Saturday Swamp

[A young Leonardo de Catrio-LOOK at those eyes!! No wonder he's a star!]
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It's been a long day of getting ready for company and they arrived safely and everyone is now firmly ensconced in their beds. I'm the only one awake. We had a nice dinner of pot roast with carrots and onions and potatoes and gravy. I even got the peach cobbler made, but we didn't eat any. Everyone was too full. lol

I feeling really grateful for the blogging recovery community tonight. This is always a bright spot in the day for me, settling back in my chair to read the blogs that I read and seeing what's up with youse guys at the end of the day. I always get a laugh and sometimes a tear, but always a sense that I have had ever since I first darkened the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous, that sense that I never have to be alone again. That I can reach out a hand, or a word in a blog, and immediately be in touch with someone who I have let get to know me, even just a little. It's the most comforting place to be, if you ask me, because at the end of my drinking I was isolated and alone and carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Not so today.

My inlaws and I were talking and I was telling them how I start many days a the computer chatting with a friend of mine from Australia. I'm getting going and she's winding down. I was telling them about the plans for the upcoming 3rdAnnual Gathering on the Prairie, and how people have rsvp'd already from about 10 different states. And how I can't wait. They were not too surprised about it, as my sister-in-law came last year for the first time and met lots of these friends of mine, and she couldn't stop talking about how much fun she had. And to think that I have found all these people inside this little black and silver box that sits on my desk! LOL And that I am finding more all the time. It's a miracle, that's all.

I'm feeling really grateful because today a friend of mne was in an accident on his motorcycle on the way to a meeting, and although his bike was trashed, he only hurt his leg, and is going to make a full recovery.
I'm feeling really grateful because some friends of mine that appeared to be heading toward divorce have reconciled, and it looks like their home is not going to be torn apart. Which is especially good for their 8 year old.
I'm feeling especially blessed that (so far) we have had a very nice visit with hubby's parents, and there was only one time I had to turn my back and pretend to be obsessed with pie crust, and it passed quickly. lol
Thank you, all of you, for sharing your lives with me and allowing me to visit this act of writing and all the wonderment that goes with it.


Namaste.

Friday's follywoggles

[The Mother Jones Memorial and miner cemetary at Mt Olive, IL: She was a union organizer and hell raiser. And my role model]
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Okay, so I'm making up words. Follywoggle. (I like the way it rolls off my tongue.) So sue me. LOL Kurt Vonnegut did it all the time. What's he got that I don't??--Besides a 3 pack a day habit? lol I remember when I "discovered" Kurt Vonnegut in high school, and thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. Well, I mean, he WAS. I loved his books and his crazy ideas and the fact that he was shocked that the book companies kept wanting to publish him in science fiction genres. And right up until the end of his life he was an activist and outspoken on politics and war. I miss him.

There are lots of people who have gone before me and taught me much. There are those who have taught what I should do and there are those who have taught me what I shouldn't do. Either way, it's always about the lesson and the learning curve. I had a fortune cookie once that said "There ar eno failures, only lessons." I like that. When you take away the emotions, the attachments, the biased concepts of good and bad...what's left? Somewhere I heard that "Evil is just God's love seen through a filter of fear." I think the point was that God's love is all around us and if God is everything then what's left? I am reading a book right now called "The Shack" . My neighbor loaned it to me to read, it's a book for her church book club. So far it has put forth some interesting concepts, and I can't wait to finish it. The protagonist has just encountered God, and it's a big black woman who spends (so far) most of her time cooking. My neighbor attends a United Church of Christ and the pastor is a woman. I don't know what that has to do with anything, but it popped into my head. lol

I am off to bed early(sort of) and have a big day ahead tomorrow. So, I shall take my leave and salute the Light within you!

Thoughtful Thursdays

[Molly McGee, the Jack Russell Terrorist extraordinaire!]

