February 29--Goodbye, February!! 😀😀😀

There's never been a better time to let the leaves of mediocrity fall from your tree of life.  --David Ault

    We who live in chillier climates ask, "Why did they put the extra day on February? Why not May or June, or even my birthday month, October?" February, in my opinion, is already the longest month! I'm happy to see February finish, as March offers more promise of spring. March 28 is Opening Day of baseball season, my favorite day of the year!

    I am pondering what "leaves of mediocrity" I could drop. I am plagued by scary, morbid thoughts and resentments, especially when lying awake at night. I am constantly redirecting my thoughts to more positive ones. I am resenting my resentments! Thoughts of lack, not enough, money worries--these can fall away. Venting my anger at other drivers is mediocre behavior. I'm sure there are others, but it is time to close. 

    Happy birthday to my D-I-L, whose real birthday is today. 

        Leta

Pear tree blossoms in FL

February 28--Never Hurts to Ask

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.  --Mother Teresa

    One of the things I talked about with the girlfriends during recent vacation pool time is my list of requirements for my next lifetime. The list continues to grow. So far it includes 1) Being the mother of a professional male athlete, preferring in this order: baseball, basketball, anything else except bowling; 2) Having a healthy body that looks fabulous in a bikini my whole life, with a rip-roaring metabolism to support it; 3) Having a career that involves light because I love lights and color so much. This is part great silliness and part "Why not? As a divine being, I get to choose." Maybe I did a little too much "I'll take whatever" for this lifetime!??!?! For the most part, I got lucky 😉😉

    Please do what Mother Teresa says!!!

        Leta

In Pier Park, Panama City Beach

February 27--Soul-Nourishing Laughter

Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.  --Ursula K. Le Guin

    I must share with you some comical quotes from vacation. This one was spoken by our host's niece, Katie: "I'd like to agree with you, but then we would both be wrong." We all agreed that one would prove useful in our futures! 

    The next quote was by our host during our usual goofy chatter in the pool: "I said the other day... (long pause) I forgot what I said the other day." That one produced hysterical laughter.

    The whole theme of this vacation was "over the top." Our final adventure exploring in the Florida wilderness (that's right, it is not shore-to-shore old people in FL) was unexpected and so much fun. When we were driving to the tree farm, someone asked for tissues. You know, a plain old white tissue would do. But no. Our host produced a packet of animal print tissues... see below. This quickly became designated "Cougar tissues." 

    Our last day in paradise included pool time, then a lovely lunch on the deck in glorious sunshine. We picked out dates for this same adventure next February. Then we packed, and used our remaining time together for a few games of Rummikub. The trip home was tiring but uneventful.

    I'm thinking this particular vacation time, location and girlfriend-foursome is becoming an annual event. WOOHOO!!!

    I am safely back home in Wichita, let the re-entry begin.

        Leta

Cougar tissues

February 26--Freedom of Religion Is Worth Keeping

Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.  
--George Sand

    While I don't think he did a lot of acquiring, Jesus lived the Sand quote. Father Richard Rohr, in his "Daily Meditation" of Feb 25 offers this about the experience where Jesus angrily cleared the temple:

Jesus’ actions in the temple are what finally get him killed. After this, religious leaders are dead set against him. Whenever law and order are based on interpretations of divine proclamation, what invariably happens is that the church and state, or religion and government, start working together and operating as one. It’s still true in many countries to this day. Government leaders like to have religion on their side so they can feel like everything they’re doing is blessed by God.

A few years ago, I was at a meeting in Washington, D.C. with nineteen representatives of various denominations. We wrote a statement that listed six different issues where we felt what Jesus teaches and what our government was doing are almost exact opposites. The issues revolved around racism, nationalism, classism that always favors the rich and the powerful, the terrible lack of truth in government, and our constant idealizing of money, war, and power. On every issue, the teaching of Jesus is in direct contradiction to the way our government has often operated. 

    Does this give you a clue as to the importance of separation of church and state?!?!?!? How screwed we are that our Supreme Court has become a religious body?!?!? This past week, this happened:

The Kansas Senate voted 40-0 for Senate Bill 431, which would require the Capitol Preservation Committee to develop plans for a permanent memorial honoring the life of Emil Kapaun.

    Kapaun is a Catholic saint. STOP THE MADNESS!!!! It is so troubling to me that most folks don't even see anything wrong with this! Please note that I am not pushing Christianity with the references to Jesus. He was Jewish. Contrary to what many confused people believe, the United States is NOT a Christian nation.

    OK, I'm stepping off my soapbox now.

