New Years Day

High winds and light snow kept us in today, happily eating, reading, watching movies, sipping spirits and otherwise easing into the new year.

My first accomplishment of the year besides a nice long meditation this morning?

Reading an entire book in almost one sitting -- The Hunger Games. I'm hooked and will undoubtedly pick up the second book in the series on our way back into town tomorrow.

It's almost indescribable how good it feels to race through a good book again. It's been far too long!

All in all, a great start to what is bound to be a fantastic year!

Sweet dreams to all and to all a good night!//

Back In the Spirit

I had to give myself a serious talking to this morning. This year with no snow, it's been a little tough to get in the spirit...I cannot lie. Last year at this time, we had over two feet on the ground and it was impossible not to be in the spirit.

And then guess what??

We got a dusting...

...and that's all we can expect this Christmas.

Hmm...it still looks like Christmas...

...see? There's even an outdoor lighted tree!

So you can understand how I've been a little Scroogish so far this season.

Thank goodness I respond well to serious-talking-to's -- the self-talk kind, at least. It was as if a light switch was flipped this morning in my meditation. My energy was back, things at work were hectic but not frantic. The dusting of snow lifted my spirits even more.

Is it because I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with only three days of work left before the holiday? Or did another almost-straight-to-bed night last night and some meditation this morning increase my buffer enough that the insanity didn't phase me today?

Whatever it is, I'll take it.

Actually, I think it's the Solstice -- Mother Nature's energy is shifting and we're at the turning point. We're at the cusp of our turn back towards the light.

Thank god! It's enough to brighten anyone's spirit.

So tonight, to celebrate, it's...

...Wednesday Night Dance Party!

Because sometimes, you have to create your own fun. : )

First, there was fire! What better night to celebrate the coming of the light than this??!?

Then, there was...

...music!

Our friend Mikey (you're welcome, Mike!) puts together an annual Christmas CD, which I LOVE!

Now, be warned: This isn't your ordinary Christmas album.

First, he calls it "Dirty's 2011 xmas cd" which should tell you something. Next, he's been doing this for thirteen years, so eventually, he's scraping the bottom of the barrel. Really.

But in a good way. : )

Everything from Bob & Doug McKenzie's 12 Days of Christmas, to Dr. John's Silent Night. From the Muppets Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (with Rolf and John Denver, no less!!!), to Kurtis Blow's Christmas Rappin'. From Halford's We Three Kings to the Pogue's Fairytale of New York featuring Kirsty MacColl.

The list goes on and on and on...24 fantastics! Well, maybe not the last two "songs" -- which we've been warned in the CD notes: "If you have youngins that are old enough to know some more robust verbage and you want to shelter them; turn off the CD after Auld Lang Syne".

Enough said.

Thanks Mike, for another eye opening musical Christmas adventure!

My current favorite, if you must know, is The Blind Boys of Alabama singing Last Month of the Year. True dance party material, right there!

Love it.

And I have to say, the iPhone app Shazam is the coolest ever. Not only will it listen to your music and tell you who it is, it will give you a little karaoke thing where it highlights the lyrics as the music's playing.

Too cool!

Who knew the life of an iPhone owner could be SO MUCH FUN??!?

Thanks, Santa!

OK. Where was I? First there was fire, then there was music, and then there was...

...his and her favorite winter libations! Cosmopolitan (hers) and VO-7 (OK, VO and Sprite) for him.

Cheers!

Then, of course, there was dancing...but didn't get any pictures of that (thank god), so you'll have to take my word for it.

Clearly, these two weren't particularly impressed.

(But look how close in proximity they are??!? I think they might like each other!!)

Lastly, there was...

What's For Dinner Tonight?

Enchilladas. You know, the usual that allows us to use up a bunch of leftovers.

YUM!

