A Random Act of Goodness

Occasionally things happen in life that are so unexpected, so unsought, that when these events occur the surprise is overwhelming. Today was such a day. I arrived home from my second dental appointment in so many days and found the mail had already been brought in. Krista had come and gone. The mail rested on a box addressed to me.

OK, it's post Christmas; I don't swap hardly at all; and I had not ordered anything. The return city was Aurora, OR but the box came without a name or address. The gift inside was meant to be anonymous so I can only express here how incredibly happy and humbled I am to receive the beautiful manger that is pictured here and the heartfelt note that is signed "A Friend". I can't begin to express how deeply moved I am to receive this gift.

In past blogs I have written: " I was amazed by the wealth of friendship out there and discovered that friendship itself had been redefined". . . and . . . "We all send out ripples and for the most part we have absolutely no idea how our thoughts, words, or actions may effect someone in some future. It's almost a mystical experience to acknowledge that a word or action now could have consequences years from now." But to receive such tangible evidence that I have caused someone, though heavy-hearted, to smile, someone I don't even "know" in the traditional sense, almost moves me to tears.

So, dear FRIEND out there, I want you to know that this manger is more than a manger. It is a representation of Christ's message of Love and I intend to keep it up year 'round. I wish you endless blessings and lightness of heart in 2007 and beyond.

First Kiss

Fifteen and eager.
Fifteen and fearless

Fifteen and immortal.

On the beach bonfires burn
Music plays
Laughter
A meeting of strangers.

False names
A friend's urging
They're so cute

What's the harm?

Canyon dark
Unfamiliar sounds at my back
Fifteen and fearful
Fifteen and curious

Closed mouth
Awkward
Eyes opened, eyes closed

First kiss.

Good Things Report - Jan. 7th through 13th

January 6th
As I reflect on 2006 and think of what I would like to see happen in 2007, it occurred to me that I needed to keep in mind that there is always at least one good thing that happens for me everyday. I have been so weighed down by family responsibilities and work obligations that I lose track of the good things that are given to me. I don't want to overlook them and forget them this year. I don't want the good moments to be lost in the web of daily life. Often the bad things that happen are so upsetting that they live in our minds to plague us long after the fact. I would like to change that cycle and keep a list of the good things, the unexpected things, the unusual out of the norm things that I might do or experience. So with this introduction, tomorrow will be the beginning of my Good Things Report. Every single day will mention at least one good thing so that I can focus on the good rather than the bad, the sad, the frustrating.

January 7th
Mass this morning was really satisfying. We have not had a regular, assigned priest since early this past summer and will not have one until June. Fr. Mike was here for six months at the 9 a.m. Mass and now Fr. Robert Silva will be here through June. Both of these men would make excellent pastors and between the two of them, the priest who will finally be appointed here in June will have some big shoes to fill. Both Fr. Mike and Fr. Robert are excellent speakers, intelligent and articulate. They are warm and friendly and humorous. Sunday morning was not a disappointment at all.

January 8th
It's cold and crisp today. The smell of burning fireplaces fills the air. I love my Winter.

January 9th
I received an email today from one of my Amazon customers. The CD wasn't the one he was actually looking for but because the cover was the same, I had no way of distinguishing. As it was, he really liked the CD and we wrote back and forth a couple of times. I rarely get such excellent and thoughtful feedback. Instead of getting mad at me, he thanked me. Made me feel really good and he lucked out and received an unexpected CD that he is really enjoying.

Also, The unexpected gift of a manger from an anonymous friend. Click here for the story.

January 10th
Today was one of those screwy days. Not good, not bad, just . . . well . . . it just was. Some days are like that. However by the end of the day I had really gotten into the meat of Groeschel's There are no accidents. I'm loving this book. I borrowed it from a friend but I MUST buy a copy for myself to add to my library.

January 11th
I just learned that I will be meeting a blogging friend the end of February. I'm so excited. I'm keeping the name a secret until it happens.

Today has been a terrific day. I woke up feeling good. Have felt upbeat all day. Smiling like a goon. LOL. Don't you love it when days just inexplicably are wonderful days?

