October 29, 2023 · Write a comment · Categories: Musings · Tags:

I dreamed last night that I was walking through a muddy and cluttered construction zone, full of heavy earth-moving machinery, while holding a baby.

Photo of construction machinery on a muddy site.

(Photo credit: Clyde Robinson)

The baby was old enough to talk, at least a little, and seemed to be very unhappy about being carried through such a big, scary place.

“Don’t drop me!” the baby said.

“I won’t,” I promised.

Just after that, I turned a corner around where several large construction vehicles were parked, and I found myself boxed into a narrow space with nowhere to go forward. I couldn’t do anything but back up, as carefully as I could manage. The baby started to cry. Then I woke up.

Looking at how to interpret this dream, one thing stands out: A baby and a construction zone both represent something new being created. Maybe I’ve been trying to do too much (as shown by the clutter) at once, and my subconscious mind is cautioning me not to lose my grip on what is most important. As for being in a place where I needed to back up, that probably means there’s something I need to quit doing—some aspect of my life where I need to reverse direction—because it’s not getting me anywhere useful.

Although it’s generally good to be open to new experiences, a reminder not to overdo it can be useful.

During our recent travels, my husband and I both caught a head cold and have been feeling droopy this week. Although we haven’t had much energy, we are otherwise doing okay, cheering each other up with hugs and laughs. The house is warm and cozy, and we have plenty of blankets and chicken soup to keep us comfortable. Soon enough, we’ll be feeling better, and I can’t complain.

Word-art that says, "One can never have too many hugs or laugh too often."

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to encourage self-nurturing and to “give the planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.”

Last weekend’s trip to Boston was amazing! The Head of the Charles regatta, which has a 60-year history and many thousands of athletes, is MUCH bigger and more competitive than anywhere else I have rowed. To be honest, I felt kind of apprehensive when my husband organized the trip, but everything went well. People lined the bridges cheering for the athletes, and some of our online friends gave us a cowbell and kazoo decorated with a rowing motif so that we could make some noise too.

Photo of a cowbell and kazoo on a table.

My husband’s single race was on Friday morning, when the middle-aged and older rowers compete. He got into a collision with another boat under a bridge and lost some time because of it, so he didn’t do as well as he would have liked; but I have to give him credit for being brave enough to go out there in a single, which I’ll freely admit I was not.

Although it rained much of the day on Saturday, we went out to cheer for our friends and our coaches anyway. I had to change my shoes after they got wet, but that was okay because my husband ordered some nice waterproof boots for me after we got home.

In our quad race on Sunday, my husband was in bow and steered well through the narrow Boston bridges. It was very exciting to be on the course with big crowds cheering for us! Even though we weren’t anywhere near the frontrunners, it was a lot of fun anyway. My husband is already talking about going back next year to row our double.

I’m scheduling this post in advance because of more traveling, to Boston this week—it will be my first time competing in the famous Head of the Charles regatta. It’s an exciting adventure for my mixed quad crew, none of whom have rowed there before. For this week’s Nurturing Thursday, I’m wishing everyone a wonderful early morning, filled with love.

Word-art that says, "And today, I hope you wake up with love. Love for life, love for others, and most importantly, love for yourself."

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to encourage self-nurturing and to “give the planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.”

I thought about calling this post “Embracing my Inner Couch Potato,” but then I decided that didn’t work because there was nothing “inner” about the way my rear end inhabited the couch yesterday. I had a vacation week scheduled, with one free day between returning Sunday night from a two-day rowing regatta (in which my mixed quad crew won second place, yay) and setting out on the road again Tuesday. So, having very little energy when I woke up on Monday, I spent much of the day in total veg-out mode.

Photo of vegetables on grocery shelves.

(Photo credit: Pamela V. White)

My glorious day as a veggie queen ended around 5 PM when I begrudgingly pried my butt off the couch cushions and went to do my prescribed rowing machine workout, followed by shower, dinner, and packing clothes for the next trip. But it was wonderful while it lasted.

For much of the year, I’d been feeling overscheduled and run down from so much hurrying to row after work, in combination with some overtime this summer and road trips to regattas. That was far too much, and my body had been screaming at me to slow down and rest. The Monday veg-out day was greatly needed and was taken with intention. Truth be told, I didn’t feel at all guilty about lazing around on the couch while my husband was in the home office all day fixing the latest software blow-up at work.

I haven’t spent much time online recently because the fall rowing season is underway, but that is all right. Traveling to regattas with my teammates is fun, although it keeps me busy, and the training exercises (even if not fun) are great for fitness. I anticipate many good things to come!

Word-art that says, "Anticipate beauty. Believe in miracles. Count on grace. Decide on joy. Expect peace." -Mary Davis

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to encourage self-nurturing and to “give the planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.”

I did an indoor rowing exercise this afternoon, consisting of four intervals of 5 minutes each. It was part of a weekly plan that my husband and I get from our online coaches. Last year, I was assigned a precise result for this same exercise: my time for each 500 meters (known in rowing jargon as the split) was to be 2:12.2. Over 5 minutes, that comes out to 1,135 meters. I was able to do it for each interval, but it felt exhausting.

The coaches weren’t so exact about it this year, and when I sat down on the machine, I had in mind that I would just try to stay somewhere around a 2:12 split and not worry about where it came out. The exercise felt like it had a much easier flow this time, and as it turned out, I still ended up with precisely 2:12.2 for each interval. Not overthinking it worked much better for me!

Word-art that says, "STOP OVERTHINKING. You can't control everything, just let it be."

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to encourage self-nurturing and to “give the planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.”