It is my friend's 30-19th birthday, so I am going to start a new batch of wine in honor of her special day.
8. The chicken house is already cleaned because I did it last night. We also got the little hens moved out of the back building last night - so again, it feels like we have a big head start on the day.
9. I feel good. The fact that I have no aches and pains is wonderful.
10. I realize that many people would look at the things I am happy about and see a lot of work. I feel grateful that I have a place to do these things, a wonderful day to do them in, a dog to keep me company and a husband that will be home for dinner.

All in all, I am happy that I am old.
Namiste'

Daily Newsletters

2009-09-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

The following e-mail newsletters are worth looking at to see if they are of interest to you

http://www.morningcoach.com/

www.about.com (yoga newsletters)

and

http://everydaycheapskate.com/

It's good to have motivation or a different "thought for the day."

Ireland 2010

2009-09-12T19:25:00.001-07:00

Today my sisers and I formalized our trip to Ireland. We will leave in 2010 for a 13 day guided tour of the entire ireland of Ireland. Lisa and I have been palnning for this trip since 3-2008 and today we told Linda about the trip. Is it now real and I am very excited.

My husband asked me to tell him the story about how we told Linda two times tonight. I gave him two different versions, highlighting different parts of the experience with each story. Isn't that how life is? We tell the parts of the story that we think is interesting to the person who is listening - but there are so many other parts of the story that are so much more interesting...

2009-08-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

Morning Walk with Abbie:

This morning the moon was extremely bright and was casting shadows as Abbie and I set out for our morning walk. We have been starting our walks as the sun starts to rise and walk toward the sunrise. However, this morning, we needed to get an earlier start on the day while the moon and stars were still shining in the dark cloudless sky.

We started walking toward the East as we normally do, but Abbie was spooked by something. She normally starts our walks with extreme enthusiasm, but this morning was different. There was something different, something scary to her; so she dug in her feet and changed our minds about the direction we were going to walk.

We had walked to the end of our property, but we acted on her hesitation; turned around and walked back to the house. I thought she might have sensed something was wrong with my husband, so we went back into the house to see if anything was amiss. Nothing was wrong, so we went back outside, walked to the end of the driveway, and turned west. That seemed to work for Abbie, so we walked our mile and a half with the moon in front of us and our shadows behind us.

We walked past Des’s house. She was sleeping in front of her TV so the windows of the old schoolhouse were illuminated by flashing pink, blue and green lights throughout her front room. Abbie and I kept on walking toward the lake’s end, crossed the highway, and kept walking.

When the first car crossed the highway behind us, Abbie stopped and watched (as we have been practicing in our training. Praise followed, but she wasn’t interested in eating her regular treats. It took a few attempts at treating for calling her name, until I realized she was only going to respond to the good treats – the soft ones that don’t require chewing. This morning was a morning where she needed to focus on the road, eat quickly and quietly and pay attention to the shadows.

As we got to the end of our walking away from our place, the sun was starting to show a rising of pink and orange on the Eastern horizon. Abbie had no problem walking toward the sunrise now that the shadows were missing. When it was time for Abbie to do her business, she made sure she was well off the road in the tall grass. It was as if she didn’t want to leave a trace of her walk in public view this morning (which sometimes happens when she is just too excited to keep walking).

We crossed back across the highway, past the house with the goats, rabbits and geese, past Des’s (where the TV was still making pretty images in her windows). Once we were almost to our place, Abbie started pulling in order to get home to her comfort zone. We finished by crossing into the yard and let out the chickens.

It was a good walk, but there was some undefined scariness outside. It made being home a nicer place to be, but there was still something lurking out there that I thought I saw out of the corner of my eye.

Today

2008-05-26T05:29:00.000-07:00

Today is Memorial Day. Today is a vacation day. Today is a gift.

I do not know where to start because I have gotten so far behind in my blogging. I want to write about everything that has happened since my last post and yet, I think today is what is important.

Today is a gift. It is ours to use for whatever we want. We do not have to get up early to go to work. We can take pictures of the chicks and e-mail them to friends. We can drink a cup of coffee while wondering around the yard in our bathrobe listening to the birds singing. We can work on the list of things that need to be done - or we can spend the afternoon at the river reading a book.

What are you doing with the gift of your Memorial Day?

Rain

2008-04-18T06:01:00.001-07:00

Last night as I was driving home in the dark, the train lights began signaling an upcoming train, so I was the first in line to watch the show. Since the gasoline in my tank was low, I shut off my car to wait. I could feel and hear the rumbling of the train as it progressed in front of me. Almost as soon as the train started across the road, the rain started up again. The raindrops hit the passenger side of my car and sent ribbons of rain across the windshield as the wind was driving the raindrops sideways. The intensity of the rain on the roof picked up as the train rumbled through the intersection. The combination of the two sounds and the vibration of the road created a wonderful rhythm of machinery and nature in concert together. While rain is not my favorite weather condition, this experience helped me appreciate the value of rain. I hope you find time to enjoy the sound of rain in your next encounter.

