hello, mister nameless

I'm too curious. It gets me into trouble. It drives me crazy.

      For example, this morning, I went to the A.W.Perry Homestead Museum in Carrollton, Texas.

The place is an old house with a barn on some land. It wasn't open, so I wandered about taking pictures of the outsides of the buildings.

Then I wandered around the fields looking for bugs and such. I guess I haven't changed much since I was four. Even then, I was always hunting; bugs, lost coins, buried treasure.

     So anyhow, I came upon The Most Amazing Bug in the World. He was such a good fella.

I mean, I was all but jamming my camera lens into his eyeball, and he just sighed and stayed put. Good boy. He and I are buddies. I got to wondering what he is called, specifically, in the bug world. Obviously, he appears to be some sort of dragonfly. But what is his official name? I need to get a book and look it up.

     This wondering got me pondering language. I learned several years ago that one cannot conjure up a thought unless one first has a word for the concept in question. That is why it is so critical to talk to your baby; to give little kids rich vocabularies so as to enable them to think bigger thoughts. I was interested to learn this, as I had talked to my babies non-stop from day one, but that was just because I thought it was fun, and because I was so insanely in love with the little pumpkins that I wanted to interact with them every second, never mind if they could not yet talk back.

     The material I read on this whole words-before-thoughts subject said, for example, that some cultures have no word for alone, therefore that whole concept does not exist for them. They are always among others as a way of being. Fascinating. They have no word for alone, so they can't think it. But here I was bonding with this bug, though I do not know its name. Perhaps the rule of name-before-idea only relates to concepts, not material objects, or perhaps the general term bug was good enough for me to place the thing within my mental framework.

On a different note, since the hot weather has struck, I've been working on some delish healthy popsicle recipes. Tomorrow, I will let you know the best two. They're fast, easy & refreshing!

the smalls

Here's the thing about writing: the words meet you on the page. Usually, when I sit down to write, I think I have nothing to say. But when I start moving the pencil, something comes along. That something may not be profound. That something may not even make sense to most people. But usually, the words that show up change me. My mind has an agenda beyond my consciousness, which it is working out all on its own; if I can only stand back and let it happen. Amazing how much there is to learn by waiting; by gathering words in instead of frantically chasing them. Sit with a piece of paper. Start moving your pencil. See what wants to come out. See what God has created in you. Here is a random poem:

The Smalls

I move on

into the light,
so bright,
ahead.
I have studied
wonder
to the point
of searching
every day to
find it in
the smalls.
In the drabs.
In the magic of 
morning coffee.

The sunshine

as I walked my
dog this noon
positively
tickled me.

     -Kimberly Laustsen

yoga s'moga

Hey, try this.



     Just kiddin'. You might want to start with a simple tree pose. Or child's pose. Any pose will do. Here's my idea for the day: try yoga. Quiet Guy and I have been into yoga for a couple of years now. It really helped with the accident recovery. Granted, QG is still a wee bit inflexible, and I still do not have the greatest balance. Whatev. The important thing is that we are a little bit better than we were before.

     Lately, I've been thinking of personal slogans. Several of my friends have them. One friend's is, "Don't fence me in." I think mine is, "Better as we go." That line often pops into my mind unbidden, so I've decided it must be my slogan. It's my goal, anyhow; to always improve, to always learn, getting better as I go. (And I definitely have room for improvement.)

     Oh, about the pictures. This dude is our amazing yoga teacher, Christopher. We take his classes Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings at 24 hour fitness in Carrollton, Texas. I got the idea to ask him if  I could photograph him in action, and he was kind enough to agree. These were taken after our class yesterday. Thanks, Christopher! This allowed me to blog about yoga with photos (trust me, you wouldn't have wanted to see QG or me in action) and to try out my new camera, Agnes, on human subjects. So fun.   

     Christopher is a former stunt man, so he is uber-coordinated and more flexible than Gumbie, but the best thing about his classes is his words. He teaches you so much about calm and self-acceptance through the medium of yoga. It is great. So worthwhile. Also, his every class is different, so it never gets boring.

     Yeah, yoga.  It builds core strength, flexibility, and balance, but it is also good for your mind. Yoga engenders calm. And who couldn't use a little more calm in this crazy world. Try it, friend. And if you already practice yoga... high five, Buddy.

one good thing

A while ago, I read a book on happiness. I'm really interested in happiness and also how the brain works. There are so many theories out there, and always more to learn. Anyhow, this book suggested that the simple practice of thinking and meditating on three things that went well that day when you lie down to go to sleep is an excellent way to increase well-being.

     Since I have a tendency to be a worrier/ruminator, I try to do this, only I've simplified it to one good thing, as I am in the remedial class. This practice has proven to be a good idea, so I am passing it along to you, my friend.

     The good thing you conjure up does not need to be profound, though it could be. You are in complete control here. It could be as simple as the frozen custard you got to enjoy that day, or the Blue Jay you watched, a luminous sunset, the smile somebody tossed in your direction, or the fact that you finally got up the courage to say no to something you did not really want to do. Once you decide on your thing, then spend a little time reflecting on why it went well. What lead up to it? Re-live the experience mentally. Intentionally open your heart to more such adventures in the future.

armchair Texas adventure - y'all come on!

Maybe you don't have time to wander through a Texas park all morning. Maybe you are far from Texas, but would love to meander through its beauty anyhow. I've got this. Here's whatcha do, Old Buddy. Grab yourself a tall glass of sweet tea. Sit back and get comfy. Now come along with me on a jaunt through Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano Texas.

birthday brag day

Today my Lauren turns 26. Normally, I don't like to brag about my kids, as I would be doing it 24/7, which could be construed as obnoxious. Point taken. However, as it is her special day, let me just say to all the world that my girl is the best girl ever. Seriously.

Happy Birthday, Lauren! I am so beyond lucky to be your mom. WOW. I mean, WOW. You are such an amazing person, and I hope to one day grow up to be just like you. Shine on.