The Year of Living with the C word.

COVID.  It has been over a year with this pandemic and I still go through my WTF moments.  

We all have our own personal stories - my story is no more or less than others and the pandemic has affected all of us in different ways.  Trips and major events have been canceled, weddings have been postponed,  large get-togethers are still a no-no and it's not business as usual.  But this IS a pandemic, and while vaccinations are underway, the virus isn't going away anytime soon.  It can get down right fucking depressing. 

The year has been tough. I live far from my parents and my siblings and it has been over a year since seeing any of them. I've got people all over, from Nova Scotia to California, and from Florida to Ontario and places in between.  This causes quite a bit of emotional turmoil and I am also going through menopause, oh good. Bring on the hot flashes and mood swings and for godsakes if you value your life you will turn down the fucking heat!!!!!  Top that all up with a  new dose of vertigo and hearing loss.....basically I am fucked.  

So is there anything good?  

Yes.  

Yes there is.  

Yes it sucks AND yes there are some good things that have come out of it. 

Here are my top 10 in no particular order.

Where we live  

We are lucky to live in a place where vaccinations are available for the public. I received my first Pfizer shot last week and remember thinking how grateful I am to live in this country.  As I sat for my 15 minutes after my shot, I thought how grateful I am for my family and friends; to all healthcare workers, whether on the frontlines or behind the scenes; for all administrative staff in hospitals; and grateful for Science and all those involved in the vaccination process from start to finish.  

Curbside pick-up

This feature should never go away!  I love the ability and choice to NOT have to go into a store, whether it is Home Depot, the local pharmacy for a medication pick up, or Walmart.  To go to the parking lot, have prime parking and text someone that you are "here!" is awesome!  You open your trunk, they load your junk, you drive home. Done. Nuff said!

Online shopping

This has been a thing long before the pandemic, but shopping has never been so easy and fun!  I have never loved mall shopping (still love cute little one-off shops especially in our lovely Inglewood). But to order online has been amazing. I love how local shops have this too (we love ordering from the Best of Calgary) and we don't always have to order from Amazon!  Returns are easy, shopping is not limited to work hours and it can be just fun.  I may have developed a slight addiction, but it ebbs and flows. And speaking of flow......Market Wines has free delivery within Calgary!  Yes!

https://bestofcalgaryfoods.com/

https://www.marketwines.ca/

Wash your hands and no spitting on my cake!

These both just make good sense!   Wash your hands...before cooking, after the bathroom, before and after anything, just wash your hands and carry hand sanitizer everywhere! Sing along to your 20 second song!  And regarding the cake thing....who ever liked eating the spit-glistening icing anyway?  Or did we just never think about it?  Well, it's out there now, so lets just give the birthday person their own cupcake and let them blow on that and I can just get my own, clean cupcake thanks! 

Virtual Health

I am amazed at how fast things went from all in-person to the ability to zoom with patients.  Working in healthcare, this has been huge!  I also love that physicians are making phone calls as this did not happen as often before. Having the option to do your appointment by phone or zoom is something that will be here to stay.  For sure virtual visits do not replace the value of an in-person visit, but for patients and their families it gives them flexibility to still proceed with the appointment if it is difficult for whatever reason to make the commute. A win-win for everyone!

Family Time

My two university kids were virtual for most of the year and it was even though it was tough, we did get a lot of family time.  We played games - tried Monopoly (still a no-go as fights can break out), but loved Code Names, Sushi Roll, King of Tokyo, Poker and Dealers Choice.  We had some awesome fireside chats outdoors with good wine and good laughs.  We had a few family activities like skating on Gap Lake, and driving with my husband to watch the sunrise at Moraine Lake which had more parking than usual as there are no tour busses.  Spending this time together was not always perfect, but it was excellent, and I will cherish these memories and hold them close to my heart. 

Netflix and Prime and Disney, Oh My!    

So in a word.   Bridgerton.   But watched lots of great shows including Bridgerton. Did I mention Bridgerton?  Seriously though, we watched Mandalorian, Killing Eve, Schitts Creek, Wanda Vision and more. Plus don't forget to tune in for Season 4 of Handmaid's Tale starting up right around the corner!  I did not watch the Tiger King (I tried!) but loved having our Marvel Marathon, and rewatching the classic Star Wars Movies and a few Disney flicks too - Lilo and Stitch is a family favorite! So much fun to snuggle in with a bowl of popcorn, a loved one and a furry friend! A great way to help carry us through and spend time together. 

