Posts Tagged ‘good things jar’
Posted by terrepruitt on February 15, 2014
Well, I am not doing a weekly post to check in on your Goodie Jar, but I do hope you are still doing it or some variation there of. Are you? Are you taking time to recognize the good in life? I hope so. I am. I believe I mentioned that I wanted to us something else to hold my notes regarding the good things. I have a lot of beautiful bowls and plates. I decided to use this beautiful blue bowl shaped like a flower. I think it will be good for another month or so. I love having this little gem on the counter. I started off the year using Christmas wrapping paper scraps. I have other wrapping paper scraps to use and little pieces of paper. It all adds to the “goodness of the jar” to me. So far the year is a good one in which to focus on the good things. As with life there are good things and not-so-good things and that is why we have a good things jar.
I have been teaching Nia at a studio in San Jose where I rent the space. I have been renting there since January 2009. At first I rented an hour on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. But after six months I decided to just rent Mondays and Wednesdays. Well, after five years, I have decided to just rent Wednesdays. So it has been five years of teaching on Mondays at the studio. Monday, February 24, 2014 will be the last one for now. Mondays are a great day to teach because on Holidays people who work are able to attend, but we don’t have enough holidays. It could be that something else will come up for Mondays or it could be that one day I start teaching there again on Mondays, but for now, we will not be dancing on Mondays.
The classes at the community center is growing. I love that more and more people are coming to Nia there. Also I enjoyed my short time substituting a Nia class at the YMCA in Mountain View. I am teaching a Gentle Yoga class on Thursday evenings. And have been asked to teach another Gentle Yoga class on Tuesday mornings. So while one class ends a new one begins.
We are going to have to move our after-Nia-Class-visits to Wednesday. We have one more Monday that we are going to meet. We have been going to Peet’s on the second to the last Monday of the month for about a year now. So we will have to move it to the second to the last Wednesday. I love that our little Nia community gathers after class. I need to get this type of gathering going with the community center Nia group.
So, I am still putting things in my goodie jar. Still looking for, finding, recognizing, seeing those good things. I hope that no matter what is going on in your life you are able to find something good. Something you want to make a note of so that you can read it later on. I really enjoyed reading my good things at the end of the year. Much of it was about Nia but not all of it. Most of it had to do with love. People showing ME love and that is MORE than a good thing, that is GREAT. I hope you have a lot of moments of love that you can jot down and put in your jar.
Well . . . . how is it going?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: Christmas wrapping paper, community center classes, gentle yoga, good life, good things, good things jar, Goodie Jar, Monday Nia class, Nia, Nia at the Community Centers, Nia at the YMCA, Nia community, Nia January 2009, Nia San Jose, Nia studio, Nia Teacher, Peet's, Peet's coffee, San Jose Nia, San Jose studio, studio rental, teaching Nia, YMCA, YMCA Nia | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 2, 2014
Oh man, kind of a crazy end and a crazy beginning. I said that Friday was my last Goodie Jar post, then I post another one. Well, I actually said it was my last Goodie Jar check-in. I said I am not going to do it again, but I am. I really enjoyed going through the little notes and reading about the Good Things. It was pretty much what I thought it would be. It helped me remember some good things that happened during the year that I might have forgotten about. It was really funny when I had to stop and think a bit to remember or understand the note. Not many were like that, but a couple. So I am going to do another year of jotting down the good things. I am trying to think of something to put them in. I am wanting to use a different vessel. Oh, I just had an idea! Maybe I will change the vessel throughout the year. Right now I just started putting the papers in a small Christmas dish. I plan on putting that dish away when the Christmas stuff goes up so I will have to find something else. Perhaps a seasonal change? Hmmmm. Whatever I decide to put them in, I am doing the Goodie Jar again.
I will not be posting a reminder every week. Maybe once a month or not even really on a schedule. You get the idea and if you are participating you can put your container in a place where you will see it and that can remind you. Remember this is just something to help us remember good things. Also to maybe take note of some of the good things that are little that we might not remember by the end of the year.
