Suzie Told Me I Was A Winner!

I really love being told I'm a winner.


Yes, it's true. I was the winner in the amazing Suzie the Foodie's $100 Shopping Spree Giveaway at CSNStores.com. I am grateful and happy. What was great synchronicity was that Suzie was on vacation at the beach and couldn't sleep, so she announced it at an odd time at night, and I was up as well. I saw her tweet and rushed to her site to be the first person congratulate the winner and then found out it was me! I have no idea what I will buy but I'll let you know. 


Suzie's blog has been so enjoyable for me to read for years, and I have watched her grow and bloom as a food writer despite many obstacles. My favorite thing about her blog is the stories she tells of how she makes each dish. I love how she tells exactly how she does each recipe, her beautiful photographs, and best of all how she recovers from so-called failures and what she learns. She has a special perspective on food and writing--a unique voice--that makes her blog one I never miss even though I currently don't cook with recipes (nor do I cook too much without recipes either). It's just plain fun to read! And Suzie is what makes it most special. 


So, visit, browse her site and you'll see what I mean!


~Photo from Suzie the Foodie's Blog

Introverted Travel

As an introvert I love to travel and enjoy the culture I am visiting. This may involve seeing some sites, but it is always paced so that I can absorb the culture, relax, and have a certain feeling rather than see certain things. This can be pretty hard to explain to people.

I lived in South Dakota for three years and never saw Mount Rushmore. I lived in Arizona for ten years and did not visit the Grand Canyon. I am fine with both and saw many other wonderful things in both states. I tend to stay away from crowds and group tours. I like to interact with local people and tourists when I'm stoked up on alone time, and tend to be very relaxed while doing so, mainly because I plan it that way and venture out only when I'm ready to interact with others.

One time my aunt and uncle visited me in Phoenix, Arizona. The three of us set out for the Grand Canyon and hit terrible traffic. We are all introverts. After a couple of hours in Flagstaff with traffic barely moving, we turned right around and went instead to the small ghost town of Jerome on the way back to Phoenix. We had a fantastic time. It was a precious experience for me to have an all-introvert travel experience! We all "got" each other.

Here are two articles I just found about introvert travel. If you're interested, they're both worth a read. Here is one and here is another.

I also like to visit places vicariously via pictures interpreted by friends' experiences, like Lori-Lyn's. More picture, Lori-Lyn! I'm missing my daily fix ♥

The picture you see above is the first of many from LoveHubbie of some lovely tulips that bloomed in our yard this past spring!

Alegria Shoes Nurture My Feet

Alegria Shoes have recently come into my life and changed it greatly. As many of you know, I have significant foot pain all the time. I bought my first pair of Alegria's a few weeks ago, and you wouldn't believe how comfortable they are. They have minimized my foot pain so that I can walk much farther. Plus, having to wear mostly orthopedic shoes, it's so nice to have shoes that are so pretty for a change--they call it "color therapy". For many years I've not been able to wear regular shoes and have settled for nice Dansko's that are too narrow and too tight (because my orthotics took up so much room). My Alegria's go with a lot and are practical, yet they are not plain and boring. Now that I know how great they are, I plan to venture out with future pairs into some of the more fun patterns.

I know that both Lori-Lyn (who likes Dansko's and is right now walking all over England) and Kelly Kikipotamus (who I likes Naots and others and is good to her feet) both like to wear sort of funky shoes like me, so I know you two will appreciate these especially. But everyone else too--consider them--this is a different kind of shoe company!

Alegria Shoes is a fairly new company that has had great success especially in the medical market (with doctors and nurses who are on their feet a lot) and--can you believe this--their average customer owns 8 to 11 pairs! I have 3 4 5 pairs so far. I had to force myself to be honest. Thank goodness LoveHubbie never reads my blog :) But what kind of shoe company has average customers owning so many shoes?

Alegria Shoes are mostly nicer shoes that you can comfortably walk in plus wear to almost anything nice. I wouldn't recommend them for hiking or activities like tennis or anything you'd do that was extremely aerobic or on uneven ground. They are great for office work, long walks in the city, long walks in the country that isn't hiking, formal occasions (at least I would wear them with a gown), and just around the house.

Alegrias accommodate a wide foot and are sized a bit large. They are roomy so that you can wiggle your toes in them. They are pretty expensive ($59.99 on sale to $100+ retail---but who pays that?), but a screaming deal for what you're getting. Good shoes aren't cheap. Their footbed molds to your foot, but can be removed and then does accommodate orthotics. They are quality through and through, every little detail.