January 12th
I've been reading Benedict Groeschel's, There are No Accidents and the first part of the book is his interview with John Bishop in 2002. There are many things in the interview that are cautionary, illuminating and downright humorous. Most humorous to the point that it had me laughing out loud was when B mentioned a particular conversation with Mother Teresa (they were friends for 32 years). She was needling him about something and B noted that being needled by Mother Teresa was like being harpooned by Ahab.

January 13th
Today I go to visit my mom and dad together for the first time since her interment last month. I don't feel at all sad. I actually feel joyful because I know they are now together again.

I am grateful and happy for the initial outpouring of support for my wool goods collecting efforts for Frida in Afghanistan.

Building Blocks

I started my blog as a way to keep my memories and family stories for my children. It grew into a place where I could share my deepest feelings as my mother declined and then died. I was amazed by the wealth of friendship out there and discovered that friendship itself had been redefined. All the writing I wanted to do finally had an outlet and in the meantime my world was opened up as I met people in Afganistan, Turkey, and Africa. Their words and thoughts expanded my view of the world and this expanded view became another part of my ever-evolving blog. From family memories to broad world view, it has been quite a journey in a short period of time and I'm looking forward to more in 2007.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

Things to do

I have to remind myself sometimes that this blog is not only a place for memories, poetry, photography, shared thoughts, etc. It is also a place where I can organize myself, write for myself, remind myself in a concrete way of what must be done to keep life moving forward. So, today will be an entry more for me than for anyone else to enjoy. Comment if you like but this is really just about trying to lasso in my chaotic thoughts and give it all some sort of order, a starting place, so to speak, an anchor.

Eight hours of my day are taken with work. I wake to thoughts of work and the necessities of work are very much in the midst of my Necessary Work. The weight of these necessities holds me back and much of it is just taking the time out to do it. But the weight of it holds me back. So, today I move forward and take care of two things - bank stuff and PERS.

Last night I threw away six things in the linen closet. I looked at this junk and thought "What was I thinking?" More tonight and every night until it is culled down to only that which I truly want. The rest somehow goes.

HEADS starts in a few minutes. I'll spend two hours on it today. ESO2 follows for two hours. Meeting list - two hours, Room use the remainder of the day. Work at it until all finished.

Necessary Work
Take money from F&M - Completed 1-7-07
$5K to WF, $25K to CD - Completed 1-7-07
Fill out final PERS paperwork -
call PERS for paperwork. Can't find originals. Bring mom's ss# to work tomorrow.
I called but have not received replacement paperwork yet as of 1-22-07
Clean out linen closet
Remove all old, never completed project and send to Good Will
HEADS - Completed 1-22-07
ESO2 - Completed for now 1-10-07
To Do items from yesterday's meeting - Completed
Room use and conflicts - Completed
Finish kitchen

I escape into light reading or crossword puzzles at night. There rarely seems to be the energy or desire or ability to focus on serious reading. Lord knows I have a stack of serious reading that I tackle from time to time but for me it seems to still be all about escape. Questions: What do I avoid by escaping? What would I achieve if I paid more attention to the serious reading?

Take Time for
Read Intro to Devote Life
Read There are No Accidents - Completed
Read Chesterton
Work on Smoke poem
Read Rosebud - in progress
Exercise
Read Reading Lolita in Terhan - In progress
Read The Bookseller of Kabul - Completed
Read The Reluctant Tuscan - Completed
Read Improv Wisdom by Patricia Madson

Places to go. Things to see. The list is short but it speaks for itself. The list will grow but . . .

Immediate Dreams
Go to San Juan Bautista
Go to Placerville to meet up with Vicci, Biene, Maryellen, and Lisa - Done Jan. 20th
See Lindsey Buckingham next Friday - didn't happen

Fog

Winter is the time when fog grips our area. When the fog arrives, our world remains in an overcast haze for weeks. Mornings are dangerous depending on the fog's density. These pictures are from yesterday around 7:30 a.m. This mornings's fog was even more dense. I drove away thinking I should change my route to work so I would cross traffic at lighted intersections. Of course, thoughts and actions often don't line up and today was no different, so this morning I was nearly hit by a car coming out of the fog. The driver had not turned on his headlights. Such a simple thing that could have had such terrible consequences. Tomorrow I will reroute myself.

One Deep Breath - New Year

Silent reflection.
What awaits outside my sight?
Energy. Hope. Life.