Crafty Inspiration

Lately I've been diving more and more into crafting. I have always been very stimulated by the arts, but felt limited by a lack of tools or training. While that aspect has been slightly discouraging, it has never fully stopped me from experimenting with pastels, paints, scrapbooking, and anything of the sort. And its been rather therapeutic - channeling my miserable energy into creating something beautiful or whimsical... using my hands and laboring over something that nourishes me... all the while having a great time feeling inspired. While my supplies are quite scant, I think I've done a decent job with what I have. So, without further ado, here are pictures of my latest (amateur) creations: 

Gift Bags
The first of my endeavors involved recycling boxes into gift bags! The first two pictures are of a box I made for Megan's 30th bday, which was once a Cheezit box. The third picture shows a Turkey Stuffing box turned birthday gift bag for the lovely Ivie. These gift boxes are quite sturdy, and definitely reusable.

                 

Birthday Cards

I've made some birthday cards before, but thought this was one of my best ones. The picture below displays the front of the card. I placed some embellishments on the card stock, and layered a piece of vellum over it secured with brads.

Front of Card

Nord Christmas Card

Below is an image of the christmas card John and I sent out to our family and friends. I made this with the help of Izzy, a friend and Stampin Up demonstrator! She has all of the coolest Stampin Up tools that I used to create our card.

 

Other Christmas Cards
Below is a christmas card I made for my Mom. It will be my first christmas not seeing them - which is a very difficult thought. I will miss them immensely, and hope that, with this card, a bit of my spirit is sent as well.

Christmas Card 1

Christmas Gift Tags

Instead of buying gift tags to place on our wrapped presents, I decided to make ours. Some examples are below!

Tag 1

Tag 2 (Front)

Tag 2 (Inside)

Tag3

Tag 4 (Front)

Christmas Card Banner

With inspiration from a holiday catalog, Ivie (christmas card wreath), and Becky (crafty wreath) (thank you ladies!), I decided to string together all the lovely christmas cards we received and insert little handmade holiday crafty thingies (for lack of a better phrase) in between each card. It took some time to make all of the crafty thingies and to string everything together, but it worked out! The resulting banner is shown in the second picture below.

Holiday Crafty Thingies

Christmas Card Banner

Moon Cycles and Regeneration

The moon has always fascinated me. Not only is it beautifully mysterious and important to many aspects of Earth's functions, but it has also had a great impact on culture, art, and mythology. In some cultures the moon is viewed as a goddess - a divine figure influencing intuition, healing, and the female spirit. Our moon, as intriguing as it is, still at its heart, is a simple, lustrous body that waxes and wanes, continuously cycling between the new and full moon every 28 days.

The end of 2010, will bring a full moon on December 21, the "Full Cold Moon." This coincides not only with the winter solstice, but also with a night holding a total lunar eclipse. I'd like to believe if all these forces can correspond so succinctly and miraculously in the celestial world, similar miracles can happen in the terrestrial world as well.

And I certainly am hoping for some miracles. This last stretch of time has been quite miserable for me. I've fallen from the grace of my encouragingly successful law school graduation into an abyss of my own creation. I did not pass the bar, and with it came feelings of ultimate inadequacy. It seems unreal that I worked so hard - giving it every molecule of my being - just to be deflated... punctured, without even knowing what I did wrong. Yet not only deflated and punctured, but wounded... with the notion that, again, I have to study. Again, I have to sacrifice my time, confidence, dignity, and $800, just to possibly feel the failure all over after the next go-around. The arbitrariness of the grading system is disheartening, and certainly does not assist in giving me the courage I need to pick up these corporeal pieces and start over. The question "what if I fail, again?" sits resolutely whirring and whirring in my head. 

But I suppose I must believe there are reasons for these experiences. Life is full of cycles  and polarities - yin and yang, new and full moon, winter and summer solstice. The tides, the ebb and flow, the marching on of the seasons. Everything orbits and cycles infinitely, tirelessly. So perhaps that's all this is - my bad cycle... my dark side of the moon. An experience in the trenches from where I can hopefully glean some positive force to propel me to heal and resurface, and to feel the keen sting of motivation yet again.

