Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Best Laugh
Gwen Bell - Big Love in a Small World - Blog - The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge: "Laugh. What was your biggest belly laugh of the year?"
I spend my day around high school students. Sometimes they drag me into the gutter. Sometimes I drag them into the gutter.
I was explaining the word "perfunctory" and how you do something perfunctorily when you do it everyday.
So this kid raises his hand and says, "So you know that thing I do in the shower every morning? I do that perfunctorily?"
I nodded and thought I would be able to keep my cool and move on, but it took about three seconds before I was laughing so hard tears rolled down my face. I tried to hide behind the podium and get myself together, but I was laughing too hard.
The class got quiet. Then a couple people started to snicker. Then more started to snicker. Then the boy who asked the question started to guffaw.
We laughed for quite some time.
Then someone said, "Mrs. Macy, we would NOT have gone there if you hadn't gone there."
It was clear this kid meant shampoo his hair, but we had a good gutter laugh about it for weeks.
I love my job.
I spend my day around high school students. Sometimes they drag me into the gutter. Sometimes I drag them into the gutter.
I was explaining the word "perfunctory" and how you do something perfunctorily when you do it everyday.
So this kid raises his hand and says, "So you know that thing I do in the shower every morning? I do that perfunctorily?"
I nodded and thought I would be able to keep my cool and move on, but it took about three seconds before I was laughing so hard tears rolled down my face. I tried to hide behind the podium and get myself together, but I was laughing too hard.
The class got quiet. Then a couple people started to snicker. Then more started to snicker. Then the boy who asked the question started to guffaw.
We laughed for quite some time.
Then someone said, "Mrs. Macy, we would NOT have gone there if you hadn't gone there."
It was clear this kid meant shampoo his hair, but we had a good gutter laugh about it for weeks.
I love my job.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Join Me: Low Impact Month of January
Americans are consumers. Just look at the rhetoric that surrounds the current economic crisis. We have the opportunity to reevalute as a society what our values are and to restructure our economic system so that it is more responsible (environmentally and socially) as well as more sustainable (because let's face it, an ever-increasing cycle of production-and-consumption has to crash at some point). But instead, we're concerned with how much people are spending.
However, we can each make a difference individually by our consumption habits, which is why I am inviting anyone and everyone to join me in a month of responsible consumption for January 2010. This doesn't have to be huge: it's as much about making yourself more aware of your spending as it is about anything concrete. So join me. I'd love the company.
I'm hoping to go big here - or maybe more aptly labeled "go really small" - but that isn't necessary for you. You can make a difference in your consumption patterns and your awareness just by working on one element of you consumption for a month.
You could commit to any or all of the following:
Got any other ideas? Let me know about them.
However, we can each make a difference individually by our consumption habits, which is why I am inviting anyone and everyone to join me in a month of responsible consumption for January 2010. This doesn't have to be huge: it's as much about making yourself more aware of your spending as it is about anything concrete. So join me. I'd love the company.
I'm hoping to go big here - or maybe more aptly labeled "go really small" - but that isn't necessary for you. You can make a difference in your consumption patterns and your awareness just by working on one element of you consumption for a month.
You could commit to any or all of the following:
- Not buying anything besides basic groceries
- Bringing your own bag to the grocery store
- Bringing your own reusable cup to your favorite coffee shop
- Recycling more - not just cans and bottles - recycle those items you don't use anymore by taking them to FISH (or other local charities) or joining Freecycle.
- Along those same lines, recycle electronic goods. Computers can go to Computer Corps.
- Carpooling/biking/walking as much as possible
- Buying only shade-grown, fair-trade coffee beans
- Turning off lights when not in a room
- Turning off your computer when it's not in use
- Unplugging electrical items and/or cords when not actually using them
- Buy only used items
- Choose products that are more responsible - less packaging, American made (less energy in shipping with strong labor laws) - or made by conscientious companies as suggested by Responsible Companies.Com
- Not buying fast food
- Using cloth napkins
- Put a stop to your junk mail
- Buy only from eco-friendly co-ops like this one
- Volunteer in a community clean-up activity
- Volunteer for a local organization that promotes environmentally or socially responsible behavior, such as Muscle Powered; a local charity, such as Advocates to End Domestic Violence; or a national organization, such as Grassroots Recycling Network. (I'll talk more about this later, but much of our consumption habits come from shopping being a hobby. Finding other, more meaningful activites to engage us promotes more responsible consumption.)
- Buy organic whenever possible
- Eating vegetarian a couple times a week
- Buy from local artisans, especially for gifts
- Get others involved. Kids love projects, so consider getting a child to commit to one of the above with you and make it a fun family project.
Got any other ideas? Let me know about them.
Best Stationery of 2009
I think for this prompt from Gwen Bell, I am choosing something I made. I love to make my own cards and send them to people. I think my favorite was this owl card, which I made from found objects - a leaf, a twig and some cardboard.
I also enjoyed making this card for my cousin's wedding.Sending notes in cards I made makes it feel more personal. The owl card, for example, was for my friend Kathy's birthday. She is very environmentally aware, so I thought it was appropriate. The wedding card was for a person who is very feminine, and the colors were similar to the colors of her wedding invitation.
P.S. Thank you to Gwen Bell for spelling stationery correctly. Stationery/Stationary are vocab words on my students' usage list. Many don't even know what stationery is. They've never heard of nice paper you write letters on. They're certainly the digital generation.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Social Web Moment . . . ?
Gwen Bell asks what the best social web moment of 2009 was.
As a teacher, I don't have any time at work to spend time on the Internet, and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to because of our filters. (Fortunately, we're supposed to be getting filters that will allow our high school to have its own settings: high school students don't need the same filters as first graders do. My students can often not get to information about the war in Iraq because it gets filtered out as graphic. Nevertheless, I won't be able to engage in social networking sites from work, which is a good thing because that's just the kind of thing that can eat up my entire day.)
