Just when I think I know, I don't. I've lived my life thinking that things were going to "go a certain way" or that I'm planning on a particular event, thing or action happening. And then......no.
I've been taught this lesson over and over in life, but yet I still try to force My Will on things around me. That's exactly what I did with the 2-story playhouse we built. I was sure I could get it to do what I intended and wanted it to do. But time has shown me that as hard as I try, it's going to be what it is without my permission. Turns out, it would be the dogs and lambs deciding who gets in the house-structure we built. Dogs below, and Belle upstairs. The great pyrenees love laying in the shade underneath it - and Belle is the only one going upstairs to mill around and nibble treats. So it's not SheepLand or a Guard Dog Tower after all. That's just what it "appeared" to be, or better yet, what I was trying to make it be - without knowing what would really happen in the natural progression of life in the pasture. Matter-of-fact, Belle loves it. She enjoys looking around, climbing upstairs via the ramp, milling around up there, and then the finale?! A big jump off the ramp, playfully, to come back down. She's like a kid out playing and enjoying herself. As if she's going somewhere new, and is ready to explore and play. Her lamb sisters are not quite as adventurous. They watch her, most likely baaaaaa-ing to tell her to 'Be Careful'! So now it's hard to know what to do. Fence it? And then the dogs cannot have their new favorite place, in the middle of the pasture in the shade? Or leave it as it is and let everyone enjoy it? It is a new place that provides shade, and they all love that. Sometimes I come home, and they are all laying underneath it enjoying the shade and breeze. It's a nice option between the front trees by our house, and the pond area down by the road. It's in that in-between area. "Just right", as Goldilocks would say.
I'm a bit perplexed, as I had expected this situation to solve my lambs-eating-dog-food problem. I thought it actually had. But the dogs and lambs have decided otherwise, and to use it for another purpose. To be together and enjoy it together. While I was thinking of a separation of sorts, they are thinking it's one more place they will relax and be together. How can I take that away from them? And now it will have yet, another new name. Since Belle is the only one who goes up in it.......I have deemed it The Belle Tower.
This may very well be (one of) my major themes in life. Embracing the unexpected. The secret I've found for myself is to not fight the old, but embrace the new. The only thing constant in my life is change. Every day. Sometimes I think "Can I just have a day to press the Easy Button?" Can I have this day be bland and uneventful? Or is that what I really want? Sometimes I think I want that, but yet I manage to stay busy instead. My family uses the term 'Go Man Go' when referring to me. Go Man Go does just that. I guess even when I have time to sit down and unwind, the activities I use to decompress consists of long walks, being in the barn piddling around, or working on my To-Do list (which I keep in my head). My reason for walking the dogs is for 'their' mental health. But is it? Or is it for my own?
To answer your question, I still have not figured out how to keep the sheep from eating the dog food. Bright side? I have lots of new shade that the dogs and sheep love to hang out in, in the middle of the pasture!
Ever since I've moved to the country, I learned quickly (and reluctantly) that embracing the unexpected is a daily fixture. I can come home from work and find new and different things have occurred that I never would have imagined. Swarms of bees on the side of my house, moving the queen inside our attic. Families of mice moving into our laundry room. Any one of our livestock animals NOT in it's proper pasture. Wasp nest the size of a football atop our house. Our master bedroom filled with wasps. Random dogs trying to take up residence in the pasture. Chicken attacks. Having a 1 day old lamb with no lamb knowledge. Scorpions in the house. Mice chewed up into sections, with their heads, middle or back end/tails left sprawled across the yard. Possums hissing at me in the barn. None of which are terribly horrible. I think it's the unexpected, time after time, that adds up to embracing the fact that "I never know what I'll experience" on The Graves Farm. So now, I expect the unexpected. What's going to happen today? And I've learned that whatever it is, I will handle it. It's part of my life now, and leaning into that just feels good.
I'm heading out for a run. And guess where my destination will be? I'll run up to next town, and arrive at Tractor Supply (Don't we all love that place?! Get'r Done!). Why? Because they have all their baby chicks for .50 cents each, and David has requested 4 more chickens (via chicks) to add to our flock. I'll meet him there, and we will welcome our new additions to the farm. I guess that means we'll need to come up with 4 new girlz names!
