Monday, September 21, 2015

Weekend at the new house

Oh hey there, blog friends.
Phew. If my mind accidentally forgot what I did this weekend, my body would remind me. Lots of physical work for both of us, but I'm pretty sure Doug isn't feeling it the way I am. Yoga lets me feel really strong in my body, but there's no yoga pose that matches shoveling...


That's going to be our new turtle habitat. It started out as a crummy looking flowerbed, filled with rocks and sticks and lots of carpenter nails from past construction. I worked on this area Saturday and Sunday morning for a while, loosening the ground (with Doug's help) and sifting through the dirt - slowly clearing it out for our shelled friends. I do hope they appreciate this!


I worked in the dirt until it got too hot for me, then there was plenty to do inside. It might seem silly, but I really do love listening to Doug's paint-job-radio while I work over there. There's something nostalgic and basic that is just kind of fun. :o)


The original color I chose from the tiny little paint card felt too dark, so Doug got a lighter sample and we both like it much better. I'm about 25% nervous about having him paint the cabinets this color, and 75% excited. I hope I love it. I think I will.


Our tile floors were scheduled to start going in on Thursday of this week, but the job got moved up to today, so there was a lot to clear from our floor space to get ready for this morning.

Doug is juggling working at our new house with his regular work for clients. He had cabinets to paint for a job he's working on, plus our cabinets, so he combined work with play(?) and painted both this weekend. {Our bathroom cabinets are going white.}


In all my life I have never seen anyone who works as hard as Doug. The push is on this week to put the finishing touches on so we can move in next weekend. Doug hasn't had a full day off in a few weeks now and I worry that he'll overdo it. This must be how he is so strong {swoon} and doesn't have sore muscles after working in dirt and scrubbing cabinets. ~sigh~ Anyway, sending little prayers for Doug today as he deals with a few different trades, plus a client who really wants her cabinets done.


That sliding glass door in the photo above is going to magically turn into French doors by the end of this week.


We got the keys to this house five weeks ago today. The transformation has been incredible, all thanks to Doug! And it was really fun yesterday to be able to take all the masking paper off the kitchen countertops and to actually clean the space where I'll soon be preparing meals. I took some fruit over for Doug to have this week {the pantry is stocked with not-so-healthy fare}.

And then there's Lucky the dog, footloose and fancy free.



This week...well...I'm trying to wrap my head around all the stuff we're taking on, while also trying not to be in my head too much about it. There's a whole lot of stuff to be done and I know that the important things will fall into place. I also know that we'll roll with the things that don't get done, or maybe don't get done in the way I really hope they'd be done. ;o) It's all about rolling with the flow at this point.

And while I'm rolling with the flow of the new house remodel and upcoming move this weekend - plus a week off work next week with possibly no internet - this little blog space will be on a little break. I decided to cut myself some slack and not have blog-post-planning be on my list of things to do in the next couple of weeks.

I'll catch you on the flipside, my friends.
And if you're good with a shovel, come on over next weekend...

Friday, September 18, 2015

Just a Quote for Friday



"We are the creative force of our life, and through our own decisions rather than our conditions, if we carefully learn to do certain things, we can accomplish those goals."
~ Stephen Covey

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Where everybody knows your name

"Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name..."
 
Cheers Theme Song Lyrics, Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo



My original yoga teacher training was a 19-week, 200-hour level program. Over the course of those weeks, I enjoyed building strong friendships with my 22 classmates. We saw each other every Thursday and Friday evening for 19 weeks, plus some weekends thrown in for good measure.

And we worked on projects together during those 19 weeks. We worked together, learned together, were vulnerable together, and every single one of us knew each other's names. Friendships were formed in that 19 weeks that I know will be with me for the rest of my life.



Now as I work my way through the 300-hour yoga therapy program I've noticed a lot of differences in the way my new classmates interact. For one thing, the yoga therapy program is an ongoing program. It is a rotating program - meaning there's not a stop or finish - you attend until you've made the full round of two-year's worth of once-a-month weekend workshops (in addition to completing many written assignments and yoga practices). Students complete the program and hence, discontinue attendance, and new people join each month.

While there are familiar faces from month-to-month, the evolving dynamics of the group makes it more challenging to really get to know everyone. After nine months in the program, I'd guess that I knew maybe 25% of the participants names, if even that. That's a low percentage for me. I like to know names.
 


Our teachers change from month-to-month and this past weekend we had the pleasure of learning from Heath Reed. Heath's level of enthusiasm for body work and yoga is so infectious. His motto, "Breathe. Move. Love." is heart warming and just downright awesome. His teaching style is FUN.

Heath did something during our workshop this past weekend that was so simple yet so profound! He had us play a fun game where we got to know each other's names! Seriously, after nine months with some of the same people (the group is about 30 members strong), I FINALLY know everyone's name! And they know mine! We had fun together as a group. We came together as a community. We spoke each other's names.


As a yoga student I have always appreciated when a teacher knows my name. It personalizes the relationship in such a sweet and simple way, touching the very essence of who I am. Deb. And as a yoga teacher, I do my best to use my student's names. I speak their names not on purpose - like not in a manipulative way - but because it means a lot to me to know their name and to address them that way. Speaking someone's name says they matter - it validates their very existence.