I've done my wallowing. I've cried my eyes and soul out. I've doubted every ounce of my existence and have beaten myself up quite sufficiently. In the spirit of the moon, with its cycles, healing energy, and everything else it stands for, I will make this truce with myself: a promise that I will do my best to not crumple and fall, to not drown myself in the agony of my failures, to (try to) start believing in myself, and to keep on trucking as I have the last 27 years even in situations far worse.

I'm ready for you 2011!

Fall Cleaning

Now that John and I have recovered from Cherish and Rodge's wedding cruise (congrats again you fantastic couple!) we have taken to reorganizing, cleaning, and assessing all that clutter we've crammed to the back of our closets and minds.

Yesterday we rearranged our outdoor storage room and shed, the under-the-staircase area, and cleaned out old files from our office filing cabinet, consolidated boxes, fixed the downstairs A/C, and put up our new dart board. We also put quite a few items for sale on craigslist and eBay! Not a bad day at all - frankly, it was the most productive day I've had since the Bar exam.

And today the efforts continue: we are finally steam-cleaning our filthy, dirt-riddled carpet, and it's certainly starting to look much better. (And by "we" I mean John... although he periodically yells out "hairball!" and I get to go collect the nasty little clump of hair that has formed from my years of shedding (further digression - we need a new vacuum)).

Watching the clear water spritz onto the carpet and reenter the steam-cleaning chamber as dark, black muck makes me wish it was scrubbing more than the carpet. It's incredible what a measly 2 years can do to carpet... just imagine what 27 can do to the soul.

Hopefully these few days of progressions (finally got a smartphone!) and cleansing will strip more than the old and dirty and will remove the taint of lethargy and cynicism that has so accompanied my attitude and thoughts in my post-Bar existence. I'm feeling moved to action - to try and write my book, finish some legal contract work, and start any new projects that are mulling around in my noggin. I just hope it sticks.

Here's to motivation and starting fresh.

Mrs. Nord

Yesterday I attended a legal networking event in hopes of making new contacts. Typically for these events you check in and pick up your name tag then go drink, eat, and mingle. So I went to the table to get my name tag, and there I stood searching and searching and searching - I swore I RSVP-ed, why wasn't my name tag there? AHA! I changed my name! I no longer need to glare at the right end of the table, but the middle! Being new to my name made me laugh. I tried explaining my confusion to the not-very-interested greeter, who, needless to say, didn't find me amusing.

Settling into married life has been fluid.... seamless.... more easy than any other part of our (6 year!) relationship. I guess this transition, not really being a transition at all, puts this huge life stepping stone out of the forefront of my mind. But it really is nice to go through these little things that remind me "I'm married."

Happy 4 1/2 months-ish, facerson.

Harry Potter and the Unrelenting Fan

In four weeks I conquered it – the Harry Potter series. Quite a feat, I say. Definitely no world record, but a record for me, nonetheless. And all I can say at the end of it….. W.O.W. What a fantastical world J.K. Rowling has conjured up for herself and the muggle world: wizards and witches, parsletongue, spells and incantations, goblins, giants, werewolves, Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, horcruxes, Death Eaters, invisibility cloaks – I will be forever infatuated and forever indebted to this piece of literary greatness. I can only imagine she is the J.R.R. Tolkien of this millennium, creating an equally fantastical world to Middle Earth of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

I have been eating, dreaming, breathing, pissing Harry Potter for the last month. In the transition between sleep and wake I’ve literally had to convince myself that the wizarding world was not real, and I was not in it, and Harry’s problems were not my own. So engulfed and entrenched I became, it’s ridiculous, this thing we call the mind!

True they may technically be children’s books, but Rowling’s vivid, intricate descriptions of everything from the world she created, to feelings, thoughts, and moments was nothing short of brilliant. She has a true knack for putting pen to paper and I am utterly inspired. I hope I have taken a few tips from her and can translate that into my own writing.