Chickens

2008-04-12T03:23:00.000-07:00

Please let this serve as an introduction to our chickens. The Wyandotte in the front (black and white) is Alice. The other two Wyandotte's are also named Alice - but they are not in this photo. They are fearless. As soon as the door is open in the morning, they are outside - rain, snow, cold, hot - it doesn't matter.

The black chickens are named "Pip." They are the background cluckers to our light colored Turken named Gladys (you remember Gladys Knight and the Pips?") Gladys is way in the back of this photo. Turkens do not have neck feathers - so look for the red neck in the back.

The dark red chickens are called "Penny." Sometimes we also call the buff colored hens "Penny" as well. And then there's Ethel, the yellow chicken in the back of the picture next to the building. Ethel came to us last year with very few tail feathers and she still doesn't have many. We think she is an egg laying machine though.

Rocky is one of our three roosters. He is a Barred Rock breed. We took this picture of him last summer. Right now he is coming out of a winter molt so he doesn't look this good. Rocky and Sly were the two roosters that survived the dog attack last summer. They have a pretty good chance of surviving the butchering knife because they're survivers - get it? - Rocky and Sly? Sly's comb got frozen this winter and all of the tips broke off. He looks like he has a mohawk right now - so his picture (below) is also from last summer. We have one other rooster who is a Wyandotte. His name is Chester.

Today is moving preparation day. Currently we have 56 chickens - 53 hens and 3 roosters. Everyone will be moving to the back building so we can get the hexagon house ready for the baby chicks who will be arriving on Monday, 4/21, via the U.S. Postal Service. Now there's a story you won't want to miss....

Hope you enjoyed meeting our chickens. Come back soon y'all.

Morning

2008-03-06T04:57:00.000-08:00

Morning: The first or early part of the day. It happens to be my favorite part of the day. I am at my best when I have done my morning process: wake up, have coffee, workout, shower, and dress for the day. It is then that I am most fully awake, have the most brain power, the most creativity, and the most optimistic viewpoint.

In this current phase of my life, my mornings are spent preparing to go to my job.

Job: Any definite work undertaken in gross, especially for a fixed price.

While I like my job, it is not the best part of me - yet I spend the best part of my day preparing for my job. In this lenten season, it is a good time to consider the way we've always done things. I am rethinking the way I spend my mornings.

Good morning. I hope you have time today to consider that which is most important to you.

Sunrise

2008-03-02T06:55:00.000-08:00

Some of my friends do not get to see the sunrise - so thought I would share an image of a country sunrise for you...

Migrating Geese

2008-03-02T05:39:00.000-08:00

Not only were we blessed with a beautiful springlike day yesterday, but we were also blessed with having visitors - thousands of visitors staying in the melted snow pond half a mile east and south of our house. During the day we heard and saw many gaggles of geese (snows, Canadians and Blues) flying around and over our place. They settled in the fields around us enjoying the spilled corn and soybeans from the fall harvest. As the sun went down, we noticed the geese honking and flocking toward the field behind the old schoolhouse down the road. We used our binoculars to watch them settle in the snow pond - some of them making quite a splash as they landed in the water.

This morning, I bundled up and took my coffee down to see the geese before the sunrise. I found a place to sit across the road where I could see the entire snow pond. As the sun started to rise, the entire sky lightened from darkness to lightness and the honking and quacking from the geese and ducks continued to get louder and louder. As the sun hit the horizon, the sky turned from pink to orange and the birds proceeded to bathe, eat, and prepare for their day.

The liftoff started with two geese taking off and heading north over my head. About 10-15 minutes later, about 100 geese took off, splitting into four groups as they flew northeast. By now, the sun was a huge orange ball above the horizon and the geese were really talking. Many flocks of ducks had been circling over and around the pond in groups of ten to forty. By now, most of the geese had walked out of the water and were eating off of the ground. Their conversations were vivid. They were awake and ready to start the day and the anticipation was heavy in the air. Suddenly, the geese at the south end of the pond lifted up into the sky and behind them were the rest of the geese - forming a blanket of geese above the pond and filling the air with thousands of wing beats and honking geese. The sound was thick, heavy and sent goose bumps down your back. It was absolutely awe inspiring. The geese headed North East and eventually broke into groups as they flew out of my line of vision, their honking and wing beats growing lighter as they traveled.

Nature provides us with so many shows that few human beings get to witness. As I sat there, two planes full of people flew over our head, oblivious to the show below them. The farmhouses to the right and left of me were dark with sleeping humans. The camera I brought with me had a dead battery so the only vision of this spectacular show is through my story. I hope I was able to capture some of the wonder for you.