Fall is coming,
Cyndi
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Sunday, September 17, 2017
SheepLand Update
Just like most days in my life, I'm surprised by how much I don't know, don't see clearly or all-of-a-sudden figure something new out that I thought I would have known by now. For so long, I thought I knew so much. I thought I was certain about many things in life. But, the older I get, the more I realize I have so much more to learn from life. Sometimes it's the little things: For example, SheepLand. It seemed the perfect solution to our sheep-eating-dog-food dilemma. David and I took those 459 pieces of wood, screws/washers, posts and put them all back together in "our own" new configuration - more conducive for small livestock. Namely sheep. We were so happy for several reasons 1) We did not have to make ANY additional trips to Home Depot for anything. We used what we had, and somehow made it work. It is normal for us to make 16 extra trips to town, to gather "what we think we might need". That particular size screw, a piece of lumbar, or maybe just an excuse to back away from the project for a short while. But no. We resisted, and figured it out with the supplies we had. Go Us! 2) We made a ramp in which to maneuver to the second floor. (Training the sheep to climb the ladder wasn't a good option). 3) We finished without harm to ourselves or each other. Success! Our new design gives plenty of shade to the sheep - and dogs, too. A new shade option for everyone is always welcome.
Now granted, we have not fenced around our SheepLand yet. We wanted to give everyone free range to check it out. Kind of like a Pasture Open House. The chickens visited, the barn cats milled around it, and the dogs loved being right in the middle of the pasture (which is where we put this) and laying around - and under it, in the shade. The sheep seemed curious and enjoyed it, but unfortunately, the ramp was too slick for their little split-hoof high-heels. Click click.....oooopps. Belle looked like she was trying to walk up the ramp on frozen ice, and so we knew we would need to improve on the ramp issue.
In the meantime, we are living our life ignorant of the obvious. The lambs can't get upstairs........but the dogs can. Their paws allow them to reach the second floor. So wait. It's not SheepLand!? Are we really solving our problem by putting the dog food bowls upstairs where only the dogs can go? Why didn't we see this before? No fencing needed. And we are done? Was it that easy? (It was not "that easy" to build it, mind you). But the concept of using it for the dogs - instead of the sheep - never crossed my mind. Genius! This 2 story configuration provides plenty of shade underneath it (your welcome, my sweet sheep), and the second story is for the dogs. It's where they can eat in peace. Ohhhhhh, it's a Guard Dog Tower! Right smack in the middle of the pasture. It reminds me of a LifeGuard Stand at the beach. But with two Great Pyrenees in it, watching over their flock of sheep.
So far, the dogs are hesitant about their new location of food. I would even say they are not pleased about this. There will be an adjustment period, as everyone settles in and understands what's happening. They are not big on change. But with time, they will settle into their "new normal". With time.
I can't wait to paint 'Guard Dog Tower' on it. Good thing there's not an HOA out here. My biggest concern? That the chickens don't think it's a new chicken coop for them. I saw them eyeing it.
Still figuring out life,
Cyndi
Now granted, we have not fenced around our SheepLand yet. We wanted to give everyone free range to check it out. Kind of like a Pasture Open House. The chickens visited, the barn cats milled around it, and the dogs loved being right in the middle of the pasture (which is where we put this) and laying around - and under it, in the shade. The sheep seemed curious and enjoyed it, but unfortunately, the ramp was too slick for their little split-hoof high-heels. Click click.....oooopps. Belle looked like she was trying to walk up the ramp on frozen ice, and so we knew we would need to improve on the ramp issue.
In the meantime, we are living our life ignorant of the obvious. The lambs can't get upstairs........but the dogs can. Their paws allow them to reach the second floor. So wait. It's not SheepLand!? Are we really solving our problem by putting the dog food bowls upstairs where only the dogs can go? Why didn't we see this before? No fencing needed. And we are done? Was it that easy? (It was not "that easy" to build it, mind you). But the concept of using it for the dogs - instead of the sheep - never crossed my mind. Genius! This 2 story configuration provides plenty of shade underneath it (your welcome, my sweet sheep), and the second story is for the dogs. It's where they can eat in peace. Ohhhhhh, it's a Guard Dog Tower! Right smack in the middle of the pasture. It reminds me of a LifeGuard Stand at the beach. But with two Great Pyrenees in it, watching over their flock of sheep.
So far, the dogs are hesitant about their new location of food. I would even say they are not pleased about this. There will be an adjustment period, as everyone settles in and understands what's happening. They are not big on change. But with time, they will settle into their "new normal". With time.
I can't wait to paint 'Guard Dog Tower' on it. Good thing there's not an HOA out here. My biggest concern? That the chickens don't think it's a new chicken coop for them. I saw them eyeing it.
Still figuring out life,
Cyndi
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
My Regular Sheep Life
My "regular" daily issues and problems are so different than they used to be. This past weekend, I realized how much my life has changed. Picture this: I'm out in the backyard of a stranger I met on CraigsList, standing with my husband, looking at a large, 2-story wooden children's playhouse/swingset/slide configuration, trying to figure out how to take it apart and transport it to our front pasture in Gunter. It would seem likely we have grandchildren who would love this? But no. We are getting it to solve a problem we have.
