Sweet Anticipation

An idea forms
a plan begins
wondering
heart races
sweet anticipation

calendar watching
plan takes form
pondering
heart pounds
sweet anticipation

momentary panic
do I? don't I?
worrying
heart flip-flops
sweet anticipation

counting days
will it happen?
panicking
heart worries
sweet anticipation

walks, talks, hugs
endless possibilities
dreaming
heart smiles
sweet anticipation

she's determined
waiting is hard
impatient
heart argues
sweet anticipation

Life's too short

Life is too short. All of us slog through our daily routines - some by choice, some are forced upon us - and we forget that in the big picture, our time here, together, is really very short. Which means that most of us ought to be taking a good look at what we do: what needs to be done, what should be done, and what we truly want to do.

This has been a difficult year. In July, I lost my grandmother, who was 95 years old. In August, my grandfather, who was just shy of his 104th birthday. Both of them lived long full lives, but that doesn't mean they aren't missed. Yesterday, my Uncle Jim passed away. It was his birthday; he was 77. He was loved by many, was a friend to everyone he met and surely will be missed as well.

Which is why I'm now feeling like life is too damned short ... to short to wait for something to get better, something to change, something to be 'this' or 'that' before we're actually going to do something. Well, that's a bunch of hoooey (is that a word?)

Let's face it, we all get busy with life. Or rather we let the busy-ness of life take away from the things that might mean the world to us. In a typical day, I get up early, head to work, and work hard at my job. By the end of the work day, its time to step into the gym for a little bit of a workout, so that I stay healthy. Home again, and you know the story: we're all tired at the end of a day, and don't always do something for ourselves. And that's a shame. Even if it's a little something, do something you enjoy every day. Hug the people in your family, your pets, say hello to your neighbor. You never know. :/

When I was raising kids, there was always a load of laundry to be done, floor to be vacuumed, etc, but the greatest pleasure was spending time with the kids; sitting around the table doing homework, or the talks we'd have as we all sat down to dinner. Those are moments I will cherish all my life. Now that they're grown, I have more time for me, and its time I started doing those things!

I've put off doing something for years, and I keep waiting ... too busy, no time, no money ... the list of reasons is very long. But... what if? and I never? No more. Yes, its the kind of thing that will take a little planning. But the anticipation is so sweet! I'm on a countdown. I'm going to do it. So cross your fingers and wish me luck ... its time for this chick to take action!

HUGS to each and every one of you!

Determined

Determined

tired & gritty
red & swollen
her eyes little more
than slits
in a face
ravaged by
time & hardships.

Never one to quit,
she gets up each morning
before the break of dawn
to go about her tasks--
things she'd rather not
be doing -- but must.

Her mind wanders
to another
place & time
full of
promises & life.

Covering another sigh
she diverts her attention
to the tasks at hand.
again.
and goes on.

L.DanielsonPoetry

Just Another Monday

Monday morning
tears fall
time to focus
work to do
wandering aimlessly
go away, tears
re-focus on
tasks at hand
mind wanders
heart hurts
go away, tears
time to focus
work to do
tears fall
will this day
ever end?

©L.DanielsonPoetry

The Aha Moment

Yes, readers, I am googling again, in an attempt to learn, discover and figure out this thing I call life. Every now and then, we have these "aha moments" where it finally all comes together, where something that's been simmering in the back of our thoughts finally has some kind of logic to it, and hopefully a little understanding with it. Thanks to Google, here are some thoughts to share:

A moment of clarity, the aha moment is a defining moment
where you gain real wisdom - wisdom you can use to change your life

The aha moments grow out of hours of thought and study.

Aha Moments of Realization happen to us all
at different times, situations and places in the world.
They are moments of light, understanding and clarity.

So with that in mind, I'm going with "wisdom you can use to change your life". I've been caught up in a pastime that has me choosing one set of things to do over another. When you make choices with time, there is no going back, you will never get that time back, no matter what you do. There is no making up for it.

Humor me and think about time, minutes, like you do pennies. What's one or two? Most of us just toss pennies aside, but they can add up to quite a bit over time. The same thing with minutes. A few here and there can really add up. Most will walk past pennies scattered on the ground... but how many will walk past a dollar bill? Catching my point?

