Being a single woman often times suits me very well - perhaps EXTREMELY well. I enjoy autonomy and venturing out to see if I can face new things on my own. However, this independent woman would still like a companion to have adventures with and lean upon. We are put upon this earth with other human beings for a reason. Besides, the future of our humanity depends on our mating ritual. (Albeit I will admit that this part has not been such a challenge. Men love sex too much. I need to find the one that wants commitment as well as sex).
Frequently I find myself pondering why for four years have I been sans relationship? I can hypothesize and there are certainly elements in these years that have contributed to this: moving twice, healing from a previous relationship, struggling with southern gender dynamics. And after a woman pursued me this past spring/summer, I thought deeply on whether I've been single because I've been dating the wrong gender. In the end, I came to the conclusion that I do like men.
I'm sure that there are professionals out there who could help me be "more datable" or give me some tricks to snag all the men and I'll admit, that does sound fun.
This is not my plan however. My plan is perhaps too simplistic - to continue on the way I am and to appreciate the little and big things along the way. And I will most likely continue to ponder my singleness as well.
I plan on continuing to have cuddle and selfie sessions with Poe. To cook nice breakfasts on weekend mornings. To go exploring in the woods. To go out dancing (or have a David Bowie dance party at home). To practice yoga. To read. To try to write more. To spend time with my family and friends and enjoy singing to the radio on the car ride there. To engage in my work and the people I work with. To drink lots of tea. To splurge every once in a while on a nice meal or article of clothing. To dick around on Facebook. To look forward to the next season/episode of ANTM.
So universe, if you know of a single man (or maybe not-yet-single man) who would perhaps get along with a woman who likes to do the above mentioned things, feel free to put them in my path and give me a little smack if I am not noticing them there. Universe, I do have some preference for men if I could be so lucky - that they too have some enjoyment of outdoor activities. They will not shy away from heavier topics such as social justice issues. Decent looking - scruff or facial haired is a plus.
I have faith that some day this strong woman will meet a strong man to share in life together.
8.30.2015
I can haiku, can you?
Sunday night late August:
Just one drink, wasted
Head stands, not a good idea
I think it's bed time.
What's yours?
Just one drink, wasted
Head stands, not a good idea
I think it's bed time.
What's yours?
4.27.2015
Liquid Dreams
During the night, I dreamt of you. Now I rise before the sun. I slide from my bed - one foot, two feet touching then padding across the wooden floor. One leg, two legs - by the belt loops, my jeans are pulled up over my hips.
Flannel. Sweatshirt. Turn the tea kettle on. Grab my knapsack. Apple. Muffin. Tea. Keys and wallet and phone. All into the bag. Lastly hat, gloves, carhart, boots.
Driving to you, I realize that I am not fully awake. Dawn wholly bathes the fields and mountains in red glow. As I pull down the drive, my heart drums a little faster, a little louder. It is my choice to be here, in part for its unfamiliarity.
No souls in sight although morning has fully arrived. Shivering, I walk to the door, enter, and descend the stairs. Clinking and boot shuffles.
Red bucket, rag, sanitizer, hot water.
Metal pail, paper towels, stool.
I lean into you and you step to the left. I stand next to you. Hot water squeezed from the rag, I bathe your muddy udders.
We don't know each other fully and as you don't always stand well, cautiously I sit on my stool and begin to milk you. Squeezing right then left. Right, left.
 |
| Artemis - my girl |
Minutes pass. You shuffle back and turn your pretty brown eyes to gaze at me. My left hand becomes frustrated with your petite rear teats.
My rhythm lost, I am thankful when my neighbor spins around and begins to milk with me. Our hands lightly bump one another. I watch as our streams of milk cross before hitting the bottom of the pail - this simple interaction seemingly fused with tender romance.
We finish.
I weigh and record what you've given us this morning and filter your milk in with the other cows.
