Returning: to Home, to Running and to Eating Right

Posted on June 2, 2013 by a moment with god — 2 Comments

a golden shower tree in June

Good Evening, God!

At last! This morning I went for a jog with my loving husband, Kit. I even raced him for the last 50 yards! Kit was so happy. I like to think that if I had realized just how happy it would make him that would have returned to running before now.

On the other hand, God, I am down 15 pounds from my chubby, cheery high. Now I’n at a much better weight for jogging.

It’s a Virtuous Circle! Jogging helps me trim down . . . trimming down helps me jog. Once things are moving the right way they reinforce each other.

But there is that horrible Turn Around Time. It takes so much energy to put on the Breaks and Stop going the Wrong Way. And traveling provides so much in the way of temptations!

Actually, it is very hard to travel and eat “right.” Tonight I had grass-fed beef for dinner — not very much — and kabocha squash, homemade pea salad, cooked chard, and homemade fermented purple sauerkraut. It was a beautiful meal full of Colors! Natural colors . . . not the food dyes of my jello days! Yikes! How awful to dye food to delude us into desiring it.

Worse yet, God, sugar has been added to just about everything! And if I do eat something that doesn’t taste sweet — like bread — then it turns into sugar almost immediately. No wonder most folks in America are running on sugar! Right now I’m off sugar and back to running on fat. The difference is amazing — no cravings — and very little hunger. I’m convinced that is the way You designed us to work.

I’m thankful for all the Paleo People who are trying to bring us back to the old Old Ways! I’m not there yet, but I’m on my way!

Tagged with: colored foods, getting off sugar, paleo diet, running on fat
Posted in choices, Colors, connecting, Eating for health, exercising

The Dark and Light of Life

Posted on May 31, 2013 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A Ti plant in sunlight

Good Morning, God!

And, yes, it is still morning . . . although I guess that doesn’t matter from a cosmic viewpoint. Alas, I don’t have a Cosmic Viewpoint. I am, after all, a Human.

Dang! I suspect most of my frustrations and unrealized goals stem from a failure to fully understand that I am human — which is both more limiting than I want to know and more filled with possibilities.

Recently, God, I have been going back through my Life, trying to see my Sins of commission and omission. Actually, I prefer thinking of sins as times I missed the Mark or Fell Short.

Besides, let’s face it God, the sins of omission are infinite! Sigh.

However, some failures as a mother do stand out. And I am willing and wanting to make amends. At the same time, I know I’m capable of “making things worse!” Really, God, it takes such courage to Live Fully!

I am certain that as sins go, mine could be worse. But, that misses the point! The point is that they are Mine and they are tired of being ignored and locked up. They want to come up and be dealt with — or at least acknowledged. That requires of me both Personal Courage and Personal Respect.

It means stepping out of the Positive Light to which I am so addicted and stepping into the Dark. But, as You are reminding me, our planet needs both Night and Day.

So, holding Your Hand, I am taking a few steps down into my Inner Castle’s dungeons to see what I have imprisoned there. I did a story on this years ago. I took a few small steps and then stopped.

Yes, God, it’s time to continue working on forgiving my mistakes and myself.

Tagged with: forgiving, Inner Castles, mothers, personal courage, respect
Posted in Compassion, Failing, Forgiving, freedom, Mistakes, Mothers

Organic Gardening as A Healing Model

Posted on May 29, 2013 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

A Profusion of Orchids in my Spiritual Director’s backyard

Good Evening, God!

I am tired of living with The War on . . . Practically Everything! War on Cancer, War on Drugs, War on Terrorism . . . You name it, God, and we are at war with it.

It is such a foolish model, God! I think that gardening — growing good stuff for ourselves and others, feeding the Body and the Soul — is a much better model than War. Why focus efforts on harming enemies instead of growing friends?

Ah, but I am learning that the reason that people don’t Do Things is that They Don’t Know How! So, we need help in learning how to grow and reach out to others. Peer Support and things like the Twelve Step Programs seems to me to make remarkably good sense.

