Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Giving Thanks 2011

Several friends started on November 1, to list one thing each day that they were grateful for on the run up to Thanksgiving.  My list would be longer if I had considered it over a longer period of time. Here's today's high level list for which I give thanks daily, but especially tomorrow.



How Things Worked Out -- 42 years with the same man, never bored, often surprised.
Family -- three now grown children, and their children, each making a difference in the world every day.
Velocity -- that all five senses continue to work at the usual speed.
Place -- lucky enough to have a home that is just right.
Friends-- full throated thanks to those friends through time that I have found along the way.
Dreams -- I was raised to believe I could do anything.  So I have followed my dreams.
Community -- You always get back more than you give.
My Work-- that I get up every day and do what I love.


Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

The perils of two blogs.

I'm in the midst of my annual bronchitis episode and in Day #2 of prednisone treatment.  I just wrote two blog pieces for my other blog, so am hoping you won't mind looking there for an update of my recent adventures.



Monday, November 7, 2011

Where is our daydreaming time?

I found this clipping to post to my home town Facebook site -- and got a comment back from an old friend asking why we don't have more time anymore to daydream or just pretend.  I think she was talking primarily about over-programmed children, but it got me thinking about how most of us fill every moment of our waking adult time with lists, and then produce the list on a site like Facebook as evidence of accomplishments.


 In the photo, we are playing dress-up in a playhouse on my Uncle Jim's farm, built for us by his son and my cousin, Jim Hayes. It must have been a Sunday afternoon or my sister would not have been so dressed up.  We loved going to the farm, and then on out into the grove, which held pets' graves as well as the playhouse.  No one bothered us there, and we constructed elaborate scenarios and characters for ourselves.  


A couple of years ago I set myself some goals that were designed to give me time to refresh and renew my spirit:  I only read email twice a day on the weekends.  I schedule my personal training in the gym and my yoga class on my business calendar.   And I leave large chunks of time, usually in the evening, so that I can do exactly nothing.  That's right, nothing.   Not watching TV, not catching up on business reading, or indulging in a detective novel.  Nothing.  Nada.  Just quiet time for my mind and spirit, ironing out the day's kinks.


Sort of like being back out in the playhouse.  And still dreaming big.