Mum’s passing

Mum passed away yesterday. 

I have so many feelings and memories that keep bubbling up since I heard the news that I’m trying to focusing on good memories and things that were quintessentially Mum. Like some of the following:

Mum loved music and received great joy from her piano. 

 

Clothes: Mom liked to look good and appreciated rich fabrics and colours. 

Sweets and desserts of all kinds: Dinner was something that you got through in order to get to dessert.  

In her younger days, she made desserts with abandonment! Gingerbread houses, chocolates, Bundt cakes, squares, tarts and pie, to name a few. I remember in particular her pride and the care she took in making meringue. Her lemon meringue pies were a thing of beauty. Do you remember the meringue drop cookies she made with peanuts that still had their skins on?

One Christmas, she made a Pavlova that was a thing of beauty. I didn’t fully appreciative it at the time. I was disappointed at the time as I’m not a big fan of meringue, but I did appreciate how impressive this cloud of a dessert looked like. 

And while I don’t care for meringue, I did love her pies. Her shredded apple pie with a strudel topping was one of her favourites to make. Her rhubarb pie was tart but Fred loved them… On occasion, she would make a pecan pie. 

But I believe Mum’s favourite dessert was ice cream. She often said that whoever invented ice cream deserved a place in heaven. Both Mum and Dad loved ice-cream. There was always ice cream in the freezer growing up and we had a lot of ice cream floats.

They should have bought shares in Baskin Robbins. I remember one visit there in particular - I was in school and they invited me out for ice cream. Of course, I was directed to order first, and while I ordered a single scoop, they ordered banana splits and triple scoop sundaes. I felt so foolish with my little scoop. 

Yes, they lived large. No single scoop would suffice for them in life.

Nothing was done in half measures when it came to their dreams and goals. When they travelled for example, they made sure it included whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry on top. And they travelled far and wide. I wished they had added some sprinkles to their day-to-day life but you can’t have ice cream sundaes and banana splits every day. 

In the end, Mum’s double scoop ice cream sundaes came in the form of her grandchildren and children. They were her joy that surpassed anything Baskin Robbins could scoop up. 

So this evening, I’m having ice cream in Mum’s honour. I cannot have a double scoop - I didn’t inherent her stomach, but I will savour it. And in my mind, I’ll be sitting at the Baskin Robbins table, sharing ice cream with Mum and Dad once again. 

Hot Yoga

In the spirit of trying something new, I joined a hot yoga studio called HotSpot. Going into a hot room - approximately 38-40 degrees Celsius is reported to have inherent benefits including greater flexibility because your body does not have to warm up. 

Going into a hot room never appealed to me in the past, but the studio is right around the corner and as mentioned, I’m embracing change and being open to new things.

Upon entering the hot yoga room, it was immediately evident that “hot yoga” is a misnomer. I would have called it “Sahara hot” as opposed to merely “hot” but the humidity was too high. “Too F-ing hot” also came to mind. I was convinced the room was 130 degrees F and was a bit disappointed that it was 38-40 C. 

At this temperature you sweat. You sweat even when you’re sitting still. When going through the more challenging poses, I swear my eye balls are sweating. I leave with wet clothing. 

Do I like hot yoga? 

Absolutely. I’m going almost daily. My focus has been on the hips class - I want to keep nimble for curling. I also like the “reset” class as a way to stay balanced. I have yet to attend a “flow” class. I’m not sure I could keep up for a full hour of flowing from one move to another, although I successfully completed a flow / reset combo class. The “fire” class terrifies me and I have no intention of checking out that class, but I am working up to a full flow. 

Discoveries?

This practice is very good for my body. I don’t have a new osteopath yet, and I question whether I would have needed monthly treatments if I had been practicing yoga. I feel taller afterwards and more fluid. Tired, as well. Moving and and ongoing change put more stress on my body than I realized. I carry stress in my neck and shoulders and this helps immensely. I had to get new leggings though - the lightest possible, and also a warm coverup for afterwards.

My only criticism with this studio is that they do not offer instruction. I’ve only seen an instructor “adjust” a person’s pose once. In the past, the instructor was always making suggestions and helping people achieve poses. In the past, I reflected on the fact that I had been taking yoga instruction for 3 years, and they continued to adjust and correct my downward dog. 

Another discovery at one of my early classes involved a vivid flashback to my childhood on the farm. It was wintertime and I was bundled up to get to the barn, but upon entering the pig barn, my glasses steamed up and I was assaulted by the heat (and smell). Like hot yoga, it was also humid and you immediately had to start removing clothing due to the heat. So many pigs create a lot of heat and like hot yoga, I’m pretty sure it was 38 to 40  degrees Celsius. 

What’s next?

I’m excited about my home gym in the new house but my vision has changed. Yes, I’ll have my weights and treadmill in the space - I also have secured a bench, but I’m also visualizing doing yoga in this room. It won’t be hot, but I will incorporate subtle lighting with “fake” candles and look for some guided practice. 

So I continue to attest that “hot yoga” is a misnomer, but I don’t have a particularly better name that doesn’t include profanity. It may well be a fad, but I plan to continue to do hot yoga for the foreseeable future.

Namaste  

Change, BIG change

I’ve written many times about change and managing change in the workplace. And while I have an understanding of the steps, this change is personal and significant as it impacts almost every aspect and relationship in my life. 

Background: my husband’s job was relocated to Alberta. Being older, I was able to take an early retirement, albeit reduced, and my husband continues to work. He will not be able to retire at 55 and will work until 60 years of age. 

Current situation: we are in a downtown rental unit in Alberta with the goal to find a house as quickly as possible. 

The plan: embrace this change as an opportunity to grow and develop. I’m consciously trying new things and incorporating healthy choices and creativity into every day. 

The execution: I anticipate that this blog will be about the execution.  

For example, in my first week here, I joined a hot yoga studio. I haven’t practiced or had yoga instruction for a long time - close to 10 years. Regardless, I put on my yoga pants, walked over to the studio and signed up for a one month introductory offer where I can go as often as I like. I’ve been going 6 days a week. 

Doing something creative each day is more challenging. Typically, I find making meals is an enjoyable and creative process but not in this rental unit’s kitchen. Instead, I bought some knitting needles and relearning how to knit. I knit as a teenager, but that was a long time ago. 

So I’ll let you know how things are going…

Next post: hot yoga. What I’ve discovered.