Ready, Go! #15

I cry at
Hallmark commercials.
Weddings.
Kitten videos.
Funerals.
And graduations:

Happy faces, thoughtful speeches, surrounded by students and their families and friends who are all filled with wonder and excitement for
What
Will
Be.

Off The Island

Last night I got kicked off Facebook,
and subsequently, Instagram.
I had shared a promotional video for a local school, and tagged several alumni in the comments section.
I'm not sure if someone flagged it as spam, or the Facebook gods saw something they didn't like, but instantly I was out; unable to log in.

I went through several stages of grief...

And now I'm at the Orange Zone.
Yes, I can establish new FB and Instagram accounts, but...
Do I Want To?

Will I miss cat videos? Yes.
Bad puns? Yes.
But will I be OK?  Yes.

If I say goodbye to Facebook,
what's in it for me?

Time.
Time no longer wasted; sitting, unmoving, plugged in to the nearest outlet, curled up tight, like a well-armored, slow-moving armadillo avoiding a hungry coyote.

Comfort.
Comfort of moving around, not straining my eyeballs at a tiny, bright white screen.  Comfort of not holding a hot little phone clenched in my numb fingers.  Comfort of holding my head in an upright position, and noticing the world around me.

Freedom.
Freedom to ride my bike, clean my house, putter in my garden, ski down a glorious mountain, go for a roadtrip,
WRITE.

Will I miss
"Liking" and
"Commenting" and
"Emoji-ing"?
I'll be OK.

I'll miss you all.
But we are all still here.

Email me, or call me if you'd like.
Or comment through Blogger.

Ginger Cake

So many spices swirl in autumn.

Every Monday through Friday, 

I meditate to several smells;

filling my senses, as I warm my hands 

with a daily cup of chai tea

before work.

The spices in chai range from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Viet Nam, and Madagascar.  I can only imagine 

harvesting these crops at far-away farms.

Freshly grated ginger, seems the most fulfilling:

It is fruity, almost a cross of lemon and orange, and yet spicy...

It's smell, more than any of the others,

clears my breathing,

and the taste consistently

tingles on my tongue.

About once a year or so,

John bakes a ginger cake from scratch,

for the students who travel 

from all over the world, 

to the private art school 

where he teaches.

He's baking another tonight.

All of the spices,

(much like chai tea),

have traveled from spectacular

corners of the world.

Autumn is a time of change;

a time to release,

a time to begin to seek light 

as the skies darken sooner,

and a time to appreciate

tastes and scents we can only know from farmers far away.

What I Did This Summer

I went for a walk
with John and a friend
and her dog, Luka,
this past weekend.
And we discussed:
"What would you do,
if you re-started your life"?
Swim more.
Write more.
Build a business around Feldenkrais.
Explore more...
So after going for a swim this morning,
after heeding advice;
I'm writing more
"Me Stories"
here, and on Facebook.
And this morning,
I'm also uncovering
Oliver,
my typewriter.

Can I send you
a type-written creation?
Private message me
your address,
and I will!

Near My Heart

When I was 10, I was thrilled to become a horse owner.
Shadow WAS a shadow;
following me around the pasture whenever I checked the fences,
nuzzling the back pockets of the gentleman who trimmed his hooves,
and being constantly gentle and curious around me and my friends as I  cared for him, and learned to ride.
Shadow was with me for 32 years,
and when he died, I saved some of his long tail hair.  He was like most Appaloosas; with a white rump with dark spots, and the rest of his coat shifted from a blonde palmino hue to gray, but his mane and tail always had several shades of brown and gray and blonde; a virtual rainbow of horse colors.
Just recently I found an artisan in Colorado who is a woodworker, she fashions horse-hair tassels into necklaces that are works of art.
And Shadow is next to my heart, again.

For more information:

Oliogoods.com

Paris Will Always Be The City of Light

I started writing this blog
in May of 2007,
just prior to my husband and I traveling
to France for 3 months.
We flew into Paris in May,
and flew out of Paris in August.

Paris is an ancient city
that crackles with a current, hip vibe.
It is stylish and busy,
yet is filled with streetside cafes
where you can sit all day
and read, enjoy spectacular food and drink,
or just people-watch.
History, art, and culture
ooze from every street, river and building.
Parks fill the city, as does music,
and sidewalk vendors sell
new and ancient art prints,
glorious flowers, and display
fresh fruits and vegetables
with an effortless artistic flair.
It is a beautiful city
filled with beautiful people
from all nationalities.
It is still the City of Light.
That
will never change.

Ready? GO! #14

Travel...
Go, wander, explore.
Experience, taste, feel.
Open your eyes to
New.

Ready? GO! #13

Do you wash dishes...
Or let them wash you?

http://www.realsimple.com/health/mind-mood/washing-dishes-mindfulness?xid=soc_socialflow_facebook_realsimple

Ready? GO! #12

Thoughts on
what brings me joy:
Nature:  What is miniscule and un-noticed;
tiny things that are in the grass, trees, immediately surrounding us
and within reach.
And Greater Nature:
What is beyond
our world; the moon, clouds,
always-present, but
always-invisible
thoughts and sensations.
Looking at a tiny form,
gazing at the moon,
or feeling any strong emotion,
is specific to each person.
And is amazing,
and always precious.

Ready? GO! #11

I began Ready? GO!
As a space to share
joy,
funny quirks,
noticing nature, and
spreading goodwill.

Share your happy thoughts
here,
and on Facebook.

And share with friends.

Thought of the day:
A crockpot is your own
private chef;
preparing perfect meals
while you are away.
Thank you, crockpot.
You rock.

Ready? GO!

Live music at a friend's front porch.

Ready? GO! #9

Waking from home to
Santa Fe Plaza
for
Free- Museum Night,
dinner,
and
beautiful moon for
the walk home.

Ready? GO! #8

Pure pride:
Today, one of the
high school students
I work with,
wore a suit and tie.
Today was school photo day.
When asked if it was his idea,
or his mother's,
"It was my idea".
Completely Spectacular.