The Key

In picking out the color for my inaugural pedicure of the season last night, I couldn't find my usual favorite shade of red - I'm Not Really a Waitress. Instead I chose a slightly orangier red named the Keys to my Karma. Clearly, part of the fun of trips to the nail salon for me is reading through the OPI bottles.

Today as I was contemplating how cute my cheery red toes looked poking out of my open-toed white flats, I had a moment to further reflect on the Keys to my Karma name. Sure, what goes around comes around, I get that. What I send out into the universe gets reflected back to me, got it. But, is there a sliding scale here? I don't think I am a bad person - I don't lie, steal, cheat or kill. I don't even illegally copy DVDs. I do, however, gossip and eat meat. I also occasionally hurry into my house when I don't feel like chatting with the neighbors. Are these offenses bad enough to result in a negative karmic reaction?

The last time I went to the nail salon, all I had to worry about was how clean the utensils were, not major philosophical questions. Things were much simpler when I wasn't really a waitress.

Six Months

About this time six months ago today, I was nervously and excitedly waiting to walk down the aisle. I should have eaten something (and maybe laid off that prosecco), so I wouldn't have had that unfortunate blood sugar crash later in the day. But should have, would have, could have. Other than eating breakfast or lunch, I wouldn't change a thing about our wedding day, overall it turned out to be a great day and the perfect wedding for us. Some parts of the day are kind of a blur, but I know I'll always remember the happiness we both felt that day. All of our wedding pictures feature me with a huge smile on my face and Chris looking thrilled. Several people said I was the happiest bride they had even seen. I was living the princess fairytale with the added bonus of getting to live with the prince for a lifetime. We both felt so blessed and lucky to have such a beautiful wedding and to be able to share our special day with our family and friends.

In the six months since we married, the leaves on the trees have finished changing color, fallen, made it through the winter, flowered and are now in brilliant green once again. Likewise, we've fallen into the comfortable rhythm and cycles of married life. Lazy weekend breakfasts, yard work, dinners at home with a bottle of wine. Waiting eagerly for Lost each week and cuddling on the couch. Talking each other down from work crises (okay, really, Chris talking me down). We're enjoying this marriage partnership.

Today we are celebrating with more of the same, really. A small cookout tonight, cleaning up the house and yard today. We did find an overlooked wedding present that somehow made it's way to the garage (thank you card is in the mail now!), so that was kind of fun. I'm also listening to the mix cd my brother made for the wedding, which is such a great mix. It must have pained him, but he included some of my favorites - Madonna, Jimmy Buffet and Jack Johnson. The songs bring back all the wedding day memories for me and it is a favorite of mine.

Today

Bones

Last night I finally made it back to the yoga mat. For one reason or another, I hadn't practiced in two or three weeks. I sorely missed it. Not just because I'm happier, calmer and have an overall better sense of well being when I maintain an active practice, but I was also just sore. These muscles need to stretch around these bones.

Lately I've come to realize just how important healthy bones are to a person, especially to women. Two weekends ago, my grandmother fell and broke - shattered, actually - her hip and her wrist. I saw her at the hospital after the surgery to help repair the breaks and immediately went home to take a calcium supplement.

I thought of this all last night as my yoga teacher was lecturing the class on the safety of headstand prep. Headstand, and all yoga inversions, are widely beneficial to the body, but they can also be dangerous, so it's important to work up to the pose. One of the benefits of headstand is that the pose strengthens the top part of the spine. While the teacher was introducing the pose, she mentioned she works with seniors and has seen an epidemic of hunched shoulders and curved necks due to osteoporosis of the spine. Then she said, most of that generation of women never got the chance to mindfully do weight bearing exercise to help stave off osteoporosis.

It was an aha moment for me...of course, my grandmothers at the age of 30 didn't spend a Wednesday evening enjoying a night of yoga. They had kids to tend to and a house to run. Sure, they got plenty of exercise working in the yard and maintaining a home, but I don't think they were pondering the benefits of headstand. I felt at once humbled and proud. I know in these bones of mine, how lucky I am that these women went before me. I now have the opportunity to practice yoga and maintain a home. So I can benefit both from their experience and from headstand.

