Soul Runnings

Too tired to blog. Again. But there is hope. I have a doctor's appointment in the morning. They are going draw blood and check levels. I'm heading to bed now. But I will leave you with today's hooping video. Day 304! Talk to you tomorrow! Love, Zita

I am having a day of rest today. A total and complete day of rest. Absolutely no obligations. It is fitting, considering my prayerful focus on rest. But it came about most accidentally! I had plans to go to church, go to Starbucks at Cascade Station. My daughter and her husband were to pick me up after their church meeting and whisk me back to their home to watch Baby Gracie while they went to softball practice. But, I stayed in bed instead of going to church. Still.very tired. And the cough has returned. I finally got up and made a cup of turmeric, ginger tea with raw honey. It was most comforting. I stretched a bit, practiced some piano and started to pack my bag for my trip to Vancouver. What I really wanted to do was crawl back in bed. No sooner had I packed my bag, then my cell phone rang. It was my daughter. Softball practice had been cancelled due to impending rain. "So I have a day off?" I squeaked. "Yes", replied my daughter. She also so...

Too tired to blog But I will leave you with my hooping video. Day 302! Talk to you tomorrow! Love, Zita

I almost fell asleep without posting tonight. This will be short, as it is quite late. I spent a lovely morning with my previous granddaughter while her mom went to a meeting. This sweet baby girl dud not fuss one bit! I read her a book, fed her, changed her and then she sat in my lap, watching a "Baby Einstein" DVD and promptly fell asleep. I hardly feel I earned my lunch! But my daughter took us out to Buffalo Wild Wings before I hopped on the Max to go teach piano. After our summer preview the last few days, today's dark skies, rain and much cooler temperature was a bit mysterious. I found everyone I spoke with rather enjoyed the abrupt change. It keeps things interesting! On that note, I must get some sleep if I want to keep my students interested tomorrow! Talk to you then! Love, Zita P.S. Here is today's hooping video. Day 301! But embarrassingly enough, I was in such a hurry, I forgot to remove my fanny pack!

Today is day 300 of my daily hooping adventure. Three hundred consecutive days! I can stick to something! I don't plan on stopping either. It's what gets me out of bed in the morning. I was thrilled to wake up early and see the blue skies. So in honor of this milestone, I revisited the running track at the school next door. The public cannot use the track during school hours, which is why I haven't been there. As you can probably surmise, I am not much if a morning person. But this morning I was inspired! This is me hooping at 6:45 a.m., greeting the sun. It felt so good to hoop in a wide open space. Perhaps I should wake up early tomorrow? Happy Thursday! Love, Zita

Does anybody else besides me gets seduced by stars? I'm speaking of the stars you earn to get rewards,  for instance at Starbucks! My most recent unfortunate incident was when I was convinced to order breakfast sandwiches to earn stars in or near award. Me,  who is continually attempting to be gluten-free went through a week of having Starbucks sandwiches. And if you are reading my blog back then about a month ago I was so sick. In heaven eating yummy bread again. But sick as a dog. So I vowed not to fall victim to that again. Except for today, when I ordered a grande mocha chocolate chip Frappuccino from Starbucks. It was the second item required out of three to earn 150 Stars. Yesterday was easy. I ordered an iced tea today I could order either a flat white coffee or a cream Frappuccino. I was so giddy with the idea of  earning a hundred fifty stars, that I did not even tell the Barista to use non-dairy milk or light on the sweetener. Side note: My daughter thinks...

I had a most extraordinary day today. Nothing dramatic or earth-shaking. But lovely, serene, peaceful, and productive. It could very well have been the weather. The skies were blue, there was a gentle breeze, and the high temperature hit and a standing 81 degrees here in Portland Oregon, ladies and gentlemen!  I am walk-blogging as we speak. And it is 78 degrees at 10:30 p.m!  I am out a little bit later than usual. Choir practice got over at 9 p.m., and I wasn't one bit sleepy as usual. I needed to walk up to the bank and deposit a check, and I was contemplating stopping at a late-night restaurant for dessert and herbal tea. But I didn't really want to be out that late. Didn't want to spend that much money. And I certainly didn't want to consume too many late night calories! So after the bank, I walked over to Safeway and buy the little tiny carton of ice cream, at a bottle of water. I sat for a bit, enjoying my treat while my mind examined my day... The ...

