Amazing Grace!

What once was lost has now been found! Thanks to Mona from Fron Lutheran Church in Starbuck, MN I am back on a labyrinth track again! I resurrected a labyrinth presentation for 15 women at Lake Ida this morning. What an amazing moment of grace as I wound my way through the explanations and questions of wondering women. We spend about an hour in discussion, then another hour wandering in deliberate circles on the labyrinth.
I had forgotten how much I enjoy working with the labyrinth and the peace it provides me. Interesting that the workshops/retreats I did mostly (prior to July of 2004) were on life transitions. I need a retreat like that now! Can I do one for/on myself? I suppose I can if I am completely dedicated to it.
This felt so good today. So natural. So real. So centered. So perfect. So why am I not doing more of it? Good question.

A Kinder, Gentler Activism

The world could use more of this……
 Free Hugs

Thank you, Paul Louie. You're one of the best.

Gray Dawns & Rainy Days

(This commentary was begun on Tuesday, June 15.)
It seems everyone across the US is having rainy days lately. Even my cousin in Slovakia has complained about the rain & hail where she lives. Rainy days make for muddy paws on my puppy and reduced energy in my soul.

But what are the subtleties of rainy days? What do I get to do on those days without sunshine that I may be blinded to otherwise?
I discovered that one thing I can do is marvel at the vibrant beauty I am surrounded by. Orioles, hummingbirds, goldfinches, house finches, cardinals, woodpeckers, loons, white pelicans. The intense greenness of the grass. The lush wonder of the garden -- slightly over watered right now -- just waiting for the sun's warmth to burst into bloom. The crystal clearness of the water droplets on the ends of the grass blades as they wait for a breeze to send them collapsing to the soggy ground below. The way the ripples on the water change the gray color from one shade to the next -- deeper, lighter, doesn't matter. It sets itself up for a black and white portrait with many shades of gray. The fine architecture and construction which shelters me from the shock of cold rain is beautiful in it's simplicity.
I am lucky. No. Change that. My mom would say I am "fortunate -- luck has nothing to do with it." I hope you can all find some brightness on the soggiest of days.

Hot

It's hot today in Fremont. 92d F at 4pm local. 60% humidity.
Looking forward to Mother's Day with the kids!

Nancy

Irish Coffee for Breakfast

Nope, I'm not in Ireland! I'm at Ida with Rick & Dexter. Rick's making brunch today: fresh strawberries and Irish Coffee. The eggs are gone so it's just fresh fruit and coffee with some toast & jam.
Thanks to Russ May, Rick is learning the art of making the perfect Irish Coffee via Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco. We've determined a field trip is necessary! Any takers??
Time for brunch, then puppy training and a walk. Gotta love Lake Ida!
Oh! The ice is getting ready to go out on the lake! Lots of groaning and cracking today as it heats up into the 60s. The pock marks on the surface doubled in size overnight. Nice.

Dexter is enjoying the lake, too. He is such a good dog. We are training him to come-a-runnin' when he hears the ships' bell clang. He's doing remarkably well with that. (Treats help). He's learning "sit/stay", "leave it", and "off" this week. We're reviewing "look" and "easy" from last week. We're working on loose leash walking (no tugging). This is not easy for the little guy, but he's trying.
He loves to bird watcy! (See photo). He notices birds flying, birds in trees and birds at feeders. I can hardly wait to get his DNA results back! That will be around the end of April. There is definitely Spaniel in there, probably Lab and mayber Terrier. He has webbing between his toes so he's definitely a water dog. Yay!
Last night we had guests for dinner (Hardine's, Ringdahl's and the Jon/Kathy Peterson's) and Dex was the perfect dog host: no begging, little jumping and doing everything outside that needs to be done "outside". Awesome. Watch for Dexter's blog on blogspot coming soon!
Ciao for now!
N

St Paul, MN

We arrived in the rain at the airport Monday night and I don't think it stopped until Saturday morning sometime. Inches and inches of rain fell. The snow and ice melted (mostly). There was even a thunderstorm in the mix! We must've lost 18 inches of snow this week alone! We have (brown) grass showing in the back yard and today it is supposed to reach 60! Woo hoo!

