Stuffed with Blessings

 I hope you all survived the Thanksgiving feast and are now rested and still stuffed. We had a fabulous day surrounded by family and you can't ask for anything more. 

To top it all off, we went today (2 days after the big meal) to a seafood restaurant and pigged out again! Looks like we'd learn. hehe. 

And, of course, this is big Football time for all us college football fans. Sorry to see Texas A&M lose. Was thrilled that the Navy midshipmen won. They have a great team this year. And, tonight we watch the Iron Bowl (Alabama and Auburn) slug it out on the field. Half my family roots for Alabama, the other half for Auburn. Makes for interesting dynamics around here! This will be one game I WILL NOT MISS! 

I certainly hope that all of you that celebrate Thanksgiving had a wonderful one. For those of you in other areas of the world, I hope you were blessed, too. We all have so much to be thankful for. 

Thanksgiving Week Festivities

 

                            Let the thanks begin!!

Son Michael arrived last night from Alabama to spend Thanksgiving week with me (and other family members). 

Of course, his little Sadie came along, too. She was so happy to see me as I was her. 

Tomorrow we will celebrate a large gathering of residents and others here at the Commons at our Friendsgiving feast. That will be lot of fun and tons of good food. 

On Thursday (Turkey Day) we go to my granddaughters where the family will stuff themselves once again. Gee, I wonder what the scales are gonna read when we all go to weigh ourselves come Friday morning!! 

I am so thankful for family, friends, food and being blessed beyond measure. 

On A Journey of Self-Discovery

 Personally I have never been a fan of  'long-winded' blog posts. And, here I am doing one. But, please bear with me. This is just on my heart to share this with you all.

I was a shy, awkward country girl who never seem to fit in at school, no friends near where I lived. My self-esteem was pretty low. 

By the time I was 17 I was a new bride, a new mom at 18. And, so I took on those roles of Mother and Wife when I was in my mid-teens. And, those are the roles I played for decades! With our busy life I had not time to concentrate on me.

When I was 65 my husband and I moved from Alabama to Virginia. A couple years into being in our new home I met a woman who fascinated me. She was into healthy eating, connecting with nature, mediation, yoga, self-discovery. That was so new to me and I wanted to know more. I've always been a curious sort and love to learn about new things. My talks with her were so enlightening. 

My first self-help book I ordered was 'Who Will Cry When I Die' by Robin Sharma. I quickly became a follower of his and I began to delve into who I really was. I felt that there was more to this individual walking around in my shoes than just wife and mother. By this time my kids were all grown and I was the full-time caregiver for my husband who had Alzheimers. 

Who was this person that my Mother had given birth to. I wanted to find out. So, I set out on a self-discovery journey of my own. 

I read lots of books, most of which were 'crap' (excuse the expression) but I have found a few that has opened my mind, my heart and my soul that made me dig down and bring up all those old fears, wounds, scars that I had shoved so deep inside me over the years. I began to discover a sense of peace, of calm, of truth and being authentic. Oh, I'm not there yet but I know more of who I was meant to be, of who I can be, of peace and happiness and just a sense of being alive than I have ever felt. 

Some of my problem was not knowing that we all are capable and should set boundaries for ourselves.  When I discovered that I could request ... no, demand.... boundaries, wow, that gave me such a sense of freedom to be me. I've learned to be more open to forgiveness, to even forgive myself and especially those who have hurt me. This life is too short to  hold those wounds as sacred evidences of past wrongs. 

I'm working hard on that low self-esteem and it is a work in progress. I've had a great life, I've done a ton of things in those years, but I feel like I wasn't worthy or good enough so it always felt like it was someone else who did all that stuff, who travels all those miles, who held weeping mothers in my arms in MADD, who served on committes, who wrote books, and painted and quilted and so much more. BTW... singing is not on that list. 

'The Artist's Way' is a favorite book, so is 'Original Me' and now I am reading 'The Awakening'. All exellent sources to guide us to a better place in our lives. I also really enjoyed 'Women Rowing North'.

I encourage you to find your own path, your own self. You may be wonderfully surprised. 

And, I end with this... With an open heart I embrace each and every one of my blogging buddies. You are such a blessing to me. Love you. 

Waiting..... Waiting....Waiting Still

 I keep having some UTI issues so I made an appointment at Urgent Care for yesterday afternoon at 2:20.

Got there at 10 til 2.

Guess what time I got out of there!! 

Yep.... almost 3 hours later. 10 til 5..........

You can't get in to see your regular doctor anymore and then have to wait all afternoon in Urgent Care.. 

I was sooooo bored. My back hurt, my butt hurt and my legs hurt, all from sitting so long in those uncomfortable waiting room chairs. 

As they say "If you aren't sick when you go to the doctor.... you will be when you get out". 

Forgetting

I swear.... I can remember every detail about something that happened last year, back in 2000, back when I was a child even but if I am telling something to someone and get interrupted, it's GONE.... Like I never thought it in the first place! 

I know, I am fortunately and mightly blessed to have the sharpness I have but I sure would love to finish a sentence without forgetting what I'm talking about. 😁

Does that ever happen to you? 

 

Mountains in Watercolor

 Shirley asked me the other day what I thought I was best at painting. I thought about it and then told her 'mountains'. 

I was already working on this painting when she asked. Maybe that's why I said what I did but regardless, I do enjoy doing scenes. People are buggars to paint, least for me. And, I have trouble with flowers. They always look flat to me. 

So far I have painted 9 mountain scenes. 

Finally finished this one today...