I apologize for the blurry picture. I took it through the window of the bus. The #34 bus, heading west on Johnson Creek Blvd thus morning about 9:30 a.m I should not even have been on that bus. I was running late. But it must be a God moment. The bus driver and I helped a mama duck and her babies across Johnson Creek Blvd., through heavy morning traffic to the other side. They were most like heading towards the creek. I was enjoying the sight of the blue sky and puffy white clouds through the window. I was smiling and imaging my granddauggter's sweet little face light up when she saw me. My daughter and Gracie were meeting me at Starbucks at Cascade Station. Normally I would take the #34 to the Clackamas Town Center. But I missed that bus. So I got on the #34 that went down Johnson Creek Blvd. I would transfer to the #75 at the Springwater Corridor bike path. Halfway down the hill, the driver yelled out, "Hold on folks!" She came to.a screeching halt. My dayd...

Today was a glorious day. Sunny, warm. Blue sky, gentle breeze, flowers in bloom, birds singing. I do believe spring has finally arrived in Portland! I got up early and do my hoop workout, practiced a bit of piano and then set out for my walk to the bus stop. Only, today I actually looked at my surroundings as I walked. I lengthened my stride and inhaled deeply, savoring the warm, fresh air. I am still deeply immersed in the book I recently started reading. It has me looking at my attitude. Which is often on the negative side. Today I am focusing on gratitude. I am so thankful for the glorious sunshine. And time spent babysitting Gracie while her parents practiced softball. It occurred to me that much of my life I feel like I have been treading water, just barely keeping my head up enough so that I don't go under. But today I felt like I was leaning back, relaxing and floating on the surface. I feel truly rested. And that is a good feeling. Talk to you tomorrow...

I am contemplating the notion of rest.  Yesterday I began my post by quoting Philippians 4:7.  " And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7 ESV) I have been pondering that verse for the last 24 hours.  And everytime my mind wandered to anxious, worrysome thoughts, I brought it back by bringing this scripture to mind. I was led to it by a booklet I am reading by R.B. Thieme, Jr. called "The Faith-Rest Life".  I found this description of the book on goodreads.com: " Faith-Rest is the life of peace designed for you as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. This life is characterized by a moment-by-moment tranquillity, happiness, and stability. But how can you have this perfect rest when you are surrounded by pressure, adversity, and disaster? God wants you to do only one thing—trust Him! Believe His Word! Mix the promises from the Bible with faith! If you trusted Hi...

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7 ESV) Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by life that you feel paralyzed? I felt like that much of today.  I put on a good face.  I did some deep breathing. Drank much coffee.  Prayed.  Read from the Psalms.   But still, I had this feeling of impending doom. Granted, I've had this feeling most of my life. When I would seek counseling, and the counselor would ask to describe how I was feeling, I would say that I had a feeling of impending doom.   I've learned that it is most likely anxiety and not some prophetic gift of mine. It's hard to shake when it comes upon me. But I am proud of myself.  I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, and when all my troubles, and all my worries and fears for my family threatened to pull me under, I just took deep breaths and told God th...

With all the negative press that Starbucks has been getting lately, I enjoyed a very pleasant visit to my favorite location today. It is the one on SE Holgate off of Cesar Chavez.  The spot of the old Cupie Cone.  I was so sad to see the demise of Cupie Cone. But this Starbucks has such a good vibe.  Mostly due to the very chill baristas that work there. I often bring my own lunch, and they have never given me the "no outside food" lecture.  I get free refills on my coffee and pleasant conversation. Plus there is always an outlet available for me to charge my always dying cell phone. AND it is in my teaching hood.  I stop there on the way to students at least twice a week.  Today, with the glorious sunshine warming my tired bones, seemed like a good day for an iced tea.  I pulled out my cell phone, and was pulling up my Starbucks app and preparing to enter, when an older, toothless man in ragged clothes called out to me from the sidewalk, "Hey,...

