Life List Update

I've had a few things to check off The Life List for awhile now but a few tiny little details were causing my inner critic to stall. I felt compelled to have gorgeously staged photos to blog about it first.You know what? I'm letting go of that today and just showing up. Quick photo and all.

Checking off: Plant a Garden in the Yard
Our first step into gardening is this humble little raised bed. It's cute and it's manageable. I do not have what some would consider to be a "green thumb" but I'm tickled pink that things are growing. We got a late start getting it in and right now I'm thankful for the cooler weather we are having to give my little garden a chance. 

Next off the list? Wine! 
If you have known me for awhile you know I always am quick to declare: "I don't like wine." I really didn't. It became a quest for friends when we were gathered to have me try the sweetest wine they could think of. I'm a vodka girl through and through. I love my martinis. That was until a friend handed me a glass of sweet white poured over frozen grapes! Brilliant! I don't think it would be any surprise to you to learn that my new favorite wine is called: New Age. Fitting. Now to be truthful I rather prefer this wine as a spritzer or Tincho which probably makes a lot of wine connoisseurs disgusted but I like it the way I like it and that is just fine with me!

The fact that I suddenly now like wine (sort of) shouldn't really surprise me as I've found that my tastes are changing as rapidly as my body these days. It was just a few months ago when I discovered I like cooked cauliflower after a lifetime of dislike. My body is also becoming increasingly more sensitive the more work I do spirit wise. I gave up soda and fast food. Next was Red dye 40 after having some allergic reactions every time I consumed it. Most gum and mints? Those are out too. I will spare you the rant I have about how everything is dyed and artificially flavored these days. It really is unnecessary and my body is clearly not happy about it. Interesting how sometimes the more we come alive the more we "feel" as well.

Lastly a fun update. I was contacted recently by Lori Nelson Spielman asking for permission to use my photo for her website. She wrote a novel about a woman who has to complete the life list she wrote at age 14 in order to earn her inheritance. It will be released in 2013. I'm very much looking forward to reading it when it comes out!

At this rate I will have to start adding more to my list. Any suggestions?

Glass Beach

 

Last week my husband and I escaped happily away to Kauai, Hawaii for a vacation to celebrate our upcoming 10 year anniversary. It was incredible! I am never disappointed with Hawaii, ever. This was our first time to the Garden Island and probably my most memorable trip to the islands yet. I have so much I want to share about our time but will break up the posts as to not overwhelm you all with too many photos.

First, I have a confession. I am an obsessive beach comber. If I get started it is very hard to stop! So when I did a preliminary search on the web for sea glass beaches on Kauai I was so ecstatic to learn there was in fact one. Most of the stock photos I saw were taken years ago so I didn't' allow my hopes to get too high but still was going to check it out no matter what.

I didn't let a local shop owner deter me when she said that she had heard there was no longer any sea glass at the beach (later we wondered if she was trying to deter tourists from the area). When we set out to find the beach in an old industrial area it looked rather unimpressive from afar. We opted to leave the rental car on paved road and walk the very gnarly dirt road to the beach.

This is what we found:

Yes, this mama was very happy! We hadn't expected to find much so we came only with an empty water bottle to fill. Local courtesy is to take only a gallon of glass a day. I had no idea that it would be possible to even get that much. To say this was a very happy place for me was a huge understatement. We were able to take home enough to mostly fill my collection jar at home. Which means I get to check this one off on the Life List!

I also feel the need to mention the WHY here. Why is this beach such a hot spot for glass? Litter. Plain and simple. The industrial area surrounding this area is full of factories and this beautiful black sand beach was previously used as a dump. It hurts to think about how much trash was dumped into our beautiful mother ocean to create this much glass washing up on the beach year after year. The truth of the matter is that yes, it is an absolutely beautiful and fun hobby to hunt for sea glass but we must remember why it is there in the first place. We haven't always nor still do respect our Mother Earth but she is resilient. She grinds down our trash and spits it right back up for us as a reminder that time is stronger than anything we can do to her. She will survive but we may not if we keep doing this to our planet.

Silence really is golden

Yesterday I spent the majority of my day not speaking. No it wasn't a silent treatment directed at my husband, but a series of exercises in pure blissful stillness. I am rounding out my 8th and final week of a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction class based on John Cabit Zinn's curriculum and approach to meditation. The class has been an eye opening experience on how many of us (myself very much included) get skillfully good at going through our days on auto-pilot. Everything from the way we eat to the way we drive can become incredibly zoned out. The exercises I participated in yesterday were something I did not ever envision myself sitting through so peacefully. Which led me to the realization that I am behind in checking off one item on my life list: Learn the Art of Meditation.

Here is what I now know to be true about meditation:

You don't "learn" to meditate. Meditation is not a destination. It is a practice. It is not a skill, it just is what it is.

Meditation is about being gentle with yourself and what you can do in this moment. There are no "shoulds."

Taking a walk through the woods listening to the sound of the wind in the trees and noticing the color of the grass is a meditation.

Sitting quietly in your car focusing on one breath, then another.....and then another before stepping out into your busy day is a meditation. 

Placing your attention on your toes and breathing with that tiny part of your body is a meditation. 

Eating your food one slow bite at a time, tasting, feeling, smelling and seeing is a meditation.

Meditation is not about thinking about absolutely nothing, but instead an opportunity to compassionately reel yourself back in as your mind slips away.

You see, what I've learned over this past year is that I do in fact already have everything inside of me I need to know to practice meditation. Every day life is a meditation if you allow it to be. If you practice noticing, sensing, feeling then you are practicing a form of meditation. Something I was not aware of when I was plunking down wishes on my life list. I realize now it isn't a skill that can be learned but an artful practice that occurs moment to moment to moment every day of our lives. 

Namaste~

Round and Round

I think writing out my Life List has really given it momentum. I cannot believe that I have crossed off yet another item. All in less than 4 months time I have checked off 4 things! That means I need to dig deeper and start adding some bigger dreams to the list. Maybe I'm making it too easy on myself. Or maybe writing down my intentions helped give them flight. Whatever it is, it seems to be working for me on getting them done.

Yesterday just happened to be my first ever Pole Dancing class. You'll remember I almost crossed it off my list a few months ago. Please overlook the grainy iPhone shots. They are just my proof that I was there. That I did it anyway. Even though I was extremely nervous about making a fool out of myself. My friend who was supposed to come with me canceled at the last minute which upped my anxiety just a bit more. For half a second I thought about bailing. I love to try new things just not so much when they involve coordination, dance steps and going it alone. But I did it anyway.

I'm feeling sore and little bruised today but I know this is something I can go back and learn more from. It can teach me how to unwind that tight protective rubber band of a ball I have wrapped around my facade. It can teach me to feel the music and move with it. It can teach me to laugh again. Plus there is absolutely no argument on how awesome of a workout it is! My arms tell me so.

I want to send out a special thank you to Allison from Ophidia Studio for hooking me up with a free session and teaching a kick-ass class! I hope to be back very, very soon!