Vibram Five Finger

I took my barefoot lifestyle to a whole new level this week when I purchased a pair of Vibram Five Finger barefoot shoes.  If you haven't seen a pair yet, they are shoes with separate toe spaces.  The look like mittens for your feet.  I love my new barefoot shoes.  I walk in them, run in them and wear them every chance I get.  I'm looking forward to wearing them in Mexico for the three-day walk.  Here's a link to the website to see for yourself.

Resolutions

The Year is 2012.  It will be a fantastic year for me. Here are my goals, in no certain order.

MIND
Read/Fastidiously- My reading challenge will be to read something for my pure enjoyment and 
                                     edification once a month
Bi/Lingual- My goal for this year is to become conversational in Spanish and Haitian Creole


BODY            
Walk/Barefoot- I plan to improve my posture, foot health, and overall fitness stamina by going barefoot 
                         as often as possible, but especially when I walk or run my three miles a day
Squat/Regularly- In place of sitting in conventional chairs, I plan to sit on either my mostly deflated 
                          fitness ball or tailor sit on the floor
Swing/Kettle- My weight training will consist of swinging the kettle bell with increasing reps and
                       increasing weights
Eat/To live- I will choose my foods based on my metabolic and energy needs and less on cravings,
                      habit, social pressure,or boredom 


SPIRIT
Breathe/Silence-  I will seek out daily meditative silence, and solitude and cultivate the discipline
                             of practiced deep breathing

Here's to a prosperous and fabulous New Year.

Breakthrough

My journey toward weight loss has been ongoing.  For several months, I was in Weight Watchers and it was working for me- until I lost my job, could no longer afford the monthly fees, and was booted out.  I could feel the few pounds I lost on WW creep back on in the two months since I've not has access.  I just finished reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.  My friend Morningstar suggested it since it was about Indians of Mexico, near where we will be going for a pilgrimage in January (more on that later).  The book really changed my view about running, and even inspired me to try it.  I have been an avid walker for years and have been trying to boost my endurance for the five day pilgrimage in Mexico where I'll be walking up to 20 miles a day.  Strangely enough, the book also got me rethinking my diet.  I've been on a journey for years trying to discover the correct way for ME to eat. This book gave me some serious clues.  I have made progress now in a couple of areas.  I'm an avid water drinker- it is now my drink of choice.  I crave greens and try to eat them daily.  I still go back and forth on the consumption of meat.  I still think juicing is important.  I'm happy to cut back on dairy and increase my whole grain, beans, fruit, and vegetable consumption.  I find that I'm having to change some of my assumptions about food, and learn ways to prepare foods that I want to add to my diet.  It is a fun and challenging experiment.  Add to the complexity that I live with seven other people who just want me to cook like I always used to- although two of my six kids have become vegetarian.

For now I will continue my daily 3 mile walking/running circuit.  Add a daily free weight work out for replacing some of this fat with muscle.  Boost greens, grains, and beans and juicing- and decrease dairy and meat.  I can feel my body changing with this plan.  I'm grateful to be learning more and more about what works for me.  My body feels like an ally.

Green Pineapple

Today my morning juice was a recipe of fresh pineapple, red and green grapes, and spinach. I'm finding that a little bit of alkaline vegetable juice cuts some of the acidity/sweetness of my fruit juices for a nice balanced and fresh flavor. I usually use celery for this effect, but I've been experimenting with fresh spinach and I like how it mellows the juices. Most of the recipies call for half a glass of juice and the rest water, but I haven't been doing that. The impact on my colon results in a laxative effect. I'm not sure if its because I'm consuming too much fruit juice or what. I'm only drinking one glass a day. I plan to go on experimenting with my new juice book. I also walked with weights yesterday at the mall. My plan is juice for breakfast, raw at lunch, and vegetarian or vegan at dinner. I'm trying to make a plan that is workable for me, without feeling deprived. I find my morning juices are a great way to start the day.

