The camelia in front of the kitchen window is blooming. This is something that always makes me so happy. The hydragenas I planted out front are coming back, even after I'd been afraid they might have died this winter. The front flower beds are weeded, the kiwi got trimmed, and I emailed the landlords about rebuilding the arbor during this spring. I also have some ideas about relocating the chicken coop and trying them again. I love seeing new blossoms on the neighborhood trees as each spring day unfolds.
The last few days I've felt round two of processing sitting, waiting. Dealing with it has been added to today's list, but I had Mom here for a couple nights before the guest room is filled so I didn't want to deal with it while she was here. Putting it off and focusing on cleaning the interior of my car and cleaning the house has been so much more convenient. ;) Mom's visit was well timed however and she was a gem and brought some toys up for lil A to play with while he's here. Yep, folks, the time has arrived.....Housemate M's lil guy A and A's Taiwanese grandma will be arriving on Wednesday. The house will be more than full with three adults, two dogs, two cats, and a 16 month old :) Oh man. But I'm not going to lie, in theory, it's feeling fun and seeing the toys stacked in an open bench in the living room for him, makes me eager for his arrival. The house was baby-proofed (for the most part) last week, the guest room is ready, and now I'm just thinking of all the fun things to do with a lil tyke. I've already put in a request with his dad to be able to take him to the zoo, have him "help me" ready the garden, and I'm thinking that getting chicks might be pretty entertaining for him too.
Mom's visit went well and was an equal mix of relaxation and going. I got in an easy jog while M and her chatted as he's great at interacting with my parents (and they got to Skype with lil A). I also practiced my massage skills giving her a Swedish massage with a little bit of deep tissue treatment for her back and right leg mixed in. (Lately I've had three family members as deep tissue treatment cases and all have been reporting improvements--perhaps this will be a direction to head in then...) Mom needed to run to Nordstrom's and I had a friend in town from California, so I dropped her off before meeting up with my gal and her babe for an afternoon cup of decaf coffee. Together we weeded the front of the house and then a dinner of Thai food pretty much wrapped up our night. She headed off late morning after M and loaded the ol' treadmill back into her vehicle.
I'm definitely looking forward to a bit of vacation even if it's going to be in spurts of days. I'm heading to the family beach house for a weekend of volunteering, studying, and catching up with a high school friend and then after my teaching term starts, I plan on heading for a long weekend to my parents for my mom's birthday. I've been longing to just read...just to read and get lost in a book for the last several weeks, so I'm hopeful I can motivate myself to prep spring term early and get most things situated so that I can truly spend some moments just vegging.
The other big thing in this March of restoration is that I had my first appointment with a new naturopath last week and will have a follow-up this week. This gal was recommended by a colleague of mine and so far I'm more impressed with her than the prior gal I worked with. She has lots of ideas (although I don't know that I'm ready and willing to change everything) but some things I've started implementing. I also might do some acupuncture with her to try to open things up a bit more and purge some of the toxins...we'll see. She talked to me a lot about my exhaustion though...and I think she hit it right on the money with that. I've been on antibiotics for the last nine days after a medical issue surfaced and I've only become more tired during the last week....not really looking forward to a 9 mile Shamrock Run at 7:40am tomorrow I'll tell ya that much :) But I know I'll make it through and then I'm hoping to continue in this movement of being gentle with myself....
So far...March seems to be progressing just as I had expected it might....hiccups within much beauty.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
No Social Media Increases Productivity
Let me tell you...
I'm learning that there are a few things I miss about social media. Case in point, yesterday was my host sister's birthday--for some reason it seems so much easier to send a FB msg than an email. Still need to send the email.
Second case in point. A month or so ago, I "shared" an item from the local mission that they were low on socks. My sister saw it and cleaned out her husband's sock drawer--two bags were given to my friend yesterday so her husband could take them to the mission (where he works). So social media is definitely a good way to get the word out and increase action or food for thought...
