2 Ways to Get Inspiration from Friends

Hello, Friends!

You know you're passionate about something when you can't wait to do it, you don't care if you have to do it all by yourself, and you can lose track of time when doing it.   That's how I feel about designing and making jewelry and that's how I feel about inline skating.

That said, when you find someone that can get as excited as you are about something, you can join forces and have even more fun together.  Again, that works for me with both jewelry making and skating.  

How lucky was I therefore to find two amazing women to skate with me on two separate occasions over the last week.  Both women and their spouses are in my husband and my movie club and both women inspire me: Irline and Kristine.

Irline has been an ice dancer for the last several years.  In fact here she is ice dancing:

Irline Ice Dancing

She hadn't skated on wheels in years and years.  I see her and her husband Martin on the Lafayette-Moraga trail--them walking and me skating--and I kept bugging her to join me on the trail.  She said she wanted to but I figured it was one of those, "Wouldn't that be nice one day?" comments that we all make from time to time--activities we've like to do in theory but don't get around to.  I was wrong about Irline.  She emailed me last week and said if I could get her a pair of skates in her size, she'd go out with me.  Lucky me she fit into one of my extra pairs and away we went.

I also wrongly figured that on her first outing she would just want to tool around in the parking lot at the Lafayette Community Center.  Instead, after 5 or 10 minutes of getting used to the skates she suggested we try the Lafayette-Moraga trail. Over 5 miles later--including curbs, wooden bridges, sticks, rocks, slight hills, and uneven pavement--she finally had her fill.  Wow, was I impressed with her!  She so naturally transferred her ice skating expertise, balance, and stamina into a related but new activity.  

Irline so inspired me that the next day I skated my furthest distance since I began keeping track last year: 8.6 miles.  (My Facebook post may have reported a longer distance, but that's because I forgot to turn off my app at the end of my skate and it recorded some of the ride home!)




Then today I had a skate date with another movie club member, Kristine.  Here she is with her husband, David in the Virgin Islands:

She has skated for years--even told me that she used skating as her main mode of transportation in college for a time.  We met at a parking lot by the Iron Horse trail in Walnut Creek after she had already taken a workout class that morning at her gym!  I figured maybe a 30-minute skate would be all she had left in her.  She suggested an hour skate and away we went.  

One hour and 8+ miles later, I was satisfied with myself and very impressed with Kristine.



With both Irline and Kristine, I enjoyed one of my favorite activities in a whole new way and got to know each of them a bit better.  If you have something you like to do as much as I like inline skating, it's even more fun to enjoy it with a friend.  And seeing the activity through their eyes made me look at my skating and the limitations I put on myself differently.

My next goal: go out again with Irline and the new inline skates she bought herself and to drag Kristine out on some hills!

Look out, here we come!

Keep skating (or whatever you do)!

Nancie ♥


My last skate:
1/25/13
Skate #17 of 200
Iron Horse Trail 8.08 mi

New Year's Intentions

Hello, friends!

Do you make New Year's resolutions each year?  Did you this year?  

I decided that this year instead of resolutions that I would make intentions.  The difference between the two for me is that a resolution is a pattern or path that you resolve to follow, no matter what.  It leaves no room for nuance, no room for working towards a goal, getting better as time goes on.  A resolution only allows you to follow it or to fail to follow it.  And how many resolutions have we all had fall by the wayside over the years?

An intention, by contrast, is a statement that points you in the direction that you want to travel.  It may be goal oriented--for instance, my intention this year is to skate 200 times in 2013--or it may be a principle that you would like to use to guide your behavior--for instance, I would like to speak with a kinder, gentler tone in my encounters with others.  In both of these cases, my intentions give me a guide to follow.  I may at times be more successful or less successful at adhering to my intention, but always I have in my mind that it is the direction I am heading.  As long as I make some progress in the right direction, I cannot fail.

For instance, my intention of skating 200 times during this calendar year guides my choices.  As a guide, it directs my brain and my actions towards activities and behavior that support my intention.  During 2012, I made it to 177 skates.  So this year, in order to meet my goal of 200 skates, I need to add 23 skates to what I was able to rack up last year.  Considering I only began skating in February of 2012, and then only a few times a week (as compared to the 5 or 6 times per week I do now), my goal of 200 skates is easily do-able.

