This week marks some very exciting new adventures in this forty-something's life. Two revelations followed by action! THAT is the joy of forty-something. No more wishful wonderings. No more procrastinations! This is the decade of action! This is the decade for some self-analysis.
An example of some recent self-analysis: Where have I been for the last 10 or so years? Apparently I haven't been paying attention to pop culture. I mistakenly thought that marinating in Downton Abbey, Pixar, Frozen, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 24, Dwayne Johnson, Meagan Trainor, Taylor Swift, and getting an iphone would be enough to rate me as pop-culture saavy. So HOW, pray tell, did I miss Harry Potter? Well, truth be told, my kids were a bit young when Harry hit the scene. Additionally, Lord of The Rings releases continued to parallel the release dates of the beloved wizard's films. There was NO competing with the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, for me. I did actually go to the theater to watch the first Harry Potter film, the name of which totally eludes me. Sorry, to the HP lovers. I've been content with my decision to not pay attention to all the Harry Potter craze, until this week.
My kids have been allowed (THAT'S another story...) to watch Harry Potter, 1-4, recently, over a bit of time. It has, every now and then, become fodder for dinner table conversation, during which I could not participate. Call me a jerk, but I was ok with that. I didn't love that my 6 year old could narrate through some "dodgy" scary dramatic retellings of magic, sorcery, and various evils faced by Mr. Potter, et al. Yikes! Really? My first two kids had barely graduated from watching Dora The Explorer when they were 6 years old. Ugh. I digress. Anyway, the HP subject emerged once again this week at my parents' dinner table. Yesterday, the marathon began. Why not? I joined in the viewing fun. Ok, after two entire films, I am starting to get it. They are quite enjoyable, and I am glad that I decided to step out a bit. Here's to trying something new, number one.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, there were two revelations. Harry Potter, being the first. Secondly, something quite ordinary. Riding a bike. Riding a bike is fun. It was actually an activity I frequently enjoyed when I was younger. It's probably been a FULL twenty years since I last rode a bike. Wait, am I wrong about that?? Um.....no, actually, I am not. Wow, that's really embarrassing. Anyhoo...my kids and I rented some bikes a couple of days ago. Normally, I would not rent a bike, really. Like, WHY would I RENT a BIKE? Well, I have three kids who are here on Cape Cod with no bikes. It was merely the RIGHT thing to do.
So, after signing life-waiving paperwork and fiddling with ill-fitting helmets for what seemed like half of our rental time, we were on our way! Indeed, holding fast and staying straight on my little vintage-looking Wizard Of Oz bicycle was NOT EASY. For real. They say "it's like riding a bike" when referring to things that you may have forgotten, but return to your muscle memory as fast as a whipping willow branch in the wind. Oh, I was a wee bit shocked at how NOT like riding a bike riding a bike was. It was weird. After a good 30 minutes, my bike stopped wobbling. HA!
We sped along a sweet and flat bike path that hugged the salty sandy goodness of the ocean's edge. I really didn't think that taking my three kids on a bike ride would be so much stinking fun. Wow, was I wrong. Even if my bum was numb for an hour.
Maybe some of you think it odd that I haven't taken my kids for a bike ride, or that I haven't watched Harry Potter movies. Maybe you think it silly to write a blog about such basic things. Maybe you DON'T even CARE!!! The point of it all is that it can be such a great thing to just step out and do something, two things, three things that seem silly.
If there is anything that is your Harry Potter or riding a bike, give it a try! Being forty is cool. You stop caring if people think you're lame for not having known who Dumbledore is until this week, or if you think riding a bike is worth squealing about.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Monday, July 6, 2015
THE POWER OF JOY in the simple things.
There are many reasons to feel fear, anger, frustration, despondency, and a lack of hope, lately. Just watch the news if you aren't sure to what I am referring.
YET, there are also many sources of joy. Joy and gratefulness are tried and true antidotes to the above list. Acknowledging the need for joy and gratefulness is not mutually exclusive from dealing with the real issues unfolding in this world. I am not suggesting burying one's head in the sand. Still, if we are not careful we begin to slide down a slippery slope of negativity that is not only slippery but steep. Have you ever tried to get out of a deep hole surrounded by slippery and steep walls? NOT easy.
