Bloom Where You are Planted

On Aug. 14, 2013, my dear Mom died and the world lost an incredible lady.  I've struggled to come up with a tribute to my Mom because nothing I could ever say would be great enough to really describe her.  I'll start by sharing one of my Mom's favorite expressions:  Bloom where you are planted.  My Mom said that so often that we sometimes got tired of hearing it.  But, this expression truly captured my Mom. She faced challenges in life by scattering seeds of gentleness and love, and looking forward to the promises of the seeds she had sowed.  She taught us that sometimes you just need to dig in your feet, face the sun and bloom right where God has planted you. The model my Mom set has served me well and will continue to do so.

My Mom also had a habit of referring to my girls as "Earth Angels."  Sometimes this term of endearment can be hard for me to buy into.  But, during some of my most challenging moments, the idea that my Mom believed my kids were Earth Angels has brought me great comfort.

As we try to accept my Mom's passing, we are also experiencing the joy of life.  On Aug. 13th, after undergoing a year of treatment for kidney cancer, Gabriela celebrated her second birthday.  My Mom was able to share the joyous news that Gaby is cancer free.  

Here are a few photos of my Mom and the Earth Angels.

The girls helping Gaby with her new bike.

Yoga Latte

This is about how I spent the money that I saved buying discounted school supplies.  Don't worry.  I promise I will  blog about shopping for school supplies later.  

I wasn't sure how to title this blog.  Alternate titles that I considered included:

Journey Back to the Gym;
Mom Time;
The Human Body is Awesome; or
Maybe I've Still Got What It Takes (which reminds me - Sue, do you remember the conversation we had a couple weeks ago about how we've reached that bittersweet point in life when guys don't turn and look at us anymore?  Not that it was ever really a good thing when this did happen.  Well, the other day I was loading the kids and purchases in the car at the hardware store.  I noticed a guy walking to his car and a laughing woman, who I assumed was his wife.  The woman said to me, "Do you want to know why I'm laughing?  That guy just said that he would like to run across the parking lot and tackle you."  I wanted to yell at the guy for being so crude; and then wanted to yell at the woman who was possibly being even cruder.   I also wanted to ask her exactly why she was laughing.  Was she some kind of perv or was it the notion of some guy wanting to tackle me that was so funny?  But, I just cringed and got in my car.  So, maybe I still have a little of what it takes.  But, maybe it still isn't a good thing.)

Actually, this post is about how, after many years, I finally returned to the gym.  It's not that I don't exercise.  I routinely get up before dawn to walk, swim, lift weights, and clean house.  But, the exercise app on my iPad is painfully boring and I thought that it would be much more fun to exercise with real people.  I concluded that some of the money I saved from bargain hunting was rightfully mine and decided to try a 30-day membership at the local recreation center.  I don't remember when I last participated in a group exercise class.  I have a vague memory of running across a parking lot, late to class, with Cassie on my hip.  Clearly, it's been years.

Yesterday, I decided it was time.  I tore through my dresser in search of yoga pants and finally found a pair that had only one hole.  I inventoried my public self - legs didn't need to be shaved and pedicure was looking good.  The kids were content with a movie so I headed out.

As I paid for my pass at the gym, the attendant asked if I wanted a new photo or the one on file from when I had a swimming pass two years ago.  It had been quite awhile since I last looked in the mirror so I asked him to use the old picture.  I joined the growing group of exercisers waiting outside the classroom door for the yogilates class.  (Yoga latte?)  Glancing down at my flip-flops, I had a brief moment of panic.  Was yoga still done barefoot or should I have worn shoes?  I envisioned myself having to observe from the back of the class.  The doors swung open and people began jockeying for their favorite spot in the room.  I followed the one guy in the group.  He showed me where to stow my gym bag and advised me to take a yoga block from the cabinet.  I took my yoga mat from my bag and spread it in the back row, relieved to see that my mat looked relatively like everyone else's, although it's probably 10 years old.

