Juggling Life

Living In the Moment

I am not, by nature, a person that lives in the moment. I'm the person that goes through life busily crossing things off a list. Being "in the moment" always sounded like a laudable goal, but not one that I fully understood or thought was achievable for a solid Type A like myself.

Then anorexia came into my life. Anorexia brought treatment, treatment brought dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and DBt brought mindfulness--aka living in the moment.

Mindfulness has improved my life. I'm never going to be content to sit and meditate for half an hour every day, but I can be content with just being to a much greater degree than I would have ever thought possible.

Mindfulness is a learned skill and I got my training from an excellent therapist and I even had weekly homework to ensure I practiced. There are therapists that actually specialize in mindfulness practice and I might pursue this some day. I don't pretend to be mindful all day, every day and I'm still a Type A, but at least I now know how to live in the moment and I do it with regularity.

Saturday was my husband's company picnic. The setting was beautiful and the weather delightful, but let's be honest--going to a party when you know five out of a hundred people is a dicey proposition at best.

Then these guys showed up.

 

Mariachi San Marcos

They sounded so good, I decided I would just be "in the moment" with the music. Curiously, the band really fed off my in the moment vibe which led to some fun interactions with the band (they wanted me to dance, but I said "Not without some of that tequila you've been singing about!", three separate songs for me throughout the afternoon (I don't know a lot of Spanish, but I do know a song sung to me that includes the words "bonita," "azul," and "ojos" is a compliment) and my taking some cool pics of the band and their instruments. 

 

 As long as I had my camera out, I couldn't resist focusing my lens on the kids--they're always in the moment!

And then . . . because it wasn't my work party . . . I snuck off, grabbed my bike from the van and took a lovely 8-mile spin around the bay--and I can guarantee you I was mindful of the warm sun, the cool breeze, the muscles I was using pedaling the bike and the snippets of laughter, conversation and end-of-summer joy that were all mine to appreciate just by being there.

Yin and Yang

When I go to pick someone up at the airport I park in the conveniently located San Park cell phone lot. I have a view of a lot of other cars and a chain link fence.

When my husband I go together to pick someone up from the airport (in this case Danger Boy) he parks on the almost-as conveniently located Harbor Island. It's a bit more scenic.

I like to do the same things in the same, very efficient, way, so it's nice to have someone remind me there's another way to do things.

 

Because I have to get this out in the open . . .

(Also, I have a piece over at Mrs. G’s)

Many of you mentioned Zumba in response to what you do for exercise. Yes, I’ve heard of it. I’m sure you have quite a good time doing it. I know several people, including my SIL, who love it.

I will never (and by that I mean never, ever, ever, ever, ever) try it.

Why, you ask?

I have no (and by that I mean zero to the infinity) rhythm whatsoever. Like in a totally embarrassing way. On Dance, Dance Revolution I can make it through a whole song without hitting it right once. True story.

It’s a handicap I tell you.

But you all enjoy your Zumba without me!

Free Stuff Friday and First Grade Fail

To all those who were worried I would serve my darling first-graders virus-ridden cupcakes—rest easy. I had some blood work done today and am going to stay home until we figure out what I have or at least what I don’t have (it is definitely not H1N1). I may actually be having a reaction to the medication that has made my bronchitis improve. How frustrating is it that rest is the answer to so many problems and so hard to find the time for?

The sad part is that I won’t get closure with the students I’ve been with since their first day of school—a long time in the life of a 6-year old. Hopefully, I will be able to say a proper goodbye and deliver some homemade goodies in the next week or two—the school I’m going to has a different minimum day, so the timing should work out.

Now . . . onto the Free Stuff

Five—yes, five—winners will receive a copy of this just released CD. Now I would love to tell you how great it was, but the restricted release, watermarked CD that I received won’t play on any of the computers or CD players in my house. I guess that’s one way of ensuring I don’t engage in unauthorized copying or distribution!

Leave me a comment telling me your favorite love song and I’ll pick the winners two weeks from today. Hmmmm, now that I’ve asked you I’ll have to do some thinking about what my answer would be!

A Few of my Favorite Things

Books: This is very hard because I looooove to read. So, a partial list: The Poisonwood Bible, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Pigs in Heaven, Moo, The Deep End of the Ocean, The Good Mother, Glass Castles, Me Talk Pretty One Day, The Pilot’s Wife, My Sister’s Keeper. As a child I loved all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, An Old Fashioned Girl, Little Women, Nancy Drew; as a teen-ager it was all the books by Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, James Michener, and Stephen King.

Movies: The Upside of Anger, High Fidelity, The Virgin Suicides, About a Boy, My Life as a Dog, Shawshank Redemption, Jerry Maguire.

Songs: Goodnight Saigon, Fortunate Son, Desperado, Crazy, I’m Still Standing, Get Off Of My Cloud, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, Eleanor Rigby, plus the cast recordings of A Chorus Line and Chicago.