Snow Day in Del Ray

Yesterday I awoke to find a fresh layer of snow on the bedroom skylight. Pulling back the curtains, I was treated to the 4th flurry of the winter season. For the DC area, that's significant, and for this native Floridian it's fabulous! Despite the fact that I don't trust myself to drive in the snow (no 4 wheel drive on my Florida Jeep!), and I'm admiring from inside most of the time, I do so love the snow.

To ensure a successful day indoors, the husband and I bundled up for a trek to Main Street, otherwise known as Mt. Vernon Avenue, for supplies. What does one need for an evening snowed-in? Well wine and cheese of course! Fortunately, Planet Wine is a mere 15 minute walk away. We picked a berrilicious Pinot from South Australia and a smoky gouda wedge to pair. I'm no pro, so perhaps berries and smoke don't play well together; but there's none of either left today so it mustn't have been too terrible.

Then, we headed across the street to Artfully Chocolate. Confessions: this was my first visit to this incredible edible. I'm afraid it would be better named Sinfully Chocolate. We spilt a gourmet hot chocolate for the walk back, and oh my nibs. How delicious! The "Lucy" is a dark chocolate drink with cinnamin and chipolte. The perfect treat of spice and decadence for our snow day. The evening culminated with a fire, dinner of wine, cheese and chocolate and Angelina Jolie...by way of Gone In 60 Seconds on tv.

The Redbox video option at the 7-11 wasn't working. I think the gears froze in the storm; so we were stuck with tv movies. Not even the pitiful acting of this film could damper a beautiful snow day in Del Ray. Did I mention I practiced yoga with Brian Kest earlier on? A flashback to the early 90's when I'd copied his Power Yoga 2 on VHS. All things old shall be new again. And for yesterday, all things snow shall be whoo-hoo'd again. It was a pretty darn good afternoon.

Visions & SugarPlums Danced in her Head

During an art festival last October, we ran across a series of lovely paper accordion books. Large sizes had been used as wedding albums or memento holders. Opened up they could be hung on a wall, or folded in book form for a shelf. I thought they would make the perfect backdrop for a vision board for 2010. The husband (thank you!) bought me a small accordion book, so delicate and beautiful, for my Christmas stocking. It's the perfect size for carrying in my purse as a regular reminder of the hopes I hold dear, and the visions I wish to manifest.

Soon after the New Year, I set to work at putting visions to paper, collage-style. Starting with my mantra: "Love Jesus, Live Fearless, Seek Wisdom, Create Beauty," I created three foci for each phrase. It worked out quite well as the accordion book had 14 total pages. This was a perfect fit for a verso, 12 focus points (one for each month) and a closing page.

Here are some pics of the almost final product. All that's left is to write is the monthly focus on the other side of each fold.

You can see how wee the book truly is. 1/2 the size of a tivo remote.

Yet opened up, it's almost as long as the futon!

The foldouts are not in mantra order.

See, I'm living fearless already. oy.

"Create Beauty"

&

"Love Jesus"

"Live Fearless"

&

"Seek Wisdom"

Thank you Santa/husband for visions & sugarplums for Christmas! This gift keeps giving well into the New Year.

Zen in 2010: But 1st, a look back at 2009

It’s been a long two months since I last posted to my blog. During that time, I’ve been spending most spare moments immersed in yoga teacher training, which I completed on 12/28 with a 90 minute practicum. It’s no excuse for putting the blog on the back burner, but this 200 hr certification was actually 435 hours of classes, practice and training! Now that I’m back to blog, I thought I’d kick off the New Year by answering the same questions that got Digging for Fire off the ground: a recap of 2009 to bring focus for 2010 goal setting.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Yoga teacher training! Here's me post-practicum with a Happy Congratulations cake from the husband.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions and will you make more for next this year? I did not keep my new year’s resolutions, but I did chip away at the AblazeyDaisy Do list. And I will make more resolutions for 2010.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No, but I have two girlfriends due with their first in Feb and March of this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No, and I’m thankful that my grandfather is still with us while he undergoes dialysis.

5. What countries did you visit? Just U.S. trips: Omega Institute in NY, family trips to Florida, music festivals/camping in North Carolina

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Fearlessness.

