Is This a Kissing Book? Oh Ya!

I don't know where to start.  I like to keep things upbeat, and simply muse (or rant) about the things that are going on in my life.  I like to think that in almost every situation, we can find some good.  Some lesson to be learned.  Something positive to focus on. I am going to try...

I recently saw an old episode of Everybody Loves Raymond in which the lead character, Ray, is speaking to a friend about marriage.  He says, "Ya, we have been married eleven years, and there is no end in sight."  Double entendre duly noted, that is quite poignant.  When Hunky Hubby and I married, because of our religious beliefs, we ended the ceremony not with "until death do us part", but "for Time and all Eternity."  So I can say, 17 years--with no end in sight!  I am so thankful for this...most of the time! (it's a joke sweetheart)

So, HH and I love to get outdoors when we have our "mom and dad time".  We often go backpacking, but the last couple of outings have been mountain biking.  SOOO much fun. Usually.  

Yesterday, we dropped the kids off at school and headed to some trails fairly close to home. The trail we take is difficult, but we know we have plenty of time to make the 15 or so mile loop back to the truck and get home before the young'ns do.  Obviously this is not what happened or I wouldn't be blah blah bloggin' about it.  The first 13 miles goes smoothly. Except for some parts of the trail that are not in good shape, we are having a good time.  The leaves are starting to turn color, and the weather is perfect!  Near the end though, we cannot find the last turn-off to get back to the truck.  We try several different trails, including one that was a horrible downhill bushwhack, followed by an arduous UPhill bushwhack back out (this required carrying our bikes a good deal of the time).  We are quickly loosing time and patience. We finally decide to just backtrack and go out the way we came in...another 13 or so miles!  In the end our fun-time 15 mile jaunt turned into a 30+ mile fight-waiting-to-happen, who's-sleeping-on-the-couch-tonight major expedition!  HH kept his cool the whole time.  He is just level like that.  I lost it pretty good once near the end.  On a rather steep and rocky downhill, he got way ahead of me.  When I came to a fork, I wasn't sure which turn to take so, I stopped and waited for him to realize I was not there.  It took what I considered WAY too long for him to come and retrieve me, and I let him have it!  Poor kid, he just took it and said how sorry he was and tried to soften my scowl by adding, "I will always come for you" in his best attempt at a Westly-like fake British accent.  He is cute.  I reminded him, however that he should have not lost me in the first place!  He agreed.  I will never doubt again.  So, it is still 17 years with no end in sight...

AND 

We both found a positive.  Hubby said that from now on, every mountain bike trip we take will seem way more fun and pretty easy.  I loved the new bike seat he bought me last month.  It's way more comfy than my old one and I was sure to thank him for it. 

Quote of the Day:"Pray for your marriage because God will fill the void and sweep in and muster feelings for your spouse you never thought you had."

--Patricia Heaton actress

Writer's Brick?

So, major amount of writer's block this week.  I don't know what it is, usually I have millions of inane things floating around my head (lots of empty space perhaps).  But this week...not a whole lot going on up there.  Actually, the problem is more likely that I have soooo many things right now, that I cannot concentrate enough on just one to put my thoughts down. In my over-zealous attempt to keep myself busy as all of the kids went back to school recently, I have taken on many fun projects.  I start teaching a small yoga class this week. I am also hosting a blood drive near my home for the Red Cross, volunteering in the First grade classroom at my kids' school, hunting down the perfect recipe for my church chili cook-off, trying to build a firepit in my yard out of used bricks from a friend's unfortunate incident involving his garage and a drunk driver's pickup, and flying the first womaned mission to Mars (ok, that one is a joke), but you get the idea. Whew!  I suppose I should be exhausted, but somehow all of this action invigorates me, until around 3:30...then I am exhausted!  We hear so often of all of the terrible things that are going on in the world, I wish sometimes that we would notice all of the good--the people all around us who are helping, lifting and lending hands.  All over the world, I believe there is more good than evil, it just isn't as well reported.  "Old Scratch" must have a better publicist!  I have met some great people when I have taken the time to get involved.   Roll up your sleeves, get your knees dirty, and get out there! We often shun the physical labor that used to keep us fit.  As I spent most of last Thursday hauling bricks into and out of a trailer,  I wondered why the heck I had bothered to hit the gym that morning! But there just aren't that many opportunities to move bricks really, so most days I have to do something.  There are very few opportunities for any hard work these days. Washing machines, cars, riding lawn mowers and tractors have made work and travel easy.  Now we have treadmills , stationary bikes, and exercisagizmos to make up for all of the work and walking we aren't doing...Funny if you think about it huh?  So, writer's block be danged! That is my rant for the day...

