September 30--Goodbye Month #9

Morality is doing what is right, no matter what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, no matter what is right.  --H. L. Mencken

    I mentioned in my September 27 post that I no longer have a need for religion. Mencken's quote explains my sentiment perfectly. And it is the "religion" (here you could substitute the word "cult") of Trump that is ruining our country, because the party in power has completely lost any sense of morality. 

    Here are my closing thoughts on September, my least favorite month, and other than the above, I won't even touch upon the horror that is our government. There was one very sad event within a friend's family, but otherwise, the month was not too bad and passed quickly. Having had a steroid shot in my upper right arm has reduced my pain level nearly to zero, a huge improvement. My stamina is improving and I am able to play pickleball more often. I made it through my husband's 10-day vacation just fine. The Cubs made the playoffs. My grandson had his first birthday. I purchased a new Chromebook with a bigger screen and a numeric keypad (a thing that truly excites this nerd). I'm gradually tackling some garden projects. I've made plans for a game night to celebrate my upcoming big-0 birthday. 

    Ready for October!

        Leta

September beauty in Minnesota

September 29--A Quick Day of Mourning

Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.  --George Will

    Another reason to be less than ecstatic about September is that it marks the end of regular-season baseball. Yesterday was the last day of that, so I have a quick day to mourn because...

    The Cubs made the playoffs for the first time in too many years! They are hosting at Wrigley Field the San Diego Padres for a best-of-three series beginning tomorrow. So I have at least two more Cubs games to look forward to, and hopefully many more than that. Even if the Cubs get knocked out, I will watch the playoffs because, well, I LOVE baseball. 

    GO, CUBS!!!

        Leta

  

September 28--Small Treasures

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. 
--Vincent Van Gogh

    My most enjoyable Friday morning routine includes breakfast at my fave coffee shop, Moxi Junction in  Maize, Kansas, followed by checking out local estate sales. Sometimes I'm looking for a particular item, but usually I'm just exploring. Having reached the age where I don't want to accumulate more "stuff," I generally stay on the lookout for small treasures. I've found such treats as a switch plate that is a baseball, pots that I have painted (and are now in my woman cave window garden), and an air fryer that my husband awarded a spot on our kitchen counter, no small honor. 

    I am an old-fashioned user of hankies. I spent many early years ironing hankies for my mom and dad. Tissues were considered wasteful (and a Communist plot) during my upbringing. My lifelong allergies have made it necessary for me to always have a hankie on hand. Estate sales are where I find them, and yesterday I hit the jackpot with a bag of 11 hankies in perfect shape for $6. As I was unfolding them to toss into the laundry, I noticed some patterns that could be fun to try and paint, possibly even with watercolors. Bonus! 

    Estate sales--another way to see what treasures are in store for me today!

        Leta

The hankie jackpot!

September 27--Letting Go

I just don't give a shit about some things anymore.
--My best friend, me, anyone over 65?

    We could go after this gently, as in "everything has a lifespan," and it is simply time to let some things go. That was the case for me teaching yoga and MELT Method, and now, in hindsight, with the health challenge I've had this year, I could not have taught anyway. So stopping was a good move, though it was a tough decision at the time. I do miss my former students. 

    Religion is another thing that no longer interests me. I was an obligated church-goer for much of my life and even worked as a church finance and office manager for several years. My spiritual journey has led me to the point where the "transaction" of attending church is not necessary. I have a rich spiritual life as a result of the 12-Step program and new thought teachings. I don't feel the need to earn points by following any particular dogma. Blindly following a religion is bad for critical thinking skills. 

    A few years back, I cut back the size of my very large garden by about half. It was emotionally challenging at the time, but I'm so glad I did it.  There are some structural things needed now like replacing rotten railroad ties and digging invasive plants that are too much for my body these days. I'm pondering whether I care enough to seek help to tackle such items. 

    Letting go has its upside,

        Leta

I caught this photo stuck in a traffic jam on I70...
note the sentiment at the top of the cab 😉😉

September 26--I've Been Sucked In

The word of the day is pisstified. When you are pissed off and mystified at their stupidity at the same time.  --TikTok

    In an effort not to be 24/7 discouraged by the insanity in our government, I have signed onto TikTok. I could get back into Facebook, but I have avoided that for years and my life has not suffered, though probably there are some wide-spread-family things I have missed. There is plenty of political posting on TikTok, but I don't spend a lot of time on that. I have no desire to post anything. What I am loving are the videos of puppies, dancing, and loads of funny stuff, though much of that is about politics, hence the quote above. I LOL'd on that one, because it is the perfect word for many situations. 

    We must maintain our sense of humor!!!

        Leta

So adorable, the opposite of
"He Who Shall Not Be Named"

September 25--Am I Productive?

Love is our natural state. When love is what you offer, love is what returns to you... the peaceful way we show up can create beautiful changes around us. 
--Mary Davis

    The title question is one that I'm guessing older folks consider as they transition from the workforce to retirement. It's easy to feel productive during a working career. But after that, what constitutes "productive"? Do we even have to be productive? 

    I have several part-time endeavors that keep me feeling productive. There's a part of me that knows that productivity is not a consideration of my worth. However, I live with a person who is constantly doing projects, which sometimes makes me feel lazy and unproductive. Plus that person is fairly unaware of all that I do accomplish around here, which exacerbates the issue. 

    At this point in life, I consider my job to be healing from the sciatica that laid me low earlier this year. Today I will play pickleball, have a healing Harmonic EGG session, and see an orthopedic doctor regarding my arm and shoulder for which I had the MRI. I have to admit that I am generally suspicious and annoyed with western medicine, so I remind myself that it is in my best interests to show up in a "peaceful way." 

    If we can add to the joy, peace and love in the world, rather than being destructive, then that's productive enough for today.

        Leta

Beauty in Bali...
Nature is infinitely productive!

September 24--Laughing All the Way to the Cemetery

Could I be any dumber?  --Boog Sciambi

    One has to have a sense of humor to survive these days. Long-time Cubs fans, such as I, are well-versed in the humor requirement. I have written about how much I love the Cubs announcers, JD and Boog. (See June 1 post.)  Yesterday the Cubs blew a 6-1 lead and lost 7-9 to the Mets, the Cubs' fifth loss in a row. That's the first time this season they have lost that many games consecutively. In an annoying loss such as that, the announcers wander into random territory. Boog said something goofy, JD corrected him, and the above quote popped out. Yes, it was one of those "had to be there" moments, but it made me LOL. JD and Boog are priceless--I hope the Cubs hang onto them forever. 

    I would be remiss if I did not note that today is the anniversary of both my parents' passing, 21 years apart. I figure my dad did that just to piss off my mom, so that she would have to share her special day of remembrance.  Theirs was a "rocky" relationship, at least from my perspective. 

    Navigating September,

        Leta