Year-end Thoughts and Gratitude

Yikes! Over six months since my last post! Not that it has been six months without feeling gratitude. I contemplate what I'm grateful for each time I hit the yoga mat, which is nearly daily. 

The holidays have come and are nearly gone. #4 son was home and decorated our tree. I am grateful he continues to make an effort to come home from time to time. He lives in Massachusetts so it's quite a haul!

Four days...

...without caffeine, added sugar, alcohol and allowing only one serving of bread and sweets a day. Every so often, I think, "A cup of tea would be nice," but otherwise, I don't miss any of it. Grateful.

Sunday Gratitude

New day, new week. I woke up this morning deciding to avoid caffeine, alcohol and added sugar in my diet. I will allow myself one serving of bread and a small dessert per day. I am grateful that I haven't gotten a caffeine headache. I will subscribe to the "just for this day" strategy and hope that the days pile up, the pounds fall off and I feel more energy.

Snow Storm of March 7

Yes, I realize that today is the tenth. I have not gone to a yoga class since Tuesday. The storm hit on Wednesday, and the studio (all the studios) were understandably closed. We had a delayed opening on Thursday, but my regular studio had a power outage that was still not resolved on Thursday - so no yoga nidra. Nor was it resolved Friday. Ditto for Saturday! (No Yin:-() But, I just got an email that classes will resume tomorrow!

Our power cut out for about an hour during the storm on Wednesday. Just long enough for me to need to wrestle with the garage door to get the snow blower out. We have a generac but that does not provide full power to the house (unless we wanted to spend way more money). We have the basics covered - fridge, heat, hot water heater and some lights. It's enough.

I'm grateful for the strength to shovel snow.
I'm grateful for the snow blower when I need it.
I'm grateful for the power the generac provided.
I'm grateful the power was restored quickly.

Two of my neighbors had huge branches yank down their power lines. I saw the utility trucks at one house this afternoon. Considering we have a 100+ year old beech that could take out our house if it ever topples, I am grateful it stands after each storm.

Grateful for Visits from Sons

I will be missing yoga class today; but for a great reason. My two youngest sons are heading "home" for the weekend. I'll be cooking up a storm, feeding them up and sending them off with leftovers. I am grateful that they make the effort to come to visit. Youngest has far to travel. He lives up in Somerville, MA. #3 lives in NYC and comes home every 4 - 6 weeks.

Yoga Nidra

I am so grateful to Patrice, one of my yoga teachers who offered a Yoga Nidra series at the studio where I take most of my classes. Originally, they were started as a once a month series. I think I slept through most of the first few I took. My husband jokingly referred to these sessions as my $25 naps! But I enjoyed them and I was honestly sorry when I had to miss one. Some months back, the owner of the studio scheduled Yoga Nidra as a weekly class. Readers, I am hooked. 

I don't fall asleep anymore and yet, I leave the class feeling rejuvenated. Yoga Nidra is a state of deep relaxation. You are not sleeping and yet, you are not awake. 

Oops! Nearly another year...

...has passed since posting. Yikes. It's the day after Thanksgiving and I'm recovering. Yesterday started before dawn. It was a marathon of cooking for an early afternoon dinner. This was in deference to traveling relatives who wanted to get on the road early. What a whirlwind! But it was lovely.

I have much to be grateful for and I do try to reflect on that at least once during each day but yesterday for sure. Today would've been my father's 88th birthday. We always celebrated his birthday on Thanksgiving, so I'm never really sure which day it is but my sister-in-law, who is amazing about keeping track of birthdays and anniversaries, mentioned it yesterday.

Earlier this month, on the 16th, I was thinking of my sister, Liza, who would've been 60. She died a month or so after I started cancer treatment and about six weeks shy of her 56th birthday. I think about her at least once daily. She was my best friend.