Author Archives: olivia

Oct 11 2012
8 Comments
Family, Life, Travel

Thankfulness Thursday: Unconditional Love

Autumn sunbeams and floating spider webs above a crystal clear alpine lake,

Warmth and family.

Mom, brother, and one dirty, happy dog.

Driving north on 1-5 Tuesday morning, alone, save for Simon buckled up in the backseat, tears streamed down my face. Headed to visit my mom, who lives three and a half hours away, four words rang true in my head:

I need my mom.

I rarely think those words. I love my mom, yes, but at 29, I rarely think I need her. Realizing these words are still true, I was overtaken by emotion. I need my mom. Words so true tears had to follow.

Separated by time and space, I often forget I need her. We talk less than we should, weekly phone calls stretching into 10 days, 11, 12, sometimes 14. We see each other maybe four times a year. Important visits, but I forget I still need her.

I need that woman who cuts fresh flowers each time I visit, bakes me pies and rubs my head. The woman who plays Scrabble with me and still offers to brush my hair. The very woman who used to call me her baby and carry me around in her arms. Driving alone, I realized I need my mom.

Today I am thankful for a few days in Mt. Shasta, the sun still warm, my mom, my brother, and my dog. Sitting around playing games late into the night. My brother showing me his project with the earth, the cob home he is building, the greenhouse with its foundation, the desk and pile of books alone in the woods. Reminding me of the meaning of unconditional love.

Driving south on I-5 today, rain dotting my dusty windshield, soulful music playing loudly, instead of crying, I smiled and sang at the top of my lungs. Time well spent, reinvigorated, alive. I am thankful for family, our roots strong and connected like trees, unconditional.

***

Join in for Thankfulness Thursday and link up your post with Ashley at Domestic Fashionista!

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Oct 11 2012
2 Comments
Family, Travel

Just wanted to share the love with the announcement of a very cool new blog authored by one of the most amazing people I have yet to meet! Hope you’ll check out the Saul family’s big adventure…

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Oct 09 2012
6 Comments
Family, Teaching

Get Excited About A Wrinkle in Time!

The nerdy little girl in me got really excited when I saw that A Wrinkle in Time was re-released as a graphic novel. As I enjoyed the story again, I realized time was folding back on itself as the child me and the adult me merged across two decades. Then, my copy was already old and worn, enticing me with the allure of a well-read classic. Now, my copy is alive with the illustrations of a new generation:

The cover alone is likely to attract more readers than the old tattered version in my classroom library.

The book is full of so many little truths I never properly absorbed as a child.

I also love that the book tells kids that different doesn’t mean dumb.

And, most of all, I love that the book acknowledges the childhood desire to blend in as well as the journey toward self-acceptance.

Not only did this lovely adaptation reconnect me with my inner nerdy little girl, but it also revealed an adult parable about the darkness in our world and the importance of love. I am excited to add this book to my classroom library, certain my students will also enjoy the illustrations, the allusions to the very math they’re learning, (converting fractions to decimals…), and the rare instance of a math genius girl as the hero who saves herself, her family, the world.

While it took me a bit to adjust to reading a graphic novel, (I didn’t realize how different parts of your brain are required to balance picture and word information simultaneously), I really loved rediscovering this classic story with an adult perspective. If you have a young person in your life who would appreciate a story about being both different and wonderful, I highly recommend ordering this book, (and allowing your grown-up self to enjoy it first!).

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Oct 08 2012
11 Comments
Health, Life

The Accidental Vegetarian?

I am reluctant to give myself the label vegetarian. I feel like doing so will only set me up for hypocrisy. However, it’s looking more and more like vegetarianism is in my future. It began this summer, when in my hot yoga frenzy I decided to cut back my meat consumption and eat more cleanly. Inspired by films like Forks Over Knives, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, and Food Inc., I knew something in my diet was off, so Alex and I agreed we would eat less meat and make sure all the meat we ate was sourced, (grass-fed, free-range, etc.).

