Soul Runnings

Hello Friends!  Once again, I apologize for my absence.  I have been on a bit of a retreat lately. A retreat of the water fasting kind.   And a 21- day personal challenge.  To make some major changes.  Mostly of the losing weight, improving health, relieving pain, increasing flexibility and gaining energy kind. I am on a mission.    I am super motivated to take my personal improvement to the next level for several reasons: I gained nearly 10 pounds during quarantine. Anxious eating, and a lot less walking did it! I began selling Avon again.  And ironically, a picture popped up in my Facebook memories from 2009, when I was last an "Avon Lady".  A very overweight me! I am pleased with my progress, these last four years but I feel I can do so much more! I am in pain. All of my joints ache. It is hard going up and down stairs. I have to like hoist myself up using the handrail. I live in the basement of a 3 story townhouse. And I have a 2 1/2 yea

Hello Friends! I am still alive, but in introspective mode.  Partly concerning the state of the world including the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.  Partly concerning my own mental health, and prospects for my future employment and living situation. Partly concerning my piano teaching business and my piano playing skills. Partly concerning my loved ones, including the health and safety of my aging parents.  And of course, partly concerning my physical health - exercise, Qi Gong practice, and eating habits. A lot to digest! So instead of bore you with my rambling streams of consciousness, I thought I would post an excerpt from my blog post on January 16, 2019, entitled "Even the White People", which is relevant today more than ever. I hope to get back on track soon. But in the meantime, be safe, healthy and peaceful! Love, Zita Excerpt from my blog post on January 16, 2019, entitled "Even the White People"  I was going to continue

" Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be that way (which it won't)." ~James Baraz, Awakening Joy: 10 Steps That Will Put You on the Road to Real Happiness Hello Friends: Still teetering on the edge of the abyss.  Needing a lot of alone time. I spent some time sitting in the park tonight. It was warm, with a slight breeze. The air was filled with the sounds of happy people; many children. On scooters, skateboards, bicycles.  Families sitting at picnic tables. A new mother, holding her baby on a park bench, with an older woman at her side.  Probably a grandma. People walking their dogs.  A group of teenagers, walking about.  A group of young men playing basketball. Life is still going on. And so is the pandemic.  Cases are approaching 2 million in the US as most of our ci

"We honor him... not because he was perfect, but because when he took his last breath, the rest of us will now be able to breathe..."  ~Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at George Floyd's funeral service in Houston, Texas.   "As a rich black man living in this country, it's hard being comfy  When the hate yo people get is coming from the ones amongst me  Used to call us monkeys And slaves and we overcame  Still our work is just beginning, protests look like parades…  I ain't even tripping on how the season decided Racism pandemic is years ahead of the virus  Really mean it but they going to try to play us as tyrants  Look, Ali wasn't the greatest just cause his hands work Frontline for his people, t his was a man's work  Before he let the black people down he let the fans hurt  So if the stars is aligned, that mean it can work  Don't need approval,  I've always been doing God's work"  from "Blacklist&quo

Hello Friends! I have missed you! I have been so utterly exhausted and downright depressed, that I couldn't summon enough energy to even lift my fingers to this computer keyboard to write.  Apparently there is a mental disorder for people going through crises.  Crises such as pandemics, systemic racism, political division, unemployment, police brutality, civil unrest.... It's called "crisis fatigue". When humans are presented with a threat, adrenaline is released to give us quick energy. This is called the "fight or flight syndrome". But when threats are overwhelming, and perceivably continuous, like this year, it overwhelms the system. People can feel numb, depressed, anxious and irritable. Yup. That's me.  I guess I'm quite normal after all! I found an interesting article that describes crisis fatigue, especially in relation to current events.  But it doesn't really address how to take care of ourselves during these unsettling times!

Hello Friends: I will begin today with a confession: I broke my social media curfew again last night.  By 1 1/2 hours. I have found a writer/blogger/journalist that has been doing live feeds of the Portland protests every night. I followed along with him last night from downtown at Pioneer Courthouse Square, until the crowd made it's way back over the Burnside Bridge. His name is Robert Evans @IwriteOK ( https://twitter.com/IwriteOK?s=20 ). I read on his Twitter feed that the protests will continue tonight downtown beginning at 6 p.m. There will be speakers.  Overall, a very peaceful protest! Especially compared to protests over the weekend.  Even Mayor Ted Wheeler said so! In fact, he lifted curfew for tonight: https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020/06/portland-mayor-ted-wheeler-to-address-city-after-night-of-peaceful-protests.html I so enjoyed going along with the crowd from the safety of my own little basement room.  The protest was so peaceful, and well.."

Dear Friends: My daughter went back to work at her office today.  I am about to walk to the corner store for an iced tea.  We have survived quarantine! But I am going to keep blogging with the Pandemic Times heading, because the coronavirus is still with us - 82 days after the WHO declared it a pandemic. And after a night of exuberant protests, which consisted of thousands of people marching together, I am watching to see if there is a spike in cases. I did see most people wearing masks, and they were outside, but most of them were in close proximity to each other. I know that I was supposed to have a curfew on my social media each night. But I, like so many protestors broke curfew last night. However, mine was self imposed. I was at home. Watching the Portland protests on live feeds from the comfort of my own little room. Still, I couldn't stop watching. And I did not get to bed on time. (My new social media curfew is 9 p.m. every night. There. I said it. In public!)