Month: October 2022

Frisky Friday

Yay! It’s Friday!!! It’s the best day of the week. How are you feeling? Things are a lot cooler here lately. It makes everyone “frisky”. So today, we’ll just call it Frisky Friday. Speaking of frisky, before I started writing, I had to pick up our three dogs’ matching nap pads, which they sleep on every night. (Honestly, Josie, the rough collie, doesn’t actually sleep on hers. She has a lot of fur, so she prefers the cool tile, but she likes to have her own pad placed near to her. With kids and pets especially, it’s important to be fair.) I don’t leave the nap pads out all day. In order to prevent squabbles, I only put the pads out at night. The dogs don’t sleep in our bed, because two of them are over 75 pounds, and the other one is a crazy, restless, full-of-himself spaniel, who likes to spread himself way out, in the craziest of contortions. Need I say more? The dogs used to disperse out all over the house at bedtime, when the kids lived at home, but now they all sleep in our bedroom with us. Our nighttime ritual is to layout the nap pads every night, and that is each of our dog’s “place” until it is time to get up in the morning. Recently, this ritual reminded me of the times when I was a little girl and I was in “nursery school.” (that’s what they called preschool in those days) They would hand out nap pads, and we would put our pads in a circle, in order to then take a nap. That was my absolute least favorite time in school. I’ve never been a good napper. Once I’m up, I’m up. I remember feeling quite indignant about “nap time.” “I am a “big girl” now. I don’t need a nap.” I also remember getting in trouble, more than a few times, for my restlessness during “nap time.”

Okay sorry for the digression, it’s Friday! Let’s get to the point. On Fridays I like to talk about my favorites. On Fridays, I write about the things, the places, the websites, the songs, the whatevers that have caught my eye and have made my own life more fun and interesting. Please share your own favorites in my Comments section so our Friday can be even more frisky!

Today’s favorite:

I read about the XCJ Chinese Street Food’s Soup Dumpling kit, in a magazine lately. Cooking for just the two of us, has become a new and interesting challenge for me. I ordered one of the larger kits that contains dumplings, sauces, plus a bamboo steamer from this cool company. We tried it out this past weekend, and my husband and I were thrilled with the meal! The dumplings were fun and easy to cook (on the bamboo steamer) and even more fun (and fabulously delicious) to eat! Here is their website:

Dumplings and More (Nationwide)

Have a frisky, fun, fabulous weekend! See you tomorrow!

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Thursday’s Thoughts

+ We wonder why there are so many crazies/narcissists/self-interested/self-impressed weirdos in leadership positions in our politics and other institutions in our society and the reason is, who else could possibly want to take on these awful positions? What sane, reasonable, equitable, logical, self aware person would want to be a politician? So until we heal the systems and the institutions themselves, we will be continued to be lead by crazies/narcissists/self-interested/self-impressed weirdos. And things will only get worse and worse. One particular person isn’t the answer. One particular party isn’t the cure. We need to heal the systems and the structures in our society. We need to get back to the bare bones of what is truly important to the majority of people: Our families and loved ones, our health, our safety, our communities, our resources, our opportunities, and our freedoms, and we need to work together to clean the rest of the noise/drama/junk/control issues out of the structures of our institutions. The best that we can do, in the meantime, is to become the best sane, reasonable, equitable, logical, self aware versions of ourselves, and focus on what is truly important to us (with the awareness that the others around us also deserve these basic priorities in their own lives): Family, freedom, health, safety, community, resources, opportunities. A huge mass of people living healthy lives of universal values (all stemming from love and kindness) will eventually drown out the noise of power hungry individuals, and then true leaders will emerge to help us all leave the mess and wreckage behind us in the history books, as reminders of where never to go/never to do again. One day, we will finally learn.

