Day 319 - Train Game

Thought of the day: I have been looking out of the window at the bright half moon for a little while. There’s something about watching the moon floating in the air above us - it seems so remote yet so near, so nonchalant yet so relevant, so ancient yet so present. Lots of beautiful Chinese poems have been written about the moon and tonight I am recalling a few of them. For millenniums, people have looked into the sky at night and felt drawn to it. The universe around us has the strange power of unleashing your imaginations yet grounding you at the same time. I think I will have that mythical power in my dreams tonight.

Photo of the day:

Jasmine was playing a train game with daddy while Lila was taking a nap. It was difficult to put her down for a nap these days even when she really needed it. It's easier at night. When Lila is too excited to sleep at night, I just need to show her the dark sky and mountains outside of the window and that has the effect of calming her down. I wonder if kids can feel the mythical power and rhythm of universe more than we do.

Day 203 - Wet

Thought of the day: I caught something over the weekend and it was getting worse, so today I took a day of bed rest.  I seem to be more prone to illness lately which made me wonder if the lack of sleep can make the immune system less effective.  So I probed around a bit and, unsurprisingly, every article that turned up linked sleep to the immune system.  So it's not just an old wife's tale, it's proven by research that good night sleeps promote immune response and when you're ill, the immune system makes you feel sleepier than usual so you will rest.  Our body works amazingly well when you give it the respect that it deserves.  It's really something, isn't it?  OK, time for bed!

Photo of the day:

It was wet and cold - a perfect day for resting.

Day 197 - Sunrise

Thought of the day: Today I did an early morning run with a few neighbors and friends.  It's certainly unusual for me to get up this early so I took this precious opportunity to snap a few photos.  Boulder faces a wide open eastern plain so we can count on a glorious sunrise pretty much every morning as rainy or overcast days are few and far between in Boulder.  It's great for early risers but, unfortunately, doesn't do much good for night owls like me.  I've considered and even attempted, at least for a few times since I moved here, to change my sleep routine so I can catch the first lights of the dawn and do something meditative before everybody wakes up.  Regrettable, my biological clock wasn't ready to cooperate yet so I inevitably gave up after trying for a few days.  Getting up early to run, on the other hand, is something different.  The outdoor air and movement wake me up and get me an extra bounce for the rest of the day.  Things that I have done and don't regret afterward are usually good things for me.  Running at the crack of dawn is one of those things - it's good for me, and I will keep doing it as long as my body can keep up.

Photo of the day:

View of sunrise from inside the house.

Day 165 - Loveland

Thought of the day: We spent the day skiing at Loveland with a visiting friend.  It was windy and snowy most of the time but there was also some fresh powder to be found with very few skiers to share with.  Lila put on real skis and boots and had a few good runs down a tiny slope.  She didn't seem to mind the blizzard condition a bit until later in the afternoon when she had a melt-down of sorts.  So I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the warm and cozy cafeteria with her napping in my arms and watching the skiers racing down the slopes.  I was envious of them and yet, at the same time, I felt quite at peace.

Photo of the day:

Blizzard at Loveland Ski area. Cell phone photo (my hands were freezing for taking this photo!)