Change is good..... right?

I have had a very emotional week. Something I have been trying to avoid came to a head this week. Although I did my best to keep everyone happy, things were still taken the wrong way. I am no good a politics. I guess I'm too naive .
My youngest daughter started grade one today and it was very hard to leave her at the school. I am so use to someone always hanging off my hands that I feel lost without her. The up side to that is that she was very excited to be back with the friends she made last year in kindergarden.
The last days of August are upon me and the signs of fall are all around. The hummingbirds have become scarce. I'm not sure when they head south, but I wish I was going somewhere warm too.
I am looking forward to the new group of students after the fall renos. Its always inspiring to see the beginnig of a generation so to speak in our school.
Anyway I know nothing ever stays the same, change is good, but I have to try to slow it down sometimes.

Linda Shipalesky
Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, Alberta

Making us proud

Crown Prosecutor George (Jody) Fraser (front), who is a quadriplegic, does a tandem jump with Lyal Waddell of Eden North Parachute School as part of a fundraiser for Ainembabazi Children's Project in Africa on August 22, 2009 near Edmonton, Alberta. The money raised goes to children affected by AIDS in Africa.
Photograph by: Aidan Walters, Eden North.

I have trained with Sifu Lyal Waddell for many years in Silent River Kung Fu and have always found him humble.His Kung Fu is very personal to him and so he does not tell many people he trains with us. He is very good at what he does and would be the last person to bring attention to himself in a situation like this. I know I speak to him from all of our Kung Fu family when I extend our appreciation for his contribution to the Aimenbabaze Children's project.

The countdown

I have been watching the countdown clock that Sifu Brinker started way back when and I can tell you it always makes my stomach flutter. I get butterflies every time I see it. Now it's reading 14 days. Oh my god, time has gone by so fast. You can be sure any Black belt you ask can tell you exactly what your thinking,feeling right now. This will be the most intense part of the whole experience . It brings back some very strong emotions for me. This was one of the most recallable things I ever did. Try to keep the end in sight. Don't let negative self talk get in your way. Good Luck.

Linda Shipalesky
Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, Alberta

Temper , temper

I know that I have come a long way in my life with my Kung Fu, but not that far. This weekend I had to stop and give myself one of my many self talks. We were at a restaurant and the service was very slow. The waitress talked to us about how overworked she was and asked us to have patience with her. I felt sorry for her and totally understood where she was coming from.... well that was until we sat there for three quarters of an hour without getting our food. I know, I know ... I said I understood and would be patient, but everyone else around us had already got their food. My temper was getting the better of me and my temperature started to rise. Of course it didn't help that my husband, who has the patience of a saint was giving me the look ... you know the one," Linda your overreacting ... again." Anyway we did get our food eventually and I was only a little rude to the waitress, but felt instantly guilty for my attitude . Just when I thought I could give myself that pat on the back...


"I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation"
George Bernard Shaw

Linda Shipalesky
Silent River Kung Fu

I'm late with my blog this week. I just couldn't think of anything to talk about.So I was thinking about reading. I go though times when I can't get enough books to consume. I have a quota to get to for my ubbt. requirements, but I wasn't counting the fictions I like to escape with. I have three autobiographies , three quarters finished laying around that I can't seem to concentrate on long enough to get through. It's not that they are not worth while, its just that the reality of life is sometimes enough and I find it hard to add someone else's reality on top of my own. Fiction is a little like escapism or watching a good movie. A mini vacation if you like. Anyway if I count all the books I've read I would be well over the amount I need, but otherwise I still have half to go, talk to you all soon

Linda Shipalesky
Silent River Kung Fu

Clear vision

The new harvest is starting to come in. I was able to take new potatoes and carrots out of my garden this week. Nothing tastes better! Of course this always brings me back to my "diet" or lack of attention I have been paying to it. My big pacifier is that the kids will be going back to school in September and then I can really take care of things. Right! The one thing that the ubbt has made me aware of is the fact that it's always going to be a struggle to maintain a healthy weight and no matter how I look I will always feel overweight. I also know I am the only one who can change any of this... oh boy do I know this.
The other thing I am working on this last few weeks is putting things in order. Learning when I need to plan ahead and how to use things spontaneously . I find that there is great resources in the people in our school. It takes me a lot of courage to able to approach them and ask them to use their talents in one of our classes. I think with Sifu Brinker's encouragement I am getting better at it. The whole class will benefit from this if I can just keep a clear vision of the outcome.

Linda Shipalesky

Silent River Kung Fu

Holiday blues

Driving in a foreign country always makes me appreciate our well maintained Alberta roads. Most of the places you can stay in south central Costa Rica needs four wheel drive vehicles. The back roads usually have at least one stream you will have to cross. On a good day with no rain this is fun, but if you are in the rainy season one good down pour can send the stream overflowing its banks, Great adventure but I was sure glad I was just the passenger . Most of the time its like living a dream and a few days after I'm home I find it hard to believe it was real .
I must admit my ubbt training went to the dogs while I was away. Though the guilt of not training was ever present. Should have just done it. The reality cheek of attending my Monday morning class was enough to put everything back in perspective. I still have a lot of things to learn about keeping focused.

Linda