In my last check in I talked about my friend who is so organize she has a place to put her “good things” after she read them. I didn’t know what I was going to do with mine. After reading them I decided. You might know that our cat is sick. A lot of my “good things” related to her “comings and goings”, let’s say . . . I did not feel the need to keep those. Those were good things to be reminded of, but then not stuff that has longevity. Also a few were about the weather and meals so that kind of stuff I enjoyed being reminded of, but I don’t need to keep that for future reference. Not all the things were about Nia, of course. So I made two piles; one was to be thrown away and the other I am keeping. It fits in a small sandwich baggie and that is good for me. The keep pile had things like visits with friends, stuff that happened WITH people and ALL of my husband’s contributions to the jar.
My hubby said he will participate again even though it isn’t HIS thing it is MY thing. He participates in a lot of things that are “his thing”. He is definitely a good thing for me to note for my Good Things Jar.
Are you going to join me this year?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: crazy begginings, good things, good things jar, Goodie Jar, Goodie Jar check-ins, Nia, sick cat | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 31, 2013
Well, last Friday I posted what was going to be my last Goodie Jar check in, but since today is Tuesday and it is my regular posting day and it is ALSO New Year’s Eve, the day I get to read my good things, I thought I would post about my Goodie Jar one last time. I want to wait until my hubby is home so we can go through it together, but I think with a year of good things mostly relating to Nia he might get a little bored while I read them all. Plus, I want to post about some of them so . . . . I have decided to read a few and post about them and then do the rest while we are together. Because it is not as if by me reading them by myself they get used up and are no longer good things. I can still share them with him when he gets home. So it is all good — I think.
As you know, as I am sure you experience, there are a lot things that happen in life. We tend to assign “good” and “bad” labels to them. It is just a common thing for us to do. Some people can find “good” in “bad” situations and “bad” things and it seems as if some people can’t find the “good” in anything. But since life has its ups and downs and things that happen no matter what, sometimes it is nice to make note of the things that made you happy or made you smile or made you think less about the “bad” things and more about the “good” things.
I really enjoyed making my notes. As you can see I used all types of paper. I thought it would be fun to have not only a full jar, but a visually intriguing jar. I used colored envelopes and wrapping paper and a bunch of different types of paper. I think it made the jar look like a good thing itself.
So here are some of the good things I have in my jar:
Sat., Sept. 21, 2013: Nice rain. Sliders open. Peaceful.
Tuesday, Dec. 10: Dinner with cousin Tracy. House of Genji – Katy, Jim, Pattie, Pop, John, Tracy, Me
Teach at the Tannery! Awesome! Fri. 6.21.13
Dec. 10, 2013 Spot ~ Wonderful Girlie!
Ahhh. Nice to be reminded of the Good Things that happened and that the things I have are good. I am blessed. It is a good thing to live in a place that has beautiful weather. It is a good thing to be able to visit with family. It is a good thing to be able to fill in as a Nia Sub and to do it at a wonderful studio. And it is a really good thing to have such a great cat.
I hope you have a full jar. I hope that you had a lot of good things this year. I hope that you are able to enjoy what you have.
If you want please share some of the good things you put in your jar. You don’t even have to explain them. Just let us know what you put down on paper and put in your jar.
I see post on Facebook again about people doing this for 2014. I do hope they do. I have another project in mind for myself. A more personal one. I am sure I will post something about it as the year goes on. I will probably do a post or two about good things too. I think it is important to remember them and you know I use my blog as documentation for so many things. So I am sure I will document some good things here.
I do hope that you can see the good that has happened this past year and reflect on that . . . and I hope that you are able to make 2014 a GREAT year for you and yours!
Cheers! Happy 2014!