For a few moments, my milking partner joins me in observing the new piglets. Quietly, we leave the barn and join the others at farmers' breakfast.
Blessings are spoken, porridge is eaten, the candle is snuffed, and I must scurry off to work.
 |
| Zebra - I've only milked her once |
 |
| cows from behind. I know Athena is the first one. I think Billie Jean is the one turned to face the camera. |
originally written when it was super cold.
3.02.2015
Turning Lofty to Reality
Often I go to sleep and think about the possibilities of tomorrow...
"When I get home from work, I'm going to run 4 miles even if it is 13 degrees and snowing! And then I'm going to do a half hour of yoga and plan my garden and call my parents and write letters to my AMS friends!"
And when I get home from work, all I can think about is "what am I going to eat?" and then after I eat, "What am I going to eat now?"
And then I putz around (usually on the internet) until 8-8:30ish when I give myself permission to climb into bed and read and sometimes write.
I have high hopes that this will change once it gets warmer however those are once again, possibilities.
My free weekends usually are productive and I have been able to take one decent hike and get some solid cross-country skiing in as well as yoga and reading time.
In that vein, I have decided to revise my list of 15 in 2015.
"When I get home from work, I'm going to run 4 miles even if it is 13 degrees and snowing! And then I'm going to do a half hour of yoga and plan my garden and call my parents and write letters to my AMS friends!"
And when I get home from work, all I can think about is "what am I going to eat?" and then after I eat, "What am I going to eat now?"
And then I putz around (usually on the internet) until 8-8:30ish when I give myself permission to climb into bed and read and sometimes write.
I have high hopes that this will change once it gets warmer however those are once again, possibilities.
My free weekends usually are productive and I have been able to take one decent hike and get some solid cross-country skiing in as well as yoga and reading time.
In that vein, I have decided to revise my list of 15 in 2015.
- Meditate more, as in everyday, even if it is only for 30 seconds. This I'm actually trying to stick to and my current success rate is around 6 out of 7 days of the week.
- Cut back on sugar - honestly, I totally forgot I set this one. The revision is 2. Before eating junk food, take three deep breaths and ask yourself if you really need whatever you are eyeing. If the answer after three breaths is yes, then indulge, if it is maybe or no, refrain.
- Visit La and Antonio - still hoping to do so!
- Go on at least one new hike per month April-November. This is eight new hikes. I'd like to do Tumbledown Mountain in Weld, Maine as one of these hikes if anyone is interested! Preferably during the summer so we can swim in the pond at the top. Already have one new hike in although it is not yet April...
- Go on a beach camping trip - again, still hoping to do so! Who's with me!?
- Save $10,000 - here is a just plain unrealistic goal. If I try really, really hard, I think I can save $5,000 and with three weddings and a trip to Colorado to plan, I'm not sure if this is my year for savings. I will do my best.
- Spend an entire day/weekend with a good friend at least once a month - not sure I got this in for the month of January and had a great time with my high school friend, Heather just this past weekend and not enough time but a wonderful time with most of y'all after that!
- Blog every other week (this entry counts) - um, how am I doing?
- Play guitar/fiddle/piano for a 1/2 hour once a week - haven't been playing with this much frequency and still have this aspiration.
- Develop rock hard abs - I've got 10 more months to go!
- Go kayaking/canoeing/paddle boarding once a month April-November. Surfing would count too. Not time yet! although does ice skating count? I went for about 10 minutes with my mom on the lake before all this snow...
- Limit Facebook time to a total of 15 minutes per day - most of the time. and I still think this is a good one.
- Participate in a community theater performance or join a choir - meh, not feeling so inspired any more. Maybe will change this.
- Plant a fruit tree in my parent's yard - still plan on it
- ? Read at least one book a month? Accept my current state of singleness? Still haven't decided.
2.16.2015
America!
For some reason I felt like writing today. Here it goes...
