404 Days Later...

Hello!

In February 2011, I created this blog and posted my first teeny post (you can see it in the 2011 archive), ready to unleash my mind and heart in the form of a blog. I sent it to one person, my loyal daughter Chelsea, and had high hopes for many posts ahead. But the next day I started house repairs that lasted 7 weeks (even made videos of the whole process for my blog, but they still live only in my iPhoto library), one thing led to another, namely a very hectic year, and here I am, 404 days later, and today IS the day that this blog has been born.

Why today? On my walk this morning, I realized that I was afraid of doing this blog because I didn't want the whole wide world to go along for the ride while I figured out how exactly to blog. HOWEVER, a nice thought came to me. How about just starting really really small. Just do this post, send it only to those who love me unconditionally, and keep it at that for a while. So, that's what I'm going to do. You love me, that I know, and I would like to invite you on this little journey of mine.

Why I am doing this blog is very simple: I need someone to talk to. Sad (kinda darling actually) but true. I live in this lovely big house by the sea, have a couple people I see on a daily basis, but I spend 99% of my time by myself. Which bothers me. But it's not yet time to do anything about that, so I hope this little place "I Am So Excited About This Day" will be a place where I can simply share my life, and you can share back.

About a year and a half ago, I was dealt a blow in my personal life that I am glad to say was my rock bottom. I had dug myself into a pretty unhappy state and I knew I had to either come up from the trough or .... or .... well, there was no 'or'. Rock bottom is rock bottom. There's only one direction to take at that point, and that's what I decided to do. I remember that night very well. I sent a very cryptic email to my sister, daughter and a friend, saying basically that I needed to disconnect from everyone and I would see them all in the spring. Something like that. Then I wrote myself a big note and put it on my wall:

I woke up the next day and it was like waking up into a different world. In upcoming posts I will share with you some of the things that had been blocking my excitement for life - I don't need to cover all the bases in this first (well second) post. But the idea is this: look for things that are life-giving. Look for beauty. Be excited for the day I am in and tell people about it. Even terrible things, there is always something to share about life, the good and the bad.

So, that's it for now. Oh wait. Let me share one amazing thing that happened. I took my walk a little later than usual today - a huge storm blew through over the weekend and the ocean was just raging all night and the wind was enormous. So I snuggled in my comfy bed till around 8 (almost unheard of for me) and I'm glad I did. By the time I made it to the Cove, it was around 9:30 and the ocean was like a wild Irish Sea. PERFECT for St. Patty's Day weekend, but not perfect for swimming. Once at the cove, I spotted some of my swimming buddies and they told me that a few of our friends were out in the water. Get this, the FIFTY THREE DEGREES water, with huge, wild rollers blowing through, white caps out to the horizon. In former times (and hopefully again in my future) I loved swimming on days like these. But to stand on the shore and watch it was a new thing for me and I was astonished but the audacity of my pals. I snapped a couple shots of them in the water and once they landed safely back to the shore. Here's my very first share! (click on the photos to enlarge them)

This was the view of the wild ocean from my living room:

See if you can spot my friends' little heads to the bottom left of the photo:

Here's a zoomed-in shot:

Here's the group reaching the shore:

My good friend Tom, who will swim through anything, without even a cap to keep his head warm:

 

It was a real treat to see these brave (crazy) friends of mine. I need to get back in the water. It's been toooooo long. 

This day turned out to be a big day for me. By getting out of my head, by accepting the fact that I don't know how to blog, but can certainly figure it out if I just jump right in, I have begun something that I hope will bring a fresh impulse of creativity and vitality into my lovely life. 

And then to top things off, a darling young woman I had the pleasure to work with this year, and who has become a dear friend, came by to drop off a necklace she made from a shell she picked up on our walk through Torrey Pines State Park a couple days ago. Her name is Sarah, she is 100% all things good, funny, human and beautiful, and she was so stunning in the setting sunlight, I had to snatch this shot, plus a shot of the necklace:

So, to end this post, I will use the same words I wrote at the end of that first day, a year and a half ago. I remember it so well. I went for a walk on the beach, it was night, and I could feel my heart opening up again. It was nice. I came home and looked at the sign I had written the night before, and added, in green oil pastel, "TURNED OUT TO BE BEST DAY EVER". 

Thank you for reading. Please post any and all comments. Let's have this be an exchange!

Sending love....

Christie