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! 

Being Catholic

I was thinking how much being Catholic means to me.  Recently, with everything that’s going on in the USA – with the leading political parties being at odds I am so thankful to have a Catholic vision.  Don’t get me wrong, I am so proud of my culture- being Mexican-American has always been such a huge part of my identity.  I love my roots and the possibilities that this country has given immigrants like myself.  However, in times of crisis, I am glad that my faith has given me a more integral vision.  A few weeks ago, when I used “All Lives Matter” to express my views I have been told that I lack empathy for the black community.  I reflected on that comment for some time and finally concluded that when you put a color in front of “lives matter” it states the side you are in the argument.  As a Catholic, I believe in the sacredness of each individual.  Simply put lives matter!

That’s why you won’t see me with a banner for black or blue lives- because God tells me that all lives matter.  It’s easy to get emotionally involved and pick a side - forgetting that as Catholics we are meant to love everyone.  This is no way negates the suffering of a group.  As a child my heroes were Martin Luther King Jr and Frederick Douglass- I have loved studying the Civil Rights Movement because as a person of color I understood their fight. I too, have felt different and at times suffered racism and discrimination.

When I was a child, I also wanted to become a police officer.  At the time my father was an alcoholic so I would joke, “I probably won’t be a police officer or else I will be jailing my dad daily.”  However, as I got closer to college I research what it took to be a police office and when I saw that starting salary was almost the same as a teacher even though they risked their lives I quickly put a lid on that dream.  Recently, I researched the cops responsible for the death of George Floyd and I discovered that most of them were rookie cops, they were new on the job.  While I don’t know their hearts and maybe they are racist – I got to thinking how many mistakes I have made when I just started a new job.  However, some mistakes can cause a person’s life.

In the end, I realized that I just couldn’t take sides, I stuck by my “all lives matter” comment because as a Catholic (which is how I most identify myself) my faith challenges me to not side, but to love all.  

Quarantine: Be Still

It’s easy to lose heart during this time because we are a country used to living on the go.  Thus, for many (myself included) the changing pace of quarantine at times can be extremely challenging.  Restrictions on employment, education, religious life - even our social life have changed the way we live.  I think I have voiced my frustration with teaching virtually and how I miss church life.  Sometimes, I can get easily discouraged especially when I read the news about all the chaos happening within our country.  At times, I can get stuck thinking my experience of quarantine is universal, but when I check in with my students and discover that they are not working on their school work because they are trying to help parents who have been laid off due to Covid-19 earn a living or when I check in with my fraternity and discover that many of the elderly members who live alone are struggling with loneliness – I realize that some have it worse than me.  It’s easy to complain, to see the flaws and focus so much on struggle the that we miss those hurting worse than me.   

I love words and I have a verse written on the wall of my room, “Be still and know that I am God.”  Every morning it’s the first thing I see, but I think the familiarity made it almost invisible for some time.  Recently, I woke up and was feeling restless from being cooped at a home too much and I looked at the verse on my wall and this lightbulb went off in my head and I realize that I needed to live by those words during this quarantine.  In this country activity is glorified.  We are always on the go and something out of our control is telling us to slow down and be still.  Many Americans have trouble with slowing down, I mean I just have to cross the south border and already in Mexico I feel a difference in pace.  This time though, I am being asked to slow down in my own home and for someone usually on the go it hasn’t been without its moments of restlessness.

Yesterday, as I sat on my porch with my dad, mom and Francis waiting for everyone else to get home from work (our usual daily ritual) I realized that one of my dreams is to retire to live in a farm.  On this afternoon that slower pace of farm life that inspired this dream felt utterly boring.  I was thinking maybe, this is the way I will feel if I live away in seclusion (smile).  In seconds, I almost discarded my dream for the noise and the activity of city life!  That’s when it hit me - how condition I am to the hustle and bustle and how much I need to contemplate and really discover the beauty of what draws me to the verse, “be still and know that I am God.”  All this time, its meaning was that in order to be utterly present with God (in prayer) I needed to be still, but now I see that God is asking me not just to be quiet when I pray, but to live in stillness. To have peace and tranquility – to be still always, especially in moments when I have more time to sit and reflect.             

