september 2018: what I am learning and loving
I have been slacking on writing this post because, to be honest, much of what I’ve learned in the last month hasn’t been very uplifting or worth sharing. I’ve learned some dark and scary things about myself, the people around me, and the larger community. But I’ve been reminded again and again that the dark and scary things aren’t to be feared, that they can only be addressed once they are brought to light. So I’m going to continue this monthly practice that has been really helpful for me and to me over the last few years.
What I’m loving
Minimalist shoes. I’m beginning to discover that my preferred method of not dealing with my problems/feelings is to go down deep into rabbit holes that I am curious about. Because this isn’t as outwardly dangerous as, say drinking myself silly to avoid my feelings and problems, it is still an avoidance strategy that I need to be better about addressing. BUT sometimes all of this research pays off, so I can’t quit it altogether – HA! (Side note: I am also THE queen of rationalization).
All of that to say, as I mentioned last month, I have been deep diving into the world of natural movement, and I am loving it. A big part of the philosophy begins with our feet for obvious reasons. Grant bought me Vibram Five Fingers several years ago, but I mostly just wear them to the gym and to lift at home. I wanted to get some less weird “natural shoes” for work and play, so (after LOTS of research – see above and the years’ worth of news that happened in September) I bought the following:
- Vivo Barefoot’s Ababa in black. I LOVE these shoes and plan to ask for the brown version for Christmas. They’re amazingly comfortable and cute (although Jasper said that they made me look like a pilgrim, so decide for yourself).
- Tadeevo Minimalist shoes. I bought these for working out, running, basically my every day not-at-work shoe. They are lovely in every way. I bought Grant these for his birthday, and he loves them and says that they are by far the most comfortable work shoes he has ever worn.
When it comes to minimalist shoes, you want three main criteria. There are additional characteristics, but the following three are the most important:
- The soles can bend and twist, so that they minimally impair your foot’s natural movement.
- Zero drop (or close to zero), which refers to the difference in thickness of the sole between the toe pad and heel. The less of a drop, the closer the shoe gets you to your natural foot movement. Think about a traditional running shoe compared to the Tadeevo one above. You also want to be as close to the ground as possible, so no or minimal padding.
- The shoe looks like your foot, especially a wide enough space for your toes to move and breath freely. This is especially noticeable (and problematic) in most women’s shoes that taper in sharply toward the toes.
So even if you don’t want to try one of the minimalist brands, you can perhaps try to experiment finding shoes that fit those three main criteria. Toms and lots of women’s more generic flats fit most of the criteria. Here’s a good list if you want to explore more.
Ball jar koozies. This one is a little silly, but it has made a big difference at our house. We only use Ball jars as our drinking glasses, but we kept getting mixed up with whose glass was whose (even though we have different jar colors – we always would forget which color we picked). Someone got very frustrated with the number of Ball jars that would be out laying around the house at the end of the evening. A few years ago, my sister gave Grant one of these, and he loved it because he always knew where his glass was. So I found these koozies and let the kids each pick out one. Npw they know which glass is theirs and use it instead of constantly getting new glasses out all day long, which makes the dishwasher in our family very happy. $12ish well spent!
Kamik rain boots. Grant needed new winter muck boots last year, and he did a ton of research (Grant has never made a purchasing decision with less than an hour of research and wavering back-and-forth), eventually landing on these. He loved them so much that I bought two pairs this year when my old garden boots sprang a leak (or seven). I bought these tall ones and these shorties, and between the two, I might never wear a different shoe around the farm ever again. I love the short version especially because they slip on and off so easily, but still give me lots of maneuverability in the garden. Kamik is a Canadian company with good sustainability practices, so I plan on buying these for the whole family for years to come.
Pantsuit Politics. I’ve mentioned PP many times here, but I think they have reached new highs during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. Their intelligent, nuanced, and thoughtful discussions on the story over the last several weeks has helped me feel a bit saner in the midst of an emotional and crazy few weeks. You’re really missing out if you haven’t been listening especially here, here, and here.
What I’m learning
Thai massage. I went to a Thai massage workshop a few weeks ago – and loved it. Thai massage is very accessible and not super technical or intimidating. I plan on continuing to take additional workshops if only to use my skills on Grant and the kids. Body work has a ton of benefits in addition to just relaxation, which is a huge benefit all by itself. One of the biggest takeaways from yoga teacher training for me was how powerful practice is. If you want to get better at something, you just have to do it every day or at least every week. (DUH SARA!) So I have been trying to keep up with what I learned by practicing on the kids and Grant a few times every week. I could only go to one day of the workshop, so I only learned the lower body (really just the feet and legs) techniques. But no one – in my family at least – turns down a foot massage. I have been surprised with how connecting this practice is, and, just by actually practicing what I learned and getting feedback from my family, how much they say I have improved in a few short weeks. Practice works – what a concept!
Autumn olives are a super food. Invasive plant species are a disaster for our local ecosystems. However, most of the plants are already here, so some people think that we should try to eat and use the invasives as a means of slowing their spread. After reading this post, we picked several gallons worth of autumn olives at our place over the last week or so. Once you start looking for them, you’ll see them everywhere because they are really easy to spot as their berries ripen this time of the year.
That many more of our friends have experienced sexual assault than I thought. After Dr. Ford’s testimony last week, I had several friends tell me that they too had been victims of sexual assault and/or rape. In the last two weeks, I have done my own research on sexual assault (good sources here and here). Most notably, about two out of every three assaults go unreported (we can see why after what happened to Dr. Ford) and somewhere between two and ten percent of sexual assault allegations turn out to be unfounded because it is difficult to put a statistic on a crime that so often goes unreported and unprosecuted (read here for more context). Sexual assault and its ensuing trauma is an epidemic in our country. We must do better. If you are a victim of sexual assault, I believe you, and you have been almost constantly in my thoughts and prayers for the last several weeks.
I’ve learned many additional things this month, but I’m not ready to write about them yet. I encourage you to write your own lists, whether or not you share them.