You can get them from many places online, including Alegria Shoe Shop--they are currently having a sale on many closeouts for $59. There is a list of several online retailers here at their main web site under "Preferred Partners".  I always shop around. Order two pairs first if you're not sure what size you are, and return the one that doesn't fit (this is what I did as most online retailers offer free shipping and free returns). I am a 9.5W and fit a European 40 perfectly. I tried both a 39 and a 40 to be sure to get the correct size. Alegria's are also on ebay, but I have found the best deals at other places. You have to buy them new, because the footbed molds to your foot.

Here are some Alegria pictures (these are the shoes I have):

I adore my Alegria's!

Maui Giveaway Winner

Well, here at last I have a winner in the Maui Giveaway--Patti Bourne of bliss fruit in Australia! Congratulations on your win! Please send me your address, Patti. I am so happy to be able to give these lovely earrings to you. Thank you to everyone who participated.

Thank everyone for your support and loyalty as I continue to work towards being a regular blogger again. You all are what makes blogging worthwhile for me.

I love all of you!

LoveHubbie's Photos

LoveHubbie has been busy working, but I look forward to hopefully having some of his photos here soon. He hasn't spent much time in the garden, but I am looking forward to him doing so soon and having some lovely pictures to show you to go with my posts. The weather has been beautiful here in the Pacific Northwest.

Back to Blogging and Being Ourselves

This weekend I helped out with a memorial service at my church for the father of someone in my small group at church (which is called a Life Group). I didn't know her father at all, and actually know her only slightly, since I am new both to the church and to the Life Group. It was a great privilege to be there though. 


One reason that this was an honor for me was that when my Dad died, there were people at his church (which he was officially a member of at the time of his death but hadn't attended in a long time) who helped out with the funeral and the reception. They were so loving and kind and freed me up to mourn and visit with family. The didn't know me, and they may or may not have even known my Dad. They were a blessing. 


Another reason was that I just enjoy celebrating the life of someone who has passed; each life is special and I get to find out how when I hear stories about their life. In addition, it is a good time to contemplate the meaning of life in general and the significance of death. 


Normally when I attend a social function where women help, they are usually family functions and I hang out with the men. This is because the women are in the kitchen, cooking and preparing things according to their cultural traditions. I am not domestic at all, I eat differently from most people I know, and in such situations I never know what to do. So in order to not feel helpless and useless and lost, I visit with the men and talk--something I do know how to do. I often feel as though the women disapprove and that they judge me, as though I "should" know how to make marshmallow-canned fruit--jello salad or Rice Krispie treats. I "should" at least know how to bake "Duncan Hines" brownies! I do not. 


So when I was invited to help out at the memorial with the other women of my Life Group, I was very hesitant. I am so unconventional, and don't tend to fit in most places in general (especially in a church), so I was unsure about how to respond. I decided to be honest and open, rather than just decline to help. The group members seem to be transparent and real and honest themselves, so even though I'm new to the group, it seemed like the right thing to do. I told M, the leader, about my lack of conventional female-type skills. I told her that I was a "great follower" but that I had to be told exactly what to do (as in micro-steps). In most things, I gravitate strongly towards leadership, but not in areas that are completely foreign to me. Anyway, M was thrilled, as she likes to lead and expressed an interest in breaking things down for me. 


It ended up that I had a great time. M broke things down into ultra-micro-mini steps so that I didn't have to figure anything at all out. It was actually relaxing for me. M had pages of notes and details on what needed to be accomplished; she is a gifted administrator. We talked about this later. Her face lit up as she described how much she liked to organize things and work out details. She loved breaking things down into discrete and easily understandable steps. I really enjoyed the simplicity of following the steps and of knowing what my job was. 


At one point in the memorial when everyone was sitting and listening to a speaker, I went and stood with one of the ushers at the doorway and told him that he could sit down or get some coffee if he liked, and I'd man his position to assist any latecomers. He said no, that standing away from the people was "therapy" for him, as he didn't do too well in big groups. I said "Me, too!" So we stood together saying nothing. It was really nice. 


This was a rare social occasion in which I felt useful and free to just be myself. I could also enjoy the people who were there and the presentation on the life of the deceased. At the end of the memorial service, instead of being exhausted and craving time alone, I was energized and happy. I cannot think of a social occasion before in which this has happened. 


