05/31/2023

Today, a day of happenings . . .

Off to the dentist at  pre-dawn. 

My thought was, "Don't like the 

dentist no how, so may as well get 

it over with a la down and dirty!"

Alas, we tend to leave the cabin

seldom, so why not do a grocery

shop?! And while we're at it, a

taco or two somewhere might be

just the ticket.

At home, post dental fears ahoy

means I need a treat. I'm only a 

kid after all. Methinks coffee ice 

cream would be perfect. Praise 

God from whom all blessings 

flow, there's no one to remind me

I'm not old enough to have coffee. 

What?! Ice cream for breakfast?! 

No way in hell that would fly!

A rather fun thing with which to 

end the day, the month . . . this

eve marks the end my 30-day 

promise of no drinks. I ever and

always appreciate that it turns 

out to be no big deal to give it

up from time to time.

I'm out of here . . . on my search

for some serious sinning. 'Tis a

going to the dentist requirement,

make no mistake!

05/30/2023

"There is a woman I want to 

be and until I reach that point,  

I have work to do." ~Unknown

One of the most amazing truths

I've ever come upon was finding 

out I'm still not there . . . 

 . . . wherever there is.

I've always questioned life, its

various meanings, purposes,

realities. Thought I'd have it all

figured out by now. Not so . . .

imagine my surprise!

One of the things that intrigues

me . . . I have more questions 

than answers. And yes, I realize

I'm among those many oldsters

who have said this.

Soooo . . . 

"Who do we ask? Who knows 

the answers? Who's been there, 

done that? Who can inform, tell, 

teach?"

My guess would be those elders

present in any tribe. I imagine

they have many an unanswered

question themselves.

Is this 'it'? Is this what life's all

about? Learning to question? 

Never getting the answers?

To quote my nephew Daniel . . .

"I'm confused, I'm going to bed!"

05/29/2023 - Memorial Day

Memorial Day, a federal holiday

in the United States for honoring 

and mourning the U.S. military 

personnel who died while serving

in the United States Armed Forces

from 1868 to 1970. Wikipedia

I fear Memorial Day has become

more of a time of family picnics 

rather than an honoring of our lost 

forefathers. Not quite sure how I

feel about that.

It is well worth remembering that

we are who we are today because

of them. Alas, 'tis easy to forget.

Albeit Memorial Day or Veterans 

Day, and/or my own feelings re

d) all of the above, I honor those

who have served. I am from a

military family and I will ever

and always honor mine own.

FAMILY MILITARY SERVICE:

FINO: Nicholas (Army), Bishop 

(Marines)

HOSKINS: Michael (Army)

JENNINGS: Samuel, Chester, 

Mervin, Stanley, Gene  (Army)

KAUFHOLTZ: Gerald (Air Force),

Melvin (Army), Russel (Marines),

ZAK (Navy)

KUKKONEN: Tony (Navy)

LEECH: Jesse (Marines)

MACLEOD: Jacob (Army)

MCGUINNESS: Ryan (Air Force)

SEYMOUR: Mike (Navy)

SHOVER: James (Navy)

VEATCH: Delton (Army), Homer

(Navy), Morris (National Guard),

Ray (Air Force), Shaun (Navy)

Veterans Day, a federal holiday

in the US observed annually on

November 11, honoring military

veterans of the US armed forces.

Wikipedia

05/28/2023

They, We and I

I'm ever so fortunate that I was 

able to know my grandparents 

well on both sides of the family.

My grandparents were WWI, my

parents WWII and I was Viet Nam.

I mention this for time placement

reasons. 

I do come from a heavy military 

background on both sides of the 

family, per se. I can only imagine 

the vast horror they must have felt 

as I  participated in bra burnings as

well as anti-Viet Nam war demos.

In this instance, I find myself 

pondering our people values from

each of these times. 

My grands as I tend to think of 

them, were all about THEY . . . 

 . . . "They need us, we will go to

their rescue. They have issues we 

can help with, so we will be there."

My perception of my parents era is

WE . . . 

 . . . "We are all one; let us help each

other. We will be over this weekend

to help with the apple picking and 

hopefully, you can come in a couple

of weeks to harvest our grapes."

It seems to me that my own time and

place is is heavily sprinkled with I . . .

 . . . "I have plans to travel this fall.

