Dec. 8, 2012 - My Year in Review - backwards

Yesterday I migrated all of my blogs from Multiply over to Blogger.  I thought I'd missed the cut-off date for doing that but thanks to FB friend Benni Jones, I found out that they had extended the date.  Spent last evening and this morning reading through the last 6 years of my life and I'm glad I didn't let all that go.

In November I participated in NaNoWriMo for the second year.  I completed my 50,000 words on November 28th the same as last year.

The title of this work will probably change during editing.  The artwork was a painting done by my FB friend Jerene (she gave me permission to use it for my book's cover).

I went to Oregon again in September (a little earlier than last year).  We drove up to Port Townsend, Washington to visit some other FB/Yahoo 360/Multiply friends.  That is a long drive!  While driving back to Oregon from Washington I think we entered some sort of warp in the space time continuum because it seemed to take hours and hours longer than it should have.
 

In August I had a little adventure.  I rolled off a cliff backwards on my walker.  Luckily it was only 5 feet and I wasn't hurt, but I did get banged up a little.  I need the help from EMT's to get back up the drop off.  Lesson Learned:  Even if the brakes are on, it is not safe to sit on a walker on an uneven surface!  I have no picture for that sorry.

While I was in Oregon, my son and his family moved from North Carolina to Pennsylvania.

Great Granddaughter Analiese will turn 1 next month.  She's already standing by herself.  Kids grow so fast.

I'm sure there were a lot of other things that happened in 2012, but I can't remember anymore of them right now.

Who know, maybe I'll take up blogging again.

May 4, 2012 - What Have I Been Up To?

Since its been almost a year since I've really participated here, you might be curious about what I've been up to.  After my Mother died (soon will be one year), I got a big surge of energy.  I suppose I didn't realize just how much energy I was using in supporting her in her last few months.  I got her place at the Assisted Living Facility cleaned out and her apartment at my brother's house (with my brother and sister-in-law of course).  We donated many of her things to charity and gave the rest to family.  Once that was taken care of, I finally got Warren's garage cleaned out and many of you will remember I'd been working on that off and on for 3 years.

On August 23rd we had a very rare, and quite unexpected earthquake (5.8).  Which didn't do a lot of damage here but did shake the building I live in.  As it so happened my son had dropped by that morning and was still here, so I wasn't alone when it happened.  It snarled traffic as the Government released people early and of course tied up all the phone lines for hours.  My granddaughter was home alone that day and when I couldn't reach her by phone, my son and I drove to her house to check on her.  Her Mom was home with her by the time we got there.  The quake was centered in Mineralville, VA.  Supposedly we had had a smaller one the year before (3.6) that was closer to where I live, but that wasn't felt in my area at all.  As my daughter said without moving, we went from some place that doesn't have earthquakes to some place that does.  It amps up your sense of vulnerability that's for sure.  There have been several after shocks, some of which I've felt and some I haven't.

A little over a week later (August 27-28) we got hit with Hurricane Irene.  There was a lot of wind and rain of course and I lost power around midnight on the 27th.  I woke up to the sound of dripping (never a good sound to hear in the middle of the night).  I went in my bathroom with the flashlight and thought I had walked into one of those creepy alien invasion movies where the alien eggs were getting ready to hatch.  Water was accumulating between the dry wall and the layer of latex paint on it forming hanging water balloons that were dripping and eventually burst.  They were luckily hanging over the bath tub, so most of the water was contained.  The ceiling is damaged of course, but there was no sense in fixing it until the building is repaired to prevent future leaking.  (Water incursion has been an ongoing problem in this community from incorrect installation of the flashing around the windows.  Since that time the we settled with the builder before having to go to trial.  An eight month restoration period is planned beginning this summer in which all 4 buildings will be made water tight.)

In September I started writing a book "Lot's Wife" which is still waiting to be finished.



In October I took a trip out to the Pacific Northwest again and visited with friends in Oregon and Washington.  As soon as I got home I dove into National Novel Writing Month and managed to finish writing 50,000 words in 28 days which made me a "winner" in that contest.  (All you have to do is write 50,000 words within the month to win).  That book "The Godwin Factor" is finished except for some more editing.
Since then I've started a sequel to "The Godwin Factor" entitled "A Limited Engagement" and have started making notes on another story "Sharp Pointy Things".

After Thanksgiving my son and his family moved to North Carolina (outside Raleigh).

