Eighteen Women and Moi---Awkwardness in Yoga Class

“There’s only one reason why you’re not experiencing bliss at this present moment, and it’s because you’re thinking or focusing on what you don’t have.”  Anthony De Mello

I woke at 6:30, came downstairs and there were already a couple of lights on the lake, obviously guys out fishing in the dark.  At the moment, I count at least 16 guys out, spread out along the lake in front of our house.  And last night, around 6:30, we saw the lights of the first snow mobile flash by on the lake. Winter is really here I guess.  And when I went out to get the paper, I saw a fox running away from our neighbor's house, back into the Woodlawn woods, a bushy tailed marauder...I hope Kitty is safe.

7:30

Dawn, about 7:00

Yesterday was a day of warming, though it was still cold, especially because of the wind, the highs in the low 20's and right now, at 7:30, it's already 28º, likely to hit the 30's later in the day.  Ah the fickleness of Chautauqua weather.  I did go to yoga yesterday, a class with peak attendance, eighteen women and me the lone male.  It does not bother me much at least I don't think about it when I am there but afterwards, I wonder if somehow I cramp the class, that the women don't feel as free to speak  because I am there.   I did recognize lots of them, many welcomed me back to class which was nice.  Class was good, longer stretches, lots of work on my ham strings, the tightest part of my body. Today, there's an extra class at 10:00 with a teacher I have never had so I will be going.

Evie is feeling much better but still lacks the mojo to start hiking or working out; she's smart to wait a couple of more days and get her energy back to normal.  I did cross country ski for about forty five minutes, on a lovely sunny afternoon, shadows beginning to cover the lake at 3:30 when I went out.  I had to ski at least 50 yards from shore if I wanted to stay in the sunlight where it was warmer.  I went as far as Bootey Bay and back, again welcoming some of the fishing guys as they headed out, no doubt after work about 4:00.  Nothing like the stark, almost blinding white of the lake, the blue sky, when the sun is out in the winter

Selfie, Sort of

Around 6:00, we got out the cheese and crackers, enjoyed a glass or two of wine, enjoying relaxing in our living room fire burning, fishing action still on the lake (what looked like heaters burning) though it was covered in darkness.  Another easy dinner as neither of us felt like fussing...hot dogs, slaw, siracha sauce, and beans, not very healthy but good.

Fishing at Dusk

And we watched a really good movie though it was not much of an upper; it was called Detachment, starring Adrian Brody and Christina Hendricks from Mad Men.  Brody is a troubled, unhappy substitute teacher, moving from one school to another, empathizing with the sordid, angry lives of his inner city students, their poverty, the violence in their lives, but finds he is unable to do much about it, thus increasing his unhappiness.  It moved both of us, kept our interest, and made us both feel helpless, even hopeless,  understanding the lives that many children lead.  Great performance by Brody; critics found it too depressing, sentimental but neither of  us felt that way...just moved by the plight of the young, the care of the teachers 'who want to make a difference in their students' lives.

Occasionally, like today,  I hope to begin my blog with a quotation that strikes a chord of recognition in my life and may be of interest.  Enjoy.