COLORADO = A BREAK FROM MY "EVERYDAY"

I just spent an amazing week in Colorado. I love Colorado, in fact I tell people that my heart lives in the mountains of Colorado, Summit County to be exact, and I just go and visit it a few times per year. It really is the truth, Colorado is home to me...when I land I have this deep sense of "I'm home" I just haven't figured out a way to move my entire life in Michigan out there yet. Many of you know already, most of my close friends from chiropractic college live right in Denver. They are the kind of friends that even if we never got out and did anything, just sitting around and talking with them rejuvenates me. This past July, another one of my really close friends moved out to Boulder from Michigan, though actually I think he and Choco miss each other more than they even consider me. :) So my time was spent between the mountains, Denver and Boulder. I was able to get 4 full days of snowboarding in which was amazing. Saturday at Vail with friends, Sunday at Breckenridge with other friends, Wednesday at Breckenridge my myself and the last full day at Beaver Creek, my new favorite place. During my time away from my "everyday", I also like to spend some deliberate time journaling and creating an image for how I want my life to be. Have you ever sat and thought about what you really want in your life? Did you know you have a choice in the matter? It is a wonderful, powerful and super fun thing to do if you haven't ever tried it. The great thing about it is once you put it on paper, you get to look back from further down the road and see how much of what you wrote down, actually manifested. Give it a try!

So my time away from my "everyday" was a perfect blend of time in the mountains, time with friends, time alone, time on my snowboard, time in the city, time wandering, time being active, and time resting. The pictures tell the story...

LIFE IS INCREDIBLE!!!!

This is un-freaking-believable!!! I am sitting in seat 37A (the picture is my view from this seat, back end of this plane is empty) on a Delta flight to Atlanta and I AM ON THE INTERNET!!! Because I flew just last week, I knew free Wi-Fi was happening on these flights so I packed my laptop...I thought, what a perfect time to catch up on blogging!!! So I am heading down to spend New Years Eve with some really great friends. New Years Eve is always a little over-rated however I think the plans that we have are going to be just the ticket to ring in 2011.

I would like to say a fond farewell to 2010 as a lot of wonderful things happened this past year: traveled to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Georgia (twice), South Carolina, Colorado (twice); bought a commercial building to move my practice into and renovated the building; welcomed a beautiful niece into this world and have enjoyed watching her grow; one of my brothers got married so also welcomed another sister-in-law to the family; spent a lot of time with my wonderful family; welcomed a lot of new practice members into the Cafe of LIFE; welcomed a lot of new little ones into the practice since we see a lot of pregnant mothers; took doula training; ran the Detroit Half Marathon for the 2nd time; finished the CRIM 1o mile for the 5th time; dated a super neat guy; made some new friends and deepened some existing friendships; enjoyed a few sweat lodge ceremonies; intensified my commitment to my yoga practice; healed from a nasty shoulder injury; started coaching chiropractors again; started playing soccer again after my 15 year hiatus; and so many other wonderful things too numerous to list here. Looking back on your year, what fond memories have you created?

Some of my friends and I come up with a slogan for the year...like last year was "Life is Zen in 2010"...which for me, really didn't pan out so well (not in a bad way, just not quite what you would call "Zen0. So this year we are talking "Life is Heaven in 2011" but I am not sure sure I want to have quite that high of an aim (no pun intended)...so I am thinking "There will be Seven in 2011". Seven what you might ask? I will be asking the same question and I look forward to finding that out. I kind of dig the mystery of what it might mean... we only get one chance...make your 2011 the best year yet!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

WISH TO YOU...

"Wishing you a slower pace, some private time, a dreaming place, and all the things that make a happy heart"...

LET IT SNOW!!!

The snow is here!!! Come on people, it is inevitable that it was coming. How much more sunshine and warm weather could you handle? Sometimes I just get so sick of the sunshine!!! I'm only kidding, who doesn't love the sunshine. I really look at snow like it is a little touch of sunshine. I absolutely love when everything is beautifully covered in the white stuff. It really isn't the holidays without snow so I think December 1st is the perfect time for it to start flying. Of course many of you know that to me, snow means SNOWBOARDING!!! One of my most favorite things to do. My happiest place is anywhere strapped to my snowboard. Since I could walk, my parents had me on skies (and prior to that, I was in a backpack on their back while they skied). Getting to play in the snow like that from such a young age makes for growing up with a great appreciation for winter. I have 3 brothers and together we were busy-bodies. The 4 of us were born within 5 years (my parents were going for 10 kids, stopped at 4 thank goodness) and my parents would get us involved in things that would wear us out. In the summer we would swim 4-5 times per week and in the winter we would ski 4 days per week out at a little private ski place called Kandahar on Foley Rd. (anyone remember Kandahar?). We would ski Wednesday nights, Friday nights, all day Saturday and Sunday would make for 4 very tired children (they were smart parents). About 14 years ago, I took up snowboarding and have not turned back. In fact, every winter I watch skiers and wonder what it would be like to be going down the hill facing forward with feet strapped to their own planks. It seems like such a strange thing. I am sure I would just pick it right back up, but it has been years and years. Big Sky, Montana is my most favorite place I have been, then Vail, Colorado and Alyeska, Alaska would have to be third. People are happy on the slopes, everyone is in a good mood and some of the world's greatest conversations are had on the chairlift. To me, it is meditative, it is peaceful and the closest thing to flying. I will be hitting up Mt. Holly a little bit this year as well. Maybe I will see you on the slopes. :)
Pictures are me in Colorado last March. First one is at Keystone and the second one is smiling on the chairlift at Vail.