2010 Mantra: "Love Jesus. Live Fearless. Seek Wisdom. Create Beauty."

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

August 21-23, Being Yoga Conference at Omega Institute. It was deciding factor that I wanted to complete yoga teacher training.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? See number 1!

9. What was your biggest failure? Not letting the healthy mind/body tools of yoga change me more fully. It’s a process; I’m a process so I’m still working. I’ll continue to do the work, practice, but I thought I’d be farther along than I am.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I dropped a heavy tray on my foot and lost my big toenail. Have you ever tried practicing yoga with a broke-up foot? It’s hard!

11. What was the best thing you bought? Teacher training!

12. Where did most of your money go? Our mortgage will be our largest expense for the next 14.5 years for sure. BUT, at least we have a plan to pay off our beautiful home in ½ the time of the mortgage.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Continuing and deepening my journey with yoga, sharing what I’m learning with others, clarifying how my beliefs as a Christian and the yoga practice are a natural fusion of spirituality in action and communicating same.

14. What song will always remind you of 2009? Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance: Rama-rama-ma!

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happier

b) thinner or fatter? About the same

c) richer or poorer? Richer in friends, love and thankfulness.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of? Jivamukti yoga! I love it!

17. What do you wish you’d done less of? drunk less red wine. Me and tannins don’t agree like we used to.

18. How did you spend Christmas? In Florida with my grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins and beloved parents. It was a wonderful Christmas! Here's dad doing guyan mudra at the Christmas table :)

19. Did you fall in love in 2009? I fall in love with my husband over and over again.

20. What was your favorite TV program? Top Chef, Biggest Loser

21. What was the best book you read? Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar

22. What was your favorite film of this year? The Earthlings documentary…not that I enjoyed watching it. It was absolutely awful. But in terms of affecting me, it was profound. The husband and I have cut meat from our diet and are slowly phasing out animal products like eggs and cheese…slowly.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 34 in September and took the day off work to chillax, practiced Jivamukti and attended teacher training that night. The class chanted Om Tryambakam Yajamahe in my honor. Very cool!

24. What kept you sane? Yoga.

25. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Sharon Gannon.

26. Who did you miss? Papa. Still. Always.

27. Who was the best new person you met? The 15 teacher trainees of Pure Prana’s 2009 class and our teachers Natasha & Kathy.

I'll post back with more 2010 thoughts, but it's Zen in 2010 for me. Namaste.

Alternative Alphabet

What a weird, bassackwards week it's been. Perhaps you remember that my parents were in a terrible car accident about this time last year? Two days ago, the man who hit them and ran from the scene accepted a plea bargain and was put in jail. For his crime of "leaving the scene of a crash involving injuries", followed by crimes of "carrying a concealed firearm" this fine member of citizenry will receive four months jail time and two years probation.

My father's tenacity is the sole reason he's getting any jail time at all. The court was willing to bestow several previous pleas of mere probation. But my dad continued to attend hearing after hearing on my mom's behalf to convey the damage caused by the defendant while still on probation from previous crimes. Clearly probation was not acting as a successful deterent. Four months seems like so little punishment for a man who almost killed my mother and caused months of agony for all my family. It is not my place to pass judgment though; I am thankful a measure of justice was served. I'm also grateful for some closure for my parents.


Gratitude: it a first step to releasing anger. I've have some major anger issues with this guy. So, I've been trying an exercise while taking slightly longer, hotter showers during the cooler fall season. Based on a poster I'd seen advertised by Syracuse Cultural Workers, I've been reciting 26 reasons to be thankful; one for each letter of the alphabet. I love their idea that this alphabet is for the grown-ups too. Why not leverage the notion to help me focus on the many reasons I have to give thanks, instead of on any animosity I may have toward another? Here we go:

AblazeyDaisy's Alternative Ahimsa Alphabet
Action - taking some rather than talking makes change.
Bass - I love me some hubby low octove grooves.
Cats - my boyz who comfort me no matter the situation.
Del Ray - my town, my community, so hip and beautiful.
Employment - as in gainfully so in these tough times.
Friends - who support me & pray for my concerns.
Grandparents - I have three living!
Home - I love mine and those in it.
India - I have great respect for the yogic traditions of this country.
Jesus - My Lord & Saviour.
Kisses - I enjoy 'em both human and chocolate style.
Laughter - the best medicine and great for stomach muscles.
Music - the universal language that transcends words & makes emotion tangible.
Namesake - maiden name & all I've come from, married name & husband are gifts from God.
Oxygen - deep back rib breathing to chillax & center.
Piano - my grandma gave me hers to play.
Quest - life is an amazing journey w/ great ups along w/ its other-thans.
Radical - the noun version, as in why be normal?
Simplicity - usually the best answers are the simplest.
Time - a good balm for what ails.
Upright bass - my favorite instrument courtesy of the husband's passions.
Verses - Bible quotes to heal: Philippians 4:6, Hebrews 12:28
Water - quenches thirst like nothing else & we've got clean H2O at our fingertips.
Xanadu - a place where nobody dared to go; a love that we came to know.
Yoga - I'm constantly growing & knowing thru this (& I'm keeping this poster choice as my own!)
Zero - # of days we have to go it alone. God neither leaves nor forsakes!

It is a successful tool to refocus. Thank you Lord for bringing my family back to health.

Fried & in need of Fries

Today's work schedule (some by choice, some by force) had me eating my lunch at 4:15 pm. Back at my home office, we had some cut up veggies leftover from our weekend camping escapade, so I quickly threw those together into a salad. Mere salad, however, does not fill the depths of hunger brought on via a four-hour meal delay.

Unfortunately, besides the leftover veg, there wasn't much else in our fridgedaire. So, I found myself rifling through both pantries for some good grub. Nothing was fitting the bill. Back to the fridge I go to check again for any previously unseen food treasure that is cheese or potatoes (to make awesome french 'fries' baked in the oven). Yours may be different, but you know the type of family fave items that always go first after a grocery run. There was nary dairy nor tuber to be found.

Repeat pantry shuffling. 2nd pantry pilfering. Back to the fridge...standing in front of the open fridge door I began singing this made-up verse in old-timey country twang:

I wish I had potatoes in my friiiidge,
I'd make french fries & eat 'em all night looooong.
But there's nuthing here except some veggggg,
So I'm jest left here with this french fry sooooong.

Realizing I'd almost worn a circular groove in our kitchen floor doing laps between the pantries and fridge, with no can left unturned and no new food to speak of...I gave up the search. I asked the husband, "How many times do you think I can open this refridgerator door before I understand nothing new is going to appear?"

He responds, "Right? Where my magic fridge is?"




Where is my magic fridge indeed? I know you can relate.

Guess I better get with the changing times, and see that my veg sticks were the way to go in the first place. Hmmph. I might have to change my tune, literally.

Beast Reality

I'm cleaned up, rested and sipping coffee that wasn't boiled outside. These are all signs that I'm back home, and our camping trip is over. This weekend the husband and I were back at Shakori Hills for the fall music festival. We had a great time and the weather held out for us, only raining the last night we were there. Eating fresh veggies and homemade hummus, J strumming bass at the campsite, taking in new bands, hooping to the live music...these things all equal my festival fun.

J also let me lead us through some asanas, so we could stretch the air mattress sleep kinks out of our system, and so I could practice a bit of my yoga teacher training intake. Have I mentioned that yoga practice outdoors is the absolute best? Maybe, but it's worth mentioning again. I think that we're going to institute a regular backyard-yoga practice! I am so thankful to be married to someone with similiar interests; it's a treat to share music, yoga and more with my main man. I love him extra for that special look of surprise caught upon exiting our publicly shared bathroom. Chatham county portables, I'm glad to leave you and your antibacterial hand sanitizer in NC.

As for the music, one band we enjoyed most this go-around was The Beast. They have a politically charged hip-hop sound with serious funk bass lines kicking the background. We've seen them at Shakori before, but this year they were playing at the headline stage. Picked up their CD pre-release (yes, old school cd purchases still abound in our household), and listened to it on the drive home. The group's original name was The Beast Reality, which leads me to my final focus for this entry.

