November 22--Thanksgiving Week

Here are the quotes for the rest of the week while I am taking a writing break:

Nov 22----Praise the bridge that carried you over.  --George Colman

Nov 23----Things do not change; we change.  --Henry David Thoreau

Nov 24----It's never too late--in fiction or in life--to revise.  --Nancy Thayer

Nov 25----Gratitude is one of the least articulate of the emotions, especially when it is deep.  --Felix Frankfurter

Nov 26----Forget injuries, never forget kindness.  --Confucius

Nov 27----The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.  --Eleanor Roosevelt

Have a superior, pleasant, bountiful Thanksgiving with safe travels if you are on the roads!

    Leta

Astronomy Picture of the Day, 11/21/22
The Butterfly Nebula

November 21--Stick a Fork in Me

Life is made up of moments; small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement. It would be wonderful if they came to us unsummoned, but in lives as busy as the ones most of us lead, that won't happen. We have to teach ourselves how to make room for them, to love them, and to live, really live. 
--Anna Quindlen

    I've decided it is time for a break. I'm tired of the thoughts in my head, and I don't feel like writing. I have written a post every day since April 1, 2020, except for a short break in April 2021. That's over 900 posts. I'm feeling like I write the same things over and over again. My reader count is declining. I'll be back sometime. 

    In support of my break, here is the useful affirmation from today's "Daily Guide" (Science of Mind magazine) by Rev. Dr. Dennis Merritt Jones: "Today, I observe what occupies my mind, soul and body. I give myself permission to take an intentional time-out, the time necessary to rest simply in spirit, mind and body." 

    Have a great Thanksgiving!!

        Leta

November 20--Good Stuff

Adopt gratitude as the basic tenor of one's life--gratitude for being alive, for being free, healthy, and intelligent; gratitude for the senses and their pleasures, the mind and its adventures, the soul and its delights.  --Johannes A. Gaertner

    What an excellent suggestion, especially moving into the week of Thanksgiving! Gaertner makes a list of likely items to appreciate, but you can certainly add to it. Gratitude feels good!

        Leta

An estate sale "treasure" I found

November 19--Sometimes We Live Bigger, Sometimes Smaller

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.  --Anais Nin

    I'm a mixture of brave/courageous/bold and fraidy-cat. I've driven thousands of miles by myself all over the country this year. I do that without hesitation. Yet I'm terrified to back our RAV4 into the garage. I can drive it in forward just fine, but don't ask me to back it in. I can't even watch my husband do that, and he's comfortable with it. 

    This fall has hammered me, and beat up a bit on my courage. My s-i-l passed in September. I made two trips to PA and Ohio, the second ending with me coming home with Covid. I've fallen twice (only bruises, thankfully). Then on Thursday, the husband of a dear friend passed after a lengthy fight with cancer. I feel like the wind keeps getting knocked out of me. Then there's winter-time setting in, and missing my kids and grandson. 

    But there is a Jamaica trip upcoming in a couple weeks. That will re-spark expansion in my life!

        Leta

Christmas decorations in Jamaica

November 18--Kindness--More! More!

If everyone helps to hold up the sky, then one person does not become tired. 
--Tshi Proverb

    Are you contributing to the good of the whole, or living by the philosophy of "what's in it for me?" Being human, we will most likely be a mixture of those two options. It seems to me that the Trump candidacy and presidency encouraged a widespread return to rude and negative behavior, and that isn't good for anyone. 

    My daily morning prayer is "Please help all of us on the planet to be kinder to each other and kinder to our Mother Earth." 

    Let's all make kindness a continual practice. Every act of kindness matters!

        Leta

Kindness works in every season!

November 17--WOW! Cool!

Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. 
--Mary Oliver

    I note that today would have been the 81st birthday of my s-i-l Mary Ellen. She passed seven years ago and I still miss her. My Ted Bear is a constant reminder of her love. 

    As an over-the-top-lover-of-lights, we are entering my favorite time of the year. I LOVE Christmas lights!! I'm gradually getting our Christmas decorating done before I head to Jamaica for an early December vacation. Displays are beginning to appear in our neighborhood. No matter how simple or extravagant the display, I love it. I also love Botanica's annual fundraiser "Illuminations," where millions of lights shine in the winter gardens. Lights are set to music, too. It is astonishing. I can hardly wait!