THANKSGIVING

Just two more sleeps until the greatest holiday is the year. I simply love the idea of food, friends, family and fun. I love that there are no presents and it is just about being present. I love the simplicity of joining together to celebrate a day of gratitude. I am going to be spending my day with some of my most favorite people. First off, I will start my day in the hottest way...HOT VINYASA yoga class. I am contemplating a 1 or 2 hour class and am probably going to opt for the 2 hour class. The greatest thing is that both yoga studios that I go to, and probably hundreds more around the nation and world, do classes for donations on those days and then give the money to food banks or charities, etc. It is a great feeling to just be in those classes, however it is even better to know that the place that I participate in is giving back to the community is a powerful way. Then I will probably wander around a bit and find a hot cup of tea somewhere. From there it will be back home to get things put together for dinner at my aunt and uncle's house which is always a lot of fun. My Mom and Dad come from HUGE families and every holiday was filled with tons and people...I am not joking when I say 30-40 was a regular dinner times 2!!! I think this one will be probably about 25 as people have other priorities now that we are grown ups. :) In the evening I will probably head over to another aunt's house for dessert and drinks maybe...then Friday...start the whole thing over again. I will find a yoga class, probably get some decorating done and then head to dinner at my brother's house. The weekend will probably be filled with holiday decorating, probably some shopping, hopefully some left-overs somewhere, a hike or two, maybe a run and some good ol' fashion down time, like curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and listen to Christmas music. ahhhhhhh....the holidays. :) Happy Thanksgiving!!!

JOIN US!!!

HALLOWEEN

The fall has been so wonderful and the end of October marks one of my most favorite holidays, Halloween. This year the Cafe of LIFE was bustling with people on our Trick-or-Treat event with the Chamber of Commerce. The Cafe of LIFE was open on Friday the 29th from 1-6 and we had loads of fun. I want to get some of the pictures up so you can check it out. We probably had around 200 people swing in that day. It was Teri's (one of fabulous massage therapists) birthday and there was a little extra celebration for that. Fun times. I hope yours was safe and fun as well. I will post a few more pictures soon.

I AM A RUNNER

Ok, so now I find myself in a serious mind over matter situation once again. I will be running the Detroit Half Marathon this coming Sunday and am not quite sure how that is going to go. I have been running and walking though the summer and the fall and am pretty well trained for the weekend ahead of me. The biggest challenge is that my longest run as of recent is 9 miles. My plan was to get in an 11 mile run 2 weekends ago but I ended up under the weather and couldn't make that happen. So this past weekend, with lungs still compromised, I made a 9 mile happen on Friday and an 8.25 happen on Sunday (Choco did the full 8 with me as well, what a rockstar he is!). I will head down to the expo tomorrow to pick up my number and I am sure at that time my body will start to get into the race mode. They do a great job with the expos for these races and really gets you in the mood. Sunday I will wake up early and head back down to Detroit for a 7am start. Think of me around 8am when you are thinking about getting out of bed as I will be well on my way over the Ambassador Bridge to Canada. Around 9:00am when you are making breakfast, I will head back through the tunnel to the United States and finish hopefully somewhere around 10am. Ever think of doing a Marathon or Half Marathon? Maybe start with a 5K race around the holidays this year. Lots of Turkey Trots and Jingle Jogs happening around the southern Michigan area. So back to this weekend...and not knowing how it is going to go...I guess there is only one way to find out! Wish me luck!

http://www.freepmarathon.com/

MOMS

Over this past weekend, my body was expressing some serious symptoms and I spent most of my time in bed resting. You know those days when stuffiness and congestion takes over and it takes so much energy to do anything? Friday night I was driving back from Rochester and started a sneezing fit and that is where it all began. From that point the coughing started and body aches. I decided to retire early since I had a lot planned for Saturday. When Saturday morning rolled around, I just couldn't imagine doing anything that I had planned. I barely made it out of bed but I figured if I just get up and take a shower, I will feel better...and I did. Then I thought if I just get in my car and drive down to the convention in Dearborn I will feel better...and I did. Then I sat for 4 hours and listened to an amazing lecture and could just barely get myself home I felt so horrible. I retired early again that night with hopes that Sunday I would wake up feeling great...no such luck. I finally dragged myself out of bed around 1pm and got in the shower. The entire weekends meals consisted of dried fruit and nuts, due to lack of energy to do much more, and at one point a can of soup. So after my shower, and in tears, I got myself together and drove out to my mom's house. She met me in the kitchen and made me a great breakfast. It was a simple eggs and toast breakfast with a little bit of pesto and it was probably the best I had ever tasted. Of course I was so hungry and depleted at this time, I instantly snapped out of it and have been feeling better ever since. I don't think there was any healing magic in those eggs and toast, nor the pesto for that matter. It was the whole concept of being taken care of by my Mom that made the difference. Thanks for being there Mom!!! Hopefully I can return the favor, either back to her or pass it on to my children, when I have them someday. Moms...they make all the difference :)

(the picture is taken at my brother's wedding early September as we are all bundled up trying to stay warm in the wind)

BEST CASE SCENARIO

I work with hundreds of people on a regular basis. It is the most wonderful and rewarding work and I feel blessed to be able to serve in the way that I do. At the Cafe of LIFE we see people that are really struggling with their health as well as people that are feeling good and want to remain that way. I learn a lot about people by interacting in the way I do and helping them to express a better them. All kinds of wonderful things come up for people and I love that there are some real break-throughs happening on a daily basis.


I do see a pattern happening that I want to address. I think it is simply a human thing, though I am sure it is largely influenced by our culture. Whether people are starting from a place of feeling really good, or feeling really bad, when something happens, some sort of new symptom or aggravation happens...the human mind goes automatically into "WORSE CASE SCENARIO" mode. Some people have taken very minor things that have been going on for about 2 hours and seriously talked themselves into this may be the end of their lives. I am not sure when we lost the faith in our body's ability to adapt and heal from just about anything, but we did. Instead of saying "Oh this sinus infection has been going on for 2 days, but my body can fight this off and I will be better in the long run for letting my immune system kick in", people are running out for some remedy that will help with the symptom, which almost always compromises the immune system and doesn't allow it to do what it was designed to do. Or "My wrist hurts, but it has only been an hour or so and I am sure my body will handle it" they go to the MD and immediately get it x-rayed to make sure there isn't a tumor. These are just a couple examples to give you the idea of how extreme our thought patterns are.