Well, home from the speaker meeting and it was a good one. The speaker had about 26 years and was delightful. We had a medium sized group, and they devoured the desserts. I did manage to bring home some of the old fashioned oatmeal cake I made..everyone loved it and wanted the recipe. It's one of those poor people cakes. lol On a brown recipe card with fading ink that I've been carrying around with me since I was 18. (HOLY CRAP!!!! Do THAT math....)

For some reason tonight, I'm thinking about the blessings that are a result of NOT getting what we want. About the way sometimes things come to us in such a roundabout fashion that we could easily miss them if we're not careful. It pays to practice mindfulness...

I taking part in a thing called 365 days of grace in small things...every day you post at least 5 things that you are grateful for in your life. Lots of folks are doing it, and it's really a good exercise in paying attention to the small stuff. It's easy to be grateful for the big ion-your-face stuff...but we forget about the grace of the smell of our baby's scalp, or the feel of the sun on our face, or any number of tiny seemingly inconsequential things. For instance...it wasn't until after I experienced my Ubiquitous Event and couldn't sit on hard surfaces anymore, that I really appreciated being able to sit in the grass. Or in the beginning when I could barely walk, did I have a new appreciation for walks in the woods that I used to take with my husband. Or riding in the car on long trips. Or feeling at ease anywhere I was. Or not worrying about where I would be or what I could or could not do, whether I could keep up. Whether I would fall. Things that never crossed my mind before.

Today, things are more precious to me. Because I have found the sacred in almost everything, I am a better steward. Because I have glimpsed the fragility of life, I am more caring and care-full. I wouldn't be who I am today, if things hadn't been set in motion that changed my life. It gives me a new perception in life.

A Course in Miracles says that a miracle is a "shift in perception". Undoubtably, I have experienced a miracle in my own life.

And so it is...


Namaste.

Wicked Good Wednesday

Wicked Good...like the French Quarter in old New Orleans !!
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I love days of blue skies and cold crisp air. Especially when I can mostly watch it from inside my house. Even the snow out there is a dazzling white hot white. It's now frozen hard and crunchy and the pup doesn't even leave a mark as she skates across it.

I cooked and I cleaned and I entertained an old acquaintance today. I did not get the baking done for the potluck tomorrow, but I was debating about whether to wait and do the deed on the day anyway. That decision was made for me by the sudden appearance of an old high school friend.

I love the fact that people around these parts just assume they can call and say--hey, I'm by your house. Okay if I drop in? I have lived in lots of places where folks do not do that sort of thing. It's rather endearing. Much like when the old farmers always give you that 2 finger wave as they pass you in their tractors. I love that. It's so..it's so...Midwestern. I guess.

I feel blessed to come from this hardy stock. I always have, even when I didn't want to live here. I am blessed to have a good work ethic and a sense of right and wrong and the common sense that has [mostly] served me so well in this life.

I feel blessed to be able to read and appreciate great literature.
I feel blessed to love and appreciate music. Of all kinds. Mostly.
I am blessed to know that gratitude is a gift I get to open every day.
I am blessed to know that I am blessed. To not just wander around in that state of oblivious bewilderment. To not ever have to be a victim again.

I wish the world peace.

Namaste.

Tickled Tuesday

[The famous Gatehouse , where Bill and Bob met]

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Ah, the end of a long day in sight. A long, albeit good day.

I had a wonderful massage today and a pedicure and got my nails done. I feel like such a girl !! lol

It's down to about 13 degrees and tomorrow will be not quite as cold as today was and hopefully that damned wind chill factor will go away...it's was freaking COLD out three today! Then we have some high 50's headed our way, I guess.

I was IM'ing with one of my sponsees tonight when she said she had a girl on the line who was drunk and crying. It's a friend of hers who keeps going back out over and again. I know her to see her...but not much beyond that. She was talking out of her head and I told her to give her my number and I'd talk with her. I didn't really think she'd call me, but --surprise!! So I got to do a 12 step call tonight. Just when I get to feeling too useful or normal or something, I get to revisit ME as a drunk. It right-sizes me every time. It ended with her promising me she'd go to bed and sleep it off. And not do anything else. I told her she could call me anytime, that I would always have time to talk to her.