At home, I get some time on the Internet, but with two kids, I don't have a lot. I already spend too much time doing the few things I do, so I try to avoid getting wrapped up in a lot of social interacting online. I do use Facebook and was part of a Flikr 365 group until I bailed in April. But it wasn't like I made great friends from that group. I joined a couple scrapbooking groups, but didn't spend enough time online to develop relationships, and on one, I couldn't stand the immediate flame-warring I saw.
So since I do not have a best for this category, I thought I would post some of my favorite pictures from this holiday season.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Best Gift of 2009
Gwen Bell asks the following question for today's prompt: What's a gift you gave yourself this year that has kept on giving?
I could be repetitive here and say it was the happiness and peace of mind that my focus on practice brought about, but I don't like repetition nor do I see the point of repetition in blogland.
This question can be taken figuratively or literally, of course. Maybe the best gift was letting go or maybe it was a new coffee pot.
I am going to take this prompt more literally and talk about two things I spent money on that were for me. The first, which rings in at less than five dollars, is this coffee cup. It sounds silly, I know, but there's something about drinking coffee out of a mug that is both pretty and that also happens to fit nicely into your freakishly small hands. It's a gift that I appreciate every morning when I take that first sip of steaming hot coffee.
The second was a retreat, but not a meditation retreat. On my weekend birthday, three of my four best girlfriends and I attended a scrapbooking retreat at Saint Mary's retreat center in Virginia City. This was a special gift for me for a number of reasons: I got to spend quiet time with my close friends, I met some cool people, I got a lot of scrapbooking done, and I discovered the very cool place that is Saint Mary's. I scampered back to Dharma Zephyr to tell them about this place, since we just recently lost our gorgeous retreat center. They were already onto the site, which means we're going to have at least a couple retreats there in 2010. It's such a cool, old place, complete with ghost stories and creaking hallways, and it's surrounded by rolling fields of brush, which makes it incredibly quiet and relaxing.
My goal for 2010 is to do a residential retreat, but if none work out for me, I just may rent a room at Saint Mary's for a weekend and do my own, personal meditation retreat.
I could be repetitive here and say it was the happiness and peace of mind that my focus on practice brought about, but I don't like repetition nor do I see the point of repetition in blogland.
This question can be taken figuratively or literally, of course. Maybe the best gift was letting go or maybe it was a new coffee pot.
I am going to take this prompt more literally and talk about two things I spent money on that were for me. The first, which rings in at less than five dollars, is this coffee cup. It sounds silly, I know, but there's something about drinking coffee out of a mug that is both pretty and that also happens to fit nicely into your freakishly small hands. It's a gift that I appreciate every morning when I take that first sip of steaming hot coffee.My goal for 2010 is to do a residential retreat, but if none work out for me, I just may rent a room at Saint Mary's for a weekend and do my own, personal meditation retreat.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
And One More Disclaimer (aka Getting Real)
All of my reflections on the best of 2009 makes me feel a little fake, like The Cosby Show, where no one has any problems that can't be solved in a half-hour with commercials and a good, ole down-to-earth chit chat with dad that always ends with a sweet, funny one-liner.
Despite all my chatter about peace and happiness, I still have a terrible problem with taking things personally. Like when my friends give away the spices I made them for Christmas or when my husband rolls his eyes in delight at my friend's Christmas candy, but won't even bother to break open the spices I ground and mixed and bottled. Like when my friend shows up a half hour late to use my shower at o-dark thirty in the morning without acknowledging the tardiness of the arrival or the fact that I got up at 5:30 on a Saturday to sit and wait for her to show up. Like when my brother and his wife don't show or call or mention the invitation to my child's birthday party. Like when my friend tells my daughter that "it's okay if she doesn't believe in God, but she should respect other people's beliefs," as if my daughter is some kind of freak who needs to respect but not be respected. Like . . . well, I need to quit this because my blood pressure is rising, and it's just not healthy, and I'm starting to see my life as more of a Roseanne episode than a Cosby episode.
Yup. Maybe for 2010, the goal ought to be to learn to not take things personally, cuz I got issues with that. I mean, I'm hauling this crap around like I'm Santa and it's my bag-o-goodies, only the goodies are for me and they aren't so good after all.
Despite all my chatter about peace and happiness, I still have a terrible problem with taking things personally. Like when my friends give away the spices I made them for Christmas or when my husband rolls his eyes in delight at my friend's Christmas candy, but won't even bother to break open the spices I ground and mixed and bottled. Like when my friend shows up a half hour late to use my shower at o-dark thirty in the morning without acknowledging the tardiness of the arrival or the fact that I got up at 5:30 on a Saturday to sit and wait for her to show up. Like when my brother and his wife don't show or call or mention the invitation to my child's birthday party. Like when my friend tells my daughter that "it's okay if she doesn't believe in God, but she should respect other people's beliefs," as if my daughter is some kind of freak who needs to respect but not be respected. Like . . . well, I need to quit this because my blood pressure is rising, and it's just not healthy, and I'm starting to see my life as more of a Roseanne episode than a Cosby episode.
Yup. Maybe for 2010, the goal ought to be to learn to not take things personally, cuz I got issues with that. I mean, I'm hauling this crap around like I'm Santa and it's my bag-o-goodies, only the goodies are for me and they aren't so good after all.
For What It's Worth
All my jabbering about peace and happiness . . . . When I say, "I still have work to do," I mean it. Tonight I lost my temper with my son. On Christmas Eve. I didn't hurt him -- don't get me wrong -- but I did lose my temper. He wasn't behaving well, but let's face it: I'm the mom. I certainly do have a long way to go.
Learning Exp
Gwen Bell - Big Love in a Small World - Blog - The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge: "December 24 Learning experience. What was a lesson you learned this year that changed you?"
