Friendship, 5-Minutes, Appreciation, Action, Integration, Things: More Reverb 10

I'm participating in Reverb 10 this month, an online project that provides daily prompts to help you reflect on the past year, and the year ahead.  Below are my quick answers to the prompts for December 11-16.  Feel free to share your answers in the comments.  You can see my past Reverb 10 posts here.

Dora helps me file

December 11 – 11 Things
What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Prompt by Sam Davidson).

I'm sure I have 11 things I need to get rid of, but committing to eliminate so many things seems unrealistic, so I'm narrowing it down.  The main thing I would like to eliminate in 2011 is feeling like our home is stuffed with stuff.  Not only would it be easier to find things, the feeling of spaciousness would be awesome.  In particular, I would like to un-stuff:

1. My file cabinet
2. My closet
3. My dresser drawers
4. Our linen closet (I have a terrible penchant for towels and sheets)
5. Our cupboards (I also love dishes, mugs and glassware)

My ShimmyPop! teacher

December 12 – Integration
This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Prompt by Patrick Reynolds).

As some of you know, I've been dealing with foot pain that has prevented me from dancing regularly.  I finally broke down and went to see a podiatrist a couple weeks ago.  Before the appointment, I decided to go to my favorite belly dance fitness class, ShimmyPop! at Hipline.  I wanted to go to one last dance class before the doctor told me I couldn't anymore; a last meal sort of thing.

My fabulous friend Heather Meyer (pictured above) taught it, and it was awesome.  I got a little teary part way through (and now as I write about it) from how joyous and happy I felt.  I asked Heather for the class playlist, so I could share it with you. I bet if you dance around to it you'll definitely have a moment, or two where you'll feel, "there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present."

• Kitty Kat / Beyonce
• Never Gonna Get It / En Vouge
• Boom Boom / Kumbia Kings
• I Wanna Dance With Somebody / Whitney Houston
• Loca / Shakira, featuring Dizzee Rascal
• The One / Mary J Blige, featuring Drake
• Jai Ho / The Pussy Cat Dolls
• Shake It, featuring Lady Saw / Michael Franti and Spearhead
• Crazy Kiya Re / Sunidhi Chauhan
• Boom Boom Mama Remix / Da Family
• Hot in Herre / Nelly
• Good Stuff / Shakira
• It's A Mans World / James Brown
• I Put a Spell on You / Nina Simone
• Perdido Sin Ti / Ricky Martin

Me "blogging"

December 13 – Action
When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Prompt by Scott Belsky).

As I mentioned in a post last week, I'd like to teach a  a class in 2011 about The Art of Blogging: Creating Juicy Content for Artists, Writers, Creative Entrepreneurs and Do-Gooders.  A big thanks to everyone who shared the format and number of sessions they would find the most helpful.  My next step is to choose a date to launch it.

Walking in Muir Woods

December 14 – Appreciate
What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Prompt by Victoria Klein).

A week, or so before my 41st birthday this summer, I wrote a post, Walking Into 41: A Birthday Reflection Practice about going for a 30-minute walk for the first 41 days after my birthday.  I asked for suggestions about how to make time to take the walks, and my Mom commented:

"One thing that might help you when you don't feel like walking, or you think that you don't have time, is to do it because you can! It is a gift to be able to take a brisk, vigorous walk. So many people have limitations and are not able to take a walk, so go for it!"

Ironically, a few days after my birthday is when my foot really started bothering me (see December 12 - Integration), and I had to abandon my Walking Into 41 practice.  Although my foot is better, and I know now what the problem is (bone spur and arthritis in my big toe), my barefoot dancing and running days are numbered.  On the other hand, with the right shoes, I will be able to walk and hike without pain for the rest of my life.  I'll never take being able to walk for granted again.

Lake Chabot

December 15 – 5 Minutes
Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Prompt by Patti Digh).

• Having birthday dinner for my dad with my parents and the hubs.
• Trip to visit my grandma with the hubs.  
• Seeing my grandma's smile when we took her to an animal shelter to meet cats.
• Going to LA with the hubs for work and play.
• Going to NYC with the hubs to see friends, family, and to go to the BlogHer Conference.
• Visit with pal, Gabriela Masala, and her family as they passed through California.
• Going to Guerneville for a girlfriend's birthday.  Champagne tasting at Korbel! 
• Hiking with the hubs in Lake Chabot Regional Park
• Hiking with the hubs and pals in Purisima Creek Redwoods
• ShimmyPop! class with my Big Vision Circle gal pals for my birthday.
• Having brunch with Vassar girlfriends every other month.
• Discussing books in my virtual social change book club. 
• Cooking all kinds of new recipes, including my first pie crust and first pizza.
• Making my first Thanksgiving dinner.
• Growing my first vegetables!
• Meeting amazing people while doing interviews for the Big Vision Podcast.
• Witnessing my creative career coaching clients moving towards their Big Visions.
• The kind comments and emails I've received this year from Have Fun, Do Good readers.
• Going through the Off the Mat Yoga, Purpose and Action Intensive.
• Taking Lisa Sonora Beam's visual journaling workshop
• Making something every day for Art Every Day Month.
• Laughing at our cat several times a day.
• Reading Eating Animals, Farm City, Farmer Jane, Play, Lovingkindness, Women Food and God, Promise Me, and Radical Homemakers.
• Starting a meditation practice.

December 16 – Friendship
How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst? (Prompt by Martha Mihalick).

Trying on Las Palomas aprons

As I mentioned in my answer to "December 15 - 5 Minutes," for the past 10+ years, a group of my girlfriends from college gets together for brunch every other month.  Not only do I appreciate these gatherings because the woman who hosts them is an amazing cook, but also because as we get older and approach our 20-year reunion in 2011, I cherish our 20 + years of friendship and the integral roles we've played in each other's lives more and more.

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