Well, if I add up the minutes spent on computer time .... could that be minutes spent on upkeep on my house? Reading a book I'm enjoying? Or making time for myself? at the gym? Writing? Taking pix? All of these things, really.

So my aha moment is about making choices, and choosing what's right for me.
Because I matter.
Because I am important.
Because I am worth it.

AHA HUGS to everyone!

Someday

How do you feel about the word "someday" ?
Does it bring to mind something you hope to do in the future?
Part of a long term plan, perhaps?
Or maybe it's just part of your 'bucket list' of things you'd like to do?

Truthfully, I'm beginning to dislike that word. Then again, maybe its an age related thing, knowing I have fewer "somedays" than ever before. Nickelback sings about someday, here's the basic chorus:

Someday, somehow
gonna make it all right but not right now
I know you're wondering when

When it comes right down to it, life is rushing by, and those somedays keep sliding into the past. Things happen in life that we don't foresee, or plan on. One day you'll check your calendar and think to yourself, "wow, where has the time gone?" You can sit and reflect on all the things of the past, and realize your promise of "someday" has come and gone. Don't let "not right now" get in the way of your somedays!

I searched on Google to find some quotes related to "someday" and not a whole lot quite fit what I wanted to say, except these two:

"Someday is not a day of the week." (author unknown)
and
"Go for it now. The future is promised to no one." ~Wayne Dyer.

My only wish for all of you is to live your "somedays" now. You never know what the next tomorrow will bring, and then your "someday" is gone. Live, love and be happy!!

A TODAY kind of HUG for everyone!

How to Sleep Naked

How do you sleep in the nude? I saw that as a topic, and thought, "Is there a certain way to do it? Have I been doing it all wrong?"

Do you like to sleep naked? Statistics show that most people do... so, with that in mind, ya'll know me, when I get something in my head, I have to do a little research. Thank goodness for search engines! Here's some of the things I found:

Sleeping nude is completely natural, no matter what age or gender anyone is. It has nothing to do with sex either. Its a comfort thing.

Not only is sleeping naked more comfortable, but it's good for your health too. Increasing your level of comfort makes it easier for you to relax and sleep, so you get a better night's kip. The resulting deeper, longer sleep makes it easier for your body to regenerate and repair itself, and build up your energy for the day ahead.

If you sleep with a partner, being naked heightens the level of intimacy between you, and you are likely to have sex more often. You may also feel closer to your partner as a result of sleeping naked with them. There is also evidence of improved fertility in men as a result of being in cooler conditions thanks to wearing less clothing.

First, decide if sleeping naked is right for you

Things You'll Need

Comfortable Bed
Bed Sheets
Blankets (For Cold Nights)
Easily Accessible Robe/Clothing
Courage and/or Confidence

Now, I found a list of "things you'll need" to be rather amusing... if you're sleeping naked, what could you need? However, this list makes sense in a way. The bed, of course, self explanatory, along with sheets and/or blankets. A robe at the end of the bed, or on a hook near the door would be a good idea if you have people who come in and out, or if there's an emergency. Ending up outdoors without clothing could prove embarrassing -- unless of course there's cute firemen involved! (laughs)

Finally! Just strip! Don't be bashful! It's only your body! Snuggle up in bed and you'll find that when you wake up, you'll be surprisingly more refreshed and energized for the day than usual. At first the experience may feel awkward for many, but after a few days, you get comfortable to being naked. For most, after a couple of days you'll realize how much you actually enjoy it.

Now, I have to confess, I've slept naked for two nights in a row, just to try this out before I blog it. I have to say, yes, I did sleep better the second night, a deep sleep. However, one needs to be aware of what you fall asleep with...... I woke up to find a remote control embedded into my side. *giggles*

Naked *HUGS* to everyone who wants one!

Purple Blues

Have you ever noticed that when you get the blues, out come the 'fat pants'? After a difficult day yesterday, I came to several realizations - among them that when I don't feel so good about myself, or something that happened, out of the back of the closet come the pants that are just a little too big, too baggy, but require no effort on my part. Same with granny panties and a blah tshirt in order to run to walmart - nothing fancy, nothing that requires me to do anything but the basics. *chuckles*

*sigh*

How do you get past the blues? Normally, time takes care of most of it. And maybe a little chatting with friends who understand. But there are some things in life that sometimes-- do you even dare utter the words? Putting thoughts into words can be a scary or difficult thing, or both. Because once uttered, things are never the same again. For you, or for whomever you chose to hear your words.