+I’m currently reading Paul Newman’s new biography that just came out. Revelations (from as far as I have gotten so far): Paul Newman was half-Jewish and suffered anti-Semitism, his family of origin owned a high-end sporting goods store that survived the Depression, and he served in the Navy during World War II. Paul Newman died at the age of 83. I think that my biggest takeaway of the book so far, is more of a general takeaway. Paul Newman lived for over eight decades. Reading about his different adventures during major happenings in world history, is a huge reminder to me, of just how vast our individual life experience really is, especially for those of us who are fortunate enough to live long lives. When I read about others’ adventures and stories of their own lives, it inspires me to take more chances, to really revel in my experiences, and to reflect on how these experiences shape me. Reading others’ biographies, is a reminder to keep my own biography interesting, and compelling, and to cherish “the stories” as they are happening.

+I was at the grocery the other day, staring at package of ready-made caramel apples. I had already tried them and they weren’t that good, but I was pondering on giving them a second chance, with the hopes that perhaps I had just bought a bad batch. A women sauntered up to me, by the apples and said, “Honey, get a tub of Marzetti’s caramel dip, and a bag of Heath toffee chips and mix it together. Your kids will eat a dozen apples in a day, with that stuff on top.” Kids?? Ha! Did she mean the kids who are all adults and do not currently live with me? I did not admit that fact to her. I kept that fact to myself. Instead, I just nodded emphatically and racewalked to the baking aisle for the Heath chips. I can attest that I have probably eaten about two dozen, nice sized apples (which I have never been a huge fan of), and the “dip and chips” is almost all gone. Go to your grocery store now for just three ingredients: Apples, Marzetti’s caramel dip, Heath toffee chips. You won’t regret it. Happy Fall. You’re welcome.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

F.E.A.R.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

This quote is a good one to remember during Halloween’s “scary season.” I always tell my kids to always ask for what they want, go after what they want, look for every possibility to get what they want, because what is the worst place that anyone will end up in, if you don’t get what you want? You’ll be in the same place and position, where you are sitting at right now. You really have nothing to lose. Face everything and rise.

A Dear Abby column written decades ago has always stuck with me. A writer asked Abby about his situation where he was in his thirties and he realized that he wanted to switch careers. He realized that he wanted to become a doctor, but looking at everything that this would entail, it would probably take ten years, and he probably wouldn’t even start practicing medicine until he was 45. She asked him a simple question, “How old will you be in ten years if you don’t go to medical school?” This point was made real for me when I belonged to a book club many years ago. The woman who started the book club said that her father was a doctor when they were small children, and then one day, he sat his family down, and he said that their lifestyle might change for a bit, because he had decided to follow his biggest dream to become an airline pilot. Her father retired as a very content and happy airline pilot, who also had a medical degree.

Face your fears. Face your dreams. Face your callings. Don’t run. Rise. The choice is ripe for the taking. The choice is yours.

Dumping Grounds

I read something the other day that made me turn red with self-recognition, and I was completely by myself. The article talked about “emotional dumping” and “spreading your fears.” When you just unload on a person without asking for their consent, it can be really upsetting and overwhelming for them. Emotional dumping usually comes out of nowhere, rapidly, full of charge, without much warning and with the underlying expectation that the person being “dumped on” will somehow be able to fix the situation. It’s literally like taking all of the garbage swirling around inside of you, and dumping it on your unsuspecting loved one, out of nowhere.

The difference between emotional dumping and healthy venting is all in how you handle it. Of course, it is good to be able to vent your frustrations with close family and friends, but it should be done with a level of awareness of the state of emotional being that you are in, and also being cognizant if the other party is in a good place/state of mind to be there for you. It requires a level of calm, good communication skills, mutuality, and a respect for boundaries.

