THANKFUL WHATEVER DAY

Eclipse

4 Likes, 1 Comments - Cindy Maddera (@elephant_soap) on Instagram: "Eclipse"

Yes, I usually reserve these posts for Friday, but Talaura and Sarge get here TODAY! We have a full day of sight seeing planned for Friday. I need to fill her full of BBQ and then we need to make sure she gets some National Park stamps on Saturday. Sunday, we drive up to meet her family in St. Joseph for Eclipse 2017 activities. We will be watching the eclipse at the Rosecrans Memorial Airport along with five thousand other people. We will witness totality and stars and I've already started getting emotional over the whole thing because Science! and WOW! So, needless to say, I have a lot of things to be thankful for this week. 

This was the first week of school for kids here and Michael's first week at a new school with new students. I am thankful that he seems to really really like the new place. At least he's excited about being there right now in this moment. I'll take it. I have a meeting scheduled next week with a new yoga studio that just opened up right down the street. I am thankful for the possibility of teaching yoga again. I went to the dentist today for a routine check up and my wonderful dentist went on and on about how great my teeth look. I left with a clean bill of toothy health. I am thankful for that toothy health. FLOSS EVERY DAY! I reached out and scheduled an appointment with a therapist because I have issues that I need to talk about with someone with an empathetic/sympathetic ear. It's probably something I should have done a long time ago, but I am thankful that I am doing it now. Actually, I already feel better just having set up the appointment. 

Mostly though? I am super thankful to have Talaura here for a few days. I want every thing to be super awesome and perfect while she's here. She always does a great job of showing me around New York when I visit, coming up with unique and off the beaten path places to explore. I want to do the same thing for her. I am thankful to be able to return the favor. 

So that's it. Peace out for a few days. DON'T LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITHOUT LEGIT ECLIPSE GLASSES ON! Even though all of the eclipse guides say to just watch and don't try to take pictures, I've bought a special lens filter and I'm going to try to take some pictures. If I find myself too much involved, I'll focus only on the eclipse. I promise. I will take a moment to have true gratitude for the moment. 

Happy Thankful Whatever Day!

THE GETAWAY

Goodbye @chromeplatedgirl and goodbye New York 😢

"Goodbye @chromeplatedgirl and goodbye New York 😢"

There used to be a time when I traveled where at the end of each day, I'd sit down and write the day's events in my journal. It was a good habit that I've neglected this summer. While we were in Alabama, by the time the dinner dishes where dealt with and the Cabbage was put to bed, I barely had enough energy to get through a cocktail before calling it a night. Every day was filled to exhaustion. I suppose I could make the same excuse for this trip to New York. I mean, just on my last day alone, I ended up walking a little over 25,000 steps. This trip was a spur of the moment splurge and I didn't really prepare myself for journaling. 

Here's an un-ordered list of things I saw:

• Fort Tryon Park
• subway rat
• The Wild Party
•  Pier 84
•  Boyz II Men and Nick Canon
•  Chinatown
• what's left of Little Italy
• the Morgan Library
•  the original manuscript of Alice in Wonderland
• the Highline
• the Roosevelt Tram
• Lin-Manuel Miranda
• Schmakery
• Congee
• Ramen
• that guy wearing an American flag tank with a matching bandanna on his head carrying a pineapple. 

It seems like a short list, but part of my time was spent in a conference. Of course I saw old sites like Times Square. There's no missing The square when you're headed to a theater. I hung out for a few minutes in Bryant Park and passed by Columbus Circle. There were so many new sections of New York for me this time. I walked from the Highline to Chinatown which took me through parts of the Village I'd never seen. I emersed myself into the tactileness of New York. I ended each day with sore feet and a body sticky with sweat and city grime and I did not care. The best part was getting to see Talaura's new home. I met her dog park buddies and saw the place where every Tuesday, she picks up her CSA veggies. We'd pass people on the sidewalk while walking Sarge and Talaura would tell me how that's so and so and they're currently in this or that. Her neighborhood is full of people involved in the theater in some way. I was star struck and giddy and so impressed. I am happy for the life she's created and is cultivating for herself.

When I sat on the plane to leave New York after my very first time visiting, tears dripped down my chin. I was overwhelmed by the grandeur that is New York and joy of spending time with a good friend. The same thing happened as I said goodbye to Talaura at the airport after my second trip to New York. That was understandable. It was an emotional trip, the trip that Chris and I had planned to take together. The Statue of Liberty was where we held the first leaving of the ashes ceremony. I assumed these tears were warranted, but a passing things. Eventually I would get used to saying goodbye to Talaura and this great big city she calls home. So I was surprised as the tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over as my plane taxied down the runway.  I chalked it up to being tired. Also the s'more cookie that Talaura shoved into my hand before pushing me off the bus was now gone, eaten while standing in line at security. There was also someone sitting near me who was making the plane smell like a boys' locker room. 

I know really the tears are there because I've just said goodbye to a piece of my heart.

THANKFUL FRIDAY

The other night, I stepped outside to walk to the car after yoga class and I noticed that the air smelled almost sweet. It was the same smell that follows a gentle Spring or early Summer rain. I popped my head up to look out through the parking garage and that's when I saw that it was indeed raining. Later on in the evening that rain would turn into teeny tiny snow flakes and leave everything outside looking like it had been dusted with flour. But in that small moment, still hazy from final relaxation, I could almost believe that it was Spring and that if I looked out I would see tulips and daffodils. I know that it was just a tease. Today there is no doubt that it is winter. Little snow flakes decorate my weather widget for the next couple of days. Yes, I was being teased by mother nature, but I was also once again being reminded that Winter's days are numbered. I'm thankful for that reminder. February has passed like the blink of an eye and we are heading into March roaring like a lion. We've all made it this far. I think we'll survive to see the tulips at the end of March. 

I am thankful for many things on this last Friday of February besides the promise of Spring. Today, maybe even as you're reading this, I am traveling to Oklahoma to celebrate the union of Misti and Mark (or Mark and Misti, M&M). I am thankful that Misti has found a partner who makes her life happy. It is unfortunate that Michael and the Cabbage aren't able to go. We just couldn't get the scheduling worked out, but I will not be traveling to Oklahoma alone! I nudged Talaura into flying to KCMO and riding to Oklahoma with me. She and her little dog (with a big heart) Sarge will be keeping me company as I drive us through the great Flint Hills of Kansas. The last time Talaura flew to KCMO and drove with me to Oklahoma it was for Chris's celebration of life service. Not really the best trip. Sort of sad and funny at the same time because we do have a good sense of humor. But it's nice to be making this trip for much happier reasons. I'm thankful to have Talaura and Sarge's company for the drive down. We chat just about every day, but it's not the same as seeing her face and being able to hug her neck. 

Lots of things happening this weekend. Apparently we're traveling into some weather, but I haven't really paid much attention to that. I'm thankful that I learned to drive on icy roads and now have experience in snowy conditions. I do not for see any travel problems. I have good company for the ride down. This is all that really matters. I am thankful for a weekend where we all can gather to celebrate love. Really celebrate. I know, as we grow older, we are more likely to gather to celebrate a life of a loved one lost. That's just the way of things. So these moments where we can all come together for no other reason but to share in the joy of the legally binding of two households are moments to squeeze and hold tight. 

I am thankful that Josephine was not a jerk to Sarge. I am thankful that I successfully completed my latest assignment for Python class without any outside help (I'm learning to write code! Not to be confused with write in code. Running computers kind of code.). I am thankful for you. 

Here's to a weekend of great joy and a super duper Thankful Friday!