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We have been hit by another virus or bacteria or bug or some sort of microscopic being that moves from person to person and makes life miserable for about 12-15 hours. I tried to use my meditation techniques and give my cramps ’space’ and have a beginners mind toward vomiting. It didn’t work out that well. I hope not to have an opportunity for that type of practice soon.
I think that Alban brought ”IT” home with him on Thursday and shared it not only with our family, but also with our dear friends the Greens. First I was down with it and then my friend Liz called and said, “I am sick, too!” after receiving my early morning “I can’t walk” email. Now Ian is recovering from a night of pain and suffering and Alban is up in the tub soaking ….
On the bright side of life, the sun is out and after a few days of showers our land is green and getting more so by the minute. What a relief for us here in Wisconsin. The boys and I will be outside today searching for all types of signs of spring.
Last Wednesday Oscar and I went to Aldo Leopold Nature Center and searched for frogs. We could hear the chorus frogs but we didn’t see any. Too small to find, we think. But Oscar did catch a Johnny Darter, which is basically a large minnow. Our big find was a gall which we brought home with permission from the naturalist. We took it over to the Greens on Thursday night (see above paragraph) to open it up and take a look at it under their microscope. Their microscope was too powerful but we did warm the brown fly larva up with the light on under the scope and it came out to greet us. Not having any premature fly life saving techniques up our sleeve the little guy died. So it is with the circle of life.
Here are some pictures from our big night of Muireka!, the Science Fair at our elementary school. I tried to post them last Tuesday but the computer was not my friend that night. The science fair was awesome. Oscar’s kindergarten class did a “From Trash To Treasure” exhibit where they took recycle-ables and made ‘treasures’. They measured how much trash their class manufactured in a day and I had a son who came home every night for a week and questioned why I didn’t compost more, told me where we could ‘reuse’ a little more, and in general was very talkative about ’saving the earth’. It was great. We will miss his Kindergarten teacher immensely.
Since Oscar’s class did a project together Oscar chose not to make a pop-up book as a science project which was his original plan. He decided that we needed to ‘Buy A Cake’ at the cake auction which is also held at the science fair to raise money for science education in the school. I think we excelled at the cake purchasing, don’t you?
I am finally back to write a post. When I pulled up my page I was surprised to see the “Operation Muffin Top” post. I didn’t remember posting that so when I pulled up my blog I had an audible “Oh,Yeah …”. Suffice it to say that after I wrote that post I got the flu and thought that my ten days without eating much other than a few crackers would propel me past embracing my hunger and I would “Be The Hunger”. No such luck.
BUT … I walked a big 13 miles this week and although I sat down and ate enough Vanilla Joe-Joe’s to blow my caloric outtake on today’s 4 mile walk, I can say that I am about even calorie-wise which is better than where I was about a month ago.
AND … I have been feeling fantastic. Not only have I been walking but I have been taking an Insight Meditation class for the past two months. I even used my elliptical twice this week on days off from walking. I deserve a few Joe’s, dammit! But my stomach shouts back “top of the muffin to ya!”
I really sat down to write about meditation and how that has affected my life and my family. I got a little distracted by Operation Muffin Top. But I will leave you with this story: I asked Alban last night if he wanted to meditate with me. He thought about it for a while and asked : “Do Army Guys with curved knifes meditate?”
