Pain,Present and Choice

Yoga and chronic pain, many who suffer are surprised when our chronic pain specialist suggests that they visit my classes.  They are often surprised as well when I don't promise a magical solution to their pain.  I teach breath work, I teach meditation and gentle asanas that help you deal with pain and often the pain does goes away.  But not always...and then I teach what I taught today.

If you study all the major religions none of the texts promise a life free from pain, sadness, illness or death  here.  Life is a balance, there is good and bad, happy and sad, healthy and sick...I think our answer is to strive to get up every day and truly make the best of what we have been dealt.  We are all tested and there is nothing about life that is fair...we are born, we die and what we do, how we live in between deals with the choices that we make.  Choices can add to our life of pain or make our pain more bearable.  Choices can bring great joy or unbelievable heartache.  Choices can create or destroy.  All those choices come with responsibilities. 

Often my students want me to tell them that when they leave our facility that life will be wonderful.

All I can do is teach them how to use the tools that I use, tools that help us to understand we can't control life, we control how we react...and that is our power, how we react.  Life is not only one day at a time, but most days, one breath at a time.  It is always about those two questions, where are you...here.  What time is it.....now.  Getting through pain, especially chronic pain you have to understand the importance of the breath and being in the present.

Heal

Sharing  a quote with all of you tonight...I hope your week is off to a good start.



"You cannot heal in the same environment that made you sick."
- unknown

A Good Sunday

A good Sunday, full of normal Sunday stuff...reading the paper, walking the dogs, a little laundry and cooking a celebration dinner for Jordan, complete with gold sprinkles cupcakes.  He wanted my home made butter cream frosting and yellow vanilla cake and that is what he got.

I took an extra long nap today.  It was luscious.  Even though the temp hit 90 the humidity was lower and the blue skies made it all bearable.  That changes tomorrow.  Much needed rain is moving in on Tuesday so the humidity has already started to build this evening.

But the moon, have you all seen the moon this weekend?  So very beautiful and how about Mars?
The night skies have been radiant...though the energies from all the activity in the heavens has been at times  difficult.

Our humming bird activity has been off the charts.  They go into a frenzy when we bring the feeders in to clean and refill.  They fly up to the front windows furiously flapping their wings ( I imagine tiny feet stomping) as if to yell at us, hurry up, we have places to go and things to do and we are hungry.

Can you believe July is almost over?  I worked my day planner and calendar this afternoon and was shocked when I realized that Wednesday is the first day of August.  Time is going so fast it makes me want to hold my breath.

I hope your Monday is an easy one.  I hope you get hugged and laugh out loud every day this week.

Gold

Jordan and his relay team brought home the gold today.  They won first place in the state!  I am  still crying tears of joy.  He swam in 5 meets and over all against 100's of kids, he placed 13th in the state.
Breeze continued with her skills of knocking time off her meets.  Their team, The Jasper Sharks placed number 7 in the state.  Can you tell we are bursting with pride?  Their little team only had 59 swimmers that made state, and there were teams there with many more swimmers.

You can tell by the photo that Samantha ( Jordan's mom, his Nana and I) are bursting with pride.
Jordan was overcome by all the attention and congratulations, he kept looking at me saying I don't like this part of it...I told him he'd better get use to it, there would be a lot more to come.

A Good Friday

I saw our local urgent care doc today.  I have an appointment with my pulmonary doc in a couple of weeks and I thought I could "tough " it out until then.  I was wrong.  A couple of shots and another round of antibiotics for a week, but I already feel so much better tonight.

I like this urgent care doc very much.  He graduated from our local high school and spent about 20 years as an ER doc.  He is so knowledgeable about so many diseases and he is smart enough to know if he can't figure out the problem he sends you to someone else.  I wish that I could use him as my primary care doc, but insurance won't let me.  I am lucky he is near by.  Many in our family have used him the past few years, and we are grateful he came back to his home town and opened up a practice.

