Normal

A friend of mine recently posted a list of
"What Makes Me Feel Normal"
on a day that she felt out of sorts.

I'm in:
(In no particular order)

Opening one of my Dr Seuss books;
and reading like it is the first time.

Wooden clothes pins,
wet laundry on a clothesline;
middle of summer.

Painting my toenails "Summer Purple".

Laughing on the phone
with family and friends.

Receiving snail mail;
personal postcards, small boxes and letters!

Dusting off my
grade school/high school yearbooks
and smiling at our hair.

Playing with the
wedding ring on my finger
in a ray of sunlight.

Sitting outside with a breeze on my face,
reading with a radio on nearby.

Rubbing the belly
of either of our cats.

Holding John's hand.

San Diego/Hillcrest Rock and Walk

I will be traveling
to San Diego
about
every two months
for continued
Feldenkrais training:
Whale watching was on
"my list of things to see and do"
during this trip.
Surfing lessons
next trip!

-M

"127 Hours" - Whew.

I've enjoyed a few movies in the last few weeks.
In my humble opinion; they all rock:
"True Grit" - more wonderful than the first version,
(which was among my "favorites of all time").

"The King's Speech" - a history lesson,
a lesson in learning about others,
and a lesson in friendship.
Uplifting and eye-opening.

And just this evening:
"127 Hours"
Whew.
Glad I didn't take along
anyone who would have freaked;
because they WOULD have freaked...
And to those others in the auditorium:
You really SHOULD
read reviews
and possibly
READ THE BOOK
before you view a movie based on a
TRUE STORY
in which a
lonely hiker gets into trouble;
and a part of him
is trapped by a rock
with only one way
he can complete escape
and survive...
This ain't Disney, folks.
But it was a fine movie,
and almost as good as the book.
(And I apologize to those
who started IN the auditorium,
and could not stomach
staying IN
and had to leave
during the
very
painful,
time-consuming,
excrutiating
portion).

I'm packing a big, sharp, serrated knife
on my next hike...
-M

Why?

To the stranger
(from near my hometown)
who sent me the lovely
Craftsman-style table lamp:
Thank you
and
Why?

Who Will Help On Boxing Day?

Boxing Day:
(Wikipedia)
A clue to Boxing Day's origins appears in the Christmas Carol, "Good King Wenceslas". Wenceslas, who was Duke of Bohemia in the early 10th century, was surveying his land on St. Stephen's Day, 26 December, when he saw a poor man gathering wood in the middle of a snowstorm. Moved, the King gathered up surplus food and wine and carried them through the blizzard to the peasant's door. The alms-giving tradition has always been closely associated with the Christmas season, but King Wenceslas' good deed came the day after Christmas, when the English poor received most of their charity.

A plan for today:
You know all the NEW stuff
you will use and enjoy in 2011?
Now think of
the older stuff...
Box up those clothes,
old blankets and towels,
dented pot and pans,
and all the things
you don't use
you haven't used
that don't fit
that went to the back of your closet
deep in your cupboards
gathering dust and cobwebs in your garage...

Take time
TODAY;
pack them up
drive to your nearest
Goodwill
Salvation Army
Homeless Donation Area
Humane Society

and give
to those who
WILL
use them.

To New Traditions...

John and a friend from the studio
spent Thursday making
tamales.
What a great tradition to begin!

Plaza Holiday Season

Arm Rests

Cat a pult

Where once Cisco was banished to the outer porch to eat...
He and Luna now (somewhat behave and) eat within whiskers of each other.
Cisco does, however - continue to enjoy hanging on doors
looking in windows...
and yowling.

San Diego #1

San Diego, California:
(A slower pace than I expected...)



Hillcrest neighborhood,
Balboa Park,
La Jolla Beach, and
walks around the neighborhood.
I liked the mellow vibe,
the ocean breezes,
the friendly residents,
and the wildlife!




































Thanks to the instructors and classmates
at Feldenkrais Institute of San Diego;
you all made me feel welcome
and a comfortable part of the group.
I look forward to continuing my training
over the next few years.
And to San Diego;
yours is a wonderful city,
Hillcrest is a warm and mellow place,
and during my future visits I will plan
exploring all of Balboa Park,
checking out the San Diego Zoo,
finally learning to surf (!),
and getting to know more about your great city.


And yet,
arriving in Albuquerque...
I smiled when I looked through the doors
as I exited the airport...
It is nice to get home again.

Ten Surprises

A friend in China was challenged to blog "10 surprising things" about herself.
She then challenged her readers to do the same.
Sounds like a nice way to rack my brain.






Ten Surprises:

#1 Both my mom and dad were in the military during WW II.
They both recommended I NOT join the military.

#2 I like spiders.

#3 I wish I could wear my crazy flip-flops year-round,
because I'm not a fan of socks.

#4 My grandmother loved to travel, my mom is outspoken,
my father perfected mellow; and I hope I am a good mix of all three.

#5 Life is too serious; I hope I never lose my sense of humor.

#6 I wish I were a more adventurous eater. I'm picky.

#7 In another life I was probably a cab driver. In Chicago. In the 1920's.

#8 I love Halloween. I love creating costumes.
I love candy corn. And caramel apples.

#9 I hope I never stop driving a stick shift.

#10 My dad probably saved me from drowning at a very young age,
(age 2-3, fell in the river; he pulled me out).
I will always love, and yet respect bodies of water.

#11 BONUS! My first spoken word as a baby wasn't " ma-ma" or "pa-pa"
it was a perfectly pronounced "Airplane"... go figure...


Now your turn - you have my list - share yours!

Patients/Patience

I work with patients in a hospital every day.
And every day
I get frustration
hopefulness
inspired
laughter
crying...

I get drug-addled confusion
combativeness
crazy conversations
forgetfulness
and child-like trust.

And sometimes
I get no response at all.

But every day I attempt
to remember that each patient
is terrified they will die
or terrified they may live
confused
worried about finances
worried about their families
worried about their pets
worried that life as they knew it
may never happen again.

And I attempt to remember
and to share
kindness
truth
support
encouragement
faith
strength when they feel weak
confidence when they feel hopeless
and joy
when they go home.

Remember that all health care workers
nurses
therapists
cleaning staff
doctors
and even people working in the cafeteria...
We all wish that we could go out of business;
wish that no loved-ones would ever be ill
that there would never be a reason for surgery
that no one was sick
or injured
or failing
or dying.

And we are sorry that patients
must have
patience
while they are here.

Santa Fe Farmer's Market 7/31/2010

Met a friend of a friend
at the Santa Fe Farmer's Market yesterday:
Sherri Brooks Vinton has written a fun book about canning
"Put 'Em Up!"
for more information: sherribrooksvinton.com




Enjoyed the sunny squash blossoms ALL OVER THE PLACE.