I got quite an education today. Most of it sitting in a courtroom with my family member in crisis. The outcome was much better than we expected.  7 days in weekend jail and 2 years "Monitored Misdemeanor Probation". I enjoyed the experience, even though my stomach was tied up in knots, awaiting the outcome. The judge was a large, older man with a big booming voice. A larger than life personality. It was quite entertaining really. He was filling in for the usual judge in diversion court.  So there was a lot of questions directed at the attorneys. He was a strict judge, but he had a heart. He would listen to people's stories. And his judgments seemed fair and well thought out. I also learned a new term today:  "TSI". I immediately thought of TMI - too much information.  My family member's attorney gave him a checklist of places he needed to go to.  First was probation registration. Second was TSI at the jail. I asked her what "TSI" stood ...

I saved a poodle today. He followed me halfway down the block before I knew he was there. He was a friendly little fellow. But I was getting worried as I approached the busy street on my walk.  So I turned to him and sternly said "Go home!" He lowered his head and turned around, but then suddenly darted into the middle of the street causing, a car to slam on its brakes.  I called him over, and reach down to look at his collar. He rolled over on his back, putting his little legs in the air. I read his tags, and noticed he was just down the block. That was when I noticed the elderly man walking up the street quite quickly.  "Is this your dog?" I asked. "It is indeed", he said. "We have guests. And someone left the gate open."  He grabbed the little fellow give him a big kiss on the head and thanked me. I felt quite light-hearted as I walked the rest of the way to the bus stop. I was relieved that situation had a happy e...

I had a revelation today. Regarding sleep, fatigue and caffeine. But I will have to share it with you tomorrow. I need to take advantage of this state of drowsiness while it lasts! Talk to you tomorrow. Love, Zita P.S. Here is today's hooping video. Day 290! Good night!

It is 4:52 a.m. on Monday. I woke up with a start, heart pounding, about 20 minutes ago. I was having a nightmare. It has faded. I spent some time breathing and stretching, played a few games of Words with Friends, and got caught up on my email. Then I realized I fell asleep without blogging last night! Oops! Perhaps that was the nightmare! Best not to try and recall. I am going to focus only on the positive today. Like time with Baby Gracie! I will need to get vertical soon so as to catch the 6:40 a.m. bus to the Max. Actually, it just occurred to me that I ate crackers ("Nut Thins") and dip (artichoke, parmesan, jalapeno) right before bed last night. Hence the nightmares. Today will be a better day! Here is my hooping video from yesterday. Day 289! Time to get vertical and face the day! Love, Zita

I am proud to announce that I started my morning with stretching as I promised in yesterday's post. I opened YouTube and found the Classic FM Hall of Fame video. I stretched to Marice Ravel's "Piano Concerto in G Major".  It was surreal. I vow to attempt to do this every morning. What a stellar way to get the blood flowing!   Speaking of getting my blood flowing, I was waiting for my bus today after teaching piano all day.  I was on my way to the library to pick up some DVD's and CD's I had on hold. I also was planning on using a computer to blog. The library computers are so much faster than mine! The bus stop was quite crowded. There was a light, Portland style drizzle descending, so folks were huddled under the shelter.  I wanted to get out my phone and play Words with Friends, or listen to my online classical music course. But my battery was nearly dead. I had forgotten my cable at home. I felt a little lost.  I planned on ...

My back is sore today. My old stress points in my upper back, under my shoulder blades. I believe I need to start stretching before bed at night and first thing in the morning. I had a nice routine going when I started this blog. I was stretching whilst listening to the top 300 classical pieces on the Classic FM Hall of Fame. http://www.classicfm.com/radio/hall-of-fame/ I am going to start again tonight! I'll let you know how that goes. Talk to you tomorrow. Most exhausted am I. Love, Zita P.S. Here is my hooping video. Day 287!