WFH

Whether you are Working From Home or Working-Out From Home, the same benefits apply.  Stumble out of bed, grab coffee, a quick shower and dress up from the waist up (sweats on!) and you can be at work in less than 30 minutes.  Same with workouts.  Stumble out of bed, grab my workout stuff, stumble to the basement and in less than 10 minutes I am ready with my yoga mat and water bottle. No commute in the morning is Bliss, especially on snow days! I know that the WFH may change, but hoping to have a balance of  GTFO (go-to-the-fucking-office)  and WFH. Zen.

Pet World! 

I love my dog. Not only has she embraced quarantine, she now knows the world revolves around her even more than it did before.  My people are here all the time!!!!!  That means they want to play fetch all the time!  Yay!!!  This does come with more whining (especially around meal times) and more sad looks when we can't play (WFH - see above), but when you factor in an extra dog walk at lunchtime, it is pretty great!

The Camera Loves You!  

Zoom Zoom!  I know that we all have zoom-fatigue but with my family living all over the globe, it has been my saviour.  I see my mom everyday, and I love it.  I have even seen my dad a few times on Zoom, which was amazing as he prides himself on not knowing how to email people.  For sure Zoom, or Facetime or Whatsapp video do not and will not ever replace the hugs, but having this ability with my family and my in-laws has been awesome.  We did a murder mystery with our friends at Christmas, and have done several zoom birthday parties, and while I can't wait for the big gathering to celebrate everything we missed, I am grateful that we have remained together and connected during this time apart. 

Gratitude is powerful.  

Feel the bad and sad, always embrace the good and joy.  

Gratitude is powerful. 

 

   

Be One with the Food....

Yoga:   physical, mental and spiritual practices to attain a state of permanent peace of mind in order to experience one's true self. 

The beauty of my Mother's Day
Brunch last year....

I started blogging a couple years ago due to a yoga-related mishap.   Even though I am not a "bendy and flexy" person, when I do go to the occasional yoga class, I am able to breath and find some moments of inner peace.  But I have found one form of yoga I could truly master...Food Yoga.  Even just saying the term "food yoga" makes me think of food on so many different levels.   I used this term recently with a client while describing the art of mindful eating.  What would my definition of food yoga be?

Food Yoga:  To practice healthy, wholesome and soulful eating while being mindful of both your inner and outer surroundings.

Think for a minute about our inner surroundings.  Eating is an incredibly complex process that we often take for granted.  It involves all five of our senses, all twelve of our cranial nerves, facial muscles, a complex swallowing mechanism so we don't choke on our food...and that all happens before the food even reaches the stomach!

Now think about our outer surroundings.What does the food look like?  Sound like?  Smell like?  Can you see the different colours on your plate?  Can you hear the crackle of  breaking bread?  The sizzle of steak on the BBQ?  Smell the wonderful aroma....take it in before really taking it in.  We have all or our senses activated before we even manage to actually eat what is in front of us.

The wonderful feeling of sharing a
holiday feast with family 

We take all of these food-steps for granted when we rush or eat mindlessly.  We may not even notice other aspects of our surroundings...the ambiance, the company we keep, the conversations we may miss due to rushing.  I am not saying we always have to be aware of every step, but practicing food yoga can help strengthen our relationship with food.  Ultimately, food yoga can enable us be mindful of what we are doing and focus on the enjoyment of eating and the afterglow of a good meal instead of rushing to the finish line.  What's that saying...it's not the destination, but the journey?

I know you may be thinking..."it's just food...what is she going on (and on) about?" but eating is something we do on a daily basis.  While we may not have time to practice food yoga everyday, maybe we should try sometimes to just take a moment during a meal....stop....close our eyes...and just.... breathe.

Zumba / Yoga

Monday, Monday.  My Monday was fairly productive with all the errands that had to be done, and I actually exercised TWICE in one day.  A rarity for me.  I went to zumba this morning, which was awesome!  I told my friend that it's probably the first time we've gone "dancing" and didn't have to call for a cab to take us home afterwards!

I also went for more hot yoga after dinner.  I have to say that the hot yoga has grown on me so much that I think my body misses it if I don't go.  Tonight's class was packed and even though the class starts at 7:15 pm, if you don't get there by 7 you are screwed for floor space.   I am very particular where I sit.  I like to sit in a corner, so I have nobody on one side of me.  I also like to sit where I know nobody is behind me (like I need someone staring right at THAT).  My friend and I got there tonight at 6:45 and if we had arrived a few minutes later, we would not have gotten our favourite spot.

But the body feels good after all that stretching, and my mind is relaxed, and I feel calm, cool and collected...ok fine!   I confess that I am having a half glass of wine, so this is also helping my mood.