What I did not expect is that it would not be so easy to alternate between eating meat and not eating meat. While the beginning of summer was virtually meat-free, my weeks of travel were not, leaving me sick when I returned to my first hot yoga class, (yes, I know there may have been other factors at play, but I feel diet was a big piece of it). After feeling run over in my post-vacation meat-eating hangover, I decided to return to limited meat consumption.

To my surprise, I found myself not even wanting to buy meat at the grocery store, even when tempted by high-quality choices at Whole Foods or the Farmer’s Market. Instead, just the thought of it was suddenly repulsive. I did not begin this whole experiment feeling the least bit disgusted by meat. It was more about health and the way eating meat makes me physically feel. However, the final straw was this weekend, when Alex and I ate at the Rutherford Grill in Wine Country and I could not even eat a quarter of his sourced cheeseburger. It lost all appeal.

So, here I am, a former meat-eater standing at a crossroads. I still don’t want to call myself a vegetarian because I think it’s possible I’ll still eat meat sometimes. However, the thought of eating any mammal now grosses me out and I’m finding it relatively easy to choose food that is satisfying without meat. Just strange, because I never set out to be a vegetarian, I just set out to eat less meat. For now, I guess I’ll leave myself without labels, but we’ll see where I end up.

If you’ve stopped eating meat, what was your motivation? Do you feel healthier? Happier?

I’m discovering vegetarian options to be surprisingly delicious and more energizing than meat alternatives, (Sol Food Puerto Rican in San Rafael).

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Oct 07 2012
8 Comments
Life

Sunday Song: Slow it Down

Standing in the middle of a sea of people, I closed my eyes and tried to make everything stand still around me. Large crowds and too much noise overwhelm my senses. However, when the Lumineers took the stage, I was able to shut off everything else and just absorb the music.

This song was one that followed me home, the words etched into my brain. A perfect Sunday song, with a message I really need. Slow it Down. My goal every Sunday. Should be my goal other days as well, but Sundays are a good place to start.

Hope you find a way to slow it down today as well.

Happy Sunday.

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Oct 06 2012
6 Comments
Family, Travel

Fall Break Escape: Visiting Our Old Life

Three years ago, Alex and I moved from Berkeley to Sacramento, an hour and a half away. While we were happy to trade in our tiny one-bedroom apartment for a little more space and a lot more time with family, we also gave up things we really loved about living in the San Francisco Bay Area: close friends, amazing restaurants, a wide range of weekly events, walkable urbanism, proximity to the ocean…

Every break I have from school, we venture back for a couple days to reconnect with our old lives:

Friday night we stayed in San Rafael, following a leisurely drive through Wine Country. As soon as we reached our hotel, I begged Alex to jump in the car to make the trek 25 minutes further so we could watch the sunset over Muir Beach. What I didn’t realize was that the beach is angled away from the setting sun, so instead we enjoyed the dimming light, remembering how often we used to come and sit in the same spot when we lived in Berkeley. It was our spot to imagine the future. I guess it still is.

This time my imagination of the future included a need to own the teal house overlooking the beach… Alex quickly pointed out that we could paint any house on the beach teal, but that seems beside the point.

Woke up ready to cross the Golden Gate and head into the City for brunch and the Bluegrass Festival. No matter how many times I cross this bridge, it’s always magical.

A little SF mural flair, Guernica style.

Delicious brunch at Zazie’s with friends. Made us feel like locals, like maybe we were home again.

A very grown-up game of Go Fish while we waited for the Lumineers at Hardly, Strictly Bluegrass in Golden Gate Park– a completely free music festival, (and just one more reason I love San Francisco).

Lucky hand of Go Fish!

Doing a frightening job protecting our precious piece of real estate as the crowd rolled in for the Lumineers– Golden Gate Park was packed but beautiful in the sunshine!

And, what we waited for– one of my favorite bands, the Lumineers. Sitting on Alex’s shoulders, listening to lyrics about love and family, I felt momentarily at home in a sea of people.