Jordan competed in two state meets today.  He place 2ond ( in the state) for one, and did not place in the other.  Tomorrow he has three meets and these are his strong ones, fingers and toes crossed that he brings home a first place.  So proud of him.  Our great niece Breeze also competed today, though she did not place, she shaved several seconds off her time which is awesome.  Very proud of Breeze as well, because making it to state competition is not for the faint of heart.

I hope your Saturday brings some fun, some kindness and lots of love.

More Comfort

So today for lunch,  meat loaf, butter beans, Brussels sprouts, mac and cheese, fried okra.  Jordan inhaled a plate full.  He loves Panera green tea and we have been trying to recreate that taste...today he informed me that our tea was not so good...maybe we should give up.  But no, I told him we can do this, more to come.

His mom is on pins and needles about the competition tomorrow.  Jordan on the other hand just shrugs his shoulders and takes it all in stride.  Hopefully by Sunday we will have some pictures to post.

I had full classes today, so I am a wee bit tired tonight.  So glad I am off tomorrow.
Tomorrow night is the full moon, there is an eclipse  but we can't see it here.  Suppose to be the longest eclipse of this century, so if you live somewhere and can see it, enjoy.

Comfort Foods

Jordan and I had a great day.  We made chicken and dumplings and his mom called to remind him to bring a big bowl home when his Pawpaw picked him up.  Tomorrow he wants to make meat loaf.
Our little swimmer is into comfort food, but after all he swims in state competition Friday and Saturday and he needs fuel!

The weather has been stellar again today, but the weather guys are saying heat and humidity back by Friday.  I knew it wouldn't last, but we enjoyed its short visit.  Be sure and read Rick's blog tonight about the weather folk lore and today's clouds.  Our fingers are crossed.

It has been a good hump day, tomorrow is my Friday which is always good as well.
Be sure to laugh out loud, and be kind.
Goodnight, Sweet dreams

Best Shot

A very long day.  Four hours of HR training on work this morning, then home for a couple of hours and then back to teach classes.  My class was full and the students were incredible.

Home tonight, the lung infection that has reared it's head a couple of weeks ago persists.  I know the drill, it is back to the doc and more meds, stronger ones...this won't be fun.  I think the heat, the humidity, the stress of the past couple of weeks ...ugh.  It's ok, this too shall pass.

Fresh tomatoes from our garden were part of dinner tonight.  They were so yummy.  This weekend I am doing grilled stuffed peppers ( home grown) and maybe some grilled salmon.  I love to eat...and cook.

I am exhausted tonight, and Jordan will be with me tomorrow.  That I am looking forward too, we will just hang out and maybe cook something interesting.

Tomorrow spread love, share kindness and feel joy.  Life is short, give it your best shot.

Joy

Flowers in the house make me joyous.  Sunflowers in the house make me giddy.  I love cutting an armload of sunflowers while the bees buzz around me.  Flowers truly give me joy from the tiniest wild violet to the fluffiest fragrant peony. 

Find joy tomorrow in color, in nature, in someone's laugh...and then share some kindness.

Sunday Musings

We almost went back to Muscle Shoals tonight, but we both have to work tomorrow and we let common sense rule.  But....later in the week, we will see what we can do.

This afternoon was all about getting ready for the work week.  Some weeks are a little more laid back than others, but this one is shaping up to be a busy one.  That's ok, one day at a time, one breath at a time and we see what happens in between.

Today felt like a different world.  A nice cool front dropped down, the temps were only in the 80's and tomorrow should be the same.  Did I mention that tonight temps drop to the 60's...heaven has arrived, at least for a few days.

Ready for a cup of hot tea and my cozy bed.
Goodnight sweet dreams.

Bee Hive Queen

If you love music, do yourself a favor and come visit the Handy Festival in Muscle Shoals, Al.  It started this weekend and every day for the next week or so, there will be incredible music to be heard all over the Shoals area.

Tonight we came up to hear our friend Christine Ohlman and The Decoys play.  What a treat!  Great voices, incredible musicians it was heaven.  Rick took his new camera and got a great shot of Christine and was kind enough to let me share it with ya'll tonight.

Sometimes you just need to have fun, and we did that tonight.  Made some new friends, saw some  old ones and life is good. 