From this I thought about how unique we are all; God made us to work together while yet being ourselves. It was a beautiful time. 


Upcoming Post: Giveaway From Maui: Sign up if you have not yet done so. I really, truly am going to give these lovely earrings away, despite my procrastinating!

Wellness Wednesday: Life-Changing Wellness Seminar

About ten days ago I went to a really intense wellness seminar in Seattle. We all know about diet and how important it is to eat healthfully to have a good quality of life. We all know about exercise and how we need to keep moving in order to be able to stay mobile and healthy as we age. However, we often forget posture. I know that I did.

I have been plagued with back, neck, knee, and foot problems for years, so I had high expectations for this seminar from the Esther Gokhale Wellness Center. I was taking Gokhale Method 101, based upon the book I'd recently read, "8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back: Natural Posture Solutions for Pain in the Back, Neck, Shoulder, Hip, Knee, and Food (Remember When It Didn't Hurt)" by Esther Gokhale. This method is based upon how people throughout history have stood, have moved, and stayed healthy without all of the problems we experience in our post-industrial society. It is full of amazing pictures--a beautiful book that I've written a review of for Amazon here. If you go to the book on Amazon, you can use the "Look Inside" feature and see so much of the book (scroll down and you will see that there is a huge exerpt of the book, including pictures, that the author has made available).

Even if you just look at the pictures, I think you'll be impressed. You can actually see how differently people used to sit, stand, lie in bed, work, bend over, walk, and more.

I have begun integrating this posture practice into my life. Three days of classes were so very helpful, and now I need to follow up at home. The really good thing is that although there are some optional exercises for people like me (super out-of-shape with weak muscles)--for the most part this practice is done in the process of life itself and takes no extra time--while you're sitting, driving, moving about the house, working, playing, etc. There is also almost nothing to buy; there is an optional cushion that can help you stretch your back, but a towel or other support can be easily substituted instead. Also, there are free classes, online classes, and more.

This is not simply one person's ideas, but a new movement--a movement to help us return to some of the wise ways of our ancestors that led to health. It's really cool. I took a class in Seattle for which there was a fee, but my health problems are debilitating and I needed something intense and immediate to prevent much more money from being spent on other solutions.

Here are some pictures so that you can see some early changes in my way of moving. This picture is BEFORE, sitting normally (and up straight--I usually slump) on the edge of a chair:

This picture is two days later, after 9 hours of posture instruction:

This picture is BEFORE, standing normally. Note the swaying out in the upper back:

This picture is AFTER, standing normally. Note the straightness in the upper back:

No body cares too much about posture per se, but everyone cares about the benefits that good posture can bring. So if you'd like even more resources about this posture practice, here they are:

Can't Exercise at Work? Try StretchSitting (this is an article describing a particular posture practice in a bit of detail)

Video of Esther Gokhale talk at Google (this is a longer talk given for those of you who are very interested--it's wonderful though!)

Preview of book (8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back) on Google

Great book review along with picture of Esther Gokhale (the founder) bending as she sits (you can really, really see how Esther has an unconventionally healthy back)


I plan on continuing with this for a long, long time. I look forward to the health benefits that will ensue!

Giveaway from Maui

Yes, I am behind...but I hope today you won't care. I am giving away a lovely pair of silver Peruvian opal earrings* made by Cathy U'u of Kachi Jewelry of Maui. The earrings were handmade on Maui by Cathy herself. I bought these in March with the intention of them being a gift for my loyal blog readers (this is YOU); most of my readers are female, but the ones who are male would I'm sure love to win them to give to a special female in their life.

This giveaway is of substantial value, so I would like to give the to anyone who has ever left a comment on my blog before today. If that is you, leave another comment of any length below, and I will choose a winner sometime in May (I'm not sure when yet so enter today!). I'll close the contest when I get a good amount of my regular readers on board.

In case it's hard to tell from the picture, they are for pierced ears. They look like they might be heavy but they are not; they are very light! They remind me of the ocean and of the Maui sky.

~somewhat lame picture taken by Me of earrings with gift bag on my tv tray 




*NOTE: Ang says that Peruvian opals are reported as "helping to quiet the mind, ease stress and to help ideas flow freely".

Sacred Life Sunday: Life = Hope

Just remember that as long as there is life, there is hope.