People who have had a problem/trauma and lived through it are able to help others in similar situations. I suppose that is like self-seeding perennials — plants passing seeds on and on and on.

Still, having “gardeners” really does help. These are the folks who “train” the peer support folks . . . the rules and sponsors of the 12 Step Programs and so forth.

Actually, I would love it if Everyone had a “helper” of some kind or other — Personal Trainers, Life Coaches, or for me, God, a Spiritual Director.

It’s a joy to realize that we humans are never too old to learn and grow — to share, confess, and make amends. Of course, that means that first one has to take a fearless moral inventory. Yikes!

As it happens, I am embarking on a fearful moral inventory. This is not easy and it gets tangled and confused because it seems that as a Mother I am Responsible for Everything. I know this is not literally true. But, it feels true! And I am learning to Go with my Gut! The Gut is where changes grow — as in the earthy, “dirty” soil. Both are filled with microbes, worms and bugs — with an occasional Toad.

Thank You, God, for helping me look back — and helping me look forward!

Tagged with: 12 Step Programs, gardening, humility, Peer Support, Spiritual Direction, trust
Posted in being planted, being repotted, connecting, connections, courage to see myself

The Joys and Benefits of Twilight

Posted on May 26, 2013 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A tiki torch at the Shack restaurant. I’m BACK!

Good Evening, God!

I’m back from the Mainland. Well, my body’s back. My brain hasn’t fully checked in yet. Perhaps it’s downstairs in the guest room along with clothes that haven’t been totally put away. I’m just glad it’s a three-day weekend!

Tomorrow being Memorial Day, I have one more day to reassemble myself. Let’s hope that will do it!

Meanwhile, I am sitting here in my office with a nice yellow bug light glowing in my desk lamp. I’m hoping it isn’t emitting too much in the way of blue light.

Aaah, God! I love it! I love trying to catch the latest wave of science to improve the quality of my life.

It seems that blue light — especially that emitted by computers, iPads and iPhones etc. — tells our bodies we should keep on staying awake and alert. Harvard’s Medical School has a good article about it.

So, in addition to the bug lights, I have put f.lux on my computer, and it slowly blocks out the blue light as twilight falls. I do wish that I could put it on my iPad and iPhone.

Perhaps, God, there is something special about twilight time. The fading of daylight is the key to triggering the release of melatonin, which prepares us for sleep. Hmm. So maybe those hormonal and circadian shifts are part of the reason that I love watching the sun set? There may, indeed, be more to it than simple aesthetics.

Thank You, God, for twilight. Thank You for sunlight and for the dark of night. Thank You for this fascinating world!

Tagged with: Blue light, melatonin, sleep, travel, twilight
Posted in accepting my need for help, Light, rest, Transitions

The 360˚ Life — Or Tweaking It

Posted on May 21, 2013 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Tweak It: Make What Matters to You Happen Every Day

Good Morning, God!

Here I am back in Tucson AND I did another 2 mile “mostly” jog yesterday morning with Sandy. That’s my 7th jog since the trip began early on May 8th — 13 days ago.

Two miles isn’t much. But, it is a Step in the Right Direction. And, I’m pleased, God.

Pleased, but “aware” that I am great at starting . . . and less good at sticking to things. So, that’s why I was so pleased to find the book Tweak It at my daughter Sandy’s neighborhood library.

It’s all about using small “tweaks” to create a better “fit” between Work and Life. The author, Cali Yost said that she changed the word “balance” to “fit” because the CEOs she talked to thought “balance” meant less work.

Apparently, God, some folks are naturals at knowing what they want and then feeling comfortable about arranging things to get it. One of the best sections was about how these naturals are totally unaware that most of us are clueless.

Hmm. Now that I stop and ponder what I just said, God, I realize that the key idea here for me is not so much the idea of seeing my life as tweakable — but rather 1) knowing what I really want and then 2) feeling comfortable about arranging things so as to get what I want.

It reminds me of the time in First Grade when the teacher assigned us One Wish and to come back and share our wish the next day. My wish (with the help of my Mother) was for World Peace. After all had shared the teacher informed us that we could have wished for More Wishes.

