Saturday in February

I am:

Having coffee with my husband. (It's turned out good this morning, too)
Feeling relaxed, even though we were interrupted at the early AM hour by one of the cats, who is usually out, but instead was in, and tore one of our screens up in a effort to get out, so I fell back asleep so soundly I had those vivid dreams of nightmarish style...

Looking forward to working outside in my yard, which really needs some attention,
Looking forward to visiting with my sister, who is here from out of town and will be relocating to this area,

And in general, looking forward to a very good day.

I am reading three books:

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
A Whole New Mind - Daniel H. Pink

Tomorrow, I will start thirty days of quotes and health advice. And post some photos. Right now, I'm going to have a second cup of coffee.

The Task

Okay, so I do know which task it is that's put an invisible wall in front of my ongoing train of motion. But, I don't want to talk about it. Yet. I left the magazine article in my car, but I plan on finishing it, and devising a plan for getting past this daunting mess that I am facing.

Then, for March, I'll concentrate on good messages and health tips! Since I am going down that path in a better way now that Mr. B also agrees! I mean, last night, I cooked brown rice - For Everyone!!

And, I'm committed to walking on my own. Which, may not be the entire truth, as I asked everyone, several times, if they would walk with me yesterday, and Madam B finally said, 'yes' and then laughed at my attempts at the running part of the walk. (But, I would have laughed, too, had I not been trying to hard so keep breathing.)

O Well, it's all good right now.

And it's felt like Friday, all week

Sometimes, my brain goes on vacation. It's like, it's got no spunk, no pizazz or even pizza. My neurons are laying dormant.

I read an article today about that very thing! The article talked about being overwhelmed and then all a person wants to do - is lay on the couch. That basically, what we are doing is avoiding one major task.

And, that's what I am doing. Avoiding one major task.

I just can't figure out which task it is.

Okay, what's new?

Well, I have walked several times this past week. I have worked in the yard, which I really love to do. I feel like I have cooked a million meals! But then I ran out of food - and everyone ate toast and peanut butter for a few days. (Not the recall kind!)

I've been babysitting, and listening to music, and we have watched a few movies, cleaned my house, washed a zillion clothes.

Taxes are due to be ready. Money I don't have to give them. That doesn't seem right. One should have saved aside what they owe. I hope the accountant knows more about this than I do!

There is more stuff to do. Tomorrow. I'll get to it tomorrow.

Augur Well

Interesting. I have never heard of this phrase. I found this on this site.

Meaning:

To foreshadow a successful outcome, indicated by some circumstance or event.

The phrase 'augur well' isn't a translation from Latin but originated, in the late 18th century, amongst the classically educated English elite. The first record of it that I have found is from a speech to the UK Parliament, given by the Duke of Richmond and published in the Parliamentary Register for 1778:

"I augur well from the readiness with which it [his request for papers about the movements of British forces] has been granted."

'Augur well' has much in common with 'bode well', which is also of ancient vintage and means much the same thing. A bode was a herald or messenger and was referred to thus as early as circa 888AD in King Alfred's Boethius De consolatione philosophiae. Like 'augur', 'bode' also had to wait until the 18th century to become absorbed into a common phrase. The first known use of 'bode well' comes from John Dryden's Works, circa 1700:

"Whatever now The omen proved, it boded well to you."

The Fires in Australia

I am so sorry to read about this awful fires in Australia. A friend sent me some photos of a little koala bear coming out to the road where they were biking, and they gave him some water. I can't seem to get them to post on my blog. But here is another one.

I am praying for the safety of all those in harms way.

It's Tuesday in America

1. President Obama is saying things that make people happy and then the same thing makes some people nervous. Shouts of "Socialist" is all over the Conservative plain.

I am not an authority on these things, and maybe because I'm not, I don't write about it much, but I agree that something has got to happen to change the results of where we are.

I do know that most small children know the President's name and can say it because Barack Obama has not difficult syllables in it.

2. I started back walking. Don't ask me why I stop, as I could not tell you. Lazy? I just don't know. Exercise is key to all things regarding the physical body. I think I just forget how the days are going by so quickly, and the area I take up is more than it was last week ... Walk! Walk! Walk ...

3. And lift weights. I forget that, too.

Some things make me happy

My sister came to visit this weekend.

My baby Granddaughter recognized me today and smiled and laughed, and even tried to talk to me! Oh, I am so smittened!

A good friend sent me a CD that she made for me. It's a mix. And it's just lovely! It touches on the things I am going through and thinking about at this time. Music. Wow. We need to listen to music more!

My kids all like me. They come to see me. They tease me, yes, but oh well. The tell me they love me. And, if I run out of gas, they are up and out the door in no time flat!

My most special niece called today. Just to say hello and catch up. She and I are a lot alike! We have some of the same faults, good traits and tendencies, and weird body ailments. Strange...

Mr. B helped me plant a hedge! I was so excited about that. I was, indeed, happy.

