A bucket is a useful tool for carrying something from one place to another.  There is a circular action of filling and dumping associated with it.  There are metaphors and ideas associated with it like “filling you bucket” (taking time to get what you need), a “bucket list” (a list of places and activities you want to do in your life, often exotic and unlikely to happen without intention), forming a “bucket brigade” (working together in community to put out a fire, either literally or figuratively).

So why have a bucket blog?

I have been trying to get a “real” blog going for a long time.  I have been bogged down trying to figure out a focus.  I am a multifaceted person (like faces on a cut diamond).  I have a “bucket list” of ideas to write or talk about.  I feel compelled to try to carry these ideas from my head and heart to others whose bucket could be filled and replenished with some of these ideas.  My own bucket gets fuller and my thoughts become more clear by refining and sharing them.

“YOU” are missing

My friend Quinn texted me last week.  *Referring to the Holding Space Practice and Ashtanga Yoga she wrote me: “I was telling my friend Susie about how much you have helped me and how *it has helped you heal.  She is really struggling right now with healing from all the abuse she experienced as a child.  I want to send her a copy of your book.  I just thought of something.  Call me when you can.”

It was a good moment for a conversation, so I called her immediately.  She was hesitant and apologetic to share her thoughts.  She had been trying to put her finger on something that was missing from my book.  It hit her.  “Carol, the thing that is missing is YOU.  I am looking at your website and I just want more.  More Carol.  More examples of what it looked like when you struggled with your kids. More information on your childhood.  More backstory on how you found yoga and how you decided to be a yogi.  Did you get good at it overnight or did it take time? How did your spouse react to all of this? Are you really healed or are you still putting up a front?”

Because I am multifaceted (and so are you) if I am going to share “ME”, I have to talk about several topics which may seem unrelated.  It may seem unfocused.  This blog will not fit nicely into a well-defined category.

A bloggers vow:

I have gotten bogged down starting this blog also because I know I need to organize posts so things can be searchable.  I’m the kind of person that could really use a detail-oriented secretary!  I have been running websites since 2011.  From previous experience I know that as websites or blogs get more and more complex, it is harder and harder to find what you want when you want it.  I promise to do my best to organize my posts to make them easier to search.  I know it is not one of my natural strengths, so taking this vow from the beginning of this endeavor is meant to help me follow through.  There.  I did it.  I vowed.

Here are my facets and what I’m likely to have thoughts about (and therefore a variety of posts).

Mom of five children (my first and favorite job)

Homeschool mom (started Principle Based Learning in 2009 with this facet)

Teacher

Lived through and healed from depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia (wrote The Holding Space Practice with this facet)

I have a patient spouse that suffered along with me and keeps sticking with me (PTL!)

Energy work (received a lot, given some, good at creating group energy fields)

Nutritional Healing (have done research, I’m no expert nor do I always eat as well as I should given what I know)

Yoga teacher (specifically Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, went through teacher training in 2015, so I’m “certified”)

Christian (specifically LDS,)

KC Program Coordinator for Compass USA, (coordinating host families for international students in short-term homestay programs… I think it is a super fun part time job)

Involved with the storytelling, especially healing story (part of HSP facet).  I have a great admiration for storytellers although I don’t think of myself as a real storyteller.  Some of my favorite people on the planet are storytellers like Joyce Slater and Lani Peterson and many others that I have met because of Joyce and Lani!

Let’s throw in some old facets I’m not likely to blog about directly:

linguistics (BA, MA degrees)

cosmetology (yep, went to beauty school and my family never pays for a haircut or knows what the inside of a barber shop looks like)

musician and music teacher (vocalist, church choral conductor, piano, vocal and violin teacher in the past),

Spanish teacher (I taught all levels and ages including in universities and Community colleges, elementary school kids for a couple of years and family Spanish to homeschool families),

Volunteer with youth program at church

I am a recovering people-pleaser.

I’m a natural introvert.  I have to work at not being shy.

I think of myself as being average.

I have several friends that I hope will pour some of their buckets of wisdom onto this blog.  And, just maybe, we will keep doing this until we kick the bucket.  (You should know that Nikki and I plan to do yoga the day we die.  Other Ashtanga Yoga friends like Kelley, Rebecca, Emily, Quinn, Chantelle, Noelle, Marta, Kim, Jen, Tracy, Robin, Jean, Karen, Shelly, Gwen, Sean, Tung… know what I’m talkin’ about!)

Quinn also said there should be photos of me on the site.  I know I’m not alone when I say that I struggle with photos of myself, but I love seeing photos of other people.  So here’s one from 2016.  If you want to see a bucket of photos over the years you can click here.