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: Dinner with family, Facebook, good things, good things jar, Goodie Jar, New Year's Eve, Nia, reflect on past year, teach Nia | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 26, 2013
Ahh . . . . it is that time of year again when some begin to reflect on the year that has passed and some begin to set goals and make resolutions for the next year. What are you reflecting upon in the year that has past? Do you have a lot of happy moments? My look back at the past is going to include my Goodie Jar and I am so excited to be reminded of the good things I wrote down. That will be my reflection on the past year. I don’t set resolutions by tradition. I know for some that is a big thing. Do you think it is a bit thing? Do you set resolutions? How do you do that? Do you write them down? Do you proclaim them to your world? How does that work? Do they have requirements? Are they only resolutions when you set them at the beginning of the year, but if you set them at say . . . the end of February do they just become goals? I guess I was never clear on that.
Then, if you set them are you clear about them or are they “loose” as in: I’m going to exercise more in 2014? That could possibly give you a lot of leeway, right? If you exercised once a month in the past year, exercising twice in one month would be “more”? I guess there is so much joking that goes around about resolutions that I don’t like to get caught up in them. But they can be a really good thing if you set them with definition and actually work to see them through.
The jokes are often about gyms being full in January and going back to “normal” about the beginning of February or mid-February at the latest. People get busy and the “newness” of the year tapers off. So the resolutions take a back burner. And it always seems that the resolutions are about “losing weight” and “getting into shape”. But, again, often times those are the resolutions made . . . non-specific . . . open . . . room for leeway.
Of course, anything can be a resolution I just happen to pick upon one of the most joked about. But many people make resolutions about many things. I realize though, that if I don’t really want to do it, if I think I SHOULD do it, because I know it is good for me, I know it is the “right” thing to do, if I don’t WANT to do it, I’m not going to. So sometimes it is good to make resolutions that you want to do even though they might be tough for you. It doesn’t really work to make ones you think you should do, but don’t want to. That kinda is a set up for failure.
So . . . educate me on resolutions. Share your thoughts. What is your take on resolutions? Do you make them? Do you make them with specifics? Do you give yourself a time frame? What resolutions are you making this year? Do you set goals and just not call them resolutions? What is the difference?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: 2014 goals, 2014 New Year's Resolution, 2014 resolutions, Diane Bacho - 1948 to March 11, 2014, exercise, good things jar, Goodie Jar, New Year, reflect on past year | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 13, 2013
The number of Goodie Jar check ins will not match the number of weeks in this year because I missed a few. I cannot believe there are only two more check ins left. Wow! I am excited. My good things are overflowing. I am excited to read them.
I taught for the first time at the YMCA this week. I was subbing a class. There is a Nia class already and I was subbing for the teacher. Today I sub again! Yay!
So how about you? What good thing is going in your jar this week? Care to share?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: good things jar, Goodie Jar, Nia, Nia class, Nia Teacher, YMCA | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 29, 2013
I don’t know about you but here it is another week with A LOT of good things to put in my Good Things Jar. Well, that is kind of the point, really. To always find something good to put it the Goodie Jar. Sometimes you might find it easy than others. But hopefully you are always able to find something. With this week being Thanksgiving week in the U.S. and Hanukkah I am thinking there are a lot of people with good things to put in the jar. I am seeing a lot of posts on Facebook. So, I hope you are filling that jar up!
How is your jar doing? Getting full?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: Facebook, good things jar, Goodie Jar, Goodie Jar – Check In #39, Hanukkah, something, Thanksgiving | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 28, 2013
Today is Thursday, a day a regularly post on my blog. You know I mainly post about the cardio dance I teach called Nia or food. I am either sharing something about Nia or a recipe. But today is Thanksgiving and as I sit here trying to think of something to write before the day ends, I am coming up with nothing. Nothing, but the usually post of gratitude and thankfulness. I didn’t want to do that again this year, but it really is so appropriate. You know I am doing a Goodie Jar where I put good things in a jar. Well, a lot of that is stuff I am thankful for, but a post about being thankful is a bit different. I won’t go on and on about it. I will just say that I am very grateful.
