July 31, 2014

Aqua Pura



Montreal's Parc Jean-Drapeau

As some of you know, four years ago I got back into the pool right before my 50th birthday. I had taken a 30 year hiatus from competitive swimming and was curious to see how fast I could swim at mid-life.

I thought I might just do one race and hang-up my cap and goggles once again, forever.

At the time, my first race was an especially frightening experience- as I took a deep breath and hoisted my veiny legs and droopy ass up on the starting block.

Heart pounding, I felt as though I was naked.

I hesitate talking about being a competitive athlete because I know at this stage of life it can alienate people. I have a good friend who was born on the same day and year as me and she has said that the athlete in me is the place where our common paths take a sharp turn. Perhaps she feels as I do when I meet someone like a micro-physicist or a neuroscientist and can only hold the conversation together for a nanosecond. This is a bad analogy but hopefully you know what I mean!

What I like about racing is the complexity of pulling not just the physical aspect of it together, but the mental and emotional ones as well. Like two of my siblings and my mom, I think I am a born athlete (as many people are, who are ADD'ish).

I may not always be a competitor, but hopefully I will experience the joy of swimming for many years to come.

Cindy and me on the pool deck; circa 1978

Which brings me to this exciting thing:

Very soon, Cindy, my bestie, who I met on the swim team in 5th grade, and I will head to Montreal, by train, for the World Masters Swimming Championships, along with almost 6000 other swimmers, from 93 countries around the world. Kind of like the swimming Olympics for older folks like us- but much, much easier to get into.

Older folks acting like kids again.

And- there will a 97 year-old-woman from New Zealand racing, as well as many other beauties in their 80s and 90s:-)

Fingers crossed.

Have a nice weekend everyone,

Louise



July 26, 2014

Two Sisters



One of the guys in the above clip recorded a random conversation between his mother and aunt and then decided to create a funny lip-syncing video of it with his friend.

 As one person on Youtube commented:

"As funny as this is it just really reminds me that women go on and on about some stupid stuff. My biggest woman pet peeve is when someone is telling you a story and they focus on the random parts that don't even matter. "Well, I was at the grocery store on Thursday...no, wait...it was Wednesday because on Wednesday the dog got fixed. Ok so I was at the.....no it couldn't have been Wednesday because Kathy was with me...."

OMG, how many times have you caught yourself saying something like this? ( or not caught yourself...)

I know I have. Kind of scary.


While on vacation this week, I've been elbow deep in paint, as I repaint a few rooms that were sorely in need of it.

The rest of the time, I am not getting ANYTHING done...

Because....

Guess what?

We adopted two kittens, who are sisters!

So cute!

They were found abandoned in a kayak at the shore, with two other siblings. This story alone stole my heart.

Endlessly entertaining, as they never stop tumbling around and getting into trouble.

Such as falling into the toilet :-(

I think we've named them Olive and Cleo.


Thank you to my sista' for sending the video in :-)

Partners in crime.

July 15, 2014

Still


"I don't think people realize how hurtful of a word 'still' can be. So many times people have asked me if I'm 'still' chasing my dream of being on television, with a tone that implies I'll eventually be giving up."

This quote is from my favorite site, Humans of New York, that I follow on Instagram. I love HONY. I love his portraits and the raw intimacy of what his subjects share with the world each day. They are such a step inside the human condition.

The quote particularly struck a cord with me. I remember when my Dad died, and the kids were young, I use to mourn him while driving alone in the car or taking a shower. These were the two places that I could go and cry myself a river without freaking them or anyone else out.

One night a few months after he died, I drove to the store, while sobbing along the way. After arriving, I bumped into a dear old friend. She noticed my red eyes and said "You're still having a hard time?"

She had never lost a parent and didn't know that the year following a death can be just as hard, or even harder, than the actual day you lose someone. 

Although I didn't take her comment to heart or wonder why I was having such a hard time, in my head I remember thinking "You have no idea". I knew that it was just a bridge that she hadn't yet crossed.

And that's the thing- unless we have walked in someone's shoes or know someone who has- we don't have any true idea usually about anything. 

I always say that we all have a completely different tape running through our heads and we do.

So this is a tribute to all of us who are STILL in the middle of something:

Whether you're still looking for love, or are mourning a love-
Whether you're still trying to make an idea work, or are in a job that you hate & can't leave-
 Whether you're still self-medicating with food, or alcohol, or drugs-
 Whether you're still struggling in an empty or abusive relationship-
Whether you're still scraping by financially or are struggling with health issues, or both-
Whether you're still recuperating from a childhood wound-
Whether you're still too lonely....
or any of the 100's of other things that we can still be.


The truth is that we are where we are, and we probably won't make a step towards change until we are sick and tired with ourselves and have had ENOUGH.

So on this note- may we all try to be at peace with our journey.  

xo,
Louise


July 11, 2014

Sorry, Not Sorry


I've had a razzly-dazzly crazy week preparing for a family wedding. The highlight being I cleaned out my studio for the first time in a few years. It had become a storage space/catch-all while trying to launch the failed attempt with our natural food product...

Man oh man can crap build up quickly, but now it's a creative space once again that's calling my name.

Recently my daughter said something like "What are you going to do now- be an artist again?"

 I said "Well...yeah....why?"

She responded, "Well, what else are you going to do?"

Well... I could become a dula... or a life coach...or hop on someone else's idea train.

I think however, that it's time to marinate for awhile in my studio. Perhaps next to running and swimming, I have my best thoughts there.

Anyhow- I saw the above video last week and now all I am paying attention to is how often people apologize to each other, especially in the grocery store. It's kind of like when you get a new/old car and you suddenly start noticing it everywhere you go. I conclude that sometimes saying "sorry" is very appropriate and sometimes we say it when what we really mean to say is "excuse me", or we say it when we're feeling bad about letting someone down (as in "not tonight dear") or when we feel like we're being a burden.

One thing's for sure- human nature sure gets more interesting to observe the older I grow. I think this is what I am noticing most of all.

Enjoy the full moon this weekend dear readers of mine,
xo