Life (As Always) Marches On

It was a rough week, ya'll. Let's just say that everybody is physically fine... Well, everybody that lives in this house. The grownups are dealing with a situation that is not mine to share. This is hard for me. Writing has become my way of working through things. Taming the whirlwind of thoughts in my head and shaping it into a cohesive narrative calms me and focuses my thoughts. When the grownup stuff looms large, I tend to feel a bit isolated and silent even when surrounded by others. Telling the story out loud or in print means to me that I'm not isolated. That my voice is heard. Of course, I could always write it out and NOT share it, but my overtaxed brain tells me that I don't have any extra energy, so we won't be making time to do that just yet...

The kiddos are leaping right along with the glee of siblings who are much adored. As far as they know, it was just a regular week. A pretty good one at that.

Wednesday, I went up to Austin for my continuing education workshop. It was a really wonderful day. In addition to watching and experiencing some fun, cool bodywork,

Acro-yoga - I did not personally experience this :-P

Our instructors. Randy is laughing because Shane is muttering "don't drop me, don't drop me..."

Getting a bit closer than most people get with some advanced Shiatsu

The work comes back to me in waves - I REMEMBER THIS! I can do this!

I was completely on my own for over 10 hours. That has not happened in a VERY long time :-) While I was gone, Alec got to spend his first full day with just Daddy. They had a great time. They even managed to complete several errands AND get sister to and from Parent's Day Out and ballet class! *whew* I was thrilled and peeved that Daddy also managed to convince Alec that bottles are cool. Thrilled because he would have been one sad and hungry baby otherwise. Peeved because I have tried so hard with various bottles and strategies for AGES, and nothing doing. The ladies at Parent's Day Out have been worried and frustrated as well, because he wouldn't drink his milk from a bottle or a cup for them either :-/ One dang day with Daddy, and all of a sudden, he's a pro. Whatever. :-P

Thursday, I was pretty much useless. After a full day of stretching, lifting, pulling and breathing with intention, I was WORN OUT. I can't even remember if we made it out of the house.

Friday, I was loading Alec (still in his sleeper) into the car so that we could pick up Lily Ruth and head for 'school' when he threw up all down my only clean sweater. Hmpfh. Well played. ANYWAY - I may have ended up wearing layered tank tops and a cardigan in 30 degree weather, but he showed up at school in his pajamas. So there. After a good day at school for the kiddos, Alec D had his fourth tooth break through! Two up and two down. He has already figured out how to use them to actually bite into things - including me :-/ Nursing just got real up in here!

Saturday, I took Lily Ruth to the Frozen sing-a-long. That was BIG fun. We stopped at Target first, and got an Elsa dress to add to her current costume:

(Yep, a contractor trash bag for a cape and a pair of cat ears as her crown. She made it herself!) Then we went to the movie theater and sang our hearts out.

Yesterday, we ventured into the garden for a bit. I battled climbing vine weeds. Lily Ruth wove stories under the frame of her bean tee-pee. Alec ate hay and played with rocks. Hopefully the weather will be just as gorgeous next weekend, and we can get down to the business of tilling and planting.

SO, to sum up: Emotional whirlwind swirling just below the surface. Kiddos doing great.



Oh, and we still have to eat. This is a FACT. So here is the plan...

Monday:  Well, I wanted to make rainbow flatbread pizzas, but Lily Ruth said "No ganks. I like the picture, though. You could make it then send it up in the sky for God to eat after you make it." So I guess I'll make Red Lentils with Cauliflower andSausage again  


because it was soooooo good!

Tuesday:  Homesick Texan Carnitas Rachel Doyle's pin on Pinterest.



Wednesday:  Crockpot Gyros



Thursday:  Mushroom and Provolone Patty Melts



Friday: Family dinner night - definitely calls for Sriracha Broccoli  



Saturday:  Could you be in charge, please?

Sunday: Crapshoot!

Connecting to ME

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a weekend-long workshop in Jin Shin Do and Shiatsu. Why would I do such a thing? Two reasons: 1) my massage therapy license was due for renewal and 2) I LOVE SHIATSU!

As I was finishing massage school, I knew that I loved massage but I was still hesitant about my skill level and abilities. I wasn't always confident in my touch. I hadn't connected to my craft enough to really make a good, solid connection in my sessions. I had potential, but there was something missing. Then we started learning Shiatsu. A short definition of Shiatsu might be that it is like having Yoga done to you. Shiatsu is a bodyworking technique that uses pressure and stretching along the meridians (lines of energy in the body) to facilitate and stimulate the flow of qi ('chi').

Since Shiatsu was so different from the other forms of massage that we had learned, I was forced to put aside what I thought I knew and simply listen to what my body and my client's body were telling me. It's an incredible experience to even begin to open yourself up in this way. I am by no means an expert Shiatsu practitioner, but I adore the work that I am able to perform. I incorporate some Shiatsu work and/or principles into every massage session that I do.

The last time I attended a workshop of any kind, I was 20 weeks pregnant and just days away from discovering that my baby was a girl. It was also a Shiatsu workshop taught by the same instructor. That time, we were doing 'table Shiatsu', so you can just imagine my rounded, loose-jointed self STANDING on a massage table hauling a fellow therapist around in the name of learning. It was a BALL.

It was incredible to learn from Randy again. It was an honor to work with my friend June - something we haven't done since we initially learned Shiatsu from Randy in 2005. Attending this workshop felt like coming home into my own self. I was able to move and breathe and inhabit my body in a way that I haven't done in quite a while. I could close my eyes as he talked us through the sequences and feel what was coming next.

I am so blessed, ya'll. I truly am. I have an amazing career (on the back burner) and opportunities to breathe in the love and support of talented, incredible people who share my passion for the healing power of touch. This is what I need to think about when the funk tries to set in or I feel that lull in the still of the night. 

This is a short video of my favorite instructor, Randy, performing his magic on my good friend Anthony during a recent workshop. You can either listen to the audio or not - he's teaching, so it may not interest you. What I want you to notice is how close the practitioner is to the client and how still he is. The man never hurries. Never.



It is magical to know how to do this stuff. It is amazing to know how to put my entire (not small) weight on a person, and have them thank me for it. It is an honor to be that close to another person. It is incredible for someone (often a stranger) to trust you enough to be all up in their business :-P

When the videos from our workshop are posted, I'll add some here. They may or may not include Randy and I both working on June - an awe-inspiring experience...