Looking at three of my 5 posts, there is the recurring theme of feet. Why is that? I guess it is partly because I often gain the most grounding from my feet. Those flat, wide, block shaped duck feet that carry me through and over! :) When things get too hectic it feels good to put my bare feet on the earth of Vermont. It gives me fresh perspective and balance. Or it might be my way of starting from the Ground ..UP! So feet it is! This work in progress! Have a fabulous and joyful day.
Started reading "the Happiness Project" LOVE it!!!! I really admire the way some people can organize and articulate a fabulous desire into a process resulting in self improvement!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
Labor Day weekend 2013
Labor Day weekend. WOW... so much..fun...feelings...happiness...
As scheduled I went to the orchard for our family farm meeting. There are three times every year that all of us girls get together so that we can catch up on everything. These three occur in a fifteen week period, Labor Day Saturday, Columbus Day weekend, and a Saturday in December for Christmas. To keep connected we have to typically do this telepathically and via facebook, email and phone calls (which I am really not very good at ) but when we are together "LIVE" it is all about love, fun and lots of laughter and sometimes a little pain! :) I'll get to this!*
I (and my HunnyD) live about 55 minutes away. We get out of work, load up and head north for the first family farm meeting of the season. We are about 15 minutes behind schedule because an interesting turn of events. The night before DaughterE needed me to pick up some 'give away' stuff from her car at work on her 2nd shift lunch break. After completing this mission I drop donations at appropriate locations, my HunnyD unloads remainder to our domicile to make room for loading obligatory contents and tenting stuff after which I am too tired to do anything else that night. This leaves a few tasks for immediately after work. We arrive about 5:45, I'm surprised and happy to see that Mom, DaughterE are here as well. Delight ensues as we all hug each other and SisterL says, "Okay okay we are all together, all four sisters lets celebrate and start the night out with a shot! C'mon everybody lets all have a shot!" I am still engaged in a hug with someone when a cookie sheet of obviously previously poured shots of tequila and sambuca are thrust in front of me and I hear a familiar voice ask, "Hey lady do you want a shot?" my mind is doing a turntable dj scratch... pre poured shots... voice... familiar face, brain freeze .. heart overload!!! MELTING....DaughterM!!! My first born is here holding a tray of shots and I am squealing with delight and happiness as I hug on to her and kiss her sweet face! Over and over, disbelief.. I just can't believe it! What a fabulous wonderful surprise! SisterL and Dad have purchased airplane tickets as a wedding gift to fly her and her groom to VT for the festivities! Then I hug and kiss and proclaim my happiness to the groom. So wonderful! So HAPPY!!! My family all knew about this and kept it secret to surprise me!!!
I now know exactly how my grandmother felt that year we all drove down unannounced and just walked into her basement in-law apartment, me in the lead when she looked at me and said "Hi!" with that fully upright posture and 'you look familiar but who the hell are you?' look on her face, I quickly announced, "Gram it's me! GdaughterA!" This knowledge moved quickly through all her cells as she softened her entire being and met me half way across the floor for a happy loving embrace and "Oh my goodness!", and "What are you doing here?" then and the realization that her son, my father must be right behind and the look on her face when her eyes beheld him! What joy! yes, that is what I experienced, pure joy!!! Now I know this was a wedding gift for the bride and groom but truly I felt it was the most precious gift anyone could give ME!!!! I'm still reeling!
I love my family....
