Zen on Town Lake

Today I went for a walk around Austin's Town Lake. There is a hike and bike trail there that I love, though on weekends it can feel a bit like human frogger--dodging strollers, runners, and bikers.

I stopped to sit on a rock by the water. My back was to the trail which was just a few feet behind me. I suddenly realized that there were lots of baby turtles under water. Eventually a couple of adults came along too. I noticed the fish and then the cottonwood fluff drifting ever so lazily to the water. Every once in a while I would again hear the exercise strivings on the trail right behind me and then I would focus in again on the slow drift of leaves on top of the water. The easy sway of algae swirling around the paddling turtles. It was so nice to step away from the go-go-go and remember the slow luxury of summer. I have the visual for what I need to do everyday. Let my mind keep racing, but just take 2 steps away and find a calm vantage point.

The spot where I was sitting is a popular dog swimming hole because it is fairly shallow by the bank. One dog stepped in very regally and stood with water just over his paws. He took one step further and there was a drop off, so he jolted clumsily to chest depth. He looked over at me with the very clear expression of, "She didn't see that did she? Damn, she did."

Made my day.

The Dangers of Cleaning

This evening I was in a cleaning mood. I have vacuumed, done laundry, put together a bag for good will, and ditched some papers that were never going to be looked at again. In all this cleaning I came across my notes from when I was teaching in rural Mississippi. Reading just a few excerpts reminded me of the level of crazy that was my life for that window of time. Case in point--I had completely forgotten that one day when our principal was mad at the faculty she made all of us stand for the first hour of our faculty meeting. That is what I call classy leadership. Needless to say, this trip down memory lane sparked two thoughts:

1. I really need to write some short stories about my MS experiences.
   
2. I am so glad to be where I am at in my life right now.
   

I also ran across a notebook that I had started to fill with quotes and favorite words. There were two entries that felt particularly apropos. One was a quote by Isak Dineson,"All sorrows can be borne if they are put in a story." Mississippi was a very rich experience and by no means only sorrowful. However, I do think the act of crafting stories based on the experiences will help me to catalog what was many times too overwhelming to process in the moment.

The other entry was just a notation about the Sanskrit word santosha which means contentment. In the yogic tradition of niyama or self-discipline, santosha is one of the ways to practice self-discipline. I need to re-explore this idea. One of my favorite practices, which I have been slacking on, is to start each morning by listing off reasons why I (should) feel gratitude. It is good for me to remember that contentment is not a lazy feeling.

No more cleaning for me tonight. I have enough to think about without unearthing any other trips down memory lane!

Merry Christmas

Hello dear readers. Merry Christmas! I hope your day is full of food and fun regardless of whether you officially celebrate. Yesterday the familiy + my Jewish boyfriend decorated Christmas cookies. This was a first for him and he was a star. He even decorated a gingerbread man as Grimace (see picture at right). Last night my family gathered with some family friends of 26 years for Suppe de Pesche. Shout out to Chef Matt on an amazing feast and for noticing Grimace as soon as the cookies were unveiled. Today is just family with plenty of food and at last count I tallied 8 different desserts...it will be a good (read sugar frenzied) day. All the best to all of you!

PS - If you are still reading here is the dessert line up for all you Baker Peggy fans out there: Date Nut Bread, Forget me Cookies, Fudge, Christmas Cookies, Apricot Squares, Walnut Cranberry Cookies, Nut Butter Crunch, Peasant Apple Pie...This holiday brought to you by the sugar council (and Grimace).

Gin+ Tonic = Injury

Blog muse, neighbor, and good friend Sara has a wrist injury. I was quizzing her as to whether she should get worker's comp. since it is probably carpal tunnel and thus a result of repetitive stress. Her response, "Pretty much at this point, I am looking for anyone to blame." This evolved into her telling me I am at fault because "your drinks are too heavy and your ice cream is too hard." Clearly I am causing her wrist injury via the harsh methods of southern hospitality including offering gin + tonic with ice cream for dessert. . .

I should start being rude and stop offering any refreshments. . . Except I don't think my genetics will allow such behavior. I am encoded to offer food and beverage. Can't help myself!