I have learned a lot about happiness this year, about moving on and letting go, about handling anger, about coaching the mind to be happy even when all you're doing is sitting on a cushion.
One concept stands out, however. I discovered the concept of neural plasticity. It's a scientific concept that has far reaching implications in everyday lives. I have blogged about it before, but it's the idea that although the physical structure and makeup of the brain affect our thoughts, as it turns out, our thoughts can affect the physical structure and makeup of the brain.
Now, you might be thinking that this is a concept, not a real lesson, but it was the Rick Hanson retreat where I learned the applicable lesson. Hanson had us meditate on something that made us happy and to focus on that happiness. The effect was euphoria. Really. True euphoria. It didn't last long for me, but at that moment, it was like a new world cracked open to me and new possibilities were born.
At that moment, it became very clear to me just how powerful the idea of neural plasticity can be.
If there was one thing I would shout from the tops of buildings, it would be, "People! You do not have to be a victim to your biological makeup . . . well, neurologically speaking, anyway." Ok. Maybe the tops of buildings isn't the most effective form of relaying this message, but I want every American to be exposed to this concept. We are a culture of anitdepressants. I have no qualms with people taking antidepressants. This is more about a cultural pattern than an individual struggling with depression. But we need to know that there are things we can do to affect the way our brains function. Powerfully affect the way our brains function. And if we keep at it, momentum comes into play, and that positive force forms more positive energy.
Although I have experienced some very stressful situations this year, I have been happier than I have ever been for many reasons, but largely because I opened myself up to the possibility of true happiness and the idea of myself being that true source of happiness.
It rocked my world.
I feel one other lesson must be addressed. Last spring, when *things* were happening at work and I was experiencing a great deal of anger, I listened to one of Gil Fronsdal's podcasts on anger. Fronsdale works at both the San Francisco Zen Center and Spirit Rock Meditation Center. I don't remember if it was from Audio Dharma or Zencast, but I do remember him saying that paradoxically, the best time to work with anger is when you're not angry. So that is what I did. Once the situation dissipated, I spent three months working with anger - paying attention to it, looking into its causes, and practicing with skillful methods of dealing with it. I still have work to do, but I grew a lot during that three months.
So thank you to Rick Hanson, Gil Fronsdal, and the Buddha for these lessons, which will undoubtedly resonate in 2010.
I have learned a lot about happiness this year, about moving on and letting go, about handling anger, about coaching the mind to be happy even when all you're doing is sitting on a cushion.
One concept stands out, however. I discovered the concept of neural plasticity. It's a scientific concept that has far reaching implications in everyday lives. I have blogged about it before, but it's the idea that although the physical structure and makeup of the brain affect our thoughts, as it turns out, our thoughts can affect the physical structure and makeup of the brain.
Now, you might be thinking that this is a concept, not a real lesson, but it was the Rick Hanson retreat where I learned the applicable lesson. Hanson had us meditate on something that made us happy and to focus on that happiness. The effect was euphoria. Really. True euphoria. It didn't last long for me, but at that moment, it was like a new world cracked open to me and new possibilities were born.
At that moment, it became very clear to me just how powerful the idea of neural plasticity can be.
If there was one thing I would shout from the tops of buildings, it would be, "People! You do not have to be a victim to your biological makeup . . . well, neurologically speaking, anyway." Ok. Maybe the tops of buildings isn't the most effective form of relaying this message, but I want every American to be exposed to this concept. We are a culture of anitdepressants. I have no qualms with people taking antidepressants. This is more about a cultural pattern than an individual struggling with depression. But we need to know that there are things we can do to affect the way our brains function. Powerfully affect the way our brains function. And if we keep at it, momentum comes into play, and that positive force forms more positive energy.
Although I have experienced some very stressful situations this year, I have been happier than I have ever been for many reasons, but largely because I opened myself up to the possibility of true happiness and the idea of myself being that true source of happiness.
It rocked my world.
I feel one other lesson must be addressed. Last spring, when *things* were happening at work and I was experiencing a great deal of anger, I listened to one of Gil Fronsdal's podcasts on anger. Fronsdale works at both the San Francisco Zen Center and Spirit Rock Meditation Center. I don't remember if it was from Audio Dharma or Zencast, but I do remember him saying that paradoxically, the best time to work with anger is when you're not angry. So that is what I did. Once the situation dissipated, I spent three months working with anger - paying attention to it, looking into its causes, and practicing with skillful methods of dealing with it. I still have work to do, but I grew a lot during that three months.
So thank you to Rick Hanson, Gil Fronsdal, and the Buddha for these lessons, which will undoubtedly resonate in 2010.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Best of 2009: Web Tool (huh?) and New Food
Gwen Bell asks what my favorite Web tool from 2009 is: "It came into your work flow this year and now you couldn't live without it. It has simplified or improved your online experience."
Ok. This one shows my ignorance because I'm not even sure what she means by this. (I'm laughing right now.) I'll excuse this ignorance by saying that because of the nature of teaching, I don't spend most of my time on the Internet.
But I did get a new computer, and although this doesn't really count as a web tool, I'm going to say that the new OS is pretty fun and will count as my new "web tool." I like how it handles open windows, and I like the gadgets I can put on my desktop.
I'm definitely going to have to check Gwen Bell's web page and see what other people write for this one.
For the catch-up entry, I will answer her question about favorite new food. Although Vietnamese food isn't new to me, Pho Country is new to Carson, and we love it. I love the freshness and lightness of Vietnamese food complete with fresh basil and cilantro and tastey broths. And oh! The spring rolls. Plus, this restaurant is surprising affordable - $6 for a basic pho dish. Compared to the other pho restaurant, this one has lots of choices - three pages of options. I get something different every time, which is another reason I'm throwing Pho Country into the favorite new food category, even though it's a restaurant, not a food. Sunday, I got the stir-fried tofu. It's fried in a chili pepper sauce that is yummy - I only wish it were little spicier.