Sometimes, the blues are of our own making. Not someone who did something to hurt us, but that something they did was something we allowed and in the bigger picture, that's what hurt us most.

We sing the blues

because our hearts have been hurt,

our souls have been disturbed.

~Alberta Hunter

I started this blog a week ago, and never felt it was finished enough to post. Well. Here I am a week later and ... yep, still got them blues. *another sigh* Thanks for reading this. HUGS.

The Way We Are

People are such interesting creatures. We're complex, for certain. But how we see ourselves differs from the way others see us. Sometimes I think our little idiosyncracies -- those little things that make each of us different - are more endearing to others than some glorious achievement. The lure of perfection, of wanting to be perfect, it fed to us from so many different places, especially in the media.

But being quirky is a very creative force in nature. And our faults, our weaknesses and unlucky breaks are what make us more resilient, more inventive, and maybe even more efficient. But more important, happier.

When you look at ourselves - and we all know we're our own worst critics when it comes to judging ourselves, our flaws - we need to romance our flaws, see where it can lead us. I'm going to suggest a few things that might help with this: Do something that makes you shudder as much as it makes you smile. Don't have the last word. Tell the person least expecting it they've done something wonderful. Flaunt what you're trying to forget. Realize that knowing your weaknesses is your biggest strength. And remember: If something's perfect, it can never get any better.

"You cannot live your life in anticipation of anyone's approval -- someone else's or your own."
~Veronique Vienne

Just the Way You Are HUGGS to everyone!

Cleaning Old Ghosts

Have you opened up a box that's been in your closet for ages and found things in it that reminded you of the past? touchstones that trigger emotions you thought you'd left behind? We've all done that, from time to time. Why do we hold on to things that way?

Just a few days ago, I fanatically cleaned out my bedroom closet. Or maybe I should say I straightened it out. Because I didn't actually get rid of much. But I was surprised at the number of things that end up in a closet, out of the way, out of sight-out of mind thinking I suppose. And sometimes its just easier to leave it be, than it is to weed it out. One of the things i found was a box of fabric pieces... they were part of happier memories though. Most of them were pieces I'd sewed cabbage patch doll clothes from. However, that was back in 1984/1985... turns out I hauled them with me when I moved from apartment to house to apartment, from California to Ohio to Arizona. There have been other things I've found from time to time, and realized it was time to get rid of the ghosts!

An energy surrounds and attaches itself to every object in our homes, transforming them into memories, both good and bad. But why surround ourselves with things that no longer need to be part of our lives? Especially things that are infused with certain memories that we'd like to be rid of: Maybe a piece of furniture that was part of a past marriage, a rug that was part of a love affair, a photograph that was a part of hope. Begone!

Begone and good riddance ... cleaning out old ghosts lets you make room for new things in your new life. It doesn't seem to matter whether you're looking for a pair of shoes, or the perfect person; if there's no room in your life, neither sole nor soul mates are likely to find you.

HUGS to everyone!

Little Losses

Everyone has had some kind of devastating loss, or losses, in their lifetime - death, divorce, debt, illnesses - and it seems like its easier to cope with those bigger issues of life than it is with the little losses. How many times have you misplaced your keys, and find that one little thing triggers what seems to be an entire day gone bad? Or had a past due bill that you were so sure you'd already paid, only to find it misplaced?

I can't tell you how many times I've lost my keys. It was a running joke when I lived in California;Mom would send me cards offering to 'find my keys for me'. When I lived in Ohio, my friend Sharon had paid her phone bill one winter, but her phone service was cut off. She found where she'd written the check in the checkbook, and just knew that she'd put it out for the postman. A couple weeks later, when the snows had melted off, there was the addressed and stamped phone bill payment. It had been blown away and stuck in the snow for a couple of weeks. Later, of course, we were able to chuckle about it - but at the time, it was a big inconvenience, and very upsetting.

