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Dear Trees, Thank You for Your Gift of Shade

August 30, 2021August 30, 2021
by admin

It was a Saturday, and we had committed to spending the day with our granddaughter so her parents might have time to just be themselves instead of parents, if only for a short while. Fortunately, while breezy, it was a lovely sunny day, and I had planned activities that we could quickly pivot to as a toddler’s attention span seems to adjust every few minutes. From playing chase outside, giggling with each other as we lay on the grass gazing at the sky, to more structured activities like playing golf with the golf set her grandfather had gifted her, we were keeping her busy. Read more “Dear Trees, Thank You for Your Gift of Shade” →

Reflections and Lessons

The Curiosity and Wonder of A Beginner’s Mind

May 13, 2021
by admin

Dance has taught me many things in my life. The need for balance and positioning myself so that I am ready for the next steps to be executed. It has taught me how to move to the music of the world and how to be flexible, not just in the movement but in adapting to a change in rhythm or a prop suddenly in the way. It has taught me discipline and hard work bring their own rewards. More importantly perhaps, it has taught me that in approaching things from a learning perspective with curiosity and wonder, a beginner’s mind, the world of opportunity opens up.

Heroes Among Us

A Hero, An Artist and the Tiny Prints

March 18, 2021March 18, 2021
by admin

‘Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.’ I first encountered these words in a little framed picture of a butterfly that had been left on the counter where I work. Despite asking several people, no one could account for how this miniature piece of artwork had found its way to its new home where it has remained for several years. Simple and profound words that, unbeknownst to me at the time, built a connection between Nita Streetman and I. A reminder of the importance of kindness and soon I would learn, a reminder as well, at how we are all connected, unknowingly impacting each other.

Mindfulness

Wildflowers and Unexpected Opportunities

March 3, 2021
by admin

Looking forward to a couple of days with no work obligations, the weekend is always enticing as it sparkles with opportunity. A little time to catch up on my reading. A bit of time to take care of home finances and maybe even some housework. Spend sometime with my husband not worried about what time it is. Sleep in perhaps, or, perhaps take an extra long walk with Sierra, my dog. Better yet, a long hike on dirt paths surrounded by green foliage and maybe wildflowers or at the beach listening to the music of the ocean. Those are the enticing activities with which I so often look forward. And sometimes, I push those things aside when an unexpected opportunity presents itself for adventure, a new place to explore or people to chat with that I don’t normally see. Housework can wait. The bills can wait. My exercise routine can wait.

Reflections and Lessons

Under All the Chocolate Cake, Frosting and Vanilla Creme

February 26, 2021February 26, 2021
by admin

It is a story that is quite old in our family, one that has been retold several times at Christmas, Thanksgiving…anytime we are all together. It is now fondly regaled with lots of laughter but when it happened there was no laughter involved. There was anger. There were harsh words. There was a feeling of unworthiness. Then silence.

Reflections and Lessons

Letting Go to Make Room

February 11, 2021February 11, 2021
by admin

I made it. I found myself on the board of one of our community organizations that was populated by the movers and the shakers; the individuals that helped shape our community with their decisions. This was a place I had dreamed of being, a place to make a difference and I was humbled to have arrived. Like so many things, however, the perception and the reality don’t always align. After several months I found there was a lot of talk, many words and ideas shared but action became bogged down in posturing and differing agendas. The movers and shakers were more the talkers and sitters. Fortunately I realized this was not the place for me and resigned from the organization after a short two years.

Read more “Letting Go to Make Room” →

Reflections and Lessons

Self-Improvement and Growth or Something Else?

January 27, 2021February 1, 2021
by admin

Being an HSP in a culture that doesn’t value kindness (Nice guy finishes last!) or the other traits we tend to have is challenging. I have often felt like I was the odd one out, a square peg trying to fit in the round hole, and I had no one with whom to share these similar experiences. So I adapted.

Heroes Among Us

The Hero and The Little Fishes

January 14, 2021
by admin

It is always interesting to me how the people that make the greatest impact on my life are brought into it and for John McReynolds it was a skateboard competition that was the catalyst. A unique setting for two adults that were not proficient skateboarders. He was a sports reporter for the Lompoc Record and was the tasked with promoting Lompoc’s first skateboard competition at the new skate park. I was just trying to figure out how to run a skateboard competition. And so our paths crossed. What initially struck me about John was how he cared about the human element of the event. The tricks to be performed, the venue itself, what type of boards or wheels were not important in his approach. It was the participants, the competitors, the persons involved in making the event happen that he focused on and wrote about. I remember observing this with interest and realizing later this tells you much about who John is fundamentally.

Energy Flows

Change is Potential-Change is Hope

January 7, 2021
by admin

Change for me has been a scary concept far too often. I am slow to relinquish where I am and slow to embrace the new. Slow to take the next step and move out of the comfort of the known. Yet change is one of the constants in life. It is with us everyday from the hands on the clock moving to each breath we take. Each moment is different from the next, each inhalation and exhalation different from the one before.

A Heartfelt Journey

A Word to Journey With for a Year

December 29, 2020
by admin

No New Year’s resolutions, just a word. A word to guide, to inspire, to help me walk the path that is mine. Read more “A Word to Journey With for a Year” →

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