An overarching theme to this festival is sustainability. Throughout the weekend, Shakori offers a sustainability, peace & justice discussion series with offerings on solar power, living low carbon, and local food production. The "Beast Reality" is that there is a lot of unfortunate nastiness going on in the world, and it can be easy to insolate yourself, isolate really; perhaps thinking that one person can not make a difference. Yes, one person can!

So many of our daily decisions can influence outcomes, not just for us singular, but for the greater US community. Our purchasing power influences the way massive corporations do business, our volunteer and church participation positively affects thousands in our local realms, even the simple act of actively listening to someone speak can help ease a burden. Thinking along these lines, how the small things we do each day can cumulatively create a changed existence is empowering! I love this picture of umbrellas decorated by festival goers. Placed together they are an art installation of ideas. One umbrella reads "The opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation". So true. If war is destruction, then creation would be its literal opposite. What decisions can I make today, tomorrow and onward to promote sustainability, to create positive change?

*spend more grocery dollars at local farmer's market

*reach out to neighbor whose husband is out of country for a month on business

*smile more

*practice yoga. it changes you on a cellular level!

*let go of anger. control what I can, and admit/submit what I can't.

small ex: for the person(s) who stole our camping stove this trip, a 10 year anniversary gift from my company - may it serve you as you need it to. I can be thankful that we have the means to acquire another, and be done with it. There. Belly boil no more. Coffee boil no more. I'm back home to the drip pot, no anger rot, and positive thought.

La La Love the Library!

May I please share a true cheap thrill? A positively pleasant, won't woe your wallet, guaranteed glee? My neighborhood's library branch has a bi-annual book sale. Two weekends a year, they display months' of effort in collecting donations, classifying (loosely) inventory and rallying community. As an official "Friend of Duncan Library", I have the privilege of shopping one night early, before all the best finds are swept up.

In past book sales, I'd not yet held "Friend" status. I learned serendipitously that the last hours of the Saturday sale, the library is just eager to get rid of their stock. They have half price on top of sale price, and I've walked out with a literal box of books, videos and cds for $12.00! This year, I'm supporting the library more directly both as their "Friend" and by paying full sale price. Still a bargain: Hard backs $3.00, Large paperbacks, $2.00, Small paperbacks, videos and CDs $1.00.

I just walked off with an opening nights' steal for the paltry sum of $21.00 (see pic above). Cheap entertainment in shopping, and crazy R.O.I on the hours I'll invest reading and watching. I love you library. For you Alexandrians, the library sale continues for the public from Thursday - Saturday, October 1st - 3rd. Saturday also coincides with the annual Del Ray Art on the Avenue. This is one block from the Duncan library branch, and last year over 10,000 people attended. I bought some snazzy silver earrings - handcrafted at a song! Oh Del Ray, how I love you too.

Now I gots to go affix my self-designed book plates to the new acquisitions. Oh yes, that was on the AblazeyDaisy Dos list and I actually did it. Do they resemble say....a blog decor (if you can even see thru the craptastic blur of my camera)? How did that happen? It's called a design rut and I'm happily rooting around in it. Blog, Twitter, Bookplates - BOOYAH!

Mind Flux

I've not blogged once this month! Allowing for certain excuses such as busy, traveling, dog ate my blog (some of which are actually true); an actual reason I've not posted recently is due to my yoga teacher training (TT). On September 4th, I embarked upon a four month journey to become a 200 hour registered yoga instructor. 5 days a week, every other week we attend classes to learn about anatomy, history, philosophy, nadis, mudras, pranayama, asana...and that's just some of the content I knew would be included in the program.

I was unprepared for the depths we would mine, both in class and on our own time. I'm la la loving it; learning so much. Meanwhile, there is a flip side to every coin. We are a quarter through our TT classes now. I've started to assess how much I've changed and where this program is taking me. The past few days I'm woe to report that my mind is expanding with wonderful new insights, yet I'm applying it poorly. And I have the same excuses.

Am I using the centering and breathing techniques to calm my senses? Sometimes. Am I using them often? Not exactly. I'm usually one to pray and bring my troubles to the Lord. I'm still doing this. Yoga, whose very definition is to calm the fluctuations of the mind, helps me with my prayer life. In addition to family health concerns and general petitions, I've added my yoga practice into the prayer mix. It's a beautifully, holistic system that allows me to pray while I practice and practice while I pray. That core spiritual aspect of yoga, that I can be practicing my yoga while not even 'striking a pose,' was a main draw for me to enter a TT.