We had a very nice dinner at my husband’s sister’s house. I brought my camera and didn’t even think about it until we were walking out the door to go home. I did not take one photo. Her table was set as lovely as ever. It was the first time we all were able to fit at one table as not all of the kids made it to dinner. She made a lovely meal. We had a nice dinner and a great time. I am grateful.
I am also thankful for the usual stuff. And I am thankful for you. Thanks for reading. I hope you had a nice day — a Happy Thanksgiving, if that is what you celebrate. A Happy Hanukkah, if that is your Holiday. And/or a nice Thursday, if that is what today was for you. Either way, thanks for being here.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: cardio dance, good things jar, Goodie Jar, Hanukkah, Holiday, Nia, Nia Dance, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving 2013, Thanksgiving dinner | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 23, 2013
Bummer. I was so determined to remember every check in to the end of the year and, alas, I got distracted. Yesterday I forgot to post a Good Things Jar check in. It was supposed to be Goodie Jar – Check In #39. Sigh. I do hope you are still filling your Goodie Jar. I will only forgive myself because I was off doing things that actually are notable for the Good Things Jar! I was so excited to be subbing a Nia class in Santa Cruz and I ended up having such a beautiful day, that I just plumb forgot. We had a great focus in class, but I lost my blog focus when I arrived home. The plan is usually something like Nia, breakfast, chocolate, beach, home. This time we weren’t exactly sure of our plan. Turned out to be a fabulous day. As I said, one for the Goodie Jar.
I feel less wasteful when I have someone with me driving “over the hill”. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area we often call going to the beach “driving over the hill”. It is about a 40 mile drive and–depending on the traffic–can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 minutes. If there is a lot of traffic or an accident it can take hours and hours. When I go, I feel as if I should have at least one other person with me. So when I get asked to teach a Nia class over there I like to take someone with me. I have one student who usually is game. She has a favorite chocolate shop over there so when she is “over the hill” she likes to drop by. This last trip I was lucky enough to have TWO students join me.
The wonderful studio where I sub is in the Tannery and there used to be a great little cafe next door. My student and I would dance then go get breakfast, then hit up the chocolate shop, then drive to the beach. We have never actually walked on the sand . . . I don’t need to do that, I just need to be at the ocean. Sadly the cafe is closed — although the sign says temporarily, we missed it. So this trip we went to another place to eat, still got to the chocolate shop then went to the ocean.
A
ll week long it had been raining, both on our side of the hill and over the hill, but on Friday it was as pictured. It was awesome. We were blessed. The place we visited is called Natural Bridges. It is no longer has a “natural bridge”, but the beach is still wonderful.
Also, in regards to the focus, as you might be familiar with, in Nia classes we have a focus and an intent. Well, I had been concentrating on learning a new routine, creating a gentle yoga class, and working out my schedule I hadn’t even settled on what we were going to dance, much less a focus. I often ask my students what they might think or feel they need to focus on. So I turned to my student and said, “Oh snap! I haven’t even thought about a focus. What do you got? Do you have anything?” She said, “I feel I need some healing. I feel kinda uuughhh.” And I said, “Thanks. We can do that.” I turned to one of the other students and gave her a questioning look because she was pressing on her ribs. She said, “This is my first class back after having been in a bicycle accident.” Ah-ha! Healing was perfect as a focus.
It always amazes me and warms my spirit that it happens that one focus needed or desired by one person turns out to be the perfect focus for so many. So often we are able to apply it to what is going on and find an intent that compliments it.
After class one the other student that came with me said that she enjoyed that focus. I shared with her the way it came about and she was surprised because she had thought the woman who was touching her ribs had suggested it. So she too was amazed that it was a focus that was appropriate for all. But that is just how it always seems to happen. It is so great. It is —-ahhhhhh!