In January I became a Great Grandmother when my son's step-daughter Amber had her first baby; a little girl named Analiese.

I ran out of energy and creativity and have been pretty inert for most of the late winter and early spring.  Spring is always hard energy for me to ramp up to for some reason.  Even acupuncture didn't help very much this year.  I think I'm finally getting there though.

I think that should catch you all up.  Have a lovely day!

May 1, 2012

Wow, I haven't posted anything over here in 11 months!   I can't think of anything to write today either.  

In Memorium - 5/30/2011

My Mother passed away on May 18th 2011 after a series of hospitalizations, rehab, and placement into an assisted living facility.  She was buried on the 3rd anniversary of my husband's death.  I can see that the universe has a strange sense of humor in all that.

Memorial Day - 5/30/2011

Today we honor those in the military who lost their lives in battle or because of wounds sustained in battle.  We place flags and wreaths and families re-mourn their losses yet again, as if they'd need the reminders.  We also will lament all the wars fought through the centuries.   While we are doing this, let us also remember that for some, the warrior souls, military service is a calling; their spiritual path.  It may be what they came in to do, these protector souls, these brave men and women.  Remember even the Archangel Michael carries a sword.

Who Am I? - 1/21/2011

I'm thinking today about what determines who we are.  For most of my life I defined who I was through my relationships with family, friends, and co-workers and the roles that I played in their lives.  As I got older, I realized that my "way of being" in the world and in those roles could make a significant difference.

By "way of being", I mean by being intentional and consciously choosing how I interacted with others.  I slowed down my reactions to people long enough that I began to see who they really were and what they were really bringing to my attention.  Many people who were problematic in the work place just wanted to be heard so I listened and did not judge.  I learned to not take anything personally because if someone came into my experience who was angry, I could see that they were angry with themselves and it really had nothing to do with me.  Some problematic people come bearing gifts.  They show you aspects of yourself that perhaps you don't want to look at.  That's why you react to them so strongly.  If it wasn't you you were seeing, it wouldn't matter so much.  Some people bring you life lessons.

I intentionally set out to make my office a sanctuary and many of us called it the Red Tent after reading the book of the same name.  Since most of my co-workers were women it seemed apt, but I began to notice that not just women were coming in.  Men would also show up and pour out their troubles.  They would tell me things I hadn't asked them about.  They would show up and start talking as if we were already in the middle of that conversation.  Sometimes it felt like a confessional; it felt like I was doing the "real" work during those times.

My Way of Being:

1.  Listen
2.  Don't judge
3.  Don't take anything personally
4.  Ask yourself "What is the gift in this situation?"
5.  Meet people where they are, its not your job to change them
6.  Love unconditionally, even those who are unlovable
7.  Understand that everyone you meet is doing the best they can at that moment

So this rambling brings me back to my question of who am I?  I've told you who I was, but who am I now?  I have to tell you I'm still trying to figure that part out.  When I retired and my husband died, I lost two of my major identifiers, my anchors so to speak.  Then the lesson of health was amplified again with my own illness.  In many ways life was erasing what was already on my page in order to write something new.  I'm starting to look forward to seeing what that new might be.

A Magical Encounter in Minneapolis - 10/1/10

On my return flight from Portland, Oregon, I had a stop in Minneapolis with a layover of about an hour or so.  I was sitting at the gate for my next flight and happened to notice a group of people sitting two rows up with their backs towards me.  There was a middle aged woman on the left, a man of similar age (who I took to be her husband) sitting in the middle and a younger man with long hair sitting on the right.  I'd first noticed the younger man because he had a t-shirt with a wolf on the back of it.  This group didn't appear to be family, but the intensity of their conversation with this young man was compelling me to watch.

The young man reached into a leather case and pulled out a large quartz crystal and placed it in the woman's hand.  She held it for a few moments.  I couldn't see if she gave it back or not.  Then the woman took her husband's hand and the younger man placed his hand on top of theirs.  They all bowed their heads as if in prayer.  I saw a small human like figure fall down into their clasped hands and then a large, egg shaped energy field appeared above them.  In a few moments they unclasped their hands and the husband and wife said thanks to the younger man and they all got up and got their things together to board another flight.  When the younger man got up, he put on a western leather jacket with beading on it and a black southwestern type hat and I realized I was looking at a medicine man (healer).  That was the first time I had ever actually seen healing energy and I felt really blessed to have been a witness to their encounter.