I've googled my problem, read blogs and realize I am not alone in this dilemma. Our (three) sheep are eating our (two) Great Pyrenees dog food. The very dog that protects them, herds them from danger and watches over them 24/7. The sheep, who are not meat eaters, are devouring their dog food. Our dogs have actually tried to protect their food, by barking at the sheep. But the relationship between the three sheep and two guard dogs prevails, and the dogs finally say, "Yes, you may have it". The sheep are very persistent. It's a relationship unlike any other I've seen. The dogs instinctually guard and watch over them. The sheep respect the dogs, and "look" to them for guidance and cues on what to do. They have a bond that is unlike any I've seen in life. It's natural, and needed zero training to occur. Granted, the Great Pyrenees protect the chickens and barn cats as well, and they take their job seriously. It's what they live for. We appreciate them so very much! And we want them to be able to eat their dog food in peace. After all, they deserve it!
In our effort to keep the sheep from the dog food, we have tried everything we know of, including the things we read on helpful blog sites, and that we thought might "work". In the meantime, the sheep are eating ALOT of dog food. They are getting too big now, and it's something we have to stop. Despite what the rumor is about sheep.......they are smart. They are puzzle-solvers, creative thinkers and stronger (emotionally and physically) than we ever knew.
What makes this so difficult is that the LGD (Livestock Guard Dogs) and sheep are relatively the same size. What one can do, so can the other. The sheep can, and will get on their hind legs if they need to. The sheep will go through all shapes and sizes of doggie-doors. The sheep will bat their sweet eyes at their fearless leaders for a taste of their yummy food. And the dogs allow them to. That's Levi (brother) and Whisper (sister). The sweetest guard dogs ever. They love kids, being petted and brushed, and behind their fierce bark and "guard dog" presence they have........they are just big balls of love. They will tear apart a skunk in a minute. They do not allow any predator across the parameter of the fence line. They stay up all night making sure everyone else can sleep safely, after all, that's when the coyotes, foxes, raccoons, etc come out to eat. They scare the water meter readers, and anyone who comes to the property, as no one is exempt from their "Go Away" bark routine. The "Beware of Dog" sign is appropriate for them.
But it's Belle. Belle is our hand-raised, bottle fed, diaper wearing lamb whom we nurtured from the Day 1 rejection of her mother. Around-the-clock bottle feedings, 2 (or 3) panicked vet visits, and her living in our home for a couple of weeks with our indoor dogs, have created a cross between a lamb and a dog. She would walk down the gravel road to check the mail with us, like the inside dogs did. She bonded with the King Charles spaniel, as she was the same size and coloring. And Belle learned to do dog-things before she would ever do lamb-things. Ironically, through this process, we never allowed her to have dog food. For several months, she lived this life of not really knowing she was a lamb. We knew we would need to "fix" that.
So off we went, to buy her a couple of lamb sisters to teach her how to be a real lamb. We checked around, and found a farm in Mineral Wells that sell Dorper lambs/sheep. That's what Belle is, a Dorper sheep. David and I have only known one lamb in our life. Belle. And she rides in the back of the car with the (inside) dogs. She walks around with, us like the (inside) dogs do. She stays close to us, and comes when you call her. In her mind, I'm sure the thought she was "one of them" - a dog, of sorts. She was too young to be out in the pasture with the LGD's, so her life was in our front yard with our "regular" inside dogs (who come and go through the doggie-door into the laundry room). And so did Belle.
Hence, as Belle grew and got older, we knew we needed to teach her how to be a sheep, because we have successfully have her confused about what she really is. Since we were not doing a good job of teaching her to be a sheep, we would buy a couple of "real" lambs her age, who would show her how to eat grass, graze the pasture, and do sheep-things. So as mentioned, I called the Dorper sheep breeder, and we arrange to come buy two lambs. And of course, we would just put them in the back of the car, like Belle.
It was back in April, that we arrive at the Sheep Farm to pick up two more lambs. Belle is waiting back at the farm. Gary (who owns the sheep farm in Mineral Wells, Tx) has instructed me (on the phone) to bring a crate, to put them in, for the car ride back home. But I don't. I will just put them in the back of my SUV - like I do with Belle. We arrive to the sheep farm, and will take the "extra's". We pick a runt from a set of triplets (who got the least milk from her mama) and another random lamb that was considered a "extra" (i.e. not breeding material or possible good meat supplier). We are picking pets, not quality lambs. We pick the ones no one else wants. Gary says, "Where's your crate?". I don't have one, I tell him. I'll just put them in the back of my SUV. He looks at me like I have three heads on my shoulders. "What!? I told you to bring a crate! These lambs will kick-out your windows, and leap all over this car and cause you harm". I tried to explain that's what we do with our lamb.....and our dogs..... but I was too naive to realize these are wild, pasture lambs who have not been inside the house, raised on a bottle with people and dogs around, and that his lambs would not be able to travel in that same manner. Silly me. I felt like a 6 year old being scolded.
