You never know who you might inspire

Yesterday my friend Lois, who often comments on my blog, posted a Facebook photo of an adult beanie that she had just crocheted. It reminded me that I had some leftover yarn that wasn't enough to make anything big, probably not even a scarf, but perhaps I could crochet a cap. Guess what? It ended up being enough to make three, which I plan to donate to the local homeless.

It was so much fun that I checked Walmart this morning to see what they had to offer in yarn. Good thing I did because they had marked a lot down. I ended up buying three skeins that I could mix and match. The blue is the start of today's purchase. Not sure how many caps I will end up with, but this is what I have finished since the photo that Lois shared inspired me yesterday..

I often wonder if my blog inspires others. I sure hope so because that is my purpose for sharing everyday experiences that touch my life. I do have means of knowing that people read what I offer, they just don't take the opportunity to comment. Hint hint!

I'll leave you now, I have beanies to make and heads to keep warm.

Thanks Lois, you are an inspiring friend!!

Tossing it in the pot

Well as explained on a previous post today is the day after Thanksgiving for us. It means turkey soup day and that means tossing in the pot a little bit of this and that starting with simmering the turkey carcass.

This morning I added chopped celery and onion, leftover from making the stuffing yesterday. Then I looked around to see what I could  add to the pot later on. I found some cooked carrots and fresh mushrooms that still needed a home and also a partial bag of pasta. Later on I will be adding all those small pieces left after the turkey was carved. All it needs is some creative seasoning and dinner is on!

I hate throwing anything still usable away. That no doubt comes from growing up in a time when whatever you had was stretched.  I am always very happy at the end of the year when all my bills are paid and I owe no one anything.

 This year I am especially thrilled to discover that my credit rating is excellent. I'm not sure how I did that on a Social Security income, but I'll take it. As I look in my mirror I can happily say to the person looking back- good job keep up the good work!

Stretching the turkey

Yesterday my son and I were invited to share Thanksgiving with friends. The food was good, but the experience was let's say, interesting.

To begin with I got a call around noon from my friend asking if we could come early because she was ahead of schedule and the turkey/food was done. So we hurried up and arrived at 1:00 p.m. I had made a punch bowl cake to add to the menu.

When we arrived we were greeted by my friend's husband and my son was introduced to their adult son and my friend's sister. We socialized a bit before the food was spread out to partake. We were told the turkey was a bit overdone. It had cooked overnight in her oven.

This is when the fun began. We dished up the food onto our plates and found a place to sit at the table. Well some of us did anyway. My friend's son decided to sit out on the screened back porch by himself. Her husband was missing and we soon discovered he was in the adjacent bedroom talking on the phone. Then he appeared and filled his plate, after passing the phone to my friend. After she returned to fill her plate we were told the person they had been talking to was another son.

In case you lost count this finally made five people sitting around the table plus one male sitting outside by himself. After awhile he came in and sat at a bar behind the table. It made conversation with him interesting. When dessert time came a large portion of the cake I brought ended up on his plate and he moved to the couch in the living room.

Everyone finished eating their turkey plus fixings and I noticed the husband had moved on into their bedroom and was playing on his computer. The son moved into his bedroom and we never saw him again. The dogs were friendly, but the social aspect of the holiday was very interesting! Since we had eaten so early we pretty much snacked on whatever our refrigerator offered for dinner last night.

My son and I had already decided to wait until Saturday to have our turkey, which he is going to cook on the spit of his barbecue, and opted for ham plus leftovers for tonight.

It's been an interesting Thanksgiving so far and we still have another day to go.

A Thanksgiving hug

Today I would like to give a warm hug to all those souls who spend family holidays alone because they are ignored by their family. Trust me I know how it feels to be treated like a black sheep!

Odd isn't it how some people mistakenly believe they are God and therefore have been given the ability to judge others. Wow that's a mighty gift!

Thanksgiving especially is a time to gather together family and give thanks for all we have been given. I feel sorry for those who are so filled with hate that they can't forgive the past and live in gratitude for today.

So on this day before Thanksgiving 2016 I offer a warm hug to anyone who needs one, including those who are unable to forgive.

Staying healthy in an unhealthy world

A message that passed by my Facebook news feed this morning got my attention and reminded me of an article I wrote in 2013 for the Cibola Beacon, as a contributing columnist. The thought was that good health involves much more than the physical aspect. With that thought in mind I am going to reproduce the article I wrote.

Living a Healthy Life

When most people think about healthy living they focus on what they put in their mouth. From research and my own experience I have found that living a healthy life encompasses much more than diet. It includes our environment,  the people in our lives, the homes we live in, the thoughts we allow into our minds and the choices we make on a daily basis.

Of course, we all know that we should drink plenty of water. The recommended amount is eight glasses per day. This isn't hard to do in the summer when everyone is thirsty, but winter is a different matter. Drinking water replaces what is lost through urine, bowel movements, perspiration and breathing. It is a necessary ingredient for our bodies to function properly.

