Saturday Sauna

There was a sauna on Saturday instead of Sunday, which broke tradition for the first time in a long while. Sunday seems like the right day to sweat it out and start fresh for the week, although I would definitely not consider myself to be fresh right after a sauna. In fact, this is the time in my life when I most emulate the qualities of a skunk.

I was thinking about the health benefits and all that stuff that a sauna is supposed to do for you, but those things aren't really why I go. I love the chance to just sit there with your friend or dad or kid, although the kids don't usually last that long. You get to sit there with this person and just be together, sweating in unison. There are no distractions like the TV or the radio or the iPad to pull you away from what you have to say to each other. I guess because there are so few times in my life that I am ever alone or free of those distractions, this time is all the more precious. I'm not sure that anything ever gets solved in the sauna but it sure is worth it to try.

The times where I have occasionally been stood up in the sauna have been few, but have also had their own special luster. It's like the water-free version of a soak in the tub where you can read your book or do some yoga as long as you don't fall off the bench and burn your hair on the stove. It just may be one of my favorite things. 

A few weeks ago I had an idea to post the funniest thing that was said in the sauna for the week. One of the regulars was a bit concerned about the rule that "what happens in the sauna stays in the sauna," so I said I would be sure to change the names of those involved so no one was incriminated. That makes it sound like we are up to some serious shenanigans in there! I promise, we're not. Usually. 

Sunday Sauna

P: "This guy was so smart that he could take the S.A.T.'s and get a hundred."

G: "Well, that's not very good." 

Flowers in Winter, Or Always

It had been a while since we layered up and hiked into the woods, just a little amble through the Michaux. The kids were cute and held hands and fell down a few times. 

Winter is always a mental challenge for me because there is so little green and so much brown. But there were still moments of beauty among the pervasive brownness of the woods at this time of year. 

But still, look at the flowers!

I liked getting lost in the reflection of this little pool...

...and in a pile of rocks. I'm wondering how closeup my camera will go?

And then at the end, some old dessicated pumpkins made a nice arrangement. 

The woods surprised me with more than I expected. I wonder, if I walked forward with delight,

how often I would see flowers everywhere?

Now is the Time

Whatever your dream is, start small. You can do it. That is all. 

Sunday Sauna

"You are the least flaky new-age person I know. You are Legit."

-J.C.

Red and Yellow, True and Green

the colors of fall. the air has a chill that can only be described as crisp, although there are some people who do not like that word. i feel grateful for the days that warm up in the afternoon, when you can still be outside and get some yard work done without being uncomfortable. i wanted to note that despite the brightness of these pictures, i did not use a filter to make them prettier.. this is what they are. there is something about a sunny fall day that takes your breath, as if all the light and clarity are there for the taking, all at once. 

listen here....gale garnett will tell you how it is

Kind of Blue

 I have been gone a long time and a far way. Places and loved ones were many. The sky was bright with full and open wonder.

When I looked closely I thought that I might have seen myself. 

  

It all keeps going. I wonder if I close my eyes how much would change. 

There is time to take  a  long  breath  of  salt and think about things. 

If I open my arms and am ready to receive, then I am saving time. 

What is my wish? 

We Took a Trip to the Woods

We went to the Michaux for Paul G.'s seventieth birthday campout, and it was just perfect. 

There were lots of mushrooms that we did not eat. 

Sometimes it's just better out there!

Early rhododendron bud. 

More fungii!

The most beautiful cup of camp coffee ever. 

Happy Birthday to you!

Oh Lovely Thank You For This

Just something pretty from this morning, to sweep away the cobwebs of last week's post, and hey, it's almost time for some vacation! Taking a trip to Philadelphia to see my brother and his family...I haven't squeezed that baby in a while! It will be good because it's been too long and it's time to take a break. Oh, and not to mention we are going to see Grease, so I am priming little gal with all these songs she's never heard. She pats my shoulder like, "there, there, mom, that's nice," and then goes to watch Adventure Time. It will be great, don't worry! 

In Memory of...

This may seem like a sad post, but it is not. I have written a few of those over the last few years mostly about clients or parents of clients who have passed away. A sudden death of someone not-so-close always strikes me as an opportunity to sing that worn but true song of being grateful for the people around you - the ones who love you and who are alive.

This person was not someone I knew although I have a connection through one of my clients. I am struck with the finality of it all, and how it just can't be taken back. I looked at my own kids this weekend, probably a bit too long, trying to memorize the details of their faces and the lines of their limbs and fingers. I hugged them for a few more seconds than usual. I tucked little gal in for the night for much longer than was actually necessary. 

But this is what there is. This happens sometimes, and we go on until there is something else. I guess this post is a little sad after all.