My point being...let's start giving our bodies the benefit of the doubt. The body's ability to heal is much more powerful then anyone (and especially the media) has lead you to believe. We all have within us an inborn, recuperative power that is in charge of proper adaptation and integration of the many stresses we encounter every day. When things come up, let's start thinking BEST CASE SCENARIO and that have a mindset of "my body can probably take care of this" and watch and wait. If you are doing all the right stuff with diet and exercise, getting good rest, keeping a positive attitude, staying away from toxins, and getting regular checks for your spine and nerve system, a large percentage of the time the body will do just that...TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. When the body is given the opportunity to take care of itself, and it does, we are better off than if we continue trying to combat symptoms with drugs and surgery. We only get one chance...let's keep focused on BEST CASE SCENARIO.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Wow the town is buzzing with back to school energy. This is a time that our lives take a major shift and a routine is re-established. Even for those of us who do not have children, the back to school time is still a great time to re-organize. It is a perfect time to set some new health goals, a perfect time to check back in with what resolutions you had set in January this year and have confidence if there are things still left undone from that list...there is still time to take action. 2010 is far from over and no matter how far you may find yourself off track, it just takes one step to get back on it. I have a very wise yoga instructor (and you know who you are) that I go and visit 2-3 times a week and she continually reminds me to come back to my breathe. When life gets crazy (or the class becomes ridiculously challenging) all it takes is one thought of getting back to my breathe to pull me through and bring me back into the current moment. If we stay in the current moment, things are simple. It is memories of the past, and thoughts of the future that make things complicated. So sit for a moment and check in with yourself. Are you at a satisfying place with the goals and resolutions you set for 2010? Did you find success so far or do you need to check back in. Here is an idea...tell someone about your goals. When we put it out there to a friend, something happens in the mind that we become more diligent at working towards them since you have to be a little more accountable. And remember, no matter how far you strayed, it is just one step to get back on track. Make the most out of your days and live an extraordinary life...we only get one chance...

THE WEDDING

It has been a couple weeks since my brother got married, but I still wanted to write about it. This Michigan summer has been a fabulously warm and sunny one...except for that day. The wind was blowing and the temps came close to 63 degrees as a high. The wedding was planned to take place outside and that is exactly what happened. The ceremony was on the small island on Runyan Lake where my parents live. It was a small and short ceremony that was as sweet of a wedding ceremony as I have been to. We all wrapped up in blankets to witness their vows and just as they were completing them, the sun shined through the clouds. The reception followed right after and the wind stopped. There were some big heaters which helped to keep those that weren't dancing, warm. This reception was a party that so many were looking forward to. Not only the bride and groom and family, but the different sides of my family that hadn't seen each other in 10-15 years were also very excited. It was an evening wonderful conversation, reconnecting with family and friends, great food, an awesome DJ, a beautiful setting, and a very happy bride and groom...and Charlei. I look forward to having another sister to share in whatever live brings this family and just making the most of this life...we only get one chance. Congratulations Nate and Rachel!!!

RECYCLING

My dog Choco cracks me up every single day. He has so much personality and he is incredibly expressive. Yesterday at lunch time I sent him back behind my house to do his business. He usually runs back there, does his thing and comes full sprint back to the front of the house. Sometimes he will stop and grab a pine cone along his journey as he is a retriever at his core and has high hopes that I will throw to him for a while. When he came back to the front of the house yesterday, he had picked up an empty plastic water bottle that someone had left back there. He comes bolting back, head held high, as if to say "Hey Mom, is this one of those bottles that can be recycled?" (I am pretty sure he probably wasn't actually thinking that but I like to think he is a bit smarter than he actually is). The recycling bin sits right by his kennel and so I showed him where to drop the bottle and he did it. He is so stinkin' cute. Thanks for being so environmentally conscious Choco! I wish more people would think like you do! We really need to start checking in with ourselves and making sure we are doing as much as we can on a daily basis to help the planet. We were put on this earth for a reason and we only get one chance...

ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER

I am really excited about this week as it is the week my older brother gets married. He is marrying a wonderful girl named Rachel that some of you may remember because she worked here at the Cafe of LIFE for almost 2 years while she attended nursing school. I am really excited they found each other. I remember when they first became a couple and I thought to myself, "he is a lucky guy" and then the next thought was "she is one lucky girl". They have a great thing going and I am looking forward to welcoming another sister into my world. As most of you know, I grew up with three brothers, one older and two younger. As with most siblings, I was not a huge fan of any of them. Over the years I have come to really appreciate their unique traits and how much they add to my life. I love spending time with all of them and watching them learn and evolve. This life is about sharing and experiencing things and learning and growing from the lessons that are presented along the way. Life is not easy, there are some hills and valleys and we all go through some interesting times, my family included. But we grow together and become more and more connected as the years go by. I am grateful to be having this life experience and if I had it to do over again, I would pick the same group of guys to grow up with. I look forward to the years to come and we all have such wonderful experiences awaiting us in the future. I love participating in their lives and being the best "Aunt E" that I can be to all of their children. Nate and Rachel have the cutest daughter named Charlei that I had the chance of spending a lot of this past Sunday with. She is 4 months old now and her personality is really beginning to show. I am not sure if she has ever seen puppets prior to Sunday and when she saw these stuffed animals talking to her, she giggled a little bit. As we played she was laughing and squealing so loudly, my brother and I were crying we were laughing so hard. Life is about those moments...and we only get this one chance. I am glad we are extending our family circle by one this week. Welcome to family Rachel! I can't wait to celebrate that with you guys on Saturday!!!

MORE PICTURES

First picture is me in my haz-mat suit after the ceiling was sprayed. The paint is designed to fall and become a dust that vacuums up. It is like fine drywall dust only black and gets all over everything.