As for now, I haven't been unable to fully let go of the books. I am not yet ready to live my own life again, so continue to intrude upon Harry's. As such, I have committed to re-reading the 7^th book in hopes that after I finish, the time between then and the movie release will go quickly and painlessly. 

Up next in my queue: Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner.

Salty Fries and Ivie's Underwear

Labor Day: A national holiday observed to give respect and celebrate the toils and turmoil of the working class. A holiday of significant economic and civil value in the United States. And what better way is there to celebrate the toils and turmoil of the daily grind than to throw Cherish a surprise Bachelorette party!

And throw we did! The weekend was filled with everything but sleep: from fantastic out-of-town and local friends to mimosas and bacardi to floppy hats and dresses at the Del Mar Races to a beautiful dinner amid the En Fuego flower vines to bar hopping and dancing our cute “single” butts off! The look on Cherish’s face when she learned of all of her surprises was nothing short of ultimate enthrallment. To do this – to send our beloved friend off with this much love and excitement – is illuminating. I am so grateful to have been privy to these experiences and emotions. So much love for this girl I have.

Before I move on, special hats off to the ever-endearing Ivie Gail Hanakawa for putting on, yet another, amazingly fabulous bachelorette party. The world, and myself, are nothing without you, my dear.

Weddings and weddings and weddings! It’s that time in our lives when this generation of folk are starting to tie the knot or make other significant steps toward “grownup-hood.” These new beginnings are so pervasive. And even more pervasive is the response to this type of change – this alluring fiction of having to be what you think you should be by that certain age. I guess this post, in addition to being a tribute to Cherish (and Ivie’s awesome party-planning skills), is a testament to timelines, schedules, plans… and the ability to let go of them.

Cherish is the busiest, most productive and efficient person I know. She is involved in so many activities, including language and dance classes, caring for her adorable nieces, being in the Big Sister program, working, wedding planning, and so on! Yet with all this, somehow we managed to steal her time for a couple of days. And she - this fantastic, confident, always beautifully composed, always-in-command woman - without knowing what was in store this weekend, just rolled with the punches we threw at her, with such ease and grace. She enjoyed herself maximally without knowing or needing to know what was coming up next.

That is an admirable trait.

Lately I’ve been stuck on the life timeline, or rather, the disappointment of having to deviate, yet again, from my plan on how I’d like my life to play out over the next few years. But wait I must until certain factors fall into place. It’s frustrating, this continual delaying of being able to pursue what I want. And it's discouraging to watch my dreams inch backwards, making me feel like its all slipping further and further out of grasp.

But I am trying to learn to let it go; to convince myself that life, with that sneaky little glint in its eye, indeed has a funny way of working itself out. It will all work out. So, surely, I should mimic Cherish and roll with the punches and just enjoy this time maximally. Because all there is.... is now.

And so, a toast, to Cherish and the Plan of Life: may you pursue your course with no pressure, and may any deviations make you stronger and happier. May your years be filled with flexibility, love, excitement, and delight. You deserve everything this world has to offer you. Cheers!

"My heart is ever at your service."

Those lovely words by Shakespeare reverberated within the walls of my fervent heart as I witnessed Shilpa and Jeremy's marriage ceremony last Friday - by far the most beautifully moving wedding I have ever been a part of (I've never cried so much!).

One specific passage from their ceremony struck me the most. Lara read a passage at the wedding by Anne Morrow Lindberg titled "Gift From the Sea." As alluring as the passage itself was the fact these same words were read by a friend at Lara's parents' wedding. Now here, decades later, stood their sweet daughter reading at her own friend's wedding. This passage I feel is more sincere and true than any other words that have ever been uttered. I have thought along similar lines but never have I seen it written so succinctly. Without further ado, I leave you with this selection. I hope it speaks to you as profoundly as it had to me:

"Gift From the Sea"

When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet, this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide, and resist in terror its ebb. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity, in freedom. The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what it was in nostalgia, nor forward to what it might be in dread or anticipation - but in living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now.

What's in a name?

"Who am I? I asked myself. But it was like trying to identify one particular cell that coursed through the torpid veins of my body." - Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man (I think).