Sigh. I didn’t get it then. I barely get it now. Could it be, God, that we live in a World of Abundance? A World in which we get more than One Wish? A 360 degree World?

Tagged with: abundance, Cali Yost, small changes, Tweak It, wishes
Posted in a matter of scale, Abundant Life, accepting my ability to REDESIGN, authority over my life, Books, choices

Wonder: A Morning of Seeing and Hearing

Posted on May 13, 2013 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

a bird in flight in the sunlight

Good Morning, God!

Well, I’ve done three runs and three blogs here in Tucson. This morning I ran for a bit over two miles — stopping for photos. I cannot resist stopping to see! The world is such a lovely place, God.

And while I jogged along I listened to Katy Payne being interviewed on Krista Tippet’s podcast, On Being. Katy Payne has written a book on listening to elephants called Silent Thunder. She was the first to notice that elephants make infrasonic sounds. I think she was also the first to realize that humpback whales are singers. She said her discovers came in part because she never let go of being a child. I loved that!

Then I came back and drove my grandson Mark to school — listening to his plans for the day and for the week. He leaves on Thursday to be an alternate in the National Science Olympiad. Next I gave our daughter Sandy a hug as she left to do tutoring. And finally I ate breakfast on the lanai while chatting with our son (in-law) Dave.

The conversation with Dave was a continuation of our talk last night after dinner. I think I am finally understanding what he does, God. And I am very impressed by it — even if I can’t articulate it. Still, I do have a sense of how very much he knows. And how as a consultant one of his tasks is to see how processes and companies can be brought together for even better outcomes.

I loved listening to him — not that I was really learning — but I was at least tagging along on a journey into fascinating foreign lands. I love the ideas of science, but like most children, not the hard, slow work of science.

Tagged with: child-like, elephants, Katy Payne, whales, wonder
Posted in appreciation, beauty, connecting, listening, seeing, web of life

Walking in Sabino Canyon . . . and in Science

Posted on May 12, 2013 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Dove dining on Saguaro flowers

Good Day, God!

This morning my daughter Sandy took me for a morning walk in Sabino Canyon.

A lovely way to start Mother’s Day! And to top it off I saw a dove dipping her head into the flowers at the top of a saguaro. I didn’t catch her with her head down. But I can see a bit of pollen on her head. Seeing this bird was an unexpected delight.

Another unexpected delight was this story my wonderful husband emailed me from NPR. It was in their “most emailed stories” section.

The thinking now is that instead of rinsing off a baby’s pacifier when it falls on the floor — the parents should suck it clean for them. The parent’s saliva would expose their baby to a wider number of “harmless” bacteria and thus improve the child’s microbiome. And that in turn would reduce the child’s chance of developing allergies like eczema and asthma. Hmm. This study was done in Sweden where apparently quite a few parents suck their baby’s pacifier to clean it.

I have to say, God — if I had given my kids pacifiers — it would never have occurred to me to clean a pacifier by putting it in my mouth. I, like our entire Western World have been germ phobic. Now I am working hard to process the idea of Germs as Friends and Allies. It seems we need to cultivate our germ friends and support them as best we can. They may be our best defense against enemy germs.

Can it be, God, that this Germs as Friends Reframe plays well across other levels? Research shows that just having good solid human friends improves our health. I like the idea of building friendships so much better than eliminating enemies! Making friends seems much the better long term policy!

Tagged with: Friends, germ phobia, health, saguaros, saliva
Posted in adjusting, friends, health, Mothers and Fathers, Perspective

A Special Time in Tucson

Posted on May 11, 2013 by a moment with god — 2 Comments

purple cactus, yellow flowers

Good Morning, God!

Oh Happy the Mother and Grandmother who is able to visit her children and grandchildren . . . My heart overflows with gratitude!

If we are fortunate, God, life is a long journey. I’m thankful that I’ve been fortunate.

I’m smiling at this photo of a cactus. There are cacti in the most fortunate of lives. Sharp spikes to look out for — but also bright flowers — bringing joy.