Second picture is me standing in the reception area just prior to putting down the cork flooring.

Third is Ted and I on one of the 5 flooring days.

SUMMER

It is amazing that the end of the summer season is approaching already. This has been one of the most beautiful summers that I can remember in Michigan and I have enjoyed every minute of it...from inside a building. It is amazing how time flies when you are having fun and that is exactly what happened to my summer this year. Today marks the 8th day the Cafe of LIFE has been in our new home and getting this place ready was truly a labor of love. My boyfriend and I have spent the past 2 months straight here at the building. We worked every night until 11 or 12 and all weekend, every weekend. He was able to do all the skilled work; plumbing, carpentry, electrical, etc...and I did the grunt work; painting, cutting ceiling tiles, cleaning up messes, vacuuming, etc. We ran into some serious challenges however we learned a lot about the building and about each other. Though I have been serving people out of this space for just over a week now, there is a lot of miscellaneous stuff to still finish and we have spent a couple evenings back at it. The thing I have noticed the most over the past couple days is how early it is getting dark now. We were here just last night and the sun set and it was dark before 9pm. That is how we know it is getting towards fall around here. In the past years I could measure the summer coming to an end because my tan would be in full effect. This year, I do not even have tan lines. I know I have been working too hard and not playing when I get on my parents boat and instead of relaxing and watching the water and everyone enjoying it, the boat immediately rocks me to sleep and I wake up about an hour later completely confused. It is time to rest.

Though summer is winding down, it also means that fall is almost here and college football, carmel apples, changing leaves and sweatshirt nights are just around the corner. I love the fall. I think it has something to do with the fact that I grew up on an apple orchard and fall was an exciting time because of harvest. I also loved school and really enjoyed getting back in the swing of things every fall. Over the next month my family has some pretty exciting things happening with the wedding of my older brother and our annual family getaway. I will also be able to keep up with my blog better now that things are settling down.

So enjoy the last couple weeks of summer, get the most out of each day, I hope you get your school shopping done and enjoy preparing to dive back into the books.

CAFE OF LIFE IS MOVING!!!

As most of you know I have been renovating a building for the Cafe of LIFE to move into and we are finally moving this weekend!!!!!!!!!! I am very excited to share the the new space with all of you. In case you are wondering, we are moving an easy 3 blocks from where we are located now. Directions:

Do you know where the Fenton Hotel is? From the Fenton Hotel, you will head north on N LEROY ST. A block from there will pass a Clark gas station on your right. Continue North half a block and there is a chocolate brown building on your left side. The address is 521 and I have posted a picture so you can recognize it. If you make it to Bush Park, you have gone 2 doors too far.

If you have any questions...call us at (810)629-6023 or email me at erica@cafeoflifefenton.com. We want to make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved, so please let me know how we can help. We are very excited to see you Monday!!!

CAFE VOTED "BEST IN GENESEE COUNTY"

This is so exciting and I am thrilled to announce that Cafe of LIFE was voted "Best in Genesee County 2010" for chiropractic offices. I would like to take a moment and say thank you for voting and participating in that coming into fruition. I am here doing what I love to do and feel so blessed to have such a wonderful practice full of delightful people. More and more families are taking charge of their health and are choosing chiropractic care as part of their weekly routine. I am glad you have chosen to come to the Cafe of LIFE to do that and I look forward to serving you for a long time to come. See you soon!

"WHEN DO YOU THINK?"

My Grandmother, my mom's mom, has been in town for the past 2 weeks. Some of you know her, some have met her, and if you have met her, you know you have...she leaves a lasting impression. She is a wonderfully, opinionated individual and is not afraid to approach any topic, at any time, with anyone, anywhere. This is one of her most wonderful qualities...straight up confrontation. She is a mother to 10, a step-mother to 6, a grandmother to 50+ grandchildren, and a great-grandmother to around 20 or so (I really should sit down and count them all at some point). She has been married to my grandfather for something like 27 years and they are a perfect yin-yang couple...opposites attract is the truth, for this couple anyways. Because of the vast experiences in her life, she is very wise and I ask her for her opinion on things because why try to figure it all out on my own. She has been through many trials and tribulations, learned many lessons, and loves to share those lessons. I have grown to become very fond of sitting and interacting with her and listening to her talk and interact with others. She says the funniest things...and so often we laugh at things because they are true. Just over a week ago, there were 5 of us women sitting around in a living room as she was discussing one of my cousins. This particular cousin has made some challenging choices in her life and had recently gone down to visit with Grandma and Grandpa in Florida. Grandma said she spent the entire long weekend on her phone texting with friends continuously. When they were sitting and chatting, she would interrupt to send a text, watching TV texting, doing everything and texting. My Grandma, so very wisely said to her "If you are on that phone all the time, when do you think?". For some reason, that question has stuck with me at the forefront of my mind since I heard it. "When do you think?" When do you have time to sit and think about what decisions you are going to make and what effect they are going to have on yourself and the people around you? When do you have time to think about what happened earlier today, yesterday, or what will happen tomorrow? When do you have time to think about what you want your future to hold, what you want to do when you grow up? When do you think about the relationships you have? When do you get to think about your "bucket list" (the things you want to do before you die)? When do you get to think about your family, friends, co-workers, favorite teams, favorite activities, favorite vacations, worst experience of your life, best experience of your life? When do you think about what is for dinner, what foods you really want to be putting in your body? When do you get to think about your health and the choices you make that increase or decrease the quality of it? We live in such a busy world anymore, there is always something pulling us one way or another, however we still need time to sit back and think... It would benefit this world tremendously if we all took a few extra moments to ourselves to think. We could possibly become more informed consumers, more peaceful family members, more productive in our work environment, and much healthier human beings. We only get one chance...