This whole process is a step by step, pose by pose, breath by breath endeavor. Thank the LORD the breath by breath part is truly an autopilot action. One less thing the "me" needs to contend with. "me" being the ego-driven self that is misidentifying with all this external circumstance and not focusing on the I AM of God. There is no question I am meant to be in this program. My type-A, high stress, goal-setting self would like to project that I'll soon be further along in quieting-the-mind, ridding it of all its chatter, and focusing more on the meaningful. Each day is a new opportunity to learn, give back and listen. There's been a lot of mind chatter to hear lately, but I'm working on it. And that is me practicing yoga daily.

On a another yoga note, purple is the color associated with the 7th chakra (which for Western anatomy, is associated with the pineal gland). This weekend I was all about the purple. Bought purple beans from the Friday farmer's market, which unbeknownest to me promptly turn green with heat!

Saturday, we went to a 70's themed bday party where I decked out the purple maxi dress with purple eyeshadow and sequined headband. I was dedicated. By eve's end, my teeth were purple to match courtesy of Gnarled Head vino. If I haven't yet opened my energy flows to my purple chakra, I can just act as-if until I do ;) Pic to prove as-if acting:

Canvases for Art

Isn't it a wonderful blessing how many aspects of life provide opportunities to insert your personal signature/stamp? Paradoxically, I also believe there is nothing new under the sun, but I can subscribe to limitless variations on a theme. I think we're all capable of multiple variations of 'newness' and having physical space upon which to illustrate those variations is vital. Consider:

The Physical:

• the walls of your home and their decor
• the dishes and flatware you eat with each day
• your office knickknacks

Recently, I've considered adorning a blank wall of my closet (not enough depth to hang clothes on, yet mocking me with it's bareness...hah! closet puns: bare :) with small frames of inspiring pictures. Perhaps I'd be more inclined to take a few extra steps with work attire if my closet urged me to look my best despite any daily grind.

The Virtual

• your email background and/or signature
• blogs, facebook, twitter, myspace, etc. themes
• avatars in forums/chatrooms

I recently updated my twitter page to coordinate with this blog's color scheme and imaging. Such fun for no cost! Another cool addition was when Sting decided to follow ME on twitter!! Be still my beating heart. No, I don't think this makes me special in any way other than I was one of the first to follow him and he's reciprocating in kind...but as of this posting, only 70ish folks in the world can claim that THEE STING follows their Twitter feed. Or as my dad would call it "fluttering" or "social nitwitting". Love you, Daddy!

The Epidermal

• your wardrobe
• tattoos. I love how we can use our bodies as a canvas!
• piercings

Even in the places most folks may not regularly notice or view, we can be creative in our expression (toe polish color selection, under-garments - 'holy' or otherwise, ink strategically inserted above the sleeve line...) All options for artistic assertion!

Last blog entry, I shared my Moleskine journal adornments. This falls into the last of my classifications, the lump-sum category:

The Unusual

• the inside of a high school locker - may be long forgotten, but we each had our imprint back in the day
• journals - why the heck not? I fell into this b/c my cardboard cahier looked so forlorn all empty and brown
• modes of transportation, after a certain age, become ripe for sticker placement

To the latter point, I offer two quick stories.

1) My first car was a 1974 shit brown Chevette. Manual transmission. $1000 back in 1991. I LOVED this car and called it (based on color alone) my Shitvette. B/c no one was ever going to be bidding high dollars to obtain this vehicle in the future, I slathered it with stickers, joking that they were holding the beast together. My Dad built me wood speaker boxes, and I had the backseat permanently laid down, speaker boxes close to the front blaring cassette versions of the Pixies, Husker-Du and Echo and the Bunnymen. That thing was the bomb, until it literally bombed on a night drive home from college freshman year; leaving me to stand roadside on I-4 holding the back of a car visor with the words"PLEASE GET HELP". I had to take a ride from a fortuanately kind stranger to the nearest gas station so I could call home. Two weeks later, I was given my first cell phone (the size of a boombox and for emergency purposes only as it was crazy expensive) and my mom's Corisca. That car, I did not love; but I loved the price (free to me, thank you parental units), and I was thankful to be mobile.

