Lately, the Things that I Like

UNC Tar Heels. Ranked #1! Hansbrough just points away from history. Who needs the silly, overpaid, over-blinged NBA when college b-ball is THIS good??



Yoga. Never has an hour of working out (and yes, it IS working out, ya gym rats) felt this great. Who says that you've got to kick box, run for days, or climb a million stairs to do something good for your body? Try doing (and holding) "the wheel" and you will be humbled. I yoga with girls from work every Wednesday at lunch time. Our instructor is a 60 year old rubber band with a soft and soothing voice. It's great to feel the burn, to hold "plank" for longer you ever thought you could and to settle into "dead man" at the very end to rest after all that work. Namaste.

Starbucks Verona Blend. Worth mentioning as I am currently on 3rd cup of day. Not new to this girl blogger, but a longtime friend. A go-to and often the highlight of a Saturday morning on Alki. No blend is better. And believe me. I have searched high and low and tried and tried. Wish I could say that "X" blend of "X" mom and pop local coffee shop wins for best brew the world over, but I'm not there yet. Go Verona. So smooth, bold.

Indoor Herb Garden. I don't know about you fellow gardeners. But it is mid-March and still well below freezing. This week it was a balmy 27 degrees in Seattle. I had to scrape ice. I dream of planting and flowers growing and herbs taking over. But the way things are going that won't be happening until early July. Until then, I discovered (economic, even) indoor alternative: little herbs in a cup! Where did I find these? Yup, that's right. Your local neighborhood dealer for fine Swedish furnishings. IKEA. You get a little cup with a little brown tablet and packet inside. You add 4 oz of water to tablet and LIKE MAGIC real live dirt instantly fills cup. You sprinkle seeds and just days later you see little green curls of herb. I will have chive and basil. Hopefully.

My job. Where I work. We've had a tough run these past few weeks and months. We moved, which wasn't great but turned out okay. Our budget took a big hit and we lost some GREAT people, which really wasn't okay. And still isn't okay. But the dust settles and spring comes and plans are made and we all move on. A winning team hasn't hurt. Neither has a stock market that has finished well the last 4 days. And Husky mascot puppy "Dubs" is darn cute. Yes, folks. This just might be the start of an upswing. After a long and dark winter of worry, we are ready and it is time.

Sense and Sensibility. Who doesn't love a good social commentary? Funny how well you can relate to scribbles from centuries ago. Poetry, really. A fan of finding new books, new stories to absorb and share, but oh. A re-read. Like visiting with an old friend who hasn't changed at all but whose same soft (but SHARP!) words mean something new. The Emma Thompson adaptation is fantastic as well. For once you are not dumbing yourself down if you opt for film over book.

Mom's recipes. Merilee Hill, the sweetest, has been "learning the computer" and typin up the recipes I grew up loving. Thank God for computer classes and email because NOW I can whip up all the great ones in my very own kitchen. It's true. Moms have the touch. And my pastitsio will never taste JUST like hers, but that is just fine. My finished product is close enough to remember easier, simpler, (tastier) younger days.

Adele! Well gosh. How has it been this long and I have yet to mention Adele!?!? Aka the voice of the year, the non-cracked out talent that is honey through even the crackliest of radios, the British gal whose "19" could serenade any given mood on any given day. Notable, chilling (in a good way my friends) tracks include "Chasing Pavements", cover "Make You Feel My Love" and current favorite "Right as Rain". i Tunes? Ready, GO.

On with the running shoes, out the door to sunny(ish) day I go! And just a word... don't forget to do your taxes! Say no to prison.

Also, shoutout to Grampa Cliff in Bend, OR! See?? I don't write about Obama ALL the time. Love you and miss you!

Oh.. next blog: Planning Your '09 Summer Vacay!

Newsworthy

Inauguration. So that happened.

That day I somehow resisted the temptation to take vacation and instead opted to curl into my cubicle with kleenex and streaming CNN.com. Such a proud and defining day. As soon as our new President was officially sworn in (and who really cares that THAT was a bit mangled), a colleague cried, I clapped, and from down the hall I heard a resounding "YES WE DID!!".