(its the best picture I had of her. I had to crop it so it looks strange, but wanted to give you a face for her)

DID I TELL YOU I AM A RUNNER?

I am a runner...and during the process of the long runs, I have to remind myself of that and say to myself "I am a runner". Just by saying that, the steps forward get easier. I ran the Bastille Day 15K (9.3 miles) and if you know Fenton at all, mile 7-8 is straight up Denton Hill from the south. It is a really tough route all together and then add that mountain at the end of the course. During the race I find myself saying "why do I do this to myself?"...and then I remind myself that "I am a runner" and it gets easier again and I keep moving forward. During road races, you can usually look on the internet ahead of time and study the course that you will be running to plan accordingly. This is the 3rd time I have ran that particular race and I know those roads like the back of my hand since that is where I grew up. Even though I know the course, I rest easy with the fact that all I have to do is just keep putting one foot in front of the other and follow where I am being directed and I will make it to the end, since ultimately, getting to the finish line is the goal and final destination. Recently I started leaving my iPod at home and running with myself and thoughts alone so that I may take in the entire process. Sometimes I do road races without knowing the course. I have no idea what turn to make though I know if I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and go where the course crew directs me, I will make it to the end. This is such a great analogy for life...we do not always know where the destination is, however if we keep putting one foot in front of the other, and follow where the course crew (our experiences in life) direct us, we will head in the right direction. The difference is that life is not about getting to the finish line...it is about enjoying the journey and scenery along the way. Our lives are filled with distractions...music, TV, people, cell phones, text messaging...that we forget to be with ourselves and take time to think and process. In my life, the key to success or happiness (success means happiness to me) is to choose a particular direction to head, keep putting one foot in front of the other, learn from experiences and enjoy the journey. It really is that simple...let's keep it simple since we really only get one chance... :)


(the first picture is me starting the race in front of the Cafe of LIFE. the second is me reaching the top of Denton Hill)

(Oh, and give credit where credit it due, I have been dating an amazing guy and he was in a chase car with water for the entire second half of the race, cheering me on with his cow bell and making sure I was hydrated enough. Thanks babe!! )

MOVIN' MOMS

Another dream of mine has manifested and is still in infant stages, however it is such an awesome thing, I have to share it with you. I am not a mom, unless "dog mom" is considered, however I support and help nourish the health and well-being of moms everyday being a chiropractor. What I have noticed over the years is that women need other women. I am pretty sure this dates back to the early times when the women stayed in the villages and took care of things around there while the men were out hunting. I have recently started a Movin' Moms Walking Group that meets every Tuesday morning at 8:30am at the south parking lot of Fenton High School. We walk for an hour and it is great because it is time to be social as well, time to catch up, talk about whatever we want that other women can relate to. I have yet to actually clock it however it seems to be close to 3 miles. Talk about an awesome way to start Tuesday! Plus we have some huge bonus hills that are real butt-kickers. Its great. If you are looking for a walking group, want to meet up with some ladies, and have some time to exercise and socialize...come join us!!! Strollers, kids and dogs welcome too!!! Lets get out and walk...we only live once and it is better to take care of the body that you are in. If you have questions, please let me know.

MUDDY BUDDY RUN/BIKE RACE

I had heard about this race for a long time and to me, it seemed like it would be a super fun adventure...so I found a "Buddy" and got us registered. Columbia, the outerwear gear company, travels the country putting this race on in different locations. This one was at Stoney Creek Metropark in Shelby Township. The race is about 6 miles long. You have to have a partner and one starts out on a bike, Ted started riding, and the other one on foot, that was me running. After the first 1.2 miles we climb a wall and switch and I bike and Ted ran for 1.5 miles. The next obstacle was balance beams, and we switch biking and running again. The third obstacle was a low crawl under nets and the fourth was a huge inflatable slide. After the last run/bike segment, we meet up and run the last few yards together to a HUGE mud pit that we have to crawl through and across the finish line. And it wasn't just kind of muddy as you can see from the picture...It was mud everywhere and on everything. Super fun!!! We didn't win but we sure had a great time. We will strategize better next year now that we know what to expect. When was the last time you got really muddy? We only live once ya know...go play in the dirt!!! :)

INDEPENDENCE DAY

The 4th of July is probably one of the greatest holidays of the year. I love the 4th and Thanksgiving because it is all about time with family and friends and food and fun. This past 4th of July was no exception. I made it a stay-cation style of a celebration. I spend the entire weekend with my family at my parent's house out on Runyan Lake. The great thing about their house is it is just 3 miles from my house. And though it is only 3 miles, I actually stayed out there one of the nights, didn't even come home. It made me laugh, and then it made me think I should have just packed a bag and stayed all three nights. I love that little lake. It is all-sports and private so you can have as much fun as you want and be confident it is never going to be too over-crowded. There were a lot of people out because going to the lake was the best option for keeping cool over the scorcher of a weekend. I also sat out front of the Cafe of LIFE and watched the parade go by. I just love Fenton for the holiday celebrations. They do a wonderful parade and freedom festival and there are thousands of people that come to the events. As we were preparing for the festivities in the area, I went out and bought a few small American Flags to decorate the Cafe. My assistant Angie put them in a vase and some are still on the front desk. Having those flags here in our space this past week has reminded me of how beautiful that representation of our country is. The red, white, and blue that create those stars and stripes are so amazingly beautiful I want to leave them out there for a while...and I probably will...we only live once...and I am glad to live this life as an American!!!

HAVE I SHARED THIS YET?

This is the cutest little girl you will ever meet. She is just beginning to show her personality however Charlei is an absolute doll. I have to share this picture because she is so adorable, though I may be a little partial due to the fact that she is my niece...I don't know....see, I knew you would like it :) This picture was taken at about 6 weeks old, she is 9 now, but how about that Hollywood?!?!?!