The last few weeks have felt like such a hurdle – an omnipresent force hurling me into a dusky oblivion. My ego is taxed and I’m questioning myself in ways I haven’t done in a very long time.

I always knew I would change my name after marrying – it was never a question I’d be a Mrs. [husband’s name]. Never. But this whole marriage, name-change process – this cultivating a new life and family has left me feeling I’ve abandoned the old – leaving ‘Saritha Prasad Tirunagaru’ high and dry. I’ve left it all - my identity - without a proper burial. No eulogy or apology. How could I let it all go with nothing more than signing a DMV application?

I’m sure this sounds ridiculous. After all, I am me. But, dammit, I put a lot of work into creating the goodwill that comes with my name. Everything about me – this person with all her successes, failures, humility, quirks, neuroses – was developed under that old name. And I just cast it away indefinitely.

Although, lets face it, the true root of this seemingly inane emotional turbulence isn’t the name change. I love being a Mrs., and a Mrs. Nord no less.

Perhaps I wasn’t ready to “leave” my family so quickly. In traditional Indian culture, the girl generally lives with her parents until she marries, then moves to her husband’s home. Moreover, during engagement ceremonies, to symbolize her leaving her parents home, the bride sits with a plate of rice grains in front of her, takes handfuls of grains and tosses it over her shoulder – a very emotional ritual. While I wasn’t raised under strict Indian tradition, and while I haven’t lived at home in 10 years, getting married nonetheless made me feel like I tossed my old life and identity like those grains. I thought “this is it…. I’m leaving my home – my parents, my siblings.” And even more sobering: “I am not a part of that home anymore.”

Surely I am, but I now have a new immediate family, John. It’s exciting – but strangely disarming. I think of my parents, more specifically, my Mom: a 16 year old immigrant, newly married to a stranger, traveling 10,000 miles to America, not knowing any English, having to create, maintain, support a family while being thrust into a new culture with no web of support, equipped merely with the hope she could raise in an unfamiliar place healthy and happy children in the image of her past (Indian culture) and future (American ideals). And she did it. So well.

Am I that strong? Am I capable of raising and supporting a family under a spectrum of adversity? I can only hope I have even a speck of the courage my Mom had when it comes down to it.

Then of course, that damn bar exam rears its ugliness yet again. I thought preparing for it was the tough part. Rather, being done with it has rendered the ego quite weary. No routine, no job, no prospect of a job – feeling so useless, feeling I’ll never be a valuable societal cog; feeling I will never accomplish anything. “Is this what I really want to do?” “Why didn’t I just become an art therapist/psychiatrist like I always wanted.” “IT’S TOO LATE – stop asking those damn questions!! You’re not doing yourself any good.” “Stay positive…. just stay positive… its gotta work out right? Right? RIGHT?” “I couldn’t possibly have worked this hard for nothing." "Could I have?”

There are simply too many forces working against my confidence – whittling away at any sensibility necessary to stay focused. And so I nap….. a lot. I try and convince myself to relax because I won’t ever have this kind of free time ever again. If only I could enjoy it.

Its just change, I tell myself. Inevitable change. Perhaps too much at once for this frail spirit.

Milestone Reached

Muddled, muddled feelings. Relieved my shoulders feel light again. Anxious to return to my old ways. Fearful there is no job in sight. Happy to see and talk to friends and family again. Worried about how I'm going to pay upcoming loans. Delighted I can read non-academic books at my leisure. Nervous about the prospect of not passing and having to wait four months to find out. Thrilled to start half-marathon training. So many emotions I don't even know how to release them other than wanting to cry!

You'll be happy to know, though, yesterday I felt inexplicable, utter excitement - as if my body contained the sun bursting out of me. I felt accomplished. But today, not even sure what to do with myself.

These last three months have flown by so quickly I didn't even realize how much of an innate habit studying had become. For instance this morning I woke up at 6:30am, unable to "sleep in" as sleeping in has not been an option. Then I walked downstairs carrying my water glass and cell phone as I normally do, and almost put my glass and cell phone on the dining table to the right of my laptop, sat down, opened my laptop and went to open up my books (which are no longer on or near the dining table). Snapping out of it I couldn't believe the roboticism taking over. Instead, I thoughtfully put my water glass and cell phone on the coffee table and sat on the couch for a few minutes, reveling in the disparity between this morning and the last 90.

