Last Love of the Heart

Posted by Nato

My heart is at peace

When I’m in your arms my love.

I found you at last.

~~~~~

For Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge.

https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/04/27/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-42-love-last/

List of Adventure for the Weekend

Posted by Nato

This weekend, I am hosting a fun-filled girls’ party, and I could not be more excited. The only problem with the plan…I may not have time to complete my list of adventures!

It started with the idea that my older sister would visit for a few days. This of course meant that my younger sister who lives closer would need to come too. So while making plans for the sister weekend, one of my Army “sisters” reached out stating she had a free weekend. Of course, I told her to join in on the plans.

If you have followed some of my posts, you already know that I can be full of ideas, energy and lists. Naturally, I have put together some ideas for my sister weekend. We have all had some life stressors recently and really could use the girl time and the stress relief. Adventure, activity and laughs are definitely in need. So here is my list of ideas to make my sisters unwind a bit:

Kayak on the river.
Take a paddle board yoga class on the river.
Go to my daughter’s sorority family day: scavenger hunt and lunch.
Hike (and take pictures) at a canyon/state park.
Go to a classy symphony.
Walk around the farmers’ market.
Listen to some free live music at the downtown parks.
Go to a painting and sip place.
See some girly movies while wearing facemasks and eating chocolate. (Netflix-not theater, lol.)
Bake some cookies…and devour them!
Make some homemade soup…and then eat it.
Chat about life, which may include tears, laughs, screams or all of those.
Go eat sushi with girly cocktails.

This is not a mandatory list of course. We can deviate from the plans due to rain, lack of interest, or some other idea. I may be full of ideas but I am not the inflexible cruise director who demands we stay on schedule. No, we will go with the flow. I merely thought I would offer some ideas since I am the host and it is my hometown after all.

In my opinion, lists have to be fluid for them to be good. You can’t make a list so restrictive or complicated that it is hard to complete or it falls apart if one step is missed. That would only set the plan up for failure and disappointment. And in the case of my adventure-unwind weekend, that would be counterproductive.

So my advice to you wonderful followers is to seize your days, each and everyone. Make a list of what you want to do, accomplish and see. Your list can be big or small. Or better yet, it includes both big and small plans. It fuels your need for adventure AND quiet. Make it flexible and fluid. Try new things. Go new places. Through this, you will find out what you are passionate about and what you are not. And when you find your passion, you find your talents, energy and true self.

P.S. So if I don’t post anything until Monday…you will know I am working on the above list:)

Tattered Hope of my Heart

Posted by Nato

The wants of my heart

Clash with realities’ truth.

My hope grows tattered.

~~~~~~~~~

For Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge ~ Want & Tatter.

Living Healthy, Learning Moderation

Posted by Nato

As I age, I realize that I can’t take my health for granted anymore. It requires a bit more work to stay fit and healthy now. Sure, the Army requires that I stay within a certain limit of weight and ability, so that helps motivate me for sure. However, as I rediscover myself, I find that I actually enjoy activity and healthy eating. I crave movement and nature. I savor the taste of natural foods. Now don’t get me wrong, I can still savor the taste of a frosted sugar cookie too! I am just more aware of the need to do it in moderation.

I think that is the key to most things – balance. If I can balance my food intake with my exercise, I can maintain a good weight that is within Army regulations. If I maintain a balance of work and play, I can manage to stay focused and handle stress. If I am creative and seek variety between adventurous events and quiet/calming events, I can find a balance in moods while discovering new things.

Moderation is hard for me at times though. After spending too many years in an unhappy relationship and a few other years deployed (with my life on “hold”), I am discovering that I am very passionate about life. Sometimes maybe overzealous. When I go out to take pictures, I can’t just take a few. I come back with double or triple digits of shots. When I started my blog, it turned into two blogs. (This one and another just for photography because I had so many pictures to share, lol.) When I start talking to someone (friend or romantic), I want to learn all about them and hang out. When planning my schedule, I tend to fill it up with a ton of activities that range from paddle board yoga to the symphony.

It is almost as if I am trying to make up for lost time. I feel the urge to seize the days I have left and fill them with zest and appreciation. I want to be present in each moment. I want to feel emotions to my core. I want to see new things. I want to do things I put off earlier in life. Basically, I want to LIVE.

The only problem with this though, is that all of this seems to be too much for some people. They tell me to slow down, don’t plan so much, don’t think too much. I wonder if they are right. But then again, I figure it is my life and not theirs. And, if they think I am too busy, too energetic, too talkative, too passionate, or too whatever, I guess that is their right and they can choose to not be around me. I spent too many years trying to please others and live for them. I held back my needs and desires to make them happy, and I can’t do it anymore. So in the process of learning to live healthier, part of that is learning how to balance what I need against the needs of others. My moderation in that area is learning that I am allowed to be me – even if that me is too much for others.