This is not the article I intended to write. It’s funny how that happens. You sit down with one thing and wind up with another.
Here’s the way it happened this time.
See, I always take my computer with me for my daughter’s ice-skating lesson. The rink has wifi, and I am able to get a lot of work done during her lesson and practice session. Today, while I’m there, I plan to write a blog post about gardening in July’s heat. I get started and then abandon it right away. Why? Because my spirit is wound tighter than an eight day clock. Or as we say in the south, tighter than an old lady’s girdle.
So what do I do? I put away my computer and go and rent a pair of ice skates. And I attempt to skate.
(I am from Georgia: so, surely you know how well I skate.) But I get out there in the rink, and I free my spirit.
Slowly, apprehensively, cautiously I make my way around the rink. At first I hang onto the handrail. Over and over I go around and round. I love the coldness inside the rink (wonderful contrast to these 96 degree days we’ve been having). I love the feeling of my hair blowing behind me. This is fun. I am smiling. My spirit is lifted. I am free.
As I skate, my mind wanders to the quick, overnight trip my daughter and I made to Chattanooga, Tennessee last week. We visited an aquarium that had a butterfly house. The butterflies were beautiful to watch. One gorgeous blue beauty landed on my daughter. But what I thought about most was another butterfly. It was at the top of the glass ceiling. I watched as it flew into the glass, over and over again. It never came down away from that glass to enjoy the fruit or the companionship or beautiful flowers below. It just banged and banged, trying to get out. Look down, Butterfly, things aren’t so bad in the house.
I don’t want to be like that butterfly….
While we were in Chattanooga, we did three very cool things that lifted my spirit.
Number One Cool Thing, we went to the Tennessee Aquarium. (That’s where the butterfly house was.)
We saw the cutest, happiest penguins ever.
This one swam underwater towards me and just hung out there.
Cute thing.
This shark swam towards me and hung out too long.
Alright, already…
Go on with your bad self…
yikes.
Never thought jellyfish were cool before.
But they were.
Touched a baby stingray
Touched a snake
Yes, I did too!
I touched this snake.
The lady held it.
And I took two fingers and stroked it.
And it was soft, like well worn leather.
And I didn’t die.
So there you go.
Perhaps my fear of snakes was FREED some?!?
Number Two Cool Thing, we stayed in an authentic Victorian Train Car at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Train cars are to the right there…
Outside
Inside
And Number Three Cool Thing, we hiked down into a cavern, over 1,000 feet below, deep into a mountain, to see a 145 foot waterfall named Ruby Falls.
Which brings me to this post.
10 Ways To Free Your Spirit.
1. Spend some time with someone under the age of 12 or over the age of 80
2. Get outside (go for a walk, dig in the dirt, or just sit on a bench)
3. Do something fun
4. Read your favorite book again
5. Go to a musical (or rent one)
6. Take EXTRA vitamin B’s
7. Pray/Communicate with higher power
8. Do something you’ve never done before
9. Buy some fresh blueberries and peaches and enjoy every bite
10.
Okay, well, that’s only nine. How do you lift your spirits when they’re drooping or dropping?
Until next time, Friends, savor the flavor of life!
Lots of love, The City Farmgirl, Rebekah
I’m pretty good at lifting my own spirits. I just enjoy everything and everyone around me. Of course there is that occasional time when I try too hard to control things and that’s when I need someone else to reboot my spirits. However I’m dropping you a line to thank you for bringing this up. It seems that a lot of people out there are stressed and I think we should all make an effort to boost others along with ourselves. It is amazing how those younguns can get a smile on your face isn’t it.
I believe the best thing you can do for YOURSELF to lift your own spirits, to renew a positive attitude and learn better ways of loving life and people is to REACH OUT! Reach out to others to see how you can lift THEIR spirits, encourage them, help them meet their needs. What goes around comes around!!!
Hi Rebekah! Spend time with my grands, that will almost always fix my lows. Go shopping with my best friends to the quilt shops for new patterns and fabric. I have a happy stash. Maybe you should make your number 10, fire the garbage man and recycle more. Oh yeah, another happy, read your column in the newest MaryJane Mag. I just got the other day.
