Vacation Week

So just in case you've been wondering...I'm on vacation this week making the rounds. I had my last week at my summer job last week and then left for Central Oregon the next day. I was so glad to be able to visit an old college roommate and her husband. We had some good moments together, including a beautiful hike. More on that trip to come....

I currently am in the valley this week helping my siblings paint their houses and looking for fall housing, while also visiting other friends and family. The neat thing about the painting is that they are both using recycled paint for their primer coat. I had never heard of that before but there are locations that take left over used paint and then mix it all together for people to use. Generally it makes tan, gray, or white; however my sister was told that in Portland there are 10-15 colors available to choose from. What a great concept! So although they are both using shades of blue, they were able to use the recycled paint as a base coat then.

It's always great to spend quality time with those I don't get to see as often, and I am reminded of how fortunate I am to have my family and friends in my life.

Reality Check-In

First thing every morning at work we have a check-in with the kids. This includes all of us sitting in a circle and sharing about how each of us is feeling every day. The kids don't always have a full answer and as staff, we try to limit yet model our answers. So here is my non-sugar coated answer: I am stressed.......

Stress is sort of an over-whelming emotion for me to feel as the majority of my life since embracing this life of simplicity has been relatively stress free. I've had my moments but nothing in comparison to the moments that I used to live. So one might ask...why am I currently stressed?

Well my job is fairly intense...from 8am until whenever I get to go home I am processing, processing, processing, which leaves me most unwilling to process about my personal needs and life upon dismissal from my job. Since I have been working longer days-that means that at times I am going non-stop for 8 to 9 hours meeting the needs of others. That would wear anyone out. But a strange realization happened today as I got to come home after only 6 hours...that is that I didn't quite know what to do with myself. I had become so used to over-working myself again and then spending the weekends catching up on my needs and the evenings being so exhausted that I just crashed, that I almost forgot how to relish and enjoy the simple moments. Thus I have spent this afternoon just thinking...really....for myself.

However that thinking led me to ponder all the things that I have been putting off doing until the completion of this summer job. And as I am just in the beginning stages now of a life transition (that of moving back north to start my newest grad program), I am feeling anxiety of how to bring my simple life into alignment with that of my life of a student and that of the life that others have known me by in the past. Hence my thoughts and my emotions are flying....(which ironically is how I described myself w/o all these additional details at check-in this morning...)

I feel saddened by leaving my job: the kids and the staff. I feel saddened by leaving behind the absolute comfort and contentness I feel toward being here how I am in this place and in this time. I feel nervous about starting a new program, about being again in the stress and rush of the city, however I too am excited about the knowledge and opportunities that will be gained through my courses. I am apprehensive about remaining simple and relaxed amongst commotion and the current uncertainities that I am facing.....

But this afternoon, I HAVE slowed down by doing those little things that I enjoy. I've created plans for wrapping up my last days at work, I scrubbed the bathroom sink and kitchen counters (when my surroundings are more ordered I can't help but feel the same), I made spaghetti sauce completely from scratch, I relished my glass of wine, I engaged in conversation with my father, and to compensate for any "greenness" I have slacked on as of late-I took a super short shower. :-) I know that the simple life is what I want, so now it's just remembering to give the control away from myself and embracing the blessings of what I have while looking forward to those that lay ahead....

Oregon Rain

While a bit strange, I have to admit that of all the reasons why I love Oregon, the fact that it rains so much is actually up there at the top of the list. While the Oregon coast and valley may not be the best place for people that have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), the rain actually tends to make me happy. The rain brings a sense of renewal and freshness that can get dulled by numerous sunny days in a row. And as most Oregonians can attest to, we tend to grow accostumed to the rain to such a degree, that we can still continue to do regular activities that most people would stop doing with the onslaught of a few drops. However rainy weather also lends perfectly to plenty of memorable indoor moments. And while polar fleece may not be the most fashionable, we tend to wear it as an additional water proof coating, as umbrellas are rarely seen among native Oregonians. Rain is just our way of life.

So imagine my good fortune when last evening upon crawling into bed, I heard the initial rain drops land upon the roof. The gentle drops were an instant lullaby that lulled me into sleep. The drizzle has continued throughout today which has lended perfectly to an afternoon to finish the novel I started on Friday (Jane Eyre) with a cup of tea and my big fuzzy slippers. The few drops that landed on my clothing this morning while walking into and out of church dried quickly, but it felt great to turn my face to the rain and feel the mist upon my skin and the smell refresh my mind.

We've had an unusual summer weather pattern on the coast this year (as many regions of the world could also claim the same), so we have not had as much drizzly rain or high winds throughout this summer. It's been nice to have an actual summer here, but just lately I had begun to recognize slight changes that mean that fall is encroaching upon the last days of summer. And now the rain is a remembrance of the renewal of the changing of the seasons. While September tends to be beautiful in Oreogn, I have to wonder if it will have its usual pattern this year. Fall in the valley is one of my favorite times of year however, and so I feel most fortunate to be going back to experience its change firsthand.

So bring on the rain, its renewal, its cleansing, its greening, its comfort......rain will always be home to me.

Giving Life

"Together, we can save a life." We've probably all heard the newest motto of the American Red Cross, but how many of us have really taken the time to think about what it means. One of the simplest means of giving to another is that of giving blood for donation. In information taken from the Red Cross, it is reported that every day in the United States, 38,000 blood donations are needed and that frequently the blood supply is 2 days away from running out. This is especially true of the summer months, when blood donations drop. And only 30% of blood donors, donate more than once in their lives. These donors are the ones who keep the blood supply going.

