Monthly Archives: August 2011
The End Is Near!!!
Okay so 2012, extreme weather, earth changes blah, blah, blah. Doom and destruction. It’s hard to turn it off sometimes. So in my mind I felt that I had to make a decision. I could lock myself in my closet and wait for the end or I could continue to live every day of my life to the fullest. I chose the latter. I think in spite of dire predictions and my life changes of the last few years, I have a lot to live for and continue enjoying. Today was the first day of school for my grand girls. Six grade for one (she sounded very sophisticated on the phone) and all day kindergarten for the five-year old (no, they didn’t take a nap and yes she was sleepy when she got home) 🙂 Anyway last I checked no one had the absolute info on the end of civilization so on I go. Appreciate what you have and worry less about what you don’t. I know that those hit hard by hurricane Irene may not see that today but there will be better days. Let’s make the most of them.
Earthquake!!!! Are You Ready for An Emergency?
I didn’t feel it. I have no idea where I was when it hit. I think I was in my Jeep and it’s a pretty “trucky” ride so maybe I jut didn’t notice. When I got back from grocery shopping my friend Deborah was with my Mom and my husband was in the other room and none of them knew. I heard it on the radio. Deborah had just come through downtown Newark, NJ where I live, and she wondered why large groups of people were in the street outside of various businesses. My son sent me a text message from Maryland and they felt it there. Wow! In a way I wish I had felt it. Anyway. WAKE UP everyone. Earthquakes can happen any place and any time. Not trying to be the voice of doom, just practical, do you have emergency supplies, water, generators, a first aid kit, a bag packed, family contact plan? I’m just saying!
Tell me how you are preparing for emergencies. What have you done?
Desconectarse
The pronomial form of the verb Desconectar loosely meaning to forget or let go of ones worries. I heard the word today on an episode of House Hunters International and I thought what a beautiful word and idea. The lady using the word said that she was looking for a home in Spain because she believed that in Spain should could be more of the person she wanted to be. She felt that her creative spirit could be freed and she would be able to express herself more in this new home.
Well most of us don’t get the opportunity to move to a new country to start over but the concept is still a good one. Perhaps today you can begin to let go of your worries and work on the creative self that responsibility may have caused you to repress. On your next trip to the drug store or supermarket buy your self a cheap coloring book and buy or borrow some crayons from the kids. Find a quiet place and a quiet time and just color for a while. It might bring you back to a time when things were simple and your creativity still flowed. See where it leads you. Have fun.
Let me know what you find out.
I Got Rid Of My Alarm Clock and I’m So Happy!
Who would of thought that one of life’s greatest gifts would be the ability to throw out the alarm clock. It took me a year after leaving my last full time job to do it but finally I realized that I probably wouldn’t need it again. That doesn’t mean that I sleep all day but it means that whatever time I wake up is generally just fine. I rarely sleep past 8:30 am and if I need to get up earlier I use my phone as an alarm clock.
If you are looking for work or adjusting to a less demanding lifestyle, relax. There are still twenty-four hours in the day and I bet that you can do whatever you need to even if you are not up by dawn. The clock can be a trap that ties us to our former life and tells us that we are no longer living up to our responsibilities because we no longer need it. Don’t listen. Instead, if no one else needs it do what I did. Unplug it! You’ll sleep better without the light and the constant reminder that you don’t have any reason to get up that early any more. If you wake up automatically, use the time to meditate and do your gratitude journal. You will have a better day. I know that I do!
Has the Crazy Train Pulled into Your Station?
So let me tell you what I call the crazy train and some of you may remember being on board. I didn’t give much thought to the this concept when I was working 9:00 to 5:00, Monday through Friday. Once that was no longer the case I found myself occasionally jumping on the train that says whatever I accomplished in any given day wasn’t enough. Those under/unemployed may understand. Jobs tend to define ones accomplishment or rather substitute for accomplishment. You could have a junky house, unpaid bills, unruly kids and a bunch of other things but you could always say at the end of the week, “well I worked all week”. When that is stripped away the crazy train pulls in and tells you that you are a lazy lump because you didn’t go to the office today. Well I’m here to tell you if that train pulls into your station let it go. The sane train is probably right behind it.
You took care of your little ones, did laundry, tended your home garden, was a caregiver for a family member, did your home profession all while in your pajamas? Well it counts and you accomplished as much as you could in one day.
Today I cooked and cleaned up after two meals, put drops in my Mom’s eyes (three times so far) after her recent eye surgery, paid bills, graded student work online and listened to a self-development tape and the day ain’t over yet. So you can imagine my surprise when the crazy train tried to pull into my station. Anyway I got a grip let it pull out of the station and if it heads your way I suggest that you do the same thing.
As my friend Jack Jack says HAPPY MONDAY 🙂
What Does It Take To Appreciate the Nice Days?
Today was a beautiful clear day in New Jersey. The humidity was low, the sky was clear and there was a pleasant breeze. Everyone I met today commented on how nice the day was. This evening I stopped to consider how really nice the day was and I wondered if I had truly expressed my gratitude at such a lovely day. For many people it was just another busy work day. If they didn’t get out at lunchtime they may have only caught a bit of it going to and coming from work. Busy working people may not have really had a chance to consider how nice it was. For the under and unemployed it may have just been another day that didn’t see end meet. My pastor often says that we can only appreciate the nice days because we have experienced the bad ones. While you may not see celebrating the cloudy, stormy days they are necessary. Believe me they make the nice days so much sweeter.
My Garden Pays Off
My Garden results
I am very proud of my garden. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment. How wonderful it is to go outside and pick a tomato or pepper and make my own salad. Yesterday I made a wonderful casserole with my tomato and summer squash that was wonderful. I would love to see pictures from your garden. Let me know what you have grown.
No Matter What, Finish What You Start
I have never done this before but I am using the same subject for both my blogs. I am a great starter. Not so good on the finishing part. I have said this before. I ran across an article in one of my crochet books last year and today I looked up her name and came across this YouTube video. Her dedication to finishing this task is astounding. I assume she is being paid but still. I’m impressed. What about you?
Neighbors
When I returned from the park this morning some of my neighbors were outside. One on his way to work and the rest going about their daily chores. Several asked about my Mom and I had conversations about things in the neighborhood with several others. When I was heading in the house I thought how fortunate we are to have such good neighbors. Believe me I have had to rely on them from time to time to watch out for things in our absence, to borrow the proverbial cup of sugar and more. I am grateful for them. I thought I would mention this because in these days and times, good neighbors are so valuable. Tonight I am taking some of the tomatoes I have grown to several of them. It’s a small thing but heartfelt on my part.
First Steps the Hardest 