Ironically, as much as we love to visit the Bay, I am not sure it will ever be where we call home again. Odd, right– to love a place so much and not want to live there? I still need something a little quieter, a little more laid back… Somewhere I can imagine raising my own family. Thanks Lumineers for searing that word family into my head tonight. I leave you with some crudely shot footage that makes me smile. Life captured briefly, imperfectly, but still beautiful. So show me family…

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Oct 05 2012
5 Comments
Family, Health, Life

Advice to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self/Sister

I’m happy to say my sister probably needs this advice far less than I did at her age, but because she is my closest link to my sixteen-year-old self, and I love her so, she will have to humor me through this…

I started this post earlier this week, inspired by Cheryl Strayed’s advice to her younger self at the end of Dear Sugar and my own desire to say something meaningful to my younger sister about surviving high school. It was intended to be my way of traveling back in time to fix all the perceived wrongs I witnessed and/or participated in as a sixteen-year-old girl.

However, after the list sat unpublished overnight, I decided it was more angry than inspiring, an outdated wish for more confidence and regret over things that could not be changed. See, as much as I wish I would have stood up for myself and others more, maybe it was the not standing up that needed to happen first. To be on the victimized side of rumors, to watch mentally challenged and effeminate students be taunted, to forego relationships because my friends did not approve, to ignore chauvinist boys who pushed too much or called me horrible names, was all part of my becoming.

Sure it would have been nice if I became confident and outspoken sooner, but maybe I needed to know what it felt like to not be those things first so that I could relate to my quiet students and collect more pieces of life and knowledge of myself. Going back and standing up would have felt good, but it was not realistic to who I was at sixteen. That was me and it’s alright. Forgiving myself for not being stronger is actually the bigger piece of advice than any list of all the things I wish I did. It’s okay to be sixteen, quiet, not sure, and sometimes disillusioned.

An afternoon coffee visit with an old friend from middle school made me realize that it was not just my high school experience that felt a little angry– it was hers too, at the very school I thought would make me happier. While this should come as no surprise, because half the people I know felt this way about their own high school experiences, it was somehow humbling to realize I might have been pretty much the same girl under any circumstances. Just part of the territory of growing up.

So, dear sister and sixteen year-old me, that’s my message. Instead of a long list of sixteen different pieces of advice, I leave you with one idea. It’s okay to be imperfect, emotional, sometimes angry, sometimes disillusioned, and not always possessing the confidence we know is inside us. That will come, just keep being you and hold on to all the happy moments, because there will be plenty.

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Oct 04 2012
21 Comments
Family, Life, Teaching, Writing

Thankfulness Thursday: BE BRAVE.

Today is the second installment of Thankfulness Thursday. This week’s theme, be brave.

1. Eight happy little query letters left my computer today as I fought back some serious stage fright. It took courage to press send each time, but I did it! I’m sending them out in batches of eight because eight is my lucky number… 8/8/83, born. 8/8/08, engaged… Big sigh of grateful relief that I got this far.

2. Speaking of engaged, yesterday was my three year wedding anniversary. Today I’m grateful to all the incredible people who made it the happiest day of my life. My family, Alex, and my friends, THANK YOU! It’s funny to admit, I actually had to push myself to be brave to let this day happen. My inclination was to run away and get married with a tiny audience, but I’m so glad we didn’t. I realized in the process that involving others wasn’t about putting on a show, but instead about creating a community of love and support from the people with which we’re grateful to share our lives. Incredibly and humbly thankful for this day and everyone we love.

Three years ago!

Three years later! (Still smiling!)

A big thank you to my glorious family.

And to our glorious friends!

3. One of the bravest people I have ever met is 10. This week, she brought in the Black Eyed Peas track “Where is the Love?” Before playing it for us, she gave the class a little speech about how she chose it because she felt her classmates needed to reflect on how they treat one another at school. She then demanded that students sing along with her and would not stand for any laughter or horseplay. She is my hero this week. I wish I could tell you her whole life story. If you’re anything like me, you’d cry with amazement.

