Happy New Year

We made it through the year. It's been a tough year! This year has been the most challenging year I've had in my teaching career. The stress and anxiety in the students are leading to behaviors in the classroom. The teachers are stressed and anxious because we all feel like not knowing with Covid makes planning very hard. The memories of 2020 lesson planning and having it all wiped out only to find out we are going online and then back again weeks later. Daily Calm and daily dog walks have helped the stress and anxiety immensely. I even created and taught a workshop for teachers with resources on how to stress free their days while students are in the classroom. Just promoting self care is not enough. Teaching tools and giving resources for stress and anxiety managment for teachers and students is needed. 

My father passed away the week I went back to school. Cancer hit him hard and took him quick. We found out he had brain cancer in January. It turns out the cancer had moved from the lungs into the brain with no symptoms or signs. Headaches, blurred vision and limp limbs on one side of his body led him to the doctors office. The cancer was aggressive. The radiation did not help, made him feel sick and took away his appetite. His memories went quick. My sister vistited often to spend time with him before he passed. I was able to spend time with him as well. He leaned over one day during our visit and asked if I remember riding my bike down the hill in Punkin Center. I said, "Yes!" He said, "You crashed every time and then walked your bike back up the hill to do it again." "You're very stubborn!" I am very stubborn dad. I always have been. He asked if we had a good life and I smiled and tearfully answered , "Yes." The next moment he had slipped back into sitting quietly and watching a western on the TV. I still cry thinking about that moment we were able to have together. Family came together for a beautiful viewing. He was cremated and the boys and I spread his ashes at the cabin and Roosevelt Lake where he loved to fish. NOW is the time to spend with your family. Don't leave it to tomorrow. Tomorrow might never come. My father and I did not always have a great relationship growing up but when he called me at Amazon and told me he had Cancer I was relieved that I had forgiven him and had has this time with him for me and for my boys. My boys got to spend time with their grandfather for that I am grateful. 

In 2020 with the Covid shut down, home became everything, it was home and work. I learned that I was at a place in my life where I loved being home. Home was no longer a place that I felt as if I was walking on eggshells every moment and avoided being there as much as possible when my ex-husband was home. I learned my new husband and I could co-exist working and still spending time together in the evening. I have had indoor gardens (aquaponics and hydroponics) for a while. I grow lettuce, mico radishes, wheat grass, etc. I wanted an outdoor garden. I was at home and had time now. I researched and talked to garden shop workers. I started the garden and still enjoy the time out in the garden watering and pulling weeds. In 2021 the garden extended from just the backyard to take over the front yard planters and three new trees for the yard. I taught yoga at Agave Farms and was blessed with a discount on trees. We have a baby naval orange, a Meyer Lemon and a fig tree now. My garden is a blessing! It teaches me patience and trust. It's a fun experiment and that I don't have any expectations of what will happen. It's wonderful to just see what happens. Today, my garden gave me one beautiful red strawberry. I have six strawberry plants growing in different places that I've taken care of daily. Learning to not have expectations is a wonderful gift. Life becomes It is What It is! 

The world opened a little more in 2021 and Mykel, my husband got a passport. We decided to celebrate our birthdays (my bday and his clean date) in Puerto Penasco, MX. It's a short road trip that many take including myself in the past. Mykel wanted to go and change his memories of Mexico. We had a great time at a beautiful beachside resort. After a long weekend coming back was not as pleasant. We got stuck in the hotel elevator for over an hour, sat in hours of line to cross the border and got pulled over by the Policia and harrassed for the American Dollar. We enjoyed our time but at this point don't feel the need to go back. We both love new adventures and new places so for our Anniversary and Christmas we went to Hawaii. It has been on my to do list forever and I had put in on my vision board to manifest for the year. We were a little worried with all the Covid restrictions but we uploaded our documents and were prepared for check points. My husband had a long time friend he was excited to visit. He's now a captain of a cateraman boat so we went for a sunset sail with him. It was magic seeing him and Mykel talk recovery. Both of their lives had changed so much for the better all by making a choice. We also got to see some friends of mine I haven't seen in years. One I taught with at Rover and one that we went to Roller Derby bouts together. It's always fun to catch up with friends. I learned some friends it doesn't matter how long since you've seen them. You spend time together and it's just like old times. 

I have not been in a yoga studio since my studio, Bikram Yoga East Valley, closed due to Covid in 2020. Today, I took a big step. I took my first floating meditation sound healing workshop at Healing Space Yoga in Peoria. It was a beautiful studio that shared space with a physical therapy office. I walked in and all the silks were hanging ready to cocoon me in deep meditation for an hour. The metal drum healing as it played. The instructor ended the workshop with personal massages from under the hanging silk. The less tense you were the easier the backbend. It was amazing. I have now been back into the studio and I had a healing session while doing it. I learned I don't always need to push myself. Sometimes I need to be gentle with myself. Give myself time. Time to heal. 

2021 is now in the books. My book contains more meditations for less stress and anxiety. It contains a lot of knowledge about gardening and the freedom that comes when you have no expectations. The "It is What It is" way of thinking is FREEDOM!  My book contains a reminder that the time is NOW. Tomorrow may not come. It contains more fun adventures and more already booked for 2022. My book contains a reflection of far I've come. My home life is peaceful. Peace that Mykel and I have created and neither one of us will let go of. My book will also remind me not to be so hard on myself. That's it okay to be gentle and give myself time to heal. I look forward to this years 2022 book, a new vision board and reflecting on the old ones, checking off what has already manifested. 

Today is the first blank page of a 365 day book. Write a good one!

Be the Peace, Be the Love, Be the Light! Namaste!