Choose what replenishes your soul

The sun is shining and we haven't had rain since Monday. Hallelujah!

We all need a new focus. I turned mine to books and visiting with a good friend.

I was thrilled to get to spend two hours at the Tattered Cover, an independent bookstore in downtown Denver. I don't believe there is a place on earth that feeds my soul like a library or bookstore. It must be like a high on drugs; the world and all its darkness leaves my consciousness and I am left with the serenity of knowledge and achievement. It astounds me to see the thousands of books that have been written, edited, published, and marketed. Since I have written a book and have been exploring the publishing world, I know that writing the book is the most enjoyable and the easiest part of the process. I left there with a stack of books and renewed energy.

Yesterday I met a friend for lunch. We laughed and darted back and forth between dozens of subjects, and I left there with gratitude, encouragement, and concrete helpfulness. I was refreshed. I'm not sure why we allow our lives to get so full of everything and anything that we neglect the important things; people and activities that replenish, nourish, and build.

Why do we deny our individual needs and wants? Why don't we stop and think before we say "yes" to something that fills our time but drains our bucket.

We all have choices and if we don't know or control the discrepancies between the would, could, and should of life, we are the only ones to blame.

What do you need to change in your life that has you running like a rat in a race that has no grand prize?


Until the next time: Live while you live! 

Call 911, without hesitation, if you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else.

It is raining.....again! I left the town of Sterling, CO this morning and it was pouring rain. I-76 had some flooding before I reached Brush. It is a mess. The poor citizens of Sterling have been on no flush , with no school and no restaurants or food service for over a week.

I say, "UNCLE! Enough already!" We so need a break from the water and flooding and damage. I believe everyone is fine, people are just tired, and their emotional and physical reserves are dwindling thin. I am personally not affected because I am staying with family that has a private septic system, but I can see the stress on the faces of everyone I greet. The tolerance level,  or lack thereof, is growing more evident with each day.

It is easy for me to say, "Hang in there-this too shall pass!" But, I am not suffering like the majority, so I have no way to totally relate to what they are experiencing.

The most I can offer is compassion, sympathy, and a helping hand with a listening ear. I know the waste water situation is critical and now is not my time to be positive and neutralizing. 

I send everyone a virtual side-hug.....my best goes to you all!

Until the next time: Live while you live! 

Call 911, without hesitation, if you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else.

Mother Nature is like a bad parent

I have been in Estes Park, CO during the flood that started on Wednesday, 9-11-13. I have been thankful to have a home on high ground, electricity, internet service, and TV. Many have not been close to being so fortunate.

As the rain stopped and I was able to get out and walk around our damaged little town, I was humbled by the power of Mother Nature. The Big Thompson RAGED; it growled, groaned, roared, and violated everything it touched. It was like a scene in a horror movie. It carried sand, branches, lawn loungers, yard toys, and trees. It pushed bridges, paved highways, houses, boulders, and chunks of mountain over like they were miniatures in a dollhouse.

When it had released the bulk of its adrenalin, it relaxed like the aftermath of a tonic-clonic seizure (formerly known as a grand mal seizure) As the days passed and the water from the Big Thompson, Pouder, and St. Vrain, merged and invaded the northeastern plains, it was more like a thief in the night. It flowed in and spread out, and instead of destroying everything in its path, it filled everything with water, isolated it from services, and left it for someone else to abandon or repair.

I'm not happy with Mother Nature! I think she holds grudges, stores angry emotions, and then unloads. She loves us then she beats on us - literally; just like a bad, volatile parent; one who has a diagnosable personality disorder.

Just my thoughts for this Sunday morning. Writing it helps me face the destruction I will witness on my way to Our Lady of the Mountains.

Until the next time: Live while you live! 

Call 911, without hesitation, if you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else.

Treat yourself to a day to do nothing

Find a day to do nothing!

I hope every person has an entire day to do only what they want to do. I had a day like that today; I stayed in my cabin, played scrabble on my I-pad, and watched the ocean. Around 2:00 I opened a bottle of champagne and shared it with my sweet husband. It was like a day from heaven; a gift. The air is sweet, the breeze is gentle, and rejecting all responsibilities is a luxury!

Did I waste a day? Yes!

Did I deserve a day with no pressure? Probably not!

Did I appreciate every moment? Yes!

Did I accomplish a thing? No!

Do I care? No!

Was it good for my mental health? Absolutely!

I want all of you to find a day, or part of a day, that can be just yours. Do nothing significant; make yourself special. You deserve it!

Until the next time: Live while you live! 

Call 911, without hesitation, if you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else.

A smaller environment can help us feel more significant

Sitting on the deck of the Carnival Sunshine, docked in Naples, Italy, waiting for our friends to finish breakfast and meet us for debarkation, I look ahead to see a city of hills camouflaged with tall, neutral buildings. Across the large dock, I see the huge Norwegian EPIC cruise ship. The Princess DAWN is docked in front of us. Below me I watch people of every size, shape, age, and color getting off our ship with visible excitement for the awaited adventures of the day in Naples, Pompei, Sorrento, or Capri. 

I am so far from the security and comforts of home, and as each port passes, I feel smaller; a mere spot in the dynamics of the world.

The realization of my insignificance in the masses helps me put my daily problems, worries, and hurts in perspective; three million people in Barcelona, two and one-half million in Florence, 60 million in all of Italy, (according to the cab drivers) three thousand people on this ship....and the next....and the next; it's all quite humbling.

I resist seeing myself as a speck on the earth, but I fear it is true. The thought also offers a bit of freedom; I am so minute I do not have much affect, if any, on the health, wellness, or wisdom of  the universe. 

That must be why we shrink our personal world; we need to believe our existence makes a difference to someone or something. Because of that, I look forward to getting home and hugging my kids, both big and small, pressing towards my publishing goals, and renewing my belief that my choices do make a difference, to someone.

Until the next time: Live while you live! 

Call 911, without hesitation, if you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else.