Ok. This one shows my ignorance because I'm not even sure what she means by this. (I'm laughing right now.) I'll excuse this ignorance by saying that because of the nature of teaching, I don't spend most of my time on the Internet.
But I did get a new computer, and although this doesn't really count as a web tool, I'm going to say that the new OS is pretty fun and will count as my new "web tool." I like how it handles open windows, and I like the gadgets I can put on my desktop.
I'm definitely going to have to check Gwen Bell's web page and see what other people write for this one.
For the catch-up entry, I will answer her question about favorite new food. Although Vietnamese food isn't new to me, Pho Country is new to Carson, and we love it. I love the freshness and lightness of Vietnamese food complete with fresh basil and cilantro and tastey broths. And oh! The spring rolls. Plus, this restaurant is surprising affordable - $6 for a basic pho dish. Compared to the other pho restaurant, this one has lots of choices - three pages of options. I get something different every time, which is another reason I'm throwing Pho Country into the favorite new food category, even though it's a restaurant, not a food. Sunday, I got the stir-fried tofu. It's fried in a chili pepper sauce that is yummy - I only wish it were little spicier.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Best Album and Location
Gwen Bell - Big Love in a Small World - Blog - The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge: "December 10 Album of the year. What's rocking your world?"
Well, I'm procrastinating a meditation here, so I think I'll spend some time catching up on the blog challenge. I like mellow, middle-aged lady music. *Sigh* Complete digression here, but one of my students who graduated last year called me and my friends "middle aged." Love ya, girl, but that as fun as running out of hot water when you still have to rinse the conditioner from your hair. But, my best album most certainly verifies her label: I love Priscilla Ahn's album A Good Day. Digression #2: The truth is that iTunes has kind of put a damper on my album loving because it's so easy to buy just a song or two. But with this album, iTunes helped out by recommending it, and I took a crazy (crazy-for-middle-aged-lady crazy) leap and purchased the whole damn album and loved it. The album is one of those I can listen to while I am online, sewing, walking, doing dishes, whatever. It rocks. It rocks softly, but it rocks.
To continue with catch-up, Gwen Bell asks what the best place of 2009 was. This isn't particular to this year. My bedroom has always been my favorite location, regardless of age or living situations. I love that I don't have to buy an overpriced ticket to the Bahamas to get away. My cozy bed and a closed door handles all that for me. As a kid, I would escape from the world by crossing into my bedroom, which held any universe, any world I felt apt for the moment. My bedroom could be a castle, Xanadu, a dance floor, or a pool complete with friendly dolphins. As I got older, my room usually transformed into a place of music - a concert hall, a recording studio. I had these killer headphones that I would turn on way too loud, which is probably why this middle-aged lady doesn't hear too well out of one ear. (All the better to ignore you with, my dear.)
If I HAD to pick a favorite place particular to this year, it would be Mill's Park because I spent countless hours there with my kids, often riding the little train, which is my favorite summer activity.
So there! Two past challenges down. Now, what else can I do to avoid the cushion?
Well, I'm procrastinating a meditation here, so I think I'll spend some time catching up on the blog challenge. I like mellow, middle-aged lady music. *Sigh* Complete digression here, but one of my students who graduated last year called me and my friends "middle aged." Love ya, girl, but that as fun as running out of hot water when you still have to rinse the conditioner from your hair. But, my best album most certainly verifies her label: I love Priscilla Ahn's album A Good Day. Digression #2: The truth is that iTunes has kind of put a damper on my album loving because it's so easy to buy just a song or two. But with this album, iTunes helped out by recommending it, and I took a crazy (crazy-for-middle-aged-lady crazy) leap and purchased the whole damn album and loved it. The album is one of those I can listen to while I am online, sewing, walking, doing dishes, whatever. It rocks. It rocks softly, but it rocks.
To continue with catch-up, Gwen Bell asks what the best place of 2009 was. This isn't particular to this year. My bedroom has always been my favorite location, regardless of age or living situations. I love that I don't have to buy an overpriced ticket to the Bahamas to get away. My cozy bed and a closed door handles all that for me. As a kid, I would escape from the world by crossing into my bedroom, which held any universe, any world I felt apt for the moment. My bedroom could be a castle, Xanadu, a dance floor, or a pool complete with friendly dolphins. As I got older, my room usually transformed into a place of music - a concert hall, a recording studio. I had these killer headphones that I would turn on way too loud, which is probably why this middle-aged lady doesn't hear too well out of one ear. (All the better to ignore you with, my dear.)
If I HAD to pick a favorite place particular to this year, it would be Mill's Park because I spent countless hours there with my kids, often riding the little train, which is my favorite summer activity.
So there! Two past challenges down. Now, what else can I do to avoid the cushion?
Best of 2009: Startup, Moment of Peace, and Challenge
Gwen Bell - Big Love in a Small World - Blog - The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge: "What's a business that you found this year that you love? Who thought it up? What makes it special?"
Can't say I can think of anything. Not one. I have stores I love. My favorite being County Purr Farm, my local scrapbooking store, where I have spent hours with my closest girl friends creating and talking. I also love The Purple Avacado, although I can count on one hand how many times I crossed the purple threshold in 2009. I will always enjoy spending time at my local JoAnne's and the local Mill End even if the past two years have seen a drastic decrease in my time at the sewing machine. There's something about walking down aisles of fabric, creating in my head all sorts of projects - a skirt from purple jersey for me, blue and white PJs for my son, a lady bug dress for my daughter. I get to sew even if the products never materialize. As weird as it may seem, I love my neighborhood Walgreen's - I print my beloved photos there, and you can get great college-ruled, purse-sized notebooks for a dollar! I still love New York and Company for clothes that actually fit me and Gap Body for the most comfie undies known to womankind.