A great day! Shopping almost done, wrapping to finish Friday night while my man is off at The Wine Thief pouring wine (from 4-7pm for those who like to plan ahead!). Stop by and see him...and tell him I sent you! : )

It must be time to sign off since I'm dancing at the computer, while I type, to Buck Owen's rendition of Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy (I HATE THIS SONG!!! What's the matter with me??!? Thanks a lot, Mike. No, really.)

I know what's wrong with me...

...I overdid it. Now I've now got spirit to spare.

Anyone in need? Let me know and I'll send it your way!

A beautiful winter solstice evening to ya!//

Silent Sunday

In the spirit of the season, today's post is a peaceful, (mostly) silent look at our favorite place -- Ritter Farm. And a whole lot of fun with my iPhone.

Ritter Farm, the video...

...and photos.

Enjoy!

Settling In

To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. ~An Ideal Husband (courtesy of my childhood chum Jane -- thanks, Jane!)


This afternoon at work, my head started to feel swimmy and sounded echoey. By the time I got home I knew my evening plans were best canceled and my biggest priorities were a bath, dinner, and bed...in precisely that order.

It's been a long time since I've been sick and while it isn't anything full-blown at this point, I'm pleasantly surprised by it.

Wha?

I know...it sounds weird. What I mean is: This may just be the first time in my forty-one years that I've started getting sick and haven't even remotely begun to...

1. Calculate exactly what I did or didn't do that "made" me sick and use that to berate and bully myself for inviting the illness,

2. Calculate exactly what I should or shouldn't do to hold it off, sure that if I do every single one of these things -- and only then -- I'll be fine,

3. Fight back with the energy of, well...fighting.

I'm pleasantly surprised because I am experiencing a complete lack of resistance. Trying to control this is simply not in my current thought process. Unbeknownst to me, it seems my old story has been cast aside and my long-held fear of being sick -- and being singly responsible for it -- has dissipated.

Who knew?

So this afternoon, instead of blaming myself for what I did or didn't do this time to make myself sick, a new, crystal clear idea presented itself...even strong, healthy bodies get sick sometimes and it is a completely natural process.

Whoa!

To take it further, I feel in my gut that my one and only job in this scenario is to respond to my needs in this moment and let the rest take care of itself. I'm finding that I'm completely confident that my choices tonight are made out of love and sincere caring for myself...not in an effort to control some outcome.

Huh.

Because maybe I'm not in control of whether or not I get sick, after all. I mean, not really.

Just maybe, in all the years that I thought I had -- or should have had -- control over whether or not I get sick, and set out to wage war against the illness, I've really just been waging war against myself.

There are so many ways we allow our thoughts, and our attachments to them, to wreak havoc with our world -- both inner and outer. The negative energy associated with fighting something with resistance -- by actively pushing away what we don't want to have happen out of fear -- simply sets up a scenario that puts us at war with ourselves. This resistance announces to us and to the world that our experience isn't true...that it isn't valid. By denying our experience and fighting to make it different, we're saying it's wrong...that we're wrong. That our life is wrong.

Meditation and learning to work with our mind, rather than against it, allows us to develop enough space to hear the wisdom of our experience. Creating space through developing the skill of quieting the mind opens the door to let our intuition in...before we can hop right back into the old groove where we tell ourselves that we did something wrong and now it's our job to fight what's happening to us and make it go away.

What if the only way out really is through? What if we trust the experiences we're having and find the strength to let go and ride the wave?

Surrender is a tricky thing. It gets mixed up into something that sounds like giving up, being ambivalent or uncaring. When in fact, it's completely the opposite. It's a softening, an easing in, an honoring of our experience, and a way to develop a complete trust with ourselves -- a trust that says, no matter what we encounter, I'm in.

Sounds a little like marriage vows.

It's the ultimate commitment we can make to any other human being. And is the most loving commitment we can make in our relationship with ourselves.

What if instead of berating ourselves for having done something wrong, we can crawl into the safe cocoon of ourselves and whisper -- it's OK. Everything is as it should be and it's OK. There's nothing else to do but simply...be...here.

