Hi there!

Okay, so the reason I haven't posted in a week is NOT that I'm lazy... I'm boring. No really it's the lazy thing AND the boring thing. I just haven't had a single thought lately that seemed blog-worthy and then the pressure of not having a blog-worthy thought seemed to take over and I had to make my peace with that through meditation and yoga (and jellybeans) and then finally tonight I thought ENOUGH! So I'm posting.

How was your day? Mine was nice. Pretty weather, had a good class today, cooked artichokes for dinner which used to intimidate me with their prickly "don't touch me"ness but now I feel pretty at ease with steaming the chokes.

Aren't you now regretting my decision to post?

Okay, in reality I've been busy working on the Oregon Food Bank benefit workshop in October with my wonderful Australian yoga teacher friend Yolanda Pettinato. I am so grateful for her presence in my life and I can't wait to share her special gift with the folks here. I'm also offering CANDO Yoga in the park this summer to help build up the food bank pantries with cans of good food. People bring a can or two to the park and they get a free yoga class. Good stuff. Food for the Soul in fact. If you are in the Portland,Oregon area and would like info about it email me here for more info. yogalicious@petalsyoga.com 

Okay, so that's pretty much it for me tonight. Except that I've been looking at my little cluster map there on the right lately and I've noticed no one from South America has ever visited me and it's kind of making me sad. I mean a whole continent has not had the opportunity to be bored senseless by me yet. So. If you think you can hook me up to someone in Peru or Brazil, Venezeula, etc... please forward me on to them. I crave the red dot!

Many, many hugs to you all,

Jan

It's official... Yolanda Pettinato is coming and so is YogaEasy!

Click here to read all about it:

Click here to see where you can buy her DVD and CD.

I'll post more later but I've got to run now... just wanted to let you know what I've been working so hard on for the last several weeks.

YAY!!!

The best present ever.

I turned 40 on Monday. It was a good day and I've been getting spoiled by students and friends every day since. But I wanted to share with you the best present I've ever gotten. This:



My sweet daughter made this cake for me while I was out at an all-day Yoga Teaching Workshop. I came home to yummy smells, chocolate heaven, and my sweet gal beaming ear-to-ear because she had made me such a special present. I love it and will always treasure the fact that she made my 40th so special.

I also received beautiful flowers for my big day.

These are from my wonderful in-laws in Australia:



These are from my wonderful parents in Tennessee:



and these are from the hubbinator:



On Monday night I was teaching and one of my friends dropped into the class with a balloon for me and pastry treats for us all to share. AND....

Today, one of my students had an impromptu cupcake party surprise for me after class and she gave out pieces of her beautiful hand-designed jewelry to us all.

Here's a picture of my beautiful necklace:



Yes I know it, I'm totally spoiled. BUT I'm so very thankful not only for the goodies, flowers, and good wishes, but most especially for the wonderful people that are in my life. The loving-kindness that flows over and through my days and nights are the things that really make me happy. Every moment of every day of my life is a blessing and even when things seem tough, I feel lucky to know that the next moment will be a little easier because of the amazing people I have all around me.

Thank you all! (and that certainly includes my friends through this blog too!)

Love,

Jan

Six Word Saturday

House needs painting, must win lottery.

Seriously. I know painting the outside of a house is a LOT of work. I appreciate that. But $45 - $60 per hour???? Are you kidding me? I have friends that are nurses... helping to save human life... that only make $25 per hour. This just seems very strange to me. If I wasn't the messiest, least-detailed oriented, and just plain laziest person on earth I'd try to paint the ole homestead myself, charge myself $50 per hour, and go on a vacation with the money. I just think $3800 - $5000 to paint a 2400 square foot home is a LOT OF MONEY. What do you think? Am I being la cheapskate or am I somewhat right on this?

Have to go, another painter is coming by this morning with his estimate...

Happy Sunshine Saturday, (I hope)

Jan

Thinking about thinking... Blogging about thinking...

Okay, I know that title sounds sorta goofy but here's what it's all about.

I've noticed a lot of bloggers seem to write as if they spend all of their time thinking of witty or interesting things to blog about. So that made me think, "are they blogging about their lives or living for their blogs?" Do you get my drift?

I'm not saying anyone is totally living their lives consciously for blogdom, but I noticed myself driving Izzy to school today and realized that I was thinking about a topic for the blog and how weird that concept is. Mostly I just sit in front of the computer and yak about whatever is on my mind, but surely some people have their blog as a focus in their day-to-day lives a lot of the time.

Don't get me wrong I LOVE reading those blogs. I think talented writers can live and blog at the same time, but it made me wonder if it is just another layer we are putting between ourselves and living in the moment. (Wow, that last sentence was way too Sarah Jessica Parker ala Sex in the City!) What I mean is, has blogging changed the way we actually think? Do we bloggers now think in terms of catchy titles, accruing followers, and hording comments? (okay, I do think in those terms a little now... I have to admit it) or is blogging just this extra thing we do? Can I really be just me while I'm trying so hard to be funny and interesting for my blog?