Green Juice

My odessey continues as I try to do this weight loss thing. My latest kick: I went to see the movie, "May I be Frank" and found a new epiphany. I loved this movie (see the link to its homepage). I was so inspired that I made a 40 day plan for myself and I've been scurring around putting the pieces into place (more about that on an upcoming post). I made myself a nice glass of green juice this morning. I've been really getting into juicing these past frw months and want to make it a daily discipline. When I went to the screening of the movie, they served this juice and handed out the recipe. I loved it and couldn't wait to make it at home. The recipe is so simple: 2 granny smith apples, a nice juicy lemon, and a couple handfuls of spinach. Yummy! My first green juice. I had been reluctnant to add greens until I tried this concoction. I'm drinking a lovely green juice right now and I do love the way fresh juice makes my body feel, all tingly and alive. I strain the juice into a glass of ice to cut down on the foam. So fresh juice is my daily breakfast. I'm trying to incorporate it into lunch as well. Next on my to do list: Raw food. I found a nice website here to start me off. I'm also headed to the bookstore today to find a raw foods cookbook. Right now, I'm off to the mall to walk. I'm learning to enjoy the journey. I want to enjoy everyday of my weight loss journey, not just pine to be thin. I want to enjoy my body and my size whatever size I am. Cheers!

Women, Food and God

I've been reading a fabulous book, "Women, Food and God" by Geneen Roth. I saw her on Oprah earlier this week, and it just so happened that I had picked up her book in a bookstore the previous week and flipped through it. I went back the next day and purchased it. It has been a very good read. I feel as though I got the exact same message when I read, " The Power of Now" by Eckart Tolle. Both books have confirmed my internal wisdom about the folly of diets. (I purchased the 'Biggest Loser' books but have never read them.) I believe I can and will lose weight by being more conscious in my eating. The one thing I have taken from Geneen's book, is self kindness. I have become kinder to myself. An interesting offshoot of that, is that I am kinder to others as well. The other big change in my life? Getting back to gardening. My mental health is greatly improved to same degree that I spend time in my garden. I feel more balanced, more even. Who would have thought digging in the dirt would accomplish that? Still losing weight even if in tiny bits. Will review the Roth book when I finish reading it.

Modest Loser

The year is off to a grand start. I've been keeping my committment to myself to work out 30 minutes a day, and eat more consciously. My consumption has become less mindless and automatic as I really think about everything I put into my mouth. I'm thrilled with my modest weight loss this past month. I'm taking a look at the biggest loser diet and how it works to give myself some bounderies. I appears very doable, even though I've resisted diets in the past. I'm considering giving it a shot.

Surrender, the Glad Discipline

The busyness of teaching has interrupted my routines. I still write, perhaps my most important discipline of all. I'm making good food choices- when I get time to eat. Yesterday, my teaching schedule was so busy, I didn't get to sit down and each lunch until 5:30 pm. Exercise has been scant, and early morning quiet times few. When this month of teaching is past, I'll get back on track. Even off track, my clothes are fitting better, so I'm making a little progress. I'm learning to surrender to each moment. This way whatever choice I make is the choice that serves me. Whatever happens, I choose it, whatever I choose, happens.

Goals of 2010

A new year means new resolve, and I am resolved to live a better life, and to be a better me. In that vein, behold my goals of 2010, in no certain order:

• complete my masters in nursing education (Dec 2010)
• publish my book (currently 50% completed, and headed in proposal form to an agent)
• improve my Spanish (I'm hoping language school in Mexico will be a part of acheiving this goal)
• increase revenue in my business (I have a specific dollar amount in mind)
• have a monthly date night with my husband and one weekend getaway this year (my only goal dependent on another person's participation)
• surrender to now (more on that later)
• lose 5 pounds per month via conscious eating and intentional exercise (what this blog is all about)

There's my list. A perfect seven. Not too short nor too long. It includes goals for the body, mind, and spirit. It seeks improvement for both my inner and outer aspects. Some are solitary pursuits, and others demand partnerships. I look forward to the year ahead with great expectation and promise. I run with my arms wide open to embrace it.