Here are some of the new toys I received this year as gifts from my dear family that help support my intention of skating 200 times this year...because brrrrrr, it's been kind of chilly lately:

Columbia Benton Springs Fleece Vest

I love the color (light grape) and it provides just the right amount of warmth when it's a chilly Bay Area day (in the 40s).  It has a nice fit, interior pockets, and zip pockets on the outside to keep my keys, iPhone, and glasses safe.

REI Coolmax Ecomade Crew Socks

My old skating socks were 10 years old.  
Time for a few new pairs.  'Nuff said.

Manzella Powerstretch Touchtip Gloves

Now I don't have to operate my iPhone 

with my nose when it's cold!  They have
little pads in the index finger and thumb 
ends that allow you to operate a 
touch-screen device like your phone.

So my intention is to log 200 skates during 2012.  I have other personal intentions and also business intentions.  More about those later.  

What are your intentions for 2013?  How about your intention for today?  What will you do that supports your growth?

Keep skating (or whatever you do)!

Nancie ♥  My last skate: 1/3/13 Skate #3 of 200 Lafayette-Moraga Trail 4.89 mi

Chocolate Truffle Recipe!

Hello, friends! One of the symbols of the Christmas season for me is making and giving chocolate truffles.  I originally saw the recipe in the San Francisco Chronicle in the early '80s and have been making about 400 a year ever since then. That's one of the reasons I love rollerblading...so I can indulge in sinful treats such as chocolate truffles upon occasion.  I'm partial to the dark chocolate varieties, but I've branched out to make milk chocolate, white chocolate and semisweet ones too.  Here's my recipe for the original dark chocolate ones.  They may not turn our looking picture perfect the first time--or even the 20th time--but they will taste great no matter how they look! Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles Chocolate Truffles Centers:                                                                       Yield: 30-36 truffles              1 c. heavy cream                                                   6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels                                    4 oz. unsweetened chocolate                     3 T. unsalted butter 1/4 c. liqueur (such as Amaretto, Chambord, Crème de Menthe, or Grand Marnier) (optional) 1/2 c. finely chopped nuts (optional) 1 capful flavoring extract such as peppermint or almond Chop unsweetened chocolate into morsel-sized pieces.  Simmer cream in a saucepan.  When cream comes to a boil, remove pan from heat.  Add both chocolates and butter.  Stir firmly with a wire whisk until chocolate-chip effect goes away and mixture is like pudding.  Pour into a bowl and continue to whisk until chocolate and butter is dissolved.  Stir in liqueur (and optional nuts or flavoring extract).  Cover and refrigerate overnight. To shape centers, scoop about 1 tablespoon with a spoon; roll in your palms to form a ball.  Place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.  Freeze centers overnight. Coating:   12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate                    6 oz. unsweetened chocolate Note:  make sure you do NOT get any water in the melting chocolate.  Even a small amount of water will cause the chocolate to seize up. Melt chocolate in a double boiler (or a bowl set over a pan of almost simmering water).  Remove chocolate from heat.  Dip frozen centers into chocolate one at a time.  Let extra coating drip off and place coated truffle on waxed paper lined baking sheet.  Refrigerate.  Before serving, allow truffles to warm about 15 minutes at room temperature.   They keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.                   White Chocolate Mint Milk chocolate and white chocolate require a different recipe.  If you don't like dark chocolate, try the recipe above using all semisweet chocolate.  Leave me a note here (or email me) if you would like the challenge of making milk or white chocolate varieties.  Even my white chocolate mint truffles look a bit lumpy and I've made them dozens of times! Enjoy your truffles if you make them and happy holidays to you and your family! Keep skating! Nancie ♥  My last skate: 12/12/12  Skate #169 Lafayette-Moraga Trail 4.51 mi (How many truffles does that earn me?)

Wet Pavement: Moving Past Limits

Hello friends!

This time of year is my busiest season.  Between my jewelry business and my personal obligations, I sometimes have a hard time skating or doing other activities that keep me balanced.  Add Liz Reynolds and my holiday boutique last weekend plus very raining weather, and I'm jonesing to get out skating.  I actually start feeling like an addict who has had to quit cold turkey.

We in northern California had some major wet weather last week.  (I know you folks that live in other parts of the country are feeling no sympathy!)  Finally on Sunday afternoon the skies dried and the sun came out--just minutes after my poor husband finished cleaning out the gutters yet again!  I waited as long as possible to give the trail the best shot at drying out a bit but still early enough that I could get a skate in before darkness took over.  When the time was right, I made my move!