During the summer months, every Thursday evening, I join friends at the Idaho Botanical Gardens in Boise for their Great Garden Escape. We take a picnic or buy something to eat from a food vendor, take a bottle of wine, set up our folding chairs, blankets, etc., and sit back in a beautiful setting and enjoy live music (a different group each week). It certainly lifts my spirits. I take my granchildren also to other events at the gardens, e.g. Bug Day (kids love it!), to see the scarecrows in October and to vote on their favorites, Octoberfest, Christmas lights, etc. It’s a wonderful way to bond with them, and that certainly will lift your spirit!
There are several ways that my droopy spirits get a lift. Digging in the gardens is one, it is so theraputic to see the plants growing, setting their fruits….
Another way to lift drooping spirits is dog hugs, nothing like them! Kisses and snuggles from your favorite dog, what can beat that?
Color also is a great lifter of spirits! Sunny yellow, vibrant orange, serene blues…colors of yarn, fabric, paper then do something creative…..
Believe it or not it is going to be 107 tomorrow in Minneapolis, Minnesota tomorrow. That heat is all around the country. When I’m low, I get out my "humor file"(cartoons I have saved) and laugh. Laughing is a quick fix and you can’t be sour while you’re laughing. Have fun all………..Bonnie
I took that same trip about 12 years ago and loved it, including the night on the train. I showed my son your pictures today and now he wants to sleep on the train and visit the aquarium. Thanks for reminding me of a wonderful trip that I can take again, this time with my son!
It has been very hot here in the upper midwest, so yesterday my daughter, her best friend and I rented some tubes and floated down the Sugar River. Made sure we had sunscreen and plenty of drinking water. We just floated and laughed and talked. Lifted my spirits and cooled me off.
Absolute favorite summer fruit dish is the blueberries and fresh sliced peaches together, have to be fresh from the farmers market. Love it and missed it so much while living in South Florida, imported even across the state line is not the same.
Went 3 summers with no blueberries when we lived overseas, made for long summers. I was born, raised, and returned to live, in the blueberry and fruit orchard areas of western Michigan.
In some countries they are not cultivated in fields, they are only wild like huckleberries.
Music always helps. Blues which may bring on the tears or something upbeat. I love soul, reggae, folk, world and good old rock ‘n’ roll and listening and singing along always help me get out of a funk.
I loved your pictures from your trip… your daughter is adorable…. what a lovely blog! Thanks!
Ohhhh, you lived one of my "bucket list" dreams!! Staying in the train car made me 77 shades of green. How fun for you and your daughter will remember it all the days of her life.
I used to ice skate like a fish swims. Used to. Being from the south isn’t the only thing that hinders a person. At age 55, I no longer have Olympic visions. Oh wellllll :o)
Love your candor and wit. You always make me smile and today, you gave me a real & true endorphin rush……the train room pic. Sommmmmmeday. shery j
Hey Rebekah!
Looks like a wonderful time and I love love love the train room! What sweet memories made with your daughter!
Ler’s see, laughter always lifts my spirits. There’s nothing like a good healthy laugh! Time in my Garden, the beach and on the back of a horse… Number three is third one is long over due!
As always, love your posts!
Deb ( bfgblogger )
Rebekah, so very glad that you had a great time in Chattanooga, TN–my hometown! Even though I grew up there, I never went to Ruby Falls until after I got married–my mom didn’t like caves! And it wasn’t the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, but my parents took my sister and me on the last passenger train run from Chattanooga to Athens, TN. It was the close of an era. Oh, and if you’re down, just sing a few lines of "The Chattanooga Choo-Choo", it’ll lift your spirits! "Pardon me, boys, Is that the Chattanooga Choo-Choo….."
When I feel stressed, I have about three things I can do to get me out of it. Ride my bike, clean my house, or go outside and pull some weeds. Especially the last one. you can hear the birds singing, watch the hummingbirds buzz by, take a break and watch the clouds. I love your blog. Also, loved that train car room.
I love this. The cave was beautiful, but — if you went *down* a thousand feet, that means you had to walk *up* a thousand feet. Erk. (I’m out of shape lately.)I’m trying to think of my fun things.Thank you.