Tomorrow I'm catching up!

I promise. Also, I promise to update this blog at least three times per week for the month of September... and hopefully longer. Baby steps.

~N~

Thurs mornin is yoga mornin

Today we started the day with some yoga in the park. I loooove doing yoga in the park in the early morning. It is my favorite time of day, when the sun is rising still, making long dark shadows across the grass which is wet and squishy and happy. Everything smells fresh and full of possibility.

One of my favorite things about doing yoga out in the park is the view. Yes, the grass and the trees and the pups running around are all part of the revolving scene. But what I'm talking about is this:

Its a total change of perspective, looking at the world in a new way and it makes me smile EVERY TIME! This isn't the actual view from the park downtown but you get the idea. Upside down is right side up in downward dog. It's fun to play with things during your practice. Like maybe a little bit of this:

No, this is not me and no, this is not my baby but is is happy, isn't it baby? :) This pose used to annoy me... like really, what is the point of this, I'm not feeling anything going on here, what am I missing? But today I realized the full expression, rolling around on my mat with the clouds above and the moon above and the upside down trees and the upside down cars making me smile into my hips.

Yoga in the park is a yummy breakfast and I don't feel guilty if (mostly) every time I set my intention: it is for ME. All for me like a big yummy breakfast for me to gobble up. And I do, believe me.

Projects!!!

HELP! I'm dying from an overwhelming need to do projects! This means everything from painting the window trim on our house to designing to making necklaces to other paper crafts to... Ok, this is where you come in, give me ideas of things I should start. Here's the big idea, I want to start an Etsy shop plus website that I can promote 1) myself and 2) my creations (which don't exist yet so this is going to be a process)...

I need help making my plan.

Here's my brainstorm list (and please don't steal my ideas... that would not be very nice, and is my number 1 pet peeve). Funny thing is there are thousands of people with my same idea. But we're all unique. And thats what makes it work.

• Etsy Shop
• Personal Website
  
  Things to sell:
• Aprons
• Jewelry
• Magnets
• Little things
• Prints
• Paper stuff (my secret)
• Design services
• Bath and Body - organic, essential oil
• Books
• Ideas... (tricky tricky)

So what do you think? What should I focus on? Where should I begin? What would you like to buy? I hope some of you comment and lend me some guidance!

Weekends with love

Saturday was full of so much SUMMER, it was perfect! We woke and had a cup of coffee with soy milk in bed while we talked with Geof's family about the upcoming trip to Richmond in two weeks. Geof's sister gave us the idea to go to Virginia Beach for a family beach day. WATER! There are many little ones so we'll see how and if that pans out.

Finally up (9:00am) I talked Geof into walking with me to the farmers market. That's 2.3 miles, about 45 minute walk each way. I love to walk, he thinks its inefficient like paddle boating, which I also happen to love. LOVE. Collins on the line, we started out and made it there in good time. Its such a lovely little area, with the Little Man Ice Cream shop and the flowers and old metal slide and patio there.

There are also Lola (tequilla and mexican food), and Vita, a wine bar/bistro with a nice rooftop patio. Nestled between them all was the farmers market where immediately bought a Peach White iced tea. Then some organic salsa, 3 huge beets w/greens, zucchini and squash, and some homemade puppy treat trail mix for Mr. Buddy. Then we came across a little wine tasting  and learned there is a little "wine row" of wineries on 46th and Pecos, just a few blocks from our house! Joy! We started our treck home but stopped at Gallop Cafe here at 32nd and Zuni where I ordered a mimosa and a slice of quiche and Geoffrey ordered a French hen with potatoes (butter croissant with bacon, egg, cheese). Collins had his trail mix and some water and some rest.

On our walk it turned BLAZING hot at (12:30pm) and the last 15 minutes of the walk were no fun at all. Without any AC our house is not very comfortable so we put on bathing suits, grabbed the essentials (frizbee, paddle ball, water, towels, sunblock, chairs, water bowl), and headed to Golden where Geof wanted to swim in Clear Creek.

