A Blonde Weekend

“The true adventurer goes forth aimless and
uncalculating to meet and greet an unknown fate.” O. Henry

Carrie, my daughter-in-law is six degrees left of center. She is not your atypical woman by any stretch of the imagination, yet her adventurous nature and flair for the bazaar, actually, somehow endures her to me. Carrie perpetuates true blonde thinking. I don’t mean anything derogatory by that. Blonde thinking in my estimation is: Light thinking or not thinking, not thinking too seriously about anything. This leaves you open to life’s possible adventures.

Carrie likes to think way, way, way outside the box, any box. She lives life lightly and changes her mind as often as her hair color. This is the kind of person you want to plan your next vacation or blonde weekend.

One day she announced that she was taking me to a health spa for my birthday. I was thrilled. Visions of health spa brochures danced in my head. I melted just imagining the sun rising over a crystal clear pool in a pastoral setting. I smile as I am greeted by Jose’ who massages, pampers, and steams me until I’m done.

“Here’s our opportunities to get away, Mom, have fun... be blonde for a while.” Carrie bounced.

Of course it is Oregon in April so it rained. The muddy parking made it easy to slide to the lodge. It was my first clue that this was not the health spa I had in mind. Nestled in ancient cedars were the dinky cabins and lodge of Brientenbush.

Since the nineteen thirties Oregon's Brietenbush Hot Springs has invited people from around the world to take a dip in its 108+ degree waters. The setting is straight out of a James Fenimore Cooper novel: steam rises from pools tucked beneath shear, rock cliffs where small stubborn fir trees pretend to grow. The Brietenbush River rapids carve and roar their way past fallen logs and river rocks the size of small cars.

"Let me give you the two dollar tour Mom,” Carrie whispered, “over here is the meadow pools behind the sweat house and this is the main lodge."

Why was she whispering? I thought.

On the horizon vapors rose and near by was a bench that held a pile of clothing and shoes. It struck me, these people were naked. I wanted to take Carrie by her tie-dyed lapel and shout, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? I had to take responsibility for this I was the one who agreed to blond weekend adventure.
But I had never been to Brietenbush before. Never skinny dipped in the woods before and well, certainly not totally naked before.

A Sulfur mist filled the air around the small river rock pool. Like a Lipton Flow Thru Tea Bag, I immersed myself. With no food for hours, my body quickly moved from relaxation to fatigue. Before I could say, "Let’s get out," we had visitors. The dilemma was to stay or get out now. We stayed.

Up the lane strolled, hand in hand, a very pregnant young woman and her husband. They nodded, undressed and climbed in. Our eyes rolled as we watched Ms. Outie’s belly button cook. The casually chatted with us then their attention drifted off.

Red faced and eyeballs popping “I think I'd better get out before my bones are cooked." Carrie signed.

All I had left was a shake of my head. My rump roast was done..

With nothing to hold on to I made my way to the slippery river rock steps. There was only on e thought racing through me. FOR GOD SAKES DON’T’ FALL ON THE PREGNANT LADY.

We carried our dripping; half cooked flesh over the rocks and slithered onto a pine bench. Sitting in puddles of our former selves we desperately tried to find our legs. I slid one leg into my jeans and rested for ten minutes. Dinner would be served at 6:00 PM so we crawled a hundred yards to the chow hall.

"There is way too much fear in the world today, life was never meant to be taken so seriously." Dr. Cathryn Morter, N. D., D. C., C.H.,

A gourmet veggie buffet brought us back from the dead. With our stomachs full we became giddy. We told raunchy jokes, laughed untill we pee our pants. Like two happy drunks we followed a small pointed sign jutting from a cedar lined path that led to cabin B-4.

"Before what?" Carrie smiled.

Bent over from laughter, I could only shake my head. The wooden door to the outhouse-shaped-cabin creaked open: revealing two bunks, a rag rug and a well worn plank floor. No brochure could have or would have mentioned these amenities.

Rolling our sleeping bags out on pristine sheet covered mattresses and we collapsed. High on life time had slipped away nothing seem too important. I couldn’t even think of what to worry about. So for a couple of hours we told blonde jokes, rambled from one topic to another as only women can do then promised to write our congresswoman, just before our eyelids slammed shut.

