Red Cedar
More apocalypse, less angst
Post 2089: I did the thing I said I was going to do (cycling)
Actually, I did two of the things I set out to do in the new year – started a weaving class (last week, I’ll make sure to take pictures of this week’s class and then write about it), and I bought a new bicycle!
Pictured above, it’s now also got fenders and a rack on it – I picked it up yesterday (Sunday) and rode it home! Then I took it out this morning and rode 15 km on the Central Valley Greenway (that most urban of urban trails through the industrial wilds of Burnaby).
This is the first *new* bike I’ve ever owned – and it fits me perfectly. Also rapid fire shifters (which I’d never seen before) make shifting gears way easier, which means that for the first time in my life I am learning how to use gears while cycling. I can already see how that makes it much easier to up hills (yes, I am late to this party).
Big happy shout outs to Carmen at Bicycle Buddah for helping me buy a bike that fits me (she test rode with me which really helped me understand what to feel and look for on the bike), and to SideSaddle Bikes who are a pretty new shop and specialize in bikes for women (I am their first bike purchase of 2016!)
I’ll start riding to work in the next week or so, once I get a tail light and a couple of clothing items to make it easier on me in the rains of winter. All that said, I’m going to do this thing that I said I would do and start cycling to work – after all I’ve already done the thing to facilitate it by buying a bike that is all my own and suited to me!
Post #2086: The tools at hand
Sometimes the only available tool is a bouncy red ball.
Photo taken in the Wacky Woods, Fanny Bay BC. Artist: George Sawchuk – a fine and funny man who died not so long ago.
Post #2085: What happens in 2016……
Somehow blogging becomes impossible when I am visiting family – it’s like there is never an hour or so alone, without people talking – or something like that. Since we got home from Christmas travels on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, it’s been all cleaning and new year’s resolving around our place. That’s what the photo above is all about – the first task of the January Cure was to wash all the floors in the house which we completed on the weekend. Of course, washing the floors means moving furniture which means dusting, and sorting out piles of stuff that shouldn’t be on the floor in the first place – so we got a lot done in that first task, which is a great way to start the new year.
Also in the first days of 2016, we got rid of our liquor cabinet and bought a china cabinet that could hold both our recently-purchased china + alcohol (in the bottom):
And we’ve been for many frosty walks and there’s been some knitting:
So as far as starts to the year go, I’m feeling like 2016 isn’t bad so far and I’m hoping that by cleaning, walking, making, and planning – we’re setting ourselves up for the kind of year I would like to have: cozy, calm, productive, and intimate. And by intimate I mean, with strengthened relationships on all fronts.
I have some goals for the year which I’ve been thinking about while working through Year Compass (I’m all over the Internet games and productivity apps at the moment – I’ve also just joined Habitica to help me stay on top of the small daily goals also). What was particularly good about doing the Year Compass was a chance to look back over my daytimer from 2015 and note what kind of a year I had recorded. Overall, I noticed that there were *lots* of meditation events (three residential retreats in addition to lots of other meditation-related-activities) and not very many social ones. Also, I noticed that Brian and I spent quite a bit of time at the cabin, but didn’t make a lot of date time otherwise. While 2015 was a pretty good year for a few things, I can honestly say that I spent a lot of it feeling disconnected and without community – and it appears that this is quantifiable when I look at my calendar. I was pretty solo-focused in 2015, and as a result I felt more alone.
So when I had to envision what the next year looked like for me (Dream Big said the online form), this is what I wrote:
This next year will bring more of the things I love and cherish to the fore – including care for my own body and spirit. Together, Brian and I will spend more time hosting friends in our home, and doing things together. I will spend more time outside, snowshoeing, hiking, cycling to work. I will build routines around the gym and self-powered commuting. My social life will grow in ways that are healthy and I will learn to let go of petty jealousies. I will meditate most days first thing and deepen my commitment to my practice and my spiritual path. I will show up when I am required or requested. I will find a place at work that I can grow over the next few years and be confident about my contributions in the workplace and my career possibilities. I will love my husband openly and we will have more intimacies in our lives – planned for and included. I will learn to weave and spend more time sewing for myself and others. I will knit sweaters and socks. I will rearrange my garden and work on the cabin. I will spend less time online and more time outdoors.
My dreaming big, you see, is not about mad plans and escapes – but more presence and commitment to my real life. And as lofty as all this sounds, I’m using Habitica to break it down into manageable to-dos, habits, and daily activities – because I am all about concrete action.
So for this month I have a large task and a bunch of smaller ones, plus one escape to the cabin and some dinners with friends and family:
- Buy a bicycle and whatever gear I need to ride comfortably.
- Apply for a job that I may or may not be qualified for (I am halfway through the application process).
- Sew one new garment (I picked an easy one and should be able to finish it this week).
- Sew the baby quilt for my soon-to-be niece.
- Do the January Cure with Brian.
- Cabin weekend with Brian and snowshoes!
- Finish the Aspen legwarmers (pictured above).
- Start Brian’s new sweater.
Also this week I am starting an 8-week weaving class on Thursday nights (Langara, continuing ed) where I will learn how to use a loom and everything.
And so, as much as I know we don’t control what actually does happen, I am hopeful that 2016 will bring at least some of my plans, ideas, and creative projects to fruition. The same hope I have pretty much every year – and as always, I’m looking forward to seeing what this one actually brings!
Red Cedar 