July 7--Cherishing Today's Adventures

Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it.
--Ninon de Lenclos

    What a passionate way to start the day! 

    I do cherish creativity, so it's time for an update on the watercolor class. I've mentioned in a previous post that being in an art class brings out the insane person in my head. He/She/It was alive and well in last night's class five of six. I started with this, drawn last week:

    Working with watercolor requires extreme patience, not my strong suit, and certainly not a quality of the wacko in my head. Over the course of two hours, instructor Wil led us step by step in creating the landscape scene. I had to ask him to repeat instructions several times, as the person in my head was freaking. The "tennis match" in my head was non-stop: "I kinda like this" bouncing back to "I hate this, I've ruined it." But the voice of reason simply kept me plugging away at it. This is where I left it, to be completed next week:

    It's no Rembrandt, but at least you can tell it's a landscape. As I walked to the car after class, I was thinking "that was fun." It's comical to me that I feel so challenged and awkward in class, yet feel so relaxed afterwards. 

    Everything's a miracle,

        Leta

July 6--GO!

Make voyages! Attempt them! There is nothing else.  --Tennessee Williams

    Yoda: "Try not! Do or do not, there is no try." 

    I am often asked if I'm afraid traveling overseas, or if I'm afraid to take long driving trips by myself. I guess I'm not afraid, because I keep doing it. I reply, relative to overseas trips, that it's bad business to kill tourists, so most countries refrain from that. 

    Throughout my adult lifetime, I have made it my quest to visit every major league baseball park. I've worked tours and trips around getting to games. I've bummed help and lodging from family members, bribing them with tickets. I've made new friends. Other than the folks I have met on baseball tours (I've been on two of those), I don't know anyone as nuts about baseball as I am. The Universe has supported me in extraordinary ways to make this quest happen (read the May 14, 2021 post for an example). My life has been so much richer as a result of these adventures. I am so glad I started this quest, and I feel confident in my ability to reach the final six stadiums on my list. 

    I've been a tourist in Europe, Asia, Central American, the Caribbean, Canada. I've helped to build a house in Uganda on a mission trip, followed by a safari. For me, "voyages" make life complete. I would hate to reach the end of life and say I didn't go anywhere on our phenomenally interesting planet. 

    I'm an introvert, and I am perfectly content holed up in the woman cave by myself. I know the reason I love the woman cave so much is because I leave it often to "make voyages." I don't want to be a boring, afraid old person. That's no life. 

    Ready for today's voyages,

        Leta

How many folks have had their
picture taken with the Phillie Phanatic!?!?!!?

July 5--Unexpected FUN

Pleasure is very seldom found where it is sought. Our brightest blazes are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.  --Samuel Johnson

    Several sets of neighbors on our eight-house court gathered last evening for a cookout and "kiddie" fireworks. There was plenty of "oooo" and "aaahhh," and kids and adults got their annual safe play-with-fire fix. Everyone ate too much of a wonderful variety of food. We had fun visiting and getting to know each other better. The biggest joy came when the lone little boy said loudly, "Wanna see my really big one?!?!?!" Of course, he was referring to his fireworks stash, but all the adults got a big laugh out of that "unexpected spark." 

    I traveled to Scotland and Ireland a few years ago. Obviously I went to see the sights, enjoy the food and drink, and learn about the lands and cultures. The unexpected spark I remember so clearly was at a local pub. My traveling companion and I asked a couple if we could share their outdoor table, as those were the only seats left. What ensued was a delightful conversation with a young couple on holiday from England. Those are moments money can't buy or plan. 

    Think of a time when someone did something unexpected and especially nice for you. Isn't that fun!?!? When an event turned out even better than expected? When you were able to surprise and delight someone? You, too, can be an unexpected spark.

    I love surprises,

        Leta

Sweet snoozing Barney,
one of my "brightest blazes"

July 4--FREEDOM!!!!

