OhI'mSOOOOExcited!!!!!

Look what himself found for me when he was clearing out some stuff from storage in the basement!!!!!!

AND there's a separate book with lists--of 'stuff' to find in the photos!

:-)

I........am so CHUFFED!

(there's a 'c' word......betcha it's not in the Ultimate Alphabook book....)

OH....but I betcha LLAMA is!

HA!!

<-- checked


'Cuse me while I go look for the llama.

OH......and the penguin!! :-)

Things that make me happy....

....hearing how good things are for other people in my life.

....the pile of 'stuff' from the holidays--put away.

....starting a new book --- and being grabbed by it.

....brand new mechanical pencils in funky colours (which don't include pink!).

....discovering I really DO need a new toy box. :-)

....*laughing* hearing himself hum the Llama Song.

....new 'not matching' socks. :-)

....36 degree temps after 2 weeks of sub-zero! Woohooo!!

Today's Fairy Thought

Do not worry about how the good that has been planned for you will come.

It will come.

Do not worry, obsess, and think you have to control it, go out hunting for it, or tangle your mind trying to figure out how and when it will find you.

It will find you.

Some moments you pull over and stop for....

And you capture only a glimmer of 'em....

But they're still well worth the pulling over.

Sleeping with Bread

The examen, based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius, helps a person hold onto what spiritually nourishes him by looking at what is giving him consolation in his life or causing him desolation. It allows someone to express his gratitude to God for the good stuff and turn to him for solace for the bad stuff.

I suppose I know the answers--I'm just not happy with them.

And I'm not about 'good P.R.' for G-d.
I don't always like the packages that life/G-d hands me.

I can get pissed off at G-d with the best of the rest....and when I'm there, I'm 'there'.

I think I'm 'there'.

Last night my prayer ended with....yeah, well, I can't repeat it.
Suffice to say, it wasn't very loving.
It woulda been more loving to end with 'but you know what I want'....that's not how it ended, either.

*sigh*

And somewhere in the darkness, between awake and asleep, I heard "My child is angry and that's okay."

I suppose.

That wasn't the answer I wanted, either.......

I find no solace in that, today......whatsoever.....

Today's Reading

I came to see the damage that was done and the treasures that prevail.
—Adrienne Rich

It takes great courage to face ourselves - to look honestly and fearlessly at our behavior, especially if we have done and said things we are not proud of. We may have caused a lot of sadness in our own and others' lives. It's not easy to look at.

But let's remember, too, that what we do and say is not all of who we are. And let's also look at the treasures in ourselves - those things we have said and done that have brought great comfort, joy, and love into the lives of others.

Beneath the negative parts of ourselves, deep within us, is a kernel of good. Let's look for that as well, and water it so it can grow - so we can grow into the persons we are meant to be.

What is the best part of me, and how can I share it today?

Not the usual Nana greeting.....

Still --cute.

But sickly.....poor thing....

Fairy Dusting

Joy is its own best reason.

Today's Icy Adventure

Lots of things happen on the river's edge.
It doesn't seem to matter what the weather--


Today's sub-zero weather didn't seem to bother the geese....


.....or the eagles....
.....or the deer....
....or the raccoons...
.... or the little weasle
(woulda thought he'da gotten around to hiding out by now.)
(and no, I'm not talking about he-who-must-drive-the-Jeep-while-Mel-snaps-photos.....*laughing*)

-13/-32

OKAY then.

Oh BABY it's cold outside....

That's okay.
I've checked on my piratey ice cubes and they're good.

k......well, they're frozen--which is good cuz that's what ice cubes are suppose to be, elsewise they'd be called watercubes.....which would be a bit difficult to remove AND maintain the cube shape.

BUT.
I'm going back out in that and blowing bubbles.....

BUT!!

The bubble blowing will be reserved for later this morning.
Cuz.

Cuz.....

.....wandering outside with just socks on my feeties is a bit dumb.
.....and it's dark?

TFTD

If you're waiting for things to be perfect, you'll wait forever. Instead, grab hold of what is here and now and find a way to make positive use of it.

Though your excuses for delaying may be very reasonable and impressive, those excuses won't move you forward. Circumstances will improve when you make the effort to improve them.

It's Friday.

k.....Yesterday I told the boss "The kids are stir crazy and WANT to go back to school....almost as badly as I want them to BE in school. I love playin' with 'em, don't get me wrong.....but I'm so far behind....don't even ask. I just need to tell ya--If there's 'no school' again tomorrow--I'm gonna cry...."


k.....
It's Friday.
There's a two hour delay for school because of the road conditions.
It's just a two hour delay.

I love my kiddos, really I do.
But......

THANK you G-d!!!!!!

Today's Fairy Reminder

The quickest, most accessible way to experience joy in this world is to give it to others.
Offer a sincere smile, a kind word, or a bit of assistance just because you can, and see how incredibly good it makes you feel.

..seriously....

Here's a llama, there's a llama and another little llama; fuzzy llama; funny llama; llama llama; duck; llama llama; cheesecake; llama; tablet; brick; potato; llama; llama llama; mushroom; llama llama llama; duck...

