admin, Author at Adulting: Second- Half

No Word For That

I’m having a hard time getting into my groove after the holiday weekend. I feel a little frazzled and distracted and out of focus. I think that this is a common feeling for people, after getting off of their regular routines for some time, like after vacations or holidays, although I don’t have the right word for it. I wish that I did. Any ideas?

Another sensation that has been happening for me a lot lately is that feeling of being hungry, but then nothing appeals to me, to eat. I’m starving, but I stare at the cupboard or inside of the refrigerator, or even start to consider somewhere to get take-out, and none of it interests me. I literally looked up “the word” to describe this occurrence and no word really exists for this happening, in the English language. There should be a word for this feeling. I know that it is a relatively common sensation. I have felt it many times. Again, any ideas? Perhaps it is a form of ennui, or maybe it is a function of coming off a major binge of sugar, from birthday cake to Easter candy to ice cream, with a variety of Easter candy sprinkled on top of the ice cream. I don’t really know. Don’t worry, I still eat. Too much. But nothing seems to satisfy. There is a difference between satisfying physical hunger and satisfying a longing for edible enchantment. Taste is different than satiation, although we often lump it all together. Being fed through a tube will keep your nutrients up, but it will not satisfy your senses. That is why eating an incredibly delightful, delicious meal, when you are famished is such an enthralling, titillating epicurean experience.

Here’s another example of something which we need a word for in our language: We need a word for events in our lives that we NEVER tire of experiencing. My friend who has lived in Florida longer than I have, and who lives closer to the water than I do, group texted this morning that she saw dolphins playing. She said that people who were visiting our neck of the woods, were all clapping. All of us friends agreed that seeing dolphins is something that never loses its magic, even though when living in coastal Florida, it’s a relatively common experience. What is the word for phenomena in our lives, that no matter how many times the events happen, they never lose their luster and enchantment? What are some other examples of these wonderful experiences? Kissing a baby’s head. Watching puppies frolic around. Waking up to the first snow. Sunrises. Sunsets. Jumping in a pool on scorching hot day. The list goes on and on . . .

I know that you are a creative bunch. Let’s come up with words for these feelings and happenings in our lives, that are shared enough that they deserve words. These things have earned words to describe them!!! Let me know your thoughts in my Comments section. Also, staying with this line of thought, what is the word for an event or a sensation that deserves a word, but doesn’t have a universal word to describe it??? Unappreciated, for sure.

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

Monday Fun-day

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

Joe: Hey, we never found out what 22’s purpose was.
Counselor Jerry B: Excuse me?
Joe: You know, her spark. Her purpose. Was it music? Biology? Walking?
Counselor Jerry B: We don’t assign purposes. Where did you get that idea?
Joe: Because I have piano. It’s what I was born to do. That’s my spark.
Counselor Jerry B: A spark isn’t a soul’s purpose. Oh, you mentors and your passions. Your purposes. Your meanings of life. So basic.

Dorothea: [after Joe has a successful first performance] What’s wrong, Teach?
Joe: It’s just I’ve been waiting on this day for my entire life. I thought I’d feel different.
Dorothea: I heard this story about a fish. He swims up to this older fish, and says, “I’m trying to find this thing they call the ocean. “The ocean?” Says the older fish. “That’s what you’re in right now.” “This?” Says the young fish. “This is water. What I want is the ocean.” See you tomorrow.

Counselor Jerry A: So what do you think you’ll do? How are you going to spend your life?
Joe: I’m not sure. But I do know, I’m going to live every minute of it.

Hello friends and readers!! I missed you! I hope that you had a lovely weekend. I did. Yesterday, was not only Easter, but also my wonderful husband’s birthday, and today is my amazing eldest son’s birthday. (We are in one of those Family Birthday Clumps. Every family has them.) Today my eldest son is 25. I was 25 when I had my son. It’s surreal. This will be the only time in our lives when my son is half of my age. As I told him this morning, having and raising our first baby was so delightful, that we had three more, after him! I am so blessed with my beautiful family. Their birthdays bring that into acute focus. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Last night we capped the weekend off with a viewing of a fabulous movie. If you haven’t yet seen Disney Pixar’s Soul, stop what you are doing, and watch it right now. The quotes above are from the movie. I can’t believe I hadn’t seen Soul until yesterday. It’s a marvelous movie. The theme of the movie is this: Your life isn’t about any one purpose, or any one moment. Your life is about living. Your life is about all of the moments. Your life is about the experience of every moment of living. Live your life in awe. That is all.

The movie was right up my alley. See you tomorrow, my soulmates!!!

