December 2008

 When LEKI was in town we did a quick filming on getting started with nordic walking poles. It’s been posted on You Tube so I guess I’m a star now!  Check it out:

The target ad this week featured Nordic Walking poles for $20. Now we all know it’s a cheap substitute for a good Nordic Walking pole, but the amazing thing is that they have it at all.  Just think, only 4 years ago, when we all started nordic walking no one knew anything about it.  Even today many think we’re training for nordic skiing, or maybe we’re just confused. I think it’s exciting that nordic walking has come to the point where it is accessible to everyone! 

 Did You Know?

It’s my birthday today!  And my birthday wish is for all of you to go outside and play in the snow today.

Gail and I have been snowshoeing instead of nordic walking this holiday week.  There is something magical about taking off in the fresh snow before the sun comes up. We tracked along our road and into the fields and wetlands around us.  I wonder what the office dwellers thought when they came to work and saw our big foot prints in their front yards.

We have a pact for our morning walks, we often begin our walks with a bit of venting about the hard stuff going on in our lives.  Morning ranting and raving gets us walking faster and ups the heart rate. But the rule is that by the end of the walk we have to find the joy in the day.  It may be something very simple, but it always brings us back to being centered and grateful for the new day and all it brings to our lives.  It sets me up to seeing joy all day long.

On Tuesday morning we made joy, literally. In our snowshoes we stomped out 30 foot high “Joy, Peace, Joy” in the snow fields over at the Carlson Twin Towers. We laughed and giggled the whole time, snow flying from our snow shoes and visions of employees reading our message in the snow dancing in our heads.  I don’t know if anyone even saw it, but it certainly brought joy to our day as we told our shared the story over and over again.

I hope joy has found all of you during this holiday season. My mom’s favorite Christmas Card greeting was “Joy to Your World!”  May we all see joy every day, letting it find us when we least expect it.

I don’t walk at -20 degrees.

I have to draw the line somewhere and Monday morning was the day. Gail and I gave up our nordic walking poles and tried our new Pilates DVD workout.

You can call me a wimp if you want, but it’s really dark at 6am and with the wind and cold and ice it seemed to be the better decision to work out indoors. Of course that brings it’s own challenge, like getting the DVD to play and her dog Coco to stay out from under our feet. I must get some points for walking across the yards, at least I still went outside first thing. We’ll get our snowshoes out for the end of the week, a couple of days of pilates is about all I can handle before coffee.

And speaking of being out in the cold, if you missed the kick off cross country ski under the full moon last week (since there were only 3 of us I know many of you missed it) it was a beautiful evening. The full moon cooperated and was simply glorious in the night ski. The lighted lake trail at Hyland was groomed for skate skiing and the snow was good. We were 3 of only a handful of skiers out that night and finished 2 loops before we came in to warm up. The areas will need some snow to recover from our rain on Sunday but be sure to join us soon for an evening outdoors. There’s something magical about being out in a winter night. As hard as it is to motivate myself to get dressed to go out I’m always glad to be there.

As you finish up your holiday preparations and get really busy with family committments I hope you’ll find the time to get outside and breathe deep the cold, clear air. Give yourself the gift of time outdoors among all the busy doings of the season. Let the peace of the natural world bring peace to your spirit.

Joy to you all!

I walked yesterday morning in cold weather for the first time this season.  Not that it hasn’t been nippy in the mornings but this time the snow was squeeky, a sure sign that it was somewhere around zero degrees, the air was crisp and my cheeks were pink and cold when I got back.  I walked alone since Gail was out of town.    I was alone with my thoughts and it was a good place to be.  It has been a year since my mom died, her favorite sheep joined her this week , Laura had been in town for the weekend and my son Sam was in the hospital on Tuesday having surgery on his broken collar bone.  There was a lot to process.

The morning sunrise was red, the age old warning of weather to come, but I like to see it as a promise of change. As I walked I found myself finally letting go of mom, the first year was over, the time of doing everything for the first time without her was past.  It truly feels like an end to an era. Time for change.  Laura was here for family holiday.  My 5 siblings were all in town and sitting around the table for Thanksgiving, a week late.  We had the turkey and all the trimmings, mom’s favorite holiday.  I think it was the first time we were all together since she died.  Again a new place to be.  Sam fell skiing on Saturday and had been through 4 days of intense pain before the surgery.  He has just moved home from Montana and was in the beginnings of starting his own business, Mountain View Fence and Snow Removal, now his plans are put aside for a time.  He needs time to heal and maybe time to work on that business plan.  Again, change in his forecast.

 In the meantime I’m trying to not get too caught up in doing Christmas and looking for ways to be in the Christmas mood.  Walking helps to balance me, puts things into perspective.  I’m thankful everyday that I can be outside.  It’s where change finds it’s way into my life.