On Tuesday night, 3/09/10, we welcomed our new puppy home! Dexter is a spaniel/lab mix. He was black when we adopted him, now he is turning a lovely dark chocolate color. He has grown so much this week. He has kept us busy with puppy training and housebreaking -- although he's pretty good in general.

My arthritis has been bad this week. Kept me in bed most of Thursday. I also have a bronchial infection with an associated cough, so the antibiotics have been prescribed. I have been referred to a Phase 3 drug study for a drug currently used for Psoriasis that may have benefit for people with PsoriaticArthritis. We'll see if I qualify and what may occur from that.

In the meantime, it's nice to be in St Paul for awhile. Training a new puppy, facilitating the "get acquainted" stage between cat and dog and discovering the boundaries of my physical wellness.

Casa Grande

Whew. Tired. Lots happened in Mesa this last week. Almost all of it Excellence Beyond Expectations! Now, Rick and I will rest a while with his sister Roxy, her husband, Sanders, their granddaughter, Delilah and Roxy's dad and stepmom at Roxy & Sanders' home before heading back to MN. I needed the break.
The weather is perfect here -- well, a little coolish. The sun is warm, but not hot. The shade begs a sweater or sweatshirt at mid-day. There is no breeze to speak of. Just blue skies and sunshine. Mmmmmmm.
Gotta go outside for a while!
Later gator!

Arizona

Arrived in Mesa yesterday to rain and temps in the 50s. We could see our breath! It is very green in AZ!
This year's sales conference for Midwest is going to be fantastic! We meet (starting this morning) for 3 1/2 days to get revved-up for 2010! There are almost 40 of us here ready to learn from each other. It's gonna be a great week.
Am off to breakfast meeting #1!

I say: isn't it nice to be home again.

The nice things about being "home"

• I get to sleep in my own bed.
• I get to see family and friends on a regular basis.
• I get to shop at grocery stores where the food and layout is familiar to me.
• I get to sleep not only with the best man in the world (imho), but also with Miss Tiki who has discovered how to purr while she is sleeping.
• I get to work from home in my pj's until I feel like getting dressed. No, wait. I can do that almost anywhere.
• My own coffee.
• Did I say seeing my family and friends pretty much whenever I want to?

It's a good thing.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig

It's weird to look outside and see snow. Lots of snow. Lots and lots of snow. The days have been sunny and clear here in St Paul yesterday and today. Temps in the 20s I think. But it's weird to see snow. I came downstairs yesterday morning for coffee and when I looked out the window I was actually surprised to see white outside on the ground! I think I was expecting green: grass, trees, shrubbery. Snow. Deep snow. Clean, white snow. But snow. Oh, well. 'Tis Minne-snow-ta afterall.

My step-daughter is not recuperating well from her tonsilectomy and deviated septum repair. She has a bad cough and is still in quite a bit of pain. She's not sleeping well, either. Surgery was 8 days ago. She's been back to see the doctor(s) -- twice. Rick is over there today and tonight to help her fiance with the nurse duties.

It's nice to be home in our own bed, with our own food and with our own remote controls. The Olympics in Vancouver are amazing! I have enjoyed sneaking peeks at the Curling round robbins. I enjoy watching the strategy of that game. The figure skating hasn't captured me yet, but I have been amazed at the spills and thrills on the skiing and snowboarding hills! To see so many athletes fall so much on their runs is tough to watch. (Why is it humans always push the envelope to gain more speed?) Tonight, I intend to pour myself some Domain Chandon sparkling wine and munch some popcorn (popped in a popper with real oil!!) and watch the Olympics.

Oh! And we were on Wheel of Fortune this week! Well, actually, we were in the audience and had about 3 seconds of air time as the camera swooped over us. It was on February 15 in their current Las Vegas series. We were in the shot after Pat & Vanna said "buh-bye." Kinda cool. We'd do that again, too. But maybe Hawaii next time??