It's stuck.

*laughing laughing laughing!!*

Today's Reading

Certainly when you're contemplating the big, noticeable decisions, you make sure they align with your values and mission and personal purposes. But what about all the little momentary decisions you're constantly making?

Those seemingly small decisions have great power because there are so many more of them. And they're decisions you can often make without even thinking about them.

Those unthinking decisions are known as habits. A habit is a decision you make once that is carried out again and again.

Though each action done by habit may be small, the cumulative effect on your life can be enormous. The way to move your life in the direction you choose, is to make sure that all your many habits are working with you rather than against you.

Take the time and make the effort to align your habits with your values and purposes.

Ohhhhhh......

Lemme round up the spare change and see what I can afford......

I betcha Visa and Mastercard are accepted.

'Cuse me......

Sometimes I wander places and I'm....moved to say some things.
Sometimes I wander places and I'm silent. I know that's rare. I don't do 'silence' well. I enter, I roam around, I try to remember to introduce myself and ask permission to comment or remain.
Sometimes places I stumble in to seem.....well....private.

Most times I get this sense that there's something I can bring to the other people.
Sometimes, it's a sense of what that other person can also bring to me.

I don't suppose I always make it clear which happens where. I guess I've never felt compelled to make that compulsory. Maybe people don't care, or it's insignificant in the big scope of things?

Yesterday I went to a familiar 'hat hangin' place' to the question of 'why do you show up?'.
It was a humbly asked question.
I don't think I was prepared for it. I know I stumbled around, trying to make it make sense to the receiver. Leastwise it felt like stumbling.....

Really, I don't show up at places out of obligation.
It's rare that I do that in my life 'out here'.....it just doesn't happen in my life 'in here'.
True--I'm a creature of habit. True, I show up at predictable times, take my coffee--play a bit here and there......say what's true for me here and there--feast on life's happenings here, there and everywhere......and I move into what's in front of me.
That's not obligation for me--it's familiarity and 'home'. It's the familiarness of kind hearts, kindred spirits, the genuineness of those I've come to have a connectedness to. I'm just getting a 'daily dose' of a good thing.

If I had to explain it in universal terms, I'm not sure I could. Different places, different reasons--a connectedness that I cannot always place into words.....it's just where I land -- and it's a 'want to' landing, not a 'have to' landing.

I think there's multiple reasons the question still plagues me today.
I don't necessarily feel obligated to explain my presence anywhere--here or there... I go where I'm led to go, where I'm brought to, where I'm moved to go or stay or BE.
It's that simple for me.
Not that it's 'simply understood'. I don't suspect that the masses would 'get it'.
I think there's some degree of importance to ME understanding...and me only.

But I have this strange deal going with 'here'.

I don't need an audience.
I didn't start with one--I don't expect one. It's a joyous celebration that, on occasions, I have one.
What's important is 'there' and 'here'....
Okay. That sounds strange and in direct conflict to some of what I put into black and white in this same piece of garbled up mess that only I'll understand--which is exactly why HERE has been significant to me in the first place.......

LOL

Okay. So it bugs you that you were asked the question and struggled to put it into words.
Wait.
It bugs you that you were asked the question and struggled to put it into words that others would 'understand'.
Ain't about them understanding Mel--it's about YOU getting it.

I get it.

:-)

Wooohoooo.....I GET it!!

Focus Fairy

Stop worrying about what you're not getting done. Focus on being effective at what you're doing right now.
Fretting and complaining that there's not enough time will only waste more of your time. Just take one task, let go of your thoughts about everything else, and get it finished.

At any point in time, you're either focused on one thing or focused on another. It is always your choice to make.

When the distractions entice you to lose focus, remind yourself that you can always indulge in them later. And get right back to the work at hand.

Things that make me happy

....the digital keyring the bug gave me for a prezzie.

....bug 'happy noises' as she wakes up and plays. (sheeshhhh...I'm such a Nana!)

....finding a bib in the laundry. (OH darn, I'll just haffta make a trip to return it!)

....above zero temperatures.

....weeding through photos of adventures. (digital ones of course...LOL)

....hearing the 'puter fan come on. (silly thing overheated...)

....the stacking snowman toy. :-)

....OH!! and winning a prezzie to pass forward!!!!

Today's Fairy Reading

What does it mean to take care of myself emotionally?

I recognize when I'm feeling angry, and I accept that feeling without shame or blame.
I recognize when I'm feeling hurt, and I accept those feelings without attempting to punish the source of my pain.
I recognize and feel fear when that emotion presents itself.
I allow myself to feel happiness, joy, and love when those emotions are available.

Taking care of myself means I've made a decision that it's okay to feel.
Taking care of my emotions means I allow myself to stay with the feeling until it's time to release it and go on to the next one.

I recognize that sometimes my feelings can help point me toward reality, but sometimes my feelings are deceptive.
They are important, but I do not have to let them control me.
I can feel, and think too.

I'm open to the lessons my emotions may be trying to teach me.
And after I feel, accept, and let go of the feeling, I ask myself what it is I want or need to do to take care of myself.