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    Another day in paradise began with a peaceful spiritual practice and large cup of coffee. This is my ritual at home, too, but I'd rather do it in Florida! Three of us girlfriends walked to the beach and back. After a brief swim, we headed out to the family tree farm, 160 acres in a very vast pine forest. We enjoyed a picnic feast of venison and assorted fowl, cheese biscuits, fried okra, green beans, on and on. Then we rode many miles in a Kawasaki Mule to see a huge, crystal-clear blue lake, a smaller swimming pond, and acres and acres of timber in various stages of growth and harvest. We even saw an alligator, from a very satisfying distance. Back home we finished off the day with pizza and Rummikub. I enjoyed one last night-time dip in the pool. 

    This evening we head home 😞😞😞😞😞

        Leta

Our foursome by the lake

February 25--Hugs Welcome

We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.  --Dalai Lama XIV

    I love the Dalai Lama! He is nothing if not practical and infinitely humble. I have officially become a NONE. That is the term used these days to denote folks with no religious affiliation. I feel like I have been through almost as many religions as I have diets, and I don't want any of them any more! I do, however, have a very rich spiritual life and a Super Higher Power and that keeps me loving and affectionate most of the time. 

    I am not one to sit and meditate. I've been exposed to too many "musts" and "shoulds" relative to meditation that I am resistant to it. I prefer to think of my life as meditation. I value frequent pauses for a few deep breaths to remind myself that right this instant, all is well, and I am grateful. I carry on a conversation with my Higher Power throughout the day. I practice staying connected. 

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    Another day in paradise began with my relaxed spiritual practice and large cup of joe. Lanie and I walked down to the beach, where I got my hand in the cold water of the gulf and found a lovely shell. The water was again closed to swimming due to rip tides. Next came pool time, heavenly to me. We ate a quick lunch then went to the movies to see "One Love," the Bob Marley story. It was quite interesting. We got takeout food at Mason's Lobster Rolls and took it back to the house to enjoy while watching the KU basketball game. I finished off the day with one other brave girlfriend chunky-dunking by the light of the full moon. It was a heavenly peaceful experience and I slept like a rock. 

    One of the phrases that has become a source of great laughter this vacation is "over the top." That's the way to describe most everything we enjoy on a vacation at the Hill resort. The seats at the movie theater were basically individual recliners with foot rests. I never laid my head back because it was nap time for me and I knew I would konk out. I would expect that there are some movies where snoring is an issue!

    "Over the top" and loving it,

        Leta

Part of a Panama City Beach mural

February 24--Shine Bright

The thing about light is that it really isn't yours; it's what you gather and shine back.   --Anne Lamott

    I would agree that light really isn't ours, but I would suggest that our very essence is light and we channel it from its infinite source out into our human worlds. We can block that flow of light with fear, anger, and negativity; or we can let it circulate with love. If we are fortunate as children, we are able to gather a lot of love which we are taught to shine back. Each of us has a unique way to light up our world.

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    Yesterday's 4-girlfriend-fun included a heavenly massage for each of us. I got to drive our host's brand new Jaguar SUV. I walked two miles around the neighborhood, and saw a new-to-me Trump banner stating, "Trump was right about everything." REALLY!?!?!? That one made me laugh out loud. The girlfriends hung out in the pool in the afternoon. We were joined by a fifth friend (who was on the England-Wales trip last October), and the five of us went out for Thai food and Kilwin's ice cream. Happy tummies led to early bedtimes for us party animals!

    Life is GOOD!

        Leta

Let us shine our heavenly light!

February 23--Love Without Fear

Very young children are not afraid to express what they feel. They are so loving that if they perceive love, they melt into love. They are not afraid to love at all. That is the description of a normal human being.  --Don Miguel Ruiz

    I certainly see this in my toddler grandson, and it is a joy to behold. This includes both the peaceful melting into love and the not-afraid-to-express-what-he-feels screams of irritation. 

    Alas, I feel our society has been too "programmed" to fear to have very many "normal" human beings. Conservative politicians are forcing this message constantly. The entire insurance industry, which I despise, is grounded in fear. And how about all the pharmaceutical ads encouraging you to suspect this or that disease while offering the horrors of the side-effects? "Immigrants are going to steal, murder and rape." "Us vs. them" is a devastating mindset. There's no end to it. This is not "normal," nor is it healthy. Fear can only lead to nasty consequences. 

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    The continuing saga of the four vacationing girlfriends... we are most definitely expressing what we feel and melting into the love we share. Yesterday included a golf cart ride around the area to take one girlfriend for a walk on the beach. There was pool time. We played cards. Two girlfriends treated the four of us to a fabulous seafood dinner at The Grand Marlin. Let me just say that the chef knows the proper amount of butter for mashed potatoes. 😉😉 The Kansans in the group had not seen the movie "Practical Magic," so we finished off the evening watching that. It is great!

    Let us love like children!

        Leta