Sometimes, baby steps of joy, especially if one has been sliding down the slippery slope of discouragement, negativity, frustration, fear, etc...are REALLY important. I am not giving a prescription to true depression, or chemical imbalances. This is a blog about more simplistic things, for people who have merely forgotten HOW to know, practice, and recognize joy in the simple things.
This is a simple blog post written by a simple woman. I am not a doctor, or psychiatrist, or any particular expert in any particular field. Just a 40-something woman feeling her way around this crazy thing called life. Some things have worked, some things have not. Finding joy in simple things REALLY works for me. So I wanted to share.
Pick something, anything, that makes you smile. Keep it clean, buster(ette)! This is a family blog. I mean something that really makes you happy. Only YOU know what it is. I also don't mean something wishful. Think of something SIMPLE. Perhaps a walk. Perhaps pausing to hear that cheerful song of a bird in tree in your front yard. I'm aiming to get you to think about something really simple. Maybe it's a few minutes of stretching, or looking at a flower, or painting your nails. OF COURSE there are deep wells of joy that come from a Source that is AMAZING and long-lasting...that is a deeper thing. The goal of this blog is to keep it simple.
There is nothing to feel guilty about when thinking about something simple and sweet and lovely, and getting it. FOR YOU. ALL for you. A good old taking, for yourself. YES...listen you WOMEN out there. We often feel so guilting for wanting, taking, or needing anything for ourselves. I'm not talking about a big blow-out vacation here. I am talking about a little sparkle-tinkly event of joy. Think of something....that's it.....hold it in your mind and heart, and go do it, get it, grab it, laugh with it, smile with it.
Some examples? Glad you asked. I LOVE chai. I really don't like coffee (much to the horror and misunderstanding of my coffee-snob husband). I love the milky color. I love the origins of chai (it's from India, and it reminds me of what I love about other places in the world...different and interesting). I love the spices in chai ("traditionally prepared by a decoction of green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground ginger, and black peppercorn together with black tea leaves"--from Wikipedia). I LOVE the journey and adventure of trying to find the MOST amazing chai. Wherever I travel, I try to find chai. It's silly, really. It's just a beverage. Yet, WHEN I find some good chai, it makes me SMILE! I celebrate the place that successfully made it. You could say it's an obsession, maybe. I think more importantly, it's just fun. Wonderful fun. My kids know how much I love chai, and they think it's fun too. I always give them sips of whatever chai I find. They are developing an appreciation for chai. FUN!
One more simple pleasure is my love of Ireland. YES, how complicated it is to GO THERE. It's pricey, eh? Yet, the simple-pleasure part is that sometimes I watch a movie filmed in Ireland, and it makes me happy. Sometimes I re-post an image from places I love in Ireland, and it's REALLY satisfying. Sometimes I see a picture of a leprechaun, and I laugh because it reminds me of how we, as humans, have vast imaginations.
Are there things that you really love? Ok, now see, take, eat, taste, touch, imagine it...relish it. Smile about it. Share it. Joy is POWERFUL.
Cheers!
YET, there are also many sources of joy. Joy and gratefulness are tried and true antidotes to the above list. Acknowledging the need for joy and gratefulness is not mutually exclusive from dealing with the real issues unfolding in this world. I am not suggesting burying one's head in the sand. Still, if we are not careful we begin to slide down a slippery slope of negativity that is not only slippery but steep. Have you ever tried to get out of a deep hole surrounded by slippery and steep walls? NOT easy.
Sometimes, baby steps of joy, especially if one has been sliding down the slippery slope of discouragement, negativity, frustration, fear, etc...are REALLY important. I am not giving a prescription to true depression, or chemical imbalances. This is a blog about more simplistic things, for people who have merely forgotten HOW to know, practice, and recognize joy in the simple things.
This is a simple blog post written by a simple woman. I am not a doctor, or psychiatrist, or any particular expert in any particular field. Just a 40-something woman feeling her way around this crazy thing called life. Some things have worked, some things have not. Finding joy in simple things REALLY works for me. So I wanted to share.