So Michael Phelps has been suspended from competitive swimming for taking a hit from a bong. Oh yeah, and he won't be able to sell cereal anymore either. Really?? Celebrities doing drugs?? Young athletes let the money and fame and time off go to their heads (literally in this case) and make mistakes? Wow. Are we really surprised? Unfortunately for young Michael, his truckload of gold medals has made him a national hero. Tons of tiny swimmers in speedos and swimcaps look to him and dream of Oly glory one day. Take a lesson from Brit Brit, Michael.... Your hard work and professional rewards have made you wonderfully famous. You don't have to be perfect. Just don't be stupid.

Also, a lonely, love-starved lady in California gave birth to a litter of babies a couple of weeks ago. Sweet babies. Silly lady. Don't forget the other SIX toddlers she has at home. Oh and she is a single parent so she will go it alone. "Ethics", judgment aside (and this lady has received plenty), SO curious to see how the coming weeks, months, years will stack up for the Angelina lookalike and her brood. Maybe (hopefully) she will defy every critic and raise very happy and healthy children (who are committed to their therapy). Far crazier things have happened.

These seasons are a-chaaaanging. Now it is February. Over the next 4 days, we will observe Friday the 13th (maybe not that one), Valentine's Day, President's Day. NEXT? First day of SPRING!! Just a month away. A few days, really. To gear up, I have daffodils on my desk at work, I am taking serious inventory of Spring wardrobe, and simply ignoring weather reports which include snow/sleet/ice/hail/cold.

The weekend takes me to Portland for a weekend with dear friends! Chit chat, chick flick, dinner, karaoke, tax free shopping await.

In considering love this Valentine's Day, a thought from someone who knew and lived the topic well:

The success of love is in the loving - it is not in the result of loving. Of course it is natural in love to want the best for the other person, but whether it turns out that way or not does not determine the value of what we have done. Mother Teresa

Much love... and happy Valentines!

Resolutions

2008. Check.

A (well, almost) Happy New Year to you all!

I feel like New Year's is an odd holiday. If it's a holiday at all. There is the crush and rush that is Christmas and just as you're catching your breath, it is time to celebrate again. Time to say goodbye and turn up the calendar and hopefully get a few more things right this time. Time to take stock.

Moments after you finish Christmas dinner, you flip on the TV to see ad after ad for gym memberships, weight loss programs, countdown parties and big sales. We're barely through one moment before we're rushed to the next. At any rate, 2009 is nearly here, and with it comes the laundry lists of resolutions. Some will be forgotten as soon as they are made, a couple will be given the good college try and none (probably) will be kept. But I believe the resolution intent is good. Of course goals are good. My blog appropriate intentions for '09 include:

• Save more $$! Diversify! Sell! Sell! Sell!
• Not feel guilted into joining a gym. Not feel guilted into quitting coffee.
• Be more intentionally kind. And aware of my words.
• Begin planning, if not travel to, next international travel destination.
• Consider, investigate ongoing education. In one form or another. Whether this means pottery class or master's degree.

So, best wishes for a bright new year. Whether you're headed downtown or couchbound this evening, may you feel hope and joy for brand new start.

Oh, and the picture above. One day I will be in Vegas for New Years. Not Times Square. Who cares about a dropping ball?? I'll bet the strip does New Years up RIGHT.

Repeat the Sounding Joy

It is Christmas Eve. Really? It seems yesterday I was out at the beach working on my tan and just earlier today I was picking out a pumpkin. Tomorrow is Christmas. It's true what they say. The older you get, the faster time goes...

I love Christmas. Most people do. What are my reasons? Well,


1. Peanut butter balls. Merilee Hill's recipe. I have tried to duplicate on my own, which should NOT be hard, there are only four ingredients (she swears, but I have my suspicions). I try and try, but they are never as good. Moms just have the touch.

2. Finding the perfect gift. Shopping ALL day (or for about 20 minutes) for that tricky person on your list. You wander. You worry. You consider popcorn in a can. And THEN. You see a display and FLASH you have an idea and it all comes together and you have found... the perfect gift. The gift people will talk about for years to come, the gift you just KNOW this person will not stash away in the "what is this, save it for a white elephant gift exchange" box.

3. Well, obviously there is the baby J. No, not me. Jesus. Laying in a manger. No story is more lovely. I still get tiny butterflies when I unpack our little family nativity.



4. The Family Stone. Quickly becoming one of my favorite holiday(?) movies. Talk about putting the "fun" in dysfunction. Who doesn't love the pothead brother from Berkeley (Luke Wilson, perfect casting), the high-strung and fiercely protective/overbearing mother (with cancer!) and the girlfriend no one likes (Sarah Jessica, sigh), all stewed together for some meaty holiday chaos. Just LOVE. Our family watches it Christmas Eve while sipping Bailey's cocoa and nibbling homemade treats. Perfect.



