Belated Gratitude List


My belated gratitude list for the week:
- Friends (those wonderful people that IM / call / email / etc; and always are there for you)
- Peers (people that work on your level that are totally open to being there for you and sharing all that pain.)
- New Laptops (That hopefully won't cause me more eyestrain)
- Archives of pictures (That remind me of all the wonderful people / places / things I've seen and managed to snap a picture of)
- Furrballs (Mine or someone else's - what else has the same soothing effect as petting a pup or kit?)
- This blog (Even if no one reads it, the act of actually writing is such a helpful thing for me to organize my thoughts.)
- Coffee (No matter how dark and dreary the day, a cup of Joe will do wonders for the spirit)
- Curiosity (How else would I find new places to explore when I feel stifled somewhere else?)

Setting Expectations

It's interesting how often I get stuck on expectations. Sometimes its the ones I have that don't; can't or won't happen; sometimes its the ones I set. I remember being a teenager and even in college, not understanding all the people who said that your opinions really aren't your opinions. It seemed the inverse of logic to me.


"If I think it and feel about it, doesn't that make it my opinion?"


Apparently not. . . .




The longer I work in corporate america, the more I realize that opinions, values (both In Use and On Display) and even dreams not only are subject to change, but they are subject to context. Some days the dream is about the nice things one would do with a super long vacation or retirement window; sometimes they're more mundane - like a new self cleaning litter-box. Even the great big "passions" of one's life are like paint - they ALL need some sort of media to be seen against. The most beautiful sunset does not fill your heart with awe if there is no contrast to render it vivid.


May you find the best harmonious colours to bring your dream to most beautiful relief in your life.

A view through a window

Ever have those moments where you suddenly realize that somehow you've had to step back from life? That you managed to stop being fully in the moment and participatory, and started auto-pilot to watch the flickering action happen on the screens? As though life were merely a movie, not a full on ride involving all senses.


I think that with all that happened at the end of the year in 2005, that I stepped back, started to watch the action through the window; and then realized that the view was awfully cramped. So, now that we're here in 2006, I want to step forward into my life again. Try and grab hold of at least something in the crazy roller coaster and try and exert some form of control over it.


This is not to say that staring in the window is bad, or even sometimes not desirable. However, life is meant to be for living, not just for watching. Hopefully I can kick the auto-pilot off and start flying again.

Man, has it been a while

Heyla all...
It's been quite some time since I posted; but I'm back and have plenty of stocked up photos to share.


I won't pretend that lots hasn't been going on, but I'm not sure I want to stress over or dig into that stuff at the moment.


I want to pause, breathe, and acknowledge that now that we're in a new year, it's time to stop looking back and try looking forward again. Start that forward motion up again and see where I end up.


As the conversation between Alice and the Cheshire Cat goes; 'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
'I don't much care where----' said Alice.
'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
'----so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.
'Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk enough.'

Tuesday Gratitude List:


- Fun movies; I finally got to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and can't wait to see both Harry Potter and Narnia.
- CDs that keep me sane on angry days. Today's selection are Anna Nalick, PussyCat Dolls, New Order and John Mayor
- A tall "mocha mocha" bought by a friend to cheer me up
- Sunny weather to walk in when I just can't sit still anymore
- Warm clothing to keep me warm on a brisk fall day (even if I was a ditz and left my coat behind)
- Good books to wrap myself up in when I get home.
- 3.5 days till I go on holiday for a whole week. :-)
- Where I get to go on holiday. The universe apparently felt I needed to hang out at the mouse again. I'll be in Florida next week (can't wait).
- Knowing that there are Christmas lights somewhere in the house that I can hang up when I get home from FL, on Turkey day
- Knowing I'm going home for Christmas. Not that family affairs are all sunshine and bubbles, but they're still family; and I love the conversations that happen and the time to get to know the people I call family
- Good workouts that I can feel making a difference in my stamina and energy
- The beautiful fuzzy tips of the trees now that their leaves are coming down
- The discovery of yet another tree I can climb into, sit down and stare at the horizon in my yard
- The synchronicity that sent me thoughts on forgiveness today, when I sorely needed to contemplate how to move past hurt and anger