Feeling inspired by all the lovable traveling hobos in our life, and having not yet made any Valentine's Day plans, I decided to plan a small adventure. Antonio had a rare Sunday off, and I found out that it was free to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park this weekend. We're a little broke after getting our car fixed from the accident back in October, but on the upside, we have a really nice car again! Perfect for adventuring. So I did some googling and mapping, and decided that we'd leave our apartment after my anatomy lab on Saturday, drive the 4 hour hours to Alamosa, camp in our car at a Walmart, and then go see the sand dunes at sunrise.
So we packed up some water, sandwiches, trail mix, and donuts. I checked the weather and it was going to be around 19 degrees overnight, so we layered on fleece and wool socks and packed plenty of warm clothes. Antonio outfitted the back of the car with sleeping pads and blankets and pillows. He hung lanterns from the hooks and handles near the passenger seats, and packed our books and some crossword puzzles. We gave Puff extra food and hay and said goodbye to him, and I felt sad because I am a crazy rabbit-lady now. Antonio reassured me that he would be ok by himself for one night. Then we got in our car and drove South, the whole way listening to the 90's and 00's radio station, trying to sing and remember the lyrics to songs we loved in middle school.
Eventually we got off the highway and started driving West. It was dark by then, and there were no towns or lights around us. We looked up at the sky--spectacularly clear and and detailed--and realized it had been a long time since we'd seen this many stars. As we kept driving, dark mountains loomed on either side of us and our ears popped as we gained elevation. Eventually we went through some tiny towns. At first we'd see a few collapsing barns, and then shabby houses with porches full of furniture and odd objects, old trucks parked out front. Downtown there were stores and cafes with funny names, like a pizza shop that was called "All Gonn". We passed a mining museum that had creepy mannequins staring out from the windows.
We drove through some more darkness and eventually got to Alamosa, which thankfully had no mannequins in windows. We got to the Walmart and parked in the back near an RV and another SUV with a camping setup in the back. We decided to go in and buy a jug of water before we went to bed. As we walked through the Walmart we passed a grizzled old man, staring at the ground and shuffling by us with a cart full of beer and plastic bags. We watched as he went to the SUV we parked next to and began unloading his things into his car. After buying our water we moved to a different spot a little further down.
We crawled around inside our car and eventually got all tucked in for sleep. I used my coat to cover the window next to me and realized I felt very exposed and not tired at all. We both read our books for a short time and then tried to sleep. I now know that sleeping in your car in a Walmart parking lot is not an easy thing at all. Around one or two in the morning a tow truck and a van parked near us, and unloaded a street sweeper and a couple of guys with leafblowers. They noisily cleaned the parking lot of dust for a few hours.
My alarm went off at 5 a.m. and we woke up slowly, preparing to see the sun rise on the dunes. Inexplicably, there was an empty black sedan parked directly next to us. Our breath had fogged up the windows car and the freezing temperatures had turned the condensation into ice. We piled into the front seats and tried to start the car. The battery was dead. It seemed as though Antonio accidentally kicked on the headlights while crawling around in the car, and they remained on all night. We looked around for other people to give us a jump, and spotted a truck pulling into the parking lot. Antonio flagged him down and asked for a jump, and he came right over. I was amazed at how nice people can be at 5 in the morning. Antonio spoke to him in Spanish as they attached the cables. As soon as all the ends were attached the car came back to life. After a few minutes we were thanking him and we both drove away. We stopped at a McDonalds to get some hot water for our tea, and even though there was a slight mishap involving spilt tea as Antonio jerked the car, we were in pretty good spirits.