This process of distinguishing between the fine line of emotional dumping versus healthy venting is best handled when we take a pause. We notice our highly charged emotional state. We start to self soothe healthfully – breathwork, taking a walk, writing in our journals, asking ourselves, “What story am I telling myself about this situation? Is it possible to look at it in a different way?” Then, if we still feel the need to vent, we can ask a trusted friend or family member, “Are you available to hear my frustration about a situation right now?” If they are able to be there for us at that time, we should state what we are trying to get from our conversation. “Please don’t try to solve this for me. I am just wanting to ‘get it out.’ ” Or if we really are confused and want some input, we should ask specific questions, such as, “Are you seeing anything that I am missing? Are there steps that you think would be helpful for me to take?”

We need to be open and non-defensive about suggestions, if we ask for them. It doesn’t mean that we have to take the advice and run with it, but it does give us perspective and food for thought. We also should be aware of how long we are venting, and if we are beating the same dead horse, again and again. We all know how frustrating it is to be on the end of the “same old/same old” vent session with someone who likes to stay in their victim chair, complaining away, and yet never makes even the tiniest steps to change the situation.

We have to realize that the people whom we tend to use as our emotional dump yards, tend to be the most loyal, best listeners we know. These people are safe, kind and ooze empathy and so they become our go-to dump yards. Are these the types of people who deserve to be dumped on? And aren’t these gems of humanity deserving a little of our undivided attention for a vent session of their own?

On the other side of the coin, if you are a person who tends to be an emotional dump yard for other people, this is your wake-up call to set some boundaries. It’s okay to protect yourself and your emotional well-being. In fact, it’s imperative. You can say, “I’m sorry, but I am not in a good space to hear you right now,” or “I can listen for about ten minutes, but then I have to get going,” or “”I’m not the right person to discuss this problem with, but mentors, therapists, ministers, etc. have been really helpful to me in dealing with situations like this. Try those resources.” Remember, you are not a dump yard. You are a beautiful being with your own issues to deal with, and your worth doesn’t come from “solving” other people’s problems. Everyone’s life is their own responsibility, and we can be mutually good support systems to each other, without being dumpers and dumpees.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Monday-Funday (Wicked, Part 3)

Hilda: Zelda, I have told you time and time again to stay away from those Boos Cruises. They dish out some potent potions.

Zelda (muffled): Silly Hildy, I’m just playing “hide and ghost seek.” Cackle Cackle Cackle

Hilda:

Zelda (muffled): Hildy, one more, one more, “What do you call a witch who is pretty and friendly??”

Hilda: A failure.

Zelda: How did you know that one?

Hilda: (flatly) A lucky guess. Zelda, I have a confession. I accidentally sat on your pet owl.

Zelda: Oh, Screech will be alright. We just need to puff up his feathers. Hildy, that reminds me of another joke. What you get if you cross an owl with a witch??

Zelda: A bird that doesn’t give a hoot!!! Cackle Cackle Cackle

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Soul Sunday

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Good morning. Sundays are devoted to poetry on the blog. It is not lost on me that Sunday is a big football day. My husband and two of my sons LOVE football. I enjoy watching it with them, when the football teams that are playing, are teams that I actually care about. In our town, the biggest football drama is off of the field. Everyone is talking about Tom Brady’s and Gisele Bündchen’s disintegrating marriage. There is a saying that women marry men, with the hopes of changing the men, and men marry women with the hopes that the women will never change. Who knew that this saying probably applies to two of the most beautiful, talented, richest, famous people in this world, who at one time also seemed to have the “perfect relationship”? I wrote this poem this morning. It is my view of what Gisele might be thinking and feeling about her relationship.

HER

I wanted you to pick me,

And us,

And everything that we created,

With us, between us, through us.

But instead you picked her,

In all of her ferocious glory.

So dangerous, she could kill you.

On any given Sunday.

But you can’t let her go.

She makes you feel like a god.

I wanted you to pick me,

or at least, I wanted you to pick us,

And everything that we created.

But instead, you picked you.

H.A.L.T.

