Friday, July 24, 2020

A TIME OF REFLECTION






For me writing has not only been a joy but has also been a kind of catharsis…a way to get “out” what I’m feeling, what I’m thinking.  It has been one of the few things in my life that I tell myself I can do “pretty well” (not great but “not so bad”).  I sometimes write just for the fun of it (like this blog), but sometimes I write because I can’t put my thoughts into words any other way.  



On a day-to-day basis my thoughts go off into so many different tangents, I can’t count them…they jump all over the place so much so that I wonder how I stay sane (if I am sane, that is!)  I have often asked myself if I have developed ADD in my old age and just can’t focus on one thought at a time, or perhaps my brain is just really good at multi-tasking in the thinking process!  Even when I pray I may begin to pray for someone or some thing and my mind will go off on a tangent thinking about the person or thing I’m praying for.  I’ve asked God to please just go along with me and know that I will get back to Him when those thoughts pass!!!




So why am I writing all this TODAY?  I think it’s because I need a “brain dump”…I just need to think write through some things going on in my head.  I won’t be writing about all the political and environmental things going on in our country right now…although those things greatly trouble me.  I am journaling about them, however, just so I can have it all to look back on someday, or perhaps for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to read in the future and understand what perhaps they never knew or experienced.  I won’t tackle political problems on my blog ever…just too controversial, plus I get so mad I could spit (and I hate abhor spitting!)  But this has been a week of revelations for me, as well as a week of remembering and reflection…some good, some bad.  This will more than likely not be of interest to anyone…and I imagine some of my “few” readers will have stopped reading long before getting to this point.  And, that’s OK.  I am writing this mostly for myself…that catharsis that I need, and also to have it to look back on from time to time.

So…here goes!

I learned some lessons this week, or at least was reminded of some things that I should remember and think about more often:

1.  I was reminded that life is many things for many people!  Life can be joyful, sad, easy, difficult, complicated, exciting, hurtful, amazing, earth-shattering…and so much more.  I keep reminding myself of something I’ve often read or heard:  Life is not what happens to you, but how you choose to deal with what happens.  (Sometimes I deal rather well, I guess..but other times I’m a total mess!)



2.  I realized more than ever that just because someone or some family looks (and acts) like they have EVERYTHING…money, power, recognition, a big house, fine clothes, a 3 car garage, etc….they just might not have IT ALL.  I realized this more than once this week.  I realized that many if not most people/families have skeletons in their closet, secrets that they wish were not theirs to (try and) keep, heartaches that they wish they didn’t have to endure.  This week I was reminded that I need to count my blessings more than ever.





3.  I also realized this week that not everyone is exactly who we think they are.  We would all probably really be surprised at the number of people we know or are acquainted with that wear different masks (not talking about the Corona masks here).  I probably wear some too…maybe we all do.  Sometimes those masks are even necessary.  This has made me think a lot this week about how I should never judge someone (and, yes, that’s a human frailty and I’m guilty) because I may not know their whole story.  I also caught myself wanting to tell some people they should never think they are better than anyone else (but I refrained!!!)



4.  I’ve come to accept this week that Alzheimer’s is no longer just a disease I’ve “heard about” but am coming face to face with due to my dear, dear friend’s illness.  And it hurts…it hurts really, really, really bad!



5.  I learned this week that even when you are 71 years old (or older), you can still discover old secrets that were right under your nose but you never knew them…and that learning them can hurt…a 
lot!


6.  And finally I’ve learned that my wonderful, macho, sometimes gruff, sometimes “I just don’t get it” husband, can still surprise me (even after 50 years of marriage) with his level of understanding and compassion. 


There are still so many thoughts whirling around in my head…sometimes I really do wish I weren’t such a “thought-ful” (full of thought) person!!!  But I’ve said written enough for now.  Maybe (I hope) that putting this all down in words will help me get my emotions more together.  I continue to be so very thankful for my high school English teacher, Mrs. Cleveland, who instilled in me a love of writing and for giving me the confidence to be a life-long writer.  And I am so thankful that about 3 years ago I wrote her a letter telling her THANK YOU. 

So there it is…if anyone has read this and it has helped YOU to make any realizations in your life or helped you to learn any new lessons, then I’m very happy about that.  If not, it was good to “let it out”…and to my grandchildren and future great-grands, if you ever read this always remember...


*No matter how old you are, there are always life lessons to be learned.
*Your problems are no bigger than anyone else’s…yours may even be smaller.
*Everyone has their own story, so never be quick to judge.
*And never, ever think you are better than anyone else.  (If you do, I will come back to haunt you!)

May God bless us all, may God bless the United States of America, may peace and love come back into our world.

Friday, July 17, 2020

WHAT'S UP???




My answer…not much!!!  Isolation is still keeping us somewhat “isolated”…although we are going out more than before WITH MASKS.  I am so totally confused as to whether I should wear one or not, but we have opted to do so with the attitude “better safe than sorry”.  Everything is soooo POLITICAL these days…I don’t know WHO or WHAT to believe. 

Of course I had to have a CHERRY mask!


So…what has been going on in my neck of the woods???  Nothing really interesting but I needed to post about something, so here goes.

We went to the beach AMELIA ISLAND/FERNANDINA BEACH, FLORIDA for a few days.  We social distanced on the beach which was actually no problem since there really weren’t that many people around us.  When we went out to eat, we mostly ate outside and the waiters/waitresses wore masks.  We did a little bit of shopping and every store had a MASK REQUIRED sign, so we complied.  We mostly sat on the balcony and just enjoyed relaxing with the sounds of the waves.  I didn’t realize just how much I needed that!!!  I do love the sound of the ocean!!!



I finally got around to asking my wonderful husband to complete this project for me.  Isn’t it great???  I had bought the old frame awhile back at a thrift store and got the idea from PINTEREST…of course!!!


I had a birthday earlier this month.  Am I really 71????  I think my birth certificate is surely wrong!  As my (92) year old mother said when she turned 80:  “My body tells me I’m this age, but my brain tells me I’m a lot younger😊  I am blessed, however, that for now my body is in relatively good health and for that I’m so grateful.  Guess years of walking have probably helped!


We went to our local fireworks show on the 4th.  It was really a very good display this year.  We sat in the back of hubby’s pickup in the middle of a pasture to watch.  Yep…it’s small town redneck life but I wouldn’t want it any different.  The big city is NOT for us!!!




And, as usual, I’ve been involved in taxi service carting my granddaughter to cheer practice or wherever else she needs to go.  I also oversaw her summer school work as she took an honors course online.  That girl sure keeps me busy…and I love every minute😊
That’s my girl on top…she’s a FLIER.

We also started back to church.  THANK YOU, JESUS.  We are meeting outside on our breezeway.  Some of us drive up and sit in our golf carts for the 9:00 service with a later service on the radio.  Our pastor says he’s so thrilled to have an actual congregation to preach to even though we are small in number.  But it feels so good to see some of my church family.  A small group of us ladies are meeting on Sundays this month for special prayer time for our country.  I feel so helpless as what to do these days, but I can at least pray…I’ve been knocking on God’s door a whole big bunch lately!!!


Well, if you got this far I guess I didn’t bore you so much you fell asleep.  Hopefully, life will one day (sooner than later) get back to some semblance of normality and there will be more exciting things to write about.  WHAT HAVE ALL OF YOU BEEN UP TO?  If you’ve done any good projects, let me know because I am projected-out and I need a new one!  Stay safe, everyone!
“Isn’t ‘not to be bored’ one of the principal goals of life?”

― Gustave Flaubert