Wow! That was a long nap.

Because I like lists, and because I know you're busy, I'm going to bullet point for you the last few months. Sorry if this is a repeat for any of you:

• Nov. 30, Thursday, got a cat. (Photo soon.) I figured out I've been wanting one for 18 years when my mom got rid of our cat Sabrina when we moved across town. Without telling me first. Luckily I'm not bitter. My friend Ruth fosters cats and I was over at her house and introduced me to this 6=month old kitten who'd been living in a cat carrier in her laundry room because she had FeLV and couldn't be at a shelter. (Ruth keeps the hard-luck cats she temporarily fosters in the laundry room to be safe from her three big rowdy dogs.) I couldn't resist her--she cuddled up under my chin and started purring LOUD like a motorboat. I had to try and knew if I called and told MSH I was bringing a cat home he'd say no. So...I did a naughty thing and just brought her home SURPRISE! Long story short, he was pissed, but kitty did her charming bit and soon he was in deep smit. She is the silliest, jumpiest, weirdest, most affectionate, people-loving kitty ever. She's on my lap right now. Cuddles! After three intense days of discussion, she was named Shilo. For the Neil Diamond song, NOT Brangelina's baby, although the book about the dog, Shilo Inns, and the Civil War battlefield are all acceptable answers.
• Worked 30 hours a week at the office job, throughout Nov. and Dec. while teaching 8 yoga classes a week, pinging my boss to hire a replacement at the office, and tearing my hair out.
• In the midst of all this, on December 13, started participating in the Sravasti Abbey Chenrezig Retreat from Afar. I haven't done it every day, especially not after I got back from Molokai, but I'm doing it now, and it's been wonderful. This is the same practice I did at a week-long retreat in June last year, and will be doing again in June for a week this year.
• Had the least amount of Christmas spirit ever in 29 Christmases. This included foregoing a tree, then finding out we were hosting MSH's nuclear fam on Christmas Eve. MSH got a new ladder, and so we gathered around the light-bedecked, ornament-adorned Christmas LADDER on Dec. 24 before celebrating with extended family in Tacoma Dec. 25. The ladder was very cheery, shiny, didn't drop needles, and didn't need water. It was also very easy to put away. (Photo soon.)
• (Two days after Christmas, purchased a $60 fake Christmas tree with lights built in for $10 at Bartell's. That 2007 Christmas tree is in the bag. As if I needed another reason to love Bartell's. Yes, I love real trees, but we're not going to go on that adventure until we have Kids Who Walk.)
• Got Christmas cards out late. (But before the end of January!)
• Finished my office job. The goodbye tea was on Thurs, Dec. 22. People said very kind things about me and I will tell you I miss the people. My boss wrote a highly complimentary letter which he sent to my dharma center with a contribution in my name! I thought that was really cool. They also gave me a gift certificate to Cafe Flora, one of my favorite restaurants. My last day was supposed to be Dec. 23. I finished my last project on Dec. 31 at 4:45 PM, before heading for a candlelit silent Bikram yoga class. Which was amazing, and I also felt, symbolic--end of the year, end of that chapter in my life--now: YOGA!
• The last week of January, I went to Molokai, Hawaii for a yoga retreat. (Photos soon.) This was one of the most relaxing, renewing, peaceful, and growth-causing (?) weeks I've experienced outside of a meditation retreat. The place, Hui Ho'olana, was gorgeous, peaceful, and had a wonderful calm energy just like a meditation retreat center. (They hold retreats not only for yoga, but painting, meditation, creativity, dance, and photography.) The food was delicious, very nutritious, organic, and mostly derived from the Hui's bountiful garden. Fresh tropical fruit every morning, DIOS MIO! The yoga teacher, from Portland, I hadn't even met before, but my godparents recommended the retreat to me and I know they think the world of this teacher, so of course I went! And she is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I'd been planning on this (re)treat for a year. (MSH couldn't go because in his current job he's not allowed to take vacation in December, January, or February.) It was really special to get to spend a whole week with them. They are dear friends and role models for me (they officiated our wedding) and I felt like I really got to form a more meaningful connection with them. Not to mention all the other people on the retreat, whom I'd never met, were all from Portland, fun, easy to be with. Here I am rambling.
• After the retreat, I was bitter to be home. I know that's the wrong reaction to have to a perfect, dream-like retreat vacation, but it was. No gourmet vegetarian delicious food. No sunshine. Just me and some free time. I watched a lot of TV in between teaching yoga classes. It wasn't a good time for me.
• I snapped out of it. Haven't watched TV during the day since. I'm organizing a big garage sale, doing dharma center work, back to meditating daily as part of the retreat from afar. I try to go for at least a short walk each day. Haven't felt like running. I've read two great books: The Female Brain and The Bounty. I've even started cooking a bit. I credit my kitty with keeping me from getting too busy and remembering to relax, because nothing encourages you to sit down and relax like the surety that your lap will soon be occupied by a creature warm, furry, and purring who loves you.
• MSH got a new job at the same company, starting in April--different department, boss, and duties, same money, working for the most part from home since his boss is based out of state. Should be MUCH less stressful. He's already less stressed out and taking better care of himself. I am so grateful for him, and for us, and for everybody! His happiness and more peaceful state have made a real difference. He's really had quite a few months in this new year, figuring out what was important, and taking stock of what this stressful job had done and making decisions--he's going to the gym more, to yoga class more (although he'll ONLY go to the ones I teach, silly!), and he's started reading again. And we laugh, hard, much more often! I'm so proud of him, and happy for him! I can honestly say, his happiness is more enjoyable to witness than my own. I love what I do and feel what I do is important and I've been wishing the same for him.
  
• Teaching continues to be a gift. I love my students and every class is different. It's like a box of chocolates, as Forrest would say: You never know who, or what, you're going to get! I dropped my Sunday morning class at MSH's request, but picked up another weekday class, at least for March, at my beloved "home" studio.
  
• In my own yoga practice, I've also started doing this DVD at home from time to time, and since the Molokai retreat have tried to add more gentle, restorative yoga practices. Oftentimes it's just what I need. I learn more and more about energy--a couple of weeks ago I taught seven classes in 48 hours. For the most part, I was fine at the end of it. I took at three-hour Yin yoga workshop between the 6th and 7th classes I taught and it brought me renewed energy. So: energy. A renewable resource. You can get it from the yoga.

I look forward to a wonderful year, especially the meditation retreat in June! We are planning a trip to Scotland and France in July, visiting family and friends as well as the British Open golf tournament and of course St. Andrews, and I plan to travel to New England in the fall with a dear friend, to visit my yoga teacher training roomie in Western Mass, and see the fall color.

In the short term, I'm looking forward to

• The ballet
• The Seattle LebowskiFest--first one in the Northwest, far out!
• Starting Netflix again (I've darkened Blockbusters for the last time!)
• Updating this blog more often--now that I've broken the ice, should happen more often! Sorry for such a long post. I think I'm happier than I've ever been. :)