Maaahhhuuummm... maaaahhhuuummm," sounds crept across the room.

Again it moaned, "Mmmmooommmm... are you awake?"
Maybe if I lie perfectly still... she'll think I'm asleep.
"Mmmmmooommmm... are you awake"? It continued to whimper.

Do I look awake? I thought as I groped for the clock that read 12:30!
Did I forget to turn off the "OPEN 24 HRS." neon sign on my forehead? What part of this picture says I'm awake?
I rubbed my eyes and replied, "I am now... what's wrong"? (As if I wanted to know.)

"I'm, sorry to wake you. I have an awful headache... I think I got over heated. I feel really bad... my ears are ringing... my shoulders hurt... do have any Ibuprofen"?
"I don't know," As my head lifted from the pillow only to plop down again.
"Mom, could you look and see if you have any pills in your overnight bag?" she persisted.
Crawling to the foot of my bed I rummage my luggage like a mad woman. Fading in and out of consciousness I desperately prayed for a pill, any pill. If I'd have found baby aspirin, estrogen or a lint covered birth control pill I'd have given it to her.

Don’t think badly of me. You must understand, my children are alive today, by the grace of God. Their ability to sleep through the night as infants saved them from an uncertain fate. I remember how annoyed I was when my son woke me at 2:00 AM simply because he couldn't suck milk out of my shoe lace. Don't ask. The point is my compassion meter is on zero in the we hours of the morning. I could have cared less what kind of headache the woman had all I wanted was to sleep
.
"Carrie, I don't have any pills." I turned toward the shadowy figure on the bed, no answer. Had she fallen back to sleep?

I was just inches away from the pillow when I heard, "Could you rub the back of my neck for a few minutes... maybe it will help?"

She needs to find someone who cares. Does she thinks because I am the Mom that some maternal instinct is going to kick in? Well, she was right.

“I had no hesitancy about becoming God’s messenger because I was simply becoming who I really am.” Neale Donald Walsch

I stumbled to her bed only to find shoulders as hard as the river rock we'd stumble on earlier. Groggy, I tried to sleep and massage at the same time. That didn’t really work. Finally, I gave up trying to play dead long and woke up enough to realize that she was truly in pain.

I needed to do something, but what. Well, why not try using Ki on her? Stretching and straightening my spine, I began to focus my energy down through the floor to the center of the earth. A sense of calm oneness came over me. My Ki practice was about to be put to work. I had no idea if it would help just a sense that that was what I should do.
Quietly, I began, "Carrie, take a deep breath ... let it out. Take another deep breath an let go, and relax...
Imagine a pinpoint of white light ... it is a healing light ... now with each breath the light becomes larger and larger." I took a breath and continued.

"Do you sense the light Carrie?"
"Yes, Mom, I do..."
"There is light all around you. There is nothing but light." I went on. "Golden liquid light is pouring over you down through you head… to your shoulders and slowly moving out your toes."
"Feel the warm, healing energy of love fill your every cell." I stayed focused.

I had a sense of how powerful Ki energy can be. I told myself I’ll know when to leave. And I did. As my face fell into the pillow I heard, "Thanks Mom."

Morning light streaked through the homemade curtains in our cabin and brushed the toe of my sleeping bag. I tried to burrow in but instead found my mind wondering to last nights events. Was Carrie all right?

As if on cue, Carrie grumbled, "I'm fine, see you at breakfast."

There was just enough time for a morning meditation at the quiet, little, octagon chapel nestled near the river. A Simple contemporary stain glass centered the room as clear window panels flanked both sides. I settled on a cushion and looked out to see wet snowflakes fall on dark, wintered leaves. I drank in the moment. An old Peggy Lee song, Is That All There Is, came to mind. Yes, that is all there is to life. As simple as being right here, right now. Life is cycling in harmony and in peace. All I need do is to say yes to harmony, to align myself with Ki.

Before, I had dabbled in Ki energy. Last night I had used my Ki energy to heal. I had to ask myself, how much more could I accomplish if they were to practice using Ki in everyday life?

There are countless ways to experience Ki energy. In the next chapter I have listen a few of my favorite exercises that have helped me to stay balanced and healthy for over twenty years. Enjoy exploring each and everyone.