We've all had days like that, I'm sure -- and we'll have more. It's a part of life. But what makes all the difference is our attitude toward those little things. Too often we let these inconsequential nuisances become the influence over our day. So instead of letting that little thing create a bigger thing, I say we all take a moment and ask ourselves, "Will I remember this in a year? in five years? in twenty years?" By putting the little things into perspective --and practicing this on a regular basis-- you'll notice a difference in how you react when they pop up from time to time. Which leaves you with a less stressful day, and more energy to put toward things that really matter.

HUGS to everyone!

Perfectly Plausible Passions

Fall is one of the best times of year, in my opinion. It's a time for back to school, which always meant a whole new year, a new beginning -- the options were limitless, if you chose to believe that!

Fall is the best season, weather wise. The night's finally cool off, but the days are still warm enough to go without a jacket, to enjoy going barefoot for a little while longer.

Fall usually comes with a few extra warm days - when I was growing up we called it Indian Summer. Those few days where the heat builds and you wonder if it will ever be cool again.

Fall also meant school activities, clubs, high school football games and socializing with your friends.

As an adult, I still appreciate fall. Other seasons are more tolerable because I know that it will be fall once again. And even at my age, it can be a time of new beginnings, new adventures, new things that make us feel young again. As one of my favorite authors (Sarah Ban Breathnach) wrote, don't be afraid to "lead yourself into temptation with perfectly plausible passions." If there's something you've thought about doing, why not do it?

Life's only sin is a day without desire and a night without thanks.

I haven't blogged in a while, as I've been quite busy lately, trying to get in some reading, some writing and some day trips. While the reading is slow, the writing is a little better, and these last few weekends, I decided to do some local sight seeing. I pack a quick overnight bag (just in case I find myself further from home), I pack a cooler full of water, and a few good snacks, and my GyPSy, and off we go. I never know for sure what I'll find, but I'm never at a loss for taking some good pictures. (They're posted here )

So if you're dreading winter, wishing for spring, or find that fall is your favorite time of year, do something for you, make a new start: a hobby, a project, or just plain sight seeing .... it's a great time to do it!

HUGS to all you fall-lovers out there!

Do accomplishments matter?

How does a person get back on track when things, when life, when love, gets crazy? There are times when it feels like there's never an end to the things that need to be done, and never enough time for the things I want to do. Is it all a matter of choices? Making sure we choose wisely?

And at the end of a day, is it the accomplishments that really matter?

Every now and then, I receive emails that really strike me. And the one yesterday was about tossing productivity aside. By that, I think it was about "less is more". Does it really matter if you accomplish a list of ten items in your day, and hated doing them all? What if you didn't work so hard at getting everything done, did fewer things, but enjoyed them more? The suggestion was to work hard, then take a break for yourself to get those tedious things done-- let's face it, we all have things we don't like to do, but they need to get done anyways. (For me, its loading the dishwasher. Yeah, it only takes like five minutes, but I dislike taking the time to do it!)

I'm all about the accomplishment list at the end of the day so that I know if it was a good day or not. I'm sure at my age, that won't change a whole lot. But I'm learning to let go, procrastinate just a little more, in order to choose things that I enjoy, and mixing those into my days.

From ZenHabits, here's my favorite quote:

Life where you’re always doing something you love is art.

So make time in each day to do something you love.
You will reap the benefits!

Accomplished HUGS to everyone!

Clothes Make the Man

Here at my BigBox Store, we have Loss Prevention folks who walk the floor, looking for shoplifters along with safety issues and such. One of the things our LP guy does is dress to blend in: most often, jean, tee shirt and ball cap do the trick. To look at him, well, you wouldn't look twice, thinking he's an employee of the store. He looks more like an "average Joe customer".

Recently, he took another position, and of course, is required to dress the part. Today, he came in wearing a button down dress shirt, his cuffs rolled up his forearm, dress slacks, snazzy shoes --- Ohhh Myyyy what a handsome picture he made! The girls were sure enjoying it --- me included!!

So... just a reminder, gals, don't judge a book by its cover. Dressed up, he may just be the next... "best seller"!

HUGS to everyone!

PS: Hey M--- looking good! *winks* and good luck on your new position :)