...but man I'm so much more productive. That first day I realized just.how.many.times I would grab my phone to check out or distract myself by checking in on everyone else. Day one of the social media purge I processed a lot and also got ahead on my studies and work. I imagine this means that I'm just finding more productive ways to distract myself, but I'm thinking that eventual those items are going to run out too...
...my grading continues to get done early, my homework and reading is getting completed, I'm reaching out to friends better, the house is cleaned, I'm scheduling appointments and organizing my calendar, I researched and registered for community ed kayak courses and I'm waitlisted for a first aid cert course I need for my massage licensing (work will pay for these), my run with an old high school acquaintance went well yesterday and I even happened upon some free bushes as her husband was ripping some out of their front yard! I'm planting bushes, seeding the grass, planning the garden, thinking about whether I want to get chickens again. Focusing in on the things of value and importance. And yesterday for the first time in a long time, I went to church. It'd been on my heart and in my mind all week and even when I woke up late when I checked the time for the service I still had plenty of time. No surprise that the message was very appropriate for what I needed to hear and be thinking on (a message of repentence, of letting go of hardened hearts, of returning to what the Lord wants for our lives, and again living with a new heart and vision....). So even in the "distractions," I feel like these are distractions that are refining me, showing me again back to my roots and values and those ways in which I want my life to be about. So much of this is about being quiet and just letting life guide and show me...
...but man, this no social media seriously might, just might, become more ingrained than just a Lenten project.....
Happy Monday y'all!
I'm learning that there are a few things I miss about social media. Case in point, yesterday was my host sister's birthday--for some reason it seems so much easier to send a FB msg than an email. Still need to send the email.
Second case in point. A month or so ago, I "shared" an item from the local mission that they were low on socks. My sister saw it and cleaned out her husband's sock drawer--two bags were given to my friend yesterday so her husband could take them to the mission (where he works). So social media is definitely a good way to get the word out and increase action or food for thought...
...but man I'm so much more productive. That first day I realized just.how.many.times I would grab my phone to check out or distract myself by checking in on everyone else. Day one of the social media purge I processed a lot and also got ahead on my studies and work. I imagine this means that I'm just finding more productive ways to distract myself, but I'm thinking that eventual those items are going to run out too...
...my grading continues to get done early, my homework and reading is getting completed, I'm reaching out to friends better, the house is cleaned, I'm scheduling appointments and organizing my calendar, I researched and registered for community ed kayak courses and I'm waitlisted for a first aid cert course I need for my massage licensing (work will pay for these), my run with an old high school acquaintance went well yesterday and I even happened upon some free bushes as her husband was ripping some out of their front yard! I'm planting bushes, seeding the grass, planning the garden, thinking about whether I want to get chickens again. Focusing in on the things of value and importance. And yesterday for the first time in a long time, I went to church. It'd been on my heart and in my mind all week and even when I woke up late when I checked the time for the service I still had plenty of time. No surprise that the message was very appropriate for what I needed to hear and be thinking on (a message of repentence, of letting go of hardened hearts, of returning to what the Lord wants for our lives, and again living with a new heart and vision....). So even in the "distractions," I feel like these are distractions that are refining me, showing me again back to my roots and values and those ways in which I want my life to be about. So much of this is about being quiet and just letting life guide and show me...
...but man, this no social media seriously might, just might, become more ingrained than just a Lenten project.....
Happy Monday y'all!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
March is Here & Spring is Arriving
Still alive. Taking a social media time-out for Lent and in so doing am attempting to distract myself less and focus inward more, aka I'm hoping to process through some of my residual "stuff" from the divorce that I have been avoiding. It's been much more fun to distract myself through running and intense physical activity, but I also want to truly move forward and I know that in order to do that I need to deal with some loose curdled ends too. The "unsent letter" has become my friend--it definitely helps to get the crap out and onto a page even if it's only to purge it out of me. :)
Most of this came to fruition after I realized a few things based on relationship changes but more so I had a major emotional crash after completing my goal of hiking the entire 30 mile Wildwood Trail in one day. While the hike itself was a good experience and it was nice to check another goal off the list, I think my body is ready for me to slow it down a bit. I'm still going to run but I'm also spending some time contemplating what I want my physical activity levels to look like in the big picture. This period of Lent I'm focusing on being gentler with my body in general, so beyond easing up a bit on the endurance stuff, I'm also hoping to start working with a naturopath again for some increased nutritional assistance. Even though I'm eating quite a bit (and I'm officially eating meat again, well minus pork and ground beef...), my weigh-in at the doctor's office yesterday let me know that I'm below the weight I'd like to be at (although still healthy). Part of the emotional crash post long hike can be attributed to an an electrolyte imbalance, so additional nutritional reminders and assistance will be handy. I do really well when someone gives me lists of things to eat!