I intend to build a summer cabin for

some fun partying. I need my solitude,

my alone time."

I actually don't find anything wrong

with any of these. Still, my wistful

thinking tends toward an interlacing,

a melding of the three, a kind of

heaven on earth, if you will.

A balance would need to be sought.

Nonetheless, a time for they, we and

I could only add the wondrous to

wonderful . . .

Thoughts?

05/27/2023

Ever and always those hellos and

goodbyes . . . both to prep for one

way or the other . . .

I love the whole getting ready part.

Clean the house, change the sheets,

wash the last of the dishes, set the 

table, buy some fun food and maybe 

even cook a bit. 

I actually find myself getting more

and more excited as I finish one self-

assigned task after another. Sooooo

love that feeling . . .  "Company is

coming!"

It's especially wondrous when all

goes according to plan. You know,

nothing burned, the ice cream is

actually frozen, the food is perfect.

Then there's that amazing time 

when your friends surprise you 

w/dinner already made, the food

scrumptious, the afters perfect and

thoughts of a warm fire and lots 

of tales told out of school.

Looking back, I love those perfect

memories of little friends, adventures,

sleepovers, telephone calls. And now

today, I find myself most grateful I 

have a couple of sweet friends I can 

do all the same things with.

Life is good . . . methinks true

friendship is heaven on earth!

05/26/2023

"Grandma was 72 and didn't look

a day over 90." ~Janet Evanovich

Alas, methinks Janet may actually 

be talking about moi this 'round.

To one degree or another, we all

make some kind of effort to look

alright if not down right good. I

find 'tis only the gods who know

for sure. 

In my trad black, back and knee

braces on, I'm ready to party, may

even dance. And by dance, I mean

hit Safeway for the groceries I

forgot to buy at SAMS.

The thing I most love about aging

is learning to accept it for the gift

that it is. Remember the alternative

and it won't be an issue. Within the

confines of the obvious, not caring

so much about things that used to

be ever so important is also a gift.

So today, I'm enjoying coffee by

the fire, indulging in a new book

and sneaking a fruit plate.

Wow! So much fun . . . I dearly

love that one of aging's most

powerful gifts is that the small

things matter!

05/25/2023

"Note to self: All you have to 

do is show up. Be late. Be scared. 

Be a mess. Be weird. Be confused. 

Just BE there. You'll figure out the

rest as you go." ~Nanea Hoffman

I do know this bit of wisdom. Now,

following it is an entirely different

matter. I'm never late, but count me

in on scared, mess, weird, confused!

We all prefer to think, as we grow

older, that we've go this . . .  this

being all those things more difficult

to deal with from our younger years.

And, I would say for the most part

we all do pretty well. Alas, other

fears take their place . . . "How am 

I handling my elder years? My knee

still pains me terribly and I fell on it

six weeks ago. Am I losing my mind,

my memory? And, what's with all

this flatulence?!"

No, I'm not complaining, although 

may sound like it! Aging R O C K S! 

What's that old adage about a gift 

denied to many?! One just worries 

about being able to handle all those 

pesky deets that come with said gift!

Praise the gods no cain is needed yet.

Still, have to wonder why I've bought

six different ones I've liked at antique

stores. Go figure!

My fave look is that brace 'round 

heretofore mentioned knee nigh

onto reaching the hem of my mini

skirt!!!

05/24/2023

"Excuse me while I colour 

outside the lines. I've never 

been very good at staying 

inside of the box." 

~Stacie Martin

 

Methinks 'twas a good day

when the box was invented!

How else would we have

ever known just where to

find ourselves in order to

enjoy life at its fullest?!

My outside the box has

given me such amazing

experiences. HS in three

years, leaving home at 15.

Living, loving, bearing my 

children, building a home,

teaching in Olde Mexico 

for 20 years . . . now that's

outside the box!

Confession here . . . giving

away all my earthly goods

and moving into a 135 year

old cabin has been, not an

experience of a lifetime, but

THE experience of my life!

Must tell tales out of school

on this one at some point!

Still, I so enjoyed teaching 

23 years here in the U.S. 

My Mexican students were

a sweet segway from a life

I had loved to a new life I

was learning to enjoy.

Spring has finally arrived . . .

and I fully intend to see just 

what mischief I can dream 

up to get into. 