Pick something, anything, that makes you smile. Keep it clean, buster(ette)! This is a family blog. I mean something that really makes you happy. Only YOU know what it is. I also don't mean something wishful. Think of something SIMPLE. Perhaps a walk. Perhaps pausing to hear that cheerful song of a bird in tree in your front yard. I'm aiming to get you to think about something really simple. Maybe it's a few minutes of stretching, or looking at a flower, or painting your nails. OF COURSE there are deep wells of joy that come from a Source that is AMAZING and long-lasting...that is a deeper thing. The goal of this blog is to keep it simple.
There is nothing to feel guilty about when thinking about something simple and sweet and lovely, and getting it. FOR YOU. ALL for you. A good old taking, for yourself. YES...listen you WOMEN out there. We often feel so guilting for wanting, taking, or needing anything for ourselves. I'm not talking about a big blow-out vacation here. I am talking about a little sparkle-tinkly event of joy. Think of something....that's it.....hold it in your mind and heart, and go do it, get it, grab it, laugh with it, smile with it.
Some examples? Glad you asked. I LOVE chai. I really don't like coffee (much to the horror and misunderstanding of my coffee-snob husband). I love the milky color. I love the origins of chai (it's from India, and it reminds me of what I love about other places in the world...different and interesting). I love the spices in chai ("traditionally prepared by a decoction of green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground ginger, and black peppercorn together with black tea leaves"--from Wikipedia). I LOVE the journey and adventure of trying to find the MOST amazing chai. Wherever I travel, I try to find chai. It's silly, really. It's just a beverage. Yet, WHEN I find some good chai, it makes me SMILE! I celebrate the place that successfully made it. You could say it's an obsession, maybe. I think more importantly, it's just fun. Wonderful fun. My kids know how much I love chai, and they think it's fun too. I always give them sips of whatever chai I find. They are developing an appreciation for chai. FUN!
One more simple pleasure is my love of Ireland. YES, how complicated it is to GO THERE. It's pricey, eh? Yet, the simple-pleasure part is that sometimes I watch a movie filmed in Ireland, and it makes me happy. Sometimes I re-post an image from places I love in Ireland, and it's REALLY satisfying. Sometimes I see a picture of a leprechaun, and I laugh because it reminds me of how we, as humans, have vast imaginations.
Are there things that you really love? Ok, now see, take, eat, taste, touch, imagine it...relish it. Smile about it. Share it. Joy is POWERFUL.
Cheers!
Sunday, June 28, 2015
A RECIPE FOR BEATING THE 40-SOMETHING BREATHING BLUES
A RECIPE FOR BEATING THE 40-SOMETHING BREATHING BLUES
Cape Cod. It is the destination of many vacationers, worldwide. The place of sandy beaches, fresh seafood, collecting seashells, salty-air walks, and taking a breath.
Imagine my glee when my parents announced that they would be purchasing a home in a sweet town located in the "Upper Cape", a part of Cape Cod that is located close to the "armpit" of the muscle-making arm, on a map, known as Cape Cod. Having spent the first and most amazing 9 years of my life near Cape Cod, in Duxbury, this news made me feel giddy. The ocean is in my blood. My family spent almost EVERY day on the beach every summer of those first 9 years.
OH, how my heart, mind, and soul have missed the sandy beaches of my youth. Now, more than youthful fun, it feels like oxygen-giving breathing therapy. Life is more than merely taking a breath. It is a daily experience of discipline and obligation. YET, as a 40-something woman with many disciplines and obligations on my plate, living here on Cape Cod and taking a breath is sweeping out my insides.
Perhaps some of you can relate to your heart, mind, and soul's need for oxygen, for breath. Life can get mighty imbalanced, even with the BEST intentions. We pay a cost if life is imbalanced. By one's 40s that cost begins to require payment. It's a cumulative thing. One's life is pretty fresh, invincible, undaunted, and full of spending until the 40s. We aren't machines. We aren't robots with no expiration date. Our bodies, minds, and spirits begin to show wear, tear, and evidence of cumulative stress. Taking a breath is no luxury. It is essential to having a quality, long life.
HERE is a RECIPE FOR BEATING THE 40-SOMETHING BREATHING BLUES, this summer:
1. Adventures at the beach (exposure to the ocean/water measurably reduces stress), pond, lake, fountain, or any other body of water near you.
