iHeart Yoga at Lantern Park

I have never been a fan of Yoga… To be honest I get bored.  Yet, last week my boss treated us to iHeart Yoga in the park and the allure of being out in nature made me accept the invitation.  According to their website – it’s the longest and most popular class in Dana Point.  You can drop in or book ahead of time for an eight-dollar donation. The class runs for an hour and people at all levels participate and equally enjoy the session because the instructor gives various options of stretches to accommodate everyone.

Selfie with our Yoga Instructor

The setting, at Lantern Park, makes for an ideal backdrop. You lay your mat on the field under the shade of pine trees overlooking the harbor.  The amazing ocean views and cool breeze make for an ideal setting to relax the mind and get in the spirit of body and soul… It was a great way to conclude a stressful week; thus, I totally recommend iHeart Yoga for anyone that is looking for a way to work out during Covid.

While, being outdoors appreciating nature at its best, I still don’t think Yoga is for me.  After half an hour I was like a preschool kid looking for something else to do. My mind just couldn’t namaste any longer.  I think the yoga instructor noticed my inattentiveness towards the end and she was ok with it.  She was like, “do what feels good to your body” and what felt good was just to lay on my back and look at the sky.  After the class she came over to me because I had mention that I was a yoga novice.  I told her that I think I needed to start with half hour sessions because the hour was too much for a beginner.  She gave me a high five for trying and provided information on intro to yoga options offered at her studio.  Her optimism and kindness were so refreshing and for that I would return again.

Sunflowers & Brooches

I went for a walk with Francis and I was captivated by my neighbor’s sunflower garden.  Every time I see sunflowers I feel like my brother is smiling down from heaven.  When he was alive, he planted a batch of sunflowers and only one bloomed and it got so big that it started tilting.  He loved and tended that flower with so much care. At the time the large size and drooping position made me think it was most hideous.  After he passed, all I could think of was how much he loved that ugly-duckling of a plant and suddenly the whole species of sunflowers sail me back to him.  Whenever I see one I am reminded of my brother happily tending his garden- trying to convince me that oversize, drooping flowers are beautiful.  While, the ones in my neighbor’s garden are multiples and smaller- the yellow gleeful color always takes me back in time.

During my thrifting escapades I found two flower brooches.

This one is a 1980’s Yves Saint Laurent’s for Avon brooch, the designer took Vincent van Goh’s Sunflower paintings as inspiration. I love the whole design, the glossy gold setting and the jewel tone enamel flowers in a vase with a handle.  It makes me think of picking garden flowers and setting them on your kitchen table. I found this vintage piece for a couple bucks and it’s currently selling for well over sixty dollars. Not a bad day of picking.

This one is a collectable St John Bee on a Sunflower brooch.  It’s 22K gold electroplated, signed and sparkles with Swarovski crystals. This is one of my favorites, I bought it soon after he passed simply because it reminded me of him and I thought I could pin it close to my heart.  Again, I got it for a couple dollars and it currently sells for over one hundred- again another good day of American picking (smile).

When I was a child I dreamed of heirlooms and somehow finding these treasures make me feel like I am wearing history.  I also imagine the stylish woman who wore it before me and just like spotting sunflowers I am filled with the fuzzies.     

Peacefully Waiting

I have never been to a priest ordination before and thanks to virtual times this morning I plan on joining as eight priests receive their Holy Orders in the LA Diocese.  They call them, the “Pandemic Class of 2020” because they had to postpone their celebration due to the COVID-19 restrictions.  After months of waiting they are finally set for ordination.  The extra period of waiting was met with optimism, as an extra time of preparation.

I have been thinking about all the people that due to the pandemic have had to postpone important events and whether they took the news with equal hope.  I for one can say, that after ten years away from teaching returning to education the year of a national crisis has been met with many emotions, but I am not sure if I have arrived at place of favorable feelings- of looking at it as providential.  I have complained, stressed, worn myself out… Handled the situation in a very earthly way.

Yesterday, I came home from work with a new squeaky ball for Francis.  He was so excited we played fetch for a good two hours because he loved the toy so much.  I was lost in his joy, so contagious it was that I forgot about just being told that this year I would be teaching eleventh and twelve grade English- which means all new lesson plans formatted for virtual learning.  I don’t think he’s ever enjoyed a toy as much as this squeaky ball and I got lost in the moment.  I was completely present because Francis’ happiness just captivated me.  I realized then that the secret to being content is to live in the present.

The “Pandemic Class of 2020” didn’t allow the not knowing when they would celebrate their ordination to affect them because it was something out of their control.  They trusted that God would eventually clear the blocks and their decision was to take the added wait as an extended time of preparation.  I think I have been the longest Secular Franciscan in waiting and let me tell you that I haven’t been as quick to surrender to my predicament.  Thus, I am excited to watch these eight men receive their Holy Orders because I have so much to learn from their testimony in waiting.       

Six Things To Do During Pandemic

While I never imagined that this pandemic would last so long, the crisis has brought a slower pace and with it, opportunities to enjoy a simpler life.  Not all is bad during quarantine, while I am an introvert and perhaps for me being a homebody socially distancing is not as challenging as for extroverts- the length of the separation has also affected me.  Some days, I too feel like I am going a little nutty not being able to enjoy things that I normally take for granted.  Nevertheless, I have found that mourning over the old way of life is not as productive as just living in the moment.  Thus, when I get those anxious feelings that come from being cooped up to long, I distract myself.  Here’s my list of positive quarantine distractions:    

   

1. Spending Time with Family- We took a trip to Big Bear to change scenery, but for the most part we spend a lot of time together outdoors.  Usually my dad tending to his garden while I read a book and my mom sews masks.  This period has allowed me to get to know my parents so much better and our relationship has grown so much!
   
2. Training Francis! He’s a really smart pup, but he’s so darn cute that he gets away with murder! He still has issues with biting (a common problem with this breed), when he gets excited he bites without understanding the power of his teeth. Also, I can’t lose sight of him because he’s a little vacuum that picks up things within his reach and destroys them.  He also loves terrorizing our birds- so he still needs a lot of training.  
   
3. DIY Projects- I still repair thrifted handbags and sell them on eBay- this whole process is so darn entertaining to me.  I love finding a gem at a thrift store and breathing new life to it then finding it a new home.  I also dabble in sewing, mostly sizing items to fit me or adding a missing button, sewing a hem or adding a little design to spruce a top.   
   
4. Organization- I have been organizing my things.  I had accumulated quite a bit of things from my thrifting escapades and after watching Marie Kondo I realized that I wanted to be surrounded by only things that make me happy.  So, I have been implementing her process in small bits to simplify my closets.  I have a bit of a hoarder problem so it helps to find new homes for my things whether it’s sharing with my family, donating or selling it on eBay to people that will use it.  When I know my items won’t end up in a landfill it makes getting rid of them easier.  
   
5. Reading- I have dented my stack of books that were in the need to read file this quarantine.  When I am outdoors enjoying my beautiful home, I like to pull a book and learn about things.  I have loved reading novels, doing spiritual reading and also learning about fashion.  I love to learn about the history of design and the masters of each era.
   
6. Outdoor Prayer- Whether it’s going to outside Mass or praying the rosary or novenas in my backyard- I have loved that I get the opportunity to be outdoors with God. 

This quarantine has been challenging, but it has also been a time to slow down and to do things that normally I don’t have time for.  I think filling my days with fun things to do at home has helped me keep a positive attitude during what feels like a lockdown.  Hope you got some ideas to try in your isolation!