So what did I learn today?  To show up for yoga 30 minutes early or you don't get your spot.  I also learned that downward dog can be a resting position as it is the lesser of many other evil positions in the class.  The last lesson I learned today: it's okay to drink wine on a Monday.

Namaste.

The New Yogi: 6th Class

We had a NEW yogi tonight and she was tough! At one point my friend and I referred to her as evil. Note that she's not really evil and is actually quite sweet, but holy crap! Picture this...you are in your "table-top position" on all fours, and she says softly and slowly....raise your left arm and stretch it out in front of you (so far so good)...and now raise your left leg and stretch it out in back of you...(did she just say to raise the same leg and the same arm at the same time??), AND we had to do this while squeezing a frickin yoga-block between our thighs at the same time. All you heard during that move were groans (or were they ohmmmmmss...???) and the thuds from the blocks hitting the floor. Time for the second set of "same arm, same leg, stretched out..." but now she says... gently move your arm to the back, and gently (I now hate the word gently) kick your foot into your hand and raise it.... (What the frick? What is she saying to do?!?). Okay. Its yoga....only push yourself as far as you can go...no judgement happens here. And...breathe out. The downward dogging today was also a bit more tricky as I found out that you should not have to readjust your hands and feet to go from downward dog to high push-up /plank. Seriously??? I'll have to work on that.

But, in all honestly, sitting here right now at home, all showered and in my jammies, I feel great! I feel happy and I feel...not so old! Even though the evil yogi (who as I said is not really evil at all) challenged me today, the end result was the same...good for the mind, body and soul. And I am still going to go back for more! Namaste!

btw...I posted a link below...has one vulgar word at the end, so don't watch it if you don't like swearing. but if you are okay with it (I am) then make sure and watch til the end. Another friend of mine sent this to me before I even started yoga, and I thought it was pretty funny!

http://youtu.be/IMC1_RH_b3k

Quiet Moments

Saturday. From September to March, we are usually busy every weekend with hockey and ringette. Practices, games, etc... This year, the kids are in spring activities, but as luck would have it, the activities are only during the week. That means no early mornings and no weekend games or practices. It felt a bit strange today, being able to wake up and not really know what our plans were! I actually ended up going to a yoga/pilates fusion class (and even enjoyed it despite the fact that I could not do the up-in-the-air-leg-splaying move). The kids both had a quiet morning, and they even were able to curl up with good book for while today! As important as it is to keep kids busy and active, part of healthy living also has to include those quiet moments where there are no electronics, no planned activities, and just some time to be by yourself. Nourishment of the mind, body and soul...that's what today was about for our family, and it was a great day!

Hot Yoga: 4th Class

My fourth class tonight with my friend, and I actually find myself liking this class...what the ???? The first few times I went, she would text me and ask if I am going to yoga....my response was always "maybe, haven't decided yet". Then she got smart, and asked me for a ride. But tonight, when I received her text at 6 pm, it said "yoga?" and my immediate response was "yup...you bet!" I guess that means I am changing for the better...and I can get out of the house from 6:30 - 8:30...no kids, no husband, no errands. Still had some challenging moves tonight. Like "plant your hands on the ground....then slowly place your knees on your triceps.....(really?!??) and gently lift your feet up..." not ready for THAT one yet. Got my feet up for a micro-second, and almost fell on my face. But, all in all, I feel great and I am sure I noticed some improvements. So will there be a fifth class? Yup, you bet.

Hot Yoga Mishap

Tonight was my third hot yoga class. I am enjoying the feeling afterwards, and I think (think!!!) I am getting better at a few things...though I really don't like that mirror at the front. I am sure it is a trick mirror that makes me look 20 lb heavier even though everyone else looks normal.

So there I was doing the downward dog, and we'd done a few by this point, maybe like 15 minutes or so into the class. My head is upside down, and I feel this "thing" kind of dangling at my face. (so picture it....me, downward dog, and not doing it gracefully at all, and my head is hanging upside-down, and there's a thing flapping around the side of my face). I try to "gracefully" push it out of the way by lifting one of my hands off the sticky mat. I then brushed it away, and tried to feel what it was. Couldn't figure it out on the first try, almost fall on my face, then tried again. This time I got a hold of it, and it was my freakin' ta-ta tamer lulu bra strap! It had come undone! Wtf????? are you kidding me? I had to go out of the class, and nicely ask the receptionist to hook it back on for me as it had come off from the back clip! I have never had that happen to me before! That was my misadventure for the day....at least everyone was still "dogging" when I did a fast tip-toe out of the studio! Ah well. They say in yoga there is no judgement and that it is a safe place....so really, all in all, it could have been worse! I'll still be there next time, but will have to make sure the "girls" are secure in their holding cell.