Tuesday musings

First thing you thought about when you woke up this morning?

For me there's the joy of all that is possible for another day, so I usually think of what's planned.  Today I think I began by thinking of some friends, and their lives.  Then I put my feet on the floor, and thought of the weather.  Pretty mundane.  That's why I'm grateful when the coffee and computer are ready for my next awakening to have a community to visit here in the web.

And there are some inspiring posts on my blog collection.  Thank you everyone who shares thoughts and experiences and quotes of inspiration.  I like the photos...oh so many and diverse, and they show that we humans are walking about this blue planet collecting beauty to share.  It's like a little clubhouse where we each empty our pockets to show what we've brought to each other.

I like having someone else's ideas to bring me a new direction - a pause to consider, perhaps even meditate upon.  So this one resonates with me this morning.

Human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but... life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves.

GABRIEL GARCÍA MÁRQUEZ There are housekeeping hints that don't ever go away...like this font, this margin setting, and that I just don't feel like changing it.  Argh.  It's a bit annoying, but somedays you choose your battles, and this just isn't one of them.

SUNDAY MORNING THOUGHTS

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS STYE
JUST LIST WHAT I'M THINKING
DOING
EATING TOAST WITH BUTTER AND JELLY
DRINKING COFFEE WITH SUGAR
LIFE IS GOOD
SUN IS COMING OVER TREES WHICH HAVE ABOUT HALF THEIR LEAVES LEFT - BUT HAVEN'T TURNED ANY COLOR YET.
THEY DROP AND TURN BROWN ON THE GROUND
MAYBE SOME ARE YELLOW
I WANT TO SHARE A LOVELY LITTLE VIDEO THAT A FRIEND POSTED ON FACEBOOK THIS MORNING...JUST 5 SHORT MINUTES OF JOYFUL THOUGHTS
Gratefulness.org/videos/10155707283118454/
I HOPE IT WORKS
GRATITUDE IS THE ROOT OF HIS PHILOSOPHY
I READ A LITTLE QUOTE EVERY DAY BASED UPON HIS PHILOSOPHY, A WORD FOR THE DAY
I USED TO COPY ONE QUOTE A DAY INTO MY BOG POSTS NOT ALL FROM THAT SOURCE BUT MANY WERE
I LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND SEE 3 SQUIRRELS COMING OUT OF THEIR NEST AT A CROOK IN THE MAPLE
YES MY WINDOWS ON THIS SIDE OF APARTMENT ARE ON SECOND STORY LEVEL
AS I LOOK THROUGH LEAVES I CAN SEE RIDGE LINE OF MOUNTAINS ON OTHER SIDE OF VALLEY
JUST A BIT OF HAZE AS NIGHT HUMIDITY BURNS OFF
DUE TO RAIN THIS AFTERNOON
BUT WE WILL BE RIDING ALONG THE PARKWAY PROBABLY
GOING TO ALTAPASS TO GET BLUE RIDGE APPLES WITH FRIENDS HELEN AND TERESA
THINKING OF FAMILY I HAVEN'T SEEN IN A WHILE
WONDER IF I SHOULD THINK OF GOING TO OHIO FOR THANKSGIVING
IT WOULD BE A STRETCH FOR MY ENDURANCE
PROBABLY NEED TWO DAYS TO DRIVE
I'VE ALREADY VOLUNTEERED TO BE A DOCENT AT THE HISTORY MUSEUM THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING
THEY NEED ME
MY FAMILY DOESN'T
SADNESS FEEING HERE
BUT I HAVE A CHOICE HOW TO FEEL
LET IT FLOW THROUGH ME LIKE A STREAM
THAT'S WHAT STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS IS I THINK
I CAN DWELL ON HOW LAST YEAR MY TWO OLDEST SONS INVITED THE REST OF THE FAMILY TO FLORIDA AND EVERYONE WAS THERE EXCEPT ME I WASN'T INVITED
OR I CAN THINK VERY HARD TO SEE IF I REMEMBER WHAT I DID LAST YEAR
I HAVE NO IDEA
I KNOW SEVERAL PEOPE ASKED ME TO COME TO THEIR CHURCH OR SOMEWHERE
I'LL NEED TO CHECK MY OD BLOG POSTS OR JOURNAL NOTES TO FIND OUT WHAT I DID
BOY IS MY MEMORY BAD THESE DAYS
I GUESS A NON EVENT ISN'T WORTH REMEMBERING
THERE'S A FLICKER CATCHING SOME BUGS ON THE TREE BARK NOW OR MAYBE A WOODPECKER  I DON'T KNOW WHICH
IT HAS A WHITE BELLY AND RED HEAD AND BLACK BACK AND IS BIG AS A CROW
NOW I'M GOING TO DO MY BREATHING TREATMENT AND LOOK UP AN ANCESTOR'S DETAILS TO ADD TO MY GROWING LIBRARY OF FAMILY NOTES
HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY
I PLAN TO TOO

Addendum: I had planned to go help serve at some kitchen or another, for Thanksgiving last year, but didn't feel like it so just stayed home.  I was exchanging emails with my friend who died in March of this year....so last year we were still talking together every day.  Now I really feel sad.  But I must also admit that I've asked my sons if I can come see them, and both welcomed me...one in FL and one in OH.  I think it's my time to go to Ohio.
We shall see.

I must be a bit insane...

Today's quote:
When have you really just had enough of a problem that you're ready to do whatever it takes, no matter how radical, to get rid of it? I live with several chronic medical conditions, and wish that I could just change one (or more) thing in my life to have them diminish, or go away completely.  But I also find that my comfortable routines keep me a long ways away from actually confronting some of the things that make these conditions worse.  I think, "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results." (ME)

Foggy morning thoughts

Our ritual in honor of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers included three levels of setting intentions.  We asked for the level of our personal lives first...then for our family/community, and then for healing the earth.

We may not be Indigenous, nor grandmothers, but we honor the land, the web of indeterdependent life, and have a sense of how real power is shared between all aspects of life.

Our ideas for our future group meetings include perhaps welcoming men into the group, and maybe having a "goddess of the month" topic to share with each other.  But for now we are releasing the monthly meeting, and will have a last gathering to have a closing celebration of the past 5 years of the Women's Spirituality Group.

I know I will miss this regular sharing of spiritual ideas of the divine feminine.  It will certainly be included in my book.