So many of my friends have been amazingly supportive during this time of processing. I have been texting with a handful of both my male and female friends, garnering perspectives and experiences. I usually do well taking various opinions and then comparing my thoughts/reactions to theirs, before forming my own opinion or judgment about something. The first day of Lent I had a lot of questions as part of my processing and so it was nice to gather lots of various perspectives. I learned a lot and some of the insights offered really made a lot of sense out of many of my past experiences. The perspectives are also helping me to form a game plan about how to move forward and to also help me pinpoint areas where I need to continue to focus attention. Honestly, I just feel grateful, that I have such amazing people in my life who continue to support me and have waited without pushing me until I was ready to move forward.
I'm also so grateful for my parents and family. My oldest brother is another person I've been texting for his thoughts and today I made the trip to my sister's for her family's birthday celebrations. It was the first time that my local siblings, my parents, my nephews, my great-niece, Granny, and I have all been together in a very long time (maybe even three years). We used to celebrate their birthdays this way every year. In some ways having us all together today was sort of soothing and restoring in its own right--reminding me of the way that things used to be and the solid foundation on which we were started. My mom has also been amazing in the last few weeks about putting together a few care packages of items that I can't currently afford while I'm following a budget (water-proof gear, foods, etc) and it seriously just means a lot to me the little ways my parents continue to step forward to try to help me without stepping on toes.
There are lots of unknowns still regarding this year, but I'm trying to be as patient and trusting as possible. At least once a month, I'm sitting down, crunching numbers, checking dates, etc, but I just have to believe that it's all going to work out okay. Housemate M's kiddo and the grandma arrive in 11 days and will be here until the end of April. I know this will be a period where I will need to focus on Love, Compassion, & Patience (which are my goal words of the spring), but I'm also sort of excited about the experience in some ways too. Starting in May and through the summer, I'm oh so hopeful that I can get another renter in the house, so start keeping your fingers crossed y'all. When both rooms are rented, then financially I'm much more able to make ends meet and make headway on paying off my outstanding finances too. I'm recognizing that I need to be more gentle with myself regarding some of these goals as well too--even if I can't make as large of a dent as I want before the end of this year, every payment that decreases the total balance is a worthwhile one!
I'm hoping to do a few catch-up posts including some pictures from some of the great hikes and outings the dogs and I have been on. They're having a rough adjustment this month as I've been trying out various Meet-Up groups to try to find some other running and outdoor individuals (which it's been a pretty good experience so far!), but that means they get left at home a lot more. In the long run, it'll be great for their paws and legs though. I'm hopeful I can use the meet-up groups for 1-2x/month outings and then still do some solo trips with the dogs or outings with other individuals. There are a few gals in my massage program that I'm hoping I can round up for a day hike or a backpacking trip in the summer. I just keep being reminded that there are so many various like-minded individuals in this area.
Loving the coming of the spring. I've been relishing the evenings when that gentle spring sound spreads through the air--a steady mix of neighborhood movement, frogs busy down at the creek, and yet so much stillness. I'm starting to make lists of garden veggies and I just put some grass replacement seed down tonight. The yard is ready to have some help. :)
Somehow that seems to be the motto around here: equal parts stillness and equal parts movement toward growth with a whole lot of gentleness thrown in.
