Upside Down Cats

Some days are just...weird. When you wake up in the morning you have a certain expectation of what the day will hold. Usually it's the same old routine, especially on a Thursday. Yesterday did not follow that pattern, however...

A couple days ago we received a call from a supervisor at DirecTV. He told us that in a routine monitoring of our satellite signal, he discovered it was deteriorating. While we had noticed nothing at all wrong with our signal, we agreed to have a technician come for a free service call to check out our dish. The technician arrived around 3:00 yesterday, and climbed up on the roof to inspect the situation. He happily returned to us in the house to report that the dish only needed a slight adjustment and that our signal was already improved. We thanked him and he left to gather his equipment.

As he pulled his ladder away from our house, well... perhaps a picture would say it best:

Continue reading "No Ordinary Day" »

I'm rolling right along through the month of November, writing every day about things for which I am thankful. Today, on day thirteen of NaBloPoMo, my entry is somewhat a companion piece to yesterday's post. In addition to being grateful for being born in the United States, I am thankful for being born in these times.

When the world and my life seem to get too stressful, I yearn for simpler times. I am often reminded of scenarios I've seen depicted on television where life seemed more managable. I long for the "uncomplicated" existence of the people on Little House on the Prairie or The Waltons where the focus on home and family overshadowed all else. I wonder why my life can't be easier, spent more naturally...

Then I remember that if I didn't live in modern times, I would have long ago been eaten by a wild animal, fatally bitten by a poisonous snake or wandered off a cliff because my eyesight is so poor...

Continue reading "Timing Is Everything" »

Here we are on day four of NaBloPoMo. In today's installment of my month-long series of writings on the subject of things for which I am thankful I would like to tell you about how important candlelight is to me

It may seem like a trivial thing, but there is nothing else I know of that can create calmness more quickly and effectively. I can transform my mood completely by changing the lighting from incandescent to candlelight.

Instantly, feelings of stress or anger are diminished. Images are softened, and along with them, my "rough edges." When the lighting is quiet, so is my mind.

On a long, dark evening in Autumn or Winter, the glow of a candle - or nine - seem to warm the room as well as my spirit, taking away the harshness and chill.

I dearly appreciate the little touches that make a big difference in my life.

We live 2000 miles away from the California wildfires that have been burning seemingly forever. Until this week, hearing about them affected me the way far-off disasters always do...with a lump in the pit of my stomach for the horror I imagine the victims are experiencing. I am fortunate that I have never experienced a tremendous loss like so many in California. I cannot even comprehend all that they are surely going through. My heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones or possessions...it doesn't seem fair that things like that happen...

Until this week, we never even knew anyone personally who was affected by a disaster to the point of being evacuated. Scott's mom in Florida has sustained some property damage in a couple hurricanes, but fortunately she never had to evacuate and was never in imminent physical danger.

We, safe and sound here in the Midwest, were unexpectedly affected by the wildfires this week...A client of Scott's was evacuated from her home and, at least temporarily, is out of business until life returns to normal out there. As a result, she cannot pay him the next installment for the project on which he is working with her.

It is one of those situations where I am upset, but I feel even more guilty for being upset. Sure, this creates a financial disaster for us, but on the "disaster scale," I think it comes in at a measly 3 or 4 as opposed to the legitimate 8 or 9 of being evacuated from your home, and being subjected to the fear that you have lost everything you own, and your business to boot. It comes right down to one of those (extremely hard for me to accept) situations in life over which we have no control.

There will be no disaster relief coming to help us out of the jam this creates for us...chalk it up to the cost being self-employed. It is difficult to not be freaked out, but I have to find the fortitude to do the righteous thing, which is to count my blessings...for the things that are not falling apart in my world today.

This experience reminds me that - for better or worse - we are all connected...that no matter how far-flung we are from one another, what happens to one affects us all.

I have a confession to make...

I haven't watched news - any news - since May.

I found myself suffering from a case of information overload. The news junkies of the world may consider this the act of a complete philistine...so be it. I am willing to endure your criticism because what I have gained is worth bearing your wrath...a tolerable level of blissful ignorance.

Continue reading "No News Is Good News" »

Somebody recently told me that Zen practice can be summed up as waking up in the morning and saying “Whatever” and going to bed at night and saying “Oh, well.”

I discovered this quote recently while reading a blog written by Malvina Reynolds' daughter, Nancy Schimmel, called Writing Malvina.

I would love to live this way...to embrace each new day and all its promise, ready and willing to experience anything and everything. It would be so empowering to wake up in the morning feeling that I am at peace with whatever happens and that it is all ok...

I would know I'd truly made strides toward becoming the person I want to be if, at the end of the day, I could shrug off the day's shortcomings and disappointments with, not a flippant, but wise, "Oh well..."

I really am trying to grow toward that sense of peace. I suppose - like any new skill - it's a day by day process of learning and adjusting my mindset. The most important aspect for me to remember is that I am on that journey...

I've just enjoyed the delightful experience of a hot stone massage...very, very nice. My one and only massage before today was a full body massage five years ago and that was also a beautiful thing. The full body massage was a more rigorous "kneading" of the muscles which led to a lovely sense of looseness and relaxation. I certainly recommend it! The hot rock massage differs in that most of the contact is not with hands but with smooth hot stones used with a lighter touch. The heat from the stones relaxes the muscles. I went in with a headache and achy, tight shoulders and legs...I left without any of that and a calm sense of wellness. Thanks, Rita at Imagine Salon and Day Spa in Glenwood, Illinois for a lovely hour in paradise!

I am going to go bask in my massage afterglow...

Sure, I'm glad today is Friday, but it has been the Friday from HELL! The daycare children were in "high drama" mode today which, of course, is contagious...once one of them dissolves into a screaming, kicking puddle of tears it is only a matter of time before they are all trying it on for size. The fact that I completely dismiss it as a valid way to communicate their feelings to me doesn't seem to make a bit of difference. I spent my whole day waiting for a child to regain her composure to the extent she could tell me what was wrong. Every interaction seemed to disintegrate into very animated conflict. I feel like I spent the day in an emotional toxic waste dump. Anyone who says that children are naturally sweet and innocent have never spent time with children. They are innately selfish, manipulative and violent. It is up to we adults to extract as much of that undomesticated "human nature" as possible and replace it with civility. I am exhausted physically and mentally...

Continue reading "Rub Me The Right Way!" »

"Worry is a misuse of imagination." - Dan Zadra

I can see his point...worry is thinking about things that haven't - in reality - happened. I've never thought of myself as a particularly imaginative person...apparently I have an abundance, but do not use it to my advantage...

This is my new mantra.