Sunday in the park

I made a resolution to go on a short excursion at least once every couple of weeks. Today, we decided to go on a hike. Because I have a lot of reading to do (don’t know if I’ll get to it tonight after all), we decided to go on the Sammamish River Trail. It was a beautiful day outside and the route—which was really more of a walk than a hike—wound alongside the river with acres of green farmland as a backdrop. The dogs had a great deal of fun running after one another.

We stopped at the Chateau St. Michelle Winery and tasted a few really good wines. I found the selection better than the wines I've had previously at the Columbia Crest Winery when I took the dinner train there. To my surprise, my favorite today was actually a white wine--Cold Creek Chardonnay. It was nutty, rich, and full of flavor.

We also stopped to check out a little restaurant called the Herbfarm. Even from a distance, it smelled incredible. We took a short tour of the restaurant, which offers nine-course themed meals where each course is paired with a different wine. This month the restaurant’s theme is truffles.

I would love to have dinner at this place, especially in one of its special rooms (pictured above) that seats people European style, with different parties sharing one large table. The Herbfarm is rated as one of the top 40 restaurants in the country and is beautiful. Unfortunately, it’s a bit too pricy--even for a special occasion--at $220 per person. I’m still glad we stopped by. Maybe one day...

We walked back right before the sun set, my favorite time of day. I think it was a little too much for Luna, who is still recovering from her surgeries (in addition to getting fixed, she recently had surgery for a hernia). Both of the dogs are sound asleep now...

The walk was exactly 5.5 miles and perfect for a Sunday afternoon. However, I think the trail is more ideal for a leisurely bike ride.

Housetraining and other fun

It’s fun to have a puppy again. Luna is so full of love. And she snuggles with me. She also gravitates more towards me than to B., which I hate to admit secretly makes me happy. I guess we have some strong gender alliances. Koya--B., Luna--me. Maybe it's largely biological, like girls bonding more with their mothers and boys with their fathers.

I just wish she’d stop peeing in the house! It’s been four times in less than 24 hours. She’s a smart girl though, so I’m hoping she’ll learn quickly. She had to go outside today for almost an hour and cried like crazy. She doesn't like being out of our sight for very long. (Even when we were running, she could not stand it if B. and Koya were more than a few feet ahead of the two of us).

I was reading about Boxers and came across a few questions to determine if the breed would be a good fit for the family. Among them:

Do you mind a 60 pound lap dog?
Boxers are very affectionate and need constant interaction from thier families. If you prefer a dog that is independent and often goes off on its own to play, you are looking in the wrong place. A Boxer will follow you from room to room and can not stand it when he/she is not by your side.

So far, this seems to be true. :)

Day 2. She's already a star!

We took Koya and Luna for an afternoon run to Myrtle Edwards Park. It was beautiful running along the water by Elliot Bay. We ran around 3.5 miles to the new Olympic Sculpture Park and back.

While there, a photographer saw the four of us walking through one of the larger sculptures (to the right) and started snapping a bunch of pictures. He stopped us and got all of our names and a little information about what we were doing at the park. Who knows, maybe our new little family will be in the paper (Seattle P.I.) in the next few days.

Luna

Today was a great day. It was beautiful outside and I had a really good feeling when we decided to go to the pound. First, I looked at the Petfinder.com Web site and the first dog I saw was this sweet Collie Boxer mix called Luna. B. and I looked at four different dogs, Luna being the first one. She was also in the first kennel that we saw.

It came down to her and a Border Collie who was very well-behaved, albeit a little indifferent to both of us. We decided to first have Koya meet the second dog, named Teegan. She was indifferent to Koya, too, who just wanted to play. Not a good sign. It’s not that she would be a problem, but Koya really needs a playmate.

When the volunteer brought out Luna for a dog introduction, it was obvious who would be best for Koya. They absolutely loved each other.
Needless to say, we came home with a baby girl. She’s a bit puppyish, as she’s only six months old, but she’s the perfect fit. I’m so glad we waited until we found her.

Healthy Balance

So, I’ve put on a few pounds over the last few months. I weighed myself rather reluctantly this morning, a bit worried about what I would find. What’s funny is that the number on the scale had less importance to me than it has in the past. Yes, it was higher than ideal--AND I know it’s just a number.

