Recess Girl

Still Doing Great

So we are right on schedule. Our milestone this past weekend was 8 miles. It went very well. Woohoo! We were blessed with incredibly cool and non humid weather for July in the Mid-Atlantic. Barely even broke a sweat. Sunday, we did 6 miles in the woods with the dogs and with all of the distraction and softer ground, it felt pretty easy to me! (And somehow all of the mud and bugs ended up on Judy)

 

In addition, I've been so impressed with the generosity of donations so far. Everytime I get an email that says a donation has been made, I can't wait to see who it is from. Thanks to all who have been so generous! I love it and I'm so appreciative. Since this is a first for me, I had no idea what to expect! It has been great.

 

I bought a hot pink camera yesterday so look for some pictures soon.

Walking & Walking For A Cure

Dear Friends, Family, Coworkers & Supporters

This October, I'll be participating in a very special event called the Breast Cancer 3-Day.

I'll walk 60 miles over the course of three days with thousands of others. The net proceeds will support breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment through Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.

I've agreed to raise at least $2,300 in donations.  Because I believe in the good work of both of these organizations, I’ve set my personal goal even higher at $3,000.  In addition to raising funds, I’ve started on a progressive training schedule that will take approximately 200 hours over a six month period in order to be ready for the walk.

So I need your help. If at all possible, the suggested donation is $100. In these tough economic times, I know this is a special commitment and I truly appreciate your making the best effort you can.  You can donate online at http://www.the3day.org/.  Just click on Donate Now and search for my personal fundraising page. You can also call 800.996.3DAY to donate over the phone.

I know I'm one of the lucky ones. Over four years ago, my sister Lori was diagnosed with breast cancer. Our family is thrilled by the fact that Lori is alive and well, and was able to recently celebrate her oldest son graduating from high school.

I know many others out there have not been so fortunate. I am doing this walk with my best friend Judy who lost her sister-in-law to breast cancer at far too young an age.  Since we both turn 50 in the year ahead, we also feel this walk is a great way to honor the blessing of our good health.

According to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, more than 200,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and nearly 40,000 will die from the disease. That’s why I’m walking so far - to do something bold about breast cancer.  I hope that you'll share this incredible adventure with me by supporting me in this important cause.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Sincerely,

Julie 

Big Vacation

I'm going on a cruise. Does that sound like Recess or what? I've never been and I'm so looking forward to discovering and exploring and soaking in the blue water and the sunshine and the warmth. 

It's a lot of money and the economy is bad and there have been lots of airplane crashes and . . . it's our 20th Anniversary and life is short and a cruise has always been on our dream trip list so . . . off we go. 

Recess happens!!

New Beginnings - Again

Ok - so it's been awhile - You are not even supposed to have a blog if you write this infrequently but hey - this is a time to begin again. It is the beginning of the year (well, kind of), we have a new president, I've joined a new gym, and now - I'm even on Facebook. I don't know how I will get this all connected but I'm working on it and having a bit of fun too which is really what RecessGirl is all about. The most amazing thing is to find folks you lost track of 20 or even 30 years ago. Amazing!! So here's to friends old and new, new beginnings and making connections!!! Wish me luck in writing more than once every year!!!

 

The Artist's Way

Why should we all use our creative power . . .? Because there is nothing that makes people so generous, joyful, lively, bold and compassionate, so indifferent to fighting and the accumulation of objects and money.
Brenda Ueland

This is a very early quote in the margin of Julia Cameron's book, The Artist Way. It is one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite books of all time. As a Recess Girl, I'm most interested in how creativity and play are related. The support and encourage each other. They are partners in the Recess life.

A New Year Mediation

So we are 2 weeks into 2008 and I promised to post my intentions for the new year after considering the question, What will make my life feel more like recess this year? Instead of a list of to do's that I will lose and find in the year 2020, I came up with a sort of affirmation/meditaion that I can easily print and look at every morning. It helps that I already have a morning routine where I journal and read from a daily mediation book. Since I can use my own mediation as a book mark, I can be sure I see it every morning. So here it is.

I am embracing who I am

I am being in the moment

I am creating, playing, singing and dancing

I am humor, laughter and lightness

I am in love with my world

I am grateful

It makes me smile just to think of it.  I almost feel guilty when I look back and see the other list I created. You know - the one that says I'm going to clear all of the clutter, exercise regularly, lose 15 pounds, home cook all of my meals, read a book a week and make my own clothes. :) That is the list I usually create. This meditation is the life I want to live.  I'll let you know how I do.

Happy New Year! What will make your life feel more like Recess in 2008?

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential".  ~Ellen Goodman

"We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day"!.  ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Here we are - another year has begun. I like these two quotes because they talk about potential and possibility, certainly a recess way to start the year. I'm going to take a look around my playground and think about where the biggest opportunities and potential lie. Which opportunities will make my life feel more like recess? I'll post my answers right here next week.

I pose this question to you too. What will make your life feel more like recess in 2008? If you have an answer, leave a comment. I would love to hear from you and support you.

Here's to more play and less judgment in 2008!!

Time For A Gratitude Party

We have all kinds of parties. We have parties for special events & sports games. We have parties where we invite our friends, hope they will buy stuff and then we'll get free stuff! We have keg parties and costume parties and tea parties. If you like parties, the reasons to have one are countless. At my senior center we even have parties to celebrate the birthday of our tropical fish. I would like to suggest, on the eve of Thanksgiving, that we consider a Gratitude Party.

Get Out And Play – Even If . . .

It is Scarrry!!! This past weekend, I did something totally fun. It met all of my requirements of recess. It was outdoors, involved physical activity, downhill movement and the company of other women. I took an Introduction to Mountain Biking Course for women only through REI. The minute I learned about this course, I was in. Even though I was totally excited, I was also very nervous. Would I break something? Would I be the oldest person in the class? Would I be able to keep up? Was my bike helmet too old and uncool? Would I get out there and have to use the facilities?

Want Life To Feel Like Recess? Hire A Coach

How Do You Wish You Were Living?

What is recess to you? How would you be living your life if money was no object and you knew you could not fail? How much more fun would you be having? What if you had all the support and resources you needed to dare to start living your dream today? What would that be worth to you?  What will be most important to you at the end of your life? What do you want most that you have not been able to get on your own?

Recess At Any Age

Today I saw one of the most wonderful things. I saw a group of seniors perform three line dances at a luncheon. They were animated, spirited and very good. There were people at my table who were half their age that were envious of the moves they could make, especially when some of them twisted all the way down to the floor. Not only did the younger folks in the crowd doubt they would be able to get down on the floor at that age, some of them doubted they could do it now.

One man in this group stood out among the rest. He was using a cane. His one arm looked slightly paralyzed, like he had had a stroke. So one arm did not look like it was functioning completely and the other was holding his cane for balance and yet he was dancing his heart out. He was making some pretty fancy moves and his feet were definitely coming up off the floor. I'm not talking about slight movement. He was going to town. He was such an inspiration to me.

I work with seniors every day so I'm well aware of their ability to have fun and their ability to out perform many of their younger counterparts, yet even with all of my experience, I can still be delighted by someone who goes above and beyond in the recess department. I didn't get a chance to talk to this man as his group left before the luncheon was over but I will long remember how he danced and his example of rising above his limitations to have fun and bring joy to others.