I never in a million years would have believed I’d move so far away from home…and a home yoga practice

I’ve been thinking lately about how we identify with place. Last year at a gathering in Whitehorse, I was introduced as being from Salmon Arm, BC. Which, I suppose, is true, since that’s where I’m living right now. I had, after all, flown in for the event.

But at time, we had only been gone from Whitehorse for one year and I still very much identified myself as a Yukoner. So when the introduction came over the sound system, I had a very visceral reaction. A little twinge of adrenaline shot into my heart and I actually caught my breath. It felt so wrong! I felt, suddenly, like an outsider, a stranger in a place that was was so dear to my heart that I could still taste the air just by thinking about it.

I still can.

I’ve been living here in the Salmon Arm area for just over two years, now. And while I definitely feel more at home now than I did at first, I still don’t know my way around very well.

Forget directions that involve the name of whatever business was previously located next to the one I’m searching for. “It’s next to where the old yoga studio was before it moved up town.”
“And where is up town, exactly?”
“At the top of the hill, by McDonalds.”
Oh.

Or how about this one: “It’s on 18th.”
(Avenue or street? West or Nortwest? I believe there are four streets that begin with the number 18 in Salmon Arm. there might be more, I’m not sure.)

When we spent a year in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, I met an elderly woman who took me under her wing a little bit. She lived in a nice little house in a nice little neighbourhood of “newer” homes in town. “Newer” meaning built in the 1950s.

“Would you like to see where I’m from?” she asked me one day.
“Is it far?” I imagined a day trip to some other small Manitoba town, maybe an hour or so away.

We got into her car and drove about six blocks to the other side of town, and parked in front of a beautiful old heritage home.
“My nephew lives here, now,” she said, pointing out the dormer window that had been her childhood bedroom.

We walked up the street and down the alley behind the house, admiring the gardens full of tomato plants, rhubarb, and peonies while she reminisced about her childhood.”I never in a million years would have believed I’d move so far away from home,” she said, sadly.

It’s funny, isn’t it, how we can live quite happily in one place and yet still yearn for another. I don’t know if I’d move back to Whitehorse. I like it here. And yet, I identify myself as a Yukoner living away.

And every time we visit the coast and I get a whiff of that salt air, I yearn to live by the ocean again.

If home is really where the heart is, then I guess one can be at home in several places at once. And that’s a good thing, eh? Because the moral of the story is that home resides within us. We carry our homes inside us like turtles carries their on the outside.

HHome Yoga Practice

There are many ways to set up a home practice. If you’re interested in having one like mine, all you need is a space big enough to roll out your mat, a few uninterrupted minutes and a place to set your laptop (or a TV with a DVD player).

I currently practice with the Dianne Bondy on-line videos and with my Rodney Yee DVDs.

Here are some links to get you started. Have fun and choose what fits your style and your body. ♥

You can enroll with Dianne Bondy at Yogasteya. You can also check out her YouTube channel. Here’s a short sample:

There’s Curvy Yoga on YouTube:

And there’s Curvygirl Yoga, too:

My Aunt Margy recommends Jane Fonda’s yoga videos, which can be found on YouTube:

Last but not least, my all-time favourite  DVDs are by Rodney Yee. Especially his Yoga for Beginners series. Here is a sample:

Alaska Highway, Whitehorse to Watson Lake one year ago today

One year ago today I drove away from Whitehorse, embarking on a solo journey down the Alaska Highway in -30 something temperatures. I stopped along the way to take some photos and jot down some poems. Here is that post.

Day One: Whitehorse to Watson Lake (December 2, 2013)

This is the Alaska Highway: 037

 

 At 10:45 in the morning my car’s thermometer is pegged at-30: as low as it will go. I do not know how cold it really is, only that it is colder than 30 below. After an hour on the road, there is still ice on the hood of the car and the clutch is still as stiff as tar.
040 042

 

I am driving East, into the rising sun, with everything I own.
032

Poem:

When the road ahead
is drenched in molten gold
I know to raise my hand
in anticipation of being blinded,
until
the road slides west
and sunrise
falls

behind me.