NEW BUILDING

As most of you know, I didn't realize I was in the market to buy a building until this one particular building became available. It is located at 521 North Leroy St, across from Dewey's Auto Center, just north of the Fenton Hotel. It has a sign on it now called "Family Optical" and it is recently painted a fresh chocolate brown. There is a lot of work to do on it at this point and it is looking like we will be heading that direction around the middle of July though I will make sure you are all kept up to date when the move is going to happen. Right now we are in the process of hanging drywall and building rooms. As soon as that is finished the drywall mudding can be done, then ceiling and floors and in we go. It is going to be a wonderful place and I am looking forward to sharing it with all of you. We will still have two adjusting rooms and a kids room to serve you from. We are adding a second massage room to the mix so the scheduling is a bit easier having two massage therapists instead of just one. Eventually we will be putting a deck out the back entrance to be able to have some space outside to adjust people when the weather cooperates. It is going to be awesome! Just thought I would fill you in on the progress. Things are looking good!

I am grateful for my life. I am grateful for my immediate family. I am grateful for my health. I am grateful for my extended family. I am grateful for my friends. I am grateful for my dog. I am grateful for my practice. I am grateful for my practice members. I am grateful for my Cafe of LIFE team. I am grateful for my colleagues. I am grateful live in and serve this wonderful community. I am grateful to have a roof over my head. I am grateful to have food that nourishes me. I am grateful for fresh drinking water. I am grateful to have a peaceful place to rest my head at night. I am grateful for Ethos Yoga Studio. I am grateful for all the wonderful people that cross my path everyday. I am grateful for the Cafe of LIFE Book Club. I am grateful to have a vehicle that gets me around. I am grateful to have clothes to wear. I am grateful for music. I am grateful for dance. I am grateful to live in Michigan. I am grateful to have been born in the United States. I am grateful for running shoes. I am grateful to live close to Kensington Metro Park. I am grateful to have the ability to travel. I am grateful to have visited so many wonderful places. I am grateful for sunshine. I am grateful for green grass. I am grateful for rain. I am grateful for snow. I am grateful for technology. I am grateful for email. I am grateful for Facebook and all the ways it connects us. I am grateful for those health care practitioners that educate about health and make a difference. I am grateful for colleges. I am grateful for Life University. I am grateful for Sherman College. I am grateful for hot peppers. I am grateful for lavender oil. I am grateful for books. I am grateful for flip flops. I am grateful for children. I am grateful for heat. I am grateful for light. I am grateful for fresh air. I am grateful for trees. I am grateful for blow dryers. I am grateful for curling and flat irons. I am grateful for hair products. I am grateful for undergarments and socks. I am grateful for towels. I am grateful for time off. I am grateful to be able to serve people and help them more forward. I am grateful for sweat lodges...and finally...I am grateful for ALL of life's lessons. (...I'm sure I missed a few :)

A LESSON IN TRUST

This past weekend I spent down in the Carolina's, both North and South. I graduated with my doctorate from a school that is in Spartanburg (aka. Sparkle City), SC and decided to go back and meet some friends for a seminar. While I was there, a few friends and I decided we would take a hike. The North Carolina border is just 45 minutes from the school and we spent last Friday afternoon in the woods of Soluda, NC on a beautiful trek to a waterfall...and Choco was with me. During that hike, there is an overlook to the waterfall that is a 300 foot cliff, and when I say cliff, I mean straight down. Being a good mom, I decided to tie Choco up the path a little ways just so that he didn't make an off-step and get into trouble, which actually worked perfectly. While we were enjoying the views he was tied up, watching and waiting for us. So one of my friends that is with us, has a chihuahua at home and doesn't really understand the retriever instincts of my big chocolate lab. As we go to untie the dog, my friend decides this is the perfect time to throw a rock (the size of a tennis ball) back down to the edge of the cliff. Guess what Choco does? Yup, he chases that thing full blast, which in turn makes me lose hold of the leash, right up to the edge of the cliff and...then the rock stops...thank you, thank you Choco's Guardian Angels... Many of you have met Choco... and if it was inside, you realize that he is pretty mellow. However if you met him and it was outside and he had a ball in or around his vicinity, you realize he is a nut-case. So the next day we were throwing the ball for him over yet another rock ledge, this one only 4 feet high or so. Without testing or looking over the edge, he runs and chases the ball no matter what and basically has the attitude of "I trust where my mom is throwing this ball is going to be fine for me to go to". Basically he runs his life on blind trust and to watch how his mind works fascinates me and scares the b'geezers out of me!!! I know at my core that if that rock that was thrown was a ball and made it off the cliff, my dog would have gone with it and lost his life. In fact, after seeing that action the very next day off a 4 foot rock, I have not gone to sleep one night without the thought of it. It is really frightening. There is a lot of blind trust and faith happening in the world today and many are reaping the consequences of it and some are even losing their lives. Check in with yourself...is there anything that you have blindly trusted? Is there something that maybe you should look over the edge at before chasing that ball? I am a very proud dog owner, I love my dog and now realize I need to look after him and think ahead a little bit more than I do already. Look ahead, what's in front of you? Ya know, we only get one chance in this life...
(the top picture is a picture from the cliff, the second is at the beautiful waterfall destination we were after)

WE CAN NEVER...

...plan for everything. In fact there are times in life when we need to throw all plans aside and become 100% present to face or assist in a situation that you are not even sure how you got there in the first place. I have found through my life that the universe works in strange, miraculous ways and we are really just along for the ride...and the sooner we recognize that fact, the better and easier life becomes. People plan to be in a certain place, at a certain time, doing a certain thing, being a certain way, and planning and controlling the entire situation. It is great when it happens so simply however sometimes when we are pushed way outside our comfort zone, that is where growth happens. Though it is also the most uncomfortable place to be, it is super beneficial to make it happen anyways. I have been in a number of those spots during my life so far and seem to deliberatly seek them out on purpose on a regular basis. I believe in living a life full of rich, rewarding experiences and that doesn't happen when you sit on the sidelines. Come join me in seeking out some of these experiences...we only live once, ya know...we only get one chance...

