So Many Lessons From Laguna

Wow - what a year! I think everyone reading this will agree. Highs and lows, with everything in between. Endings that were needed, as well as fun, new beginnings. People entered and exited our lives. Laughing until it hurt, sobbing like there's no tomorrow. I think everyone I know experienced it all.

Approaching the end of 2017, I can honestly say, that, while incredibly challenging, it was a good year. I grew in ways I never could have imagined, and am glad I didn't know what was coming or I probably would have run the other way! But, because of those challenges, I am stronger and ready for a much more expansive future.

One of the biggest turning points was when my apartment flooded in February (see my earlier post March 2017 Post ). It really gave me the opportunity to literally clear out all of the old and start over. All of my stuff really was just stuff. I think about possessions very differently now, and will be forever grateful for learning what really is important, and that we absolutely can release long held attachments.

Another huge turning point was during my house/pet sitting stay in Sedona in September. It was an awesome opportunity to spend time in one of my favorite places. What I didn't realize was that it was also an incredible opportunity to be by myself in a completely different way. What? Don't you already live alone? Yes, but in the middle of family, friends and familiarity. This trip I hiked, ate and explored all on my own. The first part of the week I was lonely, and was starting a very nice pity party that had the potential to be huge. Then I had my AHA moment. 

I was sitting in one of the most beautiful places on the planet, surrounded by nature, and I was letting myself be sad? WTF?? Look where you are! Feel where you are! People would kill to trade places with you! Duh!! At that moment I learned the very big difference between being lonely versus being alone. I can enjoy anything, anywhere! It doesn't depend on anyone or anything else - just me! How liberating is that??!! Alone is strong and capable and fun! Of course, it can be more fun to share an experience with someone else, but good grief, look what you can enjoy on your own!

After not being able to travel much the past couple years, I was very fortunate this year to be able to take multiple vacations - 3 in Arizona, 1 in Hawaii, and 1 in North Carolina. All very different trips, but after finally being able to get away, it awakened something that had been sleeping inside. A wanting to get out and explore, see new things, and meet new people. Nothing wrong with the old ones, just time to add some new experiences.

My time in Laguna has been fantastic. My tiny apartment was the perfect nest and refuge next to the beach I love. I cannot ever express how appreciative I am for my "shoebox" by the beach. The ocean will always be part of me and bring me joy.

What most people may not realize or remember is that I am also a bit of a desert rat. While it was some time ago, I spent countless hours camping and landsailing on dry lake beds in the desert in the middle of nowhere. I have a strong connection to the desert and during my trips to Arizona, that desert rat was reawakened. I felt so good on those trips and could feel the desert calling me back.  At the same time, I was feeling like I was "complete" at my beach. Soooo.......

What most of you do not know (and I apologize for not telling very many people in advance, please forgive me) with my reawakened sense of adventure and love of the desert, I chose to leave my tiny home at the beach, as well as the job that had not been a good fit for many years, packed everything I own into my Honda Fit (you would be surprised at how much it holds) and moved to Arizona last week.

What??? You did what??? You left the beach??? Do you know how hot it gets in Arizona??? Are you nuts??????

Yes, I am probably nuts. And I am enjoying the hell out of this journey. I found a fabulous apartment near Scottsdale on the edge of the desert. I am surrounded by nature that I can experience just by stepping out on my patio or looking out of my windows.

Do I have some hurdles to get over? Of course. Will it all be puppies and rainbows? No. But I'm more ready for the challenge than I've ever been.

The Lesson: My life truly changed for the better in Laguna, and I will always be ever so grateful for the experiences. Those experiences now enable me to move on to even more.

So, as I now have moved on to my Arizona adventure, this blog (that has been neglected for a while) comes to a close.  As the stirrings of wanting to write again are being recharged - what shall my next blog be? A Dodson in the Desert? A Beach Girl Way Out of Water? Aha's from Arizona?  Let's see what develops....

Light  Love  Laughter

Lynette

My Laguna Shoebox apartment

When you get rid of what little furniture you have, 

everything you own fits in a Honda Fit

Final Laguna sunset for now....

When everything you own now only takes up

 a small area in your new apartment

New sunset view from my patio....