Have a great weekend! I am in St Paul for a while now. I leave again on the 28th of February for Phoenix, AZ for our Sale Conference. Rick and I will both be there, and staying through the 8th of March. More sun. Yay! Good for the skin on my feet and hands. It's nice to be able to walk a ways again!

Change in the latitude changes the attitude

New venue since Saturday: Seven Stars Resort on Grace Bay. I have to admit: I am not that impressed. The accommodations are gorgeous (and I mean drop-dead beautiful). Somewhere, somehow there is a disconnect between what we read they provide and what they actually provide. There appears to be one place to eat (the pool bar) though all the info says there are 3 restaurants/cafes. Yesterday morning, we waited 20 minutes for a cup of coffee and someone to take our breakfast order. There are fewer than 20 tables at the pool bar, so we don't think they were too busy as some of the tables were empty! We finally left and drove to the Bay Bistro at Sibonne for breakfast where we had excellent service (coffee within 3 minutes of sitting down) and excellent food (french toast for me, eggs & bacon for Rick). We're trying to get the hang of this resort, but it's quite confusing.

This morning, we had better luck with food and service here at 7 Stars. Rick had the Continential Buffet and I had poached eggs with ham. We were in and out of the breakfast area by 10:00. The weather has been cloudy for two days. The pool area's fountain is less than 30 feet from our balcony so it always sounds like it's raining outside. We have an ocean-view room and we are just at tree-top level so, yes. We can see the ocean between the palm fronds.

No. No. No. I am NOT complaining! I could be in 3 feet of snow in Minnesota right now! Instead I am sitting on our balcony in my swimsuit and cover-up, writing in my blog and drinking a lovely cup of Turks & Caicos coffee with French Vanilla Creamer. The King-sized bed is too comfortable to get out of in the morning. The shower is incredibly roomy and the soaking tub is an awesome 24" deep and 6+feet long. There is a two-burner stove top, small frig and cooking gear (if we wanted to cook). The balcony has a table for 2 and a comfy-enough chaise lounge. Rick took some photos yesterday that I will post up to Image Event later today. The beach is, after all, GRACE BAY and feels like powdered sugar under our feet. Tonight we may be headed back to Coco Bistro for dinner. Or Coyaba or Mango Reef or Parallel 23 at The Palms. It's my day to choose.

Well, the sun is starting to peek out from behind the clouds. I suppose I should join Rick by the pool for some Vitamin D. Maybe we will sit on the beach under an umbrella and sip Rum Punch until lunch time!

Whew. Survived.

Hi. I survived the visit to the Humane Society and didn't come out with a puppy. She is a lovely, mostly white 4-month-old who is living in foster care. She doesn't have a name, but responds very well to "Good Girl". She knows how to sit on command, walk on a leash, and go outside to do her thing. The markings on her nose make her black nose look like a heart. She's a perfect Valentine gift for someone! She's adorable and elegant. She needs a home. She's just not coming to ours right now.
The timing isn't right for a canine friend at our house.
~N~

A Potentially Impossible Mission

In just a few moments, after a cup of coffee is completed and this brief blog bite is born, I will be heading off on a potentially "dangerous" mission. I will be visiting the TCSPCA and meeting a little, white puppy for the first time. The Turks & Caicos Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals adopts out puppies that are rescued from the local "national" dog. Please read their story at http://www.potcakeplace.com/. I have wanted to adopt one since I first came on island in 2006. Now that my Angel is gone, maybe this is the pup I need to have in my life and maybe we are the family she needs.
Rick is not going with me. I have promised him I will "get a cup of coffee" and think about it before I say yes. If there is no chemistry between me and the little girl, I will not say yes, but I may hold out for another pup when they're ready.
Well. It's time to go. More later . . .

And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east...

The Turks and Caicos Islands are not lush tropical islands like we might expect in Hawaii or Costa Rica. These islands are hard, rocky surfaces on which succulents survive. Cactus do well here. This hibiscus is a cultivated plant and does well because of irrigation to it's roots. There are tall, Palmetto palms here, but they are transplants, too. The Turks and Caicos were known for their salt mines in the 17 & 1800s.

