daily bliss: newness

It's simple to slip into familiar patterns, always covering the same well-traveled trails of thought and activity, cooking standard meals, baking the same chocolate cake because it's reliable. And predictable. And delicious:)

At times these patterns form ruts in the psyche, making our lives seem, well, less vibrant and fully alive. Comfortable, yes, but dulled.

Taking on newness can make one anxious (and/or eager), but absolutely brightens everything with vivid vitality. And, you never know what hidden talents you might possess.

Like Bocce Ball prowess.

This simple lawn game involves rolling bigger balls towards one smaller ball, called the jack. The ball rolled closest to the jack wins the point, the jack is tossed again, and the play starts over for the next point.

Dodging raindrops and waiting for the sonic holler of the "thunder on the lakeshore" air show, I played bocce with G and his friends.

And, G and I won.

Not bad for a half-novice team.

And, after eating, we headed out into the rain to watch the aerobatic military jets zoom, swoop, and swirl through the grey sky. Impressive and majestic: my first air show.

To finish the evening, I took a little spin on nearly-four-year-old M's sit and spin. I'd like to say I was inspired by the fast, fearless, flight of the airplanes, but really I was simply enamored with the idea. And the $10.50 my friends promised if I dared set down my glass of wine and give it a whirl.

The trick is to spin just enough so you're on the edge of dizziness, without spilling over into delirium, a delicate balance between being grounded and soaring...