I know that many people have had difficulty or negative experiences at one point with giving blood. The numerous regulations on blood donations also deter some individuals from giving blood. I myself have been frustrated at times due to their different regulations, but it is these very regulations that allow individuals to trust that the blood they are receiving from donors is clean and healthy and that donors themselves remain healthy. On my last donation attempt, I also described in a posting about how the phlebotomist lost pressure on my bag and the blood then was not usable. That experience definitely left me feeling frustrated, however when I think outside of myself I realize that a non-painful accident in giving is nothing compared to the need that there is for continued donations.

If I continue to give, I continue to allow for the life of others. Blood donations are used for treating "accident and burn victims, for treatment of cancer patients, for children with blood disorders, for individuals with sickle cell disease," for surgical procedures, for people with hemophilia, and the list continues. Currently only 5% of the eligible blood donor population in the United States gives blood-yet what a simple way to drastically save and impact the life of another. A blood donor can give again every 56 days, and donation generally takes about an hour. Who knows when one day you may rely upon the donation of another, so please take the time to think about and look into this absolutely simple way to give to another.

TGIR!

TGIR=Thank God I Ran!

Over the last two to three weeks I have been working longer periods of the day. Since we have a set dinner time (which is of course, wonderful to eat together!) and I unfortunately do not digest food fast enough to be able to work out after eating, I have not been able to really run or swim over the last couple of weeks. How absolutely needed and incredible it felt today then to change into work out clothes and pound along the pavement. My muscles stretched and relaxed, my lungs aired themselves out, the sun and breeze flirted with my skin, my hair shook and bounced, and my skin cleansed itself through sweat and oxygen. It felt absolutely incredible! In fact, it was probably the best thing I had done for myself all week.

As much as I dislike advertisements, there is something about running ads (and ads that contain funny animals) that gets to me every time. There is a current advertisement that shows a gentleman running through a major city. However he's so covered in a mess of taxis, shouting bosses, pressing deadlines, too many people, too much nagging everything, that at the beginning of the ad, he looks like an unnatural monstrosity. It isn't until the end of the ad, after he's shed all the minute details of his stress and pressure, that he resumes his appearance as a normal human being. How true that is! For as I run, I'm not only aware of the movements of my body or of its environment interacting with it, but I'm aware of the thoughts, as I list them, one by one escaping my mind and the release that is gained as my muscles work and stress dissipates. And the feeling leaves one oh so free......

My body had been telling me all week that it needed this. That it needs to be outside, breathing, working, feeling, releasing, and so I am glad to give it what it needs and I look forward to further providing for it. I always get so frustrated that life takes over, and leaves me without time to care for one of the primary things that I need to continue to live...that of my body and that of my health. So the thing that has been on my mind all afternoon truly has been....Thank God I Ran!

Going Up Hill

This past weekend I climbed up a hill literally, figuratively, and emotionally. During the preceding weeks, I had been having something of a mental "quarter-century crisis" as I liked to call it and so as my birthday landed on a weekend this year, I wanted to have a big celebration of a sort to celebrate the major milestones that I have reached thus far. For some reason, my birthday has always been an emotional time for me and my enjoyed celebrations have been the few in which I have been surrounded by those that I care about the most. I can remember more than one year in which I have followed the ol' song "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to...." So while no crying on my actual day occurred this year, the transition this year did allow for a big heart-to-heart, soul-pouring-out discussion with my parents. Thank God for those parents! The ones who originally gave me life and continue to emotionally support me!

25-while no major milestone recognized by most, seems to have become a significant number for many of my generation. 25 seems to be the number in which we symbolize the following thought, "shouldn't we have our act together now?" And for the first birthday in a long time, I actually feel sort of well, older, now I suppose. However as I reflected back over the 25 years, I realized that I have accomplished a lot already and felt proud of the decisions that I have made thus far. Thus I know the next 25 are going to be absolutely incredible!

So now that we've covered the emotional and mental climb, what then you may be wondering was my physical climb? Well this year, my birthday was celebrated by a weekend with my parents, my granny, and myself staying at the family beach house up the coast. On Saturday my in-state siblings and their families came over and spent the day with us as well. However even with a large group of people, the day was able to be spent in alignment with my simplistic values.

I woke up early on my birthday and took a peaceful, solitary morning walk on the beach before everyone else arrived, during which I found two sand dollars (which I've taken to be a continual spiritual sign that my life is how it should be as I've found sand dollars the last 4 times). It took my siblings a while to arrive due to road delays, but then after we all had been fed lunch, we headed down to the beach. At this location there is a cape that is about 250 feet tall and while originally not intended, all of us, minus Mom, managed to climb to the top of the cape together. The years have changed it but the view remains ever gorgeous. However the fact that we all were up there together made it even more incredible and special.

After the beach, we had pizzas, cake, and granny-home-made blueberry pie. Good conversation, some California wine, and then Aunt Liz got to enjoy a couple rounds of Twister with the nephew! Dad and I took the younger two nephews on a sand dollar hunt, and while I got a bit wet, I was glad to be able to find a sand dollar for each of them (and have the opportunity to "teach" a tiny bit about the ecosystem-I'm fine with being a nerd). The rest of the crew all headed out and I finally took Granny down for a walk on the beach just with her. After sitting out on the porch with Dad in the final stages of evening, I finally agreed to open the few presents that had been brought after I showered off the four beach trips. How grateful I was that the majority of my family followed my wishes in recognizing that THEY were my presents and the few presents that were brought were completely useful and productive. While the clouds and fog ended up covering the evening meteor shower, I couldn't help but think as I climbed into bed, "God what an absolutely simple, full, and incredible day!" I feel most blessed....