The humor of Bill Gates

Check our this link, and it will explain why Bill Gates is releasing mosquito's carrying malaria into his unsuspecting audience -- he's trying to make a point -- and they are suspecting something as he's explaining that not only the improverished should experience malaria!

http://tinyurl.com/cn8e2p

It's still February, right?

Lazy is as lazy does...

I am being lazy. That's it. That's all. I just can't get myself motivated to walk or exercise. I did work in the yard yesterday, but that I don't consider exercise. (Now my hands feel like sandpaper, I really need to get some gloves)

I'm looking at recipes for good healthy meals, and I eat my super greens, but if I don't move this thing I am sitting on, it's all not going to work well in the long run.

Move it, move it - I got to Move It, Move It ...

Tomorrow. I promise myself. Tomorrow

Life goes on....slowly

I can't seem to follow reading through any other blogs right now. Everything seems so unimportant. A death in a family just shifts your vision and hearing to a degree that is new.

Even my fingers touching the keyboard, feels different than before.

I'm thinking it's processing time. Being with someone who passes is an experience that involves things that are so beyond our reach and yet, they touch us. After the experience, it takes time to sort the way.

I'll stay close to my family and accept their love. In a way, I hope I never lose this feeling. But I know it will go away and become something else. I can only hope I can become better for it. I want to wear it well.

A Quote for a Day

The only things worth learning are the things you learn after you know it all.
--- Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), 33rd President of the United States

A new day in the early part of the week

New Days are Everywhere

It's today
and it's new
but it's Tuesday again
Where was I?
In the middle of laundry,
paying bills, making a shopping list?
Or am I starting over?
Starting over on my list of things to do,
or picking up where I was?
It's the beginning of a new day,
or is it the early part of a week?
I had a good night's sleep.
I feel good this morning.
I have lovely things to think about
even though I feel sad about some things
I have some happy things to think about, too.
What is today?
It's Tuesday
the early part of the week.
It's a new day
for me ....

~Miss Roxie

We thank you, Grandpa

Great Grandpa Steve, Shaylin, and Great Grandma Rita
Christmas 2008

Heaven holds one more.

Michael Stephen left this earth to join our Heavenly Father last Saturday. the 17th of January, 2009 in the year of our Lord,

He was only 92 years old. We were all with him when he passed away. Although we know he is in that better place, we miss him.

Rest in peace, Grandpa ~
Father
Husband
Brother
Uncle
Friend and Good Neighbor.

As heaven holds you now grandpa, we also hold you. In our hearts, we forever hold all those familiar feelings you passed on to us; feelings of care and compassion, loyalty and faith, helping your neighbor, but most of all love. All the love we saw and felt from you, all those great days you were with us, grandpa, we will hold forever in our hearts. We thank you grandpa, we thank you.

Beginning ~

"And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T.S. Eliot

Would you have heard the music?

The following is an email I received:

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold December morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that a thousand of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

Google: Joshua Bell subway...for detailed account. You can also find this on snopes.com :-)

Joshua Bell

Standing in the queue

Life. It's that thing that keeps going and going. Like the Energizer bunny, or not, depends on you.

Life. Is a head trip. It's all in your head. Last week, for example, were things so different for me? Not really. But I was depressed. I felt poor, and fat, and sick, and lonely, tired and ugly, and old.

The same people were there for me, but my head space had other things going on. My judgements were clouded by the feeling of being needy. But still, I needed a rest. I needed more water to drink. My body needed above what my brain needed and there was a war going on, until finally, this weekend, I rested. I gardened. I did do laundry, and I did cook, and washed the floors ~ and oh well, just did general stuff but rested in between. Oh go figure...

it sounds like a regular schedule, doesn't it? So what's the deal?

Different state of mind?

Dunno ~ but my granddaughter is still just so wonderful.

Oh a baby, a baby ~
to rock
to adore the new life
to gaze at in awe,
to touch and admire the softness,
as she wiggles and squirms
and makes her little sounds,
and big sounds, too ~

Oh a baby,
it's heavenly,
it's magically transporting,
it's from the land
of the miracle
of things out there special,
things still untouched
like new flowers opening,

A baby
The New Daddy,
The New Mama,
The Baby

Breath in the wonder of it all...

Day 2000 of the cold...

...Okay, it's not 2000, it just feels like 2000.

The physician's assistant called and suggested that I don't take the antibiotics; she suggested I wait this out for a few days, taking Mucinex and drinking plenty of water (after running through my diet and making sure I was eating right), that I walk 2 miles a day, (oh yeah right, I really feel like doing that), and get plenty of sleep.

But oh well, I'll do it and see what happens. Today, it seems like I have (again) a regular cold. Boring. Ugly. Getting old - both the cold and me.

I slept in later last night, didn't walk the two miles, don't have the money for the Mucinex (but should by tomorrow), did increase my water, and held my granddaughter for an hour so increasing my serotonin level.

Feeling: Not great, tired, head coldee

Ear ache, ow, ow, ow...

Ear Aches are the worst! I feel like someone is stabbing me in the ear with a pencil! One more round of antibiotics ~ I hope they work this time. I can hardly think!