A Non-Resolution

There is nothing like a fresh start.  The moment I hear the first note of “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s Eve, I always feel renewed and full of hope that this is the year I will stick with the things I didn’t stick with before.  There is a rush of self-discipline and tenacity to persevere when the new year comes, and we all have our things–to lose those 10 pounds we’ve been promising to lose for 11 months; to spend five hours playing boardgames with our children or writing letters to cross-country friends instead of watching TV on the weekends; to clean out and re-organize the garage and get rid of all the empty cleaning bottles collecting dust, or the tools getting rusty with the stale air that comes from non-use.

Only problem is…it never lasts.  For some, it takes a week to realize how insurmountable their goal may be or how unrealistic their approach is, and quit when they’re just beginning.  Others stick with it for a month.  Some, maybe two.  But I can say as the friend of regular gym-goers that the New Year’s rush always dwindles steadily and, by the time Valentine’s Day rolls around, it’s almost exclusively the regulars who are left, relieved and happy to have full claim over their favorite elliptical machines at last.

This entry is certainly not meant to discourage or dissuade any of you ambitious folk out there–I’m sure there are many of you who can do it, and in fact, I have heard of those who have.  But as someone with a less than average amount of self-discipline who has been experimenting with a new approach three weeks in to 2009, I will say this:  my non-resolutions have lasted longer than any of my previous years’ resolutions.  So this year, my New Year’s Resolution is to make no resolutions.

And three weeks into January, I must say that things are going well.  Last year, I probably would have told myself that I had to go to yoga every week whereas this year, I just decided to go to whenever I felt like it.  I am pleased to say that I have been going regularly to three classes a week, and I am still going strong without any feelings of obligation to stick with it, but more of a genuine desire to keep going for the good of my health.  Last year, I probably would have told myself to cut down on the sweets and stop eating so many cookies (and then promptly devoured an entire batch before my husband could get to them).  This year, I didn’t even address the issue, and I haven’t baked a batch or gone on a sugar binge yet, nor have I felt compelled to.  There are other examples of things I’ve been trying to improve on for years–going to bed earlier, reading more books and magazines, practicing the banjo more often, cutting down on coffee, buying groceries that are on sale, getting regular haircuts, being more diligent about scheduling doctor’s and dentist’s appointments.  And every time I tried to be consistent with doing these things, I could never do it.  Thus I can only derive one main lesson from all of this: if I don’t tell myself to do the things I have always told myself to do, I’ll actually do them.

I may not have much to say that is particularly profound or noteworthy for this entry, but I will say this: in my experience, a non-resolution is vastly more effective than a resolution.  For those of you who are on track with fulfilling your resolutions, I congratulate you and say “well done,”  and I hope you continue with great success.  But for those of you who are more like me, might I suggest that you don’t tell yourself to do anything…and then you’ll see how much you can actually do.

-Carly

New Age…. or Age Old?

Cold weather lends itself to cuddling up with a good book. If you are looking for a great fiction read, try The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann. This comes under the genre of contemporary fiction and romantic suspense but borders on being a thriller.

Set in Maryland, the story centers on Tessa, a landscape architect obsessed with labyrinths. She is drawn to the ruins of an intriguing labyrinth; however, to follow her passion, she must work with a man she once loved but who ultimately betrayed her. Until the end, it’s unclear as to whom should be wearing the white hats and who deserves the black.

To bring it even closer to home, you may want to explore the prayer labyrinth at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. For history and information on the EMU labyrinth, go to https://www.emu.edu/seminary/whylabyrinth.html

To fully explore the depth of the messages hidden within this book, consider more than one reading. You’ll want it on your bookshelf.

-Kay S. Walsh

Celebrate Inauguration at the Caverns

In honor of President-elect O’Bama’s inauguration, Shenandoah Caverns is offering FREE admission to American Celebration on Parade, Jan. 18-21. The exhibit includes more than 40 thousand square feet of preserved parade floats from previous inaugurations and other national parades, such as the Rose Parade and Thanksgiving Day Parade.

This could be educational, and great fun for the kids. With more than 30 giant floats, the kids will enjoy the larger-than-life animated characters, and recreated animals from dragons to polar bears. Trains, toy soldiers, and Dumbo- the flying elephant are likely to tickle their funny bones.

And while you are there, visit the caverns and Yellow Barn. It’s a much more relaxing way to celebrate the inauguration than fighting crowds in D.C. Would you agree?

History everywhere I look

Sometimes I enjoy being a passenger rather than always driving. Unencumbered by the responsibilities of piloting the vehicle, I’m free to contemplate the scenery unrolling before me like a scroll. Over the years, I’ve seen things that made me scratch my head as well as beautiful things that led to introspection.

If you’ve been around the Shenandoah Valley for long, you’ve noticed the old barns, houses and outbuildings that pepper the Valley. I’m always intrigued by these structures. I think my favorite is a silo in the middle of a pasture — the barn it was once attached to is long gone.

If these barns and houses have been standing long enough to fall into disrepair, I wonder when they were originally erected?

Were these structures silent witnesses to the strife and destruction in the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War?

What were the hopes and dreams of the people who lived in the old houses I see along I-81?

Did the owners of the now-weather-beaten barns expect to use them for decades, or were these people in the Valley temporarily?

Every now and then I’ll see an old, abandoned house that was surely once a beautiful domicile. I’ll indulge in a bit of day-dreaming about the history of the house. I’ve created entire families in my mind, along with particulars of the lives they might’ve led in that old house.

I’ll have to start bringing my camera along with me to capture these beautiful pieces of Valley history.

–Colleen

Speed Dating?

You’ve got to be kidding, right? No?

According to an anonymous comment to the Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, it actually works:

“If my friend had not made me go, I would have never met my girlfriend. I’m so glad I took a chance, it was so much easier than I thought itwould be!”
-male, 27

Okay. To each his own.