Good Friday

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

My husband said that I better be nice to my readers today. Please forgive my indulgence in fun yesterday, at your expense. At least my blog keeps surprising you, right? My regular readers know that Fridays are called Favorite Things Friday here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I don’t go much further than skin deep. I list three favorite things, or songs, or TV shows, or food items, etc. that rock my world and I ask you to share your favorites in my Comments section. Here are my favorites for today:

Redecor – This is my new phone game obsession, which I mentioned earlier this week. By now, I am sure that you are thinking, “Wow, this lady plays a lot of phone games!”, but I do other things while I am playing the games, such as watching TV, laying in bed, cooking, driving (kidding). Anyway, this is a perfect game to enjoy the fun of home decorating without the expense, mess, logistics, mood swings, or chaos that comes with actual home decor. It is almost like an adult coloring book. The fun of the game is that you get to vote on other people’s designs, which has opened up my mind to a whole new level of impressed. People are so creative. I love that feeling of, “Wow, I would never have thought of that combination and yet, it looks so amazing!”

Napa Hills Wine Antioxidant Water – This stuff is awesome! It makes you feel like you are drinking an adult beverage, when you aren’t at all. You can drink this for breakfast and not worry about saying something ridiculous and slurry, nor feel like you might need to check into a rehab. The marketing on this flavored water is genius. From their website:

“One bottle of Napa Hills water delivers 10 times the amount of antioxidants found in one glass of red wine, but without the alcohol or wine taste. Our first product is a refreshing Cherry flavor, inspired by Napa Valley Rosé, flavored with hints of cherry and lingering pomegranate finish.”

This drink is pricey, but it is tasty and has zero calories. It makes an ordinary lunch feel more special and Mad Men-ish, without any guilt. Splurge! It’s the little things in life, right?

Thriving as an Empath by Judith Orloff – If you are a person who has been described as “too sensitive”, first of all, you are not. You are wonderful, just the way you are! You are just more attuned to all of the energy surrounding you, more than the average Joe. And that’s not good or bad, it just is. Sometimes this “sensitivity” can make life a little more emotional and difficult, but other times, it can make the world seem more vibrant and overwhelmingly beautiful, than some others could possibly ever imagine. This is a great book, written like a daily devotional, to help you to navigate your beautiful, empathic nature. I have given this wonderful book as gifts, and it is one of those gifts which friends have told me they liked, more than a dozen times. It might come off as “woo-woo” to some, but take a look inside of it, and you’ll know right away whether it resonates with you or not.

Okay, I loathe to do this after my nasty trick, but I honestly take Easter weekend off every single year. I’ve done this since I started my blog (you can look in the archives to see this). As a Christian, there is not a more appropriate time in the year to hit the “reset” button, than during Easter weekend. It’s like a Lenten sacrifice for me, in a way. I love to write! I love to commune with you, so taking this time and space away from my blog, honestly makes me appreciate it, even more. It’s just something that I must do, for reasons I don’t even fully understand. Here’s last year’s Good Friday post to verify this, (since you may have trust issues with me now 😉 ) Have a miracle- filled, delightful weekend and I shall be back on Monday!

Friday is Good

Thank you and Good-bye

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

Best Beginnings And Endings Quotes with images to share and download for free at QuotesLyfe

Friends, it is with a heavy heart that I am announcing that this will be my last blog post. I have written a blog post for practically every single day since my eldest son officially left our family’s nest to start out in his “real” adult life in 2018. We have gone through so much together, my readers, and you have been with me every step of the way. I love you with all of my heart. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your support, and your validation. You have added so much meaning to my life and as much as I try, I do not have the words to fully convey the significance that this blog, and my readers hold in my life. Adulting – Second Half gives me a sense of purpose. It helps me to better understand myself, and others, while I am going through this very transitional stage of my life. The blog, in many ways, has been a lifesaver for me, in the sense of helping me to get back to “myself”, instead of just getting all of my identity from my various roles that I hold and I “play” in my life. I hope that you all have “a blog” in your lives, if not a literal blog, than a figurative one, which speaks to the deepest part of your being and to your most creative force. In some ways, I consider this blog to be one of my babies. And anyone who knows me well, knows how fiercely I love my babies.

Why is this my last blog post, you ask? Because it is April 1st. And in the words of Ashton Kutcher, you have just been “punk’d.” Do you honestly think that I would give up this blog and you, and everything which I just explained that it all means to me, without a major fight??? I’m a fire sign and my fire burns brightly. You aren’t getting rid of me anytime soon. Other than the part about today being my last blog post, everything else that I wrote about you, and about my blog, was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. I adore Adulting -Second Half and I adore you. Happy April Fools Day! Don’t be angry. Just groan and giggle. See you tomorrow.