None of these count, however, because they are not new to me. So I'm tapping out of this one.
For my catch-up entry, Ms. Bell asks about a moment of peace. This year is a good one for me. I would say I reached a deeper state of concentration than I have before and that I have reached levels of peace more profoundly than I have before, but it seems that writing about them is impossible without making it sound trite and cliche. Let me just say that my three-month focus on practice, my retreats, and Focused and Fearless really helped me progress in my practice.
My best challenge is easy, but what I just wrote had to be deleted because it would not be professional of me to post about it in a public setting. I'll sum it up to say budget cuts suck, and sometimes being the person representing others can be incredibly stressful - knowing that if you blow it, you're blowing it for thirty people, not just yourself, adds to the stress immensely. It was a challenge in managing anger, in leading, in communicating, and in dealing with disagreement. We lost. But I grew a lot in the process.
Can't say I can think of anything. Not one. I have stores I love. My favorite being County Purr Farm, my local scrapbooking store, where I have spent hours with my closest girl friends creating and talking. I also love The Purple Avacado, although I can count on one hand how many times I crossed the purple threshold in 2009. I will always enjoy spending time at my local JoAnne's and the local Mill End even if the past two years have seen a drastic decrease in my time at the sewing machine. There's something about walking down aisles of fabric, creating in my head all sorts of projects - a skirt from purple jersey for me, blue and white PJs for my son, a lady bug dress for my daughter. I get to sew even if the products never materialize. As weird as it may seem, I love my neighborhood Walgreen's - I print my beloved photos there, and you can get great college-ruled, purse-sized notebooks for a dollar! I still love New York and Company for clothes that actually fit me and Gap Body for the most comfie undies known to womankind.
None of these count, however, because they are not new to me. So I'm tapping out of this one.
For my catch-up entry, Ms. Bell asks about a moment of peace. This year is a good one for me. I would say I reached a deeper state of concentration than I have before and that I have reached levels of peace more profoundly than I have before, but it seems that writing about them is impossible without making it sound trite and cliche. Let me just say that my three-month focus on practice, my retreats, and Focused and Fearless really helped me progress in my practice.
My best challenge is easy, but what I just wrote had to be deleted because it would not be professional of me to post about it in a public setting. I'll sum it up to say budget cuts suck, and sometimes being the person representing others can be incredibly stressful - knowing that if you blow it, you're blowing it for thirty people, not just yourself, adds to the stress immensely. It was a challenge in managing anger, in leading, in communicating, and in dealing with disagreement. We lost. But I grew a lot in the process.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Best Blog Find of 2009
I am catching up on the Best of 2009 blog prompts.
In some sort of voyeuristic way, I like to read blogs, but the truth is that it's too easy to spend countless hours reading about someone else's life rather than living my own. So in general, I avoid them.
Then I found this blog: Creative Therapy. It's a blog where they post a weekly challenge to create art about a personal topic. It's largely for scrapbookers, but there are all kinds of mixed media artists who participate.
The blog serves more than one purpose for me. To begin with, it feeds into that voyeuristic side of me, that part of me that likes to see what people are watching on TV when I drive past their homes, the part of me that likes to browse through random people's Flikr postings and imagine what each person must be like and what her life must be like, that part of me that likes to listen to conversations around me - in restaurants, in lines, in stores while they're on cell phones. On Creative Therapy, I can read about one woman's anger toward her mother-in-law and another's desire to learn to fly. I totally dig that kind of thing.
I also get to see great and different kinds of mixed media art, which intrigues me. I'm a scrapbooker, but I can appreciate the work I see on this web page. They highlight a different artist every week, too, which means I get to find new sources of inspiration for my crafts, which is always fun.
I also like the idea that scrapbooking doesn't always have to be about events (birthdays, holidays and recitals) and that they don't always have to be about the happy elements of life (how great my kids are, how cute they are, how I love my dogs). I scrapbook about my kids for my kids (and for me), but I have recently started a Book of Me so that my kids can one day know me as a person, not just as their mom. These challenges give me ideas to include in that album. And it won't always be pretty and happy.
But I also like the prompts they give, which get me thinking about myself in ways I sometimes haven't thought about myself. Like what is something I want to do before my next birthday, for example. I haven't actually created a page off these prompts, yet, but I plan to for my book of me album.
In some sort of voyeuristic way, I like to read blogs, but the truth is that it's too easy to spend countless hours reading about someone else's life rather than living my own. So in general, I avoid them.
Then I found this blog: Creative Therapy. It's a blog where they post a weekly challenge to create art about a personal topic. It's largely for scrapbookers, but there are all kinds of mixed media artists who participate.
The blog serves more than one purpose for me. To begin with, it feeds into that voyeuristic side of me, that part of me that likes to see what people are watching on TV when I drive past their homes, the part of me that likes to browse through random people's Flikr postings and imagine what each person must be like and what her life must be like, that part of me that likes to listen to conversations around me - in restaurants, in lines, in stores while they're on cell phones. On Creative Therapy, I can read about one woman's anger toward her mother-in-law and another's desire to learn to fly. I totally dig that kind of thing.
I also get to see great and different kinds of mixed media art, which intrigues me. I'm a scrapbooker, but I can appreciate the work I see on this web page. They highlight a different artist every week, too, which means I get to find new sources of inspiration for my crafts, which is always fun.
I also like the idea that scrapbooking doesn't always have to be about events (birthdays, holidays and recitals) and that they don't always have to be about the happy elements of life (how great my kids are, how cute they are, how I love my dogs). I scrapbook about my kids for my kids (and for me), but I have recently started a Book of Me so that my kids can one day know me as a person, not just as their mom. These challenges give me ideas to include in that album. And it won't always be pretty and happy.
But I also like the prompts they give, which get me thinking about myself in ways I sometimes haven't thought about myself. Like what is something I want to do before my next birthday, for example. I haven't actually created a page off these prompts, yet, but I plan to for my book of me album.