2) One of this past weekend's chores included "back-to-blacking" my Jeep Cherokee bumpers. I adore my 1999 purple Jeep Cherokee, but the sun has faded her hind and front ends and this product promises a color restoration. B/c she is 10 years old, I told myself it would appropriate to institute beloved-car policy and apply stickers. After reblacking her bumps, I went protesting by way of bumper stickers. The Cherokee looks great! Black backsides, political grafitti for folks to read in DC traffic. What more could a fool ask for? perhaps a camera that take clearer pictures...nevertheless I offer you these as evidence of my most recent canvassing efforts. On which medium will you share your signature statements with the world?

Fire Chronicles

I have been a journal writer since my pre-teen years. Journaling is not often an every day thing, but I do so love to go to a coffee shop and put pen to paper. Over time, the journals themselves changed along with my age and interests; from flowery hardbacks with lock and key, to simple spirals, to Mead composition books, to leather bound works of art. Regardless of what journal version I may be using at the moment, I have never been able to pass by a selection of blank books without stopping to touch and examine each one. I've been like this with school and office supplies, planners, basically anything paper-based and organizationally-purposed. It's a sickness.

For our wedding, the items I may have spent the largest total of time on were the invitation and program. HOURS were invested choosing card stock, font, swirl size, inserts, tassels and more. It was a delicious agony I dragged on as long as possible. The husband was kind and smart enough to let me have sole control of those decisions :)

Lately, I've come to a rather surprising acceptance of using just one kind of journal for both personal and professional jottings. Moleskine has been my go-to for the past three years! I still sneak over to the blank book aisle of any bookstore I frequent, but I don't buy unless it's a Moleskine. For work, I prefer the original black leather bound "ruled notebook, large". Wonderful elastic cord closure, 180 pages, pocket in back, sturdy cover, very classy looking.

For personal musings, I've been smitten with Moleskine's "set of 3 cahier -kraft-, large". These are soft brown, light brown cardboard covers with 90 pages each. What I love most is that they are so portable and customizable! That cardboard cover is just itching to be decorated. While I can't say I've ever bedazzled a cahier (or an anything), I have definitely taken cards, quotes, stickers and other ephemera from events or places I've enjoyed and slathered the covers with same. It's such fun to pull out of my bag a book whose front page speaks to where I am right now. Here is a picture of my current cahier (pronouced KAI-YAY; it's french for notebook). I've only written about 1/2 way through it, but the covers are almost fully coated in thises and thats of interest.

This Friday, September 4th, I am starting a yoga teacher training program at pure prana yoga studio. I'm very excited to learn more about this practice I've been digging into for the last several whiles. I've ordered my books, but had not yet aquired any 'supplies' until today. I made a new cahier 3-pack purchase and have adorned one as my designated teacher training journal. The end result is viola! It kai-yay takes your breath away...Calgon, don't be jealous.

National Yoga Month

National Yoga Month is almost here! I've always liked September: new school season with fresh supplies, my birthday, the start of fall and crispy air one can both feel and smell. Now there's another reason to appreciate September. Several large corporate sponsors including Lucy and YogaFit, along with hundreds of yoga studios across the country, are partnering to share the benefits of yoga with the masses.

Perhaps the best short-term benefit is the opportunity for a WEEK of FREE YOGA! Hopefully, for anyone new to this amazing mind-body activity, this open access will foster a long-term love affair with the practice. For me, I'm taking advantage of the free week to try out a new-to-me studio in my area. Click here for more information on the studios participating in your area, and to sign up for your free week of yogamazing movement.

September also purports the beginning of yoga teacher training! I've narrowed down my options to two incredible studios and will submit apps mid-August. I'm excited and a tad trepidatious. My increasing flexibility is not shielding me (completely) from my inner klutz. Tonight, after a yoga class no less, I thrust myself onto the bed for a good read. Minutes later when I went to roll over onto my back, I could not. In my eagerness to literally jump into bed, I'd pulled something along my hip and had to crawl to the loo for pain meds leftover from an earlier foot injury.