Did you see the sunrise?

2008-02-26T05:37:00.001-08:00

Did you see the sunrise this morning? It was very pretty. A lovely pinkish orange pastel sunrise with a few long medium blue/grey clouds stretching across the horizon. The colors were a lovely background for the outlined trees on the hilltops as I drove into town this morning. Once the sun peeked over the horizon, the brilliance of the sun reflected off the sides of the buildings and bridges as I drove along the freeway creating an illusion of warmth - creating hope for a sunny day.

Now - the sunrise today was NOTHING compared to the sunrise we had last week. That was a sunrise. Flaming reds, bright oranges, and dark fuschia pinks covered the horizon and spread half way up the sky until the colors turned to brilliant shades of lavender and blue. As the sun rose, the colors shifted and changed - a beautiful piece of living art that will never be recreated - ever again. The outlined trees on the hilltops looked like a painter's dream with a drama of color in the sky behind them. It was a sunrise that made you stare. A sunrise you call you daughter about and say, "I ordered that special for you." A kind of sunrise you go back into the house to tell your Mom that she should step outside and look at the sunrise. It was spectacular.

Usually though, we get sunrises like we had this morning. Pretty. Pastel. Hopeful and restful. Today is just a Tuesday. Did you see the sunrise?

Winter mornings in the country

2008-02-17T04:46:00.000-08:00

The wind is gusting outside. It is dark and cold. The windows of the chicken houses glow from the red warming lights. Tree branches wave in front of the chicken houses confirming the sound of the wind.

Inside, the antique wood stove has warmed the front room to 74 degrees. The kitties are happy to lay on the quilt on my lap as I read a book about Alaska. The first pot of coffee is almost gone. I have another hour to read before my husband wakes - so I can finish this pot of coffee and have a fresh pot for us after the sun rises.

Winter in the country. A time to rest. A time to look at the seed catalogues as they arrive in the mailbox. A time to reflect on what is good and what is not. A time to make plans. Time. Winter. Cold. Wind. Rest.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T02:14:00.000-08:00

I woke up early this morning thinking about my friends on Valentine's Day. New friends, old friends that I don't see anymore-but think about often, friends who moved to other states-but we still stay in touch via cell phone and e-mail, my husband, my sisters, my Mom, my aunt, golf friends, yoga friends, high school friends, college friends, a friend who lost her Mom this year, previous co-workers, new co-workers and then there are the friends who fit in multiple categories...they are truly special.

I have friends (OK - 1 friend) who knows me well enough to tell me when I'm being stupid and then there are my friends who teach me in more subtle ways.

I have my new yoga friends (students in my classes) who are becoming my friends. I know some of them by name, I know others more deeply, and there are those who are yet to be developed as friends. They are teaching me to be a better teacher and they have no idea how much they mean to me. There are many nights when I would rather go home and collapse after a long day at work but I go - I teach - and I walk away feeling like a Queen because I get hugs, I get thank you's, I get "I liked the music tonight," I get questions, I get feedback. I get so much as I receive the many positive vibrations.

I am so blessed to be surrounded by people who are talented, bright, intelligent, and who like me. That is the part that woke me up early and made me think of the riches in my life. What an incredible place we live in where people are brought together who enrich our lives by becoming a friend. I have a new friend who might say that I sent this request out into the universe, and this is my gift. Wow - what a fabulous universe.

I believe that my friends are a result of my philosophy that for every action there is an equal re-action. My intention is to be a positive link in the chain link effect - to honor and respect others so people feel good about themselves and can pass that feeling on to the people in their lives. The chain link effect can also be negative and is easier to explain. Example: If I am mean or rude to "Person A" during the day, Person A will probably get mad and bring that frustration to people in his/her life that day. In a chain-link effect, Person A's frustration will trickle down to others (Person B's) and Person B's likewise will trickle down to Person C's, etc, etc, etc.

While I don't believe that I am the cause and effect of all of the negativity in our world, I do feel that the chain link effect of negativity is portrayed on the news stories about the violence in our world. Wouldn't it be easier (and better) to treat each other with respect and honor so that the chain link effect goes up in a positive way instead of affecting each other negatively?

But I have digressed and I need to start my day - so I close by thanking all of you who are my friends. Happy Valentine's Day.

Wisdom in Small Bits

2008-02-12T02:44:00.000-08:00

How odd it is to be writing for the public. This has been my dream for all of my lifetime. In 1979 this would not have been possible - yet here I am in 2008 - behind the times because this is my first blog. Yet - I have done it and now I have to go to the gym. There are only so many minutes in the day and this is my time to take care of my body. See you later.