Many of my classmates this past weekend commented on how much they enjoyed the game we played that resulted in each of us getting to know everyone's name. Saying farewell at the end of the weekend felt so different this time - like the temporary parting of a community. We'll be back together next month and I know that the camaraderie will be different now that we are a more familiar group.

I feel so grateful for the gift of community that was fostered by a teacher that I am grateful for as well. What an awesome Universe this is.

You can learn more about the beautiful work Heath and his wife, Nicole, do by visiting their website and reading their blog. They have a YouTube channel with lots of really great and useful videos for stretching and healing, and a Facebook page as well. I highly recommend that you check them out!

Thanks for reading, [insert your name here]. It means so much to me.
~ Deb

PS: My next yoga/mandala workshop is coming up on October 10th. I'll say your name if you attend. ;o) You can find more information by clicking here.

Monday, September 14, 2015

A weekend of yoga and turtles

It's Monday, and there's a hint of fall in the air.
Hooray!!! (for the fall part, not the Monday part...}
;o)
And not that Monday is necessarily a bad thing, it's just that I could really use an extra day. But who couldn't?

I wish I had something to tell you other than my usual oh-my-gosh-what-a-busy-weekend, but it's just the way it is right now. I don't say busy like it's a bad thing - it's just that between yoga teacher training (all weekend) and our pending house remodel and move...well...let's just say that I'm having to really focus on living in the moment in order to maintain a sense of...well...not freaking out!!!

While the turtles are oblivious and happy out in their cozy habitat, Doug and I are running circles around here. I've purchase a really big plastic tub and a large bag of shredded bark that's used for reptile habitats to house them temporarily at our new place. Repeating in my head, "They'll be fine, Deb...they'll be fine..." They will.


It's 5:45 a.m. as I type this, and Doug has already left for the day. He's meeting roofers at the new house this morning to have a leak around the fireplace repaired. We're changing out all of the windows in the house to the more energy efficient dual-pane kind, and that happens tomorrow. Along with our electrician friend who will be there today or tomorrow to hang lights. Doug is going to be able to start painting walls this week, and French doors and floor tile will be installed next week. {And there you have the very condensed version of the new-house-to-do-list.}

As part of my current yoga teacher certification program, I attend a yoga teacher workshop one weekend a month and that happened this past weekend. It was a really great workshop with one of my favorite teachers, and my scribbly doodles in the photo above happened on day-three when my mind was so full of anatomy talk that I started to check out just a little. I'll have a post on Wednesday with a little more about this weekend's workshop. Loved it!!!
 
This week along with my full-time-corporate-job, I'm teaching yoga three evenings after work. My heart is filled with so much gratitude for my yoga practice and the fact that I am finally able to share yoga with others through teaching. I'm praying for a shift in the near future that would allow me to follow that dream full time. In the meantime, I keep plugging along knowing that my super-full-plate won't always be this heaped-up-to-overflowing.
 
I have a house to move.
And there's a hint of fall in the air!!!
And a new week to grow in.
Wishing you all kinds of blessings this week,
and a reminder to breathe if your plate is full too.
xo

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

It's September and I'm...



Sporting #TealToesForMarti ~ September is ovarian cancer awareness month, so we paint our toes teal in support of that cause, and also to remember my mom's fight against it. It's hard to believe it's been almost three years since her passing. I miss her every day.

Packing and purging and organizing for our upcoming move.

Planning what to do with our turtles at the new house.

Shopping online for new light fixtures, blinds, pull-out garbage cans, a sunflower doorbell cover...

Taking a chance with a whole new color scheme for the new house.

Dreaming of the great big mandala I plan to paint on a wall in my new yoga/craft space.

Reading anatomy books for yoga teacher training.

Practicing yoga more in my mind than on my mat. That's better than not at all, you know?

Breathing super deep and slow on a regular basis.

Preparing for my next yoga/mandala workshop scheduled for October 10th.

Looking forward to having the remodeling process behind us and settling into our new home.

Taking a week off from work to move at the end of this month. :o)


Asking you to join in support of ovarian cancer awareness this month by painting your toes teal. If you do that, and if you post a photo, please use the hashtag #tealtoesformarti so we can appreciate you.

I hope whatever you're doing in September turns out awesome for you!

Monday, September 7, 2015

This weekend's home improvement...

Hey there, blog friends.
It's my favorite kind of weekend recap - the kind that's done on a Monday morning that's still part of a three-day weekend. Happy Labor Day to my readers in the United States!

The past couple of days have been full-on working at our new house. Progress is being made, but there's still a lot to do. Doug has been wearing himself out over there, so I was really happy to be able to lend a hand these past couple of days. It's super dusty over there, and I caught a glimpse of us in the mirror, both with masks on but looking happy just the same. I really love this first photo...


My future yoga and crafting space. There's going to be a great big mandala on this wall someday...


