Oh My Bike(s)! (Is there such a thing as bike math?)

Did you know that today is World Bike Day? Me neither actually, but when I saw a post about it on Instagram, I knew I needed to talk about bikes here today. In honor of this big day here is a picture of my favorite bike, Kermit: 

So, how many bikes have I ridden today?  Zero.  A number that truly makes me sad. I am certain I will change that by the end of the day.

How many bikes have I worked on today?  Two.  My hands seem to always have perma-grease under the nails and the smell permeates off my skin.  Good thing I actually like that smell.

How many bikes is the right number to own?  That is a very easy answer: as many as you currently own right now, plus one. So, if you own 0 bikes, 0+1=1, you should own 1 bike.  I currently own 3 bikes that I actually ride, or plan on riding.  So, 3+1=4.  I should own 4 bikes.  What would be the next bike I would own?  I think an e-mountain bike would be very, very nice.  

How many bikes did I own yesterday that I actually ride or plan to ride?  2.  So, the right number for me yesterday would have been 3.

But this brilliant thing happens when you get known as the bike lady, people want you to have more bikes(In fact, maybe the universe wants you to have more bikes).  A man from my neighborhood knows about my bike obsession and gifted me this really cool bike:

He said he didn't think he would get around to fixing it and had had it for a while.  He felt that I would have fun fixing it up and riding it.  I am pretty sure he is right! I am guessing this is a late 1960s or early 1970s Schwinn.  The model is the Collegiate. 

Now, how many bikes have I ever owned?  That is too hard of a question to answer.  I do know that right now I actually own 13, though.  It would be 14, but I just sold one. This is a pile of my future projects or free therapy as I like to call them:

What is it about bikes that is so special? I could go on and on answering that question but I will keep it short and sweet, I think nostalgia is the root of why bikes are so special. I know for a fact that most of you have thought of at least one bike you have had in your lifetime and I bet that bike was from your younger years.  To a kid, a new bike symbolizes freedom, they can go lots of places on a bike.  I know that biking slows travel down and I become more mindful. For me pedaling always helps me be in a good brain and it relaxes me.

  Well, enough wasting World Bike Day when you can get offline and go biking.  Like I always love to say: "Any day on a bike is a great day and every day is a great day for a bike ride."  Get to it!

The Faith of Teens

 For this week's spirit-filled moments, I share with you a quote from a young woman who is in my church congregation:

                                    "Jesus put his arms wide on the cross as if to say, "I love you this much," like little kids say."

Photo found here.

This is how the love of Jesus Christ is supposed to be: simple.  In my church, we don't really like to dwell on the crucifixion of Jesus, but I like to envision Him up there, with his arms outstretched inviting me in for a big hug.  I know that He loves me because I feel it. I feel it most in quiet places and even stronger when I am seeking it.  

I love that I can be taught by 17-year-olds just as much as adults with lots of experience.  Of course, we have to be in a space to listen, but the magic can happen when we do!

June Setup and My Favorite Soccer Player

Welcome to June.  Come Back Daily for My Post-a-Day Extravaganza. 

Hi there.  Welcome to summer.  As a teacher, I have a couple of months to rejuvenate and regather myself.  Sometimes I feel like I get lost in those ten intense months.  Summer I find myself again.  Obviously, I like to write.  I need a space to get myself off my Ikea POÄNG chair and into my notebook, this is that space.  I renewed my GoDaddy account and signed up to have this site for another three years.  Sure, I could have my old Blogger domain, but I like having my own .com, it motivates me to post more often.

This month will have the following daily themes:

Mondays: "Oh my."  Here I will talk about everything that makes me say "Oh my."  Mainly, it will be about things I own, like "oh my bike", but it may also be about things that I wonder and think about, you know things that make me go, "Oh my!"

Tuesdays: Travel.  Here you may read about my favorite camping places, or crazy trips I have adventured on. 

Wednesdays:  Poetry Writing.  It could be a classic I have written in the past or a brand new poem I wrote that day.  Please bring all the feedback.