Me, Myself and I

So, I’ve been banished from my house today. I am writing this from a coffee spot. We are having some drywall work done in my home today, and I suppose I am somewhat of a pistol on days when my house is crawling with strangers. My husband and my daughter have been doing work/school from home since this time last year, and more than a few times I have cried from my victim chair that I don’t get any “alone time” anymore. Well, today they kicked me out. Okay, it was more like an insistent coax or a persistent, strong nudge, but clearly, together they decided that things would be more peaceful at the house today, without me whirling around like a stressball, sighing and complaining, wringing my hands, huffing and puffing, and working up my sensitive trio of dogs, like a frenzied entourage, behind me. I own my eccentricities. I get it. I’m getting what I asked for; I get alone time all day today. And honestly, it’s kind of delicious. I’ve missed me. It’s kind of nice to get reacquainted with me. And I hope to bring the refreshed, grateful, more centered and peaceful version of me, back home to my loving family. Sometimes my family knows what is best for me, even before I realize what I truly need. That’s called love.

Keep taking time for yourself until you're you again. - Lalah Delia | Words quotes, Self love quotes, Quotes to live by

Spend time for yourself quotes Top 86 spend time with yourself quotes sayings | Dogtrainingobedienceschool.com

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

Tuesday Tidbits

+ I have seen “Not all those who wander are lost” before, but I had never seen the whole verse, nor did I realize that it was written by J.R.R. Tolkien. I love it. I love all of it. I am a bit of a wanderer. I get bored easily. All this being shut in, is starting to make me want to burst. I sat next to the most colorful character at the nail salon the other day. We were all wearing masks of course, but this woman was also wearing a big, elaborate, flamboyant orange hat and her loyal, chubby little dachshund sat at her side, as still as a statue. Apparently, she had ties to Hollywood and whether true or not, her stories were entertaining and enthralling. I have often dubbed myself, “freak magnet,” which is not very nice of me at all. Honestly, I love the “freaks” in the world. I’m probably kind of freaky. I think we all have some “freak” in us, and the freer ones among us, let it fly. People tend to open up to me and tell me their fascinating, intimate stories, and I love it. The other day at the salon, I realized how much I miss that element of my life. Like the flowers starting to bloom, my fascinating encounters with interesting strangers are soon coming back into play as more and more of us get vaccinated, this I hope. Hope springs eternal.

+My word of the day from Word Genius was “amuse-gueule” which means, “a small savory item of food served as an appetizer before a meal.” It struck me that this is the first time I have seen “savory” used in a positive way, in a long, long time. Usually it’s used in an emphasized negative form – “He’s such an unsavory character,” or “That’s not a savory place to go.” It must really suck to be a positive word, always used in a negative way. Savory is going, “Geesh, I’m supposed to mean delicious, and scrumptious. Let’s keep it positive, guys!” (See, I told you that I’m kind of freaky. Words don’t really talk.)

+I took a little Ted talk lesson this morning on “The Dunning-Krueger effect”. That’ll bring you down to earth, real fast. The Dunning-Krueger effect speaks to the idea that most of us think we are better at most things, than any of us really are, at doing anything. In short, all of us think that we are above average humans, which is statistically impossible. Apparently, we are all amazing drivers on the road. HA! The supposed remedy to this damn humbling rule of humanity is 1.) Keep learning and 2.) Be willing to ask for, and to consider constructive criticism. Oh, fun. HA! On this note, I have a new favorite phone game which I will tell you about on Favorite Things Friday. It is called Redecor. I love the game, in an obsessive, stalky way, but like a friend full of brutal candor, Redecor has helped me to discover that “The Dunning-Krueger effect”, is indeed a real thing. A couple of 9th places out of 10, will do that to you.

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

Monday Fun-Day

(credit: Rex Masters, Twitter)

These are called Pup-Cakes. They are almost too cute to eat. But on a Monday, these wouldn’t last until my second cup of morning coffee.

Speaking of food, I saw this on a sign the other day:

“Be soul food, not eye candy.”

I think it is okay to be both, but soul food is the preference. Soul food is much more nourishing. I’m wishing for all of us, the best Monday that we have ever had in our lives. (I’m setting the bar low.) See you tomorrow!

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 soulmates! Yesterday, I spent the afternoon at the beach with my husband and my daughter and our two male dogs, who are both natural water dogs. It was a wonderful day for all of us, and my husband pointed out that it is noticeably calmer and more quiet here this morning, than it is most mornings. There was a lot of energy expended at the beach yesterday, which tired us all out, but I also think that being at the beach works like a “reset button”, to balance us back to our own natural rhythms, in sync with the nature all around us.

