Santa Peoples...

Santa delivers, dontchaknow......

Uh huh.

Santa gets the prezzie from the Elf at the North Pole, flies to the barn house, lands on the roof and puts the prezzie under the tree. THEN grandma wakes up, thanks Santa--and Santa flies off with a 'HO HO HO Merry Christmas'...........

And goes BACK to the North Pole where the elf (that'd be ME!) puts the prezzie IN the sleigh so Santa can say 'Thank you--Merry Christmas' before flying off to the barn house where he lands on the roof, puts the prezzie under the tree, waits for grandma to wake up who'll thank Santa--who then FLIES off with a 'HO HO HO Merry Christmas'....

And then Santa goes BACK to the North Pole where the elf gets to put the prezzie IN the sleigh so Santa can say 'Thank you--Merry Christmas' BEFORE flying off to the barn house where he lands on the roof, puts the prezzie under the tree, waits for grandma to wake up who'll thank Santa--who then FLIES off with a 'HO HO HO Merry Christmas'....**

**Repeat over and over and over and over and OVER again.

Do NOT try to incorporate the train WITH the elf to deliver the prezzie to Santa.
Do NOT try to make more prezzies to be delivered.

And do NOT confuse 'grandma' with 'Nana'.

That's gramma....YOU'RE Nana. You're not sleeping for Santa.

I offered to!!
Uh huh.....She wasn't havin' any part of that.

I did invite her over WITH the Santa peoples so she could play with grandad.

She accepted.

*snickering*
Any bets how long he'll be on the floor saying "here's the present, Santa! Merry Christmas!"?

Daily Reminder

Snapping at a friend often results in being snapped at in return. That doesn't surprise us. Accusations generally elicit an angry defense from others and an argument. That comes as no surprise either. By contrast, being loving and compassionate toward the people in our lives generally results in others returning love and compassion to us. Why, then, is it harder to express love?

The fear of rejection is strong for many of us. Offering love while fearing it won't be returned makes us feel too vulnerable. However, the principles we are being exposed to through this program will help us understand that we do receive from others what we give. The scales are balanced. Remembering that before responding to anyone around us will make our lives far more peaceful.

Typically Home

Yup, I'll try that, ty.

....anticipate the wondrous surprise to come.

Forest through the trees kinda moment.

I definitely need to adjust my attitude before I head out the door this morning.
HUGELY.

Penguiny cup swapped out for the Jack-o-lantern might do the trick.

A toy or two for the office.

I know there's surprises to be had in the day awaiting me--it's the 'wondrous' bit that I'm a wafflin' on. LOL Yep--that's all about me and my attitude. Which I WILL adjust before I head out.
I'm thinkin' the swap in coffee mugs will be a good start.
Holing up in the office to get the work done that needs done--another good plan.
AND making the stupid phone calls I've been avoiding...get those out of the way and the day will probably be looking a whole lot different.

Amazing what I do to myself through the simple act of putting off.
*rolling eyes*

First on the list.

NO exception.

Okay........third on the list.
Swap out the mug.
Grab some toys.

HA. Priorities, dontchaknow.

Reading for the Day

Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet. --Roger Miller

Gifts are usually surprises. We don't generally know what the ribbons, bows, and wrapping conceal. Life's greatest misfortunes are, in retrospect, often referred to as gifts. While some circumstances can feel like a curse, when we finally get to the bottom of what's happened to us, we're surprised to find something good - a gift or blessing of sorts. Through our misfortune, we may have developed some true and lasting relationships, learned we had some admirable qualities we didn't know we had, or discovered the meaning of courage. Today, if I am struggling. I will anticipate the wondrous surprise to come.

QOTW

Undoubtedly there are pictures on the walls in your home.
What's your favorite one? Why?

I keep changing my mind! LOL

Lemme just try this.

THIS WEEK my favorite one is the poster of Grand Central Station from the 1940's with ghost like people mixed in with the normies. LOL

I think it's the lighting and the exposure of the actual photo that gives it that effect--but it's just wonderful to stare at with all the bits and pieces to discover over and over again.

