It’s been so much fun getting back into Taiko drumming, I’m happy with how much I still remember and how easy it has been to pick up the songs I had learned months ago. Kristy, the instructor has a wonderful smiley, positive energy. I practice about 20 to 25 minutes a day, and it also feels like a good workout for my arms. Percussion instruments have always been my favorite type of instrument, I love the steady rhythms and the feel of the drum sounds. In some ways practicing Taiko reminds me of learning cheerleading routines back in high school.
On Friday morning I treated myself to a Philz coffee then went for a walk at Newhall Community Park, a nice quiet spot with a good hill climb, beautiful bare branched trees, and a lake with lots of noisy geese, ducks and birds.
Winston and I stayed home the rest of the day, he napped and occasionally went outside (under supervision so he didn’t get hyped up and start jumping around) and I journaled, read and did research into the area of reuse and sustainability. I found some cool graduate programs, especially at Cal Poly Pomona where there is a masters degree in in regenerative studies, a newer area in the sustainability field. Learning about regenerative studies got me interested in concepts such as regenerative design, circular economy, cradle to cradle. I’m not planning on going back to school in the near future, though if I could find someway that all of my costs would be covered, I definitely wouldn’t say no! I did a little work on the UN sustainability goals during my MNA program, so I’d like to dive a little more deeply into that area. Another reason sustainability interests me is because I’m reading a book called One Square Inch of Silence by Gordon Hempton, an acoustic ecologist who in 2007 took a road trip across the US to record various sounds of nature and talk to people about the importance of quiet in their lives. It is a fascinating book and has made me think more about the role and impact of noise and silence in my life. I started listening to some of his amazing sound recordings on Spotify. It is just incredible how relaxing and rejuvenating these crystal clear, complexly layered recordings are. It was the perfect music to listen to while enjoying the striking sunset on Friday night.
The research I’m doing into the reuse field has opened my eyes to many other ways that I can not only reduce my own consumption, but also reuse things in an easy way. I watched The Box Truck film by Alex Eaves and it was so inspiring (he also produced an incredible film on reuse several years ago – traveling across the US talking to others involved in the field). The box truck film combined my loves of both tiny homes and creative reuse. He created his own beautiful home out of almost completely reused items and it was just so gorgeous and cozy.
I want to do something like that, and I am building up my confidence that I can. I’m finding I am running into the voice in my head that tells me I’m being unrealistic and naïve in trying to create a different life for myself, one that doesn’t have to be so dependent on earning a large income, of being able to find a way of living that is sustainable for me that I won’t burn out and feel so stressed. One of the things I am learning during this time off is to do things differently, especially to slow down and not do so much. It’s always a challenge that feeling of wanting to have a list of accomplishments and the the manic energy from always being on the go. But it’s not sustainable, and I am looking at sustainability from all angles, not just in terms of the planet and resources, but my own physical ability to live a life that I love and not exhaust myself, physically, mentally or emotionally.
A big part of my personal sustainability is making sure that I spend time with the people who are important to me. Saturday was Sisters Day, a day where my sisters and my mom and I get together without kids, partners, etc. Normally we do a full 3 day sisters weekend, but because of various travel and work schedules this year we were only able to do one day. It was a very full day, and at the end of it we all agreed that in the future we really do need to carve out the time for a full weekend because a day is way too short.
I brought Winston with me because I didn’t want to leave him at home all day. In hindsight, it probably would have been better for him if I had left him at home as all of the people, laughter and activity wound him up. Being in a place that he’s not really familiar with also contributed to the craziness. We arrived at my mom‘s house and he trotted inside and promptly peed on one of the rugs and then pooped in my mom’s bedroom! So I spent the first half hour there cleaning up after his territorial marking. Doggie clean up issues aside, it was such a fun day with my sisters. We caught up with each other, played 80s movie trivia, had a scavenger hunt through old photos, made felt cactus planters, reminisced about our Aunt Roberta who had passed away recently, went for a walk around the “horseshoe“ in the neighborhood, played a game involving a die and a very, very well wrapped package. I won that game and my prize was a dozen beautiful eggs from my sister Michelle‘s chickens! I did not, however, do so well in the celebrity guessing game, especially when we got to the pantomime-only round. At times I was laughing so hard I literally peed my pants! I definitely need more days like this I love being around family and feeling lots of love, support, laughter and good food. We all brought snacks – I made my world famous pan-roasted Honey Nut Cheerios, Mom picked up donuts from Bob’s Donuts (the apple fritter was incredible!) and Michelle brought her homemade salsa, hands-down the best salsa ever. Yum Yum! It was a wonderfully full day, and by the time Winston and I got home, we were both ready for bed.