My task as of Monday will be to figure out a new routine, get all the errands done I've been meaning to, clean up the house, reorganize things, search for jobs, send out networking emails..... the list goes on and on.

Until then, as Dave Chappelle as Rick James would say "It's a celebration bitches! Enjoy yourselves!"

Can you guess what I'm getting at?

I obviously put no effort into being evasive.

Photos and Photos and Photos, oh my!

Looking at these wedding photos raised some wonderful memories of the incredibly, amazing day we had. The photographers, both amateur and professional, memorialized some critically beautiful moments that I am happy to say I can look back upon anytime I please.... and like all newlyweds, will probably look at over and over again!

John and I are very lucky. We have each other. We have a very incredible, unique set of family and friends. And we, by far, had the hottest bridal party I've ever laid my baby browns on!!!

This is probably overkill, and there are a TON of photos.... but you only get married once, right? Well, that's what reading my palm tells me :) So here are the links to more than you'll probably ever want or need!

note: Links to the slideshow and professional photos can also be found on our wedding website, www.johnandsaritha.com. Access available til Nov or Dec I think.

Slideshow (about 100 good ones out of the bunch)
http://feliciphotography.com/Showit/saritha-and-john/

Link to Felici's Website (same photos appear in the next two links - I uploaded them onto picasaweb) (password: nord)
http://felici.zenfolio.com/saritha-and-john

Pre-Ceremony, Details, Portraits (Same as on Felici's Website)
http://picasaweb.google.com/saritha.pt/WeddingPreCeremonyDetailsPortraits?authkey=Gv1sRgCNfo8v2c8NXSpQE&feat=directlink

Ceremony, Reception (Same as on Felici's website)
http://picasaweb.google.com/saritha.pt/WeddingCeremonyReception?authkey=Gv1sRgCNv__Ov4orupDg&feat=directlink

Disposable Cameras
http://picasaweb.google.com/saritha.pt/WeddingDisposableCameras?authkey=Gv1sRgCIWspqOljI-zJg&feat=directlink

Others Photos (what I have so far. There are some on facebook I haven't gotten copies of yet, so will add when I get them)
http://picasaweb.google.com/saritha.pt/WeddingOthersPhotos?authkey=Gv1sRgCIK6__q-p7fFmAE&feat=directlink

Henna Party, Rehearsal Dinner
http://picasaweb.google.com/saritha.pt/WeddingHennaPartyRehearsalDinner?authkey=Gv1sRgCO6UhNOy2fOXqAE&feat=directlink

Girls Getting Ready
http://picasaweb.google.com/saritha.pt/20100522WeddingGirlsGettingReady?authkey=Gv1sRgCKaY9Y2E7ryUlwE&feat=directlink

Take 1:

[Writing has been frustrating for me because I'm not as quick with the words or creativity as I used to be..... I'm not finding inspiration as quickly as I once did. But still I try, and try I must if I want to develop, improve, create. So here is my latest effort. I don't think I like it - but it's all part of the process, right?]

Floating. Fumbling. Bumbling. Breaking. Down. Into the complexity of a tangled mind. Tangled with thoughts, rules, principles. Tethered with hopes, wishes. Ephemeral blinks of consciousness. Conscious of a yearning flickering in the dimmer night. Dimmer but gleaning from a nuisance spiraling spinning. Whisking by with fervor of the moment. Fervor. Stemming from a simple memory of summer. A simple delighting in warmth and breeze. Breezing through time. Stumbling. Falling. Flailing……. With the acknowledgment….. it is all elusive. Marching. Forward. Onward. Significantly into the mired moment. Mired…. but only for a little bit longer.