“People mistakenly assume that their thinking is done by their head; it is actually done by the heart which first dictates the conclusion, then commands the head to provide the reasoning that will defend it.” – Anthony de Mello

A previous employer of mine, found the quote above, to be profound. She would say it often, and I would pretend to understand. But I honestly didn’t understand. Or maybe I thought that I did, but I had an experience the other day that made me understand Anthony de Mello’s teaching a little bit better. Or at least, I think that I did.

Earlier this month on the blog, I recommended asking yourself a certain question when your are feeling poorly and out of sorts. The question is, “What story am I telling myself about what is happening?” I had to take my own advice and use that question on myself the other day after a horrible night’s sleep. I was cranky, moody and grumpy. I felt gloomy, and so the stories in my head started swirling. I was extremely creative, scrounging all over my brain for negative stories that would justify my Moody Trudy demeanor. That’s when I remembered to take my own advice. What stories am I telling myself that were perhaps causing/aggravating my despondency? Reflecting on the dramatic, over-the-top, sometimes even ridiculous “woe-is-me” stories flipping through my head, I perked up a little, laughing at myself. What was the real, main reason why I was moody? I didn’t get enough sleep. I was tired. My body, mind and spirit were depleted and they were sending me distress signals, reminding me to get some rest.

In twelve-step circles, they use the acronym, H.A.L.T. When people are finding themselves triggered and having the impulse to partake in their addiction, they are told to H.A.L.T. When you H.A.L.T., you ask yourself? What is really going on here? Am I H – hungry? Or am I A – angry? Perhaps, I am L- lonely? Or maybe I am just really T – tired? Being hungry, angry, lonely or tired, can all be remedied with healthier solutions than the things which we are addicted to, or that we use to distract ourselves from our feelings. By reflecting on the H.A.L.T. tool, we realize that our feelings are often just physical expressions of being hungry, angry, lonely or tired.

The next night I went to bed early, and I had a wonderful, restoring night’s sleep. I felt calm, serene and peaceful the next day. Interestingly, when I am feeling good, I rarely need to tell myself stories about it. I just bathe in the feeling of contentment. I bathe in the present moment. I suppose when I am feeling good, the stories in my head are quiet and boring. Perhaps these stories might even be called “yawners.” And that’s okay. As long as I recognize stories as different from The Truth, I can get as creative as I want to be, and still feel good and centered amidst the storms in me, and around me. I can remain the stalwart captain of my own life.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Friday Vacation Spot

“We are all here on this planet, as tourists, as it were. None of us can live here forever. The longest we might live is a hundred years. So while we are here we should try to have a good heart and to make something positive and useful of our lives.” – The Dalai Lama tweeted this, this morning

I love this thought that we are “tourists” here, experiencing a short lifetime. When we go touring to places other than where we live, we are usually excited, happy, curious and respectful. We are utterly captivated: trying new activities, and learning about different things than we are used to experiencing. Other than a few jerks, when touring, most of us are open-minded, reverential to others’ sacred things and places, and cognizant that we are a representation of where we are from, and so we behave accordingly.

Fridays are a particularly easy day to be in “tourist mode”, right? If there was ever a day that matched the giddiness of heading out on vacation, it would be Friday. As my regular readers know, Friday is my favorite day of the week. On Fridays, I discuss my favorites: songs, websites, books, products, foodstuff, etc. Today’s favorite works right along with my travel/tourist theme. Last week, my husband and I went to an “indie flea”. (They had me at “indie.”) An indie flea, is a flea market for artsy types. There was eye candy everywhere – the artful products, the interesting vintage finds, the gorgeous, fashionable people. Anyway, at the indie flea, I purchased a teeny, tiny adorable, colorful pair of scissors, which is my favorite for today. The seller told me that they are TSA approved (meaning that I don’t have to dig them out of my purse before travelling, in fear of them being confiscated). There are so many times when travelling that I have wished that I had a pair of scissors with me. Now I do. And you can, too! Just go to Amazon or Etsy and look up TSA approved scissors. You will be shocked at all of the options!