As I type, I'm loosened up on 1/2 a percocet and a fistfull of icy-hot. Better living through chemistry is what my mom always says. I trust that with a good night's sleep and a repeat of the half pill, fistfull routine, I'll be able to go back to my other routine of oh...walking upright. I haven't determined the proper script to allievate the klutz in me. But more yoga can only help, so I'll be back at it manana. Even if my tomorrow's practice begins and ends in easy pose.

Pavers on the Path to Glory

Walking the National Mall is an item on the AblazeyDaisy Do list. I didn't want to just go to the Mall and stroll by select momuments, but rather walk around its full circumference. You know, for exercise and something to do unique for this area. I did this a few weekends ago, and took several pictures along the way.

I'm sure tourists and locales alike thought I was a crazed lady or at least had a penchant for poo as I bent down to take this lovely.

I thought it so oddly (and unfortunately) appropriate that the majority of the 'road' to momuntalism was literally paved with waste. There were dozens of Canadian geese hanging out by the reflection pool. And it seemed that they, and all their molt and anal seepage had been unattended for a looooong time.

note the dried up corners up the Reflection Pool and the gathered nasty of molted feathers.

Today, I was searching the web for some professional pics of 2009 DC Yoga Week's cumulation on the Mall. I attended that event, and the MC promised pics. I've yet to uncover them. My searching did lead me to this article from South Carolina's paper The State, confirming my witness. The National Mall is in dire straights. I love that the public gets to play on and enjoy the Mall. I think it's cool that these geese have a place to rest, feed and swim.

But shouldn't some of our Parks and Recreation tax dollars be allocated to the maintenance and preservation of our Nation's Capitol? Seeing as how some of these birds have passed on due to botulism contracted by the very waters in which Forrest Gump waded (not to mention the hundreds of thousands of real people who visit the Reflecting Pool each year and no doubt dip their piggies in), I think there is probable cause for tossing a few Stimulus Package dollars DC's way.

Yes my friends, our National treasures are in need of a spruce. Or at the very least a scat squad to pick up after our Capitol's 'pets', who ironically are from Canada.

August AHA! Moment

Day 2 of the new month, and I'm actually excited about August! For me, this is a big thing. I'm not a huge warm weather person. One would think that growing up in Florida, I'd be not only used to but perhaps even immune to the heat and humidity. One would think wrong. I high tailed it out of the Florida heat as soon as life allowed me. Of course, I ended up in another swampland, the DC metro area. But this swamp comes complete with seasons, which I la la love!

Nevertheless, August here is the thick of summer heat, and I'm usually spending most of my days trying to cool my overactive sweat glands indoors. Not this month! I've got plans galore, and I'm ready to get raring on them.

Concerts: Pat Benatar/Blondie/The Donnas at the outdoor Wolf Trap venue, Kasey Chambers and Shane Nickolson at Birchmere (see #14 of link).

Vacations: Back to Florida to celebrate Dad and Grandma's birthdays (she's turning the big 9-0!), a solo vacay driving to upstate NY for the Being Yoga Conference and visiting close girlfriends in Connecticut and NYC.

More Free Time: The Husband is putting the finishing touches on his Masters thesis even while I type. Once he submits that puppy, I plan to howl at the moon. He'll be around more with less stress. YEE-HAW! I'm so proud of him. And there's so much to do around here For our upcoming August pleasures: drum circle and outdoor yoga in Malcolm X park, Screen on the Green at National Mall, author talks on climate change at Busboys & Poets, First Thursdays in Del Ray, hoop dance in Rosslyn, local, organic food fare for DC Restaurant Week...and besides the restaurant week dinner, have I mentioned that all this is FREE!

So the A-HA moment is this: I don't have to have an entire month of lovelies planned out to take advantage of right now. I happen to be really excited about the future. But even when that's not the case, all I can really count on is the now. I can make this moment its very best with my attitude and outlook. Even if I'm not in tip-top shape or absolutely adore how my bum looks in summer shorts (too often a key factor of my mind-set). This moment isn't coming back. I can either embrace it with the same adoration I'd use for a full champagne flute, or I can use it to flop prone on the futon with the a/c kicking into overdrive. Either way, soon the moment will be gone. In which state of mind would I prefer to spend this precious time?