There is always hope.

I have been deeply touched in the past several days not just by Chani's passing, but by the attempted suicide of a friend's family member, and by the unexpected and sudden passing of another friend's family member. I have been thinking about them a lot. Life is so precious, so fragile, so fleeting.

And so I'm reminding you (and me) again to tell those we love how we feel about them...

~Photo by LoveHubbie Mark

The Viewfinder

A bit ago I won a contest on Darrah Parker's blog and was honored to select a photo from her etsy shop. Darrah is a Seattle-based portrait, family, and lifestyle photographer whose blog and personal journey I have followed for quite a while. I enjoy all of Darrah's photographs, and love this photo in particular.

To me, it looks like one of those old-timey telescopes that are weathered and used to see things far in the distance. I love the colors. But it means more to me than that. It is a reminder that we all see things through a viewfinder--a lens that is uniquely our own which we use to see things to bring them into our world. Our viewfinder is the story we tell about what we see. There is always a story.

I promised Darrah I'd post about the photo, and in the interim I lost Chani. The stories I told about Chani to myself, the actual fact of her passing, even the viewfinder through which I saw her and how she truly was--all of this made the photo even more timely and precious to me. So I wanted to share this with you now.

Also in the interim, Darrah lost her beloved cat Izzy and wrote about it in a very touching way here.

For more information about Darrah, see her web site.

~Photo by Darrah Parker

In Seattle for a Seminar

So I'm glad to be back to blogging on a regular basis, even though it is under such sad circumstances and some pictures here. I am thinking that it's the last thing that Chani will help me with.

I wanted to tell everyone that I'm in Seattle for a wellness seminar that I'll write more about later. I'll be here four days and it's very physical. I'm quite a homebody so this is a change, but worth it for better health.

But I just wanted to say hello to all and to wish each of you a good weekend.

It's weird that the fastest, easiest way to get a quick snapshot in here of the Space Needle from my room was to take a picture with my phone, upload it to Twitter, download it to my hard drive, and upload it to Blogger. Up and down and up. About three minutes.

Love and blessings to each and every one of you.

Pictures of Chani

Some of Chani's friends don't have pictures of her, so I wanted to include these:

This is a picture of Chani at age 25 (above). Below is a picture of Chani that is pretty recent:





And here is the last picture taken of Chani, after she got a birthday haircut. She was 58:

RIP my dear Chani,

January 26th, 1952 to March 23, 2010

Chani

Hey, everyone, I've been slow to return to blogging after my vacation.

I have some hard news today. My BFF, Chani from Finding My Way Home passed away while I was on vacation. At first (actually until today) I'd thought that she'd just cut off contact with me, mainly because this very thing had happened to me before with friendships with women. I'd felt intense rejection from not being able to get hold of her--I assumed she was ignoring me and had rejected me for some unknown reason--for exactly one month today. I'd talked to her for seven hours during the first two weeks of my vacation---then nothing. I personalized it and felt sorry for myself. It turns out it was just a drama created completely in my head. I could not---would not---conceive that something terrible had happened to her. It had.

It ended up that Chani passed away about three weeks ago, at a crescendo in her life, a BE BRAVE time, right before she moved and started a whole new phase of her life. She died suddenly and unexpectedly.

Chani was better than a BFF, really. She was right beside me at the biggest crisis of my life, 16 months ago, and ever since. She was in many ways my North Star, probably too important to me. I loved her so much.

My biggest regret is that I never told Chani what she meant to me. I hope she knew.

My message to you is that if there is anyone who is important to you, anyone whom you love, LET THEM KNOW. Don't wait. Chani was a good friend. There was no one like Chani, and there will never again be anyone like her.  This is true for everyone you love. Tell them how you feel. Love them today. It may be their last day ever.

So I'm back to blogging, for a sad but important reason.

Going On Vacation

Well, LoveHubbie and I are getting ready to leave tomorrow morning on vacation. I'm very excited. It's a lot of work to leave LoveHubbie's business and all of our goings-on here for three weeks, and I've been busy arranging things. I've neglected blogging, although I've enjoyed reading all of your blogs. It seems that things going on here are more on the mundane side and seem less important to blog about.

