Joy today: Staying at home to read and meditate, instead of going to meetings and events. Sometimes a few peaceful hours can really make the world look better, or at least more potentially better...
I had never heard of the Icelandic version of Stoker's Dracula--evidently he participated in the differences that we can see in this translation and added some things to it!
Joy of the day (early, so I don't forget): Socks. I love socks. Pretty grey smartwools with delicate designs, strange veggie knee socks from who knows where, soft cushiony thurlos for my walking shoes, old cotton ones I don't mind getting holes in...socks are a daily joy, until it gets too warm to wear them...
Joy of today: Making big revisions in the plot of the never-ending novel, and eating crystalized ginger to fortify me!
I was at a Buddhist retreat over the weekend and then yesterday catching up, so here are a bunch of joys:
- Watching the sunrise while waiting to start morning meditation
- 36 hours of silence, except the teachings
- Great feeling of peace from absence of all news
- And the Welcome Center for Space People in the tiny, backwoods town of Bowman, SC (picture on LJ--still can't manage to get one here)
Joys of yesterday (forgot to post, so two): Really fast walk with Bill on the track at the place where I went to junior high and also where, 30 years later, he first asked me out. Also, reading 4th great mystery by Louise Penny. Set in a little town in Quebec province, with a fascinating detective. Don't know why this hasn't become a PBS series yet.
And I'm going on a retreat today through Sunday, so there will hopefully be joys, but no posts. Joy to all of you, every day!
And I'm going on a retreat today through Sunday, so there will hopefully be joys, but no posts. Joy to all of you, every day!
Joy of the day: Finally getting to meet with both my groups at the prison--we had to switch to a new time because they weren't being released at the old time, and this seems to work. At least for now, but that's a joy, compared to going out there and sitting for hours and not getting to see anyone.
Joy today:
Buds on my Kanzan cherry tree are swelling! A few more warm days and they'll open. There's one on the next block in full bloom already.
Buds on my Kanzan cherry tree are swelling! A few more warm days and they'll open. There's one on the next block in full bloom already.
Joy today: Finishing another section of the endless novel and finally moving into something new.
Joy of today: Posting my pictures and seeing everybody else's. Also, Sleep (we left SC at 9 PM Friday night, got to Washington at 8 AM Saturday, left at 9 PM Saturday, and got back to SC at 4:30 Sunday.)
Joy of Saturday; The march! Such incredible energy! Such a good feeling among the marchers. No matter how crowded it was, how impossible even to move, nobody was cross or snippy. Just a spirit of love all over the whole event. I think it revived us all and sent us home ready to make some changes, doing the hard work of every day. I'll post pics on LJ and try to link here later.
Joy of Saturday; The march! Such incredible energy! Such a good feeling among the marchers. No matter how crowded it was, how impossible even to move, nobody was cross or snippy. Just a spirit of love all over the whole event. I think it revived us all and sent us home ready to make some changes, doing the hard work of every day. I'll post pics on LJ and try to link here later.
Joy today:
Fast-moving zumba class (with some Indian dance moves thrown in)!
Fast-moving zumba class (with some Indian dance moves thrown in)!
So taking a cue from Dana and Laura, I will start posting a joy of the day (if I can remember). Better to do it at the end of the day, but I'm online now, so.
Today's joy: Scrambled eggs with three-berry jam toast and English breakfast tea. For lunch.
Today's joy: Scrambled eggs with three-berry jam toast and English breakfast tea. For lunch.
Looking at the DC metro map, I'm remembering a time I met some of you there. Wish it was going to be the same kind of weather this trip!
Crossposting to LJ wasn't working, so I'm trying again. Anyone on LJ, let me know if you see this!
I'm not sure cross-posting is working. If anyone sees this on LJ, would you wave or nod?
The current meme--I got it from![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
maju
The current meme--I got it from
maju 1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth? Part of a whole-wheat pita.
2. Where was your profile picture taken? Some beach, somewhere!
3. Do you play Pokemon Go? No
4. Name someone who made you laugh today? My husband, as usual.
5. How late did you stay up last night? 11:15 pm.
6. If you could move somewhere else, where would it be? Berkeley, to live near my son and granddaughter. But if it were just to be in the place I like best, it would be the beach.