It's a Colorado thing. I understand the ocean but I do not understand rapids and the uncertaintiy of flash flooding and rivers that flow from 14,000 feet above sea level. They scare me, I should say. BUT, I too splash around in the rivers and creeks here (while keeping a respectful safety distance from anything considred deep or fast). We witnessed the offbeat wedding of Liz and Larry, a country/rock couple who had guitar shaped fans for programs, played a Metalica version of "here comes the bride" on an electric guiater, a wiener dog for a ring bearer, all positioned right in front of Cleer Creek where dozens of people were floating down on big colorful plastic tubes or Alligator shaped boats... After our swim/dip/splash/play/cool off we went to the Golden Hotel at the Bridgewater Grill and had an appetizer plus libation. Crabby cake, small cheese plate with fruit, and a forest mushroom spread, as the evening approached and we sipped it all up. ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Sunday consisted of yoga and hammock time. Enough said?

blah!

Dear John,

Thank you for pulling me out of my funk this morning. Well, maybe not fully but you have helped! Here comes the sun, it's alright. Turn it up, listen again. Today, I'm going to rant. Because I can. Why don't you leave a comment and tell me what you think? Agree? Disagree? Shut the F' up? It's all good with me.

I stayed up too late last night watching Shutter Island. The ending left me annoyed, does anyone else not understand and want answers?! To live as a monster or to die as a good man. Does he get a lobotomy by choice? Is he insane or not? Ambiguity leaves me restless.

Public restrooms. Ummmkay. Work, for instance. 5 stalls to choose from. Why the F' do people come in and go into the stall right next to you if there are several open NOT next to you? It creeps me out, dude. It's like they would rather be in the stall WITH you, I mean, I get that its a public bathroom but for F's sake, a little privacy please?! And how about the awkward standoff when you have to go #2? There is nothing worse. Seriously. There's no way I'm going #2 with someone else in the room, are you really waiting for it? Are you waiting for me to poo so you can poo too? Gee thanks, I'm out. You win the standoff, I'll be back later. F'!

Turn it up, listen again. Keep calm and carry on. Or...

On to more important things. Or not. I've been traveling a lot lately. Every 3rd week for the past few months I've been out of town. Fabulous? F' yeah. Double edge sword? Yup. It makes me want to quit my job and live like a "hippy", growing my own food, wearing flowy dresses with braids in my hair and seashells around my neck, making babies with my husband, taking 100 photos a day of everything and nothing, cleaning things and polishing things and painting things and rearranging, cooking... lots of cooking, playing games with my puppy, writing, reading... lots of reading, long walks, watching birds. You know, the REAL stuff. The GOOD stuff.

Not everyone wants that life but I sure do (or do you? c'mon, admit it).Work sucks, dude. Career building workshops. Vacation accrual, sitting here day after day only to earn more time away from here. Funny. Listening to your boss' bad jokes day after day after... you get it. Goodbye cookies? FML. But we do what we do because we have to. What do you do to make your 9-5 tollerable? Posting little things in your cube. A photo. A fun calendar. A tea mug from home. The wallpaper for your desktop, thats very important isn't it? That REALLY defines you, really helps you make a statement: This is ME within the sea of cubes. Is your sssshhhtapler prettier than the others? Do people stop by and comment on it and then thats what you talk about for like 10 minutes? It's painful. Really. On the up-side, I'm blogging at work. I chat at work, facebook at work, read at work. Hell, I even taught myself how to knit at work... but I got in trouble for that one. My responce: "would you rather me be searching the internet?" boss: "yes". HA! Alrighty then...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not ungrateful for my job. I do appreciate it very much. I like my coworkers, bonus! I'm just not a career woman. I'm throwback. But modern. I've not always been this way either, I thought my career would be everything to me growing up. I like options. I appreciate all the hard work women have put in to create equality in the work place, in the world, but what's wrong with a little bit of this?:

Turn it up, listen again. Have you seen Keep Calm and Carry On before? If not, or even if you have, here's where it came from:

Aloha - day 6

(A statue of Duke Kahanamoku, a local Hawaiian credited with popularizing the sport of surfing)
It's our last day in Hawaii, sniffle... This trip has been so wonderful, I feel refreshed and relaxed and even though Geof had to work some we got to do and see a lot together. We planned some days and not others and the time sure did feel like "island time'. Our Hawaii trip went nice and slow and we constantly were looking at the clock saying "it's only noon?! Awesome!". What a great feeling!

