Happy New Year

Today has been a real treat.

I started the day with a two hour vinyasa yoga class at Exhale Yoga Studio http://www.exhalepdx.com/ with Juliet. It was fantastic for many reasons, and one of them was that I could notice, really notice, how wonderful my body is and how much I could do (vs. noticing what I couldn't do and having that negative voice echo and reverberate). It was joyous to do pose after pose and enjoy being in my body. A year ago I was using a walker. Now I am doing the warrior pose! The class was not too hard, nor too easy...it was just right. Juliet had us focusing on an intention for 2010, and I loved her way of integrating this into the entire practice. A truly special way to start a year....

My intention is loving-kindness towards myself and others. Especially the people who drive me up the wall.

Then I headed to Common Ground for a soak and sauna, which was delicious and perfect after 2 hours of yoga. More relaxation, more being present in my body.

Then I headed to my next door neighbor's house for a New Year party, which was a lovely gathering of neighbors that I know in that passing friendly way....it was a chance to hang out and really get to know them. They are all friendly, interesting and nice...so I feel so fortunate.

So many good things all packed into one day.

What I'm watching

This was one of those random library finds that turns out to be a total gem. Wow. Drama, surprise love story, history, beyond beautiful setting in the mountains....my kind of movie. Huge thumbs up.

Snowy night

This time last year we had the great snow, but I was in bed post-surgery...unable to walk. Fast forward and we've got a snowy night....not a blizzard, but lovely nonetheless. I'm gratefully mobile and thinking that I need to do some shoveling tomorrow morning.

Reminds me of so many happy memories as a kid in Michigan...snow angels, snowmen and playing with my sisters and friends.

Family Draw Night

I'm always on the lookout for cool things to do with Miss G, not to mention to continue to cultivate and nuture my own art. I stumbled onto this fabulous idea for a family draw night that nutures the collective creative spirit.

Love it.

http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2009/05/rainy-day-play.html

Merry Christmas to you

Wherever this day finds you, may the special blessings be upon you and yours.

"What came to be through Him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:1-18)

Started the day with Mass and Christmas carols. I am relaxing with la familia...We shall be eating the now famous lamb shanks a la James Oliver, delish cranberry conserve (with agave), soy egg nog and watching a movie later on tonight. Right now the lamb is roasting away. Time to buy a Christmas gift online quickly.

Boy oh boy

It's cool to rediscover an author after years apart and realize that your love burns as bright as it did when you were a kid. The author that I've found again is Roald Dahl.

He of Willy Wonka and James and Giant Peach.

I've found his adult oeuvre and am finding his wry compassionate wit to be as endearing as it was when I was a little girl. I'm enchanted all over again, but now by the real man behind the stories.

My recent read is the autobiographical work Boy, and I sped through it in a day. There is a laugh out loud moment that is priceless, more so because it truly happened. Thanks to my earlier post, my mom is also enchanted (she got Boy from the library - lucky me) I promise you won't be disappointed if you search out these slim and funny books for grown-ups.

Friday dose of hope

So the work week went out very nicely. Ate fab tapas at Toro Bravo, which is always good for OMG food moments that are worth every penny. The winter squash tapas was incredible, and the very genuinely nice waitress provided the ingredient list:

• Squash
• Cream
• Carmelized onions
• Harissa

http://www.torobravopdx.com/

I am going to replicate this at home, minus the cream. Maybe use Tofutti sour cream instead. We shall see how it comes out. I know that the cream is probably what makes it so decadent, but cream is not good for moi.

Accompanied by 2 of my favorite people saw Invictus....which was so inspirational and fantastic. I love seeing a film which documents hopeful moments and real people who are remarkable. That I'd been to South Africa and seen Robben Island myself connected all the dots. Confirms what I already knew about Mandela. He's one amazing spiritual leader, not just a political one. Take aways: forgiveness is power. Lead by example.

Trailers confirmed that Hollywood is not really into telling the hopeful stories of remarkable brave people. Clint Eastwood is a happy exception. I think he's trying to make up for all those Dirty Harry films.