4. Sometimes I try things when I teach that require me to be brave, like taking 30 fifth graders outside to attempt a human model of our solar system. Watching the students laugh as they unsuccessfully tried to orbit the student in the middle (playing the sun) reminded me why I teach. So thankful for that happy little reminder. We’ll try again when it’s not 100 degrees outside…

Studying the planets and creating our own maps of the solar system has been a highlight of our fifth grade year so far.

There you have it. Four things for which I am grateful on this fourth day of October. Thanks again to the lovely Ashley over at Domestic Fashionista for the inspiration and graphic! Wishing you a brave and thankful Thursday.

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Oct 03 2012
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Health, Life

Five Reasons that Hip, Happy and Healthy People Do Yoga!

In the spirit of unwired Wednesdays and stepping away from my computer to promote better mental and physical health, I bring you my first guest blogger. Be sure to show Carolyn Fallon some love and check out her blog too!:

Despite that fact that yoga is incredibly hip in modern culture, the ancient practice has many benefits for health and happiness. Although it is promoted as a panacea for optimal well-being, yoga is still a mystery to many people. For those who have never stepped onto a mat or into a classroom, a brief background is in order.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in Bethesda, Maryland, yoga is a mind-body discipline that originated in ancient India. Comprised of gentle meditative movements, yoga is basically safe and effective for everyone. There are yoga classes for seniors, children, athletes and even pregnant women.

Yoga combines various physical poses and breathing exercises with meditation and a distinct Eastern philosophy. Many Americans who use it for health reasons practice Hatha yoga, which includes many different styles. With guidance from a trained yoga instructor, the exercise offers huge benefits with very few side effects.

Why should Americans include yoga as part of their regular workouts? Even in this new century, the ancient practice offers many desirable benefits. Here are five reasons that hip, happy and healthy people practice yoga.

1. Inner Peace

Yoga promotes contentment and inner peace. While athletes, overachievers and Type A personalities may not immediately grasp this significance, peace and contentment are fundamental to their tasks. All yoga, no matter the intensity, promotes relaxation and calmness. People who are at peace with themselves are happier, healthier individuals.

2. Flexibility and Strength

People who practice yoga for many weeks or months enjoy stronger, more flexible bodies from morning to night. Through gentle stretches and focused poses, yoga works the muscles, tissues and bones. It improves core body strength and enables flexible movements. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Glen Axelrod states, “Yoga is excellent for strengthening both flexibility and balance.”

3. Healthy Appearance

Men and women who practice yoga are healthier, more attractive people. Their healthy, fit appearance is the result of yoga’s physical and psychological benefits. People who practice yoga on a regular basis cannot help but look toned and sculpted, and this helps them feel better about themselves too.

4. Body Awareness

People who practice yoga have a keen sense of their bodies and how the body works. Yoga increases the respect they have for their bodies. As a result, they are less likely to overeat and more likely to get adequate rest. Additionally, yoga heightens sexual pleasure.

5. More Compassion

Yoga promotes compassion for others by encouraging people to look at the big picture. In fact, the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine trains yoga instructors in many healing areas, including compassion. When people learn to take care of themselves, they have more energy to give to others. Hip, happy and healthy people are usually more compassionate, kind and generous.

Carolyn Fallon is a 20-something year old with a passion for life, fitness and overall well being. She is an avid spinner, healthy cooking enthusiast and lover of life. Check out Carolyn’s blog at http://fullonfit.blogspot.com! 

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Oct 01 2012
9 Comments
Dogs, Health, Home, Life, Pets

Yoga Dog Monday: Looking for Converts

Monday nights are usually hot yoga night for me, my chance to unwind, get a little exercise, and leave feeling like a new person. Anyone who knows me in real life knows I’m a big yoga advocate. It majorly relieves my stress/anxiety, numbs my chronic neck pain, and keeps my pathetic left knee functioning.

A couple weeks without yoga and I’m a mess, a realization that has driven me to practice at home when I can’t get myself out the door to class… Like, uhh, tonight. In all seriousness, it has taken years for me to develop the patience and discipline to do yoga at home without giving up after five minutes, but it’s finally starting to pay off as I focus on poses I need most instead of being at the whim of an instructor.