Although it is not necessary to become a vegetarian, adding more fruits and vegetables to our diet is essential for good health. Synthetic supplements are not the same as consuming natural foods. The most nutritious fruits are: watermelon, apricots, apple, avocado, cantaloupe, grapefruit, kiwi, papaya and strawberries. 

Top of the list vegetables are: most beans, asparagus, sprouts, button mushrooms, carrots and of course, anything green. 

A great idea for adding variety to the menu is to think of a color wheel. White is for bananas and mushrooms, yellow for pineapple, mango and squash, orange for papaya and oranges, red for apple, strawberry, tomato and watermelon, green for guava, avocado, cucumber, lettuce and celery.

Telling someone that they can't have something is like giving them a green light to eat it anyway. For this reason I don't feel that any food should be completely off limits; not even a hot fudge sundae or a perfectly seasoned portion of prime rib- once in awhile.

Being overweight is the number one health problem in our country. If you are not close to your recommended weight you are prone to multiple diseases and a decreased quality of life.

Daily exercise will help you get your weight where it should be. It really doesn't matter what you do as long as you exercise on a regular basis. Find a variety of activities that fit your physical capabilities and that you enjoy. Exercise lowers the risk of disease, lowers blood pressure and increases life span and bone density.

Next is resting your mind, better known as sleep. Getting enough sleep is important whatever your age. Inadequate sleep leads to eating high sugar foods that are not good for you and can cause weight gain.

Another way to rest your mind is meditation. All it requires is to sit quietly and turn off your "self talk". Focus on deep breathing from the abdomen or listen to calming music. Just five minutes a day is enough to begin a very good habit.

Eliminating all the negative things in your life that are causing you stress is like weight loss for your mind. Spring cleaning can be done any time of the year and should include people who are draining your positive energy. Don't forget to take the time to laugh, especially at yourself. 

Great advice from a physical fitness trainer is, "Decrease your stress level by limiting the number of commitments you take on. Many people are stressed because they are over-committed or over-scheduled."

Now that you are a healthy person living a healthy life get involved with your community, join a group that interests you, take up a new hobby, look for people with similar interests or simply pay more attention to the beautiful world our Creator has provided for you.

Healthy or not, your life is what you make it.

One more time

As I hide the negative posts on Facebook I seek to share only the positive ones. The following I just found and it is called Full Moon Release. I am sure I am not the only one who will find this useful.

This full moon. I release that which no longer serves me. I release all pain and any blocks that keep me from my connection to the Divine. I also cut all cords connecting me to trauma from my past lives. I start anew today, free of guilt, hurt and self bondage that keeps me from manifesting the life that I desire. And so it is.

Then there were a few others that caught my attention.

Worry is believing God won't get it right.

One day you will look back and realize you worried too much about things that don't really matter.

Some day we will find what we are looking for. Or maybe we won't. Maybe we will find something much greater than that.

Always trust your instincts, they are messages from your soul.

That's it for today.

Sharing more good stuff

Sometimes the best thing you can do is keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. The truth always comes out in the end.

Be who you are, not who the world wants you to be.

Don't let anyone tell you who you are.

You either get bitter or better. It's that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice belongs to you.

Just saying

It's been five days since the election and people are still posting their political crap on Facebook. I have been hiding their posts for some time, but I have had enough. Instead of choosing to close my account I have decided to go into hiding myself. I am not posting anything until this garbage stops. That doesn't mean I am completely leaving. I just won't make it so obvious. There are posts that I desire to share, such as these:

The loudest noise you can make is to quietly walk away.

Whatever you focus on expands. Spirit doesn't respond to words it responds to focus and action.

It's not what you look at that matters. It's what you see.

I was quiet, but I was not blind.

I dwell in an attitude of gratitude.

Do not get upset with people or situations, both are powerless without your reaction. 

So Facebook it boils down to this, I am still there but you won't see me for awhile.

Hate

After writing the previous post I remembered an article I wrote a few years ago when I had an adult writing group. The word we choose to write about one day was HATE. The following is what I wrote.

Hate is such an ugly word, but it is after all only a word. It is the feeling behind the word that gets us in trouble. I distinctly remember shouting, "I hate her" when complaining to my grandmother about a former classmate. I was a teenager riding in the back seat of her car at the time. She immediately turned around and quietly said, "You don't hate anyone". 

That simple response has stuck in my mind my whole life. I try not to use the word at all although occasionally it pops out. For instance my recent utterance, "I hate this snow", was the result of not looking past the icy roads that kept me a prisoner to appreciate the pristine beauty it left.

According to Webster hate is "having a strong dislike or ill will toward a person or thing". My definition of hate is a person who is unwilling to open their mind and heart to something beyond what is normal for them. For me the word hate brings up the word prejudice. That word quickly moves on to race, color, religion, economic status and anything else that categorizes a person or group of people. Hate has started many wars between people and nations because they cannot accept each other as is.