My regular readers know that Sundays are devoted to poetry here at Adulting – Second Half. On Sundays, I write a poem or I share a poem written by another writer. I strongly encourage you to write a poem today. Share your poem here if you like, or just share with yourself. Poetry is a form of writing which is typically more connected with your emotional side and being. It is hard to write or to read poetry, without getting your heart involved, and we all know that it is good to stretch your heart muscles. Here is my poem for today:

Yesterday was different this time.

The waters were calm. The winds were even.

I looked out into the horizon and I understood,

That it was okay for me to be on my ship,

And for you to be on yours,

Perhaps never to sail together again.

Despite our different journeys,

Despite our different vessels,

Once formed out of the same timber, from the same tree.

As I looked up into the even, placid sky,

And I gazed at the early, brave, bright moon,

It occurred to me that we all share the same starry navigator,

As we take our individual journeys, throughout the waters,

Sometimes rough and stormy,

Other times smooth and clear and calm,

Until it is time to return to the safe port of our heavenly home,

Where only Love resides, and where the Tree of All,

Still stands tall at the endless shore,

Where the planks and the boards all melt back into the Tree,

As if they were never separated from her graceful form,

Holding all of the stories from all of the ships’ adventures,

Soundly and effortlessly, in the wide, sturdy trunk of All That Is.

The Definition of Beauty

I watched a snippet of an interview Oprah Winfrey was having with Sharon Stone. Sharon Stone has written a recently released memoir. In the snippet, Sharon Stone was saying that after having a stroke, and being told that she was pretty much “over” in Hollywood, she realized that she had lost her “beauty.” Oprah asked her to clarify this, “What do you mean you lost your “beauty”? Sharon Stone told Oprah that it was not so much that she had lost her physical beauty, as she had lost her “radiance”, her “magnetism”, her “presence” and her “vibrancy.” Both women concluded that it is these attributes which really make a person attractive. And they both agreed that radiance, magnetism, presence and vibrancy all come from health, well-being and confidence from within.

Yesterday, I had a good day. I saw a glimmer of confidence and hope and excitement, everywhere I went. People are really starting to believe that there is an end in sight to all of the limits that have come with the pandemic. I could feel it. Nothing in my physical world was different. Everyone was still wearing masks, but the energy had subtle changes. There was a lightness, an optimism in the air. Maybe I was feeling this way, and so this is how my outside world appeared to me. I’m not sure, but for whatever reason, yesterday, the world seemed more beautiful to me, than it had seemed in a long, long while. And when I say beautiful, what I really mean is radiant and magnetic and vibrant. Life is coming back to life. I feel it inside of me, and I feel it outside of me. We are well on the way to healing from this past unfathomable year, my friends. And this healing is radiating, and vibrating, and bringing all of our lives out into full, mesmerizing color, once again.

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

Emotional Support Candy

Good morning, friends! Friday is here!! Whoop! Whoop! On Fridays, we don’t discuss anything deep or serious here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, we keep the spirit light and airy and on the surface. On Fridays, I typically list three favorite things, or songs, or books, or TV shows, or movies, etc. and I ask you to add your favorites to my Comments section. Here are my favorites for today:

Favorite Idea: One of my aunts buys a couple of colorful bags of Easter grass and puts clumps of it, in her yard. The birds then take it and make their nests out of it and she ends up with pretty pastel birds’ nests, all around her yard. Just call her Auntie Snow White! Along these lines, I hang little lawn ornaments and such at the bottom of my magnolia tree, and one of the ornaments is an angel made out of sheep’s wool. I noticed lately that the angel’s flaming red hair is all wild and yet, thinning, at the same time. I tame it down and the next day, it’s a mess again. I was blaming the rain and wind for her bad hair days, until I noticed a little bird plucking away at the angel’s hair, probably to make a soft nest. My angel will be bald soon, but I don’t mind and I don’t think that she does either. It’s for a good cause.

Favorite Pickles: Grillo’s Pickles. We get a big tub of them at Costco, every time we go. These are the most fresh, crisp, delicious pickles that you will ever eat! And the great thing about pickles is, that you expend more calories chewing on them, than they cost you, in your daily calorie count. The tub looks huge, but you will go through it quickly, believe me.

Favorite New Magic from M & M’s: M & M’s messages. I love all things M & M’s and I love that they always, always are offering up new ways to be M & Ms. They don’t sit on their laurels, even as good as those laurels are, in the delicious world of candy. Look at these:

Some of them even have Spotify play lists that you can scan, like this one:

M&M'S Peanut Butter Candy Messages Sharing Size, 9.6 oz Bag | M&M'S - mms.com

Okay friends, you have some stuff to add to your shopping list: Easter grass, Grillo’s pickles and M & M messages! Enjoy your weekend!

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