There absolutely must be a 

few naughties I can  get into

even at 100 plus years of age.

Pray, send suggestions . . .

05/23/2023

"Within you, there is a stillness

and a sanctuary to which you

can retreat at anytime and be

yourself." ~Hermann Hesse,

Siddhartha

How easily one forgets this

knowledge, this inner knowing

we all have. 'Tis a saving grace

that's been gifted us and we

simply forget its value and/or

to use it.

I know a couple of women 

who can actually still their 

souls when at a party or in a 

crowd. I so need to learn this 

bit of magic. I can do this pretty 

well when in a crowded market 

place with people I don't know. 

Alas, I find I am unable to do 

so when with family or friends.

Bottom line, I believe we tend

to forget our inherent need for

solitude and quiet. It's simply 

part of the mix. Our personal

needs span a vast distance . . .

We need family time, friends,

that bit of a party. We also need

quiet time. As a kid, my parents

were wise enough to give me

quiet time. Initially, I thought it

to be a kind of punishment. Not

so! 'Twas a true gift and how I

thank them for it.

 - - -

Hermann Karl Hesse was a German-

Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. His

best known works include Demian,

Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, and The

Glass Bead Game, each of which

explores an individual's search

for authenticity, self-knowledge

and spirituality. In 1946, he

received the Nobel Prize in

Literature. 1877 - 1962 Wikipedia

05/22/2023

"It ain't a race; take a space."   

~Michael Weist, SH285

Driving home today, we were

surrounded with such beauty

it was difficult to take it all in.

One of the delights of SH285

is you get to enjoy so many

different geological changes

in just a couple of hours.

We enjoyed plains, foothills,

mountains . . . all decorated

in blues, distinct cloud 

formations and all dancing 

in the rain and breeze.

There were countless bison 

and buffalo. We saw Black

Angus covering entire acres.

The calves were the cutest

E V E R! There were horses,

dogs and cats in the domestic

arena.

I swear, nervous wreck that 

I often am, I spent a delightful

and peaceful weekend that 

soothed my very soul.

Me thinks S285 needs to be

renamed, Heaven, and I need

to get my ass up there as often

as possible!

I'm promising myself a trip in

June, no matter what . . .

05/21/2023

One of the things I quite like in

Spanish is the distinction 'twixt

and 'tween . . .

amar y querer,  love and like.

The rule of thumb is that you

only love people and like things.

"I just love Anne; I like her 

interesting conversations. She

loves her man; methinks she

likes his car even better. They

love each other ever so much'

they like each other's company."

Whereas in English, we tend

to mix and match as we jolly

well feel at the moment . . .

"I just love your hair. I like

my neighbors a lot. Would

sure love to go out to eat w/

you guys. I love Mexican

food."

Obviously we don't love all

people in either language, so

how is that handled?!

In Spanish we say something

like, "´El me cae bien." which

is loosely translated, "He rubs 

me just the right way." May

not quite work in English, but

still allows for like vs. love

usage.

Obviously, there's no need to

get all tangled up in rules, but

I'd still rather say, "I love you

and quite like your blueberry

pancakes." rather than the other

way 'round . . .

 . . . right?!

05/20/2023

It's so different out here on the

plains. One truly doesn't seem

to be in Colorado.

I do love looking as far as the

eye can see. There is a not so

gentle wind blowing reminding

us who's boss! And, then comes

the rain. Naught gentle about it

either.

No electric or tech available.

One must entertain the mind

via conversation and reading.

Ever so glad I enjoy both. Still

as daylight dims, I must have

some thought as to how I can

read without the amenities.

Sooooo not going  to happen!

The towns out here are small.

I find them interesting. I'd 

rather enjoy going into the 

local market or even the pub. 

Can't help but wonder what 

they would be like.

Methinks a walk, pre wind 

and rain, is in order. Sweet 

little rocks to be found and 

God only knows how I love 

them.

Alas, I won't be able to go

far. That whole 100 years 

old thing is most likely to 

kick in. Stil, naught wrong

with a short walk.

So loving the sunrises and

sunsets out here. They're 

so different from what we

are used to.

Isn't it interesting how we

find beauty no matter where

we are?!

Feeling blest . . .

05/19/2023

"When did you stop dancing?

When did you stop singing?