I started on the Lafayette Moraga trail at the Commons in Moraga.  It seemed like many other people had the same idea and the trail was filled with walkers and bikers...an extra challenge but not insurmountable.  I was the only fool on skates however.

I've written before about trying different techniques to mix up my skate a bit and to keep increasing my skills.  This day, I didn't need to try too hard…between the plethora of sticks, leaves, acorns and rocks and the still-wet pavement, I had all the challenge I needed!  There was even one section where the water was running freely right across the trail:

Note the gravel washed onto the trail and the 1/2 inch deep water still flowing across the trail

To my surprise, as long as I stepped a bit cautiously on the wet sections, I didn't have too much of a problem.  Mind you, it was plenty challenging…the least bit of wet when I'm skating hard means that my skates slide sideways out from under me.  On the wet surface I had to take smaller steps and be continually ready to correct my balance.  

With a little trial and error, I found I could remain pretty steady on my feet and manage to get a satisfying workout.  The workout combined with seeing a bit of sunshine, and my mood was soaring before long.  I kept to the mile-long section between the commons and Rheem Boulevard.  I did the same section two times to get a 4-mile skate and then managed to come home tired, sweaty and happy.

The next day the trail was drier still and I was now armed with the knowledge that my limits were not what I had thought them to be.  It gave me confidence to skate further and skate harder.  

I guess my surprising takeaway message was that my previously believed limits were largely self-imposed.  Because of my previous bad experiences with wet pavement, I had thought it was something that I couldn't handle at all.  Instead, I now know that with a bit of care and practice I CAN skate on wet pavement.  

A challenge is not the same thing as a limit unless I allow myself to believe it to be so--a good thing to learn and to put into practice in other areas of my life.

What other challenges do I have that are holding me back because I think they're non-negotiable limits?  Something for me to think about.

Keep skating!

Nancie  ♥ 

12/2/12 

Skate #162

4.12 miles

Lafayette-Moraga Trail 

Beautiful Bay Area Fall

Hello, friends!

What a glorious, sunny, crisp, clear fall day!  I feel so lucky to live here and have such great skating trails at my doorstep.  

Today my husband Marty and I slept in a bit while both our kids got up early and went off to work.  There's something that feels so delicious about that!  With fewer hours of daylight, often wet trails, and a deficit of skating time over the last month, I'm hot to go whenever I can fit it in, but I did need to at least wait until the sun was up enough to dry off the trails a bit and to begin shrinking the puddles and patches of wet leaves.  

Marty dropped me off on his way to the gym and I got right to skating.  Because I had a good chunk of skating time to fill until he had finished his workout, I set out from the Commons Park in Moraga towards the Lafayette Community Center.  At my usual turn-around point, I kept going.  I ended up skating further than I have ever skated before (at least since keeping track with my Nike + Running app on my phone).  I ended up skating a 10k.  Yay me!

Did the trail have acorns, leaves, sticks, and puddles for me to deal with?  Yes, yes it did.  Here is a picture of one of the challenges.

The Lafayette-Moraga trail near the Lafayette Community Center

As I skated past the Lafayette Community Center, I came across this sign:

Have you ever seen such a thing?  Well, you can't say they didn't warn us!

Years ago when our extended family took our annual ski trips together, my kickass-skiing cousin Suzi used to tell us that you need to push yourself when you ski.  She thought that a good measure of pushing yourself enough is to fall down every so often.  That way you would continue to improve as a skier.  I think of her advice often when I skate.  Not that I am okay with falling while skating…I try to avoid that if possible.  But I do make sure I keep pushing myself so that I keep improving.  

I consider it a successful skate if I have at least one bobble…an almost-fall-but-not-quite moment...every time I skate.  That way I know I'm pushing my limits...getting better and better with each passing week.  

The funny thing I've noticed…the more I'm comfortable pushing my limits skating, the more I'm comfortable pushing myself into other uncomfortable areas in my life.

How do you like to push yourself?

Keep skating...or whatever you like to do!

Nancie ♥ 

My last skate:

11/25/12 

Skate #160

Lafayette-Moraga Trail 6.85 mi

Too busy to blog, but not too busy to skate...

Hello, friends!

