skis & jammies
I really wanted to make sure we went skiing at beautiful Crystal mountain this year. We live only a couple of hours away from such beauty and such great mountains for skiing. But you know how it can be: this winter has been busy with work and trips and visitors and hockey games... and soon it will be nice out and the snow will melt. So I saved the date in our calendars in advance. March 9th was going to be Ski Day 2013.
Everything was working out in my favour: the sun was shining, our wonderful neighbors were able to walk Mitzi, and even though Navin wasn't thrilled about the idea of going (proof: before our eyes were open in bed he asked me to check the ski report, no doubt hoping it would tell us that conditions were bad and we couldn't go), he knew it was something I really wanted to do and fully cooperated.
What a gorgeous day! I'm not sure that I've ever had a west coast skiing experience where it wasn't snowing, or raining, or foggy. The views were incredible and the conditions were great. I decided during our first chairlift ride up that I would try to be mindful and practice some form of meditation on the slopes. When I go diving, I can't help but notice and appreciate the fish, the colours of the coral, the sound of my bubbles, and the feeling of floating through the water. Why can't I be conscious like that above land? As soon as I pushed off the top of the run and gained momentum, I became very conscious of the sound of the swishing snow, the cold from the wind, the warmth from the sun, the feeling of my weight shifting from leg to leg...
When we took the gondola to the summit, I laid in one of the chairs soaking up the sun and taking in the amazing view of Mount Rainier... and I really savoured my hot chocolate.
I was concentrating so hard because the truth is I don't really know how to meditate, but now looking back on it I realize that I was actually very much in the present. There were no lists of what I should have done yesterday or what I needed to do tomorrow. I had no worries or concerns. I may have been concentrating really hard, but I did it. I was successful at being in the present and mindful of my surroundings.
Kind of like how I felt that I had been successful last week at allowing myself to be sad when I got some sad news.
Unfortunately, while this self-acceptance and compassion is a huge improvement, the fact that I'm still evaluating my feelings isn't a good thing. After all, there is no 'success' in feelings. Because if there is success, then there is also failure. It implies that there is a right and a wrong way to feel. I'm still going to celebrate the progress that I've made in no longer being the person who beats myself up over feelings that I can't control, but I recognize that there's still room to grow.
Another highlight of my weekend was that I completed my first sewing project (hooray)! Using my new sewing machine, I made a pair of pajama pants. Apparently pajama pants are a good starter project because there are no zippers. But I did get to learn some new skills like sewing a buttonhole and making pockets.
Once I started making them, I was addicted. I was told to break the project up into several 1-2 hour sessions, but I just couldn't stop. My sister asked me why I was rushing. But I wasn't rushing at all. Making these pants was like reading a good book. At the end of one chapter, I just had to read one more...and then one more... Each step I finished in the pattern made me want to just do the next one...and the next one...and then they were done within a couple of days.
I love them so much. With their polka dots, and ribbon drawstring, and yellow lacey hem. They're so colourful and happy and fun. I'm proud of me.
They'll be so perfect to bring with to Mexico for our family vacation next week!
PS - I've also completed a couple of other projects that I'm proud of but I can't post them yet, because they're a secret... shhh... Don't worry, I'll share them soon...