5. Holiday Music. Well to a point. "Warm 106.9 plays nonstop holiday favorites" makes me want to roll down my car window, poke my head out and throw up a little bit. Oh, no. Great holiday music belongs to the Carpenters, James Taylor, Nat King Cole (how can you not?), Bing Crosby and an elite few more. Who needs the Jonas Brothers do God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen? I do NOT.



6. Alki Christmas. So I have some friends who keep me company on Alki. We're like a silly little family. This year we decided to have our own little Christmas with pizza, presents and even a bowl of cash for a needy family. Just wonderful.

7. Looking Back. Christmas is a great time to evaluate the year behind you. 2008 was a great year. Highlights include the GRAND CANYON (so grand), skydiving, Barack Obama (and all that entails), Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), and of course people and the memorable moments/joy they bring you.



8. Snow. We have a white Christmas this year! Pretty special. This does not happen often in Western WA. So when we do have a trace of white or a few little flakes fall on the right day, it really means something. So magical, so quiet.

Well. Speaking of white Christmases, I'm off to curl up and pop in that Bing Crosby holiday classic. Not much else to do on a night like this! And for the record. I have always been so very jealous of Rosemary Clooney's hair/makeup/wardrobe in this movie. Just, let it be said.

Peace and joy to you.

Good Words

Our deepest fear is not that we're inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the Glory of God that's within us. It is not just in some of us. It's in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Nelson Mandela

Newer Things

It's the Sunday morning after Thanksgiving. And for the first time in (almost exactly!) four months, I feel like sitting down and capturing all this. With a cup of coffee and Sarah Bareilles (Live album).

A lot has happened the last third of a year. Autumn/Winter has set in. I have jumped out of planes, I have stood up at weddings, I have cheered the victor of a race. I climbed into and out of the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I have raised a glass and given Thanks and I have cried the tears of heartbreak.

There have been job shakeups (both good and bad), friendships, music, great books and great words. Family has gathered. I remain grateful as I continue to grow. I was telling a friend yesterday that you can love God your whole life, but what an amazing thing to continue to wrestle intelligently AND rejoice through life. My heart is full but what a gift to have a mind to reason and consider and think and discover. Because of all this, I'm a different person from what I was last year, and five years ago and twenty-five years ago. What a blessing it is to grow and change. And what a blessing it is that God doesn't.... "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20b) God's timeless presence continues to captivate and comfort me. Even when finding peace feels impossible.

I can't help but mention that (and not to get all political) I find real joy in Barack Obama's victory this November. I look forward to a return of national pride and real leadership through this bleak, bleak national crisis. Things won't change and improve overnight. It is naive to believe they could. But I eagerly await that day when I can trust the words of my president and have every reason to confidently travel to the ends of the earth and proudly say that yes, I am an American. These are the days I will tell my grandchildren about; and I will always remember where I was when it was announced that Barack Obama was elected President and there was celebrating in the streets the world over. (Conservatives, put your hankies away. It WILL be ok.)

Foggy day today. There is something so beautifully soothing about foghorns across Puget Sound this morning. So very restful and quiet. I'm about to jump up and clean my apartment from top to bottom and winterize my little garden. That seems fine but I'd really rather jump on my bike and ride till dark like I did when I was a kid. At any rate, whatever I do.... I am thankful for this day ahead and others like it. Sappiness and sentimentality aside, there is my latest.

Verbatim

From TIME Magazine (August 4th, 2008 edition):

"Wall Street got drunk."

George W. Bush, describing the nation's troubled economy at a GOP fund raiser after requesting that all cameras be turned off.

Thank you, Mr. President. For doing your part to devastate the American economy these past eight years. Thank you that millions of working American families now CAN'T afford to drive to work AND put food on the table. Thank you that millions of jobs have been lost, homes have been taken away and the money that our grandparents counted on for security after a lifetime of hard work is being poured into a thoughtless, endless and costly re-creation of a wild west showdown.

Thank you for your deeply moving and sympathetic explanation for our national crisis. This is the sort of political poetry that is sure to grant hope and comfort to the masses.....

The masses who will turn out in record numbers in November to vote for a junior senator from Illinois because he brought water to a dry America with just one word.....

Change.