I've been so busy getting ready for Liz and my 8th annual Holiday Boutique that I've barely had time to write, but I have made time to skate.  Our boutique:

  Friday, November 30           9 AM - 8 PM

 Saturday, December 1         9 AM - 2 PM     

370 Redfield Pl, Moraga, CA

We are so excited about the many wonderful gift items we're busy making...jewelry, scarves, food gifts, baby gifts, holiday decor, and paperwhites ready to bloom in your home or for a friend.  We're serving food, drinks, champagne in the evening, we're having a drawing for prizes such as jewelry and other gifts, and giving a free gift to everyone that attends.  It's a fun event and part of our proceeds will benefit Friends of Faith, a local non-profit, in memory of Faith Fancher, which supports underserved women battling breast cancer.  Bring a friend for a special 20% off incentive on one regularly priced item in our boutique.

(Shameless boutique plug done!)

Despite how busy I've been, I've used managed to skate 11 of the last 13 days and that makes me a happy camper.    I passed my personal goal of 150 skates in 2012.  So great!  I haven't had much time to write about skating though, so I thought I'd share a hilarious commercial of babies skating that my friend Joan sent to me.  Check it out for just 10 seconds and I think you won't be able to stop watching.

If only I had started skating at such a young age!

Click here for how I wish I could skate!

Keep skating (or whatever it is that YOU like to do)!

Nancie ♥ 

My last skate:

11/14/12 

Skate #154

Lafayette-Moraga Trail 5.25 mi

Signs of Fall: Acorns and Sticks and Leaves...Oh My!

Hello, friends!

Due to my mom's open heart surgery and a trip back east that was extended due to Hurricane Sandy, I found myself unable to skate for 2 full weeks!  By the time I returned to the bay area last week and my mom was released from rehab and home with my sister and stepdad to help out, I was climbing the walls with a desire to get back on the trails with my rollerblades. 

And skate I have!  I have skated every day over the last week, racking up over 30 miles altogether.  It felt so great!  At the same time, I've resumed my yoga practice, another critical piece of my well being.  My yoga instructor, Howard VanEs, is just a fantastic teacher and I find myself enjoying yoga more and more.  Click here to check out his series of books.

As I've been busy preparing for increased holiday sales of my jewelry and the extra demands of the holidays, I've needed the intense exercise even more than usual to keep my brain clear and happy and my energy level high.  The weird thing is that until this year, I had never been that consistent with my exercise routine except for short periods of time.  Now I'm at the point where I can no longer envision my life without yoga and without skating.

Fall skating is beautiful and here's why I love living in Northern California:

But it does have its challenges:

Acorns, Sticks and Leaves

Some sections of the trail are just covered with the litter from the trees.  My rear wheels scoop up the leaves and the brake on my right skate traps them.  I'm toying with the idea of removing my brake, but I still have the occasional time when I am very happy for that brake...especially on the downhills!  

Lesson for handling the extra detritus on the trail...keep light on my feet, pay attention, relax, be prepared to make a quick correction when one of my wheels suddenly completely stops turning.  All part of the excitement!

Darkness Descends

The end of daylight savings time found me on the trail one evening this week as the daylight was fading quickly.  I skated as fast as I could racing the sun, trying to finish up before darkness really set in.  Alas, the sun was much faster than I was and I found myself returning to my car in almost complete darkness for the last 5 minutes.  The plus side: since I couldn't see the leaves, sticks, and acorns, they didn't really even bother me. 

Maybe I need to get one of those miner's headlights.  I think my cousin Suzi has one I can borrow.  Can you help me out, Suzi?

Rain!

Okay, here's the one obstacle I can't figure a way around.  It started raining today before I got a chance to skate.  Bummer!  It was to be my 150th skate of 2012...an arbitrary milestone but still one I was looking forward to.  Not only do I need to wait till it stops raining, but I'll also need to wait till those leaves are dry enough to stop being a slimy, slippery accident waiting to happen.

Here's a quote I love that helps me face obstacles such as acorns, sticks, leaves, errant shoelaces, darkness and rain:

The universe provides obstacles to see how much you really want something.

I think it's a great way of looking at all the obstacles that might otherwise derail us from what we really want to accomplish.

What goals do you have and how badly do you really want them?  Do you want them enough to push past the figurative acorns that might get in your way?  

Here's my 88-year-old mom, Jane, showing me how to overcome an obstacle such as a torn aortic valve.  She's walking every day with my 90-year-old stepdad around a track near their house,  building her stamina back up after her valve replacement 3 weeks ago.  You go, Mom! 

Keep skating! 

Nancie ♥ 

My last skate:

11/7/12 

Skate #149

Iron Horse Trail 5.08 mi