Heidi: Hurrah!

[Heidi]

A final hurrah! for 2017, I'm letting this challenge span from November 19 - December 31

 

This challenge I'm going to put together some of the best parts of 2017, laying a strong foundation as I head out of this year and into the next. We have two major holidays going on in this challenge, and I'm looking forward to the structure holding me. Also, I have Yet Another Court Case at the end of the challenge, so all structure is good structure; my balance tends to get wobbly with court cases.

 

The daily and weekly structure seems to work best for me, one of the lessons I've learned this year is that when I aim small I miss small, meaning that I can correct the course before I have strayed too far off the mark. This has been a really helpful lesson, not just in the gym or as a challenge element, but as a life tool. So with that in mind:

 

• Daily:
  • Sleep Chronic Fatigue makes sleep elusive and fitful. Routine helps, so with that I'm hoping to #Fall back into a routine:
  • Sauna or hot bath 
  • Swimming a few times a week, hopefully no less than three times. More is better on this front, so possibly daily. 
  • Writing a few pages each day, hopefully finding something that can get worked on well enough to turn in for the submission due on December 1. 
  • Reading I have a bunch of reading that has to be done in order to write papers that are due on December 4. I would like to have them done well in advance of that, as I'm getting together with a spiritual formation group to discuss Learning to Walk in the Dark, which I'm really looking forward to reading. The talk is November 30, and I can't really justify spending the time on the book if I haven't finished my classwork. Also, I need to develop the  daily reading habit once again. 
  • Knitting I am working on three different projects: A dress for me, a sweater for Vivian, a blanket for Vivian. It would be nice to wrap these up and have at least one to put under the tree for her. And of course, I want to wear the dress!  
• Weekly: 
  • Therapy works.
  • Legal Notes and Log Updates Court on December 19.
  • Editing The classmates' work will need to have three readings between Dec 1 and Dec 8, with written critiques due Dec. 8.  
  • Future Planning I have a few elements that need attention for where I'm heading: 
    • Submission Packet to Hollins
    • Scholarship packets to Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop - A and B
    • Scholarship submission to BYM Women's Meeting

 

Mantra: 

#Acceptance leads to #patience.

#Patience leads to #balance.

#Balance leads to #harmony.

#Harmony leads to #peace.

 

 

[Heidi]

Sunday saw some real positive motion, even when I wasn't feeling like moving. This was the win of last challenge coming home to roost, with autopilot being set to WIN mode. Routines really will be my way through, likely next year as well as this one.

 

After  Meeting for worship, there were two meetings that I was supposed to be in simultaneously, a metaphor for the previous year. I decided to resign from a committee. The news was received well, and they made me clerk of the meeting. This was weird, but okay in its own way. I told everyone that I felt comfortable if we all too a month to think about it.

 

After that, the autopilot took us to the gym, with swimming 440 yards, five minutes of hot tub and 15 minutes of sauna restoring my balance. The extra long shower afterwards was nice, too.

 

At home, we let routine carry the mundane, cooking and playing cards and knitting while we talked about difficult topics, listening and doing well, staying present and loving. This was good.

 

Also, we are almost done with season one of The Crown, and it's just beautiful.

 

[DarK_RaideR]

You know I'm here to cheer you on. Doing a balance-themed challenge myself, so who better to draw inspiration from than the Archdruid herself

[Heidi]

@Teros and @DarK_RaideR called me out of my gaming drought.

Who wants to join in the HardCore Diablo3 action?

 

Character notes pending, but I'm heading back to my Demon-Killing Badass Eye-On-The-Prize Format: the punchlist.

Just do it.

 

Hardcore elements for this challenge: (Completion Date)

Read the books: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (Dec 4)

Write the papers 1, 2, 3 (Dec 4)

Write the pages (Dec 1)

Read the pages (Dec 8)

Write the critiques 1, 2, 3 (Dec 8)

Application Package (January 8)

Scholarship package 1, 2 (challenge dates)

Court (Dec 19)

Bonus: co-mediation certification (challenge dates)

Log process in the journal each day

          Week 0: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (Nov 20-26)

          Week 1: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (Nov 27-Dec 3)

          Week 2: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (Dec 4-10)

          Week 3: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (Dec 11-17)

          Week 4: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (Dec 18-24)

          Week 5: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (Dec 25-31)

 

[Teros]

" Demon-Killing Badass "

does this mean you're a Demon Hunter?