We shared a great focus although I was so focused on the Joy from class and my morning in Santa Cruz that I forgot about my Goodie Jar post. But I think you will agree it was worth it.
So, do you think I had a good reason to forget? Are you still filling your Good Thing Jar?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar, Misc, Nia | Tagged: beach, gentle yoga, good things jar, Goodie Jar, Natural Bridges, Nia, Nia class, Nia focus, Nia intent, Nia routine, Nia San Francisco Bay Area, Nia Santa Cruz, Nia sub, Nia Teacher, over the hill, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz beach, Tannery, teach Nia, Yoga | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 8, 2013
Only seven weeks left until we get to read all the good things in our Goodie Jar! Yay! Oh my! Only SEVEN WEEKS LEFT until 2014. Time flies! WOW!!!!!!!!!!
So how is your goodie jar going? Our cat almost made it seven days, but she didn’t so we started our “vomit-free” count down again. Such is the life of a kitty with IBD. At the time of this posting we are on 3 days and 21 hours. Maybe we can make it past seven days this time. It is really important for her not to throw up because she needs to gain some weight. What happens is she start to look less skinny, then when she throws up it is like she is back at skinny cat again. Ok, sorry, my goodie jar posts have turned into vomit reports, but hey, just proving that any good thing can go in that jar.
My jar is almost full. I could press the papers down and it will probably make it until December 31, 2013, but I don’t want to crush them. I will probably take some out. As you can see they are all different shapes and sizes.
I hope you are still adding to your Goodie Jar. It see some people are posting on Facebook everyday for the month of November about something they are grateful for. Our Good Things jar kinda has a jump on that . . . .
Well, report in . . . how is your jar coming along?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: 2013, cat with IBD, December 31, Diane Bacho - 1948 to March 11, 2014, Facebook, good things jar, Goodie Jar – Check In #37, IBD, sick cat | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 1, 2013
Ooooo! Only TWO months left to fill up the Goodie Jar. It is never to late to note the good things so if you haven’t started yet, why not start NOW!?!?! I have a few good things to put into my jar today.
I had a fabulous conversation with a potential Nia student. I talk to a lot of potential participants, some actually do end up attending one of my Nia classes and some do not, but I have always had wonderful conversations. While I would love to have everyone I talk to come to one of my Nia classes and I would love to meet them, I still feel fortunate to have been able to talk to them on the phone. I love sharing about Nia and listening to their stories. So many are inspirational.
Also, I received a wonderful e-mail. The subject alone made me so happy. (“Nia rocks my world!”) How could it not? The rest of the e-mail made my face hurt (from SMILING)!!!!!!! I loved it so much, I printed it out and it is going in the goodie jar!
And, as some of you may know, our cat has Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) which is a chronic condition. Basically it means that the intestines are not working properly so the body does not absorb the required nutrients. When the body does not absorb what it needs it does not function the way it should. And when the intestines are not healthy there are other issues. So it is a matter of controlling symptoms and getting the body to a comfortable and a close-to-normal state as possible. It has been about three months since we started treating this and today is a good day. I think – as with many things – there will be days where she doesn’t feel as good as others. I think that is just the way it will be. But today we are half-way through our fifth day without vomit. When I wrote my post Spot Update we were almost up to a three day vomit-free period, but that was as long as we got. Now we are on our fifth day. That is really huge. Even if she throws up now we still made it almost FIVE DAYS! I am sure she is as happy about it as I am! To me four and half days vomit free is a darn good thing. See there really is no rule as to what you can put in your jar. THIS is a good thing for me. THIS makes me happy.
When I read about it on December 31, 2013, I will be happy.
What are you putting in your goodie jar? Any good things happen yesterday on Halloween?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: chronic condition, chronic disease, chronic illness, good things, good things jar, Goodie Jar, Halloween, IBD, inflammatory bowel disease, Nia, Nia participant, Nia rocks, Nia student, Spot the cat, Spot Update | 2 Comments »
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