Thursdays: Lists of Things. So many lists, and so little time.

Friday: Fantastic Favorites.  All about my favorite things.

Saturdays: Sports.  Here you may get rule explanations, ramblings of my favorite sports teams or players, or stories about sports venues.

Sundays: Spirit Of or Spiritual Sunday.  Here you may get snidbits from my faith or you may even get the spirit of, like the spirit of freedom.

Without further adeiu, here is the first post of June's Post-a-Day Extravaganza. 

My Favorite Soccer Player

Some people like Lionel Messi, Argentina's pride, with a foot that has got him to 25 goals faster than any Major League Soccer player in MLS history.  Others think Brasil's Pele is still the best of all time, but my favorite soccer player of all time is eight years old.  (In fact, today is her birthday) 

This past season, she did not score one single goal, which to her was devastating, but she did get two new jerseys and was able to wear the brightest pink cleats, which were pretty good highlights.

What makes her my favorite player?  

First, she became a soccer player.  She was excited about practice, wanted to dress the part with her new gear, and was so proud to have a new soccer ball, which she kicked into the couch about a thousand times each week(even if her parents encouraged her not to).  

Second, she wanted to get better.  She asked repeatedly to kick the ball in the grass across the street. She listened to her coach at practice and took her seriously.  She also listened to her mom and tried to figure out the right positioning to be able to shoot a goal.

Third, she is my one and only daughter.  Anything she does makes me proud! (Well, maybe not everything, like whacking her brother or giving me sass, but when it comes to her successes, they are also mine!)

She has had quite a year, from getting on grade level in reading to two amazing dance recitals to making me laugh daily, she truly is a gem.

She made the choice to be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints yesterday, which brought so many warm fuzzies.

She also had an epic Taylor Swift-themed splash pad birthday party.  

Not only is she my favorite soccer player but she is also my favorite daughter.  She has my heart and I am so excited to continue getting to know her and to see the amazing woman she will grow up to be, seeing she is already pretty dang amazing. I am blessed to be her mom and to also have my favorite soccer player living at my house!

Day Three of 30 Days of Writing: Squall-Apocalypse

This piece was to be creative about the weather, I chose to write a script for a news report.

Squall-apocalypse

Dee Dee: “Reporting Live from Center Street in Provo, Alice Ficklin”

Alice Ficklin: “Thanks Dee Dee.  The winter squall storm has hit Central Utah.  Wind gusts were near 60 miles an hour earlier this morning as snow swelled due to lake effect.  Valley floors were covered with two inches while the benches had six to eight inches.  Money may  not buy you happiness,  but snow can bring happiness and isolation.

A two hour delayed start was ordered by The Provo City  School District, which actually gave some parents the opportunity to both drop their kids off on time AND feed them whereas on normal days they have to pick one or the other.  

This reporter feels the district made a good call today, yet the son of this reporter still thinks it should have been a full snow day.  Back to you Tom and Dee Dee.”

Truths from 2023

 This is Day Four of 30 Days of Writing that I participated in during January of this year.  The prompt was entitled: Truths of 2023.  Basically it was about what we learned during the past year: 

Mom and I Summer 2019

Grief comes in waves.  Out,  like the ocean and you go about life like normal.  In, like the family photo at your Cousin’s wedding and you realize it is the first photo without mom in it.  The first trip back home without her there. A blank spot, a lack of warmth, a missing face, an empty chair; silence.And then out again, enjoying time spent with family, us still the same.  Being there for my own kids and working at a job where other Mom’s kids need me…I still need my mom too! And in again, working on my photo journal and finding the last picture I took of her, hugging my kids, thinking it’s just “see you later” again, because she HATED goodbye.  Not knowing it was really goodbye and really the last hugs.  Just like the ocean, grief has its calming and relaxing moments mixed with the raging waters and the high winds of a hurricane.  Balance…will I always be searching for it?  Luckily, storms are temporary and so are the waves of grief.