HDR brings speed dating back to the Valley. The event will be held at Clementine restaurant (153 S. Main Street, Harrisonburg), Saturday, Feb. 7. Find registrations and event details at www.downtownharrisonburg.org, or call 540.432.8922.

Pucker up!

Ski Time

It’s time to hit the slopes.

But if you’re like me, you have two left skis. Don’t let your lack of agility on the slopes keep you from enjoying this most popular winter sport. Bryce Resort has ski teams and ski races, and the Shenandoah Slalom USSA is this weekend, Jan. 10, at 9 a.m. Competitions continue throughout the season.

If you think you may be up for a bit of ski practice, Bryce offers lessons. I’m not sure if it is too late to join a team, but they practice on weekends and holidays and offer competition for all ages. Bryce has been named one of the most family-friendly slopes in the mid-Atlantic. So take the kids, and enjoy the bitter cold!

Valley Events Calendar

FEBRUARY

Feb. 1-28

A Tree Of Our Own…Sort Of

I spent the better part of a car ride to Richmond last weekend thinking about the next topic worth writing about.  I wanted to write something informative, not too cliché, but still fitting with the holiday season.  It only took me to Staunton to figure it out.

This year, we got our Christmas tree earlier than we have ever gotten it.  We got our tree the last week of November, Nov. 28th to be exact—a full 26 days earlier than any other year in my life that I can remember getting a Christmas tree.  When I celebrate Christmas with my parents and sister, it’s a battle to get out of the door on Christmas Eve for a tree, let alone before December.  I think this has something to do with my mother’s eternal thriftiness that manifested, during Christmas time, into her quest to find the cheapest tree possible, thus explaining why we waited until Christmas eve, and why we were always the only people shopping for a tree on that night.  I don’t think I have ever seen her prouder than the moment she returned to the car three or four Christmas eves ago, bundled in her red fleece beret and fuchsia coat, costume jewelry windmill pin reflecting the red and yellow lights from the last open grocery store within a twenty mile radius of our home, eyes sparkling with delight and success when she leaned in the window and beamed:  “Guess how much this tree cost? (not even waiting for a response from my sister or me) … FREE.”

Now that I’m in a different household and am in a position to have much more control over Christmas, the story has changed (partially, at least), explaining why we bought our tree right after Thanksgiving.  It’s a luscious, green, growing tree that we’ve been tending to daily and even has a light-up star on the top that changes color, operated by battery pack.  The only catch is…it’s a Chia Pet Christmas tree.

It all started when my husband told me about the power of the chia seed a month ago.  I had no idea how nutritional these tiny black seeds really were, but as soon as the husband went off on them, there was no stopping him.  It was only all too timely that I stumbled upon a Chia Pet Christmas tree in a D.C. Rite Aid at the same time that his obsession started.  Here’s what he told me about chia seeds, based on his own research:

Part of the mint family, and growing all the way from the Mojave Desert to Argentina, these tiny black seeds are packed with B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, boron (for healthy bones), and heart-healthy omega fatty acids.  The omega-3 fatty acid found in chia seeds—alpha-linolenic acid—protects the cardiovascular system.  In fact, chia seeds contain up to sixty-four percent of this omega-3 fatty acid, which is the highest known percentage among plants.  So, apart from growing sprouted “pets,” these seeds are actually some of the healthiest seeds you can eat—in seed or in sprouted form.

Chia seeds also naturally maximize the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids by containing a natural balance between these and omega-6 fatty acids.  Especially in diets that lack sufficient omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 is necessary because its effects balance out the effects of omega-3, which is good considering that too much omega-3 can lead to ailments like inflammation, difficulties with blood vessel functionality, and others that you probably want to avoid when possible.  The chia seed has a near perfect ratio of 3:1 of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which is an ideal ratio for correcting the commonly found imbalances of these healthy fatty acids in Western diets.

Chia seeds are also high in antioxidants, which increase the antioxidants in our body and may have anti-aging effects.  Probably more importantly, the antioxidants found in chia seeds have positive effects on cardiovascular health, our immune system, and proper cellular tissue growth.  In simpler terms, chia seeds pack a healthy punch when it comes to your heart and your body’s overall health to defend itself from germs.  And in fact, chia seeds are so healthy and so full of endurance giving nutrition, Native Americans and Aztecs among many others would often eat chia seeds to sustain themselves for long periods of time (one tablespoon of chia seeds mixed in water has been said to provide enough sustenance for twenty-four hours).  Chia seeds are also given as natural fever remedies, and were said to be made into a poultice for gunshot wounds for Spanish Missionaries.

On top of all of that, chia seeds have a high protein content—much more so than grains.  Roughly twenty-percent of a chia seed’s weight is protein.  Chia is also high in fiber; a fifteen-gram serving of seeds contains roughly four to five grams of fiber to match the daily-recommended thirty-five grams.  And finally, chia seeds are so powerful that (and this is the last fun fact I’ll leave you with) they can hold more than twelve times their weight in water.

It seems fitting given my mother’s rituals surrounding Christmas trees that my diligence about getting a tree this year would have less to do with getting in the holiday spirit and more to do with other small satisfactions.  For my mother, it’s always been thriftiness and the pride of saving a few hard-earned dollars.  For me?  Well, maybe it was simply killing two birds with one stone, and the satisfaction that comes from knowing I have bought something multi-functional.  And while it may seem morbid in a way that we bought a Christmas tree we intended to eat from the start, after reading this laundry list of benefits, how could we not?

For more information on chia seeds, check out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chia_seed

http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/3-reasons-to-eat-chia-seeds/9432323b0b803110VgnVCM20000012281eac____/health/health.experts/andrew.weil.md