No matter where you are this weekend, even if it is just at home, remind yourself that you are tourist. Behave as if you were visiting a beautiful, intoxicating, ever-unfolding, foreign land full of amazing things to see and to explore. Believe that you are taking the trip of a lifetime that you have been anticipating taking, for a long, long time. And realize that all trips come to an end, so take full advantage of the experience while you are having it. Bon Voyage!

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Louise

“To see someone move through the world as a woman feeling very comfortable saying what she thinks – perfectly beloved and polite and wonderful in every way, but say what she thinks – it was just mind-blowing to me. And all I could think was, ‘I want to be like her.’ “ – Geena Davis, on “the direct and dynamic” Susan Sarandon, while working on 1991’s film, Thelma and Louise

So, in short, Susan Sarandon was a self-assured “badass”, before the word became common vernacular.

Geena Davis also said this about Susan: “I have never spent time with a woman like her. She never puts a qualifier before what she says. If she has an idea about something, I never heard her say, ‘I don’t know what you think about this. It’s probably a good idea. It may be dumb. What do I know?’ She just says, ‘Let’s cut my line here.’ I mean that happened on the first day that I met her, and I was like, ‘Wait a minute.’ ”

Just for today, no matter what your gender is, channel your inner Susan/Louise, and just say it like you see it. You can be beloved, and polite, and wonderful, and know that your viewpoint is every bit as valid as anyone else’s on this Earth. Be confident and comfortable in your own skin – even if you have to fake it until you feel it. Grow into your confidence. Stand by your beliefs. No qualifiers are allowed. Your example won’t just be a life-changer for you, it will greatly impact the people around you and the world as we know it. No one should ever have to apologize for having a viewpoint on anything. You have a spark of brilliance, just like everyone else. Let it shine.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.

Uniquely You

RIP – Angela Lansbury (Darn, we’ve really lost some good ones lately, haven’t we?)

On a positive, hopeful note, Angela Lansbury was days before turning 97-years-old. Loretta Lynn died recently at age 90. Both women worked at what they loved, well into their elder years. This common trend towards longevity means that us middle-agers still have a lot of life to live, and a lot passions to explore. Vida!

The other day, my husband and I were riding through a car wash and I smiled to myself when the long stringy flaps moved up and down and all around our windshield. I was remembering being a little girl in a carwash with my Pop-pop. My grandfather used to call those washing flaps, “the dancing ladies”. Yesterday, the picture on my blog held this quote from Cesare Pavese: “We don’t remember days, we remember moments.” How true is that statement?! Sometimes I remember the oddest of things. I wonder why certain, seemingly inconsequential “moments” stick in my mind. This quote does remind me that when we remember, and when think of people, we think of their “idiosyncrasies”, like my grandfather calling the carwash brushes, “dancing ladies.” When we think of the people whom we love, we think of moments with them, that make them unique to us. All of the little habits, and the ways of people are what makes them special and distinct and interesting to us. Even in a field of daisies, each little daisy has its own way of being, and dancing in the sun. Each little daisy is wonderful in its own way and helps to make the field of daisies what it is – a feast for the eyes.

In other news, I read a good article today that discussed the difference between having “expectations” versus having “requirements”. The article said that when you set expectations you allow for a little “wiggle room”. You are being hopeful, but you often set yourself up for disappointment. Requirements are more ironclad. Requirements mean business. Requirements require clear communication and boundaries and consequences. Are there areas/relationships in your life where you could step up your expectations to requirements, for access to you and to your precious time? Are there promises which you’ve made to yourself that could use the reinforcement of “requirement” status?

Now I’ll leave you to your day, my little daisy. Before you leave, this is a REQUIRED assignment: Take this moment to think of a trait that makes someone whom you love “so them.” Now think of a unique trait (positive only please) that people would think of when they would think of you. Smile and have a wonderful Wednesday.

Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.