A blessing and a curse

Generally I fancy myself a person who performs well under pressure - who can take the bull by the horns and kick its rear from here to Endor. However, I've found a nemesis I can't seem to overtake. Preparing for the bar has left me with nothing but feelings of inadequacy. As the hour draws nearer all I want to do is curl up in the fetal position, scream at the top of my lungs, drop my books, and run away. It's not that I'm incapable, there's just not enough time. They shove down your throat in three measly months thousands of pages of substantive material, about a hundred essays, infinite multiple choice questions, and a handful of performance tests leaving you no time to actually ingest the information. What's worse is they repeatedly tell you "you will not be able to learn everything, the goal is to learn the basics and try and slide by." Umm.... what?! How on earth is it rational to design an exam where even the brightest absolutely cannot learn everything necessary for the exam?

But it's not entirely the battle of the behemoth Bar that's most menacing. It's the idea that this is merely the beginning. The effort, energy, and mind power expended to learn the material, do the assignments, (try to) ignore the stress, and (try to) put away the doubts appear not to even be a scintilla of the effort, energy, and mind power needed to succeed in this career. It all feels so daunting.

Well, 22 days til the test starts - both a blessing and a curse. Certainly I am ready to be rid of it, but certainly there is not enough time to be fully prepared.

All this is leaving me cranky, grumpy, and likely intolerable (poor John). Never have I questioned entering the study of law until these last few months. And never did I think something like a mere test would make me feel so ineffectual. I've succumbed to my inner antagonist and it is starting to feel rather claustrophobic.

Shilps and Jerms transmutation to Sherms

My very lovely friend, Shilpa, wed Jeremy today at 9:30am. They had a traditional Vedic/Hindu ceremony in an ashram in Pennsylvania. Due to my bar studies I was unable to attend, but have been thinking about them constantly - all week, and especially today.

This September I will have known Shilpa for 11 years - one of my oldest, dearest friends; a piece of my soul I am incredibly privileged to have. She is often the source of my perspective, epiphanies, laughter and inspiration.

I was emailing with her this week and told her I was feeling very nostalgic. Although she is just getting married, and nothing is physically changing, it felt like I was losing my pal, losing her to a new life. I suppose I felt the same way about myself before my own nuptials (to be expounded on in a future post).

Watching her and Jeremy grow together from their days in San Diego (see left image) to their life in San Francisco (see right image) has been incredible. They are both very lucky to be spending their lives together.

To Shilps and Jerms (with teary eyes) - the absolute, utter, most heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS!! I am honored to be a part of your civil ceremony in August and can't wait to celebrate with you!

Here is a picture from the wedding of the handsome couple amidst a lovely field!
The colors are amazing!

comment-ability

Sorry folks!! I didn't realize I had the settings restricted. Now anyone who so desires may leave comments. Let me know if problems persist.

I may be an orange peel.

“If I hadn’t seen [the orange peels floating in the ocean], then I wouldn’t know they were there, and if I didn’t know they were there, I wouldn’t be able to say that they even exist. . . . Some of them are starting to sink now. In a few minutes, the only place they’ll still be floating will be inside my mind. . . . And after I go out this door, I may only exist in the minds of all my acquaintances. I may be an orange peel.”

 

Aptly phrased by J.D. Salinger in one of my favorite books, Teddy (don’t laugh at the name, John!). This passage reminds me of something I constantly find myself in contention with:

Everything is dynamic, thus nothing is ever secure. Moments, thoughts, existence – it’s all fleeting. Yet I struggle against it. Most recently I have found myself trying to revert against faith – to try and find repugnant anything that cannot be based on some sort of reasoning. Yet basing everything on faith, or a leap thereto, seems almost a necessity. If nothing is ever steady or secure, then there’s nothing to hang your hat on. You have to create a hat stand. Everything is an elusive illusion. Yet I constantly fight to believe its neither elusive nor an illusion. What a feat it all is!

Further, if everything is dynamic, then everything moves into the unshakable forward and we are left with nothing to show for our progress except a presumption that we once felt the things we felt. But if that were true, wouldn’t it render our lives meaningless? Who’s to say lives are supposed to be meaningful? They are what we make of it, I suppose – a skillful tethering of the presumptions we are left with. But perhaps the presumptions are enough – perhaps it’s all we need to create a hat stand – to control in our own way the uncontrollable, to permeate the impermeable. 