When did you stop being 

enchanted by stories?

When did you stop being 

comforted by sweet silence?"

~Gabrielle Roth

Author Gabrielle Roth tells us

that the Shamanic answer to

depression lies sussing out the 

above questions. Certainly,

something to think about.

In my case, I think I haven't

danced since I turned 40. I

really don't get the cutoff date

as I used to love to dance.

The father of my children and 

I were a duet in Mexico for 

nigh onto 20 years. We even 

sang on the local television

stations. We sang for church,

parties, gatherings . . . and 

I don't think I've sung since 

returning to the U.S.

Speaking of music, I used to

play the piano for song service

in Mexico and I don't think I've

played the piano since I came

back to the U.S.

At least I have never, ever lost

interest in stories of any kind

and silence is still my best 

friend. Two out of four . . .

Doesn't that mean I'm halfway

there?!

Methinks there may be a certain

amount of unavailable energy

for song and dance. I have an

idea . . . I'll just double up on

the stories and silence and I'll

be right on top again!!!

05/18/2023

"she was strong,

but her heart was weary."

~Nausicaa Twila

There are times when I feel

Nausicaa Twila has absolutely

hit the nail on the head!

A poet I much admire, she only

writes in lower case letters as if 

to underplay her passion for all

things.

I have always thought of myself

as strong. Still there are days . . .

And, today is one of those days.

My heart is indeed weary and 

I don't particularly find or feel

any strength left.

Promise, cross my heart, I'm so

not complaining or feeling sorry

for myself. It's just I get that I'm

exhausted and need to rest.

Alas, at my age, I don't always

awaken too refreshed and ready

to rattle! 

Can't help but wonder if being 

nigh onto a hundred entitles me 

to read all day!

Bottom line . . . any excuse will

do and I do have a library of 

some 8,000 books.

Methinks I need to read faster!

05/17/2023

"All journeys have secret

destinations of which the

traveler is unaware."

~Martin Buber

Don't know about you, but 

I bought into the Cinderella

story utterly and completely

as a child.

I had my life planned from 

the cradle to the grave, as my

mother used to tell people. 

I thought of it as . . .

. . . The Cinderella Formula.

School, college, marriage, 

kids, work, retirement . . . 

and NO SIDE ISSUES along 

the way!

Frankly, looking back, I'm so

thankful that the cookie cutter

life style wasn't for me. I am

sooooo NOT with you Cindy!

My life has been so interesting!

Yes, complex, and both painful 

and joyful. Still, methinks 'tis

as it should be.

I'd raise a glass, but not drinking

this month . . . oh well!

05/16/2023

I have about decided I am 

pregnant what with all the 

cravings I've been having!

I always take off three mo

a year from drinks of any 

kind. May is one of those 

months. 

I'm just fine, don't miss my

wine and margs at all. Still, 

seems I've simply changed 

one thing for another.

Virgin Marys, ice cream,

waffles and pancakes . . .

need I go on?!

Who said, "To err is human."

Think it was Alexander Pope.

But surely, he meant . . .

"To crave is human?"

Well, don't know about you,

but I'm having ice cream for

breakfast.

Salud!

05/15/2023

trash: something worth little or

nothing; things that are no longer

useful or wanted and that have

been thrown away; junk, rubbish

Living where we do, I see trash

by the side of the road marked

free. I'm reminded of that old

proverb, "One man's trash is 

another man's treasure."

I like it! A lot easier than putting

together a garage sale. The trash

man doesn't have to pick it up

and someone gets something

they can use. 

On the news, I see images of

what's going on in lands afar.

In my heart of hearts, I just

know they could live on what

this affluent nation discards.

Something to think about.

Obviously, we're not going 

to solve our trash issues here.

Still, methinks we should each

give some thought to what we

are discarding.

Is this still good? Could it be 

of use to someone? Is this 

something I could donate to the 

Goodwill or some other charity? 

And not to forget, there's always

the side of the road . . .

05/14/2023

Today, I find myself thinking 

of all those mothers who never 

gave birth, but still . . .

Older brothers and sisters who

cared for and watched over their

younger sibs. Babysitters who

were more mothers than the

supposed real ones. 

Teachers and counselors who 

paid attention and went the extra 

mile. And, never to forget those 

dads who were the real mothers 

in the family . . .

