An Auspicious Beginning in Everyday Ramblings

I think this is a Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’. A linden, or a lime? Striking in the fog though. Apparently the colder it is the more orange it gets.

They had snow in Salem. We, on yesterday’s most blessed freezing work holiday, did not.

Imagine my unbridled delight at being able to go to the grocery unimpeded by ice or snow. Well, there were, are, little bits of ice here and there that are easily avoided. As it stands now we are going to be below freezing for four days but so far at this moment, no precipitation is forecast. Be still my heart!

Then it warms up and rains and rains and…

Last night was my maiden voyage teaching at the new studio. Of course I set the alarm off and needed assistance. And as it was a mostly holiday no one had used the space all day and it was 49 degrees (9.4 C) in there. When we left it was up to a whopping 60 degrees but everyone (and I had six intrepid students!) was good-natured about it.

What made me so very happy was that they all liked the space. The weird painting is still there but generally we all found it to be much more grounding and spiritual than the carpeted 5th grade classroom we have been in. Even though that is in a church and this is in an old building from the 1920’s.

And because there are bolsters we were able to start on the floor, as there is a serious lack of chairs. I taught them a three-step process on getting up from the floor without using down dog, which is hard for the majority of older bodies and they were like, wow, this works.

So marketing comes next, and relaxing into the routine. But! It was an auspicious beginning in spite of the alarm. (Setting it off was entirely my fault.)

Both tonight and tomorrow night are flex times from 4 to 7 PM because it is below freezing for the duration. Oh and I return to work.

I so enjoyed having the holiday with most of the fundamental chores done. It is such a rich luxury to be able to putter and clean and listen to podcasts and read!

Back when I was sitting formal Zen meditation everyday and Sammy was alive it was this very special time for us. I would get set-up and he would come from wherever he was hanging out, Mr. Tough Guy, and confidently step into my lap and settle in. We’d spend twenty minutes watching the light move across the room (when there was light).

On the 1st I started a 40-day yogic meditation program and I did the first one sitting upright in a chair (that is okay, you can benefit from meditation sitting in a chair as long as you are sitting upright and are comfortably supported). I was surprised that as I was settling in Diego stepped into my lap. I had to hold him because his fur is plentiful and my legs are slippery but he was quite content.

Yesterday I did the practice crossed legged on the bed just after I got up and fed the cats. As I was adjusting the pillows and setting up the audio (this program is guided) Diego came galloping in from the living room and stepped with great confidence into my lap and circled (as cats do) and curled up in a comfortable ball in my lap.

My hands were free to make the appropriate mudra (or scared hand gesture).

He did it again this morning. It is very sweet and I hope a path to less anxious and more grounded days for us both.

The fact that except for a cup of tea (and a very occasional Diet Dr. Pepper) I am now caffeine free helps with this too.. That was my big accomplishment for 2016. I had one Diet Coke between April and December and did not set foot once, not once into my local convenience store during that time.

I find these stores that cater to and profit from human weakness, profoundly disturbing.

Of course I hear Amazon is opening one in Seattle this year where they have technology to ring up your purchases electronically as you pull them off the shelf. No cash or card transaction at a register with a human is required.

Hmmm. That is all I have to say about that…Hmmm.

Last updated January 04, 2017