2. Exercising (uh, the list of benefits is too long to list here). Check out www.pimpyourmat.com for an AMAZING and affordable, at home lifestyle/wellness program.
3. A massage or two (touch stimulates healing, and stimulates the lymphatic system which flushes out illness-causing impurities). Google "organic spa" in your area. You want quality oils on your body!
4. Take yourself out to a really nice, healthy, meal. Maybe even a few times this summer. Just you and your delicious food. Oh, bring a book and put down that darn iphone or smart device thingy that drains your attention. Try to find a place that sources their food locally. You will LOVE it.
5. Eating more FRUIT this summer. Really, it's the season for fruit. Berries should be organic. BUT if you can't go organic, just make sure you wash them with a good fruit wash (I sometimes use lemon juice) to break up the pesticides on the fruit. You will feel SO happy!! Fruit is pretty and yummy and juicy.
6. Consistent aromatherapy (the system of smell is directly connected to the brain) via a diffuser, or a couple drops on your hand. I can hook you up with some ridiculously pure and effective essential oils that support calmative and relaxing effects on your system.
7. MORE beach, other body of water, outside fresh air fun. Perhaps paddle boarding, sailing, hiking, walking, laughing, collecting treasures from nature with your spouse, friends, or kids.
8. Watch some really good movies when it's raining.
As for me, in addition to the above ingredients, I add writing, reading, visiting with my aging parents, more time with my kids, a family breathe time with my husband at the end of the summer, and LOTS of prayer for wisdom for this upcoming year!
If you feel and hear a need to take a breath, it's no miscommunication. Take stock of how you can take a breath, and DO IT. Especially if you are 40-something. Stress will take it's toll. Please find some time and methods that will help you to breathe.
Cape Cod. It is the destination of many vacationers, worldwide. The place of sandy beaches, fresh seafood, collecting seashells, salty-air walks, and taking a breath.
Imagine my glee when my parents announced that they would be purchasing a home in a sweet town located in the "Upper Cape", a part of Cape Cod that is located close to the "armpit" of the muscle-making arm, on a map, known as Cape Cod. Having spent the first and most amazing 9 years of my life near Cape Cod, in Duxbury, this news made me feel giddy. The ocean is in my blood. My family spent almost EVERY day on the beach every summer of those first 9 years.
OH, how my heart, mind, and soul have missed the sandy beaches of my youth. Now, more than youthful fun, it feels like oxygen-giving breathing therapy. Life is more than merely taking a breath. It is a daily experience of discipline and obligation. YET, as a 40-something woman with many disciplines and obligations on my plate, living here on Cape Cod and taking a breath is sweeping out my insides.
Perhaps some of you can relate to your heart, mind, and soul's need for oxygen, for breath. Life can get mighty imbalanced, even with the BEST intentions. We pay a cost if life is imbalanced. By one's 40s that cost begins to require payment. It's a cumulative thing. One's life is pretty fresh, invincible, undaunted, and full of spending until the 40s. We aren't machines. We aren't robots with no expiration date. Our bodies, minds, and spirits begin to show wear, tear, and evidence of cumulative stress. Taking a breath is no luxury. It is essential to having a quality, long life.
HERE is a RECIPE FOR BEATING THE 40-SOMETHING BREATHING BLUES, this summer:
1. Adventures at the beach (exposure to the ocean/water measurably reduces stress), pond, lake, fountain, or any other body of water near you.
2. Exercising (uh, the list of benefits is too long to list here). Check out www.pimpyourmat.com for an AMAZING and affordable, at home lifestyle/wellness program.
3. A massage or two (touch stimulates healing, and stimulates the lymphatic system which flushes out illness-causing impurities). Google "organic spa" in your area. You want quality oils on your body!
4. Take yourself out to a really nice, healthy, meal. Maybe even a few times this summer. Just you and your delicious food. Oh, bring a book and put down that darn iphone or smart device thingy that drains your attention. Try to find a place that sources their food locally. You will LOVE it.
5. Eating more FRUIT this summer. Really, it's the season for fruit. Berries should be organic. BUT if you can't go organic, just make sure you wash them with a good fruit wash (I sometimes use lemon juice) to break up the pesticides on the fruit. You will feel SO happy!! Fruit is pretty and yummy and juicy.
