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Turn by Turn Down A Mountain-A Lesson in Life

September 3, 2020November 24, 2020
by admin

Having a fear of heights is not uncommon and something that I have lived with since I was a child. While having a healthy sense of the danger present when being up high is normal for most people, for me it goes beyond the normal sense of caution. It manifests not just with spiraling thoughts but also physically with my palms becoming sweaty and literally aching. This is not limited to just my own physical presence of being up high. The fear and the sensations come to life also in witnessing others whether in person, in a still picture or in a video as they are perched in what appears to me to be a precarious position. For much of my early life it was easy to avoid most situations that would incite this uncontrollable reaction, but when I made the decision to learn to ski, facing this fear and figuring out how to tame it became a necessity.

Heroes Among Us

A Hero Among Us and the Fearless Voice

August 27, 2020August 24, 2020
by admin

Though we had lived in the same small community for many years the first time my path crossed with Ashley Costa was just after she had won a seat to Lompoc’s City Council. The Council for many years had been comprised primarily of middle-aged males from our community with the occasional middle-aged female, but never someone in their twenties. To essentially be a lone representative in both gender and age as well as probably ideals was a challenge I couldn’t fathom anyone desiring but I admired her for taking on those challenges. When she did win my first thought was, “Awesome! You go girl!” but that was followed with thoughts of how much work she had before her. Little did I know at the time how Ashley thrives on challenge and hard work.

Reflections and Lessons

Being Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020
by admin

My husband has joked with me through the years about my visits to the beach. Though I enjoy the beach I had developed a very particular experience that I wanted to have when there. It couldn’t be too hot or too cold. Too sunny or too cloudy. I did enjoy a slight breeze but definitely not something that could be called wind. I enjoyed the sand when it was warm to walk on, too hot was definitely not preferred and too cold was not fun. He even teased me that there was too much sand. (Sad to say there were a few times when I would bemoan the amount of sand that kept finding itself on my towel.) I was Goldilocks personified.

Mindfulness

Do You See the Moon During the Day?

August 13, 2020
by admin

At just a few months short of 3 years, my granddaughter is fascinated by much in life that I have begun to take for granted. She notices small insects as they travel to and from wherever they were going, notices the breeze as it talks to the trees and loves to feel the sand from the beach as she sifts it with her hands. At the sound of a plane she immediately scans the sky to identify where it is headed and is also ever quick to find the moon, night or day. I had forgotten how often the moon is visible during the day having relegated it to only my night time viewings. At this thought I wonder what other things I have missed by deeming the timing is not right.

Energy Flows

When the Door Closes on Childhood Memories

August 6, 2020
by admin

My childhood is long past and is but memories, catalogued like still pictures in a picture album. Rather ephemeral and elusive most times, I don’t give it a lot of thought in my day to day activities. Then something happens and portions of it solidify, eliciting emotion that I thought was long gone, reminding me of experiences forgotten and buried. Reminding me that in getting on with the business of growing up and becoming an adult, my childhood didn’t go away and is still very much a part of this grown up version of me.

Mindfulness

An Exercise in Futility

July 30, 2020
by admin

To say the human race has undergone a shift in 2020 would probably be an understatement. Many of us went from having hectic schedules to having no schedule and for others if at all possible, the schedule became more inundated. Futures that seemed once secure and well thought out have vanished or at least become more tenuous. There has been upheaval no matter your geographic location or your socioeconomic status. Things are different. Life is different.

Understandably, all this change has lead to a lot of uncertainty. For me, I like to think I have control over events in my life, at least a bit, and when this supposed control is no longer apparent my survival instincts come to the fore with different coping mechanisms becoming the pattern of my thinking. One of those patterns for me is worry.

Read more “An Exercise in Futility” →

Reflections and Lessons

The Delicious Ambiguity of Life

July 14, 2020
by admin

It was a beautiful sunny day with just a bit of a breeze and my husband wanted to go for bike ride up one of the trails near our home. I was hesitant as the hill he wanted to climb was rather steep for about a mile and I was not confident in my ability to make it. He assured me we could turn around at any point so we embarked on our little adventure. Surprisingly, I had requested only one brief stop midway up the hill before resuming our trek. Soon the top came into in view, teasing us with its proximity, and we continued until just a few hundred feet from our destination. And then I stopped. Not a rest stop, but a full on my lungs were burning and my heart felt like it would leap out of my chest at any moment stop. As I stood gasping, straddling my bike with my feet firmly planted on the ground, my husband encouraged me to rest and catch my breath. He maintained we could make it, which really meant he knew he could and was trying to make me believe I could as well. As my breathing relaxed he instructed me to begin riding by heading down hill first before turning back up. Crazy idea I thought and stubbornly hopped back on the bike with the tires pointed straight up hill attempting to pedal. Making no progress other than spinning my wheels in the sand, I stopped, completely defeated and gave my husband that look of ‘I’m done and knew I couldn’t do this’ at which time he again encouraged me to try riding down hill first. Shrugging my shoulders I gave it a try. Then the magic happened. Heading back down hill gave me enough momentum that I was able to turn back up hill and made it to the top of the trail. Progress!

Mindfulness

When the Magic Happens

July 8, 2020July 8, 2020
by admin

In the last few years I have had several people express to me that we are all here by choice. Our souls choose our parents and the time to make the journey to this corporal world. In many ways this idea is comforting, allowing me to believe there is a purpose behind everything I am experiencing and a reassurance that everything that happens is for a reason. Similar to my belief that no matter the experience I am having, it is because God has placed me there for my learning and growth. And yet, I also have free choice in so many ways. I have the ability to direct much of what I do and experience. Indeed, it is through choice after choice that lead me to this day, to sit here listening to the ocean play it’s melody outside and feel the breeze coming through the windows as I type these words.

Read more “When the Magic Happens” →

Heroes Among Us

A Hero Among Us and The Cheerleader

July 2, 2020
by admin

When first meeting Ken Ostini, his six foot plus stature is rather imposing, but his friendly, warm manner and easy banter quickly expose his love for Lompoc as well as his long history in our community. My interactions with Ken initially looked to be short lived. He became the CEO of the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce as my time on the board came to an end, hardly allowing us to learn each other’s name. Fortunately for me, a short time later, our paths crossed again and again on a regular basis as I was able to work with him for several years on different activities within our valley.

Reflections and Lessons

When the Earth Held Her Breath

June 24, 2020June 24, 2020
by admin

The landscape for most people has changed, at least a bit if not dramatically, with the advent of the pandemic. With shelter at home decrees or just plain wanting to stay safe, what was perceived as a ‘normal’ daily routine quickly became a thing of the past. For me there was a period of time that it felt like the Earth was holding her breath as we figured out how to navigate living in a world with the threat of a deadly foe that was unseen and virtually undetectable.

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