by Alison

Advice for all moms -

Never forget to take care

of yourself as well.

.Oh, Kelly. I love the idea of Zumba. I love remembering our Salsa days. But here I sit, 41 years old with a bag of frozen peas strapped to my sore lower back. So I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting this week in terms of how I parent and how I take care of myself. Parenting? I’m hardly perfect. But I give it my all and Penny is wonderfully herself. Shy but confidant. Thoughtful. Growing every day. I am growing as a person too but my body has paid a price. Stiff joints. My first big bout of lower back problems. And my love of spas and yoga seems too far a part of the past. Ouch. Giving my all to parenting and too little to myself is not a long term solution and so I am setting a goal for myself. Get back to my roots as a “healing” sort of woman. I remember doing handstands and downward dogs in between college classes to relieve stress. I remember being sure to book an appointment with a masseuse each month despite my meager teacher’s salary. And I remember (Kelly, was this with you?) dropping little tinctures into my tea and claiming that I could feel the energy. And so here I am, googling Pilates and Yoga classes and core energetics. Booking appointments with accupuncturists and chiropractors. And reading books about the spirit. So please, check in with me dear Kelly. And as a soon-to-be new mom, I promise to check in with you.

by Alison

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August 1st

strangely I’ve become

addicted to pulling weeds -

sweat beads cover me

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August 3rd

how quickly things grow

how quickly things die -

my garden is zen

.

August 5th

like yoga I dig

into myself and the ground

and forget all else

.

August 7th

It’s 12 a.m. and

I can hardly wait to get

out there tomorrow

by Alison

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with this DVD

I stretch into my poor back

and watch the snow fall

by Alison

shoveling snow is

not the same as yoga class -

I crave a retreat

by Alison

yoga teacher once

said god is in everyone -

daughter’s smile lights up

by Kelly

Sunday’s preacher says

what the yoga teacher says —

be still and be here

by Alison

preparing my toes

for yoga class once again -

bright shiny purple

by Kelly

Tree pose doesn’t lie.

My footing is off. Balance –

please come back to me.

by Kelly

Prayer Twist — yoga pose

or off-beat request for God ?

Which carries more weight ?

by Kelly

Yoga teacher says:

Be present. Breathe. Instead I’m

counting syllables.