The Word....

I read a great deal of blogs, and thanks to Google Reader, I have way more blogs on my list than time to look at them. Mostly I'm interested in decorating, beautiful images, great writing, fitness, and raising our children to be people of integrity, compassion, and action. I'm sure that the way I'm doing it is all wrong, except in those moments where my three sons delight and inspire me to embrace these qualities in myself.

As each New Year approaches, I find that the thoughts of many turn to resolution and change; whether on our own or because we've been reminded. It's a natural time of rebirth, of shedding what's shabby or forlorn in favor of a more refined way of thinking or approaching obstacles. Last year, instead of a resolution, lots of blogs were talking about making a gift to ourselves such as I'm giving myself the gift of better health in the New Year, so I'll make sure to make daily activity a part of my routine.

This year, I've seen a few blogs talk about finding a single word to embody the New Year. For me the word is:

Delight

I plan to find something to delight in every day. Today: It was making crystal snowflakes with the kids. We cut a pipe cleaner into three pieces, twisted them into a snowflake shape, then suspended them in a container filled with 9T Borax and 3cups hot water. After a few hours we had beautiful crystal snowflakes. I'll try to post a picture in the morning.

xx
Her Own Race

I'd Totally Watch...

...a cooking show featuring Boy1 (11) and Boy2 (9). Witnessing the two of them make PB&J Oatmeal with Apples over the weekend almost had me peeing my pants. They are too funny to watch.

PB& J Oatmeal with Apples
(serves 4)

2 cups rolled oats
4 cups water
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 apples, chopped
4 tsp. organic strawberry jelly
4 tsp. natural peanut butter (one tsp. on each spoon as oatmeal is served)

This is the easiest oatmeal ever. Mix oatmeal, cinnamon and water and cook according to directions (in Microwave be sure to use huge bowl so oatmeal doesn't cook over usually 7 min). While oatmeal is cooking chop apples.

Mix apples and jelly with oatmeal and place in serving bowls along with tsp of peanut butter.

This is our easy go-to breakfast most mornings (we usually add a scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder to the whole recipe and omit jelly). Since the kids can't take PB&J to school, they can have it at home as a good start to their day.

We are More Alike than We are Different

My interests, like those of most people, are varied and even divergent. Lately I've noticed too many people who are dissatisfied with some aspect of their lives, and feel the need to find some 'other' to blame and demonize. The thing is - no matter how you feel about the government, or religion, or the legitimacy of cable news - you probably love your family and want to help people. The people who you are pointing your finger at love their family and want to help people. The person who annoyed you at the grocery store, or the PTA meeting, or the gynecologist - loves their family and wants to help people. Lets be more gentle to ourselves and more understanding of others - even if it's inconvenient to our sense of self-righteousness.*



*I am regrettably often guilty of this, and am writing this to remember that because I don't agree with a bumper sticker on an SUV doesn't mean that the driver is a jerk.

Welcome

I love the feeling of stepping into a new place; looking around while trying to get a sense of the rhythm and patterns of the people surrounding me. Finding out how to fit into the flow seamlessly is a real thrill. I love the potential of an empty page, one that I can fill with words or color or mindless doodles.

Seamlessly fitting into the flow carries the same feeling through all facets of life: love, family, work,  running, writing, painting.  It's the feeling of being in the zone, when we're not experiencing everything only through our brain, but when the whole of our being works in league with the world around us.  The body moves in exact and perfect coordination, and we're surprised to acknowledge that we have been able to accomplish so much more in so little time because  we've been carried beyond our doubts and worries, beyond  limitation and what we think the brain knows.

This is where I take a deep breath, trying to breathe in that feeling, that consciousness.  The mood instantly lifts just thinking about our potential - how much we can accomplish if we just let go a little bit. 

This is the beginning of a journey, sometimes serious often frivolous, and I'm so elated to let it begin.