Getting Ready

I am always excited to finish things. I have finished two classes and am looking forward to a nice break from certain school-oriented deadlines. I hope for a time of refreshment and renewal filled with reading books that are not textbooks and exercising further than from the car to my office chair or college student desk. Currently, I'm excited to try a new fun pocket book called Undead and Unwed recommended to me by a coworker. I am also inspired to make simple Christmas crafts, decorate a tree on my front porch and (if I don't feel too pressured with time) to make an online Christmas Collage to share with family in lieu of a paper Christmas greeting. This Christmas is going to be about me and my husband. No fancy gifts planned for anyone this year. Sending blessings of peace, health and love to all. Happy Holidays!

My Favorite Book right now!

Listen to the Wind: the Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am finishing reading Three Cups of Tea - the book that this children's book is based on. In many ways, I enjoyed this children's book even better than the adult non-fiction. I recommend this to everyone. There is much to learn about helping cultures grow and change as well as learning what we can from them. This is my favorite book right now.

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Easy Reader review

The Tortoise and the Hare - A Tale About Determination by Joanne Barkan


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
These books, though hard to find, have awesome interactive new/relevant play instructions in the back for parents wishing to help drive home the concepts told in the fabel.

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Life's A Beach!

Life's a Beach by Claire Cook

My rating: 4 of 5 stars I think Cook's books are whimsical and fun. It's what I need to lighten my days. Her sense of humor is really helpful for our times, even. I wish there were more of her books for me to read. I fear I'm through most of them. I'll have to wait patiently for the next. View all my reviews >>

I need to wrap my brain around change. Usually I really like it. I'm having a hard time enveloping it this time. How can I relate this to past events? What changes that I have encountered unexpectedly worked out for the best? Moving to Texas. Starting piano lessons. Accepting humble life goals - simplifying my idea of success (not lowering, but simplifying). Overcoming anxiety - this is a big one. Bigger than I give it credit for. I was ready to accept a certain amount of anxiety in my life as a given. I wasn't even aware enough to understand that it was something that could be overcome. This meant big, overwhelming change. Also, joining my church. It was sooooo time for me to be more aware of the world. Life is not my small life. Life is bigger than even the world. My church helps me stay grounded in everything. The point is that I know it's there and I just don't see it yet. The thing that I am missing will help even if I never recognize it for what it is. That and time. Time heals all wounds. This too shall pass. Know that it is there. That I already have it.

Not sure.

I'm in a place of uncertainty right now. It's when a goal that you've set looks so different from what you thought. Or many goals. And it feels different. Than what you thought. I'm so proud that I'm learning to see the good in everything and that I'm learning to trust even those times when I give up. I trust the giving up. I think I'm a happier person. My house is not as clean. My clothes, not as pressed. My event calendar, full, but not as scattered. If I can just get past this little hump. I know there is a certainty on the other side. If I'm honest, I have always been a nonbeliever in absolute certainty. So why I'm looking for it right now is, actually, beyond me! 

A Great Leap of Faith

These next few weeks will be a leap of faith for me. I have many activities scheduled. It's that time in my life where people make comments about how busy I am. This is hard for me to hear because I don't feel like I'm much busier than the average person. What I like about my choices are that everything I start has a clear ending (usually less than a year); whether that is a craft project or volunteering for a project in the community such as the town Musical here or the Silent Auction at my Austin church. There are end dates. I don't mean to be down on people who say this to me. But it seems like they have their hands full too either with their demanding jobs, family, travel - even time spent on the internet. I wish that people could be sensitive to others choices of how they spend their time. I don't like to verbally call attention to other people and how they choose to spend their time. I do judge others choices. That is part of being human and something I am working on training myself out of. But, at least, I don't comment for now. Spend your time the way you want to. Deal with the consequences of your choices. Above all else, have fun.

To Be Humbled

Believe it or not, I love those times in life when you are humbled. Like when you thought you'd be good at something and you find that you are not good. Oh, no. No. No. You are not so good at that thing. I'm learning to have peace with the word No. I'm learning to have peace with the phrase I Don't Know. At church a couple of weeks ago, our pastor shared with us several thoughts. He asked us the question, What about when Love says No? It's a tough question, but we have to become friends with that concept if we are to have peace in our lives. He also said, Ambiguity is a gift. Some times we don't get to know. And we can enjoy those times. Breathe and enjoy not knowing.

Fairy Skirt No Sew Pattern

http://lazymamadesigns.blogspot.com/2007/12/free-pattern-almost-no-sew-fairy-skirt.html

Stock Pot serving and keeping that feeling

I don't know how I can move so quickly through that feeling from ecstasy back to junk that doesn't serve me.  I did make it over to the Stock Pot food line yesterday and I'll post my experience. But, really now - shame on me! In less than 3 hours, I was already stressed at work again. My coworkers leading me to breathe and calm down. I'm a yoga teacher and one who, apparently, needs some help to Zen out! 

Here's some stuff that does serve me. So I went to the Stock Pot and had that experience, you know the one, where everything fits in place like a puzzle. Your expectations are exceeded and it's a perfect situation. Of course, there is no exactly perfect situation. I can attest to that at age 35! There are always quirks. But this is the best kind of experience. Perfect anyway. The women who run the Stock Pot are these amazing angels from the Catholic Church serving out of the Presbyterian Church. So I love that, already, because I love people of many religions blending and helping each other. The lady I served tea with was Methodist. She said, "I always say I'm Catholic on the 1st and 4th Thursdays of the month!" which is when she serves. We have the angels and the people who need us. The people who need us are mostly polite and respectful - please and thank you. The elderly will break your heart. The working men make you sigh. We served 75 people yesterday. The kitchen ladies are short help next Thursday. As with any endeavor, I don't know how much time I have to help them. But this schedule seems okay. A long lunch some times on Thursdays. The library doesn't open until noon. I would miss an hour, at worst, of work which I can make up. My goal is once a month. As you can see, I feel sucked into next Thursday. I can't help it. But after that, I will need to slow down. The theatrical play that I am in and school starting may dominate my world again for a while. Stay tuned. I'll do my best to keep you posted. 

Soup Kitchen/My workout plan

Today, I will give my lunch hour to try out helping at one of the Soup Kitchens in town. I have been sensitive lately to learning more about conditions of poverty. I feel so privileged when I see what some people live with. They give me something each time I experience their outlook on life. So, it's time for me to see if they will continue to honor me by letting me give back. 

Another of my goals is to further build up my workout schedule. It helps me to share what I'm currently doing. Things are a little crazy right now with selling my Austin house. But in general, I use Monday and Tuesday to work out. This could be walking 2-3 miles on my road here at the house with my dogs. It could be water aerobics at the YMCA. It could be yoga at the YMCA. On Fridays, I teach two yoga classes and get as best a workout as I can while teaching. It's a good stretch. I also just found Leslie's Walk Slim DVD's and as soon as we sign away our house, I'm buying it. Especially for summer, when it's too hot to be outside walking and my schedule finds me eager to work out when it's not a convenient time weather-wise, like weekend afternoons or evenings.