RCIA Class of 2020

Yesterday, I attended an extraordinary service where my RCIA students received their sacraments.  This year was quite a challenging one- I was only able to help at the beginning of formation because my new job was so demanding.  Even, with only a couple months invested in the formation of this year’s sacrament graduating class- I still have such a deep love for the program.  Yesterday, as I arranged the newly initiated Catholics for a class photo- they were like, “I thought I recognized you.” To which I responded, “I wouldn’t have missed your special day for the world.” 

Our team leader did- like always such an impressive job!  I mean to inspire and keep a group going during quarantine was a huge struggle and she did it.  I remember her sending us a message on Easter Vigil and how much all of us lamented not being able to celebrate one of our favorite nights of the year.  While this year’s celebration took place within a daily Eucharistic celebration and though the students, godparents and families had to be outside in the hot sun separated by six feet – while wearing uncomfortable facemasks they joy of the new Catholics was equally shinning.  The service though simple was beautiful and I am sure equally memorable to all those present.

In terms of spiritual motivation- it’s moments like this that inspire me to continue serving.  After the budget cuts at my school, I was given the 8AM-4PM shift so I think that I will hopefully be able to serve next year as an RCIA catechist.  I have noticed that involvement in faith is crucial and these past few months unable to do so (first because of my job and then due to quarantine) have been a challenging time.  Yesterday, though my attendance was simply one of moral support (I didn’t have any duties) I realized how much I miss my team and my ministry. So, am looking forward to this new RCIA year!    

Hug the Cactus

I love hugs.  It hasn’t always been the case.  When I was a freshman in high school, I was assigned a mentor and every time the two of us would meet she would embrace me in a tight hug.  I know that she felt me cringe underneath her arms, yet she continued to leave me with a warm hug.  As time passed and affection towards her started to form, her hugs seemed like a healing balm. One day after a couple years of knowing her, I told her that she taught me to like hugs.  She surprised me when she answered, “I knew signs of outward affection made you uncomfortable, I also knew that you hadn’t been taught to hug. Now you know how and you can teach others, starting with your family.”  I left her car that day, and thought about learning to hug.  Is that for real?  Does one learn to hug, it doesn’t just naturally happen?   

My family at the time was in crisis due to alcoholism and poverty – meeting the basic needs was the priority and signs of affection were probably not even on the radar.  Yet, I had been given a mission and I started to hug, first my mom who has always been my dearest.  As I gained confidence I started doing so with my siblings and eventually my dad.  My mentor helped me tap into a world that we had dismissed due to the hardships in everyday life.  Those early hugs began to chip away at the tough skin our life had made.  It was awkward to hug people I knew so well because it wasn’t our norm, but slowly we became huggers.  While we might still be working on giving really tight embraces, we are a family that hugs!

Recently, I was listening to priest talk about the division in our country and he said that the best advice he had for times like these was to hug the cactus.  There’s a lot of people like freshman me, who life has given them blows and those blows create pricks in our skin that makes us difficult to love.  I know from my own experiences with that strange white woman who loved to hug me.  She saw beneath all my defenses a kid in need of love and not words of affection, but the actions of a warm embrace.  She felt my pricks when she hugged me, but persevered knowing that love overcomes hate.  She was the first person I confided in about why I didn’t trust people to touch me and through her example showed me that good people exist. People who do things like help a barrio kid learn to hug without expecting anything in return.  She embraced me when I was a cactus and now at every chance, I play it forward giving affection especially to the cacti that God places in my walk. Heal the world embrace the cactus!  

The Great Debate Rothy’s or Tieks?

With all the debates going on right now and people quickly to take sides without thought - I believe it’s the perfect time to address the heated choice Tieks or Rothy’s? Now, if your pocket book can only afford you to have one or the other (since both shoes are quite pricey) than a little research and product reviews might help settle the problem.