 

 

[Heidi]

Repost from over in DR's thread:

'm updated and my tag is Heidi#11952

I'm a Demon Hunter.

Are we playing seasonal? An actual game together on battle.net? solo?

you know the kinds of questions I usually have. 

I'm off to an appointment and then a trip to the gym and then a meeting afterward. 

I will probably be on tomorrow.

 Heidi#11952

[Heidi]

Swam 440 yards, then 20 minutes in the sauna.

Went to a meeting and knit some while talking about being centered. 

Life is good.

[Heidi]

On 11/20/2017 at 10:19 AM, Teros said:

" Demon-Killing Badass "

does this mean you're a Demon Hunter?

 

 

In fact it does!

[Heidi]

My shoulders were a bit achy from days of swimming and reading, so tonight we dusted off the old routine.

15 minutes walking (about a mile)
Weight Room:
 

• 32 twisted angels
• 32 inclined twisted sit ups
• 24 swimmers presses, 7.5# each hand
• 16 kettlebell squats, 20#

20 minutes in the sauna.

 

Life is good.

[spooky]

*sighs in contentment*

 

inspiring as always, heidi!

[Teros]

12 hours ago, Heidi said:

twisted angels

?

[Heidi]

12 hours ago, spooky said:

*sighs in contentment*

 

inspiring as always, heidi!

HI HI HI, @spooky!

*tacklehug*

glad to see you again.

[Heidi]

15 minutes ago, Teros said:

?

These are a thing that I came up with when I got bored of doing it "the same old way" on the Roman Chair back extension.

this thing:

I still do the normal way, but after that I come up to the side, as though I'm shooting a bow behind me, and then I made it into a set:

Center, twist left, center, twist right.

I like it.

If I think about it, and if he's willing, I'll have Harvey shoot a little video of it the next time we are in the weights room.

[JessOfAllTrades]

Absolutely love the breakdown of dailies and weeklies and I so stole that for my challenge this round. 

[Heidi]

9 hours ago, JessOfAllTrades said:

Absolutely love the breakdown of dailies and weeklies and I so stole that for my challenge this round. 

Wonderful!!

Steal away and let me know if it works for you or if you tweak it -- sharing success is how it works best.

Welcome, @JessOfAllTrades.

[Heidi]

A Druidic-Rangering Sort of Day

 

Yesterday was a day without any focus whatsoever, and I barely remembered my own name, let alone was productive. Today was better, but it wasn't really what I would call focused, and, after sitting with that feeling for a bit, I decided to lean into it instead of trying to work against it.

What happened was a complete surprise, I promise you. With each step, I decided i would just do a little of whatever, usually something that seemed okay-ish, though not really interesting or compelling. I decided to read a bit and picked up the book-in-progress. An hour later, I had finished it, made significant paper-worthy notes in the margin along the way, and decided to pick up the next one in the stack. I'm now twenty percent of the way through that one, and there are notes in it as well.

After that, I checked my mail and made a few necessary phone calls, not really wanting to do much of anything involved. I noticed that there is a contest that seems like something a friend of mine would like, so I sent it along. Fiction isn't really my thing, let alone speculative fiction, but there was a sentence that came my way, so I wrote it down. Three pages later, it's a pretty good sketch, though not speculative fiction at all. I have no idea what to do with it, or what it will become, but it's real and on the page.

After that, I welcomed Harvey home and he brought in the cubby unit for Vivian's room (we are slowly getting the organization of the apartment done). We decided to see what the assembly requirements were, and the next thing you know we were done with it and had it in place.

Then we were heading to the gym, just to do a little something, maybe walk, and I remembered that we needed to drop by the comic book shop. We browsed and had a lovely time talking with Erin, who has a fondness for similar works as those we are getting for Vivian. She mentioned many helpful things, and, in true Nerd fashion, had a list for us before we left.

We went on our way to the gym, where we talked with Maggie, our favorite staff member. She was also full of good conversation and helpfulness, as always, and it's a delight to see her. We decided just to walk a bit, and after a half mile I asked if he would video the twisted angels, so we went off to do that. Then, since I was there, it made sense to do some situps. He went off to row for ten minutes, and I messed about with the weights and the yoga center, then hopped on the treadmill next to a classmate and jogged a quarter mile while I talked about reunion (I'm not going; she is). Harvey still had five minutes to go on the rower, so I sat on the one next to him and did 500 meters at his pace (2m45s), which was enough for me, thank you very much. We went down to the pool, just to stretch, and the water was so wonderful and warm that I swam 475 yards in fifteen minutes. Back in the locker room, the sauna was amazingly serene and welcoming; twenty minutes slipped by before I knew it.

