WEIP 2024?

The puzzle above felt just right for the new year and my quest for what else is possible. At first, I cropped the picture to remove the missing piece, then realized it was perfect in its imperfection. What else is possible?

It’s a new year filled with possibilities—some great, some not so much. The possibilities remain, nonetheless.

David and I have some big projects going on at our house. The big, beautiful patio behind the house is almost finished. In a couple of weeks, we will start construction on a butler pantry to replace the ramshackle shelves hidden with a quick-fix curtain. The pantry is a sampling of what our new kitchen will look like when we are ready for that next project to begin. Our house turns 100 soon, and giving it some love right now feels really good. At the same time, we are doing our best to navigate the trials and tribulations of a parent with dementia.

We hope to travel abroad this year—there are so many places to explore. It’s also an election year, and all hell is breaking loose around the globe. Oof, I don’t need to talk about the craziness that is.

So yeah, lots of ups and downs. Here are some of the things that help me move with ease through the rollercoaster of life.

Physical movement with Nia. The routine I am teaching right now, Ride, has a rollercoaster move full of ups and downs. It has a couple of songs with Arabic lyrics, which I appreciate. I also chose this routine to send a little love to the Middle East. Take a Ride with me!

I use questions like “What Else Is Possible?” and “How does it get any better than this?” to keep energy flowing. It makes the good things better and the bad stuff not so horrible. The questions are not to be answered, only asked. I got these clever questions and other magical techniques from a workshop with a fellow bodyworker.

Puzzles keep me calm and bring me endless joy. A while back, Kate Finlayson and I put together a playshop. I learned so much about the value of play—I yearned to bring more play into my life. I loved puzzles but felt too guilty to do them regularly. I saved them for vacations or figured I could do them when I retired. After the playshop, I created a puzzle club where there is a constant exchange of puzzles. This was pre-COVID, but I was glad to have it during the pandemic. I enjoy learning who likes what and where the puzzles need to go next. I have even gotten a few friends into puzzling competitively with me. Ha! Let me know what you like, and I will hook you up. I have a closet I can barely close, and I love it!

The above puzzle is one of my favorites, not just because it sparkled! I love the iguana on the woman’s head. When I was in high school, I volunteered for Discovery Place. When I wasn’t preparing meals for the iguanas (with a nice sprinkling of grubs), I occasionally carried them around the museum for folks to look at up close. They are pretty cool and have serious nails. We got a good, healthy dose of iguanas during our trip to Galapagos a few years ago.

Starting the year with an in-person, surprise birthday Ageless Grace class!

Ageless Grace is all about play and creating possibilities in our bodies and brains through movement. It’s so awesome to come up with something new in every class. We recently surprised our youngest student, Tristan, with an in-person birthday class at his house. It was the perfect way to celebrate the first class of the year!