Lessons from Trixie and Bubbles

In my January post, I touched on the fun that my friend and coworker Lisa and I have as Trixie and Bubbles. It started off as something fun and silly, and has now grown into something so much more fun and rewarding, and is providing lessons along the way.

Let’s just say that we work in a stressful office environment, and we have daily challenges. We escape gray cubicle world at some point during the day (the time of day depends on the level of ridiculousness going on) and head over to the Starbucks across the parking lot for some iced tea and a short break to reset. 

On a day where we had really had enough of the office shenanigans, the barista asked us what name we wanted on our cups, Lisa pipes up with “Bubbles” and when the barista laughed and then looked at me, I popped off with “Trixie.” (Of course, if you follow me on Facebook, you know how challenging spelling the name Lynette can be. I used to get the question “one N or two in Lynette?”  Now I don’t get a question, I get: Lanette, Lanet, Linett, Lanite, Lynate, Rene, and my all-time favorite, Nene. But I digress…)

When they called out the drinks by name, a few people in the store looked over, we smiled and laughed and they smiled back. As we left, Lisa called out for everyone to “Have a Bubblicious day!” and we saw more smiles.

And the legend begins….each time we went in and gave our names as Trixie and Bubbles, we got a smile from the staff behind the counter, we would joke and lighten up the mood, and ultimately get them laughing, no matter what was going on in the store.

We’d come in with the goal of having fun and cheering up the staff, and, although not planned or intended, it started to spread to the people in line and customers sitting at the tables. 

One day there was a woman behind us in line who clearly was not having a good day and was really annoyed at the time it was taking. We started in with the Trixie and Bubbles attitude, joked with the staff, got our drinks, sat down at a table and started laughing about something. A few minutes later, the same woman came to our table and thanked us for what we had done. We were speechless, because we never directly talked to her, and at first didn’t know what she was talking about. She left smiling and clearly in a different mood than when she came in.

Another day Lisa came across some really fun thank you cards, so we signed one with something silly from Trixie and Bubbles and gave it to the staff. They apparently put in on the board in the breakroom, and I can’t tell you how many thank you’s we’ve received from one simple card.

The other fun thing that happened is that the staff started to look for us to come in. Some started telling us they were disappointed we hadn’t come in during their shift. Really?? The other interesting development is that they have started coming up to chat with us when on a break, and have even shared personal things with us. 

Our decision to enjoy ourselves at Starbucks was challenged during one visit. In the office there was almost a frantic energy, and fires were burning on everyone’s desk. We escaped to go take our restoring break, walked into the store and were met with a long line, the same frantic energy, music that was irritating, and grumbling people all  around us. It was actually worse than the energy in the office! We looked at each other and said “NO – this has to change, we came here to get away from this.” We focused on getting into our Trixie and Bubbles personas, and by the time we ordered our drinks we noticed the music had changed. We joked with the staff. By the time we got our drinks, several of the grumbling people had left, and we sat at a table and started to laugh. The whole mood had changed, and we were able to enjoy our iced teas.

Gray cubicle world is now being affected as well. When things are going haywire and the stress level is rising, we decide not to participate. Trixie and Bubbles start joking around and lightening things up. Once our secret identities were revealed, we even had our coworkers asking what names they can use – so we also now have Sparkle, Diamond and Peaches.  (yes, all of us have excellent stripper names….)

We now tap into our Trixie and Bubbles personalities wherever we go, and I gotta tell you, we are having great fun with it. We're working with some ideas for some new adventures as well.

All of this because one day we had had enough and just wanted to have some fun.

The lesson? You can raise your vibration, shift your energy, and positively affect everyone around you, just by doing something as simple as smiling and laughing, and using silly names at Starbucks. Try it and see what a difference it makes!

Sometimes we get a little treat along with our tea....

and yes, one time we actually did blow bubbles outside of Starbucks

  

everyone needs a bunny bubble wand!

Lessons from a Deep Clean

So a few Saturdays ago, I spent a delightful afternoon with a fabulous group of women celebrating the birthday of a dear friend (excellent party Karin!). Beautiful weather, beautiful ladies, and we all had a great time. Walked home and up to my front door, ready to change into something comfortable and relax with a good book. 