Luckily, he had an old crate he was willing to donate to us (it was so beat-up I wasn't sure it would even hold those "wild" lambs and we would all end up dead, in the car). He somehow was able to capture the lambs we "picked" and got them in the crate. That was fun to watch. It was even more fun driving home, wondering when the kicking, jumping and madness he mentioned, would ensue. Despite my tense shoulders the whole way home, we all made it alive. Knowing later......we might laugh about this adventure.
We somehow got these lambs in our pasture, and for the first time, we put Belle out with them. They knew what to do. They had been recently weaned from their own mamas. They knew to graze and how to be a lamb. But Belle? She just cried for us. We are her mama. She calls to us to come to her. This was not going to be easy. Maaaaaaaaaam, she cried. Over and over. It took time for them to incorporate Belle into their world. But they did eventually, and they did indeed teach her how to be a lamb, for the most part. She's still part dog. Part baby. Part our own child. But she lives in the pasture with her sisters, and they love her, too. Belle, Cotton and Eve are a herd now. Who happen to love to eat dog food.
If we are to be good shepherds of sheep, we must stop the madness of our sweet sheep eating dog food. This brings me back to the back yard of a man I do not know from CraigsList, buying his backyard wooded playhouse/swingset configuration. The good news? He put it together, and is going to take it apart, in order for us to take it away (his kids are too old for it now). It's going to be a great sheep house! 3 hours later, we have it apart and loaded on our trailer.
We unload the 459 pieces in our front pasture, where we will somehow re-build this configuration and make a separate SheepLand (similar to DisneyLand, but for sheep), in which they will reside much of the time, and where the dogs can still guard them, BUT the sheep cannot get to the dog food. This new area will be fenced 360 degrees mid-pasture, so the dogs can guard all sides. We will still let Cotton, Eve and Belle out to free range the whole pasture for much of the time, but it also allows the sheep to be confined to a fenced section of the pasture for themselves, while allowing the dogs to still do their job - and eat their own dog food. This new set-up will help control what, and how much, the sheep eat. Basically, it will give us more options for control of the sheep, esp when we go out of town or on vacation.
Obviously, this is a work-in-progress, as the 459 pieces of the 2-story playhouse are scattered about the pasture. We will need to make ramps up to the top portion, too. Sheep are good climbers, so they should do well with this. This new housing unit will give them plenty of shade as well as options for shelter.
And the dogs will get to eat their dog food in peace. I'll keep you posted on how this works out, as we have much work to do to accomplish this.
And now your asking yourself: Do we really need to build SheepLand in order to keep the sheep from eating the dog food? No, of course not. But that's how we do it at The Graves Farm.
Here's to a great Tuesday!
Cyndi
I've googled my problem, read blogs and realize I am not alone in this dilemma. Our (three) sheep are eating our (two) Great Pyrenees dog food. The very dog that protects them, herds them from danger and watches over them 24/7. The sheep, who are not meat eaters, are devouring their dog food. Our dogs have actually tried to protect their food, by barking at the sheep. But the relationship between the three sheep and two guard dogs prevails, and the dogs finally say, "Yes, you may have it". The sheep are very persistent. It's a relationship unlike any other I've seen. The dogs instinctually guard and watch over them. The sheep respect the dogs, and "look" to them for guidance and cues on what to do. They have a bond that is unlike any I've seen in life. It's natural, and needed zero training to occur. Granted, the Great Pyrenees protect the chickens and barn cats as well, and they take their job seriously. It's what they live for. We appreciate them so very much! And we want them to be able to eat their dog food in peace. After all, they deserve it!
In our effort to keep the sheep from the dog food, we have tried everything we know of, including the things we read on helpful blog sites, and that we thought might "work". In the meantime, the sheep are eating ALOT of dog food. They are getting too big now, and it's something we have to stop. Despite what the rumor is about sheep.......they are smart. They are puzzle-solvers, creative thinkers and stronger (emotionally and physically) than we ever knew.