 Today was my get caught up at home day. No Baby Gracie duty. But I get my fix - my daughter text messages me oodles of pictures throughout the day! I was able to get a couple extra hours sleep this morning, after my usual 4:00 a.m. wake up time. Then I did my hooping, a load of laundry and headed out for a Grand Slam Breakfast at Denny's.  I tried to make it as healthy as possible:  2 eggs over medium, a slice of ham, gluten free English muffins and grits.  And to drink, I had hot water with lemon. The cherry on top is that I get 15% off with my AARP card. There are benefits to growing older! I was still quite sore, but feeling better. My daughter hooked me up to her TENS unit yesterday after I watched Gracie for the morning.  I woke up feeling 75% better than yesterday! So I decided to keep focusing on feeling well, and crossed SE 82nd to Clackamas Town Center. I walked through Sears to the Reflexology shop. And had a lovely, 30 minute accup...

I finished the book of Job last night. What a relief. My reward is beginning the book of Psalms. It is one of my favorite books of the Old Testament. At one time, when I was going through a dark period, I would walk at night, reciting a psalm, trying to memorize it.  So now, reaching the Psalms after the painful suffering of Job, is like meeting up with an old friend. I was pondering this on the Max this morning, heading to Vancouver to watch Baby Gracie while her mom went to a meeting at work. I overheard a man talking to an older woman. They were joking about how dependent people were on their cell phones these days.  I made eye contact and smiled.  The man looked a little anxious. He asked if I knew how to get to the Holiday Inn from the Parkrose Transit Center. I told him it was quite close. We would almost be able to see it when we got there. I told him I was getting off at that stop too. We deboarded and walked across the pathway crossing I-205. I pointed...

I did my taxes today. My one thing. My advice to my daughter when she told me she gets so overwhelmed with her life as a new mother of a 7 month-old, with a part-time job and husband, is to try to accomplish one thing one each day. On top of a daily routine. My daily routine consists of hooping, making my bed, practicing piano, bible study and journaling.  Plus that "one thing" that keeps bugging me. I can now cross taxes off my "things that big me" list. Whew! To celebrate, I put an assortment of beans in the crockpot for dinner (I'm really enjoying my high fiber focus), then I hopped on the bus and took myself out for lunch. I had a $5.00 off coupon for Liberated Baking, a gluten free cafe. I had the most divine Reuben sandwich! But that was not the highlight of my day. After lunch, I went to the library and picked up a DVD I had reserved on the life of Mozart. Then I stopped at Starbucks for my new favorite drink- an a...

I actually took the day off from hooping today. I feel guilty, but most sore am I from bowling yesterday! I will do an extra long session tomorrow to make up for it. It is warm outside. No rain.  I am trying to be very present today. Because the rest of the week will be windy, rainy and chilly again. I don't really mind the rain.  Especially if it is mild. But the wind and the cold make it difficult for a walking, public transportation riding woman.  I have gotten wise in my maturity. I always wrap my books and music in plastic and bring a plastic baggie for my phone. But just existing on a day like Saturday is a struggle. So I appreciate today! Especially since I got to spend the morning with Baby Gracie!  My daughter and I chuckle at how many times friends, family and even complete strangers advise us "Cherish these days. They will be gone in the blink of an eye!" It is amusing that people say that because it is sad! But oh so true.  She is growing...

I took the morning off from church for an attitude adjustment. And much needed sleep. I'm glad I did. I think I saved a lady and her little girl's life. Or shall I say God intervened and whispered, "Look to your left". I stopped at Starbucks for some prayer, journaling and bible study. Then I headed out to catch the bus to Jantzen Beach where my daughter, son-in-law and Baby Gracie would be picking me up for an afternoon of bowling. I was waiting at the intersection when I detected movement on my left. I glanced over in time to see a distraught looking young woman, frantically waving at the bus across the street. The light was about to change. The driver did not see her. She had a little girl - maybe 2 years old - in a stroller. She appeared to be on the verge of stepping into the street. I saw that the bus was poised to enter traffic. My heart lurched. I put my arm out and calmly said, "He doesn't see you". I felt like time suddenly stood still....