Of Mountains and Aching Legs

Yes! I can put a little gold star next to a resolution (except that I don't have it really set up that way). One of my goals was to hike in the mountains once a month. I mean, they're only 30 - 60 minutes away (depending on where you're going) so why not enjoy them? I have always loved the mountains, having spent multiple summers in Colorado as a child on family vacations. The mountains here are the Blue Ridge Mountains and even though I've seen the grandeur of the Rockies, I love my Appalachians best of all.

We drove up to Mile Marker 422 on the Blue Ridge Parkway to a summit called Devil's Courthouse. It got its name from many folk legends in the area, including an idea that there's a cave in the mountain where the devil holds court. There's also a Cherokee legend about a slant-eyed giant named Judaculla who used to live and dance in there (I like that legend better but then I tend to enjoy Native American mythology). The hike to the summit is one mile but it is a very steep and strenuous hike. The view is completely worth it!

After we went hiking there, we drove a little further down the parkway and got off on NC 215 to head to Courthouse Falls. I have a book on North Carolina Waterfalls. One of my lifetime goals is to visit nearly every single fall listed in the book. I know that some might have changed or disappeared in the years since the book was published but I still think it's a good goal. Courthouse Falls was a new one for us and it was a nice, even hike, although the stairs to the base were pretty steep. It is a waterfall that is beautiful to see, but unfortunately it doesn't translate well to film - at least, not to my film! It kind of looks like a white blob! I love waterfalls and I had a perfect moment standing at the top of the stairs to the base (Chris and I took turns waiting up there with the puppies because they were not dog-friendly steps). It was a beautiful cool autumn day. The rushing of the waterfall filled my ears. There was a gentle breeze blowing and yellow leaves just kept tumbling down through the air to land at my feet. It was a beautiful, peaceful moment in nature, something I truly needed to ground myself and restore balance.

For me, that's what nature does. It grounds me, reconnects me to the Earth, restores my inner spiritual balance. The rustling of trees, the roaring rush of a waterfall, the clear song of a bird, the smell of the first of the fallen leaves dying into the soil - to me, wandering through the Blue Ridge Mountains is like Heaven on Earth.

It was also a good bit of exercise (as my sore muscle legs tell me today). That brings me to another two of my resolutions: to eat healthy and to exercise. I've said many times that I'm going to improve in that area. I start but then I slack off. Now is the time for me to take it seriously. In fact, I even bought a new DVD from Target today called "Dancercise" which has four dancing work-outs in it (jazz, hip-hop, salsa, and belly dancing). Dancing is one of the things that brings me joy. I love music and moving to music. I think that this will be a good start to getting me on the right path to a healthier, happier, in-shape me!

Puppy Love

I'm spending a quiet evening of "me time" at home with just my two puppies as company. You know, I really do love those two. Yes, dogs are a lot of work and sometimes it's a pain to get up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning to take them out but they are also such a great source of constant joy. In this house on work days, I get home first (except on Fridays). Hard day at work? There's nothing quite as uplifting as an excited puppy face greeting you when you open the door. They're so happy to see you and to be petted. You know they'd be crying, "Hi, Mom! Welcome home!" if only they had the right vocal chords for speech.

Dogs are also a great source of constant love. They show only affection. They are loyal, playful, and carefree. They love you unconditionally. Perhaps these are lessons that they can teach us human beings.

Each dog is a unique creature of nature. Take my two, for example. Sebastian is a Welsh Corgi and the oldest at six years. He is incredibly well-behaved, patient, adoring, and calm. If he is sitting next to you on the couch, he will happily crawl into your lap and look up at you with his big brown eyes that say, "I love you. You're awesome." Atreyu is the youngest at only eleven months so he is still very much a puppy! He is a pit bull/boxer mix and quite a little spitfire. He loves to play, especially if it involves throwing his Kong toy for him to chase. He's also quite content curling up next to you on the couch with his head resting against your legs or knees. Atreyu is definitely a pack animal. He will follow you anywhere in the house as long as he's by you. Sebastian is content sometimes to go off by himself but when he is with the dogs of our friends, his herding instincts take over (the Welsh use them to herd sheep) and he likes to keep everyone in line!

I won't lie to you. I'll admit that sometimes owning a dog (or two) can be a bit stressful or expensive. Atreyu's stubbornness (that's the boxer in him) can sometimes make me mad, but you know what? I wouldn't give up either dog for the world. I love my two little boys!

The Game Plan Today

Today I begin the most arduous of tasks: cleaning and decluttering my closet. I have so many papers, magazines, bags, clothing, etc. thrown into it and lying about that I'm almost frightened of what I'll find. Then I think about how great it felt after this was done to the kitchen and I know that this will feel just as fantastic.

Later this afternoon we may work out in the front yard. There's another gigantic task. However, we had a nice conversation this morning about it and what needs to be done. I decided to start a spring fund. I'll put so many dollars or any loose change into it every week so that by the time spring rolls around, I'll probably have a good amount saved that can go towards new sod, flowers, and vegetables. People talk about using feng shui on the house (which I've done in past residences and need to do in this house) but you know what? Sometimes the yard needs that too. It's all about the energy that greets you when you come home.