The sun rose as we drove. It was beautiful. Bright oranges and pinks and purples and blues spreading over the plains and Mount Blanca in front of us. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains rose up on our left, more unknown mountain ranges rose on our right. We stopped at a rest stop and read that this was sacred land to Native Americans, in the past and today. We passed herds of grazing deer and elk. We stopped to listen to the sounds of their hooves on the ground, their quiet bleating and munching. As we arrived in the park we heard the wild yipping of foxes. All around there were ranges of colors, and all types of landscapes. Prairie, scrubland, pinon pine forest, 13,000 foot mountains, snow and streams, and then the sand dunes. Huge, expansive mounds of brownish sand. It looked like we stepped into the Sahara. We walked into the dunes and realized that everything was larger and farther away than it seemed. There was almost no one else there and every few moments we paused to listen. You could hear nothing. I had read that this was the "quietest park in the contiguous 48 states".
We were cold when we first started exploring, but warmed up quickly after walking up the dunes. We spent a few hours hiking around, trying out some sledding with a broken sled we found, lying still in the sand, eating trail mix, and taking in the scenery. It was unlike any other place we'd ever seen or been. We had the place almost to ourselves and felt a heavy, pleasant, peacefulness.
We eventually left the dunes and ate lunch. After not sleeping and hiking in the dunes, we were too exhausted to hike anywhere else. We began the drive home and enjoyed the scenery that we had missed in the darkness the night before: huge, snowy mountain ranges, vast prairie, and a herd of pronghorn deer. In those times I feel so lucky to live in Colorado. It was snowing in Denver as we arrived home. We trudged upstairs, greeted Puff, and fell asleep.
Feeling inspired by all the lovable traveling hobos in our life, and having not yet made any Valentine's Day plans, I decided to plan a small adventure. Antonio had a rare Sunday off, and I found out that it was free to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park this weekend. We're a little broke after getting our car fixed from the accident back in October, but on the upside, we have a really nice car again! Perfect for adventuring. So I did some googling and mapping, and decided that we'd leave our apartment after my anatomy lab on Saturday, drive the 4 hour hours to Alamosa, camp in our car at a Walmart, and then go see the sand dunes at sunrise.
So we packed up some water, sandwiches, trail mix, and donuts. I checked the weather and it was going to be around 19 degrees overnight, so we layered on fleece and wool socks and packed plenty of warm clothes. Antonio outfitted the back of the car with sleeping pads and blankets and pillows. He hung lanterns from the hooks and handles near the passenger seats, and packed our books and some crossword puzzles. We gave Puff extra food and hay and said goodbye to him, and I felt sad because I am a crazy rabbit-lady now. Antonio reassured me that he would be ok by himself for one night. Then we got in our car and drove South, the whole way listening to the 90's and 00's radio station, trying to sing and remember the lyrics to songs we loved in middle school.
Eventually we got off the highway and started driving West. It was dark by then, and there were no towns or lights around us. We looked up at the sky--spectacularly clear and and detailed--and realized it had been a long time since we'd seen this many stars. As we kept driving, dark mountains loomed on either side of us and our ears popped as we gained elevation. Eventually we went through some tiny towns. At first we'd see a few collapsing barns, and then shabby houses with porches full of furniture and odd objects, old trucks parked out front. Downtown there were stores and cafes with funny names, like a pizza shop that was called "All Gonn". We passed a mining museum that had creepy mannequins staring out from the windows.
We drove through some more darkness and eventually got to Alamosa, which thankfully had no mannequins in windows. We got to the Walmart and parked in the back near an RV and another SUV with a camping setup in the back. We decided to go in and buy a jug of water before we went to bed. As we walked through the Walmart we passed a grizzled old man, staring at the ground and shuffling by us with a cart full of beer and plastic bags. We watched as he went to the SUV we parked next to and began unloading his things into his car. After buying our water we moved to a different spot a little further down.
We crawled around inside our car and eventually got all tucked in for sleep. I used my coat to cover the window next to me and realized I felt very exposed and not tired at all. We both read our books for a short time and then tried to sleep. I now know that sleeping in your car in a Walmart parking lot is not an easy thing at all. Around one or two in the morning a tow truck and a van parked near us, and unloaded a street sweeper and a couple of guys with leafblowers. They noisily cleaned the parking lot of dust for a few hours.