I love that all countries have 

a Mothers' Day and honor all 

moms. Mothers the world over

are both amazing and wondrous.

Still, it's truly important to

remember those who mothered

but didn't actually give birth.

I salute, honor, bend the knee,

to all those mothers out there

who birthed their children from

the heart rather than from the

womb . . .

Happy Mothers' Day!

05/13/2023

Me no can do stand to go to the 

doc at all, any time, place or thing!

Had to go today. 

       ~!@#$%^&*()_+

At least I got in fairly quickly; I do

so hate those times in the waiting

room.

Had a lovely nurse this time and

a decent time with her routines.

Then I had to wait a long, long

time for the doc.

I truly respect her. I find her quite

remarkable. Young and still does

her thing in a way that makes you

feel comfortable.

When she finished with me, I was

supposed to wait for a vaccine. 

Guess I got tired of waiting so I

just left. What does that say about

moi?! Methinks I still have issues 

re the docs . . . 

What say you?!

05/12/2023

I was speaking with a friend of

late about personal growth thru

our different ages.

Looking at very young children,

I see such innocence and joy. No

guilt, no fear, no agitation, just

joy!

Can't help wondering if we are

responsible for some of the

attitudes and changes that occur

as our children enter adolescence. 

Scary thought!

Teen years may be the most

difficult. Or maybe all years,

stages and eras of our personal

lives are the most difficult.

Through each of these segments

of our lives, there is good, bad,

right, wrong, and perhaps finally,

understanding.

It's good, healthy, to look back,

see where we were, where we've

been and what we've learned. It's

also important, once understanding

is in place, to forgive, to let go.

After all, isn't the entire prospect

of life all about learning?! I rather

hate to think of going through all

that we do, to no purpose . . .

And here I am, nigh onto a hundred

and ten, as it were, and still learning

every single day . . .

05/11/2023

trash: something worth little or

nothing, things that are no longer

useful or wanted and that have

been thrown away, junk, rubbish

Every Wednesday at o' dark 

thirty, I'm taking out the week's 

trash, along with our recycle. 

I like to tie a few treats for the 

drivers on the bars of bins as

well.

Color me crazy, but I always 

draw a breath of relief once 

the bins are gone. "Why might 

that be?" you ask.

This time of year, our local 

bears, as well as those cute 

little masked mapaches, are 

climbing into our trash. You 

would think it was the Holy 

Grail the way they seek it out.

Funnily enough, both bins 

lashed to the nines w/four 

bungee cords each, don't 

manage to keep the critters 

out. Part of me is dead proud 

of them, another part of me 

wants to slap them silly!

Thinking it over, methinks

having a fab trash service

trumps everything else and

frankly, I get to see my own

private zoo several times a

month . . .

05/10/2023

"If you think adventure is

dangerous, try routine. It 

is lethal." ~Paulo Coelho

I've shared before some of

my adventures . . . leaving

home at 15, spending 20

years in Mexico, teaching

HS and college for 40 . . .

 . . . But maybe, just maybe,

living in this 135 year old

cabin has been fun, exciting,

interesting, annoying, hard,

difficult, amazing, incredible,

beyond belief!!! Methinks 

I could fill a thesaurus with 

adjectives depicting this 

adventure.

I couldn't have done it alone.

I know how to put out the

trash, rake, clean, clear and

nigh onto everything else

you can think of. But, 'twas

my guy who flipped boards,

painted rooms, rehabbed the

bathroom about three times

over. Fun! FUN!! F U N !!!

Still, now that I'm a hundred

years old, we live much more

quietly. Naught wrong with

that! We still enjoy life . . .

Movies 'n margs at midnight.

Champagne in bed. Red wine

and fireside. FAC with our

phenom neighbors . . . Hey!

Sounds like a lot of drinking

doesn't it?!

Nah! We're careful and do

the odd excursion that has

nothing to do w/alcohol.

And when my bod can do no

more, there's always books!

05/09/2023

I awoke this morn to a sweet 

photo and quote from one of 

my dearest and bestest . . .

"The iconic people in my 

life; mom, uncle; miss these

remarkable people." ~PF

I responded, "Miss my dad 

beyond life itself; still talk 

to him every day."