What makes this so difficult is that the LGD (Livestock Guard Dogs) and sheep are relatively the same size. What one can do, so can the other. The sheep can, and will get on their hind legs if they need to. The sheep will go through all shapes and sizes of doggie-doors. The sheep will bat their sweet eyes at their fearless leaders for a taste of their yummy food. And the dogs allow them to. That's Levi (brother) and Whisper (sister). The sweetest guard dogs ever. They love kids, being petted and brushed, and behind their fierce bark and "guard dog" presence they have........they are just big balls of love. They will tear apart a skunk in a minute. They do not allow any predator across the parameter of the fence line. They stay up all night making sure everyone else can sleep safely, after all, that's when the coyotes, foxes, raccoons, etc come out to eat. They scare the water meter readers, and anyone who comes to the property, as no one is exempt from their "Go Away" bark routine. The "Beware of Dog" sign is appropriate for them.
But it's Belle. Belle is our hand-raised, bottle fed, diaper wearing lamb whom we nurtured from the Day 1 rejection of her mother. Around-the-clock bottle feedings, 2 (or 3) panicked vet visits, and her living in our home for a couple of weeks with our indoor dogs, have created a cross between a lamb and a dog. She would walk down the gravel road to check the mail with us, like the inside dogs did. She bonded with the King Charles spaniel, as she was the same size and coloring. And Belle learned to do dog-things before she would ever do lamb-things. Ironically, through this process, we never allowed her to have dog food. For several months, she lived this life of not really knowing she was a lamb. We knew we would need to "fix" that.
So off we went, to buy her a couple of lamb sisters to teach her how to be a real lamb. We checked around, and found a farm in Mineral Wells that sell Dorper lambs/sheep. That's what Belle is, a Dorper sheep. David and I have only known one lamb in our life. Belle. And she rides in the back of the car with the (inside) dogs. She walks around with, us like the (inside) dogs do. She stays close to us, and comes when you call her. In her mind, I'm sure the thought she was "one of them" - a dog, of sorts. She was too young to be out in the pasture with the LGD's, so her life was in our front yard with our "regular" inside dogs (who come and go through the doggie-door into the laundry room). And so did Belle.
Hence, as Belle grew and got older, we knew we needed to teach her how to be a sheep, because we have successfully have her confused about what she really is. Since we were not doing a good job of teaching her to be a sheep, we would buy a couple of "real" lambs her age, who would show her how to eat grass, graze the pasture, and do sheep-things. So as mentioned, I called the Dorper sheep breeder, and we arrange to come buy two lambs. And of course, we would just put them in the back of the car, like Belle.
It was back in April, that we arrive at the Sheep Farm to pick up two more lambs. Belle is waiting back at the farm. Gary (who owns the sheep farm in Mineral Wells, Tx) has instructed me (on the phone) to bring a crate, to put them in, for the car ride back home. But I don't. I will just put them in the back of my SUV - like I do with Belle. We arrive to the sheep farm, and will take the "extra's". We pick a runt from a set of triplets (who got the least milk from her mama) and another random lamb that was considered a "extra" (i.e. not breeding material or possible good meat supplier). We are picking pets, not quality lambs. We pick the ones no one else wants. Gary says, "Where's your crate?". I don't have one, I tell him. I'll just put them in the back of my SUV. He looks at me like I have three heads on my shoulders. "What!? I told you to bring a crate! These lambs will kick-out your windows, and leap all over this car and cause you harm". I tried to explain that's what we do with our lamb.....and our dogs..... but I was too naive to realize these are wild, pasture lambs who have not been inside the house, raised on a bottle with people and dogs around, and that his lambs would not be able to travel in that same manner. Silly me. I felt like a 6 year old being scolded.
Luckily, he had an old crate he was willing to donate to us (it was so beat-up I wasn't sure it would even hold those "wild" lambs and we would all end up dead, in the car). He somehow was able to capture the lambs we "picked" and got them in the crate. That was fun to watch. It was even more fun driving home, wondering when the kicking, jumping and madness he mentioned, would ensue. Despite my tense shoulders the whole way home, we all made it alive. Knowing later......we might laugh about this adventure.
We somehow got these lambs in our pasture, and for the first time, we put Belle out with them. They knew what to do. They had been recently weaned from their own mamas. They knew to graze and how to be a lamb. But Belle? She just cried for us. We are her mama. She calls to us to come to her. This was not going to be easy. Maaaaaaaaaam, she cried. Over and over. It took time for them to incorporate Belle into their world. But they did eventually, and they did indeed teach her how to be a lamb, for the most part. She's still part dog. Part baby. Part our own child. But she lives in the pasture with her sisters, and they love her, too. Belle, Cotton and Eve are a herd now. Who happen to love to eat dog food.