What we play is life.  --Louis Armstrong

    What a fine quote for a holiday, especially one that celebrates freedom! 

    I love the idea that our entire life here is a game. We were bored in the unending bliss of eternal life, so we signed up for an earthly adventure, chose our parents, made some general goals, and "landed" here ready to play. And what a paradise for play our beautiful Gaia is!

    Let this Fourth of July holiday celebrating freedom remind us to not take ourselves or our lives so seriously. Let our freedom take us into expansion and joy. Go play!!!!

        Leta

July 3--Carpe Diem

If you wait for the perfect moment when all is safe and assured, it may never arrive. Mountains will not be climbed, races won, or lasting happiness achieved.
--Maurice Chevalier

    I'm not sure we could even identify that "perfect moment" even if we did want to wait for it. There are no guarantees here except for death and taxes, and I would add, that everything has a lifespan. Opportunities are infinite, but it seems that each one only lasts for a little while. "Just do it." Putting off happiness until some future milestone happens is a waste of a perfectly good life.

    We have spent considerable time during the pandemic trying to maintain "all is safe and assured." Certainly we created new ways to approach that such as curbside pickup. Yet over 600,000 people have died in the USA alone. Even though one may have remained Covid-free, it was not good for our mental health to isolate for "the perfect moment." We are designed to go for it. That is why we came here. 

    Enjoying today,

        Leta

A favorite pair of socks, a gift from
someone who knows me well 😉😉

July 2--Delightful?

Life was not meant to be easy, but take courage: it can be delightful. 
--George Bernard Shaw

    I believe life was meant to be easy, but then with our free will and creativity, we tend to make it difficult. Nevertheless, life is delightful. 

    Let's substitute "golf" for "life." Golf was not meant to be easy. If it were, the cups would be bigger. With courage and determination, it can be delightful. 

    Let's substitute "art" for "life." Art was not meant to be easy. Maybe it is, if you are able to have the courage and persistence to uncover your artistic niche. The watercolor class is certainly teaching me how "not easy" the medium is.  In my fourth class last week, we began drawing a picture that we will eventually watercolor. For me, drawing is about as "not easy" as it gets. I do have sufficient courage, however, to stick with it. Even if I don't become a great watercolor artist (that's a joke), the class has been delightful, most especially because I have ventured far "outside my box." 

    Let's substitute "gardening" for "life." Gardening was not meant to be easy. Take weeding, for instance--hours of work gets thrown into the trash unseen. All that up, down, twisting, pulling and pushing are tough on the joints. There's plenty of dirt and sweat. And bugs! But then we are rewarded with beautiful flowers, fresh vegetables and tantalizing herbs. How delightful!

    Onward with courage,

        Leta

One of my pandemic art projects

July 1--Adventure!!!

It is good to love the unknown.  --Charles Lamb

    July's theme in "Daily Joy" is adventure. When we were in the child-rearing phase of life, I labeled a trip without the kids a "vacation," and a trip with the kids, an "adventure." 😉😉

    I'm pondering "love the unknown." I love surprises, good ones, at least. I love going to new places. In fact, I rarely go to the same vacation spot more than once. There are too many wonderful destinations to see to repeat. I am forever grateful to my mom for planting the "travel bug" in me. And I love to learn. I'm willing to be a complete rookie for an adventure of learning, as evidenced by my current undertaking of a watercolor class. Walking Barney is an adventure each day--who knows what doggie friends, rabbits, cats, or other critters we may encounter? Really, each new day is unknown, because we all know (ironically) that life can totally change forever in an instant.   

    Some "unknown" is tough to love--illness, injury, relationship challenges, conflict, endings, failure. It isn't easy, but it makes for a peaceful life if I can take the negative unknown as smoothly and easily as the positive unknown. Faith in something bigger than myself is essential, along with remembering that everything has a lifespan. "This, too, shall pass," so either enjoy it, or be of good courage and get through it. 

    Enjoying the adventure of life,

        Leta