I feel very fortunate to have grown up without hate as a daily experience. The people around me come from all walks of life, some are rich some poor, some are black some white and every color in between; some are religious and some are spiritual. I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given to learn from each one. They have all brought something different to my life and provided opportunities for me to evolve.

I do not consider any entity below or above me and so there is no reason to hate or be jealous of what anyone else has. We all came from the same source with our very own guidance system. To my knowledge we are all going back to whence we came when we are finished walking our paths on this planet called earth.

Of course, there is that occasional person who expresses hate/dislike toward me. Others sometimes don't like what I say, think or do. When that happens I have two choices. I can buy into that they believe, causing even more hate, or simply ignore them; realizing that it is after all, their problem, not mine. I don't mean to give the impression that I have never expressed anger at someone's behavior, but temporary anger is a long way from hate. While still in the infant stage it can be dealt with by communicating, providing both parties are willing to listen and be heard.

Hate is a learned behavior and it can be unlearned.

Apparently my grandmother did a very good job with me in her simple response to my hateful behavior way back then by responding, "You don't hate anyone". Thanks Nana you did good!

Hate is not who I am

Wow yesterday was a day packed with negative energy. When I woke up and saw who had been elected as the next president of the United States it made me sick. Although I didn't vote for either of the two leading candidates I never thought the results could come to this. How a country could elect a person so full of hate is hard for me to digest.

This morning I realized he is only one man and he does not represent who I am. I am not a hateful person and I never could be. I might have reason to have bad feelings toward certain people, but I do not allow them to turn to hate. I don't even wish for anything negative to happen to them because they are following their own path and it really has nothing to do with me.

I just read a friend's Facebook post about this subject. He has plenty of personal reasons to let hate spill over to who was elected president yesterday, but he is not doing that. He is going to continue to live his life as the loving person that he is. I am very grateful to know this man and follow in his foot steps.

Whoever sits in the oval office as of January 20, 2017 will not change who I am or how I will live my life.

Ready set noooo!

I've been a bit bored lately and have been giving some thought to how I could fix that. A couple of weeks ago I was even thinking about applying for a part time job. It was a job that I was tempted to apply for once before. Because it was mostly on weekends I didn't want to miss my grandson's soccer games. Weighing the pros and cons of the job since I have moved on I decided the cons won this time too.

With a couple of exceptions most of my adult life has been as a volunteer. I have spent time with many groups of people from elementary age right on up to seniors. Yes it has been fun and I believe my services have aided the varied groups/organizations.

For the last year I have made tiny crocheted caps for the newborn babies at our hospital. I have lost count of the number I have donated. I have decided it is no longer fun and is beginning to sound a lot like unpaid work. I may have delivered my last dozen and I believe it is time to find another avenue for my talents.

 There is hardly anything in the community I have not volunteered for, except a group called Mainstreet. It works with the Chamber of Commerce in cleaning up the town and attracting tourists etc. Through their efforts Grants and Cibola County are finally waking up. I really like the group's projects, especially finally using the  Riverwalk Amphitheater for free summer entertainment. It has sat empty for years just waiting for someone to notice.

Mainstreet is an option, but do I really want to be that tied down? This morning I decided no I don't. A better choice may be to volunteer to help out with whatever individual project I might be interested in. The one that comes to mind is the Quadrathalon in February. I'm sure there are tons of things I could do to help out for that event, without going up on Mt. Taylor. It would also give me an opportunity to get out of the house and meet people from all over the country. Who knows where that could lead!

I believe I found my answer. I don't want to volunteer regularly for anything! I have earned the right to pick and choose what I want to do with my talents and when I want to use them.

Money money money

It's a really good thing that money isn't # 1 in my life. I have enough to live comfortably, with excellent credit if I should choose to use it, and owe no one anything. I also have a prepaid cremation policy in place, so even even if I were to exit this place called earth it wouldn't cost anyone.

But my life is in a pending position, resulting from the recent death of my ex husband of 27 years.

First he had a life insurance policy that was purchased long before our marriage in 1972. After we married my name was listed as the beneficiary. My intuition told me he never changed that fact after our divorce. That proved to be correct when our daughter called Prudential to report her father's death. I called them and sent the required documents they requested. I was then told because our divorce agreement didn't mention the insurance policy I would not be the beneficiary after all.The money would be going to our daughter, his only biological child. I had intended to share the money with her, but I have no idea what she will do if and when Prudential issues the check. A little extra money would be nice as my only income is Social Security.

Now I am waiting for Social Security to figure out my new benefit. I received a letter almost two months ago stating I would receive a widow's benefit beginning September 2016. So far I have not seen a penny to indicate this fact. I have called the national office twice and all I can find out is that it is pending. I do know that it will increase my benefit, but by how much I have no idea. So far they owe me for two months.

When all this gets settled I will have a nice Christmas bonus or a fat check to begin 2017. Either way whatever happens is what will happen. I don't desperately need the money, but I am not giving back what falls into my hands. I'm not stupid!