25 Things

For more than a year, an inner voice has been nudging me, “Write more. Write. Write.” I’ve been doing some of that, but mostly keeping it to myself, wondering where on earth I should share my writings…. and finally, the obvious solution dawned on me. How about my own blog? So, diving in today, prompted by a class I’m taking with Andrea Scher on Brave Blogging.

I have so much I want to write about. I’m not sure where to begin. So I’m jumping in with one of Andrea’s prompts. 25 random things about me.

1. I was born in Italy to American parents.
2. I studied Spanish in junior high and high school, Italian in college, and at this point they’ve blended into my own very useful form of “Spitalian.”
3. If I had another life to live, I would humbly study with indigenous elders. Or be a naturalist, a master gardener and herbalist. Or live off the grid somewhere in the high deserts of Southern Utah. Or learn lots of languages and travel the world. As a food writer. Or an indigenous advocate. Or live in Santa Fe, New Mexico and write and paint and make pottery and go on long walks and make slow soups.
4. I gave birth to my son at home. After laboring in the tub and in my bed, I took a break to look at the snow falling from a window in my meditation room. I fell to my knees as he decided to emerge into the world right then and there. Since that room wasn’t as prepared as the others where I’d planned to labor, I still have the stain on the carpet to show for it. I rather love it.
5. Standing at the big red coffee roaster with beans spinning inside, watching Carl put jasmine pearls into a tea bag for a customer at the Oasis Cafe, I knew shortly after meeting my beloved that we were destined to be together. It took 4 years for that to happen. We’ve been happily together for 16 years. We’re one of those very happy couples.
6. I love swimming in fresh water and I could do it all day long. I’m rather terrified of swimming in the ocean.
7. I went to at least 17 Grateful Dead shows when I was a teenager, all around the country with my best friend, Amy.
8. I love road trips, especially in the western US.
9. I spent 3 months in Nepal in 1995, staying and learning at the monasteries of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and Tsoknyi Rinpoche. The experience changed me for life.
10. I once thought I wanted to be a nurse midwife and to that end, entered nursing school. I loved what I learned about the amazing human body. Working in the hospital as a student nurse, I discovered that I hated so much of modern western medicine that I dropped out and designed my own degree. I’m so glad I did.
11. When I was a kid, my mom promised me a candy bar for every story I wrote.
12. I am a reformed self-righteous vegetarian. :) I believe in real food. I believe in family dinner. I spend a good chunk of my time, money and energy shopping for and preparing healthy, beautiful food for my family. I think it’s important and it makes me happy.
13. My family moved to Utah from a Chicago suburb when I was 12 years old. Before arriving, I’d never heard of a Mormon. 30 years later, I’m over the culture shock and I absolutely love living in Salt Lake City. Life is good here.
14. Pre-motherhood, I spent 4 months in solo silent meditation retreat in a cabin in Crestone, Colorado. I’d like to spend many more.
15. I prefer to be barefoot as often as possible.
16. I love love love books. I have the habit of reading many books at once. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to visit independent bookstores. Even the smell of a bookstore makes me deliriously happy.
17. Before my son was born, I imagined us gardening together. After he was born, I was so overwhelmed with the full-time job of caring for him that I was tempted to give away all my houseplants. Finally, now that’s he’s almost 6, I’m thinking of reviving our garden.
18. I’m planning to homeschool our son next year. Not because I’m “that type,” really, but because I think what’s happening in the lower grades in public schools is rather insane. Full days, homework every night, limiting arts and play and recess? Silly testing? Crazy. I don’t know how we’ll do it, but I know we will do better than that.
19. I am blessed with the most amazing friends, family, teachers, and community. The people in my life, near and far blow me away with their amazingness every single day. Brave, kind, unique, wonderful people.
20. My beloved and I seem to share a brain. It’s almost eerie how we can finish each other’s sentences, have the same brilliant idea at the same time, know just what the other is thinking in response to a song, a movie, a statement…. and yet, we’re very different and love being surprised by each other every day.
21. I’ve never owned a TV. I haven’t watched tv since moving out of my parent’s home at age 17, which was a long time ago. Last year friends got me hooked on Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones, which we stream on our tiny laptop.
22. When I was a kid, I used to love to study the way people’s smiles fade. Slow, sudden, naturally, erratically. Very interesting territory.
23. I believe in basic goodness. Inside you, inside me, inside each moment of life on this messy, brutiful planet.
24. I’ve been a waitress in a sushi bar, a specialty coffee roaster (and coffee snob), a health writer for a magazine, a bookstore manager, a bagel slicer and smearer, a yoga teacher, a house-cleaner, a tai chi teacher, a model for Prana catalogs, and a life-long bookaholic.
25. I really want to help make the world a more life-giving place for all beings.
26. Our family bed is a king size mattress on the floor of our bedroom. It works best for pre-bedtime judo rolls. :)

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