Amazing how my heart still 

aches for my father. I know, 

and even understand up to a 

point, life and death simply 

are. They need to be accepted, 

if not utterly understood.

I also get that death is an 

important part of life. We 

wouldn't even fit on the 

planet if we had no death.

Still, doesn't mean that love, 

caring, missing, aren't the 

order of the day.

Here's to our loved ones,

PF! Can't help but think 

they must miss us too!

05/08/2923

I've done a week now of my usual

May abstinence. As I had hoped,

it hasn't even been an issue . . .

What I hadn't expected was a clear

onset of cravings having naught to

do with beer or wine consumption.

Ice cream, particularly mocha ice

cream. I haven't given in yet, but 

I fully intend to. 

I've been having two veggie burgers

a day; one for breakfast and one for

lunch. A bit excessive, even if I do

say so myself.

Been enjoying something I call

veggie-Marys . . . private joke . . .

Bloody Marys have alcohol and

mine don't.

Let's not even talk about Cheetos.

I'm addicted and I don't share. I've

been enjoying a few of an evening.

Usually, one tends to lose the 

odd pound or two during a month 

of abstinence. Not bloody likely 

in this case. Methinks I might 

be pregnant what with all these 

cravings.

Good news might be me getting

into the Guinness Book of Records

if this turns out to be true!

05/07/2023

Phone Saga 101 . . .

We got our first telephone when 

I was somewhere 'bout 10 or 11.

'Twas a yellow phone attached 

to the wall, a three-way party line.

Remember my parents lifting the

receiver to make a call and finding

someone on the line.  Apologies,

hangups, re-tries . . . and, I was

not to use it! Period!

Once a week, if the line was free,

I was allowed to call one of my

school friends for just a minute.

Fond memories, but not much to

to talk about.

Left home in the ninth grade to

go to boarding school; no phone.

Went to Mexico for 20 years; no

phone. Borrowed the neighbor's

phone once a month for a three

minute call home; always took

a plate of cookies as a thank you.

When I came back to the US, 

I rented my parents' basement; 

no phone . . .

Got my teaching position and

a phone; simply never seemed 

to think about using it.

Got a cell phone; didn't work at

the cabin. See where I'm going

with this? 

Finally got a better cellular last 

week; forget to plug it in. Never

take it with me. Simply don't

remember it or think about it.

Call me Neanderthal, but don't

call me . . . I do e-mail; does

that help?!

05/06/2023

I dreamt I was visiting my 

daughter and checking out 

her amazing shop she had 

only just opened.

Obviously proud of herself 

and her dream come true,

she wanted to share her joy

with me.

Her store, located in a local

mall, was rather a kind of

phantasy land. Interesting

knick knacks from many

countries, delish clothing,

and many an item I had no

idea of identifying. 

She told me to wander and

wonder and that any items

I might choose would be

free to me. I did so, ever

amazed and very careful

to not choose too many

items.

When she returned from 

own errand, I told her I

wanted to ask about a few

items I had yet to choose.

We went over to a rather

secluded part of the shop

and looked at a couple of

animal skins and woven

pieces.

She explained to me that

I couldn't choose from

these as they were decor.

We proceeded to check

out. One by one, she told

me that some of the items

I had chosen were either

not for sale and/or too 

expensive.

She was very sweet about

it, but firm. I ended up with

only one or two things. She

laughed and said I might as

well go ahead and pay for

them.

Awaking, I found myself

puzzling over the dream.

My daughter, in real life,

is the most generous of

people. Can't help but

wonder about the hidden

message.

05/05/2023 - Cinco de Mayo

Today is a day remembered in

Mexico as La Batalla de Puebla, 

1862, (not La Independencia de 

México, September 16, 1810.)

And, I honor this. 

Having said that, what exactly 

does May 5th. mean to me? 

I suppose the first memories 

meandering through my mind

would be my mother's birthday.

I seem to recall a little girl's hand

made birthday cards, funny little

gifts.

Once I shared with my mother

that I thought it was time to have

a second child, she asked me for

a special gift. 'Twas a sweet baby

girl, born on her birthday, bearing

her name. Quite a request.

I just loved the whole fun part of

this. A programmed conception, 

forced labor and a doctor and his

nurse who joined in to make my 

mother's dream come true.

