Monday, 31 March 2008 - Weather potpourri

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for weather potpourri.

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it it summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

The last day of March brings eclectic weather. No one is surprised. Only T is delighted.

As I work and write in my studio, I look up occasionally and peer out the window. There, I catch glimpses of Mother Nature's weather parade - like perfect potpourri, it offers a little bit of everything:

• Morning - very cold, heavy frost, light flurries.
• Early afternoon - warmer, sunnier, breezier.
• Late afternoon - quite blustery, cold, snowy (snow globe pretty).

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Sunday, 30 March 2008 - Natural medicine

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for natural medicine - inexpensive antidotes for broken hearts, uneasy minds and troubled souls.

When the wind blows
that is my medicine.
When it rains
that is my medicine.
When it hails
that is my medicine.
When it becomes clear after a rainstorm
that is my medicine.
~Anonymous

I add these to the list:

When the sun shines
that is my medicine.
When the snow falls
that is my medicine.
When the rocks sing
that is my medicine.
When the flowers bloom
that is my medicine.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Saturday, 29 March 2008 - Three things

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for three things.

1. UCLA ... the Bruins win the West Region in the NCAA Basketball Tournament, reaching the Final Four for the third consecutive year.

2. Earth Hour ... just before 8 PM (MDT), we turn out the lights and join the Earth Hour movement.

3. An outdoor afternoon: Nearly three hours of bouldering in Ute Valley Park (I am exhausted) followed by a one hour hike (T's reward for being so good while his parents played on the rocks). Why the intense activity? The weather, of course. A cold front will invade the region tomorrow for an extended stay.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Friday, 28 March 2008 - Good news

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for good news.

"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.
"So it is."
"And freezing."
"Is it?"
"Yes," said Eeyore.
"However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."
~A. A. Milne

Here's my Eeyore-esque scenario.

First, the bad news.

It snowed this morning, and it's freezing outside.

(Poor T. I want to delay his morning walk. In the same breath, I pray for a warmer afternoon and curse the wintry weather.)

Now, the good news.

No earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes or other "acts of God" reported in our region.

(I must always remember that things could be worse, much worse. I decide to brave the cold and take T for a short walk in the park. He's elated.)

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Thursday, 27 March 2008 - Stamina

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for stamina.

Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles. ~Alex Karras

S, T and I usually rest at least one day between climbing adventures. At our ages, we need time to recover. M, on the other hand, recovers very quickly - no surprise since he's 19 years old and a highly conditioned, NCAA Division 1 athlete.

When he returns after a rigorous morning workout at the Academy (drills, scrimmage, weights), M announces that he's ready to rock climb again. We discuss our options and decide to head to the Ute Valley Park bouldering area. There, we'll top rope a few climbs and workout on the overhangs. Then, if we haven't depleted our energy reserves, we'll play on the boulders.

I think I'll do all right. I'm not sore, just a bit tired from yesterday's sport climbs. I'll pace myself and stop before I burn out. I will have to climb smartly, leveraging both emotional and physical energies. Anyway, the weather service predicts snow for tomorrow so this will be out last chance to climb before M leaves (he's flying home Friday after practice).

Update: I end up having a very good climbing adventure. I repeat a climb that I've successfully completed only once. I also ascend the first half of a more difficult overhung route for the first time and make significant progress on the upper section. Now, I am really, really tired. Tomorrow will definitely be a rest day.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Wednesday, 26 March 2008 - Falls

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for falls.

Each forward step we take we leave some phantom of ourselves behind.
~John Lancaster Spalding

You can't fall off the floor. ~Author Unknown

Whenever you fall, pick something up. ~Oswald Avery

S, T and I finally have the chance to take M (our Air Force Academy cadet) to Red Rock Canyon where he rock climbs for the very first time. I am quite impressed with his performance. He does very well. In fact, M is a natural climber.

Over the years, I've met many people - mostly men - who are true natural athletes. They readily learn and master any sport they attempt. M is one of those gifted people.

I'm a little jealous, thinking about all the times my parents told me not to climb or attempt something because they were afraid I would fall or hurt myself. And, ever the obedient child, I complied.

"No. Get down from there before you fall."
"No. Don't climb up there because you'll fall."
"No. Don't try that because it's too dangerous. You'll get hurt."