I didn't set out to be a Ranger today.
It just sort of happened while I wasn't paying too much attention to anything.
 

• Read: Finished book 3 (of six); began book 4; notes throughout
• Write: Three pages
• Call Mrs. Potter
• Pre-Registration call for medical appointment
• Assemble the cubby unit for Vivian's room
• Comic Shop
• Gym:
  • Walk: half-mile in ten minutes
  • 16 twisted angels -- video coming
  • 16 inclined twist sit ups
  • 16 swimmers presses (7.5# each hand)
  • 45 second plank
  • Downward Dog
  • Childs Pose
  • jog a quarter mile while talking with Jen about the reunion
  • 500 m rowing
  • 440 yards swimming
  • 20 minutes sauna

[Heidi]

Twisted angels:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5U1kDUqNVLQ3EdUa2 

 

[spooky]

9 hours ago, Heidi said:

HI HI HI, @spooky!

*tacklehug*

glad to see you again.

HI HI HI!!!

*hugs*

glad to be back!

 

it looks like you ended up getting a lot done, but the real victory was leaning into a feeling and finding your way there without pressure. #goals. 

[DarK_RaideR]

17 hours ago, Heidi said:

I still do the normal way, but after that I come up to the side, as though I'm shooting a bow behind me

That is a very druid-y thing to do. Reminds me of a few twisty yoga moves the names of which I can't recall. Crescent moons or something?

 

8 hours ago, Heidi said:

Twisted angels:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5U1kDUqNVLQ3EdUa2 

I love the flow in these, looks very fluid as opposed to the stiff way I'm used to see people doing them (myself included, I won't lie)

 

8 hours ago, Heidi said:

I didn't set out to be a Ranger today.
It just sort of happened while I wasn't paying too much attention to anything.

That's how it starts, then before you know it...

[Heidi]

9 hours ago, spooky said:

HI HI HI!!!

*hugs*

glad to be back!

 

it looks like you ended up getting a lot done, but the real victory was leaning into a feeling and finding your way there without pressure. #goals. 

I agree. The win was in the exploring and accepting mindset, which allowed me to do something without feeling as though I had any control over its outcome.

 

1 hour ago, DarK_RaideR said:

That is a very druid-y thing to do. Reminds me of a few twisty yoga moves the names of which I can't recall. Crescent moons or something?

 

I love the flow in these, looks very fluid as opposed to the stiff way I'm used to see people doing them (myself included, I won't lie)

 

That's how it starts, then before you know it...

I was a Ranger for my first few challenges, because Everything Is Awesome!

Hey. I just realized that I passed my five year NF anniversary last challenge. Go me. 

 

The flow is what it's all about for me, in weights or yoga or personal finance.

Balance creates flow.

 

And you know, Druids gotta Druid.

Much love to you this day, @spooky and @DarK_RaideR. It's good to have you along.

 

[Vibrantella]

10 hours ago, Heidi said:

Twisted angels:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5U1kDUqNVLQ3EdUa2 

 

Thanks for this brilliant idea, I'm stealing it!   I need more flexibility as it is.

 

Also, happy NF anniversary!  

 

[maegs]

On 11/22/2017 at 7:41 PM, Heidi said:

Twisted angels:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5U1kDUqNVLQ3EdUa2 

 

Those are so fluid! Like you're dancing or something!

[Heidi]

On 11/23/2017 at 6:19 AM, Vibrantella said:

Thanks for this brilliant idea, I'm stealing it!   I need more flexibility as it is.

 

Also, happy NF anniversary!  

 

The twisted angels have magic powers:

Increased flexibility, increased core strength, better posture and it's a waist whittler too!! 

[Heidi]

Swam 450 yards

Sauna for 20 minutes.

[Heidi]

The gym was closed on Thanksgiving, of course, so we scheduled a rest day.

 

Yesterday we did a little before cooking and tidying up for having a couple friends over, which was grand, and the first entertaining we have done in the new place.

 

This morning they gym had a squirrel in the electrical system, which has closed down bother pools and the Y Arcade. We all adapted.

 

Walk half mile.

Weights:

24 twisted angels

24 inclined sit-ups

24 backscratcher 5# l,r

24 monkey scratches 5# l,r

16 fly 5# l,r

45 plank

Down dog

Plank

Child's pose

Half mile walk 

20 minute sauna