Another Meat-Free Feast

My church has what is called, "Dinner for Eight." Four couples get together for dinner once a month for 6 months to get to know one another. The couples are selected at random and after months, they are shuffled again and new groups are formed. Well I hosted our small gathering this past weekend for a superb Greek dinner. I selected a Greek theme because it could be vegetarian without the absence of meat being obvious. I made spanikopita (spinach pastries) from a recipe I learned when I worked at a Greek restaurant in my early 20s. I also made falafel (garbonzo bean patties) which my kids love. Finally I made a farina custard wrapped in phyllo dough for dessert. I also selected a red and a white wine, and sparkling mineral water. One of my guests made homemade pita bread (which was wonderful), Greek olives, and sliced vegetables to go in the pita (with the falafel). Another brought pita chips and hummus (along with a lovely tray of baklava). The final couple brought a delicious lentil rice salad and a yummy homemade tabouli. It was quite a spread. Beautiful to look at, delicious, filling and complete. We had a lovely time. Usually a game is played after the meal, so during the week, I made 100 'conversation cards' with interesting and fun questions on them. I went to a bookstore to purchase some, but I didn't find what I wanted so I decided to make my own. I love good conversation and this turned out the be really fun. A truly lovely evening, one that should be repeated again and again.

Daily Routines

My daily quiet times have been fabulous. I've been working on a two hour regimen to start each day off productively. I start each morning with quiet meditation. During this meditative time, I light a candle and incense and breath deeply. I read from my Bible a bit, and then move on to journaling, which has been a long time practice of mine (since I was about 18). I read from my affirmation cards, then a chapter from an inspirational or self help book. Right now I'm reading Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now." When my quiet time is complete, I write 1-2 pages on the book I'm working on. This is followed by my exercise regimen. I do yoga one day, aerobics with weights the next. I hope to keep up this simple regimen into the new year. I enjoy my mornings so much more now. It starts my day on a positive path.

Photos from my trip to Monterrey California

...And Reverie

I got into my little rented car today and drove in a circuitous route on a road tour that took me along the coast and through coastal forest. It was absolutely beautiful. Hoping to post pictures of my sites when I return. YoYo Ma and Bethoven played on the radio as as I looped up and down narrow roads. I saw birds I had never seen before, and seals lying fat and placid on rocks sunning themselves. Trees as twisted contortionists made so by ocean salt breezes. All too lovely to adequately describe. The land reached out and embraced me and kissed my cheek.

Reverie

Here in lovely Monterey Bay California for a conference. I get to walk white sand beaches and enjoy wonderful vegetarian meals. What a nice reprieve after a month too busy to allow myself the kindness of a morning cup of tea. I'll soak it all in, and take my rental care on a drive along the coast, stopping to take pictures and feel the sand beneath my feet.

Obituary

Our 17 year old cat, Indigo passed away quietly at home yesterday. We found her late in the afternoon on our bed where she had snuggled up to nap. She never woke up. When our son Greg was 14 (now 31), his friend found Indigo as a kitten abandoned in a box in an alley en route to our house. He heard her meowing and picked her up and brought her to us. She's been ours ever since.
She was a very wild kitten, earning herself the nickname "Crazyhead" She had 2 litters of kittens early in life, and then settled down to become the mellow stranger-shy cat we grew to love. Her secret to longevity? She was an indoor cat, who didn't like to over exert herself. Many years ago, she had to have surgery that cost us $1,000 and I told her she had to live at least until we paid off the bill. She happily complied. She was always good for a snuggle, loved a good head scratch and enjoyed a high quality of life up until the end. The day she died, I saw her last in the kitchen eating her morning meal of catfood and water, while the dog and our other cat, Carl, patiently waited their turns until she was finished. She was very arthritic and slow moving, but the other animals aways gave way for her. She was always the matriarch of our animal family and beloved by our human family. She will be missed.

Indigo "Crazyhead" Payne
date of birth: unknown
deceased: October 9, 2009

PS: People have asked where we got the name Indigo. At the time she came to us, I was reading Ntzoke Shange's novel, "Sassafras, Cypress, and Indigo" a story of 3 sisters. Indigo was a midwife. It seemed to fit. I think the name Crazyhead came from the baby of the family at that time, Evan.

Weighty Matters

I started a new workout with weights and love it. It's a workout on video called "Turbo Jam" and it's a very do-able 40 minute workout that uses hand-held weights. I use my 5 pounders, but you could also start with 3 pounds. The workout includes some mat work stretching at the end. I've also been using the Tai Chi CD I purchased with my birthday gift certificate. I've been really happy with my home workouts, so much so, I may not renew that gym membership- not just yet anyway. I do try to fit in some yoga about 3 times a week as well. I have a huge challenge for the month of October. Ordering my mornings carefully so that I have adequate times in the morning for workouts during this my heavy teaching month. It's too easy to get bogged down in class prep and grading papers and skip my exercise. My goal is to be better prepped and organized so that I have those all important mornings for me.