Anyway, for now, Happy March! :)
Most of this came to fruition after I realized a few things based on relationship changes but more so I had a major emotional crash after completing my goal of hiking the entire 30 mile Wildwood Trail in one day. While the hike itself was a good experience and it was nice to check another goal off the list, I think my body is ready for me to slow it down a bit. I'm still going to run but I'm also spending some time contemplating what I want my physical activity levels to look like in the big picture. This period of Lent I'm focusing on being gentler with my body in general, so beyond easing up a bit on the endurance stuff, I'm also hoping to start working with a naturopath again for some increased nutritional assistance. Even though I'm eating quite a bit (and I'm officially eating meat again, well minus pork and ground beef...), my weigh-in at the doctor's office yesterday let me know that I'm below the weight I'd like to be at (although still healthy). Part of the emotional crash post long hike can be attributed to an an electrolyte imbalance, so additional nutritional reminders and assistance will be handy. I do really well when someone gives me lists of things to eat!
So many of my friends have been amazingly supportive during this time of processing. I have been texting with a handful of both my male and female friends, garnering perspectives and experiences. I usually do well taking various opinions and then comparing my thoughts/reactions to theirs, before forming my own opinion or judgment about something. The first day of Lent I had a lot of questions as part of my processing and so it was nice to gather lots of various perspectives. I learned a lot and some of the insights offered really made a lot of sense out of many of my past experiences. The perspectives are also helping me to form a game plan about how to move forward and to also help me pinpoint areas where I need to continue to focus attention. Honestly, I just feel grateful, that I have such amazing people in my life who continue to support me and have waited without pushing me until I was ready to move forward.
I'm also so grateful for my parents and family. My oldest brother is another person I've been texting for his thoughts and today I made the trip to my sister's for her family's birthday celebrations. It was the first time that my local siblings, my parents, my nephews, my great-niece, Granny, and I have all been together in a very long time (maybe even three years). We used to celebrate their birthdays this way every year. In some ways having us all together today was sort of soothing and restoring in its own right--reminding me of the way that things used to be and the solid foundation on which we were started. My mom has also been amazing in the last few weeks about putting together a few care packages of items that I can't currently afford while I'm following a budget (water-proof gear, foods, etc) and it seriously just means a lot to me the little ways my parents continue to step forward to try to help me without stepping on toes.
There are lots of unknowns still regarding this year, but I'm trying to be as patient and trusting as possible. At least once a month, I'm sitting down, crunching numbers, checking dates, etc, but I just have to believe that it's all going to work out okay. Housemate M's kiddo and the grandma arrive in 11 days and will be here until the end of April. I know this will be a period where I will need to focus on Love, Compassion, & Patience (which are my goal words of the spring), but I'm also sort of excited about the experience in some ways too. Starting in May and through the summer, I'm oh so hopeful that I can get another renter in the house, so start keeping your fingers crossed y'all. When both rooms are rented, then financially I'm much more able to make ends meet and make headway on paying off my outstanding finances too. I'm recognizing that I need to be more gentle with myself regarding some of these goals as well too--even if I can't make as large of a dent as I want before the end of this year, every payment that decreases the total balance is a worthwhile one!
I'm hoping to do a few catch-up posts including some pictures from some of the great hikes and outings the dogs and I have been on. They're having a rough adjustment this month as I've been trying out various Meet-Up groups to try to find some other running and outdoor individuals (which it's been a pretty good experience so far!), but that means they get left at home a lot more. In the long run, it'll be great for their paws and legs though. I'm hopeful I can use the meet-up groups for 1-2x/month outings and then still do some solo trips with the dogs or outings with other individuals. There are a few gals in my massage program that I'm hoping I can round up for a day hike or a backpacking trip in the summer. I just keep being reminded that there are so many various like-minded individuals in this area.
Loving the coming of the spring. I've been relishing the evenings when that gentle spring sound spreads through the air--a steady mix of neighborhood movement, frogs busy down at the creek, and yet so much stillness. I'm starting to make lists of garden veggies and I just put some grass replacement seed down tonight. The yard is ready to have some help. :)
Somehow that seems to be the motto around here: equal parts stillness and equal parts movement toward growth with a whole lot of gentleness thrown in.
Anyway, for now, Happy March! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)