Cat-like Cravings

My beloved pet Parker is a true guru on many aspects of life. He has an inate ability to properly prioritize, and I've learned (or am trying) many a lesson through observing my cat. For example, he teaches me:

• One can never get too much sleep. Naps rock!
• Gaze upon people with love. You'll be quite happy with the results.
• When life throws you a hairball, cough it up immediately, wherever you stand. It's easier to dump it now, than deal with it on the flip side after it's processed through all your systems.
• We tend towards grouchy if left alone for too long.
• If your privates need adjusting, it's best to do so after company has left.
• With long hair, the bath drain will need regular attention.
• A little spit/tongue action can put many a stray thing back into place.
• Why make things more complicated than they need to be?

As to this last point, I offer a video recorded via blackberry. I would also now like to take my Indian food to bed with me and call it a day.

Dreams From Nightmares

July 6th was the seven year anniversary of my Papa's death. I remember vividly learning of his passing. It was the holiday weekend; I was sleeping in. My folks called fairly early in the morning for a day off, and I'm not one to answer an early a.m. ringing phone (or any number I don't recognize for that matter). But a series of calls is our family signal for PICK UP, so I did.

The news wasn't extraordinarily shocking. He'd been ill, and in and out of the hospital several times over his last years. It was the finality of it. The fact that the last time I'd seen him (Mother's Day, 2002) was the last time I would ever see him. I remember him telling my boyfriend of the time that I was his pride and joy, his bright blue eyes sparkling while he said this with earnest.

Growing up, I used to have nightmares about various family members dying. Unfortuantely graphic and violent haunts of shot-gun wounds or stabbings. Thankfully, none of these came to pass. It freaked me out though. I used to have an underlying concern that something awful would happen to the ones I love. Awful things have happened: my mother's near death car accident and painful recovery with halo, my cousin's physical/emotional trauma with alcohol. Thankfully, the Lord saw fit to keep both around and bring both back to health. Again thankfully at 33, I am in a rare and elite class of Gen Xers that still has three of her four grandparents living and fairly active.

All of my grandparents have enriched my life immensely. My paternal grandmother taught me to read music and play piano. My grandfather used to cook me burgers on the grill every time I'd visit them, because he knew these were my favorite. He was also my Sunday School teacher growing up, and would buy the whole class full sized candy bars each month to celebrate birthdays, even if no one in class had a birthday that month.

My maternal granny and late papa used to travel all the time, and ran a campground in Vermont during the summers. Some summers, I would get to visit them for a week, and Papa would let me ride his motorcycle (like a vespa) around the campsite on my own. I wasn't even a teenager at the time. Granny would let me collect coke cans left behind by campers, and turn them for the nickel deposit. I got to keep the money. These kinds of memories are so special. I know how blessed I am to have had these experiences, and be loved by these wonderful family members.

A few nights ago, I had a dream that my whole family was together celebrating someone's birthday. From behind a swarm of people gathered by food, I caught a glimpse of my Papa sitting on the couch. In my dream, my breathing stopped. He's been gone 7 years, yet there he was smiling at me with those piercing, blue eyes. As I ran to him to ask how he was here, I was stopped by a stranger who explained that the man was not Papa. It was his twin brother. (My Papa did not have a twin.) But I went up to this Papa look-alike, and sat at his knee and breathed in his scent, and just was. Content for the moment to be as close as possible to a man I miss so much. In the dream, it didn't feel the same, but it was close.

I woke up sad, knowing that I didn't really see Papa, and that I can not see him. Knowing that it's been seven years without his humor and exhuberance. Missing him hurts, but not remembering him would hurt more. I'm thankful that I still dream of him and think of him regularly. It's a testament to how important he is to me, and the depth of his influence.

I love you, Big Boss. I keep trying to be your pride and joy. Vermont is still my favorite state. The husband and I talk of getting a small cabin in Vermont to spend our retirement summers. I think you'd get a big charge out of that, and remind me of all the best places to get pancakes.