My alarm went off at 5 a.m. and we woke up slowly, preparing to see the sun rise on the dunes. Inexplicably, there was an empty black sedan parked directly next to us. Our breath had fogged up the windows car and the freezing temperatures had turned the condensation into ice. We piled into the front seats and tried to start the car. The battery was dead. It seemed as though Antonio accidentally kicked on the headlights while crawling around in the car, and they remained on all night. We looked around for other people to give us a jump, and spotted a truck pulling into the parking lot. Antonio flagged him down and asked for a jump, and he came right over. I was amazed at how nice people can be at 5 in the morning. Antonio spoke to him in Spanish as they attached the cables. As soon as all the ends were attached the car came back to life. After a few minutes we were thanking him and we both drove away. We stopped at a McDonalds to get some hot water for our tea, and even though there was a slight mishap involving spilt tea as Antonio jerked the car, we were in pretty good spirits.
The sun rose as we drove. It was beautiful. Bright oranges and pinks and purples and blues spreading over the plains and Mount Blanca in front of us. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains rose up on our left, more unknown mountain ranges rose on our right. We stopped at a rest stop and read that this was sacred land to Native Americans, in the past and today. We passed herds of grazing deer and elk. We stopped to listen to the sounds of their hooves on the ground, their quiet bleating and munching. As we arrived in the park we heard the wild yipping of foxes. All around there were ranges of colors, and all types of landscapes. Prairie, scrubland, pinon pine forest, 13,000 foot mountains, snow and streams, and then the sand dunes. Huge, expansive mounds of brownish sand. It looked like we stepped into the Sahara. We walked into the dunes and realized that everything was larger and farther away than it seemed. There was almost no one else there and every few moments we paused to listen. You could hear nothing. I had read that this was the "quietest park in the contiguous 48 states".
We were cold when we first started exploring, but warmed up quickly after walking up the dunes. We spent a few hours hiking around, trying out some sledding with a broken sled we found, lying still in the sand, eating trail mix, and taking in the scenery. It was unlike any other place we'd ever seen or been. We had the place almost to ourselves and felt a heavy, pleasant, peacefulness.
We eventually left the dunes and ate lunch. After not sleeping and hiking in the dunes, we were too exhausted to hike anywhere else. We began the drive home and enjoyed the scenery that we had missed in the darkness the night before: huge, snowy mountain ranges, vast prairie, and a herd of pronghorn deer. In those times I feel so lucky to live in Colorado. It was snowing in Denver as we arrived home. We trudged upstairs, greeted Puff, and fell asleep.
2.07.2015
The Off Hours
Most days, I get back to 1715 Mill River Great Barrington Road around 6 pm. My stomach is rumbling and therefor first course of duty is the fill it. My first week of work I had angel hair pasta almost every night. Since then, I've been eating more balanced meals, I promise. Miso soup, pork chops & fried rice with bok choy & butternut, and John made excellent burgers and fries roasted in bacon grease this past Wednesday...fyi, apple auto corrects bok choy to "boo toy."Johnny is at the apartment on and off. I joke that we are destined to be at the apartment when the other is not there. This is actually the first weekend since I moved in that we both are present. Tony and Sam frequently stop by and it is nice to have them and Tikka. Poe hides when anyone else is around especially Tikka.
When it is just me, I enjoy eating my dinner and cuddling with Poe. Sometimes I will turn on an episode of Friends, New Girl, or Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries while I eat. When not sucked into the computer, some evenings I will do a little yoga or indoor exercises such as jumping jacks and squats however all and all I am in the "winter weight" swing of things. I look forward to anything above 25 degrees, days light enough long enough, and no wind so I may start running again. Then I read a little, journal a little, and go to bed.This morning I happily finished a book I had started when I first moved in "North and South" by Elizabeth Gaskell and have moved onto Tom Robbins' "Still Life With Woodpecker." It is my first Tom Robbins novel and I am truly delighted!
