Kinesthetic Activities (otherwise known as hobbies)

I am a kinesthetic learner.  I learn best by watching, and then doing.  I love kinesthetic activities like playing the piano, dancing (especially modern dance), hiking, surfing.  For the class I recently took, I had to learn to juggle.  That was supposed to help us remember what it's like to be a beginner at a skill.  I"m still a beginner at it, but that's another story. This year I've added knitting to my activites.  I'm also going to start a crochet project soon, and right now I am learning guitar.  I've always liked acoustic guitar.  I just love the sound of it, and the sound of a person singing with the guitar.  I like Colbie Caillet's music.  And yes, I like Taylor Swift's music.  I'm not sure why I haven't learned guitar before.  The right time just hadn't happened for me yet.  But it's here now.  I think I've been inspired by my son who played guitar with his girlfriend (before leaving on a mission).  It was so fun to hear them!  And they were pretty good!  Anyway, it's just fun to sit down and play the piano sometimes, or put on music I like and dance to it, or knit a scarf or crochet an afghan for my kids.  And play guitar for the fun of it.  It's just satisfying in life to have some activities you do purely for the fun of it. For the joy you get from learning and doing something. And for the fact that they help you forget your troubles and get out of the crazy thoughts running through your head!  I guess almost every skill we learn is kinesthetic in some way.  And that's a good thing.

Get My Shopping Mojo On!

I am not a shopper.  Have never really loved it.  Don't do it with girlfriends. I remember two different occasions when I actually went with a girlfriend.  It just seemed awkward, and I'm way too self-conscious.  Today I was shopping for a skirt to wear to my sons wedding.  Did some shopping for it yesterday also.  Went to more stores today.  Stores, stores, stores.  Skirts, skirts, skirts, dresses, dresses, dresses.  Colors, styles, shapes.  Blaaaaaaaaaa!  It all gets too overwhelming to find THE RIGHT ONE.  That looks good on  me, feels good on me, is not dowdy, and is the right price.  A delicate balance to find all of those attributes in one dress/skirt.  And sometimes I just get overwhelmed by it all and have to pack it in and wait to try another day.  Then sometimes, usually after several days of shopping and narrowing down exactly what I want, the shopping mojo finally hits me and voila!  I find what I want in a short amount of time.  My husband says it's focus.  I like to call it my shopping mojo.  Whatever.  Thank goodness it finally came!

The Power of Nature

I grew up with parents who took us biking, hiking, camping, playing softball, roller skating, swimming, and anything that involved the outdoors.  My husband and I have done the same with our kids.  Especially hiking.  We live literally at the foot of the beautiful, majestic Wasatch mountains.  There are MANY hiking trails in the various canyons within a 20 minute drive of our front door.  Yesterday we hiked one of them.  Amazing how in that short span of time I feel transported to another world.  No blaring of horns, no pollution.  Just rushing streams, birds calling, fresh mountain air.  Sometimes I wish I lived back in another time, when people were more connected to the earth.  I've learned for myself how nature can be healing, and that going outside just a few minutes each day can be calming and/or invigorating.  We have a small vegetable garden and a few fruit trees.  So we are in our own small way, trying to maintain that connection.  I hope we have passed that on to our children.

Divine Intervention in Friendship

Sometimes you meet someone in life, and they end up playing a much bigger part in your story than you could have ever imagined.  That's what happened with a girlfriend of mine.  Our husbands grew up together from junior high on.  My husband met her at college and introduced her to his friend.  They started dating.  Not long after, my husband and I met and started dating.  We did some double dates together and got married about a month apart. Fast forward a few years and we have the same number of children, same number of boys/girls.  We have done trips together and lots of family dinners and game nights.  Our children thought they were cousins growing up.  Then a very difficult period in my life happened, and I would not have made it without her love and support.  She was literally my counselor and confidant and main support.

Today was a luncheon to celebrate her youngest son leaving to serve a two year mission for our church.  She has raised decent, hard-working, God-fearing children.  I thought of all the times she and I have talked, laughed, and cried on the phone, over lunch, and on the ski slopes. I thought of the times she sacrificed to come to my home and help me in a time of need.  Our stories are intertwined now, and I realize God is much smarter than I am at placing people in my life that I will need.  God writes a much better story than I can.

On Being Married to an Artist

I am married to an artist.  Not a visual artist, but a writer, actor, singer, film-maker.  And that's only part of what he's done in his life.  He's climbed about every mountain in our state, and some in other states.  Was a river guide and kayaked many rivers.  Performed in many community musical theatre productions.  Doesn't sit still and just watch tv much.  Which is very good in some ways.  Difficult in others.  Sometimes I wish he were just a regular guy who would help with things around the house.  But then I'd probably be bugged.  As it is, there is never a dull moment.

So You Think You've Got Talent?

I read an interesting book this week for my class.  The book is The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born.  It's Grown.  Here's How., by Daniel Coyle.  Very interesting read about how the author went around the world to places (he calls them hotbeds) that seemed to churn out a high number of talented people in a particular skill.  Tennis in Russia, soccer players in Brazil, etc.  Did these people all have a unique talent and just happen to be from the same place, or was something done differently in that place that helped them develop their talent?  It seems that these places did do things differently, and it helped develop their skill.  The book makes the point that we have much more potential to develop talents than we may realize, and if we learn to practice a certain way, that makes all the difference.

So this begs the question, how much of LeBron James' talent is nature, and how much is nurture?  I definitely think nature has something to say about it.  But I also think we can often do more than we realize, if we have the desire, work hard, and practice the right way.  Some people have the physical ability, but no desire.  How about you?  What do you have a passion to learn and do in life right now?  Get up and do it!

Back in the Land of the Living

I was doing so well last week, writing here every day.  Then Monday I started a class I have to take for work.  At 8 a.m.  An hour away.  With homework.  So the homework stuff has kept me pretty busy, on top of fixing meals and getting a little exercise, and staying on top of all things family-related.  But, IT'S DONE NOW!!!  Yea!!!  And I got two free books from it that are very interesting reads (non-fiction, more about that later) and learned some interesting stuff about Motor Learning.  What's that, you say?  Motor Learning.  ie. how we learn physical skills.  And the best way to teach a beginner a skill vs. an advanced learner a skill.  And the importance of practicing skills correctly, so our bodies create myelin and we create good habits and we learn faster that way.  And that positive feedback is HUGE in influencing people.  We humans are absolutely drawn to positive feedback from others.  So that's the goal I need to set for my teaching next fall, is to use more of it.  And use it at home with my family more!  I love learning new stuff, and reviewing old stuff.  But I am back in the land of the living now.  Hello!