And this week, getting lost in a eye adventure and disconnecting from the brain is a wonderful thing! ;-)

Fairy Reminder

There is no way we can change what we did five minutes ago, nor can we predict what will happen half an hour from now. We can only deal with now.

By doing what needs to be done right now, we make the most of each present moment. As long as we are alive, we are always free to begin again. Instead of following an old, worn out habit, make a fresh start this moment on the rest of your life.

Fielding Evening's Light

TFTD

There will be times when other people will disappoint us - either intentionally or because of indifference or incompetence. If we have been counting on them, their nonperformance can cause us real anger and frustration.

Our growth, however, should teach us that such failures are part of life. While never losing trust in others, we must accept them as fallible people. Their mistakes and lapses come from the human shortcomings all of us have.

Our best course is to live without expecting too much from others. They are not here to please or satisfy us. It's possible, too, that we've been unrealistic in some of our expectations and have set ourselves up for disappointments.

Our personal responsibility is to do our best even when others fall short of our expectations. At the same time, we can grow by becoming more reliable and dependable ourselves.

We cannot use another's failure as an excuse for negligence on our part.

Frosty Flakes

Today's Reading

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.
-- Abraham Maslow

When we can take a long view of our problems, we can sometimes see that we're using inappropriate tools to try to solve them. What's necessary for us to do is to move away, to detach. That may show us a whole new context into which our problem fits, and in which it may not even be a problem.

Detachment is hard to achieve when we're deeply hooked into a situation. When we send ourselves drastic messages like "now or never!" we're pressing our noses right up against the problem - a position in which it's difficult to maintain a balanced view. To stop and say, "If not now, then perhaps some other time," unhooks us and lets us remember that life is richer and more varied than we thought when we were hooked.

Crisis thinking can be like a hammer - it flattens everything. This can be our way of trying to control the outcome of our individual struggle. But when we remember that we make up only small parts of one grand and beautiful design. We can surrender our problems to it.

Hardwired

Fairy Thought

When someone we care about is in distress, we may not know what to say. We'd like to make the hurt go away and set everything right, but we feel awkward and powerless.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give each other is our presence, our attention.

We know that each of us must find his or her own answers. There are many times when, much as we'd like to, we can't fix the problems of our friends, children, parents, or other family members. What we can do is show them by our presence that we care and are on their side. We can spend time with them or, if we're geographically separated, we can call or write. And we can be confident that the same Higher Power that supports us is also supporting those we love.

My presence today can make a positive difference to someone dear to me.

Beads Bulbs and Buttons

Leftover beads.

Leftover buttons.

Left over the window curtains.

........add a bit of beads to the leftover bulbs.

And I left 'em over the decorator rod thingy.

It'll stay cuz he said it was 'cute'.

*laughing*

Cute.

He's silly.

TFTD

It's important to feel all our emotions - jealousy, desire, anger, love, despair, and the taboo feelings. I know, feelings can be a pain in the neck. Feelings can make us feel ill. If we don't feel them, they don't go away. And it can take awhile to figure out what to do with them after we notice they're there. But the first step in dealing with them, is to feel them

Red with anger. Green with envy. Blue with sadness. The pink cloud of recovery. Go ahead. Pick a color.

But don't settle for only black and white. Value vibrant, colorful emotional health.

Huh......that was weird....

I met with the new boss all by my little lonesome today.
He mighta been a bit fearful....LOL.....I was not.

I've known him for a chunk of time. I'm good that he was chosen to be my boss. I have some baseline respect for him and I sorta kinda might trust his heart. (he'll earn/prove what I believe in due time, methinks)

I knew him years back from another place in time. I've just known him to be a decent fella.

He told me today he's 'excited' about getting to be a part of direct care again.

He also told me he was sure we'd do some growing together.
And then he asked what I needed from him.

It was tough for me to put that into concrete terms--given that it's been a whole week since he's been 'assigned' to me......(or I've been assigned to him, depending on which way you look at it).

I'm not sure what I need from him and I let him know that.

But I was able to describe the role that my previous boss played in my life--professionally and personally.

And I suggest that he might want to ASK about some individual, personal things--like my health for one. I don't volunteer that information and it's fair/right that he has that information. My ability to do my duties depends on that being shared forthright...and I don't always do that.