Opened the door, stepped into my apartment and turned on the light.  Hmmmm. I will not be having a relaxing evening reading in my pajamas. I have stepped into a large puddle of water. Then I see that this large puddle of water is actually a 2" deep lake throughout my entire apartment. And, as the visual reality starts to set in, I see that this is not a nice lake. This is not a lake anyone should visit. And it certainly should not be inside my apartment.

I step back out as I try to wrap my head around what has happened. The cat, of course, is not amused by this situation, and is going back and forth from my bed to the back of the couch, telling me of her displeasure. AHHHH!! Don't get down kitty! I'll figure out how to get you out of there!

Did you know that quaint 1930's cottages have quaint 1930's plumbing?Apparently, the 1930's plumbing had a problem, and the sewer pipe that leads out to the street decided it would try something new. Instead of taking the water out, it decided to return all of the water from the 3 loads of laundry that had been done by one of my neighbors, up through my toilet and into my unit. And it brought along the other things that were lining the pipe. Delightful.

So, after emergency calls to the landlord and the plumber, I needed to get the cat out. Hmmmm. Guess where the cat carrier is. Under my bed. You know, across on the other side of the room, sitting in the lake. My neighbor provides me with two large trash bags that I turn into hazmat leggings, and I slosh across the lake to get the carrier. Clean the carrier, then slosh back to get the cat. Interesting trying to hold the trash bags around my legs while carrying an unhappy cat. (I don't recommend it.) Cat gets crammed gently placed into the carrier, and we wait outside for the plumber.

While waiting for the plumber, and the restoration company to come remove the standing water, I stand there looking at everything that touches the floor. Hmmmm. Just about everything touches the floor. Eeeewwww. And you don't even want to know what the bathroom looks like. My angel friend Karin offers me (and the cat) a place to stay for the night, and we'll figure out the rest the next day.  

Next day, after more calls to the landlord and the insurance company, everything is set in motion. I go back to the apartment to save what I can, and get some clothes to wear. Other than most of my clothes and some kitchen items, everything else has been affected. Yuck. 

I get a call on Monday saying that on Tuesday I need to get everything out of the apartment so the restoration company can get to work. At 8:00 in the morning, I meet the maintenance guy who has a truck and a trailer, and we proceed to empty my apartment, load up his truck and trailer with basically everything I own, and I watch it drive away to the dump.  Not a particularly good day.

I feel myself about to attend the most spectacular pity party I've probably ever thrown, and decide instead to go get something to eat and sit on my beach. A magical thing always happens at my beach. After about an hour, I can feel myself starting to shift. I see a Mom with a little girl who is probably 3 years old over by the tide pools. The little girl is delighted, and you can see her joy as she discovers all the different things. And she's even giggling when the very cold waves drift in over her feet. I could feel myself feeling her joy and lightening up.
  
Walked back to my apartment, loaded my car with the few things I had saved, and went back to Karin's, where I ended up staying for almost 2 weeks.

This has been a fascinating process. As you know, I had already downsized quite a bit, and thought I was living pretty lean. Nope. I was still carrying around my past and things I didn't really need. Things I had because they were useful, or practical, or I was just used to having them. Or I kept them because someone had given them to me, and that really was the only reason I still had them. Things I was very attached to for a variety of reasons.

When pretty much everything goes away all at once, it's a little shocking. And I won't lie, that was a really hard day. But as you sit with it, and really see the things for what they really are, your perspective changes. It's all just stuff. And the good news is, with my insurance money, I get to get new stuff. Only the stuff that I really want, the stuff I truly enjoy, the stuff I want to move forward with in my new life.

Right now I'm still kind of camping in my apartment. I'm taking my time selecting what I want. I'm not just simply replacing what I had - I'm creating a living space that I love, and I'm going to joyfully take my time doing it.

The lessons?  Too many to count.

The practical lessons - know your emergency numbers to call on a Saturday evening when normal office hours are done (I did not). Keep your insurance up to date (I did - and thank God for renters insurance). Keep receipts for your significant items (I had some). Keep your files in a container that will survive sitting in a lake (I did).

The life lessons - you find out, once again, how many angels are in your life and that they show up when you need them. That things always work out for the best. During this I said my tough times mantra: "out of this situation only good will come" and just kept saying it. And, you know what? It's true. I was given the gift of starting over and creating my home in a new, wonderful way. 

Here is my blank canvas on the day I started to move back in. I'm excited to see what I will create!

