Hammocks

 

Color considerations for a long-time, faithful reader.  The sky is the limit.  Please give me a least some direction...single  color or multi-color?

Dress up, dress down

 

Grey jeans with a white shirt

 

Camel cardigarn

 

Grey, pine green, eggplant

 

Two Core of Four

 

Step One

Ideas

 

Work

 

A scarf makes all the difference

 

Bridge Four

 

Signature color: Eggplant

 

Signature color: Pine Green? Teal?

 

Fill in some essentials

 

Scarves to break up the solid colors

 

Add accessories...

 

First the basics....

.

Step one of Ilona's challenge. 

My new office look

New desk, same mess.  Different wall hanging that needs some adjustment. 

Summer color

Among my many non-work related errands today, I dropped fabric and photos with Don Robert, tailor to the stars.  Well, he is my tailor.  He was shocked as I pulled color after color out of my bag.  Not to worry....there was plenty of white linen, too.  He took his usual measurements, asked a few questions, made a few notes  and said he would have all ten of my blouses ready on June 1.  Yet another reason I am where I belong.

Yet another "aha" moment

 In my new yoga class (more about that later), the instructor was talking about the prep work needed to do a head and/or hand stand.  I was immediately discouraged and thought about all of the times I actually did the prep work in various yoga classes with various instructors for  nothing, knowing there was no way I would ever do anything remotely resembling a head or hand stand.  I left the class thinking this is probably not the class for me if the instructor is going to waste my time preparing me for something I will never do.  Of course I fumed and groused and whinged the rest of the day until I was falling asleep that night when I had a vision.

A vision of doing glorious, wonderful, liberating hand stands in all kinds of places and at all ages...Olson Park, Expo, Lake Okoboji, FDSH, the health center in Hampton.  5 or 6, 10, 12, 16, 20, 40. (Yes, many of these handstands involved Andrea which is also another story.)  My point here is that I have a long history of doing handstands!  OK, yes, the handstands were all done in the water, but why split hairs? 

I practically ran to the pool the next day to prove my point.  I have to admit it took a few tries as I had to regulate my breathing, organize my thoughts and adjust my goggles, but I did it.  A handstand.  I did a few more and smiled all day.

As soon as I arrived in my office, I, of course, started googling.  Wouldn't you know there are pages and pages devoted to water yoga.  I am working my way through all of the poses that I have little chance of doing on dry land....my water plank is picture perfect as of now.  I am working on several other poses that involve some serious leg lifts and balancing.  Even poses I can actually do on land are benefiting from additional work in the pool such as tree pose. 

To catch up, my April travel plan was only partially successful.  I returned to Mexico feeling better than I usually do because I abstained from most flour and sugar, but I failed miserably at exercising.  The semester ended on May 6 followed by catch up work, planning for the summer and fall and just taking care of things.  The good news is that I have joined a new yoga class that I like.  I am only going once a week now and will be unable to attend class during June because of the summer school session, but I look forward to returning to the class in July.  I am averaging 5 visits a week to the pool which is truly my lifesaver.  I had been my usual inconsistent self with food...until my handstand moment.  I have new energy.  A new commitment... 

9/13 Arghhhh.....

Mixed results in Fort Dodge.  Lovely dinner prepared by Donna and Andrea awaited my arrival followed by talking and, of course, Scrabble.  We did not go to bed until 2:00!  Sunday morning featured a visit by Aaron.  It was good to see him.  We had lunch at Sports Page followed by some serious shoe shopping.  No swimming.  No walking.  Sports Page could have been worse plus I did hit the Story City McDonalds both coming and going.  I drove back to Pella in hellacious rain and spent all day in meetings.  I am just now getting caught up with emails, etc. at 9:00.  Tomorrow is another full day.  I am ready to leave Pella.  My general condition:  Fair.

7/13 At the half way point

Hmmmm.....not sure how I am feeling except tired.  We have been kept running from meeting to meeting since arrival.  Everything from photo shoots to sessions about social media, student learning outcomes, yet more reorganization, finances, recruiting and budgeting.  I have been able to gather energy from former students who want to live their glory days in Merida which has been fun.  There is food everywhere. Everywhere. Everywhere.  On the continuum that ranges from bingeing to eating clean, yesterday fell more towards the binge end while the day before was definitely on the eating clean end.  Meditation is great.  Walking is great.  I am hoping to get in the pool at the Y in Fort Dodge this weekend and to get in some walks. 