If we are to be good shepherds of sheep, we must stop the madness of our sweet sheep eating dog food. This brings me back to the back yard of a man I do not know from CraigsList, buying his backyard wooded playhouse/swingset configuration. The good news? He put it together, and is going to take it apart, in order for us to take it away (his kids are too old for it now). It's going to be a great sheep house! 3 hours later, we have it apart and loaded on our trailer.
We unload the 459 pieces in our front pasture, where we will somehow re-build this configuration and make a separate SheepLand (similar to DisneyLand, but for sheep), in which they will reside much of the time, and where the dogs can still guard them, BUT the sheep cannot get to the dog food. This new area will be fenced 360 degrees mid-pasture, so the dogs can guard all sides. We will still let Cotton, Eve and Belle out to free range the whole pasture for much of the time, but it also allows the sheep to be confined to a fenced section of the pasture for themselves, while allowing the dogs to still do their job - and eat their own dog food. This new set-up will help control what, and how much, the sheep eat. Basically, it will give us more options for control of the sheep, esp when we go out of town or on vacation.
Obviously, this is a work-in-progress, as the 459 pieces of the 2-story playhouse are scattered about the pasture. We will need to make ramps up to the top portion, too. Sheep are good climbers, so they should do well with this. This new housing unit will give them plenty of shade as well as options for shelter.
And the dogs will get to eat their dog food in peace. I'll keep you posted on how this works out, as we have much work to do to accomplish this.
And now your asking yourself: Do we really need to build SheepLand in order to keep the sheep from eating the dog food? No, of course not. But that's how we do it at The Graves Farm.
Here's to a great Tuesday!
Cyndi
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Going backward is a good thing
I was given a book to read by Dr Pahlavan, of whom I work with in the OR. It was a book he thought might be of interest to me, and turns out, it is fast becoming one of my favorite books. On The Edge, by Alison Levine is coined as a leadership manual that provides insights from her various extreme environment experiences of Mt Everest and the South Pole. One of the reasons I love it so, is it's written with much candor. Her style of writing, and her ability to relate those experiences with leadership, and life in general, are relatable. Okay, you'd think I was selling this book! But no, just gushing about it.
I'm still reading it, but came upon the chapter titled Go Back Jack, Do It Again. This chapter screamed my name.....Cyndi! All those times you started over, re-did things, went back instead of forward or other various forms of backtracking in your life? It's okay. At the time, I didn't recognize that it was making me stronger, or better, or actually moving me forward. It sure didn't seem like it. Society and our own selves, are hard on us when progress does not appear to be forward-moving.
I have little - to no knowledge - of what it takes to climb mountains. This book details the procedures and requirements that are essential (and necessary) to reach the summit of Mt Everest. Specifically, I'll zone-in on the topic regarding the physical acclimation aspect on the body. After reaching Base Camp, climbers may move on to Camp I. They may stay there a day (or two), and possibly move on up to Camp II. Then, climb back down to Camp I, and sometimes even back to Base Camp to let the body recover, hydrate/eat and rest. This continual movement of upwards, back down, upward again, and back down again seems tedious. But completely necessary, as the body is adjusting to the air pressure differences, with the intention of becoming stronger - and better equipped - for each upward movement. Her point being: Going backward is necessary to go forward. On Mt Everest - and in life. Each time we start over, or backtrack, we are preparing ourselves for our next forward movement. It's making us stronger and better equipped for what's to come.
In my own life, I have been hard on myself for not always moving forward. This single chapter in this book has given me a new realization of something I may already have known. Yet, it has provided me a healthy dose of self-compassion. When I have retreated in life to a "lower elevation", I was in fact, setting myself up for my next move forward. Why does it have to take me so long to realize this? For whatever reason, I have tended to think that progress has to move in one particular direction, but that's simply not the case. This book has been my gentle reminder to understand when I think I'm losing ground, it could very well be that I'm strengthening my foundation. And an even greater reminder that I need to reward and encourage progress in all forms, not just the obvious ones.
I was discussing this with my daughter, and I liked how she phrased it as well, "moving in a new direction". There are times where I think I have learned more from her in my life, than I have taught her. What a wonderful gift of give-and-take we have with each other.