6. Consistent aromatherapy (the system of smell is directly connected to the brain) via a diffuser, or a couple drops on your hand. I can hook you up with some ridiculously pure and effective essential oils that support calmative and relaxing effects on your system.
7. MORE beach, other body of water, outside fresh air fun. Perhaps paddle boarding, sailing, hiking, walking, laughing, collecting treasures from nature with your spouse, friends, or kids.
8. Watch some really good movies when it's raining.
As for me, in addition to the above ingredients, I add writing, reading, visiting with my aging parents, more time with my kids, a family breathe time with my husband at the end of the summer, and LOTS of prayer for wisdom for this upcoming year!
If you feel and hear a need to take a breath, it's no miscommunication. Take stock of how you can take a breath, and DO IT. Especially if you are 40-something. Stress will take it's toll. Please find some time and methods that will help you to breathe.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
When is it time to just DO IT?
At the risk of sounding tragic, I am at that point in life when I have decided to have no regrets. At 44 years old (this year), I'm think I am considered middle-aged. That reality has been motivating my new passion...compulsion...obsession...Writing and making films.
HA! A mere hobby, you say. Not really. This will pass, you say. Maybe not. A delusional pursuit of grandeur. Maybe. All I know is that the desire to learn about and the NEED to make films is burning in my belly.
ONE YEAR AGO, I applied to attend a really great summer film program at a really great college in Massachusetts. I got in! The acceptance into that program rocked my world because I had NO experience in film. I just really wanted to learn. For a variety of reasons, I was unable to attend. As a result of that hurdle, I decided to make my own short film as a form of education. The experience rocked my world. In fact, in one week we are having the premier of my short film, here in Colorado. One year AFTER my first big "JUST DO IT" attempt (applying to a summer film program), I am still and ever-increasingly in hot pursuit of more experiences, more learning, and more gosh darn fun in the world of FILM!
Do YOU have any dreams or passions that you feel called to, but haven't know if and when you can get going on it? I hope you do. I certainly can't speak about YOUR timing. That is a very personal thing. Yet, is there anything that has been nagging at your heart, for years? Something you want to learn more about? Something you've always wanted to try? Maybe that is because there is a purpose for that dream, a NEED in the universe for you to act on it.
I believe in God. I believe in purpose. I believe God, at a heart level, gives us our purpose. What is YOUR purpose, your passion? Don't forget the other aspects of life, though. You know, the mundane. There IS a purpose in the mundane, the struggle. Those things can be a huge part of your journey. The mundane balances out the compulsions and passions. My encouragement to you, and a reminder to myself, is that sometimes it IS the right time to JUST DO IT!
HA! A mere hobby, you say. Not really. This will pass, you say. Maybe not. A delusional pursuit of grandeur. Maybe. All I know is that the desire to learn about and the NEED to make films is burning in my belly.
ONE YEAR AGO, I applied to attend a really great summer film program at a really great college in Massachusetts. I got in! The acceptance into that program rocked my world because I had NO experience in film. I just really wanted to learn. For a variety of reasons, I was unable to attend. As a result of that hurdle, I decided to make my own short film as a form of education. The experience rocked my world. In fact, in one week we are having the premier of my short film, here in Colorado. One year AFTER my first big "JUST DO IT" attempt (applying to a summer film program), I am still and ever-increasingly in hot pursuit of more experiences, more learning, and more gosh darn fun in the world of FILM!
Do YOU have any dreams or passions that you feel called to, but haven't know if and when you can get going on it? I hope you do. I certainly can't speak about YOUR timing. That is a very personal thing. Yet, is there anything that has been nagging at your heart, for years? Something you want to learn more about? Something you've always wanted to try? Maybe that is because there is a purpose for that dream, a NEED in the universe for you to act on it.
I believe in God. I believe in purpose. I believe God, at a heart level, gives us our purpose. What is YOUR purpose, your passion? Don't forget the other aspects of life, though. You know, the mundane. There IS a purpose in the mundane, the struggle. Those things can be a huge part of your journey. The mundane balances out the compulsions and passions. My encouragement to you, and a reminder to myself, is that sometimes it IS the right time to JUST DO IT!
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