Decision

We cancelled our show tonight.  We actually did it this morning.  When we got up, our friend Fred, who is also our sound guy had already sent us a message wanting to know if we were watching the weather forecasts.  All the local guys and the weather stations had said a strong possibility of nasty weather.  You know, hail, flooding, strong winds, tornadoes.  We contacted the owner of the business whose property the event is held on each month.  They had already experienced flooding from two other storms in the last few weeks.

We took a breath, contacted the three songwriters who were coming and asked if they could reschedule for August.  Everyone said yes.  We cancelled.  No storms yet, but in our hearts we both feel we made the right choice.  Many things shaped our decision...the distance the performers were traveling, the amount of time to set the stage and sound system up, the amount of time to tear it down,  the safety of all involved, the cost of all the equipment involved...way too many liabilities. Out door venues, even when the weather is perfect can be risky.

I am sure there were some who were disappointed, and felt that we erred on the side of being too cautious.  Our sound man has been at concerts where storms hit and people were hurt, we never want to expose anyone to undue risk.  My thoughts tonight.....the show will be even better in August and more people will come.  We did the right thing.

Energy and Coincidence

Tomorrow is our gig, and it is still hot as blazes, like dog days hot.  As weird as it may sound, I am watching any movie that has snow or cold weather in it, even Christmas ones.

A few days ago my blog friend Julia wrote about a book she was reading.  I was intrigued because a couple of months ago I had blogged about a similar subject.  My subject, people who rob you of your energy, who exhaust and drain you each time you are around them.  The book that Julia talked about seems to have nailed the subject..."Dodging Energy Vampires."  Rick and I bought the book, I can't wait to read it.  We had talked about this subject over the past weekend.  We had discussed about how much we needed to learn to set boundaries and protect ourselves from energy thieves.

The book came today.  A student warned me about reading it, she said if you read it you will probably quit your job.  Another blog friend awhile back that I should rethink my work that she felt it might be part of my health issues.  Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something? Coincidence, we shall see.

Will keep you posted on my thoughts as I read, "Dodging Energy Vampires" ( an empath's guide to evading relationships that drain you and restoring your health and energy)  by Christiane Northrup.

Hydrate

Eye exams today, so lucky.  My vision has remained the same for the past 7 or 8 years.  Thankfully I am still wearing monovision, ( one contact).

My class today very moving, quite spiritual.  These days are rare, and I truly appreciate them.

We have a gig coming up this weekend, with three of our friends.  It's going to be hot, but fun.
We picked our first ripe tomatoes and peppers this week and yes, they are yummy.

If you are dealing with the heat and humidity like we are, please take care.  Hydration is of the utmost importance.  We carry water with us every where we go.  If you are outdoors and become overheated, use an icepack at the back of the neck and head and hydrate.  If you wait until you are thirsty, too late.  Start hydration before you start outdoor activity and try to avoid being out in the heat of the day.
Take as many short breaks as you can.  Because I do not sweat, I have dealt with heat exhaustion several times in the past few years.  Believe me, it can be debilitating.

Show some love tomorrow, spread some kindness...and remember, be kind to yourself as well as others.

In the Pink

Her first bloom of the season.  It seems she has taken lead from the blazing star and has decided only to show her face in the heat of summer.

I love her color.  There is happiness as her face rises to face the morning sun.  I understand that phrase better now, "in the pink."  May we all be in the pink.

Bits

Storms almost all day.  The dogs have been so stressed.  Now the stars are out, hope it stays that way the rest of the night.

Full classes today and tonight, that's good, but exhausting.  Tomorrow only one class, I get a breather.

Today I feel normal again, first time since the shots on Thursday.  It's ok, worth the pain to not have the episodes.

Bed and hot tea are calling out to me.
Goodnight, Sweet dreams

Blazes

So maybe they call it a Blazing Star because it only blooms when it is hot as blazes?

Celebrate

Something to celebrate...Jordan had District Swim Competition today, so did Breeze...they are both going to State Competition!!!  We are so excited, they are so excited.  This is a big deal and we are so proud.