I guess, God, that I am thinking in terms of a Journey because of my recent travels. Right now I’m in Tucson with my youngest daughter, Sandy and her family. Monday I will go to LA to visit our oldest daughter, Suzanne . And Kit and I are both just returned from our trip to New England for Kit to run the Boston Marathon. That’s a lot of traveling.

We are off in just a few moments to see our grandson Mark star as Jake in the Neil Simon’s play Jake’s Women. Mark did a fabulous job last night and so we are all much more relaxed than we were before his first performance.

Now we’re back from another great performance and a dinner with Mark afterwards. As he observed, “After the play is over you become aware that you are really hungry!”

So now, God, we are all off to an early bedtime to read and relax before falling asleep. Thank You so much that I was able to fly out to be part of the excitement and celebration! Thank You for so many blessings.

Now, please God, help all of us who have been blessed — to become blessings for others.

Tagged with: being a blessing, blessed, families, gandmothers, gratitude
Posted in connecting, family visits, gratitude, LOVE, Mothers

Practicing the Art of Relabeling

Posted on May 7, 2013 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A kayak skimming the surface of the water

Good Day, God!

True friends are an enormous blessing! Yesterday while I was doing my Monday morning walk with a dear friend, she told me: Running successfully isn’t just about running. It is a package deal. To do it right, one has to stretch and be sure to exercise the oppositional muscles to the ones used in running. Simply running isn’t enough!

Sigh. A cold dose of reality was splashed over me. It wasn’t that I didn’t “know” that — it was that I was choosing to ignore it. Hmm. That’s really easy to do, isn’t it, God. It’s so easy to see the shiny surface and forget all the work that has to go on beneath.

I listened to my friend. And yesterday I stretched and ran. Today I didn’t run but I stretched — only 6 minutes worth — but, I will improve. I say that with a rueful smile, God. My past record shows that I am indeed a sprinter . . . I’m not by nature inclined to handle the long steady grind so essential to training well — and to living well.

Hmm. Perhaps, part of the problem is the “label” grind. Stretching is hardly a grind! This morning I listened to a podcast from On Being and was finished in no time. If I could relabel it “small daily self-care,” that would make it easier to stick with it. What am I saying? Of course I can relabel it!

And, looking around me here in my office, I can see that I have lots of opportunities to rethink and relabel. Yes, I guess making a list would be a good place to begin.

Tagged with: discipline or self-care?, healthy-living, reality, relabeling, renaming, rethinking
Posted in accepting my ability to REDESIGN, Persistence, Planning, Possibilities, self care as self compassion and humility

My Crossing the Finish Line is Just the Beginning

Posted on May 5, 2013 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Balloons at the Jamba Juice 5K finish line

Good Evening, God!

Thank You for a wonderful weekend! I am not sore . . . not lame . . . not even stiff! Thanks again!

On Friday I said to my mom, “Guess what Mom, tomorrow I am going to run 3.1 miles, the Jamba Juice 5K, an annual fundraising run. My mom, who even at 98 has all her marbles, replied, “Whatever for?” Without a pause I said, “To make my husband happy!” My mom smiled and said, “That’s a very good thing to do!”

Yes, making my wonderful husband Kit happy is a very good thing to do. My running the 5K was what we call a Love Gift. That term came either from books by Gary Chapman or maybe Gary Smalley. They have both written wonderfully practical books on relationships. And the idea of giving love gifts — making deposits in each other’s Love Bank Account — has been particularly useful for Kit and me.

Right now, Kit is downstairs doing the dishes and listening to the radio after I cooked the dinner. That’s taking turns — sharing the workload — and that is important.

Aah, but a Love Gift is doing something special we know will greatly please the Other . . . something we find difficult or maybe just challenging. For me running is both of those. I do want to be fit, of course. And I do understand the importance of exercise for physical and mental fitness. BUT, running regularly takes TIME.

That means that beyond resolving to do runs, I have to to plan when I am going to do them. Hmm. Well, yes, God, it does take me about as long to write a blog as it does to go out for a run.

Sigh. And yes, God, if I always did a run before doing a blog, I would be fit in no time. Thank You, God. That’s a helpful thought!