I also reiterated that I tend to look uncooperative when I'm not really.

And that I'm NOT a touchy feely person. AND that I like toys.

Oh--and that I like being a disruption and an agitator. LOL

All that earned me a laugh and the assurance that my reputation preceded me.

I think we'll be 'okay'.

Dunno.

I do know that I miss THE boss--we've been through some really, really, really life altering experiences. And there was some reliance built into that relationship after multiple years of working with each other.
I'll make sure he knows I miss him horribly.

And I'll adjust to the new one.........eventually......

We're off to a good start I think.

Now--if HE thinks that....I'd be amazed. LOL

This little light of mine

Daily Reading

It's time for me to realize that my attitude - toward the life I'm living and the people in it - can have a tangible, measurable and profound effect on what happens to me day by day. If I expect good, then good will surely come to me. And if I try each day to base my attitude and point of view on a sound spiritual foundation, I know it will change all the circumstances of my life for the better, too.

That'll teach me.......

I don't have to have an opinion.

Wow..now there's a novel idea.

I don't have to have an opinion.

Contempt prior to investigation really isn't something I need to practice. I thought that was one I'd kissed goodbye to long ago.

Notsomuch--or if I did, I opted to 'borrow' it for a chunk of time and I need to return it back to its rightful place.

I am not fond of meetings. And I'm even more un-fond of trainings. I get more of the same 'stuff' only it's called 'new and innovative' cuz there's a bit of a tweak to the module they're tossing into it.

Ain't new.

Ain't innovative.

I don't LIKE trainings -- mostly for this reason.

But.........
I enjoyed the leadership training today.

Seriously.

This one, I liked and I well needed to be there.

It was uncomfortable.

It required honest conversation about my part in a weak area, professionally.

I don't care that 73% felt appreciated. That's nice. I'm glad.
But it's the 27% that don't that I have a need to give some serious attention to.

And no, I don't need someone excusing me from my part in that by attributing it to "the 27%" and "you can't please all the people all the time".

It's not about 'pleasing' anyone, it's about making certain ALL people know their work, their efforts, their time, their investment is recognized and appreciated.

Fact is, four years ago those numbers were 87% /13%.

That disturbed me. I was sorta hoping I wasn't the only disturbed person in the bunch.

It got a bit awkward when my 'this is the truth about Mel' seemed to force a room full of folks into silent introspection......and in some cases denial and justification.

It got a bit twitchy when I said I wouldn't accept my own excuses and surely wasn't borrowing any either.

I don't feel good about going backwards. I don't 'buy' that it'll 'go in waves'.....

I have this stupid fear of looking.......mushy.
I know that gets in my way.

I'll think 'Oh, that was so cool and so loving.....' And I fail to say it out loud cuz I just know how......gakky that sounds.

I'd gotten better....and then I got worse.

I'll get better again--leastwise in the actions. But until I MOVE off that baseline belief and fear of looking STUPID and weak and gakky....... *sigh* It'll only be a temporary fix and we'll be right back where we've been before. Over and over and over again.

I needed the training to force the inventory taking in that area.
No surprises--I know me. And I have people around me who'll point out truth if I suddenly 'forget' what's true about me.

I'm pretty sure there are a few 'peers by profession' who'd like to dropkick me.

I suppose it was the:

"Yaknow--that excuse just doesn't work for me. If I let it, I'd be compromising my integrity and I'm just not willing to do that. I struggle to believe that you really want to compromise yours....."

I used that line more times today than I care to admit......Not because I needed to 'stick it' to anyone. I needed to 'stick it' to ME.

I take it back.

Not all trainings are 'stupid' and 'a waste of my time'.

I ain't telling the boss that though.

That'd be pushing it........

Reading from the Reading Fairy

Acknowledging our gratitude for the blessings in our life releases the happiness that we sometimes keep hidden within our heart. And happiness can be contagious. We all know people who are always bubbly, who always look on the bright side of events, who genuinely inspire happiness in us when we're around them. We, too, can serve as a catalyst for happiness in the lives of others.
Today, I will share gratitude with others.