Fast as lightning, the gratitude for my own life just slipped up behind me and grabbed on.

I am enjoying a nice cup of rooiboos tea and yawning like crazy, so I guess I am off to bed soon. I have plans tomorrow to stay home and make a couple of desserts and a chicken pot pie. The desserts will be for the women's meeting dessert potluck and speaker meeting. I
have hubby's breakfast and lunch made, so I can sleep in tomorrow.

Blessings abound if you take a minute to look for them.

Thinbk I'll go lookin'...


Namaste.

Mundane Monday

[One thirsty cat]

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A very low key day around these parts. Just the way I like it.

It was warmer, so more snow and ice melted. That's always a good thing. It's much easier getting in and out of the driveay and up the hill now. I have a massage scheduled tomorrow at 3PM...one of my sponsees gave me a gift certificate for Xmas. Yeah, baby--my favorite kind of sponsee...the ones bearing GIFTS!

I had to run out to the Dollar General tonight after supper. I cleaned my big walk in shower today and put the shower curtains in the wash. I had a feeling the liner might not make it. lol I have probably washed it (with bleach, of course) 10 times. Vinyl doesn't have a very long shelf life when you treat it like that. lol It was pretty much shredded. Anyway, I ran there and got a new one. When I got back, I hooked up the babydawg to the leash to take her outside to potty. We pretty much just danced around the front yard and she pawed at the snow and had a ball, and just when she finally settled down to pee, a pack of coyotes set up an ungodly bunch of racket. It scared the living bejeezus outta her (and me) and Patrick even heard it from in the house where he was watching tv. He came to the door and said --Crikey! We called the dogs back in and beat feet back into the house. They sounded really close. And all the dogs in the neighborhood were up in arms.

This afternoon I saw 2 red tailed hawks fighting in the air over the back yard. All the critters seemed to be off kilter today...the chickens wouldn't come out of the coop either for the longest time this morning. (That could have been because of the hawks, now that I think about it).The cats have been acting funny. My neck is stiff and sore and I'm wondering if there might have been or we are getting ready for some earthquake activity. I have serious physical reactions up to and during earthquakes. I'm very sensitive to the changes in the magnetic field or something. I'll talk about all that some day...not tonight.

But for now, we're all settled in comfy and cozy. The kitchen is cleaned up, all the critters (fish, bird, cats and dogs) are fed and watered and cleaned up. Hubby's lunch is made and since I'm getting up at zero dark thirty I'll make breakfast in the morning.

Am I grateful today?? You bet I am.

Am I feeling especially blessed today? Oh, yeah.

I'm grateful for all the little things in life that make me pause and consider life. Things like hawks and coyotes and knowing that I am part of the circle of life. Having a buoyant sense that I am an integral part of God's plan, even if I haven't figured out the details yet.

Today is the Feast of Brigid (is that right, 'weezy?) And in honor of that, I shall leave you with a poem that I wrote years ago.

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I feel like putty

In the hands of some great Potter.

Make me what you will...but HURRY.

The suspense is killing me.

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Super Bowel Sunday

This is mama Lily, with the little yellow Frank and his brother Sam.
(Are you catching my drift here....)

[This is Frank. Frankie. Frankie Figs., about 2 years after the first photo]

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I have been AWOL for the weekend. I'm not talking.

We did go to the neighbors today for a lasagna dinner and to watch the Super Bowl. We had a grand time. They were worried that their wine and the other neighbor's beer would be a problem for us since they knew we didn't drink. (They don't know any particulars...just that we don't drink). We told them of course not. It was a good time and good friends and we even met a new couple who have been friends of our neighbors for 25 years.

I am so tired and don't have much to say, though I do have MUCH to be grateul for.

Maybe tomorrow I'll be back on track.

...you never know...

Nitey-nite.

And to go with my pictures..

"The trouble with a kitten is THAT,

Eventually, it becomes a CAT."

~~Ogden Nash