Also, could it be a generational thing? If you are a teenager or a young twenty-something who grew up blogging, is it easier to fall into this "blog reality" than say someone older (quite a bit older in my case!) who has spent more time just being rather than blogging?

Or maybe it's just a personality quirk. Some people are natural comedians and storytellers who see the humor in life and can't wait to share it. Others have to ruminate and begin to slowly decipher things to share. I'm more like the "too busy just trying to get from A to B without tripping over my yoga mat to really think" kind of person. There are definitely all kinds of bloggers out there and probably no real answers to my questions, but what do you think? Do tell...

Blogfully yours,

Jan

Tuesday treats and thinks...

I think I have a cake obsession... seriously. I spent a not insignificant portion of today drooling over this blog: Bakerella

and

then not really drooling but really loving this blog: CakeWrecks

Followed by the realization that my birthday is coming up next week and I can justify this obsession as simply research for the perfect birthday cake. Right?

So how about you? Any obsessions for you? What has taken your time and attention today? I'm meditating on this cake thing in hopes of detaching from it and maybe even letting go. This practicing being present is hard work for sure. So...maybe just one of these special "cupcakes" from Moonstruck?


Nahhhhh.

Hope your day is sweet too...

Jan

Six word Saturday...

Excited about sunshine... why on computer?

Check out other more witty entries here:

Friday

I'm having a lazy day that started with tummy upset and is now just winding down into a much-needed rest day. I didn't realize how much I needed a day of down-time until my body became quite INSISTENT that this was the case. I slept for 2 hours after the tummy-wobbles ended and woke up feeling better but totally disinclined to leave the house in order to do one of the many things I should be doing today. I'm not sick, just wiped-out.

The sun has finally come out so the poodle and I have curled up on the couch into a patch of sunshine. I've finished two books and the poodle has also enjoyed a rare day of full attention and snuggles. Sometimes just giving in to the moment is the best way I know how to take care of myself. Just as I advise my students in class, "listen to your body and give it exactly what it needs in this moment." I'm so glad I paid attention to my own words today. There will be time enough tomorrow for running around with errands and responsibilities. Today is a good day to practice feeling rather than doing.

Hope your weekend is filled with lots of restful spaces broken up with sporadic fun.

Hugs,

Jan

Things are not as they seem.

My "aha" moment yesterday came outside of Powell's bookstore (which if you aren't familiar, is the BEST bookstore in the whole world, but that's another post.)when I judged a book by it's cover and discovered that I really shouldn't do that near a bookstore or anywhere else. Here's how it went down:

I'm walking towards the store when I pass an older lady on the sidewalk who is dragging a big cart behind her filled with what looks like her tools of life on the streets. I didn't look closely, I just assumed... mistake # 1.

She is nearly toothless, has a giant necklace comprised of hundreds of keys around her neck, and is dressed in a manner that suggests she doesn't frequent stores like Saks or Bloomingdales every day. Probably mistake #2. Actually she was dressed in similar attire to me, but with a few more years of wear on the sweatshirt and sweatpants. I don't frequent stores like that either in case you feel like making some assumptions about me too. Assume away!

I walked past her and thought, "Hmmmm... she looks like she's struggling with that cart. Maybe she could use a hand or a nice meal today, I'll up my karma today by offering to help out." Mistake #3 I did vacillate for a moment because it feels so darn patronizing to offer help to someone who isn't asking, but believe me, you would have paused yourself in this situation. She just seemed to be struggling.

I stopped to wait for her to slowly catch up with me and I asked her (nonchalantly and I hope non-judgmentally) "How are you? Do you need any help with anything today?" She smiled her big toothless grin at me and said, "No thanks, I'm off work today and I collect bottles and cans to recycle for a little extra cash and to clean up our community. Thanks for asking though and Aloha." I thanked her for helping to make our world a better place and slowly entered Powell's knowing that I had just encountered a best-seller wrapped in a brown-paper bag cover. I was humbled and happy that I had taken the time to ask. My life is enriched by realizing again (ala people like this and Susan Boyle) that you just shouldn't judge people or situations at a glance.

That's it for me today. I'm going on an assumption-free holiday for the rest of the week. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Happy Tuesday,

Jan

Coast Post

Posting from the beach house with my two close friends Mary and Ulla. Had oysters for the first time tonight (just before my 40th birthday) and loved them. Mary barbecued them with yummy artichoke and hotpepper sauce and it was delicious beyond compare. We tried our hand at clamming today during low tide and succeeded in harvesting a lot of seaweed and rocks but no clams. Turns out that shovels come in handy for clamming. I really assumed they would just jump in the bucket but this was, like many assumptions, completely wrong. We've had a wonderful weekend away together and I'm so glad I was able to come. I miss my peeps but it is great to recharge the batteries with good friends who understand you completely.

Hope this finds you healthy, happy, and full of zing yourself,

Not so clammin' Jan