5/13 Catching up

Unfortunately, the tulips are blooming in Pella yet.  Well, this is probably better for Tulip Time but sad for me.  Yes, it is all about me, me, me.  Let's see....I arrived in Iowa on Tuesday with no delays just ahead of the storms.  I was able to spend a delightful afternoon with my best girl, Barb, followed by a delicious dinner with Barb, Kent and Katelyn.  Yes, the Buckton Trifecta. 

I arrived in Pella at 7:30 on Wednesday morning and have not stopped yet.  Wednesday finally ended at about 10:30 PM.  Today started at 8:00.  I have about 15 free minutes before we are expected at the president's home for dinner.  If all goes well, we will be out by 7:30.  One can hope.

Having thought through a plan is making all the difference.  I am tired because of the long hours and the need to be "on" for hours without end and the lack of exercise but not because I am binging.

My gluten-free request saved me from a pasta dish at lunch yesterday.  Dinner was tilapia.  Not one pastry has passed these lips.  The president is gluten free so I am expecting a decent meal.  Exercise has not been fabulous....to and from campus, some on-campus walking but not much.  Meditation is on track, too.

All for now.

2/13 On the Erie Canal

Today was a great day.  I started early with a 45-minute work out in the hotel pool followed by a breakfast of eggs and toast.  Finding St. John Fisher College was easy...a nice drive through a residential area that included cross the Erie Canal.  Although the trees are still bare, all of the signs say that spring is ready to burst forth.  The SJF campus is gorgeous...well-thought out with a master plan for open spaces, the same brick work throughout and friendly people.  My visits with faculty and staff were productive.  I am hoping to see a student or two next year.  I ate a delicious lunch in the cafeteria with the several Spanish professors.  Food and conversations were excellent and uplifting.  This was probably the best cafeteria I have experienced. 

I had stashed my walking clothes so I then changed into them and took a 3-mile canal walk.  For some reason, I find the Erie Canal fascinating.  Part of the fascination is definitely experiencing something historical come to life as well as being a tourist in my own country.  There were numerous historical markers along with great explanations of how the locks work/worked. 

I was then able to knock off my Target list as well as a stop at the MAC counter in Macys to buy new lip shades and eye pencils.  I would like to boast that I stuck to my list, but the reality is that I didn't see any clothes that I had to have.  Maybe in Des Moines...

1/13 Travel Day

I am writing this from Rochester.  Flights and connections went perfectly.  I meditated on the Houston-Merida leg.  Walked for an hour in Newark(!) while waiting for my connection to Rochester.  I walked for another hour upon arrival in Rochester because it was still light out...cool but a wonderful change for me.

Food today:  Toast with cottage cheese when I got up at 3:30, cheese, crackers and an apple around 7:30, tomato juice on two flights, a cold pesto pasta salad with grapes tomatoes in Newark, and now I am having a green salad, a small flank steak and a baked sweet potato. 

My first meeting is at 10:00 at St. John Fisher College...only about 20 minutes from my hotel.  I will be finished by about 2:30 at the latest.  I am in Rochester another night before leaving for Des Moines via Chicago on Tuesday morning at 8:00.  Shopping, anyone?

35/36 Review

Much like this arch, my living clean experience has been somewhat precarious. 

I was most consistent with meditation and least consistent with yoga.  I was better with exercise than with food. 

I was consistent with another goal I had set for myself....the use of the Olay "Cheap Clarisonic Clone" facial brush.  I have used it consistently once a day for the past 35 days.  Do I see a change?  Yes.  I think my lips and the space between my top lip and nose look fuller, less wrinkled.  I tended to use it in the morning, but there were times I used it only at night, and there were a few days I used it twice a day when my face felt extra sweaty and dirty.  At times I used only water and other times I used my Clinique cleanser.  A small tube of an Olay cleansing product came with the brush, but I found it to be too perfumed for my use. 

I feel confident that daily meditation is now a normal part of my routine as is the facial cleansing routine.  My goals going forward are to be more proactive with exercise and food by making exercise a daily priority no matter what.  I will put a daily session right in my planner just as I do all of my other appointments.  I will plan meals, shop accordingly and prepare ahead.  I am going to look for a twice weekly yoga class and do stretches at home or in the office when I feel the need. 

I am looking forward to my time in the US and am pleased with the steps I have taken to make wellness my priority. 

33/36 Three more days

Reporting got away from me since my last check in from Chiapas.  Clean eating upon reaching Merida also got away from me which was disheartening because I did so well while traveling.  I ate only what I planned to eat.  For the most part, I packed food and ate only when we had group meals included as a part of the trip. 

What did not get away was meditation and exercise.  I walked every day and did yoga stretches as well.  I have been to the pool since I returned.