    Ms. Oliver's instructions are simple and "right on." Find a "WOW!" today and tell someone you love about it!

        Leta

A fabulous avocado toast & poached egg 
breakfast prepared by my son. YUMMY!!

November 16--Give and Give

They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing.  --Hindu Proverb

    It's a mindset--one either supports circulation and flow in life, or one dams it up. My dad was a very generous person, giving freely of his time and financial resources. He and Mom started life together with very little, so he could have been a miserly hoarder of all he earned. He taught me the "keep the flow going" lesson for which I am eternally grateful. Giving continues to bless my life every day. 

    Everything in nature gives abundantly. We would do well to follow that lead.  

       Leta

Fall leaves--now there is abundant giving!

November 15--Balance

Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind. 
--Lionel Hampton

    This is certainly true for the many wonderful people in my life. It makes my heart feel happy to think of them and how they have blessed my sojourn on Mother Earth. 

    Life has been interesting lately. In the past two weeks I have had two nasty falls. One was when I fainted during Covid, and I bruised my left side in assorted places. The second was when doing some cleaning (see, I told you I despise cleaning!) and Christmas decorating. I fell off a chair (insert here: "that was dumb!!!") and fortunately, our recliner broke my fall, so I bruised only my right side. I feel great gratitude that these did not result in any injuries more significant than bruises. Alas, I hate being thought of as "an old person who falls." I have not fallen in years before these two incidents, and I don't plan to fall again for a very long time! I attribute my toughness to Melt and yoga and staying active, and that's good motivation to continue those practices. 

    Upright and moving,

        Leta

     

I say often: "It's a good thing one does not have
to have perfect balance to be a yoga teacher!"

November 14--little/BIG

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.  --Robert Brault

    Amen! I think of my sweet husband caring for me during my recent experience with Covid. I stayed in the lower level of our house, and he was up and down a lot bringing me food, water, meds and anything else I requested. That was definitely a "big thing."

    There are so many things in my life that are little/big things: swimming, golf, walking Barney, hanging on the new deck with my husband, road trips, gardening, fun times with family and friends, home-cooked meals, teaching and coaching... Looking at this list I see that it is the day-to-day "little" activities that make for a great life, and that is one BIG thing. 

        Leta

Sweet Barney 😍

November 13--Phrases of Love

There is as much greatness of mind in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it. 
--Seneca

Please

Thank you

You're welcome

    How about we all use those three phrases more often? It would make both me and Miss Manners happy. I suspect that we have all had poor service and good service. Given that most of us generally prefer good service, let's acknowledge it! The more we bless good service, the more we shall receive it. 

    Lovingkindness pays,

        Leta

A fern in the woods of PA

November 12--Living or Existing?

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.  --Oscar Wilde

    It is quite difficult from the outside looking in to tell if someone is living or merely existing. What about Mr. Wilde--it is commonly known that he really enjoyed his alcohol.  Was he living or existing? Addiction is rampant in our society. Having been on both sides of addiction--actively using and recovering--I can say that if one is still practicing the addiction, that's existence, not living. 

    Each individual must decide what it means to live, and if the effort is worth it. This is an ongoing process for all. Many changes have been happening in my life, and I am pondering what my new version of living looks like. What do I want to keep? What do I want to release? The clearer my picture of living, the more likely I am to create it. 

        Leta

Where is your path leading?

November 11--It's TIME!

They always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.  --Andy Warhol

    Isn't time an interesting thing? What did people do before clocks were invented? There must be some natural organic function within us that understands the passage of time and could easily guide us through life without clocks. But then I would be late for appointments, which would drive me nuts. 

    Sometimes, however, I feel like there is always a time readout in my face, emphasizing the super-quickening forward march of time. Nowadays when I go into a hotel room, I either cover the clock faces or turn them to the wall. I'm really looking forward to my upcoming time in Jamaica where no one cares what time it is!

    Consider the idea that time heals. I guess that's so for a physical wound. I'm not so sure about grief. I believe time can mellow a heartache, but it doesn't eliminate it. 