Books that want me to write them

When I grow up I want to be a writer. These are the books I want to write- so far:

• a how to guide for homebirth
• a book that encourages African-American women to breastfeed
• a book that tells healthcare professionals how to encourage African-American women to breastfeed
• a book that chronicles my families recipes and matriarchs over three or four generations
• a book for healthcare providers on giving appropriate care to African-Americans
• a book of ideas on how to teach OB nursing
• a book of my poetry (or two or three or four...)
  
• an interracial romance (or two or three or four...)
• many more as yet unknown to me, but soon to be revealed
  

Like a pot simmering on a stove, these books bubble up inside of me and threaten to spill out onto the written page, so everyday, I write just a little bit.

Journal Journey

I am a serial journaler. I written journals since about the age of 18. I have boxes and boxes of old journals hidden away in the basement. I can't seem to stop detailing my life in journals. All this has spiritual and therapeutic value I suppose. Mainly it just keeps me writing, and write I must. I suspect I was born to be a writer but just keep getting distracted by other things. Yesterday, I started a new prayer journal. The previous one lasted 4 years. I took a trip down memory lane as I read old passages in it. It shows how far I've come in the last 4 years in meeting my goals and developing as a person. I love seeing that progress in print- in my own handwriting. As I begin my new journal, I'm assured of the growth in my life that it will chronicle. New challenges to overcome, new goals to set, adventures to manifest- I embrace whatever comes to me.

Book Bliss

For my birthday, some friends got me a gift certificate to Barnes and Nobles (a bookstore). I carved out a leisurely two hours to spend it last week. The only thing on my agenda was perhaps some poetry, and a tai chi CD. For a bibliofile like myself, this was pure bliss. My husband and I go to bookstores for our datenights. Having two hours alone in a bookstore is like lovemaking for my mind. Every time I'm in a bookstore, that phrase reverberates in my head, 'write the books you want to read.' I compose many a book in my head, when I'm in a bookstore it's a reminder that many people write books- even ordinary people like me- it can be done. I'm reminded of this especially when I peruse the romance section and don't find the genre of romance that I like. I have better luck in the poetry section and pick up a slim volume of Charles Bukowski. I find several vegetarian cookbooks, but choose instead a couple of cooking magazines. One is full of Italian recipes, and I feel another cultural cooking binge coming on. With my French and Mexican binges behind me, it may be time to go Italian. I stop to look at the language books. Learning Spanish has been on my to do list for years. I pass them by to look at the self help books- another favorite of mine. I also peruse the classics (novels) and healthy lifestyle shelves. I dabble in the music section- I'm not really buying music, just books, that I can see and hold and smell. Finally with my mind made up, I take the escalators back upstairs to pick up four blank books. I tell myself I'll get started on the books I'm supposed to write. I have so little time at the computer for writing, the blank books I can slip into my purse and write anytime I feel the urge. There's a writer in me trying to emerge, one of my many voices trying to be heard.

Japanofile Family Adventure

Yesterday, my family and I participated in an annual ritual. We attended the Japan Festival at a local college. We are long time Japanofiles and love it. Our three daughters penpal (or now facebook) with two Japanese/American sisters whose parents are missionaries to Japan. Our sons have been involved in martial arts and enjoy the demonstrations, one is really into Manga and Anime. And I am an absolute freak for the Taiko drums. What you've never heard of Taiko drums? This Japanese style of drum music is amazing. The drummers in bright colorful costumes use their entire bodies in intricate, but deliberate and physical style to beat these massive drums that are elevated on stands and beat with sticks. I love Taiko drumming and would love to take lessons some day. I don't know of a group in my city except at the high school level. For now, I'm content with learning the jimbe (hand drum). Anyway, I enjoy the drum performances and dance performances, along with tea ceremonies and kimono demonstrations. And of course there is the food. Most of my kids enjoy sushi. I'm still getting used to the fishy taste of seaweed, but I enjoy a little sushi every now and then too. What I most like is the rice. It's slightly sweet and sticky and with a little teryaki sauce dribbled over it, I could eat it by the bowlfuls. As usual, I didn't get to do, see, or hear nearly as much as I wanted too, but I had a great time. It's so good for the soul, to get to do the things we enjoy.