My parent's words still haunt me whenever I try a new sport. Ah, the sting of bittersweet childhood memories. Sadly, I feel that my parents unfairly deprived me of valuable athletic experiences just because I was a girl. Or maybe they didn't understand the value of play, of falling down, of getting back up and trying again.

As an adult , I do whatever it takes to silence the parental no's. Especially with rock climbing where I joyously climb boulders and high rock walls and fall while learning a move or mastering a route. I actually fall a lot, especially while bouldering.

Falling. It's just part of the process. No matter the task. No matter the lesson.

I fall.
I pause, dismayed by the miss.
I slowly brush away the dust, lamenting my misstep, my mistake.
I examine the rock and mentally retrace the move I made.
I determine what I should have done to prevent the fall.
I try again.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Tuesday, 25 March 2008 - An attitude adjustment

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for an attitude adjustment.

There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.
~Marshall McLuhan, 1964

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
~Reinhold Niebuhr, excerpt from the original Serenity Prayer

It's business as usual on my tiny section of Spaceship Earth ... lots of passengers, too few crew members.

Previously, the glass shards and dozen empty beer bottles lying near the sidewalk would have disgusted me for two reasons: first, that people had the nerve to leave them there (idiots!) and second, that no one else had bothered to pick them up (lazy, apathetic neighbors!).

But, this year, I've changed my attitude about litter. Actually, I'm trying to apply the Serenity Prayer to more of life's unsavory situations. So, I gladly accept the responsibility of picking up trash no matter the source or location. It's a thankless job, but someone has to do it.

I tell T that we have to clean up the area before proceeding to the park. I pull from my pocket the extra grocery bag that I carry just for these occasions and carefully gather the bottles and broken glass. I set the bulging sack near the park entrance - it's too heavy to carry while we complete our laps. I'll pick it up when we leave.

When we arrive home, I'll simply dump the bottles in the glass recycling bin that sits in the garage. Now, wasn't that easy?

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Monday, 24 March 2008 - A real compliment

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for a real compliment.

M, our Air Force Academy cadet, is staying with us over spring break. Unfortunately for him (and fortunately for us), he has team practice and a conference game scheduled this week so he won't get a proper vacation. We're happy to have him. A young person always enlivens our household.

When M visits, my most important responsibility is to feed him. Fortunately, he is not a picky eater and readily consumes the various dishes I set before him. This evening he tells me that he really likes my apple cobbler. It's my own recipe, of course, inspired by others but bearing my distinct signature.

Then, M goes one step further. He confesses that he likes the apple cobbler so much that he sometimes dreams about it. I'm flattered. That has to be the finest compliment I've ever received about my cooking.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Sunday, 23 March 2008 - Easter irises

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for Easter irises.

No elegant lilies or showy blooms in my garden. This year, only three petite irises dare to show their bright yellow faces amid melting mounds of spring snow. Their appearance delights me. Happy Easter!

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Saturday, 22 March 2008 - Water

Dear God:

Today, World Water Day, I am thankful for the safe, clean water.

Filthy water cannot be washed. ~African proverb
We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller

Please forgive me for taking this vital, life giving resource for granted and for wasting precious gallons. Each time I turn on a faucet or flush the toilet or water my garden, remind me that over a billion people do not have ready access to a source of safe water, making me one of the most fortunate people on Earth. Arrest my carelessness when it comes to wasting water and other natural resources and embolden my actions so they mirror those of a steadfast and caring steward of the environment.

Water – the most basic element on earth. Without water, human life doesn’t exist. And without safe water, neither does good health. For most of us, it’s a short walk to the faucet in the kitchen, or bottled water in the refrigerator. But for more than a billion people – about one in six people on earth – getting safe water each day is no easy task. Women and children around the world walk 200 million hours every day for water – water that often comes from a polluted source.

The effects of unclean water are devastating. Every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-borne disease, the leading cause of death and illness in the world. Lack of access to safe water leads to a perpetual cycle of disease, death and lost productivity.

March 22, has been designated World Water Day – an international day of observance and action to draw attention to the plight of those without access to safe drinking water.

~source: http://www.water.org/WorldWaterDay

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Friday, 21 March 2008 - March Madness

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for March Madness.