Best of: Recap and Project
I have been following Gwen Bell's Best of 2009 blog challenge for December. I have covered quite a bit. Before I move on to today's blog, I want to clarify something. The blog on Focused and Fearless basically counts for best book, while its author counts as best new person, and the associated retreat counts as best workshop. For a book I wasn't that thrilled about reading, it made a huge impact on me and my practice.
Today's topic is "project." What did you start this year that you're proud of.
It took some time to ponder this one. For quite some time, I could think of nothing. My projects aren't huge; they are, nevertheless, projects about which I feel some pride. The first is the organization of my crafting space, which I blogged about this summer on my other blog. It's so much easier to work in that environment now, and the space invites creative play.
I did start organizing my files and desk area, but that -- sadly -- never really materialized past the purchased labeler and some nicely labeled files. I need more follow-through there.
The other project that I am feeling pretty good about has to do with the senior project. I am working toward making the project more technologically friendly. The senior project is, after all, supposed to prepare students for the "real world," and truthfully what could better prepare them for this current world than technology? So I took all our forms and made them Adobe forms.
However, the one project I am most anticipating is the new digitial portfolio we're going to be piloting. To prevent as many glitches as possible, I made a template that students will be able to work out of. It's in Word, but you then publish it as a web page so that the links work fluidly. Someone can scroll down, page by page, or click on links from the table of contents and then back again. I'm crossing my fingers that it plays out well and that we don't have tons of judges without portfolios to view for whatever reason. But I think it's worth the effort and time it has taken me.
Today's topic is "project." What did you start this year that you're proud of.
It took some time to ponder this one. For quite some time, I could think of nothing. My projects aren't huge; they are, nevertheless, projects about which I feel some pride. The first is the organization of my crafting space, which I blogged about this summer on my other blog. It's so much easier to work in that environment now, and the space invites creative play.
I did start organizing my files and desk area, but that -- sadly -- never really materialized past the purchased labeler and some nicely labeled files. I need more follow-through there.
The other project that I am feeling pretty good about has to do with the senior project. I am working toward making the project more technologically friendly. The senior project is, after all, supposed to prepare students for the "real world," and truthfully what could better prepare them for this current world than technology? So I took all our forms and made them Adobe forms.
However, the one project I am most anticipating is the new digitial portfolio we're going to be piloting. To prevent as many glitches as possible, I made a template that students will be able to work out of. It's in Word, but you then publish it as a web page so that the links work fluidly. Someone can scroll down, page by page, or click on links from the table of contents and then back again. I'm crossing my fingers that it plays out well and that we don't have tons of judges without portfolios to view for whatever reason. But I think it's worth the effort and time it has taken me.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Best of 2009: New Person and Best Book
This one is a hard one for me. I've met a lot of new people - I do every year as a teacher. I like a lot of them; in fact, I like a lot of them a lot. Lots of people from Dharma Zephyr have made an impact on me, but none of them are new. I've also gotten to know some people better who then kind of became new people to me because of the new impressions they made on me:
All of these people and more have made an impression on me, but I think the one person who most impacted me is someone I never got to really know personally: Shaila Chatherine, who wrote the book Focused and Fearless (the book that I have chosen as best book of 2009) and who taught one of the day-long retreats I attended.
I went into this book dragging my feet. I knew it was about the jhanas (euphoric states that arise from deep concentration), and so I expected that I would get little out of it. I may never in my life time reach a jhanic state and will certainly not do so any time in the near future. So when the sangha chose this book to read together, I thought it would likely not mean much to me.
But I was wrong. First of all, much of the book deals with elements that apply to all Buddhists and that must be well-developed in order to begin jhanic practice. Things like equanimity and concentration. In fact, Catherine's chapter on equanimity is the best I have ever read on the subject. I must have read it three times. So as it turns out, the book had quite a bit of application for me.
Plus, a new focus of meditation was opened to me. Before I had just tried to quiet my mind or I would sometimes do metta (loving kindness meditation). But after doing concentration practice, I learned how powerful concentration practice can be. With concentration comes quiet; with quiet comes peace; with peace comes happiness. I grew a lot in my practice as a result of Shaila Catherine's book and retreat.
So thank you to DZIMC for choosing this book and introducing me to this amazing person and thank you to Shaila Catherine for being such a knowledgeable person and for sharing that knowledge with us.
- Ben, a special ed teacher, and his wife. They're both incredibly dedicated to their professions, their politics, and their son.
- Corina, the person who will be our new SP Coordinator. She's uber organized and professional.
- Our superintendent. Underneath that stoic persona is a man who cares a lot.
- Kenley, the daughter of a couple friends of mine. She was born early in 2009. She's so adorable, unique, and cute that you can't help but adore her. She's a special needs baby who is the happiest baby I have EVER met.
- Jenny, Kenley's mom. I always saw her as a super business woman. After Kenley's birth, a new Jenny was revealed to me, one who is loving and adoring and yet a fierce advocate for her daughter. She has inspired me.
All of these people and more have made an impression on me, but I think the one person who most impacted me is someone I never got to really know personally: Shaila Chatherine, who wrote the book Focused and Fearless (the book that I have chosen as best book of 2009) and who taught one of the day-long retreats I attended.
I went into this book dragging my feet. I knew it was about the jhanas (euphoric states that arise from deep concentration), and so I expected that I would get little out of it. I may never in my life time reach a jhanic state and will certainly not do so any time in the near future. So when the sangha chose this book to read together, I thought it would likely not mean much to me.
But I was wrong. First of all, much of the book deals with elements that apply to all Buddhists and that must be well-developed in order to begin jhanic practice. Things like equanimity and concentration. In fact, Catherine's chapter on equanimity is the best I have ever read on the subject. I must have read it three times. So as it turns out, the book had quite a bit of application for me.