I breathed deeply and looked around the room, trying not to stress.  Would I be able to hang for the full 45-minute class?  What would I do if I couldn't keep up?  I noticed one woman who had taken wipes from her gym bag and was furiously scrubbing the floor surrounding her mat.  I guess she was worried about germs.  Another woman left the room and returned toting a vacuum cleaner and laboriously vacuumed a spread of floor before setting her mat down.  A third woman was carrying out some massive stretching exercises in the back of the room, while a couple other women left the room.   I realized that there were a lot of good delaying tactics going on.  If I got tired I could leave in search of a bathroom or water fountain.  Plus, I had seen a coffee pot in the lobby.  (Yoga latte?)

Suddenly, the instructor turned off the lights and turned on the music.  The music was nice.  The lights off wasn't so great.  It was raining outside and it was really dark.  I struggled to see the instructor and to try to look at myself in the mirror to see if I had a "flat back and slightly bent knees."  A woman returned from the lobby and planted herself right in front of me.  So much for looking at myself in the mirror.  Then, another woman began making incredibly loud breathing sounds kind of like this,  "WHOOSH!  WHOOSH!"  I carefully looked around.  Nobody else seemed to notice.  Was this some new yoga technique?  "WHOOSH!  WHOOSH! WHOOSH!" she continued.  

Before I knew it, 15 minutes had already passed.  The instructor routinely circled the room, correcting body positions and offering advice.  Every time I felt the floor near me tremble I thought, "Okay.  This is where I get embarrassed and have to explain that my poor positions are because I haven't done this in something like 8 years."  (The part about the floor trembling is because it was pretty hard to see the instructor from the contorted positions that I was assuming.)  But, each time the instructor came near me I got an "awesome" or "beautiful."  I even got a thumbs up from her which was really hard to see with my head between my legs.

And then it happened.  I was standing with my legs spread, head hanging down and palms on the floor.  (If you're thinking that this is going to be some story about passing gas, quit reading.  I'm not that rude!)  Suddenly, the instructor assumed a mirror image position behind me, her heels touching mine and her buttocks pressed up close, right next to mine!  I would have run from the gym except that I was in no position to get up quickly.  I started to tell this lady that I didn't even know her name.  But, she grabbed my hands and instructed me to pull.  "There," she said, "Isn't that giving you a much deeper stretch?"  I have to admit, it was quite an awesome stretch.  And, maybe I was getting this extra special attention because I could stretch better than anyone else??

As the class ended, I felt a few tears falling down my cheeks.  Pain?  Sweat?  Joy at the realization that my body could still do all this?  Hey, I am the Yoga Queen!



 

Better Than Disney World

It's been over a month since I blogged.  So, it's time to catch up and share some summer memories.  Last August, when we returned from Florida, the girls put a can on the kitchen counter and began saving coins for our return to Disney World.  Every spare coin went into that can and the girls speculated that they might have even saved enough to add Sea World or Universal Studios to the trip.  (Okay, they don't have the greatest understanding of money.  My point is simply that they had been planning to go back to Florida this summer.)  But, we decided that this summer was going to be mainly about family.  Two days after Lacey's birthday, before she even had time to get to know her birthday gifts, the girls and I packed up and headed to Washington state.  

We visited with Aunt Laurie for a week, getting to know our cousins and the beauty of Washington.  We spent three days on Lopez Island, searching for sea glass, enjoying Aunt Laurie's company, shopping for pottery, and not watching TV.  The girls were thrilled when they realized they had gone five straight days without TV.

From Washington, we flew on to Colorado.  We traveled without return tickets because I wasn't sure how long we were going to stay. We ended up spending a month in Boulder.  We met a lot of interesting people and made a lot of special memories.  It was while we were all learning to use a pottery wheel that Cassie suddenly exclaimed, "This summer is much better than Disney World!"  I decided to look back at the photos we took and compare the past five weeks to other vacations.

The views: Amusement Parks offer a lot of unique views.  We've seen Mickey and Minnie Mouse; Cinderella's Castle; parades and fireworks; and giant Lego structures.  We took a safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom and saw jungle trails filled with exotic animals.  Here are a few of the sites we experienced this summer.

