The Iowa Sweat of Summer 2009

Last weekend I made the 4.5 hour trek up to West Des Moines where my favorite control freak of a friend organized an awesome spiritual retreat. She and I have one significant common characteristic and that is we like to have everything planned out, scheduled, and don't you dare change anything! Unfortunately for us and our O.C.D the Iowa weather made arrangements that we could not control. These pictures are the result of Plan B as far as location and it turned out to be the perfect spot.

This was my first experience getting to actually construct the sweat lodge. It is amazing to me how simple willow branches can be transformed into such a thing of beauty.

The willow branches are thin but they are very flexible and incredibly strong. We secured them together with simple twine and then added the red ribbons to attract the spirits.

Once the frame was constructed we covered it with a plethora of blankets and tarps. This is to insure that the inside of the lodge is pitch dark even if the sweat is held in the middle of the day.

Aaaaah.... the finished product.

Butterfly girls

We took the girls to Omaha's Henry Doorly zoo this past weekend. Both of the kids said it was by far the best zoo they had ever been to and there was still more we didn't see. They are already talking about "next year when we go back.... "

One of my favorite spots was the Garden of the Senses. They had these cool butterfly benches and of course I made them stop for a photo.

As I was uploading these pictures last night these two in particular stood out. My littlest is such a ham when it comes to getting her picture taken. She is not lacking in the self confidence department and truly enjoys being her own little creative individual. I love that about her because she doesn't get those characteristics from me.

My oldest on the other hand is a very thoughtful and reflective child. This picture speaks volumes to me as her mother because I see her changing so much both mentally and physically. She is like the tiny caterpillar who is in the process of morphing into a beautiful butterfly. Seeing her on this bench symbolizes to me the cycle of life. Our children change so quickly. We as parents help them to grow as individuals as much as they will let us and soon they take all that we have taught them and fly away to begin their own lives. While I know I have a few years before I have to deal with that reality it still makes me stop and be thankful for all the special moments we get now.

The Symbolism of the Bat

We discovered late last summer that there were bats living in the neighbor's tree to the North of us. It was a little freaky at first as they dive bombed the pool at dusk to grab a quick drink, especially if we happened to be in the pool at the time. This year they come visit every night and are really active when we have the pool lights on. My close friends know how into animal significance I am. I strongly believe that animals speak to us with their presence and it is our responsibility to not only respect them but to listen. So naturally I had to research what these little creatures may be trying to tell me.

I own a great book by Ted Andrews called "Animal Speak." According to the book if a bat has made it's presence known in your life it is telling you to prepare for a change and to face your fears. Often a bat comes into our lives when things seem to have gone from bad to worse and we need to let go of what is not working. So in a nutshell, the bat symbolizes change and transformation.

I don't claim to understand animal symbolism. I just find it extremely fascinating and often times it is right on. For now, I will keep "listening" to my bat and do some soul searching.

4:47am

At 4:47 this morning I had so many thoughts racing through my mind. I woke up thinking about how I need to start writing again and using this blog as an outlet. Someone told me once that we are the most creative around the 3am hour and I believe that is true. Most mornings I wake up, if only for a few minutes around 3:22. I am a constant thinker; a curse that also plagues my 8yr old. During the school year she sleep walks every night except Friday and Saturday. I think this is because there is no school the next day. She can't seem to shut her little mind off and I am probably to blame for that somehow.

So my randomness this morning at 4:47am included but was not limited to; 1. football, 2. school starting, but not for me this time (high five!), 3. my upcoming trip to Iowa, and 4. what to wear to work. Number 4 is a regular early morning thought. I like to have this planned out before I even crawl out of bed. Often times I drift back off and dream that I'm in the midst of a HUGE sale of some kind and all the clothes have designer labels but are dirt cheap! (I don't need Freud to interpret that one for me.) Anyway, I am going to try to harness some of my randomness and quit neglecting my blog and hopefully get the mental release I am craving right now.

Stay tuned.