As I've mentioned, I'm not taking my laptop, but will have my iPhone for Facebook and Twitter. However, I won't be reading every FB status update and Twitter post. Believe it or not, I read each and every one here at home in a pretty compulsive way. I don't think that many people are as addicted as I am, and so I'm wanting to break this habit. I think I'm way too tied into technology. My word for the year is Presence. In order to live that out, I need to disconnect somewhat from technology, and I'm looking forward to this, as hard as it might be.

On the other hand, it could be very easy. This doesn't matter as much to me---whether it's hard or easy. I just want to do it. My laptop has worn a place in my lap and although I'll miss it, I want to be available for other things. I am trying to emulate the approach described in this post from Christine Mason Miller.

On Monday I meet with my editor for the first time and go over the edited draft of my book. Then on Tuesday, I plan to attend what's called "`O Lono `oe Makahiki Closing, Ki`au`au Ka Wa`a `o Ka `ilila `au", which is the launching of a special canoe off the beach in a Hawaiian ceremony. On Friday night at sunset we are having a party (my first party in at least six years) at our condo for some friends from the Friends of Moku`ula (the project for which I wrote my book). Then on Saturday, it is the launching of the Ka `I`imi `Ike Program for the Friends of Moku`ula; this was delayed by the tsunami last weekend and so we are fortunate to be able to attend. Lots of activity for this Turbo-Introvert, but I am looking forward to it. In between I will have no responsibilities, just time for reading, swimming, and relaxing. So I think I can handle it!

LoveHubbie will be working M-F remotely and is bringing technology to enable him to do so. I am hoping that he will be more open to relaxing once we get there.

I plan to focus my reading on fiction (lots and lots of it), presence, Henri Nouwen, and being in my body more than in my head.

I am also hoping to establish a stronger exercise routine. Since I've been having so much pain when I walk, I saw a new doctor this week who told me that the knee and foot problems I have will be helped dramatically by specific exercises. It was great news to find out that there is nothing degenerative going on, and to find out how to recover.

This will be my first alcohol-free trip to Hawaii. I haven't ever done this before, and am excited about it, a little scared as well (but in a good way, a Be Brave kind of way). It's hard sometimes for me to assert myself by holding to my dietary restrictions in group settings, and oftentimes people don't understand. Still, I plan to venture out on this trip and experiment with holding true to what I believe is best for me. I have been moved and inspired by your comments, and especially one by Jane who wrote about the difference between her dad and brother in how they handle their diabetes. Observing the choices made by LoveHubbie has been motivational in me holding the line with my own choices, no matter how hard.

Low carb eating is not a trendy way of eating right now--most people are trying to be vegetarian and vegan--but it works for me, and a high healthy-fat diet is even more controversial. Most people don't understand or approve of this, but again, I'm going to venture onward. When I give up my laptop, I lose the community support for many aspects of my lifestyle, so it will be a chance for me to look within and hopefully find the strength and support I need.

I will miss all of you so much. I of course will read each and every one of your comments and of course blog posts when I return. I hope you all have times of growth and peace and being brave these next three weeks.

Love and blessings,

O

~All photos by LoveHubbie Mark

Odds and Ends

I have much to share, and it's all miscellany:

1. I'm really enjoying abstaining from criticism for Lent. I'm not sure how great of a job I'm doing, but I'm certainly focusing mindful attention on it. Lori-Lyn is joining me in this endeavor. The weakest link is the marriage one--LoveHubbie--isn't this always the case?
2. I'm enjoying a primal/paleo/low-carb diet. Enjoying really isn't the best word. Better: I'm enjoying taking care of my health and dealing with the anticipated results from withdrawal from heavily refined carbohydrates. 
3. I'm watching the day of my vacation creep closer and closer as I try to get ready. I'm afraid there is no getting ready; more, just a letting go and leaving. 
4. My book is done with the initial edit and I am waiting for the edited manuscript to arrive in the mail. Then I will work in a wild and crazy fashion to furiously come up with a revised draft to take with me to Maui. I've decided that I won't work on it during my vacation (Big Decision). I'll do the networking for it, meet my amazing editor, a and hunt for a publisher, but I'm NOT taking my laptop with me to Maui. My vacation has always been a time of visioning for the next six months, and I'm really needing that right now.  It's hard to keep this boundary. I'm apparently not serious if I don't take my laptop. I am actually very serious and need this time to be disconnected from routine. 
5. For fun and relaxation, please join me in watching the Puppy Cam!

PS Beware, as the Puppy Cam is addictive!