Tomorrow I plan on taking my first adventure in the Taconic Wilderness and go cross country skiing before attending the first evening of a weeklong intensive about biodynamics. Wohoo!
That is a short update for now. I will try to think of something more enthralling to write about next time.
2.02.2015
1.22.2015
It takes a village
Some new friends have already joked that I belong to a cult. And they are not far off base. Camphill Village is an intentional community - I have gone from one cult (Allegheny Mountain School) to another. And so far I love it.
Camphill Village in the US started in 1961 at the site I work at. It is the largest and oldest of the Camphills in America. There are about 25 homes in the village each headed up by a house mother and father. Some have children and some do not. 4-6 villagers (adults with disabilities) along with 2-3 interns/assistants also live in the homes.
All villagers, interns, and some or both house parents have work placements in the different workshops in the village - the seed shop, the book bindery, the weavery, the bakery, the cafe, the glass shop, the estate (they work the grounds), the vegetable garden, the healing garden, the dairy, the woodshop, and the candle-shop.
Each morning, the village rises and each house has their morning meeting followed by breakfast and quiet hour. After quiet hour, everyone heads out to morning work (9-noon). I am the "work-master", yes this is the actual working title that gets used at the village and I have told them I don't like it, of my room in the seed shop where we are responsible for getting the seed clean and ready to be packed.
In the morning, I work with three villagers Kelly, Elizabeth, and Danny (we are joined by Patricia on Thursday mornings) and three interns Arafat, Greg, and Philip. Greg and Philip are with me all day. At 10:30 am we break for tea and cookies, for real, and then go back to work until noon. The village eats lunch from 12:30-1:30 followed by a rest hour. Some days I eat at a house and other days I eat in the seedshop or greenhouse and then try to take a nap usually in front of the wood stove in the greenhouse. Then I have an hour to catch up on things I need to do or ask questions of Ian, the work-master of the other seed room where seeds are packed and shipped. Ian has largely been the person training me and getting me up to speed while my supervisor, Lia, gets back in the swing of things (she is a new mom to an extremely cute 9-month old Eleanor).
Afternoon work begins at 2:30. There are eight villagers that work with me in the afternoon and one new intern, Lindsay. The villagers in the afternoon, Oliver, Rukin, Mishka, Ellen, Danny (again), Sheila, Linda, and Sherry are talkers and the room is noisy and semi-productive. Oliver, Rukin, and Ellen especially make me laugh with their antics. Work ends at 5 and after cleaning up my room and shutting every thing down, I am usually leaving and headed back to 1715 Mill River Great Barrington Road around 5:15.
Everyone I have met at the village so far has been extremely gracious and a little crazy for sure. I fit right in. When I get in my car, often times I am emotionally tired and sometimes physically as well. It is only possible to stay in each moment with the work and with my co-workers. Of course I still have nerves about whether or not I am doing a good job especially with the high bar set by the previous assistant manager and each day I feel a little more comfortable and get to know my co-workers a little more that I am starting to feel like a tile in the mosaic.
I am inspired to write a blog post about each of my co-workers or maybe a couple at a time as there is so much to be said about each one. I feel incredibly lucky to be in the position I am and to have such a full work life. I think I am in danger of making my work my life (which would be the same of my past two jobs - they always came first).
And with that, Poe and I say goodnight!
Camphill Village in the US started in 1961 at the site I work at. It is the largest and oldest of the Camphills in America. There are about 25 homes in the village each headed up by a house mother and father. Some have children and some do not. 4-6 villagers (adults with disabilities) along with 2-3 interns/assistants also live in the homes.
All villagers, interns, and some or both house parents have work placements in the different workshops in the village - the seed shop, the book bindery, the weavery, the bakery, the cafe, the glass shop, the estate (they work the grounds), the vegetable garden, the healing garden, the dairy, the woodshop, and the candle-shop.