When we're not focused on the past or the present, neither of which we can do anything about, we are free to Be wherever we are...and feel in every fiber of our being the peace of being perfectly in our imperfection.

As I settled into the hottest, sweetest smelling bath I could create for myself, I felt exactly that -- a peaceful welcoming in. I felt strongly that whatever my body and I are experiencing is perfect and necessary for no other reason than that I'm experiencing it. I don't have to change it, fight it, or try to make it anything other than what it is.

It doesn't mean it's going to be all fun and games -- let's face it, being sick sucks on any number of levels -- but it doesn't mean it's the enemy either.

Miraculously then, neither am I.//

Reason #264

I've been wondering why the squirrels and birds haven't been around much lately. We've gone through next to no seed in the past couple weeks and now I know why...

 Oh my!

This beauty of a Barred Owl is apparently feasting at my feeders (sorry little dudes!) which is why the critters have been making themselves scarce lately.

In fact, we haven't seen a mouse in many days. Which could be on account of:

1) the peppermint/spearmint mouse-repellent sachets I put throughout the basement (mmm...minty fresh!),

2) the fact that we found a hole where they put the new furnace in two years ago and patched it up,

3) the new kitty...

...nope, probably not Bella, or

4) Mr. Owl.

My vote is for the owl...check out that stare.

He trained that focus on me while I sat on the floor at the patio door taking pictures...

...and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

Yikes!

According to my favorite regional bird book, the Barred Owl hunts during the day and eats mammals and small birds.

Check, and check.

They are also non-migratory which means he might hang out awhile. Which is actually fine by me. We had a pair of Great Horned Owls (I know, right??!?) when we moved in two years ago and the coolest thing in the world was meditating in the dark of the night and hearing the hoo-hoo-hoo-hooooo. I haven't heard the Barred yet, but I'm turning my ear to the sky.

I love the activity at the feeders and am sad for anyone getting caught unawares, but there's something about consciously being in the middle of the circle of life -- being present and witnessing nature in her own true form. Noticing things change and then learning the reason why.

Reason #264 that I adore where we live. I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

The best part?

I was actually home to see it. What a gift!

In the spirit of self-care and in an effort to get myself organized -- and feel more sane before the runaway train of the next two weeks leaves the station -- I played hooky today.

Positively dreamy!

I meditated, did yoga, wrapped presents,

listened to my favorite Christmas music, worked on a special gift for my sweetie (shhh...don't tell!), opened an Eddie Bauer package for myself,

(hey, nice sweater!) and never got out of my jammies (yep, chili peppers on my pants...I'm stylin'!). I got more done on a personal level in the past nine hours than I have in the past week.

Yahoo!

The sad part?

I probably won't even need to use a second of vacation time to get paid for the day. I mean, that's good and everything but...ah well, 'tis the season.

All of my progress was made without any help from these two rum-bums...

...which just made me wish I had made time for a nap.

I did, however, make time for lunch...a rarity these days. I figured there was no excuse since I was at home.

Quesadilla made with leftover roasted chicken, pinto beans, spinach, cilantro and cheese. Served with my favorite medium MinneSalsa -- locally made, microbrewed salsa. Fantastic!

Hey, who left THIS unwrapped on the counter??!?

It was mocking me...so I ate it.

No, not all of it. But enough to make today's installment of...

The 12 Brews of Christmas!

...taste like peppermint bark. Whoopsie!

Since I was alone all day (you know, minus the snoozing critters), I chose...

 ...Odell Brewing Company's Isolation Ale!

I really liked this one! No, not because of the peppermint finish : ) ...but because of the lighter hops. Burnt butterscotch, a little fruitiness -- is that blackberry? -- and just plain old tasty. Might have to pick up a sixer of this one to have on hand.

You know...just in case.

Mellow evening makes a perfect ending to a perfect day.

What holiday hubbub are you engaging in this evening? No matter what it is, just...remember...to...

BREATHE!//