The invention of basketball was not an accident. It was developed to meet a need. Those boys simply would not play "Drop the Handkerchief." ~James Naismith

After a long, roller coaster ride regular season, March Madness finally descends upon college basketball fans including S, T and me.

"Already?" I ask, glancing at the calendar.

If he can help it, S doesn't want to miss a minute of the early rounds while I'm only interested in the fate of my alma mater, UCLA. He says that many "experts" predict a UCLA trip to the Final Four and overall victory. Even Senator Barack Obama's bracket shows UCLA in the championship game. Senator Obama, predicts, however, that the Bruins will lose to North Carolina. (That's okay. I'm still 100% behind his candidacy.)

It's a long march to the Final Four. And, as in any journey worth taking, we'll get there one step, one game at a time.

Go Bruins!

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Thursday, 20 March 2008 - Spring climbing

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for spring climbing.

Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.
~Lewis Grizzard, Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You

Spring cleaning chores beg relentlessly for my undivided attention. Today, however, spring climbing wins the battle between work and play. I vow to do twice as much cleaning tomorrow, weather permitting of course.

S, T and I head to Red Rock Canyon to celebrate spring. It's sunny and warm but very windy. As we hike into the canyon, we decide to climb the west wall named, The Whale - we'll be higher up, out of the wind, in the sun.

Also climbing this afternoon are two local "celebrities." They belong to the group I call "the usual suspects" - familiar faces from our climbing adventures. These two gentleman are extra special - they mapped and bolted most of our favorite Red Rock Canyon routes.

The reunion is short but lively - S, my husband the extrovert, ignites the conversation. We share details about our winter climbing exploits, other outdoor endeavors and general climbing news. SG confesses that, this year, his goal is to climb at least 366 pitches - an average of one per day. He's well on his way to achieving this goal. He just bagged his 86th pitch a few minutes ago.

Now, I'm usually good about setting personal goals. But, this year, I have yet to identify a specific climbing goal. Last year, S and I aspired to ascend at least one route on the challenging Wailing Wall (which we did, successfully). This year, I'm not so sure what I want to accomplish in bouldering, in sport climbing.

I do know this much, however: with each climb and with each fall, I want to improve my strategies, techniques and skills. I want to climb each crux with an invincible can do attitude. And, I want to match that can do attitude with the physical strength and athletic ability I've had all along but never fully expressed.

At age 54, I know that I'm no spring chicken. Still, on the rocks, canyon walls and boulders, I've yet to give my finest performance. Perhaps this will be my year to do just that.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Wednesday, 19 March 2008 - Vernal equinox

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for the vernal equinox.

Hoe while it is spring, and enjoy the best anticipations. It is not much matter if things do not turn out well. ~Charles Dudley Warner

The vernal equinox represents the equality that captures my imagination right now: an equal day and night that starts the parade of much longer days and much shorter nights. I cautiously invite spring fever to infect me, knowing full well that winter hides behind every sunny day and early bloom.

To celebrate this seasonal event, I decide not to spin an egg on the sidewalk to see if it will stand on its own. Rather, I take my trusty gardening tool - the one that looks like a hoe but replaces the single metal blade with three strong tines - and push it into the wet dirt - earth soaked by melting snow. Yes, I'm ecstatic to be working in the garden, even if the only thing I can do is breakup ice chunks and stir the mud.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Tuesday, 18 March 2008 - My parents

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for my parents as they celebrate their 58th wedding anniversary.

You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back. ~William D. Tammeus

These days, when I think of my parents I imagine twilight - that last golden glimmer of sunlight at day's end. As evening gives birth to a clear night sky, stars emerge from the ebony canvas. The stars, like hopes and dreams, sparkle brilliantly to young eyes and sadly to old ones. I close my eyes and wish upon the most dazzling one.

I saw a shooting star a few weeks after my niece, Elizabeth, died. I think it was her way of assuring me that she was all right in Heaven and that our dog, Y, had found her and was protecting her.

But, a shooting star in my parent's sky means something different. The star's final trip across the Universe celebrates love, light and life. And lessons - the ones my parents taught me over and over again in their odd, indirect ways.

No, Mom and Dad. I won't forget to love others, to be honest and true in the light of day and to embrace life and its opportunities with all my heart. And, if it will make you feel better about me, I will catch that falling star and put it in my pocket and save it for a rainy day ... for all the times you won't be there to remind me.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.