Each morning, the village rises and each house has their morning meeting followed by breakfast and quiet hour. After quiet hour, everyone heads out to morning work (9-noon). I am the "work-master", yes this is the actual working title that gets used at the village and I have told them I don't like it, of my room in the seed shop where we are responsible for getting the seed clean and ready to be packed.
In the morning, I work with three villagers Kelly, Elizabeth, and Danny (we are joined by Patricia on Thursday mornings) and three interns Arafat, Greg, and Philip. Greg and Philip are with me all day. At 10:30 am we break for tea and cookies, for real, and then go back to work until noon. The village eats lunch from 12:30-1:30 followed by a rest hour. Some days I eat at a house and other days I eat in the seedshop or greenhouse and then try to take a nap usually in front of the wood stove in the greenhouse. Then I have an hour to catch up on things I need to do or ask questions of Ian, the work-master of the other seed room where seeds are packed and shipped. Ian has largely been the person training me and getting me up to speed while my supervisor, Lia, gets back in the swing of things (she is a new mom to an extremely cute 9-month old Eleanor).
Afternoon work begins at 2:30. There are eight villagers that work with me in the afternoon and one new intern, Lindsay. The villagers in the afternoon, Oliver, Rukin, Mishka, Ellen, Danny (again), Sheila, Linda, and Sherry are talkers and the room is noisy and semi-productive. Oliver, Rukin, and Ellen especially make me laugh with their antics. Work ends at 5 and after cleaning up my room and shutting every thing down, I am usually leaving and headed back to 1715 Mill River Great Barrington Road around 5:15.
Everyone I have met at the village so far has been extremely gracious and a little crazy for sure. I fit right in. When I get in my car, often times I am emotionally tired and sometimes physically as well. It is only possible to stay in each moment with the work and with my co-workers. Of course I still have nerves about whether or not I am doing a good job especially with the high bar set by the previous assistant manager and each day I feel a little more comfortable and get to know my co-workers a little more that I am starting to feel like a tile in the mosaic.
I am inspired to write a blog post about each of my co-workers or maybe a couple at a time as there is so much to be said about each one. I feel incredibly lucky to be in the position I am and to have such a full work life. I think I am in danger of making my work my life (which would be the same of my past two jobs - they always came first).
And with that, Poe and I say goodnight!
1.05.2015
Your Reflective Posts Made Me Feel Reflective
New Yeeeeear!
In 2014 I'm proud of:
-Going back to school!
-Starting a yoga program at Sturgis and landing a salaried yoga teacher job!
-Saving up enough money and moving somewhere totally new!
My favorite memories of 2014:
-Teaching my kiddos at Sturgis
-Visiting Lisa in Virginia
-Nina and Pat's road-trip visit to the Cape
-Gaby's bachelorette and bridal shower and Gaby and Jake's wedding <3
-Enjoying our last beautiful summer days on Cape Cod, and then packing our whole life into our car and moving to Colorado
I kinda gave up on personal New Years' goals, but I do have one goal this year: submit my grad school application in the fall! It's actually a lot of mini goals within one big goal. I only have four prerequisite classes left, and I'm 95% sure that I'm going for Occupational Therapy. There's only one school here in CO that offers it, so I'm putting all my eggs in one basket, but I'm doing it! Ahh!
I'm so thankful for all of you beautiful people in my life, and I miss you all the time!
1.04.2015
happy new yeeeear!!!
Happy New Year, dear loves!!!!
Lisa's list of intentions for the new year has inspired me to finish a list of my own, born of gratitude and hopes and loves <3 (We have a lot of crossovers, Lis! Not surprising. Let's do some of them all together:)
• yoga everyday. be truly, utterly, blissfully committed to my training and my practice
• meditation everyday, no matter how short or how long
• surfing! (at least once a week)
• trip to Colorado with friends!! yes!!