I leave for the US on Sunday and am admittedly nervous as I had hoped to feel cleaner and stronger.  The schedule set forth by Central seems a little top-heavy with receptions, organized lunches and dinners.  Days begin at 8:00 and often run to 9:00 at night because of the aforementioned receptions. 

I have made some advance arrangements to take care of myself while traveling including a refrigerator in my hotel room in Pella and a swimming pool in the hotel in Rochester, NY.  Andrea has suggested swimming at the Y in Fort Dodge the weekend I am there.  Apparently the Y has open swim on Saturday and Sunday.  Big thumbs up for the FD Y!  I have asked Andrea to keep food things simple in FD...no turnovers, no candy, no cinnamon rolls, no eating out. 

I will have walking clothes and shoes when I can walk specifically for exercise and will also walk as much as I can while in Pella...to and from the hotel, criss-crossing campus.  We have asked for healthy snacks during our meetings, and I will make a grocery run prior to arriving in Pella.  Top of my list is Fage yogurt!  I may ask for a vegetarian option which usually means loaded with cheese in Pella.  Hmmmm....maybe gluten free would be the better option.  Flour is not my friend.  When there is time to slip away, I will slip away. 

Checking in will definitely help.  Just writing this and seeing what I have already put into place has also helped me to feel more confident going forward.  Plus I have Friday and Saturday to get in a few more days of clean living. 

Spring weather will also help.  It was already 80 degrees here at 6:00 this morning.

Any other suggestions? 

PS:  After posting this, I set up 13 posts to help track my progress while away, and I also contacted the catering office on campus to request gluten-free meals for those meals that will be under the catering office's control...an estimated 5!  I also confirmed the fresh fruit coffee break option.  Some meals will be eaten in the cafeteria which should actually be the least of my problems given the wide range of choices.  It is those already plated meals that are difficult.  Feeling stronger already.

27/36 Another wonderful day

This is our day of rest, to stay in one place with no planned activities.  Every longer trip needs on. I have walked, meditated, ate a delicious breakfast. How do you spell "freedom?"

26/36 On the road

The trip has gone well. We have had new experiences which is what i want for students...and for myself. I was thinking this morning about the difference between being a traveler and a tourist. I truly believe the travelers outnumber the tourists
In this group.  As for this traveler, i am on plan.

25/36 Good times ahead

Even though only two students are opting out of our trip to Chiapas, just the fact I offered an alternative made a huge difference in my mood.  I listened to myself and took action rather than continued to be angry about students' attitudes....I think that is why my mood and thus the tone of my post was so different.  Lesson learned. 

Today has been a busy day with continuing language assistant presentations to students and a meeting at the US consulate with the US ambassador to Mexico.  A group of 10 ex-pats who are active in the community were invited to meet with the ambassador.  Four of the ten have Central College connections...one was a language assistant, two are graduates who married Yucatecans and me.  The ambassador directed the consul general to get a story posted on the Dept of State face book site about the history of Central College and its community involvement.  The consul general and I made an appointment to meet at the end of April for photos and information.  I so hope this happens!

Food, exercise and meditation are all checked for today.  I am actually going to a yoga class tonight.  We hit the road tomorrow; I have done some posting prep work.  Now if we have Internet service, we will be in luck.

24/36 Yoga!

I woke up this morning with a burning desire for.....yoga!  Yes, yoga.  I hit the mat and felt great.  More flexible, more stamina, more strength to hold poses, more willingness. 

Oprah and Deepak rounded out  my early morning routine with their meditation followed by another carrot juice, papaya and banana smoothie.  One bun and peanut butter.  I just ate the last of my spinach/carrot/beans/chicken mixture topped with some cheese. 

For the first time ever, yesterday I offered students the opportunity to opt out of this week's five-day trip to Chiapas which is always a highlight because of the change of geography, weather, and activities, but it is a very long trip with lots of travel time and curving, winding roads filled with speed bumps.  There is a group of about 8 who just have no sense of adventure and are whining about how tired they are of Mayan ruins and travel.  In one of my more enlightened moments, I realized I can give them the overview of the trip, photos from previous trips and an explanation of why this trip is a part of the semester, and then they can choose.  They will get a food stipend, but hotel and transportation costs have already been paid so no refunds.  They have until 5:00 today to decide.  Rumor has it the ones I least want to travel with are not going.  I am counting the hours until 5:00. 

23/36 I need to remain cautious and aware

Basically, I need to stay humble.  Meditation went well today as did the walk.  No yoga.  Food was mixed and include birthday cake and ice cream along with a morning drink of carrot juice, starwberries and papaya.  Toast with pb.  rice, spinach, beans, chicken and cheese.  Vegetable soup.  The aforementioned cake and ice cream.  More soup.  I am still at work because I need to pick up my student from the airport at 9:30 tonight.  I know I am concerned about the dynamics of her re-entry. 