I am off to build a firepit.  Guess I shoulda skipped the gym again huh?  Oh well.

Quote of the Day:  "People who grow old well, focus on the growing, and not the old."

--Dr. Dale Vicky Atkins

Balancing Act

                    Where to begin?  I took some pretty intense yoga training over the weekend. Twenty hours worth to be exact, and, yes, I was a bit sore!  I hesitate to call it yoga training, because I really view it as life training.  I want to share a bit with my readers today (yes, both of you).  Contrary to common belief, yoga is not about being an ultra-bendy, underfed, hippie contortionist.  It is about balance.  In yoga, we strive to bring all parts of our life and our body into balance. Each flexion has a counter extension. And really, we work both directions so that in the end, neutrality can be achieved (go ahead, make the connection to our lives off the mat). Our minds, bodies and spirits are connected.  When one is out of balance, WE are out of balance. On the mat, each movement, breath and pose has a purpose. So should it be in life. The purpose of everything we do should be clear to us. How does this relationship, education, action, reaction, thought, job or project bring my mind, body and spirit into balance?

                      The process of "letting go" is huge in yoga. We honor ourselves and others by letting go of competition, judgement and expectations. Everyday is different. Every body and everybody is different. Respect that. Embrace that. Give ourselves permission to "ease out" of a pose, a relationship, a project, a job or a feeling. One of our instructors gave us some of the best guidance I have ever heard.  She said, "We are the masters of what we are allowing to affect us." Oh ya! Along with that, she cautioned us to not let other people's energy or opinions of what should be, override what we know is right.  

                     In a yoga practice, it is imperative that we listen to how our bodies feel at that moment. Physical or emotional feelings are messages. Our whole lives we are constantly getting these messages; either we will listen or we won't. Whatever you believe the source, God, the universe, your spirit...listen to it. I personally believe that a benevolent Father in Heaven guides us all along our mortal journey, but it is up to us to listen and follow the promptings. Another student said, "Remember in life, even the bad stuff is good stuff." We have challenges and obstacles, heartache and, well...life! What we learn from it and what we do with it, is entirely up to us.

                     Thank you--Sandi, Barbara, Jennifer, Andrea, Larinda, Shannon, Jane, Megan, Natalie, Sarah, Maria, Lynn, Miranda, Cheryl, Linda, and Pamela--some really cool yogi chicks!

                                                                        Namaste

Quote of the Day: "The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become."

--Charles Dubois

      naturalist

Garden of Eatin' (horribly cliche, I know!)

 

So, Friday, I am making dinner, and I go out to the garden to dig up some potatoes, and voila!  I had a little 'lightbulb moment' of gratitude.  I was amazed at the beauty and miracle 

of the earth. In May, I stuck some pieces of potato in the ground and in a few short months, the little spud chunks had each propagated a dozen or so little tater tots (this is Idaho, individual results may vary). Amazing!  Miraculous!  Perfect, beautiful, ovalish Yukon Golds.  I had watered, tilled and weeded, but the little buggers really did this mostly on their own.  What a marvelous creation is this world we are blessed with.  I was so inspired by those little guys, I began to look around the yard and snapped some pix of the last of this year's bounty.

 

Quote of the Day: "There are plenty of people with loads of money who are anything but rich."

--Suze Orman  

financial guru