• begin to plan my next big trip with Patrick. Some ideas are Iceland, the Shetland Islands,
or Costa Rica (it's okay if the trip doesn't happen this year, but we'll start making plans for the near future)
• grant the patience and kindness I give to others to myself
• begin work on a children's book (I have a few ideas!)
• eat more super foods and green things
• begin volunteer work (some ideas are food banks and animal shelters)
• go hiking in the White Mountains! All the tiiime!!
(Once a month is probably a more realistic time frame)
• learn songs by heart on the ukulele and sing them with friends
• make GoPro videos! (I got a surprise one for xmas! it was on mega sale:) Take adventures to make them! We made our first one last night when we went wandering in the snow storm by the water and found our neighbor's lost little pug shivering in the snow! Our next one will be when we go out surfing today.
• write creative stories inspired by people I know
• do a new drawing every two weeks
• cultivate and nurture my etsy site. post something new at least once a month
• host potlucks! once a month
• do at least one random act of kindness a week (this could be sending someone a letter, paying the toll for the person behind me, baking someone surprise cookies, etc.)
• and, though I'm not really in control of this, become an auntie!! Provide loving support for Angie and Tim throughout their experience and hug the heck out of that little bean when it gets here.
xoxoxoxo.
love to you all.
• yoga everyday. be truly, utterly, blissfully committed to my training and my practice
• meditation everyday, no matter how short or how long
• surfing! (at least once a week)
• trip to Colorado with friends!! yes!!
• begin to plan my next big trip with Patrick. Some ideas are Iceland, the Shetland Islands,
or Costa Rica (it's okay if the trip doesn't happen this year, but we'll start making plans for the near future)
• grant the patience and kindness I give to others to myself
• begin work on a children's book (I have a few ideas!)
• eat more super foods and green things
• begin volunteer work (some ideas are food banks and animal shelters)
• go hiking in the White Mountains! All the tiiime!!
(Once a month is probably a more realistic time frame)
• learn songs by heart on the ukulele and sing them with friends
• make GoPro videos! (I got a surprise one for xmas! it was on mega sale:) Take adventures to make them! We made our first one last night when we went wandering in the snow storm by the water and found our neighbor's lost little pug shivering in the snow! Our next one will be when we go out surfing today.
• write creative stories inspired by people I know
• do a new drawing every two weeks
• cultivate and nurture my etsy site. post something new at least once a month
• host potlucks! once a month
• do at least one random act of kindness a week (this could be sending someone a letter, paying the toll for the person behind me, baking someone surprise cookies, etc.)
• and, though I'm not really in control of this, become an auntie!! Provide loving support for Angie and Tim throughout their experience and hug the heck out of that little bean when it gets here.
xoxoxoxo.
love to you all.
1.03.2015
Yanuary zee sickond Tweenty Fifetine
The 2015 list is made and I need help coming up with number fifteen. I want your thoughts!
In no particular order, well, the order that I thought of them and wrote them down, 15 Things I Want to Accomplish in 2015:
In no particular order, well, the order that I thought of them and wrote them down, 15 Things I Want to Accomplish in 2015:
- Meditate more, as in everyday, even if it is only for 30 seconds.
- Cut back on sugar
- Visit La and Antonio
- Go on at least one new hike per month April-November. This is eight new hikes. I'd like to do Tumbledown Mountain in Weld, Maine as one of these hikes if anyone is interested! Preferably during the summer so we can swim in the pond at the top.
- Go on a beach camping trip
- Save $10,000
- Spend an entire day/weekend with a good friend at least once a month
- Blog every other week (this entry counts)
- Play guitar/fiddle/piano for a 1/2 hour once a week
- Develop rock hard abs
- Go kayaking/canoeing/paddle boarding once a month April-November. Surfing would count too.
- Limit Facebook time to a total of 15 minutes per day
- Participate in a community theater performance or join a choir
- Plant a fruit tree in my parent's yard
- ?
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| Pond at top of Tumbledown |
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