In the last few days, I’ve been able to go running more and it feels great to get back into it, to start to have a routine. I so need that for my mental clarity, for my happiness.

Yesterday, I went for a run with B., did an hour or so of yoga, and then went for another loop around Seward Park in the evening with Zia. Come to think of it, aside from having coffee and a green tea latte when I was studying, everything I did yesterday was healthy. Everything I ate was nutritious and fresh, not processed. I spent some time writing and a lot of time reading. I felt balanced. I felt optimistic, even with the long stretch ahead of me. If I could multiply how I felt, now that would be much greater than any number on a scale could be.

I’m getting addicted to the endorphins, again. I have new motivation to create a schedule and stick to it. I had intended on taking another beginning Kung Fu series at Seven Star Women's Kung Fu. Sadly, the series (which I've already done once and am not required to take again) is already half over and there will not be another one until March. :( I’ll just have to get over feeling intimidated, because I’ve been away from it for a while and have forgotten many of the forms.

I'm going to start going to all-level classes in Feb. and I can’t wait! (Remind me that I said that the first time I have to spar with a black belt!)

To laugh a lot

"What is success in this world? I would say it consists of four simple things--to live a lot, to love a lot, to laugh a lot, and from it all, to learn a lot." ~Richard J. Needham

I hope that this will also be my measure of success throughout the coming year and in completing the program at LIOS. If I can strive for all of these things (strive maybe is not the right word, because I am doing these things now--perhaps it would be more appropriate to say when present to these things), then I am successful.

Not that there won't be times that challenge this idea. Hopefully, I will be able to reframe my experience by reflecting on these values. Did I laugh a lot? Did I love a lot? Really, did I learn? If learning and experiencing are the ultimate goals, then really where can you go wrong?

I'll end with something that came up during module and then in a book I read yesterday. "Reach for the next best thought. The next right step. You may not be able to see the end goal clearly, but if you keep choosing the next right step, you will get there eventually."

Crush on You

I bought a CD as a treat for myself at the end of module and I’m really enjoying it. I’m sure with a title like “Crush on You” it’s right in time for Valentine’s Day marketing.

Even with that though, it’s fun, playful, and relaxing.

I had a moment of saying 'yes' to the world

Because Koya took off after B. and there was no stopping him, I had a beautiful run by myself this morning. Afterwards, while I was waiting for the two of them, I sat on the swings, looking at the water and wondered about all of the things that I learned this weekend.

To my surprise the Epistemology course was one of my favorite parts of the curriculum. How do we come to know what we know? For me, one of the more compelling parts was exploring all that we know, that we are mentally unaware of--what we don't know that we know. Other important questions came out of this segment as well.

How much am I committed to allowing my intuition? At what price does accepting this gift come? Why might it be worth it anyway?

Koa James

A few weeks ago, after Steph and Tomo had chosen Koa for their baby’s first name, they were still unsure about having a middle name. Was having a middle name too commonplace? Too expected? I thought about it for awhile and then suggested James. It had a nice sound to it.

Steph confessed that she had been thinking about James, too. After spending the evening with her, she asked me whether I thought it strange that she had been thinking about the same name. (That’s mild compared to the coincidences that happen to me on a daily basis these days). I just laughed to myself with this thought in mind and said, “No, I don’t think it’s strange at all, because it’s the perfect name for him—and, that’s how the universe works. I think it's the right name for him--but it's just a suggestion."

I got an e-mail announcement today that Steph sent out to friends and family that included the little guy’s full name.

In case you haven't heard . . . Stephanie and Tomo are proud to announce the birth of their son, Koa James..., born on December 7, 2006 at 5:24 pm.

I hope that when I have doubts about how things will turn out, in any area of my life, I can remember this. Things work out the way they are supposed to. We experience events in our lives that are orchestrated for our perfect learning. Nothing happens by chance. When I’ve been stressed lately, I’ve wanted to spend time with Koa. It’s not that I’m feeling maternal or anxiously wanting to have a child. It’s just that Koa has a very calming presence. And, let's face it, the little guy has a great name.

You went where yesterday?