Speaking of the topic of progress.....there's one thing ultra-runners are proud of that I found interesting and intriguing when I first begin participating in long distance running. Whenever I was running in a ultra race (typically classified as any distance race longer than a marathon) and began conversing with fellow ultra runners, they always knew how many Ultra's they've completed, AND equally knew how many DNF's they have had. DNF = Did Not Finish. This means, for whatever reason, they did not finish a particular race. A DNF is then placed by the competitors name in the "results" portion of the Race Results for that particular race. Oh! That's new! In my previous marathon world, that would have "frowned" upon. But in the ultra world, it is a badge of honor. A DNF is not bad thing, matter-of-fact, it's there to teach you, and assist you with what to do different next time in order to be successful. A learning experience to put in your back pocket. Endurance sports of any type require regrouping, reenergizing, and repositioning yourself so you can then be stronger (and smarter) about ascending to the next level - and finishing that next race. Backtracking provides valuable experience to contribute to your next forward movement. This phenomenon in the Ultra World is one of my favorite things. I think that's why the chapter in the book (On The Edge) of "Go Back Jack, Do It Again" speaks to me. I am proud of my DNF's. There's always many lessons learned in them. They are the reason for many of my successes. And I'm most grateful for each and every one of them. I know them like the back of my hand. And it feels good to be proud of them.
Here's to ebbing and flowing,
Cyndi
I'm still reading it, but came upon the chapter titled Go Back Jack, Do It Again. This chapter screamed my name.....Cyndi! All those times you started over, re-did things, went back instead of forward or other various forms of backtracking in your life? It's okay. At the time, I didn't recognize that it was making me stronger, or better, or actually moving me forward. It sure didn't seem like it. Society and our own selves, are hard on us when progress does not appear to be forward-moving.
I have little - to no knowledge - of what it takes to climb mountains. This book details the procedures and requirements that are essential (and necessary) to reach the summit of Mt Everest. Specifically, I'll zone-in on the topic regarding the physical acclimation aspect on the body. After reaching Base Camp, climbers may move on to Camp I. They may stay there a day (or two), and possibly move on up to Camp II. Then, climb back down to Camp I, and sometimes even back to Base Camp to let the body recover, hydrate/eat and rest. This continual movement of upwards, back down, upward again, and back down again seems tedious. But completely necessary, as the body is adjusting to the air pressure differences, with the intention of becoming stronger - and better equipped - for each upward movement. Her point being: Going backward is necessary to go forward. On Mt Everest - and in life. Each time we start over, or backtrack, we are preparing ourselves for our next forward movement. It's making us stronger and better equipped for what's to come.
In my own life, I have been hard on myself for not always moving forward. This single chapter in this book has given me a new realization of something I may already have known. Yet, it has provided me a healthy dose of self-compassion. When I have retreated in life to a "lower elevation", I was in fact, setting myself up for my next move forward. Why does it have to take me so long to realize this? For whatever reason, I have tended to think that progress has to move in one particular direction, but that's simply not the case. This book has been my gentle reminder to understand when I think I'm losing ground, it could very well be that I'm strengthening my foundation. And an even greater reminder that I need to reward and encourage progress in all forms, not just the obvious ones.
I was discussing this with my daughter, and I liked how she phrased it as well, "moving in a new direction". There are times where I think I have learned more from her in my life, than I have taught her. What a wonderful gift of give-and-take we have with each other.
Speaking of the topic of progress.....there's one thing ultra-runners are proud of that I found interesting and intriguing when I first begin participating in long distance running. Whenever I was running in a ultra race (typically classified as any distance race longer than a marathon) and began conversing with fellow ultra runners, they always knew how many Ultra's they've completed, AND equally knew how many DNF's they have had. DNF = Did Not Finish. This means, for whatever reason, they did not finish a particular race. A DNF is then placed by the competitors name in the "results" portion of the Race Results for that particular race. Oh! That's new! In my previous marathon world, that would have "frowned" upon. But in the ultra world, it is a badge of honor. A DNF is not bad thing, matter-of-fact, it's there to teach you, and assist you with what to do different next time in order to be successful. A learning experience to put in your back pocket. Endurance sports of any type require regrouping, reenergizing, and repositioning yourself so you can then be stronger (and smarter) about ascending to the next level - and finishing that next race. Backtracking provides valuable experience to contribute to your next forward movement. This phenomenon in the Ultra World is one of my favorite things. I think that's why the chapter in the book (On The Edge) of "Go Back Jack, Do It Again" speaks to me. I am proud of my DNF's. There's always many lessons learned in them. They are the reason for many of my successes. And I'm most grateful for each and every one of them. I know them like the back of my hand. And it feels good to be proud of them.
Here's to ebbing and flowing,
Cyndi
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
I think I will
After thinking things over, I've decided to continue writing a weekly (or a variation thereof) blog. I have been thinking about this for awhile now. And the desire to do so propelled me to finalize this decision in my head.
So here I am, back home from my partial run across the US which included run/walking from Maine to (almost) New York. I was about 40 miles from the New York border when I traveled back home. I feel good about not being out on the road alone, due to my running partner needing to stop. Which brings me to my current topic I'm working on. I have many areas in my life I focus on improving, changing, or mulling over at any given time. It's like a myriad of topics which I juggle, which seems like a metaphor in life. We juggle so many things, all the time.