The heat is on, along with the humidity.  I am still kinda wonky since the shots.  Just not feeling very stable, but I am sure all be good before long.

I forgot that I made 4 quarts of home-made ice cream for the July 4th holiday.  Jordan and I rediscovered it today.  We may eat the whole bowl by tomorrow.

I hope your Sunday is one of peace and that you feel loved.
Goodnight, Sweet dreams

Memory Plow

We continue to deal with high temps and high humidity.  I have been beaten into submission by Mother Nature, summers for me just seem to get worse every year.  If I could only skip July and August.  I come in from our walks and the skin on my arms is damp, not from sweat but humidity.
I know those who live in cold climates suffer, but you know even if you are naked here, there is no relief.  At least if you are cold, you can add layers.

This picture of the old plow means a great deal to me.  It was the plow my dad used on the back of his old blue Ford tractor that sits in the barn.  It no longer runs, but in my mind I can look back at the last summer of my dad's life.  He and my mom and Rick and I, working in the field out back.  We harvested bushels of sweet potatoes that late summer and early autumn. My dad laughed as he watched Rick drive old blue and said, " I'll make a farmer out of him yet."

Sometimes I look down the field and if I squint just right I see daddy walking down toward the barn with corn stalks thrown over his shoulder, taking a treat to his milk cow.  I have pictures of him, Mamie ( his mother) and my mom down around the barn, all of them smiling.

Today has been an extremely stressful day.  I am so ready for bed.  This new moon, Friday the 13th had many strange energies moving through our lives, hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Goodnight, Sweet dreams

Everywhere

Shots in the ear today, a painful afternoon, but much better tonight.  It has not been a very productive day, but Jordan is spending the day with us tomorrow so there is adventure waiting.

The heat and humidity has been relentless.  Our morning walks are full of mushrooms, mold and fungus.  Some are beautiful, some are scary and some are really stinky.
This one popped up out of the blue this morning.  Who knows what we will see tomorrow.

Goodnight, Sweet dreams

Serious Stuff

The last blueberry harvest of the year today.  Only a handful of berries remained on the bushes, but Rick with serious determination picked every last berry.  What is it about the last of the harvest being the best?  These were the sweetest and most juicy...the freezer is full and we hope for a great harvest next year.

Class Work

 A class on balance with someone who MS today.  A few years ago I did my yoga MS certification and I have used that class work many many times, not only for students with MS, but also with RA, cancer and many other diseases.

Today my student wanted balance work and that we did.  I showed him how to use the wall, how to modify balance poses for his body and needs.  At one point tears were in his eyes as he looked at me and said,"it's just knowing I can do this now."  As I  modified asanas, and used props to make him more comfortable he seemed rather stunned that I could help him enjoy yoga so much and that he was stronger and more able than he thought. 

The heat is rising again, yesterday was so pleasant, the humidity so low, it was a great respite.
I knew it wouldn't last, but was hopeful there would be more than one day before the air grew heavy and thick again.

Hump day tomorrow, for me it is my last work day for the week.  Shots in the ear on Thursday and then more doctor visits on Friday, I am much like an old car, just have to have a good tune-up every once in awhile.

Be kind, spread joy.

Wacky

A busy Monday, that seems to have been a little topsy turvy for everyone.  It has to be all that weird planetary energy.  Those wacky stars they know how to stir up some trouble as well as good stuff.

My classes were extremely low key today and tonight.  The nice thing about today, the weather.  The temps were in 80's, it was wonderful! 

I am having more shots in my ear on Thursday.  The last series did great and had reduced my symptoms by about 75%, but symptoms have begun to manifest again.  I don't want any more full blown meniere's episodes.

Enjoy your Tuesday. 
Goodnight Sweet dreams

Mystery Flower

Walking the dogs this morning something lavender caught my eye.  At the edge of the woods was one beautiful flower, all by itself.  It reminded me of a lupine, which does not grow here.  I have never seen a flower like this before, do any of you know what it is?

It has been a good day.  We had played our gig yesterday and loading and unloading in the heat was tough on both of us.  We did morning chores, walked the dogs and spent the rest of the day taking it easy.