ZOO-DE-MACK

Have you guys ever heard of Zoo-De-Mack? It is a 51 mile bike ride from Harbor Springs to Mackinac City along that northern coast of Michigan...so beautiful!!! This will be my 6th year in a row and it is an event I look forward to every year. Somewhere around 4,000 people participate and this is the 21st year. Each year I have made the trek with different people and this year is no exception. There are 6 girls going up this year which should make it a super fun time. We will travel up to Boyne Highlands tomorrow to stay there for the night. Then Saturday we get up and start the ride. There is a great restaurant called "Leggs Inn" that is half way (26 miles to be exact) and we all stop for lunch which is part of the package. After lunch we finish with 25 miles and ride right into the middle or Mackinac City. We usually regroup a little and hop the ferries over to Mackinac Island...and everyone loves the Island!!! We stay that night on the island and celebrate the completion of the bike ride. What a great time. The best part is that the group of people that attend this ride are not just party-ers, they are athletes as well and really dig doing the actual riding portion of it. Its super great fun...come join us sometime:)

OPTIMUM

This weekend I traveled to Atlanta for a wonderful seminar. I used to attend chiropractic college there and many seminars happen at the college so I end up there frequently. Actually in the past, it was very frequent...not so much as of late. In fact, the last time was 6 months ago. It is a city that is so super familiar to me. Many of my friends still live there and many traveled back there for the seminar. The weekend seminar was called "Optimum Life Experience" and the lecture topics were Optimum Health, Optimum Energy, Optimum Service, Optimum Joy, Optimum Abundance, etc and as you can see there was a theme. We have a plethora of wonderful, world renowned speakers in the chiropractic profession and they showed up at 100% this weekend. So in coming out of the seminar I would like to ask you...where do you find "Optimum Joy"? Is there a place in your life where you have a step-outside-of-yourself moment that you can say you were pulverized with the thoughts and feelings of joy? Is there an event that you can recall that brings you back to that place. If there is a specific event that you can see in your mind's eye, do you call on it to get you back to that "happy place"? Take a couple moments and see if you can come up with one, one event or time in your life that you can anchor that feeling of "Optimum Joy" and visit it often. I bet if you begin to put some energy into that, you will find that you begin to encounter a few more of those moments on a more frequent basis. It is amazing and continually verified that whatever you are wanting to see begins to be brought your way. I find "Optimum Joy" when I am in my Cafe of LIFE, my chiropractic office where I get to serve so many people each and every day. I find myself 100% present with what I am doing as I am serving each and every person and when thoughts of past and future are absent, "Optimum Joy"can easily be attained. I find myself in that "Optimum Joy" place when I am doing my yoga practice 3 times per week and during meditation. I find myself seeking to be 100% present in more and more areas of my life. It is a wonderful way to live. Yes, I slip off the path, check myself back in, slip off again, check in again and the process continues. I think, and often share with others that "Life is just a game of slipping and checking". Check in with yourself. Find what brings you "Optimum Joy" and look to spread that to other areas of your life...and see what kinds of wonderful things come from that...and share them with me:)

ANGEL WINGS

Have you met our massage therapist Teri? She is one of the most wonderfully happy people you will ever come across. Find a spare moment with her and she will for sure have laughing about something. She is a shining star, a real light in this community and I am so lucky and blessed to have her on staff at the Cafe of LIFE.

This afternoon I walked in and Teri is frantically looking for an umbrella. She had just spotted an elderly couple walking down the road and the drizzle had just transitioned into a downpour. She ran out, got in her car with an umbrella and drove down to where they were. Instead of giving them the umbrella, she gave them a ride the rest of the way to their destination and though they were soking wet, they were less wet then they would have been, and appreciative of her assistance. She is a true angel.

Thanks Teri! ...for being you, and for being an inspiration to the rest of the community. Keep shining your light!!!

MOTHERS

This is a special thank you to all the mothers out there. My mother is not only just my mother, she has become one of my best friends. Every year around Mother's Day, my brothers and I love to get the family together and celebrate and this year we have added one more mother to the celebration...my sister-in-law to be, Rachel, who just gave birth to my neice, Charlei, 3 weeks ago. I have been fortunate to have a small glimpse into what new motherhood is all about from being a part of Rachel and Charlei's lives. Rachel has been able to find a beautiful, yet delicate balance of caring time and rest with Charlei and it has only been 3 weeks. I see the amount of dedication that it takes for one child, and I have absolutely no idea how my mother did it with four kids, or my mother's mother did it with ten kids. WOW!!! Being a mom is an endless and often thankless job and what I am finding out is that it doesn't seem like anything can prepare you for that role besides just jumping into it. My other sister-in-law, Lauren, is pregnant as well and through all of this (while I let these two raise future babysitters for me) I get to stand by and watch and help. I look forward to the opportunity to be able to experience being a mother at some point in the future (and notice I didn't say "near future") but until then I will do my best to continue my wonderful relationship with these women so that I may learn and grow at the same time. One last special message to my own mother---life is better, fuller, more peaceful, easier, and fulfilling and I have found more success, happiness, and love because you are my mom. Thank you for everything!
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!

GOOD FRIENDS....

...make life so much sweeter. I have some super good friends that I got to celebrate my birthday with over the past weekend. One of these girls I have known for 22 years, one I have known for 18 years and the other I have known for 2 years. A wide range of years...which makes it even better. The other super fun part of this group of friends is that each of them are similar and yet so different that it makes for fun, engaging conversation. We met up for sushi and then went out for some dancing. It is funny, and a comedian once did a skit about the differences between men and women, one of them being that women get together and want to head out somewhere where there is going to be dancing involved. You never hear about a group of men looking for a place to go dancing together. The differences between men and women are, of course, way to numerous to mention here but I just thought I would bring your attention to that one. My birthday was a good one, the week had just the right amount of celebration, and I am really looking forward to the coming year. I can tell it is going to be amazing!!!

