Halloooooo Out There!

Hi there. Long time, no post - I know.

I know I haven't updated in a little while.

Not a whole lot new but I'll just fill you in a few little items.

My seestor gave me the book eat, pray, love for Christmas. I have finally started reading it and I am very happy to say I like it a lot. (Thanks, sis!) I'm not going to get into the whole gist of the book here but I will say it is a great read. Although, if you are easily influenced, be careful.

I've always had a bit of interest in meditation but never really gave it a try. In the one section of this book, the author is in an ashram in Inda learning Yogic meditation. I became so inspiried by this (easily influence? moi?) that I decided now was the time to start.

Now, a large part of this section of the book deals with the author's difficulties with meditation so I didn't really pin my hopes on a transcendental experience right of the bat. I just wanted to try it.

So, I sat myself on a little pillow (to ease my perpetually sore tailbone) on the living room floor, closed my eyes, and tried to relax.

...

...

Here is the little dialogue that went on im my head.

Maybe I should chant something. A mantra perhaps...

But they're usually Sanskrit and, let's face it, you have a very limited knowledge. You don't even know how to pronounce any of it for sure.

Ok, well...maybe I can just think it in my head and not say it out loud?...

Um...NO. Because if you say it in your head you still have to know how to say it.

Oh. You're right. Well then...I'll just make up my own and say it in my head.

Fine. Whatever.


So, I sat there and tried to think of a mantra.

... chunk-a, chunk-a ...

Then I thought that I could go get the book and look to see what mantra the author used and just figure it out to the best of my ability.

... chunk-a, chunk-a ...

Then I thought, no, don't get up now. I have to learn how to just sit still if this is going to work.

... chunk-a, chunk-a ...

Ok, quiet now. Relax...

... chunk-a, chunk-a ...

Reeelax...

... chunk-a, chunk-a ...

Just let the mind slip into calmness... a mantra will come to you...

... chunk-a, chunk-a ...


Sigh. Ok. Fine. My mantra will be "chunk-a, chunk-a" but I'm not going to say it out loud.

So, inspired by the crunching of the coal furnace, I set about meditating, concentrating on chunk-a, chunk-a.

To my surprise, I sat there for a good 20 minutes. Until the dog started scratching at the door. And the train started drumming its way up through the valley.

Alright, I admit, it's nothing compared to meditating pros but I was pretty pleased with myself. I decided that day that I was going to get up early every morning and meditate for a little while.

And that's the last time I meditated.

But! I still intend to do this. As soon as I can get myself up early enough.

And as soon as spring comes.

Because it's cold. Really cold. And the thought of sitting still without being directly attached to a space heater or electric blanket does not sit well with me right now.

I had to heat my lunch up twice today. Once before I started eating it and then again half way through.

Out of curiosity, I decided to check the thermometer. The thermometer in my kitchen is a make-shift cooking thermometer that came from Godknowswhere. It only goes down to 50. The little arrow was below that, buried in the bottom.

Ok, so not 50. The ice on the inside of my windows could have told me that.

There is only one other thermometer in my house and it's in my bedroom.

Should I? Shouldn't I?

I had to know. It would be like going through some kind of testing and never knowing the results.

I went into my bedroom and looked at the little thermometer.

32.

Thirty two de-freaking-grees!

That would mean that the warmest place in my house is inside the refrigerator.

Ok. I'm exaggerating. Inside the furnace would be the warmest place with the refrigerator coming in second.

And to think that I said to my hubby last night - last night after we went out in the dark to attach walls to the bottom of the goat feeder because all the big goats were pushing this one small (not baby, just smallest adult) goat out of the shelter because they are all bastards and the only place she had to go was under the feeder so we decided to close it in so she's out of the wind, and so we froze our fingers and toes off doing this in the whipping wind and 5 degree weather - "It's not too bad. The worst of winter is over."

HA!

I'm just kidding. I truly believe the worst of winter is over. Even with this minor cold snap. The sun is shining today, all the animals (including the ostracized goat) are fine and spry, and the temperatures are supposed to start slowly climbing back up. All is right with the world.


So, hang in there everyone who is at their wit's end with winter. We're almost there!


Edited to add...

I forgot! God smiled down his love upon our family this weekend, and that love was in the form of meat loaf.

I'm not a huge fan of meat loaf but we had defrosted some ground meat (in order to make room for ALL THAT BEEF) and my hubby made meat loaf.

If you are a meat loaf fan, I highly suggest you try the recipe found the the Joy Of Cooking cookbook - the one with bacon. The recipe not the book. You know what I mean.

It's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!