    There is very interesting information relative to time in the book by Gay Hendricks titled "The Big Leap." Time is human creation and we can create as much of it as we want. Have some fun with that one!

        Leta

November 10--We Can Do Better

Our life is the creation of our mind.  --Buddha

The land itself and the conditions of that land, like altitude and climate, impact our genome just as our human ancestors do. We are born on it, die on it; we come from it and return to it. The land and the waters, oceans and rivers, are part of us, relatives and ancestors in a very real way.  --Patty Krawec

    Two quotes today. Let us use the powerful creative ability of our mind to take better care of our dear Mother Earth. We belong to her rather than she belongs to us. 

    Let us use the powerful creative ability of our mind to take better care of our magical and mysterious bodies. Our priceless vehicle for being alive on the Mother deserves our loving attention and care.

    Let us use the powerful creative ability of our mind to take better care of our mind/spirit/emotions. It is essential for expanding into new consciousness that creates a world that works for everyone. 

    Let us use our creativity wisely,

        Leta

November 9--I Gotta Be Me 🎵🎵🎵

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.  --Anna Quindlen

    There it is again... perfectionism. I think we can pretty much agree that "perfect" doesn't exist, yet our society is still insanely encouraging this concept. At the least, this is keeping our kids from being kids, and at the worst, killing them when they take their own lives because they don't "measure up." Perfectionism and its Siamese-twin judgmentalism are widespread, insidious and destructive addictions. 

    Why not delight in the unique specimen of humanity that you are?!?! What is wrong with you? Too short, tall, fat, thin, pale, dark-skinned, smart, stupid, lazy, hyper, disorganized, anal-retentive, ugly, beautiful?!?!! Clearly I could go on and on. Welcome to the human race! We all have some reason to get down on ourselves. Stop it! 

    Every part of every one of us enjoys appreciation much more than criticism.

        Leta

November 8--What Does Yours Say?

Our faces become our biographies.  --Cynthia Ozick

    Can you look at your face in the mirror and smile? It's a worthwhile practice. If we can't see the Light within ourselves, how could we see it in others?

    Being well into my sixties, I have wrinkles in my face. Lots of life experience went into making those! I have brown eyes which I love. My skin is healthy--I don't use a lot of "product" on it because "clean" feels best. Gravity is taking its toll, but my smile still works, and I like to use it a lot. 

    Joyful appreciation of my face leads to joyful appreciation of life.

        Leta

Then and...

Now

November 7--Be SomeONE

How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something, but to be someone.  --Coco Chanel

    I'm having thoughts of ...

• comfortable in my own skin
• progress, not perfection
• nothing to prove
• live and let live

    A person comfortable in his/her own skin could be in the lowliest of positions, ruler of a country, or anywhere in between. Being true to oneself is a much more rewarding career than any occupational role. Note that we are always with ourselves. Jobs come and go. I was a store clerk, a legal secretary, a computer geek, a finance manager and a tax preparer. None of those defined me, even though the jobs were generally fun and satisfying at the time. 

    "Progress, not perfection" is a common 12-step program saying. Progress/growth/expansion is the natural process of life, while perfection does not exist (despite endless, absurd striving for such). I think a lot of perfection-seeking is a cover-up with "something" when one is not comfortable with the "someone" he/she is. Perfectionism leads to judgmentalism, not a characteristic to be cultivated by a serene "someone."

    In a world constantly demanding bigger, better, and more, taking a stance of "nothing to prove" is quite bold. Having nothing to prove is an internal stance of self-approval that does require accomplishing something to be fully aware of one's worth. 

    A "someone" who is practicing the first three naturally operates in "live and let live" mode. If I'm happy with myself, I don't need you to be different to make me happy. "How many cares one loses" when one stays out of other folks' business. 

    Good with where I'm at,

        Leta

Barney explores the neighbor's 
driftwood lawn display.

November 6--"No Joy in Mudville"

The only real elegance is in the mind; if you've got that, the rest comes. 
--Diana Vreeland

    This is my annual post pouting about the end of baseball season. Alas, I was cheering for the Phillies, whose offense took a premature vacation, and they lost the World Series last night to the Cheaters, I mean, the Astros. March 30, 2023 is Opening Day, only about five LLLOOONNNGGG months away. 