22/36 On a roll

I am on a roll which is why I chose this photo of rocks balanced on what appears to be a round rock.  Plus the photo was the perfect size.

Sunday (Day 22) was crazy.  I was up at 3:00 am to take yet another student who needed a break to the airport.  I met three students at 6:00 am to help them make their way to their 10k which turned out to be big fun.  I worked for awhile and then hit the pool for an hour.

Food, exercise, meditation and YOGA!

21/36: My days are screwed up but my plan is not

I think I have totally screwed up my days which may be why Ilona so gently asked me whether I schedule blog time each day or just squeeze it in when I can.  Based on my numbering and reporting, I am obviously doing this on the fly.  

No matter what day this is, I am doing well.  Food, meditation and exercise are being checked off daily.  Yoga remains sketchy.

For the record:  I am writing this on Saturday, March 23, Day 21 of my clean living plan.

17/36 Still better

The good news:  No desserts today!  Lots of meditation.  Lots of deep breathing between meditation sessions.  Excellent food:  Green drink of orange juice, parsley, celery and spinach, toast with pb and banana, blueberries with mango (an uplifting taste and color combo), chicken mole, baked potato, scrambled eggs with beans and spinach.  I am averaging 5 hours of sleep followed by an hour or so of wakefulness followed by another hour or two of sleep depending upon what time I go to bed.  I take heart because I am sleeping until 3:00 or 3:30 where I had been waking up at 1:30-2:00 so five hours of sleep at a stretch is a huge improvement.

The not-so-good news:  No yoga.  I am not giving up on yoga.  No exercise.  Time slipped away from me which is something I fight AND PLAN against. 

Day 18 (today) was supposed to start with the spring equinox celebration at a nearby Mayan archaeological site, but the clouds stayed put.  The sun did not make its expected appearance.  Students, of course, are holding me personally responsible for the fact the phenomena didn't happen after dragging them to the site at 5:00 in the morning.  I am not taking it personally although I did decide to make our longer trip to Chiapas next week optional  We will see what happens.

16/36 Better

I like bigger photos....will have to work on this, too.  Yesterday was a much, much better day as all of my days have been better since last week. 

I am now officially addicted to Oprah and Deepak.  I can access the meditations via my phone and have them playing almost all day. 

I did 12 minutes of yoga, an hour walk and an hour of water aerobics. 

My food was truly the best that it has been since last week's collapse:  green drink of spinach, celery and apple, a snack of crackers, cheese and celery, a big salad of chicken, lentils, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots and onions, lunch with a friend that included a salad with a variety of greens, walnuts, cheese, tomatoes, oil and vinegar plus minestrone soup.  We split an apple dessert with vanilla ice cream.  Finally I ended the day with a slice of toast with pb and a mango.

16/36 Nearly normal

Meditation - with Oprah and Deepak several times during the course of the day
Exercise - walked an hour
Food - green drink, banana, kiwi, apple, cheese, chicken, fish, lettuce, cucumbers, veggie soup, salsa, 1 scoop of chocolate ice cream
Yoga - maybe
Lots of liquids - tea, water and yes, the ever-present Diet Coke

Much more positive energy today.  I taught my one class of the week.  We have two field trips this week...one to celebrate the spring equinox and another to the refreshing cenotes.  Both short trips.  Both positive.

15/36 Feeling better and worse

 

I met individually with the seven students who were a part of the all-inclusive spring break group.  All I can say is that it is a miracle nothing else happened.  Lots more details were revealed...none of them positive.  I had to google a few things like "body shots" and was then sorry that I did. 

My day was mixed....horrible on the food side, good for exercise and meditation. 

Thank goodness tomorrow is truly another day.

14/36 Catching up

My student returned to the US last night to spend some time with her family before returning to Merida to finish out the semester.  We  finished the all the legal work; the attacker is in jail. 

All students are slowly returning from their spring break vacations.  Classes resume Monday with only seven weeks remaining in the semester. 

I am exhausted, but I went to water aerobics this morning and have also meditated daily....sometimes twice a day.  Exercise has been  non-existent, and food intake has varied from day-to-day.  One night I threw away the liter of chocolate ice cream I purchased at a convenience store on my way back to my hotel.  I did, however, order only hot tea and chocolate ice cream for dinner before I fell into bed.  I stayed completely away from flour but gave in to sugar.  I also feel as if I have been mainlining diet sodas. 