Ten minutes shy of midnight, my

mother's dream came true. Phone

call to bring her joy, a registration

of my mom's name on a birth cert

and the best present my mother

ever had was received, enjoyed,

adored.

The best part of Cinco de Mayo

for me . . . the Universe's gift to

me of the most phenomenal

daughter anyone could have ever

wished for, dreamed of.

Sweetheart, you are that amazing

gift to me . . . then and now. I

simply adore you . . .

Happy birthday dear heart and 

feliz Cinco de Mayo ever and 

always . . .

 - - -

Cinco de Mayo is a yearly celebration

which commemorates the anniversary

of Mexico's victory over the Second

French Empire at the Battle of Puebla

in 1862, led by Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza

The victory over the French army was 

a morale boost for the Mexican people.

Wikipedia

05/04/2023

"I decided that the most subversive,

revolutionary thing I could do was

to show up for my life and not be

ashamed." ~Anne Lamott

Wow! I'll admit straight off that I'm

an Anne Lamott fan . . . still, these

are words of wisdom if I ever heard

any. And, they so speak to me.

One of these days, Lord willing and

the Devil doesn't intervene (~David

Mason), I swear I'm going to search

out where all the guilt and shame

come from.

I love a child's natural born sense of

joy. Do we take that away, little by

little, with reprimands and demands?

Obviously, there are important things

to be taught and learned . . . honor,

respect, truthfulness, kindness . . . 

Still, I fear other things are simply 

our need to control. Does it really

matter if our kids want to wear that

old Halloween costume to Walmart?

If she wants to dance and sing in the

street? If he wants a tad of blue in

his hair, a tat or an earring? 

Let's all do a Lamott . . . show up,

enjoy, lose the shame!!!

 - - -

Anne Lamott is an American novelist

and non-fiction writer. She is a also a

progressive political activist, public

speaker, and writing teacher. Lamott

is based in Marin County, California.

Her nonfiction works are large auto-

biographical. Wikipedia

05/03/2023

"If standing up for yourself burns

a bridge, I have matches. We ride

at dawn." The Inspiring Souls

I so get a kick out of those odd bits

of wisdom neatly packaged in sweet

little sayings! And this one's a goody!

We indeed talk about standing up for

ourselves with other people. Still, it

occurs to me that we should be more

worried about standing up for our-

selves with ourselves. After all, aren't

we the ones who put ourselves down

most severely?!

"Looks like you've regained some 

weight," I say into the morning mirror.

"No reason why you shouldn't finish

that book today!" "You know good and

well you should never, ever have more

than three drinks and no more than a

couple of times a week!" "Better get

this house cleaned, someone might

come over!"

Methinks, being nigh onto a hundred

years old, 'tis high time to stop putting

myself down and ordering moi about!

How much time do I have left for fun

anyway?!

Rather worry about me sometimes,

but I'm working on being perfect just

as I am!

Here's hoping . . .

05/02/2023

"Each moment is a place you

have never been." ~Mark Strand

I know, I know! We persist in

living in the future, don't we?!

I'll even admit the past hangs

in there pretty good as well.

Why, oh why don't we actually

live in the present? We certainly

could learn from Asian nations

on this one!

I do try; I really do. And then,

in the next five minutes I am

already thinking about what I

have to do on the morrow or

some such that happened last

week.

Let's see, today I'm going to . . .

No! That's still future!.

Right this moment I'm typing

on my computer . . . Oh no!

I'm already thinking about a

trip downstairs and all that I'm

going to take down and bring 

up.

I'm hopeless at this; make no

mistake. Can't help but wonder 

if I'm that old dog trying to learn 

new tricks?! 

Dash! Darn!! Damn!!!

05/01/2023

Yay Beltane is finally here!

Beltane, May Day, is a day

full promise that summer 

will indeed return. Usually

still chilly enough to have

a fire, but warm enough to

sit outside.

Albeit its promise of our

sun's soon return, Beltane

is exactly halfway between

the Spring Equinox and the

Summer Solstice. 

I always see it as a promise 

that Winter will ultimately 

give up the ghost. Good thing 

as I tend to wonder sometimes.

Beltane is a playful time.

Think May flowers, eating 

foods most delish, sharing 

fun conversations and bon

fires. One of those times I

wish I liked roasted marsh-

mellows.

Do enjoy today. 'Tis a most

delightful time of the year.