This topic pertains to my ability to handle saying "No". I said "no" to continue a journey across the US alone, for many reasons. But what's most important to me, was my new ability to say "no" and be okay with it. When I said "no" to myself (along with my family's request) regarding this decision, it had greater meaning in my life.
Sometimes saying "no" brings about guilt, unrest, self-judgement, or doubt. It can leave us feeling like we might disappoint others, or even ultimately, ourselves. Many times in my life, I have felt like I wasn't able to say "no" when I probably should have.
This all changed this past August. While out on the road run/walking, I listened to many Podcasts. One in particular was my favorite: Dear Sugars. You'll recognize one of the 'Sugars', as she's Cheryl Strayed who wrote the book Wild. (The other 'Sugar' is Steve Almond). In many of their Podcasts, they have a featured guest who contribute to the conversation, as well. They do a fantastic job at answering questions, from letters, that are written to them. It's usually topic-related, and there was one topic that spoke to me. The Power of No. The featured guest on this podcast was Oprah Winfrey. There are so many details I want to write down about this Podcast, but instead, I think it would be best for this information to come directly from the Podcast itself. There is a Part I and Part II! Oprah, along with Cheryl and Steve, give advice - and ways - they have improved their ability to say No, and more importantly: Why they chose to say No. I felt that Oprah's personal struggle in life to learn to say No was empowering. It changed how I looked at it......completely.
This new outlook on the simple ability of knowing when to say No, has changed the way I look at everything. Mostly, it has given me the permission slip I needed, to do so. It has assisted me in moving through what could have been a personal struggle, but instead, turned into a life lesson.
I learn so much from Podcasts! My favorites are, of course, Dear Sugars. I also enjoy Ted Radio Hour, Serial, Criminal and This American Life. I look forward to hearing what your favorite Podcasts are. They give me a wonderful listening alternative while driving (or biking/running) to work. Or quite frankly, anytime. I really like the variety offered on the Ted Radio Hour ones. It's limitless learning.
Here's to a wonderful Tuesday!
Cyndi
So here I am, back home from my partial run across the US which included run/walking from Maine to (almost) New York. I was about 40 miles from the New York border when I traveled back home. I feel good about not being out on the road alone, due to my running partner needing to stop. Which brings me to my current topic I'm working on. I have many areas in my life I focus on improving, changing, or mulling over at any given time. It's like a myriad of topics which I juggle, which seems like a metaphor in life. We juggle so many things, all the time.
This topic pertains to my ability to handle saying "No". I said "no" to continue a journey across the US alone, for many reasons. But what's most important to me, was my new ability to say "no" and be okay with it. When I said "no" to myself (along with my family's request) regarding this decision, it had greater meaning in my life.
Sometimes saying "no" brings about guilt, unrest, self-judgement, or doubt. It can leave us feeling like we might disappoint others, or even ultimately, ourselves. Many times in my life, I have felt like I wasn't able to say "no" when I probably should have.
This all changed this past August. While out on the road run/walking, I listened to many Podcasts. One in particular was my favorite: Dear Sugars. You'll recognize one of the 'Sugars', as she's Cheryl Strayed who wrote the book Wild. (The other 'Sugar' is Steve Almond). In many of their Podcasts, they have a featured guest who contribute to the conversation, as well. They do a fantastic job at answering questions, from letters, that are written to them. It's usually topic-related, and there was one topic that spoke to me. The Power of No. The featured guest on this podcast was Oprah Winfrey. There are so many details I want to write down about this Podcast, but instead, I think it would be best for this information to come directly from the Podcast itself. There is a Part I and Part II! Oprah, along with Cheryl and Steve, give advice - and ways - they have improved their ability to say No, and more importantly: Why they chose to say No. I felt that Oprah's personal struggle in life to learn to say No was empowering. It changed how I looked at it......completely.
This new outlook on the simple ability of knowing when to say No, has changed the way I look at everything. Mostly, it has given me the permission slip I needed, to do so. It has assisted me in moving through what could have been a personal struggle, but instead, turned into a life lesson.
I learn so much from Podcasts! My favorites are, of course, Dear Sugars. I also enjoy Ted Radio Hour, Serial, Criminal and This American Life. I look forward to hearing what your favorite Podcasts are. They give me a wonderful listening alternative while driving (or biking/running) to work. Or quite frankly, anytime. I really like the variety offered on the Ted Radio Hour ones. It's limitless learning.
Here's to a wonderful Tuesday!
Cyndi
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)