I hope your week starts good and gets better.  I hope each day you experience kindness and great joy.
Goodnight, Sweet dreams

Heaven on Earth

Eight years ago we were very fortunate to have been invited to Telluride, Co to celebrate the 4th with friends.   It was such a beautiful place.  Telluride and Ireland are the two places on earth that I have visited where I truly felt like I was home.  Both are places I would love to return and spend lots of time and bask in their beauty.

That Fourth of July evening as we stood in the streets of Telluride and watched fireworks, snow began to fall.  It was so magical, so breath taking I will never forget it.  Snow flakes and fireworks in July is an experience everyone should have.

Our friends are back in Telluride with their families this week.  I know they are having a wonderful time.  Rarely am I envious, but tonight I envy them.   They are enjoying heaven on earth.

Happy Zinnias

My zinnias are blooming and the sunflowers will soon follow.  The old maids ( zinnias) are about knee high, but the sunflowers are now at least 6 feet tall.  They are going to be breath-taking.
Once again the house is full of cut flowers.  Flowers in the house make me so happy.  I walk through the door and see them and I know that no matter how the day has gone, I see beauty.

It has been a day of rest for me.  About a week ago my lungs started to not be happy, cough and fatigue have been rough this week.  The antibiotics are finally starting to kick in.  We have a gig tomorrow, only an hour and it is one we love.  We are playing at an assisted living facility and it is so much fun.  We have been looking forward to it all week.

More storms this evening, we are now in a weird monsoon pattern.  Our land lines are out for the second time in a week.

Enjoy your Saturday.  Do something fun and laugh out loud.  See the beauty around you.

Choice/Price

Hot and rainy, it is a broken record.  More new students today, others leaving.  You send them out the door with love and hope, the same way you welcome them in.

My quote on the board today was a line from one of our songs, " life is made with many choices, every choice demands a price."  We have a friend who is struggling, going through extremely difficult times.  We have known him for many years.  We have watched him make choices through the years, few of them have been good.  The choices he made are now demanding to be paid.  I know through the years he never believed he would pay the price that his choices now demand.

I am tired and a cup of hot tea is calling to me.  I hope your holiday week has been good.  I hope that you have shared kindness and received joy.  And remember, every choice demands a price...sometimes now, sometimes later.

4th of July 2018

Happy 4th of July!

Lemon Pound

A full class today, another one of those hello to new faces, goodbye to some leaving.
I made a lemon pound cake today.  I couldn't help myself, with fresh blueberries and whipped cream, it was so yummy.

The storms blew two big trees down, hoping we can get those taken care of tomorrow.  If not, maybe by next week sometime.  This weekend we have a gig, so no tree work then.

Tonight is a short one,  I have a pounding headache, think it's time for bed.
Goodnight, Sweet dreams

Angelic

It  has been a busy Monday, but Mondays are usually busy.  I suppose it's the getting back in the routine after a lazy weekend.  Or maybe it's just knowing the workweek is beginning all over.
A nice surprise on my walk this morning.  Not sure why, but the pure white rose of sharon is always the last to bloom.  She outdid herself, didn't she?  If flowers could look angelic, this one does.

First week of July, a big holiday week here in the US, let's spread some love and kindness along with the BBQ and ice cream and fireworks.

July 1

July 1....to our friends in Canada, Happy Canada Day!!!

July 1... heat and humidity

July 1...fireworks and ice cream

July 1...ice cold watermelon

July 1...summer vacations

July 1...celebrate the 4th

July 1...I am a bug magnet, bugs love to bite me in the summer, I am their fave

July 1...grilled suppers are the best, especially the veggies like squash, tomatoes, onions, peppers and eggplants

July 1...2018 is half-way over

July 1...cotton tees and maxi skirts are a great summer uniform

July 1...I don't know who invented air conditioning but he can have my visa card

July 1...I might be addicted to ice water

July 1...my mantra for this month, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

July 1...I don't sweat, I wish I could

July 1...we have pears as big as my hand

July 1...theme song for July, Summer Time

July 1...make this a kind month