044Haiku:

outhouse in December
someone has left the seat up
amber icicles

046

Poem:

Driving east,
sarah brightman
eases the pie jesu
into the rising sun

as brilliant bursts  of liquid bronze and gold
splash champagne,
while shadows
chase the sweetness
of the melody
across the hillsides.

039a

Poem:

Telephone poles stretching
one after the other,
t-braces white with frost,
a thousand messiahs
with knees and feet of alabaster

and frosty brows bowed down,
connected by living wire,

carrying my whispered voice
from christ jesus
to christ jesus

to christ jesus
until it reaches
your
ears.

This is a short video of the road, shot holding the camera on the dash as I drove. It’s beautiful. Click here if you can’t see it.

99 Square Feet: a tiny space with a big heart

I got a note from a friend the other day week reminding me that I haven’t posted any pictures of my creative space yet. Thank you to Shannon for the inspiration and nudge to get it done!

This is the North wall:

008The mirror is for dance practice.  The bookshelf holds my yoga, aerobics & (about half of my) dance videos. The TV and DVD player are mounted on the wall above the shelf.

And yes, there IS enough space in the middle of the floor to roll out my yoga mat!

West wall:

010I used one of my happy retirement gift certificates from my mates at Yukon College to buy these storage shelves for my fabric stash and sewing supplies.

006This morning I unpacked another box and found some missing items:

005If you’re a quilter, you probably have a big grin on your face right now. 🙂

On the South wall, Kelly built me the most gorgeous sewing nook in what used to be the closet.

007The East wall will eventually contain my writing desk and/or work table. I’d love to get one of those sweet little antique secretaries. But as you can see, space is an issue.

012The room is 9×11. Pretty good for 99 square feet, eh?

Last but not least, I’ve pulled the fabrics for my next quilt project:

002I’ve been collecting these oriental prints for a few years now.

003I actually have two lap quilts in mind 🙂

001Stay tuned!

Cheers for a Playful 2014!

Hello and Happy New Year!

Have you ever chosen a word
just one single word
to guide you through the year?

For the last couple of years I’ve held the word balance close to my heart. It was the word that helped me to navigate a very busy life: teaching up to 5 dance classes per week, directing a dance troupe, choreographing and producing shows while managing to have a family life and working a 9-5 day job (phew!)

58-Collins

Balance was the word that got me through to the other side of menopausal depression. I was out of balance physically, emotionally and hormonally. Searching for and maintaining balance was the lifeline that I clung to and the rope I hauled myself up by. It kept me secure during the heartache of deciding to let go of my dance troupe and students. I kept it in the front of my mind during my weight loss journey (65 pounds!).  It was the word that taught me to put health and happiness above productivity.

Balance guided me through the waters of deciding to retire relatively young; to move to a new town and seek out new adventures.

1-CollinsBalance: what a beautiful word!

But now it’s time for a new word to live by. It’s time to get out of the box and…

41-CollinsPLAY!

This year I am going to play in my kitchen and learn to bake a cake from scratch. Specifically, some of the Chatelaine cakes. Yum!

…and I will experiment creating delicious meals from all over the globe: India, Japan, Italy, Thailand…! No fear in the kitchen will be my new motto – play with those spices, Nita! Try it out!

37-CollinsIn my Creativity room I will play in the sewing nook, on the yoga mat, in-front-of the dance mirror and with words at my laptop.

My body will become stronger as I play outdoors, exploring local walking and hiking trails with Kelly and Sammy. We’ll take our bikes out and explore some of the country roads.

I will play in the garden, discovering all the wonders of living in a zone 5 gardening region.

I vow to put myself “out there” and be open to meeting new friends, getting involved in the community somehow (music? theater? dance?)

32-CollinsMy friend Melissa at 100 Billion Stars puts it brilliantly (you can read her entire blog post here):

Play is a way of making room for our potential. It isn’t about pretending to be something we hope to be one day. It isn’t about presenting a different face to the world, trying on masks and personae. It’s about being authentic and true to ourselves in an atmosphere without judgment or rules. It’s from this place that growth begins, releasing the possibilities that have been lying dormant all our lives.