Plus, a new focus of meditation was opened to me. Before I had just tried to quiet my mind or I would sometimes do metta (loving kindness meditation). But after doing concentration practice, I learned how powerful concentration practice can be. With concentration comes quiet; with quiet comes peace; with peace comes happiness. I grew a lot in my practice as a result of Shaila Catherine's book and retreat.
So thank you to DZIMC for choosing this book and introducing me to this amazing person and thank you to Shaila Catherine for being such a knowledgeable person and for sharing that knowledge with us.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Best of 2009: Night Out
*YAWN*
That's not because of the topic suggested by Gwen Bell. It's because it's 7:00, and bedtime approaches. When you have a youngster in your house who gets up at 6:00 without fail, it's almost impossible to ever sleep in. Even when he decides to sleep in or he is at a grandma's house for the night or DH gets up with him, I'm up by 6:00, even earlier most of the time, wide awake unable to go back to sleep even if I desperately want to.
So nights out are rare for me because they usually require being out past a bedtime that allows for me to get some sleep. Still, I will occasionally venture out.
I have had a few fun nights out with the girls eating and drinking or eating and then catching a movie. The picture below was from a very fun night.
And tomorrow night will be another one of those nights. We don't often get wild. Sometimes we enjoy wine; other times we eat dinner and go window shopping. But just being with my girlfriends, enjoying their company, is a blast in and of itself.
However, I still think my best night was the one in which Jason and I went to La Strada and then saw Bill Maher. I knew we were going out to dinner, but my husband had tickets to Bill Maher purchased long in advance as a surprise. The dinner was great; the company even better. The kids had their first sleepover together, so we got to not worry about what time we got home or paying a babysitter. You can't beat that!
Best of 2009: Car Ride
Writer's block. . . .
Hmmmm . . . .
Best car ride?
Couldn't tell ya.
I think it's yet to come. I love driving around town with my kids looking at Christmas lights. We do this at least once per season, sipping hot cocoa as we drive, ooohing and aaahing as much as possible. When a toddler sits in your car and sees sparkling lights, the moment is magical. He squeals with delight and points and laughs. It brings joy to your heart that something so simple brings him such pleasure.
With the snow around town and the crazy end-of-the-semester schedule, we haven't fulfilled this holiday tradition yet, but I'm sure when we do, that night ride will be my best car ride of the year.
Hmmmm . . . .
Best car ride?
Couldn't tell ya.
I think it's yet to come. I love driving around town with my kids looking at Christmas lights. We do this at least once per season, sipping hot cocoa as we drive, ooohing and aaahing as much as possible. When a toddler sits in your car and sees sparkling lights, the moment is magical. He squeals with delight and points and laughs. It brings joy to your heart that something so simple brings him such pleasure.
With the snow around town and the crazy end-of-the-semester schedule, we haven't fulfilled this holiday tradition yet, but I'm sure when we do, that night ride will be my best car ride of the year.
Friday, December 18, 2009
2009 shopping
I am still following Gwenn Bell's Best of 2009 blog prompts. Today's is shopping - where did you spend most of your money? I hate to say it, even though I work very hard to nix the Starbucks habit during my low-impact months, I always end up working my way back to regular Starbucks lattes. It's not a daily habit, but it's pretty darn close.
My coffee addiction doesn't really bother me; however, not only is Starbucks a waste of money, but it's also a garbage-producing machine. Think about all those green and white (or red this time of year) cups that fill our landfills because of people like me.
Still, there's something very comforting about sitting at my desk at work or on the couch while I'm reading to my kids or at my computer desk while holding a nice, hot latte.
I read about this study where they told people they were coming in for a survey. At the elevator entrance, they had a girl standing with a clipboard who took their names and basic demographic information before they were to head upstairs to the actual study. Unbeknownst to the participants, the study was actually taking place there. For half the people, she held a hot drink and would ask them to hold it while she wrote down information. The other half were asked to hold her cold drink. Once upstairs, they were asked what they thought about the person at the elevator - was she friendly, warm, outgoing, etc.? Those who were asked to hold the hot cup were much more like to see her as a friendly, outgoing and caring person than those who held the cold cups thought she was.
That study resonated with me because I really feel more calm and in a weird way kind of safe when I hold a hot cup in my hands. It's as much about the experience as it is about the taste or the caffeine. That's why the travel mugs don't really cut it - because they insulate too well.
Lots of silly rationalization for my sloppy habit. That's what blogging is all about, right?
My coffee addiction doesn't really bother me; however, not only is Starbucks a waste of money, but it's also a garbage-producing machine. Think about all those green and white (or red this time of year) cups that fill our landfills because of people like me.
Still, there's something very comforting about sitting at my desk at work or on the couch while I'm reading to my kids or at my computer desk while holding a nice, hot latte.
I read about this study where they told people they were coming in for a survey. At the elevator entrance, they had a girl standing with a clipboard who took their names and basic demographic information before they were to head upstairs to the actual study. Unbeknownst to the participants, the study was actually taking place there. For half the people, she held a hot drink and would ask them to hold it while she wrote down information. The other half were asked to hold her cold drink. Once upstairs, they were asked what they thought about the person at the elevator - was she friendly, warm, outgoing, etc.? Those who were asked to hold the hot cup were much more like to see her as a friendly, outgoing and caring person than those who held the cold cups thought she was.
That study resonated with me because I really feel more calm and in a weird way kind of safe when I hold a hot cup in my hands. It's as much about the experience as it is about the taste or the caffeine. That's why the travel mugs don't really cut it - because they insulate too well.