*The pain...After the whole day of being on our feet at one of these events I started a tradition of giving my two sisters that sleep over (SisterL and SisterP, ...SisterS is checking on a chicken in the oven) a foot soak and massage before they go to sleep. It is in an effort to show them how much I appreciate them and recognize all the hard labor they do. They go to bed with clean refreshed feet after a long, full day running on the dirt and hopefully the next day can navigate without hobbling. At the end of the day there are usually several coolers half full of icy slush water (just so you don't get the wrong idea that I am a saint *wink*) as all the cooler contents have been consolidated into two coolers with the sun having set some hours ago. This being the most convenient water soaking contraption available began a tradition! They soak their whole feet for as long as they can stand it in the ice water, I do a brisk towel friction rub and lotion massage. All they have to do is lie back and go to sleep! I missed the massage last year so this year I shook it up. Mostly because there were goose and gander comments being tossed about.. with the lid of the cooler propped open we sat on three sides of the cooler with a blanket at our feet for cushion. We all submerged our feet deep into the icy hell that was in that cooler. Holding our feet in as long as we could while laughing, howling and screaming bloody murder at the top of our liberated lungs, (nice to be in the boondocks) then removing them until our feet slightly revived for dip number two! The whole time SisterP's son-in-law is watching and laughing.... Dip two is hellacious icy burn and PAIN worse than dip one... not the time it is IN the ice water, but when we withdraw the feet to room temperature! Screaming more howling and laughing our guts out. In the midst of the screams of pain we throw in a few "Oh it feels so good!" still hoping to dupe Son in lawA to be fool enough to dip in too. Anyone with half a brain knows you can't do just two. It's a law of physics or maybe psychos (?) that three must happen, so here we go for dip three... Yelling, howling, cursing each other and laughing all the while Son in lawA is snacking on leftovers while holding a stuffed, fuzzy ladybug pillow under his arm, (a retrieval mission assigned by his beloved daughter) chuckling and laughing out loud while we anguish in our self induced trauma! As we finish the banter and bitchin' and why the hell do I let you do this to me we invite Son in LawA to have a go? Believe it or not??? He comes over carefully setting aside earlier mentioned lady bug pillow rolls up the pant legs, removes footwear and goes in for the plunge! All I can say is I have whole new respect for Son in lawA! He started his (what we have now named) "Screaming foot treatment" as we rallied around with laughter and OMG's and "No you can't take them out yet's", Okay dip number two and in comes SisterL's HubbyS! inquiring about all the racket, followed closely by my HunnyD. ... The night ends with everyone having exercised their lungs fully, feet fully three dip chilled and Son-in-lawA waving goodnights and walking off to the homestead for sleep. Not before politely refusing our offers to walk him home by stating,"No thanks, I'm good, I've got the labybug!"
I love my family!
As scheduled I went to the orchard for our family farm meeting. There are three times every year that all of us girls get together so that we can catch up on everything. These three occur in a fifteen week period, Labor Day Saturday, Columbus Day weekend, and a Saturday in December for Christmas. To keep connected we have to typically do this telepathically and via facebook, email and phone calls (which I am really not very good at ) but when we are together "LIVE" it is all about love, fun and lots of laughter and sometimes a little pain! :) I'll get to this!*
I (and my HunnyD) live about 55 minutes away. We get out of work, load up and head north for the first family farm meeting of the season. We are about 15 minutes behind schedule because an interesting turn of events. The night before DaughterE needed me to pick up some 'give away' stuff from her car at work on her 2nd shift lunch break. After completing this mission I drop donations at appropriate locations, my HunnyD unloads remainder to our domicile to make room for loading obligatory contents and tenting stuff after which I am too tired to do anything else that night. This leaves a few tasks for immediately after work. We arrive about 5:45, I'm surprised and happy to see that Mom, DaughterE are here as well. Delight ensues as we all hug each other and SisterL says, "Okay okay we are all together, all four sisters lets celebrate and start the night out with a shot! C'mon everybody lets all have a shot!" I am still engaged in a hug with someone when a cookie sheet of obviously previously poured shots of tequila and sambuca are thrust in front of me and I hear a familiar voice ask, "Hey lady do you want a shot?" my mind is doing a turntable dj scratch... pre poured shots... voice... familiar face, brain freeze .. heart overload!!! MELTING....DaughterM!!! My first born is here holding a tray of shots and I am squealing with delight and happiness as I hug on to her and kiss her sweet face! Over and over, disbelief.. I just can't believe it! What a fabulous wonderful surprise! SisterL and Dad have purchased airplane tickets as a wedding gift to fly her and her groom to VT for the festivities! Then I hug and kiss and proclaim my happiness to the groom. So wonderful! So HAPPY!!! My family all knew about this and kept it secret to surprise me!!!
I now know exactly how my grandmother felt that year we all drove down unannounced and just walked into her basement in-law apartment, me in the lead when she looked at me and said "Hi!" with that fully upright posture and 'you look familiar but who the hell are you?' look on her face, I quickly announced, "Gram it's me! GdaughterA!" This knowledge moved quickly through all her cells as she softened her entire being and met me half way across the floor for a happy loving embrace and "Oh my goodness!", and "What are you doing here?" then and the realization that her son, my father must be right behind and the look on her face when her eyes beheld him! What joy! yes, that is what I experienced, pure joy!!! Now I know this was a wedding gift for the bride and groom but truly I felt it was the most precious gift anyone could give ME!!!! I'm still reeling!