Picture this: you pull into your driveway, past colorful fall mums. You park your car and walk onto the porch with its windchimes tinkling in the autumn breeze. The leaves of the trees are changing. That wonderful scent of autumn is in the air. You walk into the house and are greeted by one of your puppies. The kitchen is bright and welcoming. You take care of the dogs and you go into your sanctuary of a bedroom with its green walls and warm, inviting furniture.

Now picture this: you pull into a driveway, past overgrown weeds and ivy that just doesn't die. You go into your kitchen and all you see are the dirty dishes, the toaster that was left out. You take care of the dogs and you go into a bedroom with a bed that's not made and when you go to change your clothes you enter a closet overflowing with random mail, Rachael Ray magazines, scattered shoes, and Michael's shopping bags.

Which scene do you think you'd prefer?

It's not essentially about being neat and tidy all the time. It's about the way a room or a yard or the whole house feels. We are made up of energy, we are surrounded by a world made up of energy, we put out energy into the world that influences other people. We are extremely sensitive to other energies, whether they're good or bad. Your home should have positive, loving energy. You should feel good when you drive into the yard or enter the house. It should be a sanctuary. And if it's not, don't you think it's time that you made it that way?

Writing on Writing

I've been trying to finish writing my book for a while now. The last couple of weeks I've been having some trouble finding inspiration. I had my fiance read what I'd written so far. He said it was good and he looked forward to more. I tried to continue the story after his review but it just wasn't happening. Something wasn't clicking.

I meditated on this last night and came to a conclusion: I spend too much time focusing on, "Is this story good enough for publishing?" I should be writing this book for myself, not for any success that comes with it. I mean, the success will be nice (and I believe it's possible) but the real satisfying part? Finally finishing the book. It will be a huge sense of accomplishment and will help set the way for many more writing accomplishments.

I thought about it a little bit more on some down time during my day. This book that I'm working on is over ten years old and it's been through some major plot overhauls. Today I realized that I'd lost the original idea, the original feelings, the original inspiration when I came up with the story idea. These thoughts made me realize what the problem was. The story was lacking heart. Yes, I was writing good scenes with the right kind of action but it wasn't really the story of my characters. Somewhere along the way of rethinking and overhauling I'd lost the voice of my main characters, the heart of those characters, and the experiences they need to be sharing.

At that moment, everything clicked into place. Luckily I had paper on hand and jotted down my notes. It was fantastic! I feel exhilarated and excited and ready to write! I know that this is what I need in order to get it done. And it will be finished. I know that for certain.

Day of Declutter

Let me just tell you that Gretchen Rubin is right, there is nothing like decluttering your space. My fiance and I just decluttered our kitchen. The change in there is amazing! The house we live in belonged to his grandparents and there were things in the cabinets that had been in there for years. We also have the extra dishes, pots, etc. that come from combining two households. We got rid of six boxes of things to take to Goodwill, plus came up with new decorating ideas. It's amazing in the kitchen right now. All of our cleaning supplies are in one place. We can walk into the pantry without items bulging everywhere. The glasses don't look so tightly squeezed, we could display our beer growlers better, and we got some good cleaning done. I recommend this project to anyone! You'd be surprised at what's in your kitchen that you no longer need or what treasures you can find. We were talking about buying containers for popcorn, rice, etc. and we ended up finding glass containers under the cabinets that we could use. It's always good to recycle!

Thus Far

So today I put together some personal commandments and resolutions for my project. They're all subject to change, of course (what isn't?) but this is what I've gotten so far:

My 9 Commandments:
1) Be Tara
2) Treat others the way I want to be treated
3) Listen to my heart
4) Follow my passion
5) Look within myself for divinity
6) Create
7) Bless everything
8) Act the way I want to feel
9) Be aware

I came up with various resolutions too. Some are perhaps a little different but, hey, it's a start!
1) Exercise at least 15 minutes every day
2) Meditate at least 10 minutes a day
3) Follow through on plans
4) Write at least 400 words a day on my book
5) Eat more fruits and vegetables
6) Cook one new recipe a week
7) Be more adventurous
8) Volunteer
9) Join a social group
10) Listen
11) Engage in conversations
12) Join the UU church
13) Honor the sabbats
14) Abolish clutter
15) Hike in the mountains at least once a month
16) Walk the dogs
17) Plant and tend a successful garden
18) Use natural beauty and cleaning products
19) Fix my hair in the morning
20) Update my wardrobe
21) Pay off debt
22) Completely plan my wedding
23) Remember birthdays (mail cards and presents on time
24) Decorate the house (interior)
25) Always clean up after messes
26) Laugh more often
27) Take time to play
28) Establish holiday and seasonal traditions
29) Look for joy
30) Forgive
31) Let go
32) Spend more time outdoors
33) Expand reading
34) Work on a blog
35) Gratitude
36) Play new games
37) Buy a bicycle
38) Discover my true self
39) Take time for myself

Well, here's to the start of things! Now to put these resolutions and this happiness project into action!