7. Ever been kissed under fireworks? No, but I did sit down in a chair and had the seat fall out!
8. Who is your most observant friend? Religiously observant? I guess my teacher.
9. Do you believe ex's can be friends? My ex and I are very good friends. Just takes good will and time, I think.
10. How do you feel about Dr. Pepper? Love the taste, but can’t handle the caffeine.
11. Who took your profile picture? I think I found it online.
12. Who was the last thing you took a picture of? The little dusting of snow in my backyard.
13. Was yesterday better than today? No, they were about the same.
14. Can you live a day without TV? Yes. I frequently do. Right now, I’m knitting, and like to watch while I’m doing that, but listening to music also works.
15. If you could have any career/job what would it be? I very much like retirement. This is what I was born to do...
16. Are you a bad influence? Not in any definition of bad that I accept.
Folks who know DC (I'm looking at you, Dave, but also everybody)--can you recommend the best app for using the DC metro system? I'm headed to the women's march in a couple of weeks and trying to get prepared.
I suspect I've written this post before, but thinking about it again, so.
I'm beginning (in my mid-70's) to recognize that I do have to admit and deal with the aging process. Can't come up with the Jeopardy answers as quickly as I used to, don't heal as fast from small injuries, don't sleep quite as much at night, weight comes off more slowly (and we're not talking about what I see in the mirror!) Those are all so tiny, gradual, and unimportant (at least on the small level where I experience them) that I don't think about them much.
But the place where I do face the fact is in yoga. At one point I thought that I could always at least get back to the point where I'd once been, even if it took a lot of work--and for a long time I could. And maybe if I made yoga my whole life, I could get back to my best days of ten years ago. But why? It's more interesting, really, to learn about myself as I am, because sooner or later no matter how hard I work, I won't get back to that place. So one option is to mourn what I've lost, but another is to explore this new country as it keeps changing, and even try to develop some gratitude for something new to learn about.
And for sure, it's very much about learning! ( stuff about my body, if you're interested )
And that has led to a lot more mindfulness in yoga, trying to be aware of exactly which positions and movements cause compression in my neck, which strengthen it, and what helps and hurts my shoulders. It's as though I'm looking at my body, especially in yoga, from a totally different perspective, no longer trying to reach some outcome, but noticing what the process is like, and learning what my body really is.
I'm also very grateful that I get to learn with a very good teacher who has actually worked up whole classes partly inspired by my needs (but then, most of my class is over 50, so maybe we all need it), and even more grateful that I'm learning in a gentle way. This would be so much less interesting if serious pain and disability were involved. Maybe it will help me if I ever have to face that, though.
I'm beginning (in my mid-70's) to recognize that I do have to admit and deal with the aging process. Can't come up with the Jeopardy answers as quickly as I used to, don't heal as fast from small injuries, don't sleep quite as much at night, weight comes off more slowly (and we're not talking about what I see in the mirror!) Those are all so tiny, gradual, and unimportant (at least on the small level where I experience them) that I don't think about them much.
But the place where I do face the fact is in yoga. At one point I thought that I could always at least get back to the point where I'd once been, even if it took a lot of work--and for a long time I could. And maybe if I made yoga my whole life, I could get back to my best days of ten years ago. But why? It's more interesting, really, to learn about myself as I am, because sooner or later no matter how hard I work, I won't get back to that place. So one option is to mourn what I've lost, but another is to explore this new country as it keeps changing, and even try to develop some gratitude for something new to learn about.
And for sure, it's very much about learning! ( stuff about my body, if you're interested )
And that has led to a lot more mindfulness in yoga, trying to be aware of exactly which positions and movements cause compression in my neck, which strengthen it, and what helps and hurts my shoulders. It's as though I'm looking at my body, especially in yoga, from a totally different perspective, no longer trying to reach some outcome, but noticing what the process is like, and learning what my body really is.
I'm also very grateful that I get to learn with a very good teacher who has actually worked up whole classes partly inspired by my needs (but then, most of my class is over 50, so maybe we all need it), and even more grateful that I'm learning in a gentle way. This would be so much less interesting if serious pain and disability were involved. Maybe it will help me if I ever have to face that, though.
I watched the first episode of The OA last night. I can't decide about it. I like the actor/creator Britt Marling, I like the way it's structured, and it seems to have some intriguing mysteries. I just hope that it doesn't go down the Lost/Heroes rabbit-hole.
.