The ocean here is the color of turquoise like you cannot even imagine. Photographs do not do it justice. We have tried to capture it before and it just doesn't translate on film (digital or otherwise). Sometimes it's green turquoise, sometimes it is more blue, but the turquoise is indescribable.

There are no fast food restaurants on the island. No McDonald's! No Starbucks! A few grocery stores, but we primarily use the IGA as it is well-lit and it is a fully-stocked grocery. Other groceries offer dry-goods staples, but they don't appear to be the freshest of stock. There is a new (since last year) gourment grocery on the island near the resorts that is operated by the IGA. It has more organic and specialty foods. I'm afraid to see what the prices might be.

The island itself isn't very big. Maybe 10-15 miles long from east to west and 5 miles across from north to south at it's widest. The north and east side of the island is where all the resorts are. The tallest one is 7 stories tall and is less than 2 years old. There are height ordinances here so no one building can completely block the view of the ocean for another. There are infrequent hurricances here. Two years ago, I believe Hurricane Gustav struck Grand Turk and swiped past the southern end of the Caicos Islands. That storm took out our ocean dock, filled the pool with dirt and sand and caused some water damage in the house. A lot of our landscaping was damaged as well. The house was closed to rental for about 3 weeks before it was all put back together. The landscaping took another year to come back, but it's beautiful now.

Villa Osprey is on the southwest side of the island. We have the best views of sunsets here. We typically prepare for every sunset by pouring a gin and tonic or a glass of wine or some other such libation, position ourselves on the patio or in the upper gazebo and toast the sun as she sets. It's a great tradition we've begun and we love sharing it with friends who are here with us. Then it's off to dinner at a local restaurant (our favorite is Coco Bistro) or the grill is started up and we eat within the hour. Eating takes place in the tiki hut just off the kitchen (it's not really a hut at all: thatched roof covered porch). Everything social happens under that thatched roof. Eating, playing cards, chatting, crossword puzzles, reading, chatting, drinking, chatting, drinking, laughing, chatting. You get the idea.

Today, Paul & Sally Ringdahl leave here to return to Minnesota and below zero degree weather. Arriving this afternoon is Luke and Meredith who will spend the remainder of the week with us. Today is Luke's 23rd birthday! Jon & Kathy Peterson remain with us until Saturday, too. On Saturday, as we say goodbye to the other four, Rick and I move to Seven Stars resort on Grace Bay (the other side of the island). We return to Minnesota on the 17th of February.

The weather today is high clouds blowing across the sun. The temp is 85 with high humidity. The ocean is rougher than yesterday with white caps now and then. Another beatiful day, all-in-all.

Hope you are well! Enjoy the lengthening of daylight!

And there was evening, and there was morning . . .

It's Tuesday. Jon & Kathy went for a walk. Paul & Sally swam in the ocean. Rick and I woke up gradually. The sun was shining earlier, but the clouds have crept in to give us a high-overcast. It won't last long. It never does here.

Last night, we had hors d'oeuvres in the upper gazebo before we enjoyed a fabulous Kansas City-style barbecue rib dinner. Mmmmmmmm. Then a quick dip in the hot tub and a card game. Slept really well last night.

Today's potential is just unfolding. It's fun to not have plans!

Have a great day and remember: Have Fun!

In the beginning . . .

Here it is. The 8th of February. It's snowing in St Paul. Five inches yesterday. Another five today. A typical 10 minute commute took 45 minutes. In Alexandria, it is much the same. Schools are closed.  The February winter continues.
But where I am . . .
It is sunny. Clear azure skies. 80 degrees. Ocean breeze. Vodka chilling in the freezer for a little lime-added libation later. My friends (Paul, Sally, Jon, Kahy, & Rick) are out in the Atlantic kayaking, swimming, walking. I am content to start my blog today. The island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos chain of the British West Indies. "Provo" as the belongers call it, is 100 miles north of Hispanola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), ~ 400 miles east of Miami, FL. The latitude #s are: 21 45 12 7   Longitude: 72 01 17 3   That's our house. Villa Osprey, Silly Creek, Chalk Sound, Providenciales.
What a wonderful week to not be in Minnesota!
Watch for photos in the coming hours and days.