Jazzy

Introverted

I have always been more of an introvert than an extrovert. This is somewhat unusual in a Leo. Most people are rather surprised that I am a Leo because I am such an introvert. I would much rather be alone with my thoughts than in the center of a crowd of people.

Happy

Here are some random thoughts on 'happy:'

God wants us to be happy.
Don't worry, be happy!
I want to be happy, but I won't be happy, til I make you happy too!
I could be happy!
Walking happy!
Happiness is as a butterfly, which when pursued is always beyond our grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.

Graceful

Monday's child is fair of face,

Tuesday's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go,

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day

Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

This is a traditional fortune-telling poem that supposedly tells a child's character or future based on the day of the week on which they were born.

I was born on a Tuesday. I am full of grace.

I don't particularly think of myself as graceful in the physical sense. Nor am I clumsy.

But looking at the word 'grace' I find that its meaning resonates strongly with my experience of life. I've enjoyed a great deal of good favor. Choosing to focus on its positive aspects, I find a wealth of beauty, good will, mercy, and moral strength (all definitions of grace). Most of all, I see the Love of God throughout. What could be more graceful than that?

Fanciful

Wednesday Hodgepodge 02/23/11

 There is a link to the originating blog, "From This Side of the Pond," to the left....

1. Did you know there is a National Day of pretty much everything in the universe? February 23 happens to be National Inconvenience Yourself Day...when was the last time you were inconvenienced?

Because I don't have a car, I feel I am inconvenienced every single day I have to leave my house, which is pretty much every day unless I choose to become a recluse! So, I decided a while back to treat my tolerance of that inconvenience as a badge of honor. It sure helps me get my exercise, since I have to walk everywhere! 

More often than not, being inconvenienced is a matter of your outlook on the situation.

2. When a room in your house needs painting who does the job?

If it's a small room, I'll tackle it. But soaring spaces, that require a tall ladder, call out for a professional, in my opinion. Or at least someone who is not me.

3. Are you friends with your cousins?

Yes! I am friends with some of my cousins. Others are more distant, but I love them all.

4. Do you use an alarm clock? If yes-is it an actual alarm, music, or something else?

I do use one, but normally awaken before it goes off. Drat! It's an annoying little escalating beeping thing. I prefer waking to music.

5. What do you put ketchup on?

Funny you should ask! Usually, I save ketchup for cheeseburgers, fries and onion rings.

Just last night, I had a hankering for ketchup with the meatloaf we were having. This grossed out my son, who nevertheless proceeded to douse his mashed potatoes in ketchup. This in turn grossed out my daughter, but then again she puts ketchup on hot dogs, which grosses me out! 

6. What smells make you nostalgic?

Scents of the seaside remind me of my childhood.

7. Have you heard about the high school English teacher recently suspended as a result of some things she wrote in her personal blog? You can read the story here but in a nutshell she vented a lot of frustration onto her blog. She didn't mention individual students by name but she did make some harsh comments about kids in general and their parents.

What are your thoughts-If you're a parent is your child's teacher online and are you 'friend' or 'follower' there? If you're a teacher are you on facebook and do you accept or friend students on fb? How about their parents? If you're a student are you friends with your current or former teachers online? Do any of them have blogs you read? If you're a teacher or a parent do you ever use your blog as a place to vent your frustrations with our educational system? So much to discuss...

I think it's fine to be friends with my children's former teachers, but I'd rather keep it professional while they are teaching my kids. I think teachers do have a responsibility to not vent their frustrations about students in a public forum.  That said, I wish more teachers used online resources to provide information about what is happening in their classrooms. In my experience this is an under-utilized tool.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

A friend just sent me an email about the incredible healing properties of asparagus. Who knew?

Ebullient

Now the heart sings....a song of joy. Standing on the mountaintop in Iceland, gazing upon a wondrous, glorious scene spread out as far as my eye could see, I felt my heart sing with joy. I felt the grace of the place. I felt like belting out a tune! Instead, I spread my arms wide, faced the wind, and grinned a huge grin! I was alone, but for once did not feel at all lonely. I felt only joy, joy at being alive, joy at being one of God's children, pure bliss. It is an unforgettable memory, one of my top ten for sure.

Discerning

It occurred to me that something I value highly is insight. I seek first to understand, then to be understood. I feel I am not truly alive unless I am seeking insight into some aspect of living. That is just who I am. 
I also aspire to having good judgment. Paradoxically, in my view having good judgment entails not judging others. Or, at least, judging others with  kindness and mercy. We're all God's children.

Capable

There really is no end to my abilities. Yes, I know I will never be a ballerina, and it's unlikely I could climb Mount Everest. Honestly, one great thing about aging is the discernment we bring to bear on our dreams. We don't stop dreaming, we just (hopefully) choose more wisely. In the end, I am capable of achieving my dreams. I simply need to choose my dreams wisely.

Bountiful

There is so much abundance in my life. I am so very grateful for all of it.  Let me now take a moment to thank God for all of it. Even the "bad" stuff, for that is where I find my greatest learning opportunities. And where would I be without that?