Even two weeks of clean living was incredibly helpful. 

11/36 A nightmare of a day

 

One of my students was attacked at the all-inclusive resort near Playa del Carmen where they were staying for spring break this week.  I was dressed, in the car and on the highway within 10 minutes of getting the call at 5:00 this morning.  The student is fine, but the ordeal will continue at least another day as we deal with the police.

 

Wasn't it just yesterday that I posted about how easy it has been to take care of myself during this calm time?  Ha.  I am happy to say that I have been able to take care of myself today in the middle of the worst crisis I have had to date in this job...or maybe ever.  Of course, I have wanted to eat all day.  I have had two peanut butter sandwiches, two bananas, grapes, peanuts, guacamole, beans, fish tacos and vegetable soup.

 

I have done my meditation and am heading to my hotel room to do some yoga in hopes of getting a good night's sleep.  No ice cream.  No sugar at all.  Perhaps there really is hope.

10/36 Making progress

 

I am halfway through Day 10.  I feel so much better.  I am more focused, productive and calm.  I have to admit that Oprah and Deepak are onto to something good, something I cannot ignore.  Along with being serendipitous, the synchronicity is almost scary....and then there is the trendiness, but, hey, it is so rare to see "Valerie" and "trendy" in the same sentence that I think I can live with a little trendiness. 

 

This morning I figured out why I am struggling with yoga: getting down on the floor and then getting up again is no fun.  What surprised me was that just admitting how uncomfortable and difficult it is to do this made all the difference, and I did fifteen minutes anyway.  That is 15 more minutes than I did yesterday.

 

Of course, my inner critic keeps telling me this honeymoon stage will end soon when students return from spring break, as I am faced with several long field trips, as the end-of-the-semester workload increased, as I get closer and closer to leaving for the US.  My inner supported keeps telling me to take things one day at a time yet plan ahead, too.

 

Food so far today:  Carrot juice with celery and papaya

                                Post-pool sandwich with spinach, avocado and cheese

                                Beans, rice, cheese, pico de gallo, avocado, 2 tostada shells

 

Exercise:  laps for 20 minutes and 60 minute water aerobics class

                 15 minutes of yoga

 

Meditation:  Put my faith in Oprah and Deepak today and was not disappointed.  Looking forward to tomorrow's session.

9/36 Serendipity

 

 

Oprah is and always will be my girl.  So when Oprah offers a 21-day meditation challenge with the theme of "obtaining perfect health" I am there with her and for her. Plus the serendipity-ness of the challenge did send a wave of energy up and down my spine.  I have to admit I did my own meditation first this morning just in case I didn't like what Oprah and her spiritual leader, Deepak Chopra, had to offer.  In fact, I was more than pleased and look forward to the next 20 days with them.  

 

Food so far this morning is also positive.  Carrot juice with papaya and banana, toast, pb.  I will come back to this post later with more food and exercise reports.

 

Back again after doing some work for my employer....sort of.  Mainly I met with the carpenter to get a quote for a desk I like:

 

 

 It should be ready in two weeks which means it will be about a month, but that is fine with me.  In the meantime, I continue to weed through files, shelves and books.

 

Having a carpenter at one's beck and call is one of the advantages of life here.  I thought the same thing yesterday when I made a quick stop at the juice guy's shop to watch him whip up a batch of fresh carrot juice for me...one liter cost 80 cents US.  Nice.



 



8/36 Wow.

Wow.  Sunday was yet another good day attributable to following my plan of exercise, meditation, yoga and clean eating.  I had more energy which resulted in preparing food for the week, ironing and doing some jewelry work.  The day passed in peace.  I meditated, did yoga and walked in the morning.  I also did laundry, cleaned my car and ironed...a form of meditation!  I felt good going into the week.

Food:  toast, banana, tangerine, beets and panela, carrot juice with cucumbers and celery, chicken with mango couscous, beans, tomatoes, avocado, cheese and tostada crackers.  Excellent veggie and fruit intake...colorful, crunchy and satisfying. 

7/36 Moving forward

 

I need to work on how to post when I am not at work.  Well, I can post, but I can't access my rocks which is what I love most about posting.  Saturday, Day 7, went well.  Activities included yoga, laps and water aerobics, ate well and meditated.  Most importantly, I did not go to the office. 

Food:  green drink, eggs, black beans, toast, cheese, spinach, sushi, papaya, banana, soymilk, tostada crackers with pb, chicken, rice and beets.  Hmmm...a little short on veggies.

Attitude:  Good.  I took toast with cheese and spinach to eat after swimming which made a huge difference.