I love my family....
*The pain...After the whole day of being on our feet at one of these events I started a tradition of giving my two sisters that sleep over (SisterL and SisterP, ...SisterS is checking on a chicken in the oven) a foot soak and massage before they go to sleep. It is in an effort to show them how much I appreciate them and recognize all the hard labor they do. They go to bed with clean refreshed feet after a long, full day running on the dirt and hopefully the next day can navigate without hobbling. At the end of the day there are usually several coolers half full of icy slush water (just so you don't get the wrong idea that I am a saint *wink*) as all the cooler contents have been consolidated into two coolers with the sun having set some hours ago. This being the most convenient water soaking contraption available began a tradition! They soak their whole feet for as long as they can stand it in the ice water, I do a brisk towel friction rub and lotion massage. All they have to do is lie back and go to sleep! I missed the massage last year so this year I shook it up. Mostly because there were goose and gander comments being tossed about.. with the lid of the cooler propped open we sat on three sides of the cooler with a blanket at our feet for cushion. We all submerged our feet deep into the icy hell that was in that cooler. Holding our feet in as long as we could while laughing, howling and screaming bloody murder at the top of our liberated lungs, (nice to be in the boondocks) then removing them until our feet slightly revived for dip number two! The whole time SisterP's son-in-law is watching and laughing.... Dip two is hellacious icy burn and PAIN worse than dip one... not the time it is IN the ice water, but when we withdraw the feet to room temperature! Screaming more howling and laughing our guts out. In the midst of the screams of pain we throw in a few "Oh it feels so good!" still hoping to dupe Son in lawA to be fool enough to dip in too. Anyone with half a brain knows you can't do just two. It's a law of physics or maybe psychos (?) that three must happen, so here we go for dip three... Yelling, howling, cursing each other and laughing all the while Son in lawA is snacking on leftovers while holding a stuffed, fuzzy ladybug pillow under his arm, (a retrieval mission assigned by his beloved daughter) chuckling and laughing out loud while we anguish in our self induced trauma! As we finish the banter and bitchin' and why the hell do I let you do this to me we invite Son in LawA to have a go? Believe it or not??? He comes over carefully setting aside earlier mentioned lady bug pillow rolls up the pant legs, removes footwear and goes in for the plunge! All I can say is I have whole new respect for Son in lawA! He started his (what we have now named) "Screaming foot treatment" as we rallied around with laughter and OMG's and "No you can't take them out yet's", Okay dip number two and in comes SisterL's HubbyS! inquiring about all the racket, followed closely by my HunnyD. ... The night ends with everyone having exercised their lungs fully, feet fully three dip chilled and Son-in-lawA waving goodnights and walking off to the homestead for sleep. Not before politely refusing our offers to walk him home by stating,"No thanks, I'm good, I've got the labybug!"
I love my family!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Getting it together
I have been slowly incorporating positive changes. I am an artist, I now have hair of an artist. About a month ago I saw a picture on the web of a woman with long hair similar color as mine with some multi colored strands. It was fabulous! I had to have my hair that way! I don't typically spend money on my hair...My partner cuts my hair for me, a nice layered do that helps keep my length without the full weight on my head, I color with Revlon colorsilk, and usually wear my hair in a ponytail or single braid to work...or up in a clipped bun when cooking, sewing or doing any project where hair in my face is going to aggravate me. So why not have some "jazzy"? I know that when I am ready to stop coloring and let my hair be white..(which I'm pretty sure it is) I will be coloring my hair periwinkle, blue, pink...any fun color. WooHoo!!!
I went to the Dr on Thursday (routine) After a lengthy (almost 2 hours) visit, I left with exercises and a cortisone shot in my shoulder. It feels pretty good right now, so I am going to incorporate those exercises into my day to prevent frozen shoulder. Additionally, the breakouts on my neck (which I thought was from the oil at work contact) is a bacterial crud, so I have some meds for that too. And then there is my weight... I learned that I need FAR FAR less calories than I thought to safely lose these blasted pounds...So Now I modify my intake. and my out put. also scheduling my overdue mammogram ...and (I dread because I will need to use a vacation day) the colonoscopy.