Today we got up and packed up all of our bags, it was bitter sweet of course. Our flight leaves at 8:40pm so we have plent of time today to see more of O'ahu! Our first stop is the Valley of the Temples. It was about 20 minutes from Waikiki and its funny, after being here for a week, it seems like a far drive! There are temples for several religions here, but the main attraction is the Buddhist replica of the 900-year-old Byodo-In temple. It was a quiet and peacefull place and perfect place to start our morning.

After spending some time at the temple, we drove back to the beach and had a picnic before we went to the Waikiki Aquarium. I fed the birds and it was so much fun! There were some brave ones that ate right out of my hand and then a few that would catch the bread in the air when I threw it :) Pretty neat, and pretty birds!

Our picnic by the beach was right next to the Aquarium so we went and toured it and saw all kinds of fun creatures, including the Hawaiian Monk Seal, which is an endangered seal specific to the Hawaiian island chain. There are said to be only 1,500 left in the world...

We still had a few hours to kill after the Aquarium and I had something special in mind I wanted to do. A big part of my inspiration for my blog is Stephanie Nielson and her blog. If you don't know about her and her amazing story, read it you fools! :) Really though, Stephanie just had a big surgury on her neck to repair some of the burned and tight skin. It has been a hard one for her I think...A few days before, I passed by a special place on the beach called the Healing Stones. I knew then that before I left I wanted to go there and say a prayer for her, and place a Lei at the stones for Nie. We parked, got out of the car and headed down the street to where the Healing Stones were located. As we were about to cross, I saw something laying on the ground...

I stopped short and got a really tingly feeling all over... as I realized... it was this:

I kid you not, my friends... A book of Mormon, Stephanie's FAVORITE book and a huge part of her life and recovery was just THERE, sitting there, alone on the sidewalk, no one around and only a few feet between me and the Healing Stones. If that's not God speaking, I don't know what is. I. Was. In. Awe. I crossed the street and approached the stones, said my prayer for her and left my Lei among the others still baffled by the book left laying in the middle of the sidewalk. I still am in fact. I wish I could tell her! 

(mine-or rather- Nie's is the one in the center with pink and yellow)

We got a small bite to eat before heading to the airport for our overnight flight home. Sushi in the middle of the Pacific Ocean... is there anything better?

Now that I think about it, our last day was a spiritual and peaceful one. I think we could get used to that :) Until next time Hawaii...

Peace, Love, and Aloha

Aloha - day 5

Only two more days left in Hawaii! What to do... what to do?... We decided that we should make today a beach day! Can't go wrong there right? Tomorrow is Friday and we have the entire day to hang out, our flight is at 8:40pm and we will be flying all night. BUT, we have to check out of our hotel at noon and so we won't want to be beachy sandy surfy after that for our long flight home. SO, today we go beach!

We started out by going to Diamond Head Park, where we were going to hike up to the tippity top of the crater for amazing views. Upon arrival though, the parking lot was already full (at 9:00 am) and they told us to come back after 1:00pm. That was a bummer so we took a few photos from as high up as we could get in our car (the hike wouldn't have been that bad at all, just time consuming so we didn't want to spend 3 hours in one spot today!) We drove down to Diamond Head Beach because Geof wanted to check the surf, see if he wanted to get a board and if I wanted to beach it up there. It was rough, a bit too windy so we headed back to Waikiki and Ala Moana.

Geoffrey rented himself a surfboard downtown and picked a nice spot for chillin for a few hours at Ala Moana. Its a little less touristy than Waikiki and more of a local vibe I guess. Lots of little Hawaiian bebes runnin around :)

After several hours at the beach we went back to the hotel and had a cocktail poolside. Then showered and got ready to go to a reallly cool spot to have another, YES ANOTHER, drink at RumFire before we had dinner at the Ocean House.

 

Ocean House was no less than AMAZING, of course. We had some local seafood again, and another salad with those yummers Maui Onions! While waiting, we stepped out onto the beach and Geof got me another beautiful fresh Lei. I wish we all wore flowers every day back on the mainland! It makes you feel (and look) so pretty :)

(another lei shot)