Light, Love & Laughter

Lessons from a Ukulele

I love music of all kinds. I love musical instruments of all kinds, although the only thing I actually learned how to play was the clarinet, which I played in elementary school & junior high (you know, just a few years ago...). My brother was cooler - after playing the clarinet in school, he learned the drums and joined a garage band (a little Creedence anyone??).

Both of my kids love music, and (after their elementary school music careers that included recorder, violin, saxophone and flute), they learned to play much cooler instruments than me as well - my son learned guitar & bass guitar, and my daughter started as a drummer and then added guitar & bass.  

I've always wanted to learn the piano - I have an electronic keyboard that I have plinked around on, but have never really committed to really learn it, mainly because I've always felt it was a little intimidating as there is so much to learn before you can be any good.

Later in life, my dad plinked around on the Ukulele. He used it as a prop for some of his comedic presentations during the years he was a volunteer at the hospital, and he joked that his best song was "My Dog Has Fleas" - which is actually how you tune the thing. 

I hadn't really ever thought much about the Ukulele, as you don't hear a lot of it on the radio, however one song that has always affected me is the Israel (Izzy) Kamakawiwo'ole version of Over the Rainbow & What a Wonderful World. A few years ago I also stumbled onto the TED talk done by Jake Shimabukuro and was sooooo impressed with what he could do with a Ukulele, and the soulful way he plays.

Since my dad passed, whenever I hear the Izzy song or hear Jake playing I am reminded of my dad. I ended up with his Ukulele, however passed it along to my daughter since she was much more likely to play it than me. Last summer she surprised me for my birthday and played the Izzy song for me and we had a nice cry. She was given her own uke as a gift from a friend, and my dad's uke is back with me, and has been sitting here gathering dust.

Soooooo....early this year a catalog arrives in the mail from Saddleback College with some community classes, and when I flip it open, what page does it turn to?? Why the page with the "Beginning Piano" course.  Hmmm.... I also have a keyboard sitting here gathering dust. And right next to the piano class is the "Intro to Ukulele" class. Hmmmm... 

And the excuses began - I don't have time, I don't have the money, Saddleback is not convenient to work or home, it's too late, it's too early, when would I practice, if I'm going to take a class it should be something I need.... Sheesh.

Looked at the piano class again, and it felt like it would be a lot of work, and the class time was not ideal. Looked at the uke class again. Hmmm. It felt more like fun. And the day and time was doable - and it was only 5 lessons.  Surely I could make it through 5 lessons. And if I hated it, no big deal, I didn't have to keep going.

So, I did something I never would have done before, something I normally would have talked myself out of - it's completely out of my comfort zone, and it doesn't make any sense - just because it might be FUN.

Tonight was class 3 of 5.  The song we were given is a simplified version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Yes, the Izzy song. (Hi Dad!) We first reviewed the simple songs from the first two classes, and then struggled through Rainbow a couple times.  

Funny thing about these classes.  I start off OK, then during the middle I'm completely frustrated because I seem to lose all of my finger coordination and ability to look at the page and play at the same time. I then remember I AM HERE TO HAVE FUN. I relax, breathe, and somehow my fingers start working again.  

And I actually look forward to practicing. I have been pretty successful in finding a few minutes almost every day. Am I any good? Ha! Of course not. I had never even held the thing until 3 weeks ago. But I am having fun, and it's a great challenge. Who knows? It's a happy instrument, and maybe I can use it later on to spread the happy. You know, if I ever get brave enough to play in front of another human being. Right now the cat is not impressed with my abilities.

The lesson? Take a chance and try something totally out of your comfort zone. If you get a little niggling feeling that it would be fun to try - especially if it doesn't make any sense - then go ahead and do it!!  It's possible you might hate it, but what if you love it and have fun???  

Light, Love, & Laughter

Lessons from Bubbles

There is a lot of serious stuff going on in the world. We’re surrounded by it and by discussions about it. It seeps into our lives, and we start taking everything seriously, sometimes way too seriously. As part of my on-going self-discovery journey, I’ve realized that something I love to do is to see if I can lighten things up, usually with a little humor. Acknowledge a difficult situation, and then see if/how we can shift the energy. 

My intention and focus this year is to help others do three things: 1) lighten up, 2) reconnect with themselves/their bodies (mainly through reflexology), and 3) reconnect with the planet (at the beach, of course….).