I have been madly in LOVE with the idea of a tiny house. The tiny house movement appeals to me on so many levels. I love the idea of reducing 'stuff' and spending money and time on living and giving, vs care and upkeep. My partner is invested in this too. I am collecting photos for space saving furniture and storage designs and reading everything about the tiny house movement. I am generating a scrapbook/layout of our dream home. We have been actively purging clothing and other items not needed or wanted. Reduce! Not to organize...To minimize. The whole Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without is becoming my mantra...but mostly just minimize! Moving things forward. So many things purchased 10 to 30 years ago are made better than the items for sale today... The Apple Festival is in October so I will send pants and shirts toward the scarecrow projects for customers to enjoy. All others will go to the salvation army, 100 nights shelter or other organization needed what I have.
Laundry calls...
I went to the Dr on Thursday (routine) After a lengthy (almost 2 hours) visit, I left with exercises and a cortisone shot in my shoulder. It feels pretty good right now, so I am going to incorporate those exercises into my day to prevent frozen shoulder. Additionally, the breakouts on my neck (which I thought was from the oil at work contact) is a bacterial crud, so I have some meds for that too. And then there is my weight... I learned that I need FAR FAR less calories than I thought to safely lose these blasted pounds...So Now I modify my intake. and my out put. also scheduling my overdue mammogram ...and (I dread because I will need to use a vacation day) the colonoscopy.
I have been madly in LOVE with the idea of a tiny house. The tiny house movement appeals to me on so many levels. I love the idea of reducing 'stuff' and spending money and time on living and giving, vs care and upkeep. My partner is invested in this too. I am collecting photos for space saving furniture and storage designs and reading everything about the tiny house movement. I am generating a scrapbook/layout of our dream home. We have been actively purging clothing and other items not needed or wanted. Reduce! Not to organize...To minimize. The whole Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without is becoming my mantra...but mostly just minimize! Moving things forward. So many things purchased 10 to 30 years ago are made better than the items for sale today... The Apple Festival is in October so I will send pants and shirts toward the scarecrow projects for customers to enjoy. All others will go to the salvation army, 100 nights shelter or other organization needed what I have.
Laundry calls...
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Strange weather
Tonight the weather has been a wild mix of everything. Rain through the sun shine on the way home, by the time we made it to the top of the stairs it was a steady rain. Then we had clear sky with bright sun followed by LOUD claps of thunder while the sun still shined...to dark grey cloud cover and steady even rain. People here are as sick of the rain now as they were the snow a few months ago. Slugs and mushrooms. Folks don't appreciate the cool moderate temperatures... hell I'm rambling again with nothing important to say... 10-4
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Finally feets let's go!
At last I am physically feeling better...Time to rock this planet. No more waiting for someday. Someday is now. On Monday I will resume working the machine! It has been over 2 weeks with no planned activity. No walks, no Dance video, no yoga..and sadly..No meditation. So today after we run errands I will take meditation time. Monday I will resume my two break walks and after work collecting sweat points on Wii's Just Dance 2.
Tomorrow is Mother's day. I will go to Vermont and visit Mummy, and perhaps get a fiddlehead identification lesson from My Auntie LizzieBones. Last year we gathered some in the dark and the next morning I called with a description to my Auntie who warned us not to eat them...not that they would kill me, but WOULD give me a powerful case of Diarrhea that would make us WISH we were dead! She does have a way with words that gives them distinct meaning, like all my Vermont family.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Itchy feet
I feel like I'm a runner that has been "hobbled" at the blocks all hepped up and waiting for the shot that signals "GO!" GO! GO! GO! dang *stomping foot* I have been sick for over a week with a touch of pneumonia & respiratory issues. I am due to go back to work tomorrow and have no stinkin' clue how I'll make it through the day. I just need to focus on today.. now, right now...And this is a joke...focus that is... my thoughts are random and scattered. I see a dust bunny and I want to clean every corner. I want everything.. every piece of paper out. I want clear clean surfaces. I want to bleach and sterilize every corner, crack and plane.
I don't get sick. Yes, the occasional 12 to 24 hour cha cha cha bug, but not this crap. Yes. I have been fortunate. I have been the caregiver. Making others feel better. I'm ready to move forward.
Baby steps until I can run like hell.
I don't get sick. Yes, the occasional 12 to 24 hour cha cha cha bug, but not this crap. Yes. I have been fortunate. I have been the caregiver. Making others feel better. I'm ready to move forward.
Baby steps until I can run like hell.
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