So here I am this morning, wishing you all a wonderful year of play and a hell of a good time doing it!

70-CollinsNo fear! Have fun!

PLAY!

(these wonderful family photos were taken by Heather Jones of hpj photography at our Fox Lake cabin last September. We had so much fun!)

Retirement: week one

Today is my 6th day in my new home in Salmon Arm, B.C and I have been procrastinating (no, really!). This week is GIVEAWAY week over at Sew Mama Sew, and I have spent literally hours entering all the draws. There are over 300 draws.  Three Hundred. Yes, I entered every single one. :).

As a result, unpacking has been going very slowly. We bring in a couple of boxes and I take some things out and put other things back in then send the box back to the garage. Then enter another dozen draws. Then open another box. etc.  Actually, there is so little storage space here compared to my old house t trouble figuring out where to put stuff. Which takes me from “zero to overwhelmed in 60 seconds flat” several times a day. But that’s okay. There really isn’t any hurry, and I’m slowly finding the things I need the most.

Yesterday we were out all day and today we’ll be out again…Kelly’s new business as regional flight test examiner took him to Vernon yesterday, Kamloops today and Kelowna next week. (what? isn’t he supposed to be retired?). Not being familiar with these places, I’ve been riding shotgun.

We hung the cuckoo clock, the Jim Rob and the Chris Caldwell the other day. Funny how those little touches of Whitehorse brings the house that much closer to feeling like home.

On Sunday we were reacquainted with a friend from years ago (Anita) who came over with our dear friend Karyne who was visiting from Ottawa. Karyne considers it her good fortune that two of her good friends now live in the same town!  Makes it much easier to visit! So Anita drove her over and we had our first visitors in our new home. I had unpacked the tea and the cups, thank goodness! Next time Anita comes over I will have some cookies to offer her, and maybe even a plate to put them on, lol!

Upon our return from walking Samson on Tuesday afternoon, we were met on the street by new neighbours just down the hill (Bob and Darlene) who invited us in for coffee and shortbread. Isn’t that nice? 🙂

And since it is Christmas after all, I look forward to putting a halt to everything and baking some cookies soon. Maybe tomorrow can be a stay-at-home day and I can make a floury, sugary mess in the kitchen then. 🙂

This is just a little update so you don’t think I’ve forgotten y’all!

Arrived!

The last 2 days of my trip were without internet, so I will post about the 2nd half of my drive in another post. I wanted to send an update first, so you aren’t left wondering…did she arrive? Is she in a ditch somewhere? Lol! You’re welcome!

Yesterday was my first full day in my new home. What a wonderful day it was…yesterday just happened to be Open House day at the local wineries! Who cares about sorting and unpacking…lets go wine tasting!  We visited three local wineries: Ovino, Larch Hills and Sunnybrae. We came home with 4 bottles of reds and 2 bottles of whites. Oh my, you haven’t tasted wine until you’ve tasted it right from the winery and from grapes they grew themselves!

Kelly did my homecoming justice. The house was immaculate. Freshly painted, freshly floored (see this post for before & after photos). We still have the bathroom, the entrance room and the Kelly’s den to renovate, but those can wait until spring.

Oh, my! I am really retired! At age 52! It hasn’t quite sunk in yet…

Here is my den. I’ve been living out of these two bins since the end of June! I can’t wait to unpack my sewing supplies and make this room completely my own. I still don’t know what I want to call it. I don’t want to call it my “sewing room” because a lot more will be going on in here besides sewing. It will be my sewing/yoga/dance/writing room. That’s a lot of activity in a tiny 9 x 11 room!

Studio? Office? Den? Suggestions welcome!

binsAnd here is my computer set up in my den 🙂

computer

Good enough for now. Until I am quite a bit more organized and ready to decide where to hang shelves etc.

After we got home from the wine tastings, I decided that I wanted to put up the Christmas tree! I know, I know…I can hear what you are thinking! Crazy!

tree

But it feels so much more like home now, with my own little tree and familiar family ornaments.

angel

…and look! I finally have a mantel to decorate!