Tieks Flats

• Start at $175 and go up pricewise (and never go on sale)
• They are made of Italian Leather or Vegan materials
• They are light and easy to pack when traveling
• They have great sole padding that make them quite comfortable
• They only come in rounded ballet flat style, but come in an array of shades
• They are a little more difficult to clean
• They come with cute packaging, a flower and a pouch to carry them in your purse

Rothy’s Flats

• They run from $125 and go up pricewise (and take coupons and have sales)
• They are made of recycled plastic bottles
• Not foldable, but still lightweight and easy to pack
• Machine washable including the removeable insoles
• They have six different styles including my fave the pointed flat
• They come in various patterns and colors
• They are eco-friendly

If you are like me then you know that sometimes you don’t have choose, you can have both.  Don’t let the price deter you to be quick to take sides.  I am a proud owner of both and not because I have the income to often treat myself, but because I am a secondhand shopper to the core. In my thrifting escapades I found not one, but two pointed Rothy’s in my size that had been worn maybe once.  Both pairs I got for $5.99 each and I absolutely love them.  They are super comfortable – I love them so much that I am considering ordering the Mary Jane style from the actual site.  My only complaint would be that on hot days they can make your feet sweat, but they are quite easy to wash and come out from the wash looking brand new.

I also found a pair of brown Italian leather Tieks for $7.99 which had more wear than my Rothy’s, but still were in great condition.  These I don’t wear as much because I prefer a pointed toe.  However, they are quite comfortable and I get a lot of compliments when I wear them.  I also get the comment, are they worth the high price? Since mine were thrifted, I don’t have the lovely packaging, the flower band or the bag to store them in that all Tieks come with.  Thus, I am only left with the shoes to review. I do believe that the craftsmanship, the materials that Tieks are made with and the comfort are worth the price because it’s a shoe to live in. 

Lucky for me I own both at a price that didn’t send me to the poor house.         

Quarantine: Visiting the Salon For the First Time

After weeks of quarantine I was able to finally get a haircut!  While the salon I visit doesn’t serve mimosas or has an atmosphere worth mention, I have been going to this humble establishment for years.  It is run by a Vietnamese man on a wheelchair and his posse of skilled Vietnamese women.  They are quite efficient and I think that’s what I love most.  In addition to, taking walk-in clients because when it comes to visiting the salon, I usually am quite spontaneous.  This week when I visited, I found one of my Salvation Army friends sitting underneath the hair dryer, “I have been coming here for ten years,” she proudly shared. Linda, my usual hairstylist, welcomed me with a warm smile and immediately proceeded to work on my hair, after the initial exchanges she went quiet because she knows that I am not much of a small-talk conversationalist.  In fact, I think most of the ladies are rather quiet because they get lost in their work.

As I sat in my chair, I marveled at how much I love Unlimited Hair & Nails Salon. Not being able to visit gave me a new appreciation for this hole in the wall establishment.  Usually, I never recommend the place because women usually look for a luxury pampering session and my place is certainly not that.  When busy, the hairstylist work on more than one client at a time and if you want your nails and hair done, usually you have two people working on you at the same time.  Ladies usually pay more money for slow, focused pampering.  Yet, I have never liked being at the salon for many hours, nor do I like the spotlight solely on me, so I like the speed with which they work at my place. They also don’t have the high-end equipment they don’t serve cocktails or have a television - everything is very basic.  Yet, to me walking in with a mop of a hairstyle and coming out with lighter locks is reward enough.

I had been feeling quite insecure lately.  I think when there is so much change, I can become quite self-conscious.  I mean things like not getting a like on a post lead me to speculate all types of scenarios.  These past few months I had been trying just to survive the rollercoaster of quarantine the best way I could and not being able to run to the faith things that usually balance me has been quite the struggle.  My strongest love language is quality time and during quarantine I couldn’t practice this because screens make everything so impersonal.  Though I tried to meet with bible study groups, attend Mass, see friends - virtually is not the same… Thus, when I sat on the chair to have Linda work on my hair, I felt so good.  Finally, some physical contact with someone outside my home.  When I was done, I felt like a little of my confidence returned not only because my hair didn’t look like wires, but because I saw a glimpse of life going back to normal.  I couldn’t understand how healing sitting in a salon chair felt or what the process returned to me, but I wanted to share how much I love my little hole in the wall salon.