And, the unexpected side benefit– more time with yoga dog! When I do yoga around the house, I am attacked by Simon. Without fail, the mat comes out, he starts stretching, then he ends up trying to lick my face while I’m meditating on the floor. I’ve been attempting to capture yoga dog in action for days. Unfortunately, the camera comes out and he runs away, (yoga dog is one cheeky monkey!).

Simon is a bit camera shy about his yoga moves…

But, I finally caught him in his favorite pose, downward dog.

Anyway, back to the point of all this– I believe there is a yoga style for everyone, whether it be hot yoga or Vinyasa or what have you. Heck, as my conservative, P90X-doing hot yoga buddy said the other night, “You don’t even have to be a hippie!” So get out there, try it if you haven’t and try it again if you have! It took me years to find the right style/instructors to keep me hooked, but now I’m going on two years of consistent yoga-ing and couldn’t be more pleased!

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Sep 30 2012
13 Comments
Home, Life, Travel

Come on, Come on, Get Happy!

Late yesterday evening, for reasons I’ll spare you, I was in a funk. Complicated by a complete inability to fall asleep, I found myself on the couch, alone, at 12:45 AM, looking for something to stream on Netflix until I was tired enough to sleep. At first, I was thinking romantic comedy, something to take the edge off my earlier decision to read a book about human trafficking, and then I stumbled across this wonderful little gem:

I clicked thinking, alright, this is probably going to be cheesy or annoying, especially since I’m grumpy, but it was actually amazingly uplifting, following the science of happiness and positive psychology around the world. Multiple times throughout the film I actually caught myself smiling and laughing at the pure displays of happiness expressed by people from different cultures, which included everything from runners in gorilla suits in San Francisco to dancing 100-year-old women in Japan.

Best of all, I went to sleep happy. The film explains how 40% of our happiness is completely within our control and not dependent on external triggers like wealth or status. Heck, if a poor family living in what I would consider to be squalor in India can be happy, then I can too. It also reminded me that I am happy most of the time and that when I’m not, it’s within my power to change my mood through exercise, novel activities, relationships with friends and family, and helping others.

Long story short, watch this film. It made me want to move to Denmark, or at least live differently. I highly recommend it.

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Sep 29 2012
8 Comments
Dogs, Writing

It’s Almost November… Which Means Nanowrimo!

The fall quilt is out, the leaves are… okay, still green. It’s 90 degrees here in Sacramento, but at least I have the autumn spirit. Something about the shrinking amount of daylight makes me increasingly focused on finishing old projects. I am seriously ready for something new. In fact, I’m darn-near ecstatic for something new to write. So. Close.

My first queries go out this Thursday. Just wrote a bunch of personalized letters and tightened up my synopsis to one page, (Hallelujah!). As much as I really hope something comes of this effort, I am even more excited for what’s next. I just ordered Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, which I admittedly should have read earlier, but at least it will be a good, nerdy read before beginning my next novel.

Speaking of which– November 1, 2012, mark you calendars. Okay, really, only mark them if you’re also planning to participate in Nanowrimo, (National Novel Writing Month for the uninitiated). As much as I dislike some of the rubbish I had to wade through last time I spit out thousands of exhausted words after bossing around children all day, I still feel like this is the perfect place to get motivated and give yourself something warm and cozy to do through the cold winter months. So, seasoned writer or not, I invite you to join me as we cheer each other on with the hefty goal of writing a novel, (or the beginning of a novel), in one month.

Last year I only did 22,222 words… Which is nearly 30,000 shy of the goal, but it still encouraged me enough to feel like I could write an entire book, which shortly thereafter, I actually did. This year my goal is just to write well, in quantity, for the entire month, using November 1 as the launch for my new idea. We’ll see where I end up. I’m excited. Nanowrimo is like Burning Man to me, an annual celebration of intense artistic expression.

Will you join me?

Looks like I already have one writing buddy in my mess of papers today– could use some human ones as well… Add me as a writing buddy on the nanowrimo site!

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