    My elegant mind will have to be entertained by basketball, grandson fun, the occasional trip, and chilly winter walks with Barney. Maybe another worthy puzzle will challenge my winter months. 

    Looking forward to "PlayBall!!!",

        Leta

November 5--What Is A Day Worth?

There is no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day. 
--Alexander Woollcott

    Well, I agree with that, but then I run into the self-agonizing debate of "Am I enjoying this day enough?" and "How should I be enjoying it more?" That debate alone can ruin a day's enjoyment!

    Yesterday felt pretty unimportant. I'm recovering from Covid, feeling better, but still quarantined. Most chores were done, there was no good sports on TV, I was bored, and naptime did not produce any rest. Yet I caught up on my bookkeeping, started a good book, gave Barney some belly rubs, and had a wonderful video chat with my grandson and son. It was an important day.

    Let us value this day,

        Leta

November 4--Precious Time

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.  --Carl Sandburg

    Now that I'm in my sixties, I am acutely aware that when I am watching the timer on the microwave go down, those are seconds of my life ticking away. That's a little distressing. 

    I had a first in my life early this morning. I fainted. I had gone to the bathroom and was headed back to bed. I was a little woozy but I thought I could make it to the bed. Next thing I know, I wake up on the floor. My first thought, after discerning that I was on the floor, was "Why the hell am I sleeping on the floor?!?!" So I hopped up and got in bed. Then I realized I had fainted, and that my angels did a helluva job keeping me from greater injury. My left shoulder and knee are bruised, minor compared to what could have been. Is this Covid-related? Who knows!?! I'd prefer never to repeat it. It's completely freaky to have fallen and have no recollection of it whatsoever. 

    I'm feeling better, so hopefully the worst of this Covid illness is past. 

        Leta

November 3--The Heart Goes Everywhere

Integrate what you believe in every single area of your life. Take your heart to work and ask the most and best of everybody else too.  --Meryl Streep

    That "head cold" I mentioned in yesterday's post has tested as Covid. I notified everyone I was around--so far, so good. I believe very strongly in my body's ability to heal, so hopefully this will pass in a few days. The tiredness is astounding. It felt like a great effort last night just to lie in bed and watch TV!

    I love Ms. Streep's quote. It seems so often that our society is in dumbing-down mode, operating on mediocre, instead of encouraging the best from all. We'd all do well with the reminder to "take your heart" everywhere. 

    I am home from my big back-east trip--just over 2,800 miles driving and a huge amount of fun. I'm grateful for safe travels and happy to be home, where my sweet husband is taking great care of me. 

        Leta

The place in PA where my dad taught me to swim.

November 2--Freely Giving

A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person at the right time and at the right place, and when we expect nothing in return.  --Vyasa

    Let's ponder how good we are at "expect nothing in return." It seems like there are strings attached to everything. One of my pet peeves in life is giving a gift, then being given one immediately in return because the giver feels we have to stay even.

    That's it for this morning. I'm headed home today, and I've managed to pick up a head cold, so all I want is to get home and go back to bed!

    More tomorrow!

        Leta

One of the bears at
Bear Creek Resort

November 1--I Appreciate My Awesome Family!

Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.  --Voltaire

    Welcome to November! The theme is wisdom. 

    I found this wonderful quote from Richard Rohr, and it warmed my heart relative to my recently transitioned sister-in-law: "When my mother passed over, I had no doubt that she built a bridge—I don’t know what other words to use—she built a bridge and she took some of me over with her, and she sent some of herself back." Isn't that a wonderful way to view the passing of a dear loved one?!?
    I had a lovely day in northeast Ohio yesterday. I swam at the Akron YMCA, then picked up my brother for a 12-step meeting and an ice cream adventure. Being Millers, naps ensued. Then I did MELT and yoga with my niece. We retrieved my brother, and my niece, great-nephew and I took him out for dinner at Red Lobster. Every moment with these folks is priceless. I head today for Missouri and another evening with my in-laws.
    On the road again 🎵🎵
        Leta