What I've Been Doing

A View of My Porch

I thought I would stop by this little place on the web to say "hello". I've opened this blog of mine every night this week and ended up becoming distracted by all the things to look at on the net. Today I spent way too much time organizing my Pinterest Boards. Yes, I actually organized the boards like it was very important.  Which, in my defense...it is important. If I have everything pinned randomly then how will I ever find anything? Finding virtual things can take more time than finding physical things.

I've also been reading...I know, I know, I've written more "What I've Been Reading" posts than "What I've Been Doing" posts. So, I will share a little about what I've been doing.  I've been doing lots and lots of yoga. I practiced over 22 hours of yoga in October and 20 hours in September. Tracking my practice helps me stay accountable to myself.

I am stronger than I was in January. My breathing is improved as well (asthma). The thing that is perhaps most surprising (to me) is the emotional benefits. I think everyone knows about exercise endorphins, but it's more than that. I feel much more centered and calm after yoga.

My mind is completely in the moment while I'm practicing. My only thoughts during the practice are about the pose. Though, sometimes I think "Dang it's hot", I consider that still "staying in the moment".  The final pose of our practice is Savasana which is restorative. The combination of physical exertion and meditative savasana brings ease to my mind. It centers me and reminds me that worry is not necessary or even helpful. Everything has its time. It truly is okay to let go of thoughts and worries and put them aside until it's time to work on them.

So, that's what I've been doing.

Until Next Time,

Mindy, Mindy, Mindy

Remember my vacation read...it was none other than Mindy Kaling's first book. I was excited to see a new book was coming out. --Look at the lovely cover. A couple of weeks ago I read Mindy's new book: Why Not Me? 

It's taken me a while to actually write my review and this is why. I love Mindy. I mean I feel like I know her. She is funny and irreverent and she is not afraid to call BS. So many things I love and admire about her. 

As much as I loved her first book, this one didn't move me quite as much. It wasn't quite as compelling. What I loved about her first book is that it felt more like a memoir. She shared stories about middle school friendships. Being part of a group and ultimately choosing to be true to herself and her BFF. She tells us what connected them. We see clues to the future comic writer that Mindy becomes.

This book is more a set of essays that center around more current life events such as working as a writer on The Office and then getting her own show. The snippets she shares about how she chose to develop the characters on The Mindy Project  are interesting.  Though the essays that talk about "what it's like to be a celebrity" are not nearly as engaging. She is certainly funny and even self-deprecating,  but the essays aren't nearly as personal or intimate.

If you like Mindy, you'll find the book worth your time. Her unique voice comes through. I'm glad I read it. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Coffee at Cocoa Cinnamon

Long time no post...and I feel the need to apologize or explain...which is silly. I write this mainly as a memoir for myself. I like the space and the voice that it gives me. The blog is certainly not a journal, although I have kept journals in the past. My journal entries meander and often forget to come to a point or conclusion. My favorite journals are the ones I kept while traveling. I recently dug one out to remind myself of a few things. I am so thankful for my words because they transported me back to that place and time. I plan on sharing some of that trip here...soon.

At Cocoa Cinnamon - Durham

It's crazy how fast a year moves by, in the macro sense, I mean. October is over half over and tonight we have our first frost warning. Can it be that only two weeks ago (three?) I was sitting outside with a friend over coffee and cake?

We walked to Cocoa Cinnamon, a cool small coffee shop with signature coffees that include things like black lava salt or cayenne pepper. I wasn't brave enough for the pepper or the salt, but I did have a latte with blackstrap molasses. It turns out that blackstrap molasses are NOT sweet. --Surprise.

Durham has some pockets of coolness. I have not discovered all of them. The downtown area is becoming revitalized with new construction (read: Apartments, Condos, Office Buildings...High-End loft type spaces). But the edges of the area are making good use of what we used to call old (sometimes abandoned) now considered historic buildings. I have a real appreciation for these buildings and spaces.  I love that new life is being poured into them. Like a good pair of jeans, the area feels grown into to...softened and more comfortable than new.

I read about Mars...I liked it

"The Martian 2014"
Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia.

I ventured out of my comfort zone with my most recent read, The Martian, by Andy Weir. It's science fiction, which I haven't read since Junior High school and even then I wasn't a fan. You can guess by the title (and other clues) that it's about space travel. --Again, not something I ever saw myself being interested in.  But, I chose to give this book a try.

The biggest surprise about this book? I LOVED IT!

I knew when I started the book that it was being made into a movie, with Matt Damon. Before I read the book I thought, "that's a Matt Damon movie I don't plan to see." You know, Mars? I couldn't see the appeal.

I read the first chapter before choosing the book and was hooked. The book starts out with:

I'm pretty much @*!#ed. That's my considered opinion. @*!#ed.
Six days into what should be the greatest two months of my life, and it's turned into a nightmare.

Those are the first words of astronaut Mark Watney. Resist reading I could not. See what I did there? Yoda speak.

The story pulled me in. Weir deserves a lot of credit for writing a sciency, techie story that doesn't read like gibberish. I read it within the span of a single weekend.  As I immersed myself in Watney's world I was immersed on Mars. Let me just say, Watney is crazy smart. That's part of what was so engaging. With each of Watney's innovated solutions for survival, I felt myself getting an "AHA" moment. Thoughts of *hand slap to forehead* "of course that's what you should do!"

Let me also say that the book has hold your breath suspense. I totally believed every premise in the book.

PLOT TWIST: I'm totally going to see the movie.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Yoga...Upside Down

My 2nd Aerial Class

I'm still into the whole yoga thing. I'm getting stronger and I'm delighted at the end of each class. I liken my state of mind/body after a class to when I was a child and we spent several hours swimming at the pool. I was always so tired and relaxed afterward. Plus I was really happy because swimming and splashing and diving for pennies was just so dang fun.

2nd Inversion in My 2nd Class

I tried a new yoga class four weeks ago. I've been thinking about it ever since my yoga immersion that started in January. The class? Aerial yoga! The studio's aerial class is on Saturdays at 6:00 (at night...mornings would be a non-starter).

The first time I went was on Labor Day weekend. It was sort of the spur of the moment. I'd been quietly feeling blah because I hadn't done yoga in three days. So, I checked out the studio online and signed up, with just 30 minutes to get there. I think that was key...there wasn't really enough time to think about it or talk myself out of it.

In that first class, I was the ONLY student! Seriously! How lucky is that? A personal one-on-one aerial yoga session for my first time. It was intimidating and wonderful and exhausting.

Last week was my third class. I was ecstatic because I was able to do the inversion without a spotter. (That was a first). I felt more confident in this inversion than I had in the prior classes. You can see how much more relaxed my face is.

I'm glad I went and I'm glad I went back.

Until next time!