And so persists the unflagging tension between reality and perception.

I’m not really sure how to conclude this (if there is even a conclusion to be made) except perhaps with the acknowledgment "I may only exist in the minds of all my acquaintances. I may be an orange peel."

(click here for more info on Teddy by J.D. Salinger)

Half Marathon Training!

A few weeks ago our incredible friend Shawndene ran a half marathon in San Diego's annual Rock n Roll marathon. She ran in the spirit of her grandfather to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Ivie, Cherish and I went to support her by watching her pass the 9 mile mark then meeting her again at the finish line where many of her friends and family also were awaiting her triumph! Watching her earlier in the race, then watching her pass the finish line was infinitely inspiring! Cherish, Ivie and I found ourselves unexpectedly moved to tears by Shawndene's accomplishments.

Her dedication to the race and love for her Tata further moved us to a decision to run our own half marathon! Cherish, Ivie, and I will be running the Carlsbad Half to be held on 1/23/11! We are neither avid nor experienced runners but are welcoming the challenge! There is likely no better feeling than to accomplish a goal, and the Year of the Tiger certainly is one where "the impossible just might be possible." Thank you Shawndene for being our inspiration!

If you would like to follow our progress, I've attached a link to our training schedule here. Ivie and Cherish have already started the program, and I'll be joining them promptly after the Bar - the first weekend of August.

Salud!

Over the past year my goal has been to lead a healthier life - in all aspects - mental and physical. With regard to my physical well-being I am trying to change many things; from what I eat, to how I exercise...basically to what I put in, on, or around my body. Certainly it has not been easy - with battling parasites and lymphatic congestion. Even googling menu ideas and protein shake recipes has been far more difficult than anticipated. How much fiber should I eat? What's the best form for your body to consume the fiber? What about protein? How much should an active person consume a day so the body doesn't take any away from the muscles? Energy bars - good idea, bad? What about goji berries and maca powder for energy, or cranberry concentrate for kidney health, or coconut oil for metabolism? Is it really necessary to avoid dairy? The list goes on and on and on.

What's frustrating is that previous generations of humans knew all this without being conscious of it. Their lifestyle lent themselves to what we refer to as "healthy" and what they probably didn't refer to as anything as it was their everyday life. For so many advances that have been made I'm struggling now to learn how to revert back - to rekindle with the old, if you will.

Regardless of the hefty amount of the unknown it is a worthy goal I plan to continue. And recently I've received confirmation from the stars that this is indeed a decent plan (not that I ever doubted it)!

Under Chinese astrology, 2010 is the Year of the Tiger - a brave, majestic creature (that likes pepper, not cinnamon). And intertwined with the Tiger this year is Metal - a collaboration representing the type of force necessary to accomplish the most difficult tasks - where "the impossible just might be possible."

More worthy of note is this: the Tiger year is one of change rendering this an important time for most, including me, the Pig (as my birth year was the Year of Pig), to make positive changes in health patterns - to break away from old, bad habits, and replace them with new and better ones - especially in the arena of physical activity.

So here's to holistic health and well-being! Salud!

Post-nuptial nuggets

In starting a new stage in life my first personal task has been to rekindle myself with the old… get back to my roots… my internal constituents. I feel my best chance at maintaining my well-being (and sanity during Bar prep) is to start writing again. I used to write constantly. Maybe 4-5 passages a day. Always penning my thoughts in hopes of finding…. anything – clarity, silence, sanctuary – or nothing. So this is my canvas. My chance to open up, delight in words, and share with you (what I hope to be) insights on anything from the goings-on of the day to flares of my randomness and neuroses. Stay tuned for further developments and please feel free to leave comments. For now I leave you with one of my favorite quotes demonstrating the power of words:

“Just as some medicines eliminate one humor from the body, and other medicines another, and some free from disease while others take away life, so do some words grieve, others cheer, others frighten, others enflame, while others, with effectively malign persuasion poison and bewitch the soul.”

– King Lear, William Shakespeare