The highest point in the San Juan Islands, Washington

With Aunt Laurie at Discovery Pass

A tree house on Orcas Island - it wasn't nearly as crowded as the one at Magic Kingdom.

Checking out a view of the ocean

Hunting for sea glass on Lopez Island

Paddy Paws helping accepting Mom's invitation to breakfast.

Wildlife in my Mom's back yard

Getting up close and personal with a pair of foxes in Mom's yard

An evening prowler - this is not something that Animal Kingdom boasts!

Susan's kitten teasing the backyard raccoons

Every morning I hiked 45 minutes uphill to watch the sun rise over Boulder.  The girls didn't want to get up that early.  So, the few minutes I had to myself were as spectacular as the view.

The boy band, One Direction, was staying on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder.  Here is Cassie photographing the fans who were going crazy as band members came out to board their tour bus.

 

The girls, Aunt Susan and a bear.  Okay, the bear's not real.  But, big surprise, neither are Minnie, Mickey or any of the other characters you see wandering around Disney World.

The girls, Susan and I went to Mudslinger's Pottery and learned how to use the wheel.  I'm not kidding when I say this was one of the most absolutely thrilling experiences of my life!

Water pipes for sale in Boulder.  Clearly something that you don't get to see at Disney World!

 The rides: Of course, amusement parks are known for their rides.  From my perspective this means long, hot, sticky, tiring waits in sweltering heat and rides that are so short they make you feel cheated.  We experienced a couple new rides this summer.

We went on four different ferry rides to and from Lopez and Orcas Islands.  These were real islands that were not connected to land!  We drove the car right onto the boat.  The ferry rides were complete with fog and horns. 

Here's Lacey on the ferry.  Right after I snapped this photo the security officer announced that the woman and child should stop running back and forth.  I blamed Lacey.

Jordan asked the girls if they wanted to try out his new go cart.  Cassie was a little hesitant so I offered to take it for a spin.  After shaking all my teeth loose, I deemed it safe.  Take a look at this video to see the thrilling ride.

 

They finally stopped because Lacey was screaming, "STOP!! I'VE GOT A CACTUS STUCK IN MY LEG!!"  Cassie immediately phoned Les to ask for a go cart.  I wished her good luck with that.
 

Aunt Laurie treated us all to pedicures.  As far as Lacey was concerned, the big chair that reclined and vibrated was a pretty good ride.

The Food:  When we're in Orlando, we taste a lot of different foods, some good and some not so great.  In Washington, the girls tasted fresh raspberries and strawberries.  They roasted marshmallows and had ice cream twice in one day.  In Boulder, the girls had cobbler with fresh Colorado peaches for breakfast; caramel apples from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory; Mexican food from Santiago's Restaurant;  Ed's homemade hummus; sweet potato fries; a lot of fresh vegetables; and a lot of meals in front of the TV. 

The girls picking raspberries for breakfast in Aunt Laurie's backyard

The girls making kale chips

The sounds:  In Florida we listen to dolphins, the sound of the ocean and tourists.  One of our favorite stops is Bongo's Restaurant where we can listen to live Cuban music.   In Colorado, we made our own music.

Cassie gave frequent violin recitals.

Here's Dave, always in search of a laugh.

The girls strumming their hearts out while picnicking at Wanneka Lake

Family:  Above all, we spent precious time with family.

With Aunt Laurie

With Cousin Lori

Cassie and "Oma" cutting quilt squares for a church project

Beautiful cousins KatyAnn and Juliet

That darn cat!

Uncle Al arrived in Boulder a couple days before we left.

Dave, Beth, Dillon and Amanda visited for a weekend

A concert in the park with Mary Lee, Haley, Jayden, Bronwyn, Nicola and Jordan

Well, I deliberately traveled without a computer so I could enjoy family time.  Five weeks without a computer.  Yeah, for me, it was better than Disney too except that we left Les behind for five weeks.  He met us at the airport and I was so happy to seem him that I didn't point out that most people take shuttle buses instead of walking to satellite parking.  I also didn't mention the fact that he hadn't cleaned the shower in five weeks because all in all he did a fine job of staying home alone.  It's all part of the happy summer memories.