We’ve been wanting to go skiing for a while, especially with all of the snow. Yesterday we had intended on making a day of it. However, it was close to noon before we were ready to leave and I still needed to go to REI to rent skis. We thought we would run out of time before it got dark. So, we decided to go hiking instead!

Believe it or not, there are some trails that supposedly stay open all-year round near Seattle. We found a great hike in a book I borrowed a while ago from Sunniva called Best Hikes with Dogs in Western Washington. Ironically, when we got to the trail head at Twin Falls, we realized we had been there before. It was the first “real” hike we ever went on together. I say real, because the first hike was actually a trip to the summit at Tiger Mountain. There were many switchbacks and it was so crowded that it didn’t feel the same as being out in the open. From a review of Tiger Mountain, I found others feel the same way:

"Tiger Mountain is certainly a very popular hiking trail. The main reason has to be its proximity to Seattle. Make no mistake, when you do this hike you are hiking with friends, strangers, dogs, gray doves, children, you name it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing if you like these kind of hikes. I probably saw over 200 people and maybe more than 300."

On the way to Twin Falls, I was having a caffeine fit (can you say addiction, anyone?) and decided to stop at Tully’s a) to avoid Starbucks and b) because I remembered it was where Blaise and I went on our first date before going to Seward Park for a walk. It seems so long ago now, but really we are just approaching our two-year anniversary. :)

Anyway, back to the hike. It was tremendous fun. It felt so good to get out of the city. And although there was a fair amount of ice and snow on the trails (and a few trees that had fallen from the wind), we were able to make it up o.k. (I did fall once after slipping on the ice, but that was just for humor.) Foolishly, we did not bring our water bottles with us, because technically the trail was closed for an emergency because of washouts and we didn't think that we would be able to go very far.

Even without our gear, we were having so much fun that we decided to hike to the top and then for a bit along the Iron Horse Trail, which continues across the state along old railroad tracks. To quench our thirst, we ate snow and ice along the way.

The waterfalls were amazing, yet the best part was taking Koya with us. He had so much fun. Even running through the snow-covered forest to retrieve sticks and down steep cliffs, he seemed like he was in his natural habitat. When the weather gets a little nicer, I want to try to go hiking or on small trips like this one at least every couple of weeks.

Time for a snowwoman

It was tough getting home last night. Lisa and I were out when it started coming down hard. Luckily we both made it home safely.

When B. finally got home (the buses were all running late due to the snow), we went outside to play.

Koya was ecstatic; he kept rolling in the snow and fighting the falling snow with his paws. I love him to death AND he's a huge dork sometimes (as the video clip below will show).

In the spirit of political correctness and feminism, we made a snowwoman. When I saw a picture of B. kissing her, I wondered if I should be jealous.

Afterall, he could eat her nose.

A book for each person

"There is not one big cosmic meaning for all, there is only the meaning we each give to our life,an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person." ~Anais Nin

Ready or not

I have my first client on Friday. I have to admit I’m a little nervous, but I’m also excited. Someone at the practice is leaving to go on maternity leave and asked me to take over working with a family she has worked with for a long time. It felt good that even if I don’t fully feel ready, that somebody else thinks I am.

A new day

So I did not begin 2007 the exact way I intended, with a long run in the park and feeling joy and anticipation for what’s to come. I drank a lot on New Year’s Eve. A lot, a lot. And yesterday I felt horrible. I still managed to make black-eyed peas for good luck and then spent a quiet night reading—not anything for school (which I feel a little guilty about), but a book that I last read in college for my first course in fiction writing called Writing Down the Bones.

There are many great passages, which I hope to share later. Natalie Goldberg suggests that you approach writing the same way she believes you approach life—with complete honesty and acceptance of each moment, however it comes to you.

Today two of my dear friends commented that they were surprised that I have been drinking more recently. Considering the alcoholism that runs in my family and my deep commitment to not recreating the past, it’s something I want to look at. It’s touching to me, too, that my friends know that there must be some reason, as it’s not really in my character. So, in this moment, that’s what I am trying for—honesty and acceptance for both myself and others.

I asked B. the other day as a joke, “Are you happy to be alive today?” It’s a simple question, and just thinking about it makes me realize that, yes, I’m very happy to be alive today. I have great hopes for the coming year—for my own growth, for the deepening of my relationship, for learning to trust, and for extending love to those around me.