My son

 

I had a lovely weekend with my son and his wife at their new house.  They've been married just 2 months and I'm so proud of them for being able to buy their first house at age 25.  At that age, I didn't have a clue!

Today I was talking to a friend about all the things my son has learned already about owning a house and fixing things and how good he is with HVAC.  That was my dad's specialty and he died when my son was just a year old.

He would have been so proud. 💜

Mani/Pedi

 I went to get a manicure and a pedicure after work today.  I know people say that's supposed to be relaxing, but I never felt that way?  Am I the only one?  

I've tried so many different methods/places and it's always the same.  They get a little too close to the cuticles, they cut you, you bleed a little.  What part of that is fun?

Don't get me started on the pedicures.  That's pure torture and I avoid it as much as possible until those toes get so ugly you either must hide them or suffer through the process (usually in summer). 

I'm not a fan of having my feet touched and not a fan of having them poked and prodded!  I wish I could find someone who makes it a relaxing experience, but I don't think it exists.

Sitting on the beach, drinking margaritas, watching the sunset... THAT is relaxing!

Sunflowers

I'm loving sunflowers so much lately. I need to figure out how to grow them in my woods. The trees tend to block the sun for part of the day, which makes it much cooler in the summer, but harder to grow sun-loving plants. But I enjoy buying them too. 🌻

Power

We went a little over 24 hours without power during 90-degree weather, and it occurred to me how amazing it is when you lose something and get it back.  You appreciate it SO much more.  Why can't we be like that every day?

How cool would it be to get up every morning and want to dance because you flipped a switch and it shone this amazing light on you, or you turned on the AC and suddenly that cool air made the world feel good again?

I want to find a way to hold onto that amazing feeling.  Like a kid discovering the magic of electricity.  SO many treasures that it holds, the internet, TV, AC, a fridge full of food, clean running water.  So many things we take for granted.  Things that some people don't even have!  How is it possible we take that for granted every day?

I don't want to take a minute of my life for granted anymore.  I want to wake up every day and acknowledge the miracle of the life we have, COVID-19 and all, the world is still a miraculous place to live in and I'm happy that I get to wake up every morning and take advantage of these treasures we've been given!

I've learned

I've learned that your soul mate doesn't need to be someone who acts and thinks like you do.  Spent a lot of time needlessly suffering thinking that we weren't a match?!  We have different values, different thoughts, and unique needs!  WHO was my soul mate? DID I even have a soul mate?  WOULD I ever?

Suddenly it hit me... we have many soul mates, friends, family members, and people who cross our paths.  They can be our soul mates for several reasons.  They all have something to teach us.  They all touch us in separate ways.

Is he my soul mate?  He's the mate my soul needs... That's why he's here, that's why we clicked.  He doesn't have to think like I do or agree with everything I want.  But he's on this path with me and he's a reflection of many things. Some good, some bad, but all serve a purpose.  I'm good with that.

Beautiful words from Mary Oliver...

Everyday

I see or hear

something

that more or less

kills me

with delight,

that leaves me

like a needle

in the haystack

of light.

It was what I was born for —

to look, to listen,

to lose myself

inside this soft world —

to instruct myself

over and over

in joy.....

​

A moment in time...

I remember having my first "blog" when I was about 10? My sister gave me this little white diary. It was a "daily diary" for the month of May. I wrote in it faithfully every day that month. Turned 10 that month, so technically I was 9 when I found my love of journaling.

Continued doing it for years, on and off and I still have blogs that I laid to rest all over the net. Some of it wasn't suitable for public viewing (😁), mostly because a lot of what I wrote was just my way of venting and sometimes it was harsh, but my point was never to hurt anyone, just to alleviate my own pain.

Sometimes I go back and read those old blogs. Some make me smile, some make me cry, but the growth has been tremendous and the therapy priceless.