In

A co-worker stopped by my desk today to ask a question about a good teacher gift for a friend of a friend. After some snide comments, I got down to suggesting some cool ideas of things to do in Columbus which can be gifted - cooking classes, bottling your own wine, a night in an recently renovated historic hotel. I hope whoever gets this gift enjoys it - I know I would. The co-worker then asked about the weather and the chance of his afternoon plans being dampened. I suggested he pull up the weather.com hour by hour predictor and take an umbrella just to be sure. He said thanks and since I always have all the answers (um, right), maybe I should put out a sign ala Lucy - the Dr. is in.

Lucy has long been my favorite Peanuts character. My co-worker isn't the first person to suggest I'm a little like Lucy. Maybe it's my love for the color blue and my dark hair, or maybe it's my way of solving problems, but I must admit there are some similarities. Just to be clear, and I don't know what you've heard, but I've never pulled a football out from under any neighborhood boys learning to kick. I'm more the kinder gentler version of Lucy. The pluckiness of Lucy, but with some of the little red haired girl thrown in for good measure. While some would call my Lucy tendencies bossy, I prefer to think of them as helpful. Okay, I can sometimes be bossy, but I'm working on that. But, like Lucy, I do think I have some pretty good ideas on solving life's little issues. So, consider me in. If you have ever have any questions I can help answer, just let me know. I won't even charge the 5 cents.

His and Hers

We've been married for just shy of six months now and today for the first time we did something I'm pretty sure only married couples who love each other very much do. No, not that. We bought matching phones and signed up on the same phone plan. Seriously, the same phone except that mine is maroon and his is black. We thought there had to be some slight difference to discourage morning mix-ups.

In spite of the icky-degree of cuteness associated with it, the same phone actually makes sense. We can use the same charger which will make it easier for vacations and what not. Also, Chris is way more into techy stuff than I am. He's spent the afternoon enthralled with the buttons and settings. I took a picture of the pretty iris in the backyard, made that my wallpaper and got on with me day. Luckily for me, now whenever I have a question about how to do a phone related task, Chris will know the answer.

I understand this type behavior can be a slippery slope, so if you ever see us and Chris and I are wearing matching outfits, please intervene.

Dealing With It

From reading many women's magazines over the years, I understand there are those of you out there who, when confronted with hormonal surges or one of life's curve balls, respond in healthy and positive ways. Evidently people exist who go for a run, call a friend, meditate or journal until you feel better. Let me say for the record, I am not one of you. I prefer to cry, take long naps, and eat breakfast foods all day. Preferably in that order. I can sometimes be cajoled into shopping or watching chick flicks, but I really would rather be doing the aforementioned activities. Let's just consider this a fair warning, shall we? And now, I believe I need to scramble more eggs and crawl under a blanket.

***In spite of wanting to do this, I got my butt out of bed before 7:30 this morning to go participate in the Race for the Cure. I can now see why those pesky and perky magazines suggest exercise as a great way of alleviating the blues. During the race (which I walked most of, running only very little), I felt great. There is also something uplifting about seeing 40,000 people joining together for a cause. There were bands along the route to pump up the runners and walkers and it was a beautiful morning to be out and get caught up in the spirit.

Liberal Guilt

Today I had lunch with a friend from high school and somehow over our wraps and iced tea, the topic of liberal guilt of came up. We both have it. That's either to be expected from two highly educated white kids from an affluent suburb or an oddity. Our other classmates seem to be on one end of the spectrum or the other. As a whole, our graduating class was given a head start in the world. We all came from fairly well-off families and we each had a solid college-prep education. For me these opportunities also come with the feeling of needing to do more for the greater good. In some sense, I feel like because I was given this head start, I should help those who weren't as lucky in the gene pool lottery.

Sometimes this feeling manifests itself in healthy ways - volunteering, donating to worthy causes and being overall empathetic. But sometimes, I just feel silly liberal guilt which doesn't help anyone much. Case in point is the whole Prius thing. I only drive about 30 miles a day and a part of me feels I should leave the Prius, because they are in such demand, for someone who needs it more and drives further each day. In the grocery store, I occasionally feel guilty for not buying organic. And don't even get me started on the conflicted feelings I have when I ride the bus.

Recently, though, a catalog came in the mail which I was thrilled to see (after I made yet another mental note to go to one of those stop junk mail sites). The catalog was from Fair Indigo, and it is all fair trade cute clothing! I think I heard the angels rejoice when I also noticed the free shipping to new customers offer. So now shipping to me from Wisconsin (somewhat local, right) is a new wrap dress, darling peasant blouse and new sandals. And best of all, I don't have to worry about the child and or sweatshop labor that went into making these clothing items. Fashion without guilt, that works for me.