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! 

OMG

Talk about patience! I have waited for years for an old building sitting on top of a hill overlooking Grants,NM to be removed. Burn it plow it under I didn't care. Just get rid of the eyesore that could be seen from everywhere.

This particular building and a man who was buying it at one time had left a very bad taste in my mouth.

I accidentally discovered while reading the Cibola Beacon that it was demolished on October 19, 2016. I couldn't believe it and drove into town to make sure this wasn't some kind of joke. I felt such a feeling of relief as I drove down the road behind where the building used to be and saw with my own eyes that it was no longer standing. There was no trace of anything except dirt covering the ground.

I then realized that the above picture, I had taken in 2009, might someday be valuable. It has always been important to me as the foreground displays several images of spirits. Guess I'll just have to continue to be patient and wait to see what happens next.