Yes, that is a large black refrigerator sitting in the middle of the living room floor. The previous owners left it behind and it's actually been really great to have over there. We keep cold drinks and snacks in there for Doug and his occasional helpers. We'll eventually move it out to the garage for extra fridge and freezer space. {Thanks prev owner!}


We needed more space for a microwave/exhaust hood over the stove. Instead of replacing that section with a smaller cabinet, we decided to raise the existing one up a little. We are both really happy with the way that looks. Here's Doug holding it in place while I take a few photos...


Priming the cabinets for paint. My hubby is pretty much The. Best.


One of the things we are super excited about in our new home is the potential of the backyard space. It's way down on the list of priorities so it will be a while, but I love that Doug already removed the old screen frames from the patio. It totally opened up that space and we're good with that for now.


Saturday night, exhausted, dinner...


Sunday morning, back at it...




Sunday night, exhausted, sore knee for Doug...



Phew. That was a lot of hard work and dust and sweating and we are far from finished. Things are escalating now and there's a lot to coordinate over the next couple of weeks. Plans to have stained concrete floors had to be scrapped, so we chose some floor tile we love yesterday. Now to pick paint colors and get that part going. I've ordered light fixtures online, we bought ceiling fans yesterday, looked at possible finishes for the fireplace, oh man... The list seems to go on and on.

But anyway! We're taking today off from the new house and catching up around the ol' place. Doug is restricted to paperwork today, and I'm off to tackle laundry and do more packing.

Life is good and busy and exciting.
Have a great week, my friends.
PS: And I didn't even mention the yard sale that Carrie and I had with our friend Kristi on Saturday morning! Fun and hot and we're doing a repeat at the end of this month. :o)

Friday, September 4, 2015

Just a Quote for Friday

"Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed."
~ Dr. Wayne Dyer

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Broadening our future by redefining past stories

A few months ago if you had asked me about my childhood, I would have told you my default story. It's been the same story I've always told - how my dad left us several times and my mom was a struggling, emotionally charged single mom. "It was a hard childhood," I would have dramatized. "One with lots of emotional turmoil and uncertainty."

When I came across the prompt to write about my favorite childhood memories of summer a couple months ago, for a split second I defaulted to my sad story. But as I thought about summers back in the small town where I grew up, I was able to quickly list 10 things that had been really wonderful. I realized that there really are good stories to be told about my childhood, and that I had unconsciously covered them up by focusing on the sad times instead.






We all have things in our past that were hurtful, and as humans we tend to hold on to those things as part of who we are. Perhaps we do this as a defense mechanism, rationalizing that by holding on to those events we may be better prepared if it happens again - we remain cautious when we no longer need to be. And sometimes, quite by accident, those things can dominate our story. They become the part of our story that defines who we think we are.

What if we began to re-tell those stories from a different perspective? What if, instead of the terrible thing, we remember something good around it? Might we even find a lesson we learned as a result? Or something good that finally came out of something bad that happened in the first place?

Of course, there are things that have happened that are always going to feel like the worst thing ever. That's life in this current body. But what if the next time you think about that time you do so with a bit of self-compassion and nurturing in the mix?



One of the things I've been working on this past year is forgiving my father for not being the dad I wish he had been. As an adult I realize his actions were selfish and had nothing to do with me. His choices were completely out of my control, and one of the ways I'm working on finding forgiveness for him is by revisiting some of my childhood memories through the eyes of an adult.

One of my earliest memories - and always one of my main stories - happened when I was five years old. I was coloring at our kitchen table when my parents entered the room and were having a heated discussion about my dad leaving. My mom was hysterical and was begging him not to go. My dad "couldn't take it anymore" and it was clear that he was [from my five-year old vantage point] running away from home. I remember being frozen with fear. I didn't move a muscle, afraid that I would be noticed there at the table, with my little hand wrapped tightly around a blue crayon.

I can close my eyes and recreate that entire kitchen scenario in my mind and body - and believe me, I've done just that many times over the course of my life. That single memory has haunted me for years! But now, as an adult, I can put myself in that place and have different thoughts about it. I can tell my five-year old self, "It's ok, Debbie. This is not about you. Mommy is scared right now but she'll be better, and everything really will be ok!" And really, everything has turned out just fine for me in the long run - and ultimately for my mom as well! That was an upsetting moment, but it was over a long time ago.

I have become a compassionate observer of that story, rather than the frightened child still experiencing the event.



As I practice sending nurturing thoughts to that particular piece of my story, I am more free to find forgiveness for the people I'd blamed for the wrong that had been done. I am able to articulate feelings now that I couldn't as a five year old, so I'm able to bring a different perspective to that part of my story. Is it still a sad memory for me? Of course. But it doesn't define my entire childhood anymore. I have a healthier perspective through the eyes of an adult.


The simple act of listing my 10 favorite summertime memories brought about a refreshing realization that I have made progress in my quest for healing and forgiveness. Even though there were hard times, the good times totally outnumbered the bad. I'm personally dedicated to bringing the good memories to the forefront - to have the good things become my main story instead of the ones I used to tell.

I wonder what stories you tell about your past. And I wonder what stories you could heal from a perspective of love and compassion for yourself and maybe those who may have wronged you. Might you be able to change some of your own stories that way?
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