Lots of silly rationalization for my sloppy habit. That's what blogging is all about, right?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
2009: Practice
The year 2009 was a year of practice for me for many different reasons. Last spring, I was tested and had to do my best to apply the Buddhist teachings in a somewhat confrontational setting. It was a challenge to apply compassion and right speech when I really just wanted to scream, cry, and . . . well, you know, throw a temper tantrum. I wasn't perfect, that's for sure. But I did handle some things more maturely than I normally would have, and I think I did have compassion for someone whom at the time I didn't want to feel anything by anger toward. It was an excellent couple months of the more practical form of "practice."
I did two low-impact months of no shopping, which is always an excellent form of awareness practice.
This summer, I followed through on a 90-day focus on practice during which I meditated every day, attended a day-long concentration retreat, read articles, listened to podcast dharma talks, read a dharma book, and tried to live by the ten grave precepts. I didn't feel like I was accomplishing much at the time, but in retrospect, my practice grew tremendously.
I also felt that in the summer, largely a result of my daily meditations, I was able to reach new levels of concentration. It was good because it spurred my interest more in the meditation or "practice" side of Buddhism, not just the daily life stuff. My meditations at two of the day-longs I attended were the quietest and most concentrated I have ever been.
I feel I am applying my practice more to daily life now; I'm seeing the fruits of my efforts. I am more equanimous in general - not getting as ruffled as quickly. Sure, I still have a long journey ahead of me, but the past year has been a year of flourishing practice for me.
In 2010 I hope to attend a residential retreat and to engage in another 90 days of a focus on practice. I also plan on doing two more low-impact months and attending as many day-long retreats as possible.
So here's to a great year of practice and hopefully a full 2010.
I did two low-impact months of no shopping, which is always an excellent form of awareness practice.
This summer, I followed through on a 90-day focus on practice during which I meditated every day, attended a day-long concentration retreat, read articles, listened to podcast dharma talks, read a dharma book, and tried to live by the ten grave precepts. I didn't feel like I was accomplishing much at the time, but in retrospect, my practice grew tremendously.
I also felt that in the summer, largely a result of my daily meditations, I was able to reach new levels of concentration. It was good because it spurred my interest more in the meditation or "practice" side of Buddhism, not just the daily life stuff. My meditations at two of the day-longs I attended were the quietest and most concentrated I have ever been.
I feel I am applying my practice more to daily life now; I'm seeing the fruits of my efforts. I am more equanimous in general - not getting as ruffled as quickly. Sure, I still have a long journey ahead of me, but the past year has been a year of flourishing practice for me.
In 2010 I hope to attend a residential retreat and to engage in another 90 days of a focus on practice. I also plan on doing two more low-impact months and attending as many day-long retreats as possible.
So here's to a great year of practice and hopefully a full 2010.
2009: Best Article
I am a reader. That's how I learn about the world, and writing is how I process what I learn about the world. Right now, I've been on this kick of reading about the plasticity of the brain. I just find it a really cool concept that has far-reaching implications for me personally but also culturally if we use this information properly. So I subscribe to Rick Hanson's Just One Thing newsletter. Recently, he wrote in an article called "Take in the Good" about the brain's negativity bias and how it relates to happiness. He explains that humans have a natural tendency to focus on the negative - it makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint, considering that in the wild you have to pay more attention to the thing that might kill you versus the thing that brings you pleasure. Hanson explains some techniques to circumvent the negativity bias - mostly he says to set time aside to focus on the positive.
All of this is interesting, but the article meant a lot more to me a week later. I had decided to give it to my seniors to read. These students are anything but readers, and I do my best to find non-fiction pieces I can give them to help prepare them for college and to expose them to new ideas. Much to my surprise, they loved the article. They asked to keep a copy of it. One student came in before school to thank me for sharing it with him.
I was pleasantly shocked. It was nice to know that I found a topic they felt pertained to them; in fact, it was nice to know they saw it as a topic that pertained to them.
So really, this one Rick Hanson article ended up being a connection between me and a group of non-readers. Maybe, with any luck, the article will increase their curiosity about the world.
All of this is interesting, but the article meant a lot more to me a week later. I had decided to give it to my seniors to read. These students are anything but readers, and I do my best to find non-fiction pieces I can give them to help prepare them for college and to expose them to new ideas. Much to my surprise, they loved the article. They asked to keep a copy of it. One student came in before school to thank me for sharing it with him.
I was pleasantly shocked. It was nice to know that I found a topic they felt pertained to them; in fact, it was nice to know they saw it as a topic that pertained to them.
So really, this one Rick Hanson article ended up being a connection between me and a group of non-readers. Maybe, with any luck, the article will increase their curiosity about the world.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Besties: Trip and Restaurant Experience
So I listen to this podcast called "Zen is Stupid," which you might think is odd for a Buddhist-type like me, but the title is misleading. The two gabbers, Gwen and Patrick, are Buddhist, although their podcasts are not always about Buddhism, per se.
I was intrigued by their most recent podcast in which Gwen explained her December blogger challenge of bests. For each day of the month, she posts a topic for which you can blog your best of. I will start with the first two topics: best trip and best restaurant moment.
I will sum up the trip in pictures, rather than a rambling bloggy message:
Quick digression: Can Blogger not figure out an easier way to post and move photos in a blogpost? Good Lord!
Now to my best restaurant experience: I'm sure all you parents out there get this, but most of my restaurant experiences involve crayons and/or play areas, which means I don't really get a lot of great meals out. I'm usually pretty excited when I can sneak a bite of my son's chicken nuggets without my husband seeing. But I was lucky enough to get two really tasty meals out: one at Z Bistro, a french bistro in town, and the other at La Strada, a famous Italian restaurant in Reno.
All I ordered at Z Bistro was borscht, but it was lovely to the eyes and to the taste buds. I also got to enjoy the company of my mom and my aunt Ilse.
My lamb at La Strada was heavenly. Pure heaven, I tell you. It didn't hurt that I had a great glass of wine to go with it and that the entire evening (dinner and the Bill Maher show) were a complete surpriseby my husband.
So, more to come later.
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