Alert

I love waking up in the morning! I awaken each morning with fresh hope for a good, God-given day.
Generally, once I wake up, that's it, I'm up for the day. I rarely turn over to snooze. I can't wait to get the day started. Sure, there are exceptions to this. But usually, I am happy to get out of bed and get going. Maybe that's because I am blessed with an easy, happy lifestyle at this stage of my life. In that case, I am aware of how lucky I am. Still, I have always been more of a lark than an owl. I am alert in the morning.

Love, Me

To love one's self is a lifelong journey. It is a skill, and it is an art. There are myriad opportunities for honing this skill. We ignore the opportunities at our peril. There is a self-fulfilling aspect to it as well. For, as we practice loving our selves, we are more able to give love out to the world. And that, in turn, brings love back in to our selves. I don't mean on an individual basis; that is, I don't expect love in return from the person to whom I give love. It is Universal Love of which I speak. Just as goodness is its own reward, the "reward" for loving others is ......more love for our selves. Get it?

Wednesday Hodgepodge

There is a link to the originating blog to the left.

1. What is more important-doing what you love or loving what you do?

'Loving what you do' holds more importance for me. I believe in being present, in giving attention to the task, no matter how small. I aspire to live that belief, although I may not always achieve it. 'Doing what you love' is wonderful, although not always practical. Better to learn to love what you do.

Also: "Before enlightenment, carry water, chop wood. After enlightenment, carry water, chop wood." Bringing your awareness (love) to any endeavor can also deepen your experience of living.

2. Do you like bleu cheese?

Yes, please, the 'stinkier' the better!

3. What is the most difficult emotion for you to handle?

If you define emotion as 'feeling in motion,' then I would have to say fear is the most difficult for me. I think that is mostly because fear tends to paralyze me. My fear stops me from doing things I want to do. Ultimately, fear is the one thing holding me back from living out my greatest dreams. 

4. Fresh flowers or a box of chocolate? 

Fresh flowers are a feast for the heart.

5. What's a song you love that has the word 'love' in its title? It doesn't have to be a 'love song'. 

Oh! I was just thinking of this song the other day! 

"Let's Fall In Love" 

6. Are you the person you wanted to be when you grew up?

No. See #3 above.

7. Any special Valentines Day plans?

My family and I will be on a mini-break in Iceland! We're excited about exploring a bit of that beautiful place. I think we'll be spending the day taking a super-Jeep tour of the glaciers and waterfalls in the area surrounding Reykjavik.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

With God, all things are possible.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

There is a link to the Wednesday Hodgepodge, whence these questions came, to the left.

1. Would you rather be seen as a person who did their duty or forged their own path?

I subscribe to the thought "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." Thus, in any given situation, what matters more to me than how others see me, is whether I understand the rightness of my choice to either do my duty or forge my own path. In any case, I also don't think the two are mutually exclusive. On the contrary, I often feel it is my duty to forge my own path! (Have I successfully wriggled out of giving a straight answer on this one?)

2. This week's Wednesday Hodgepodge happens to fall on Groundhog's Day. In keeping with that theme, if you could have a do-over of any one day out of the last seven, which day would it be and why. If you haven't seen the movie Groundhog Day this question will make absolutely no sense but that's okay....you can answer anyway.

Hmmm...if I had a do-over, I would have skipped going to London's largest shopping mall last Saturday. I am not a huge fan of malls anyway, and it was just way too crowded. I spent the whole time feeling vaguely irritated and slightly claustrophobic. And the store which was our destination was closed for renovations!!


3. Hot cocoa...yay or nay on the marshmallows?

Yay!

4. Do you wear makeup every day? What are the top two must haves in your daily makeup routine?

I do not wear makeup every day, although I probably should. I just can't be bothered, and where I live, there is slim chance I will run into anyone I know!
I usually wear it on the weekend, when my husband is around, so I look pretty for him.
The top two must haves? Moisturizer with SPF, and lip gloss!

5. Is it more important to you in a relationship to be loved or understood?

Another quote: "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."
I think the two go hand in hand. That is, love encompasses understanding, as well as transcending it. Even so, my husband doesn't have to understand why I like things "just so," but it helps that he loves me, including that part of me that likes things "just so."

6. Parsley sage rosemary or thyme... your favorite?

Nice question! My favorite for cooking is thyme, but my favorite for rubbing and then smelling my fingers is rosemary!

7. What do you do when you feel angry?

Depends on the situation. Usually I give myself a time-out, in order to calm down and deal with the anger in an appropriate manner.
That sounds so mature. Sometimes I just yell.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My random thought is a prayer for the healing of a person I don't even know, but whose blog I was introduced to recently. She is a 38 year old mom of two who suffered a stroke last month. You can see her blog here ....

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee!

Acceptance is key. When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself, "I love and accept myself just as I am today." That does not mean there is no room for improvement! An excellent cup of coffee can always be enhanced by a new flavoring or a dollop of this or a pinch of that. In this scenario, you are the cup of coffee. Enjoy yourself, drink in the richness of you, reflect on your boldness, sip on your individuality. And have a biscuit.