EARTH DAY CLEAN-UP

This past Saturday Simple, the health food store next door, and the Cafe of LIFE got a group of people together and picked up garbage all over the downtown area. We actually anticipated to be able to cover more of the downtown area, however there was SO MUCH GARBAGE that we weren't able to do much more than just about 3-4 blocks. I always thought that Fenton was a pretty clean area, however if you would have joined me, you would have been embarrassed at the amount of garbage that was out there, not to mention cigarette butts. Amazingly disgusting!!! I am not sure if you all realize that the Shiawassee River is a tributary to the Great Lakes and that everything that happens in those tributaries translates to damage to our Great Lakes. The whole clean-up experience was really eye-opening because we are but just one small town along the watershed. From our experience on Saturday we have decided that instead of waiting until next Earth Day to do another clean-up, we will schedule one about a month from now and hopefully get some more participation. It really does take everyone to keep this community and earth clean and I think it is time to have a little more respect. Come join us!!!

CHARLEI MAE

My niece entered the world this past Sunday morning. My oldest brother is a dad!!! Between the 4 of us kids, this is the first baby and so of course Charlei is an absolute delight and we have been anxiously anticipating her arrival for a while now. I have to share a few pictures of her because she is so precious. Her mom, Rachel, was a total rockstar and delivered Charlei naturally, attended by a midwife, a nurse and of course my brother Nate. I am so lucky they live right here in Fenton and I will be able to visit and hang out and participate in her life and their lives...Charlei, you picked a great family!

WOW THIS HEALING PROCESS!!!

As many of you know, this last trip to Colorado ended with a pretty severe injury. This picture below is me just seconds before the incident and it is me giving two thumbs up (thought it may look like middle fingers---I wear mittens people!!!! :) It was the first run on my snowboard on the very first day and I was hit by another snowboarder. For me, I usually brush things off as no big deal. Well this time, when I went to do that, it turned out it was a bigger deal that I had anticipated at first. In fact, such a big deal that we had to call the ski patrols to come and pick me up off the mountain. I was in a LOT of pain, and I mean a LOT! I have been skiing since I could walk and for the past 14 years have been snowboarding and that was the very first time ever that I rode down with a ski patrol. It turns out that nothing was broken and nothing was torn, just a severe sprain of my right shoulder. I am so grateful that just the day before I had bought myself a brain bucket. I had never worn one of those and it saved me, probably not saved my life (I don't think the fall was life-threatening), but definatly saved me from worse injury. So the rest of the day was spent sleeping and icing and heating and filling my body full of supplements to help aid the healing process. The next morning I woke up and though I could barely move my right arm at all, I was in Breckenridge and the sun was shining and if any of you are like me...I cannot miss an opportunity so I was back out there. The guy that I was with spent the entire day clipping me in and out of my bindings at the top and bottom of the runs. I was also with a bunch of chiropractor friends so getting adjusted a lot helped the healing process to begin. It turned out to be a great weekend and since then, simply sitting back and watching my body heal and my shoulder get stronger and stronger everyday is an amazing thing. Can you imagine if we needed to know all the little processes in our bodies that lead to our healing, what to put where and what blood and other chemicals need to flow when in order to orchestrate the process. Thank goodness we have an intelligence inside that takes care of making sure everything gets done, so literally we can just sit back and watch it all happen. In that process I am doing all my usual stuff, which includes eating well, drinking tons of water, getting adjusted, getting massage therapy and acupuncture, doing yoga and getting exercise and taking my supplements. The body has an amazing ability to heal from just about anything, we just have to give it the opportunity to do so. It will be a little while before my shoulder feels 100%, however I am going to continue to trust the process. :)

SURFING

One more post about Ecuador which I have been meaning to get back to before I got rudely interrupted by the big celebrations around here with the 5th birthday and all:)

Have you ever surfed? I have done a bit in my life, in fact first learning 4 years ago on the Jersey Shore from my good friend and boyfriend at the time that lives there. The entire trip to Ecuador was all based around surfing so I probably better prove that I actually did that while I was there...and I did...a LOT of it. We surfed 2 sessions per day for anywhere between 45 minutes to 2 hours. Exhausting and super fun. The water was wonderful and as long as there was cloud cover, it was a good time. Without the clouds, we would burn through no matter what SPF we put on so the clouds on this trip were a blessing. One of the greatest parts about surfing is just being in the water. Once you get out beyond the break, there is a peace in sitting and waiting. Sometimes it is with other people and sometimes it is all alone with thoughts and dreams and yourself. I learned a lot about reading what the water is going to do. There is a universal rhythm to the way the water moves and an ebb and flow to it all and to learn to watch and listen for that was a very peaceful and wonderful process. Most of the week I spent inside the break line as I am not interesting in getting completely tossed by some of the huge water we were in. The last few days I was beginning to get really daring as I had learned a lot and the last day I caught a HUGE wave, paddled in, caught it, and rode down the face of it. It was a super cool moment in my life. Unfortunately one cannot catch every moment on camera (though I do try my hardest) but it is a moment and feeling that is locked into my being forever. I am a snowboarder at heart, and surfing kind of fits into that as well. So I asked myself when I was out there on the water...if I love snowboarding so much, what is it that is missing from surfing that makes me not "over-the-top" crazy about it. Don't get me wrong I do like to surf...but I LOVE to snowboard. What I realized is that I love the exploring part of snowboarding, almost like hiking but on a snowboard. My favorite places to snowboard are out west in Colorado and when I am there, not only do I get to ride snow waves, I also get to explore the outdoors with some of those places covering HUGE amounts of area. Some think I must be an adrenaline junkie to participate in some of the sports that I do. It isn't that at all and if you saw how I ride, you would realize it is more of a meditation than anything. It is about being present and aware and in that place there is a lot of peace. RIDE ON!!!!