I was sharing my intention with my friend Lisa, and that I was trying to figure out how I could pull it all together. Told her I was thinking about doing some sort of group meditation at the beach. Here's a piece of advice: Never tell a good friend you are thinking about doing something. They then challenge you to do it. She pulled out the calendar and held a gun to my head and told me to pick a date. Well, not really, but she did make me commit to do it and pick a date.

At that point it was right before Christmas, so of course I had every excuse in the book as to why it couldn’t be done now. She’s wasn't having any of it. OK, maybe on a Sunday morning when there’s no traffic and parking is available in Laguna. She says OK, pick a Sunday. Sheesh. 

Maybe it would be a good way to start the new year. Huh. Wouldn’t you know the first day of January is a Sunday? OK – January 1^st it is. Who’s going to show up early on the morning of the 1^st? You know, all of my friends are such party animals (ahahaha!). OK. I commit. 

So a text goes out to a safe number of friends, I start to get responses, and oh, shit, there are crazy people who will show up. Guess I better figure out what I’m going to do. 

Very interesting process. I went from not having enough content and wondering how to fill the time, to having so many resources I didn’t know what to pull from. Then I had to fight with myself – what do I want to say versus what would they benefit from hearing? How do I stop making it about me, and make it about them? Fascinating.

Finally settled on how I thought the morning should go, and then over the course of the next two weeks, changed it at least 25 times. Changed it again the night before. Changed it again the morning of. And then something really fun happened. After getting off to an OK start with the 5 brave souls that showed up, I started to relax into it, feel it, and let my intuition take over. And, funny thing, the shift happened after we all took a few minutes to stop and connect with the beach around us (imagine that!). What we ended up doing and experiencing was not at all the way I had planned it - it was so much better.

In one of my many resources, I had come across a release meditation using bubbles. It was basically to put your cares, worries and everything you want to let go of into the bubbles and let them fly away. Then, shift and put your intentions and ideas and dreams in your bubbles to send them out into the universe. Simple, and I thought it would be appropriate for starting the new year. Thought it would be a small part of the morning. Of course, that was when I was still thinking of a more serious, contemplative focus. 

Ahem, so didn’t I just say that one of my intentions was to help others lighten up? Duh. This group did not need more serious contemplation - they’ve done plenty of that. They needed some fun. Pulled out the bubbles, and everyone at first was a little hesitant, but once we started letting the bubbles go, I watched everyone shift and light up, and we had the most joyful experience of letting old crap go. Then we switched to sending out our intentions – laughing, lovingly, playfully sending them out. Awesome experience.

Now here’s the unexpected benefit from this – the bubbles were not going out over the ocean. The wind was blowing in, so they were going up towards the boardwalk. We were pelting everyone walking by on the boardwalk with bubbles. And you know what happened? We were having so much fun, everyone who walked by started smiling. And laughing. And taking pictures of the crazy women on the beach who were having so much fun. We were shifting the mood of everyone on Main Beach. How fun is that?!  

There are times when a serious, contemplative meditation is the right thing. And then there are the times when a unique opportunity to lighten up comes along, and I hope I get to be the catalyst for more of them.

On a side note, Lisa, the person who challenged me to do this, works with me and helps keep me sane. We go to Starbucks when we need a break from the stress and chaos in grey cubicle world. On a lark one day, when the person at the register asked for our names, I gave the name Trixie, and Lisa gave the name Bubbles. Yes, Bubbles – should have known there would be bubbles in my future…..

We’ve been using the names Trixie and Bubbles at Starbucks ever since. And the side benefit? The same – everyone behind the counter smiles when we give our names, and when they call the drinks out, everyone in the store looks over and smiles. And we smile back. And Lisa tells them to “have a bubblicious day!”  (somehow telling someone to have a Trixilicious day doesn’t quite work...)

The lesson?  Keep it simple, follow your intuition, and have fun. You never know how many others you will affect, and sometimes all it takes is a smile and a 99 cent bubble wand.  Or a smile and a fun name. 

The brave souls who showed up on a very chilly New Years day

It was a stunningly beautiful day after a day of rain

If you look closely you can see the bubbles
carrying our thoughts away
 

Light, Love & Laughter