Five things that made me happy today – 2/28/21

May the words of our tongues, no matter how biblical, no matter how well-intentioned, not become stones that weigh down and drown our siblings.

Rachel Hackenberg

1. It was 43 deg and cloudy early this morning. It got up to the low 50s by lunchtime, and it wasn’t bad out.

2. The theme of the sermon this morning was “Peace”. The preacher talked about finding peace even (or maybe especially) in the wilderness.

3. I brought home dinner from Royal Thai Bistro. Big Al had Princess Snow Pea, and I had Ginger, Garlic Chicken and Vegetables. I hadn’t had it before, but what’s not to like when it’s seasoned with matchsticks of ginger, and plenty of garlic.

4. I thought I saw a robin yesterday, but there was only one, so I guess it was a spotted towhee. You can see how I might have made a mistake, particularly since it was across the yard and it was hard to see the wing spots. The beak was a giveaway. Besides the Robin doesn’t come to the feeder, although the towhee doesn’t come often either.

Spotted Towhee

American Robin

5. We had the Greisser Girls Gab this afternoon. Good to talk to them.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Intentions Review for February 2021

My Star Word for this year is “Affirmation”. The internet says an affirmation is a positive statement of agreement.

I am a child of God, holy and beloved.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here are my intentions for 2021.

(After the dumpster fire of 2020, you’ll notice I’ve pared down my intentions for 2021, and I intend to hold them loosely.)

Physical Health

• Eat real food.
  • Eat more vegetables – I’m still trying. It’s hard in the winter. Soups are good for sneaking extra veggies in.
  • Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day – Check
• Notice and report any unexpected physical changes (rashes, bumps, etc.) to my doctor.
  • My Mohs surgery was a complete success. The stitches are out, and I’m carefully rubbing the scar to help it blend in.

Emotional Health

• Remember that I am a child of God, holy and beloved.
  • If I can say it for me, I must grant it to every other person on the planet, whether lovable or not.
    • My Lenten discipline is to “tame my snark”. I might “like” other people’s snark on Facebook, but I don’t repost it.
• Continue to post “Five Things that Made Me Happy Today” every day on my blog – Check

Intellectual Health

• Expand my leisure reading.
  • Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand  by Helen Simonson – finished
  • Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie – finished
  • The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie – finished
  • The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie – finished
  • Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry – (still) reading
• Keep up with the national news daily without obsessing over it.
  • Listen to NPR – Check
  • Watch Rachel Maddow – Check
  • Follow Heather Cox Richardson for perspective – Check
• Participate in Creative Writing classes here at Franke Tobey Jones – None currently scheduled
  • Work on my on-going story about my childhood – no joy
• Support aspiring writers via Patreon and Substack – Check
• Participate in Great Decisions here at Franke Tobey Jones – We had our first meeting and talked about the Global Supply Chain. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”
• I’m exploring MasterClass to hopefully take a course in Economics from Paul Krugman.

Spiritual Health

• Continue to participate in weekly Bible study, and weekly Worship – Check
• Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – No meetings yet

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones – it’s hard because we are not allowed to be in anyone else’s home or meet in a group
  • Wellness Center – Still restricted to only one person there at a time (Sigh)
  • Gazebo Group – We meet regularly on Zoom
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church.
  • Bible Study – Check
• Continue to connect regularly with family, virtually – Check

Social Justice

• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials – Check
• Support the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, and MoveOn – Check
• Support the election of officials who are champions for Social Justice issues – Check
  • Climate action
  • Racial justice
  • Health Care Availability
  • Wealth Inequality

Five things that made me happy today – 2/28/19 (Remembered)

1. I did my monthly review of my intentions for the year. I’m pretty well on track with most of them.

2. Good workout with my personal trainer today.

3. Our bi-weekly poetry class was today. I’m really enjoying writing poetry, which I didn’t think I would.

4. I received my personal Lenten book today. “Entering the Passion of Jesus” by Amy-Jill Levine. I really enjoyed her “Short Stories by Jesus”.

5. Saw a good friend who has been shut-in for the last several weeks with pneumonia. He’s much better, finally.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 2/27/21

Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished..

Mary Oliver

1. It was 30 deg. with frost on the grass early this morning. It climbed to 50 deg by noon, and it was not uncomfortable outside.

2. My New York sister had her second COVID shot yesterday, and said she had a really painful night. She had Moderna, so I don’t know whether that was the problem, or whether it was just the luck of the draw. I was sorry that she had a bad reaction. My Arkansas sister and I both had Pfizer and had no problem. But we’re all immunized now, thanks be to God.

3. We had tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.

4. I guess I’m not the only one thinking it’s about time for Spring. I saw this article in the New York Times today. And I read a blog yesterday from someone saying the same thing.

Tess Smith Roberts in the New York Times

5. The birds have been busy in the tree outside my window. I love watching them.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 2/27/19 (Remembered)

1. A day with nothing much to do.

2. I’m really happy with Home Chef. After almost 55 years of planning meals for the family (and making sure the shopping picked up all the ingredients) it’s really nice to have everything there and delivered without thinking about it.

3. Having the exercise machines in the Wellness Center to exercise with when it’s cold, cold, cold outside.

4. Watching pieces of the Cohen hearing, and being able to walk away when it got too intense. Too long and I need a shower.

5. Just as the sun was setting on a cloudy, dreary day, the sun broke through. Metaphor for many of the situations we find ourselves in? Everything ends bright and beautiful.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 2/26/21

I have seen women looking at jewelry ads with a misty eye and one hand resting on the heart, and I only know what they’re feeling because that’s how I read the seed catalogs in February.

Barbara Kingsolver

1. It was 39 deg and clearing when I got up this morning. It got up to 50 under mostly sunny skies by mid afternoon.

2. I THINK spring is coming. You couldn’t tell it by the temperature, but the sun is getting up earlier, and going to bed later. There’s a green haze around the trees. Jonquils are up and blooming outside my front door. The purple finches are dressed up for mating. There’s always at least one set of squirrels chasing each other across the yard and through the branches of the trees.

3. Red beans and rice with Lil Smokies for lunch today. Fine lunch.

4. One of my friends on social media said she had just gotten her first “Fauci ouchy”. I’ve never heard the vaccine called that before but it’s a great name for it.

5. Headed to the Wellness Center to work out. I have hopes of seeing a couple of Eagles today. When the sky is blue and it’s not too cold I often see them circling over the park.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 2/26/19 (Remembered)

1. The box from Amazon, with my chai tea in it, finally turned up in time for me to have a cup with breakfast. (Only one day late.)

2. The first meeting of our Great Decisions Group for this year. I need this because I feel like my brain has been turning to mush the last several months.

3. For Bible Study this morning we explored the passages for Transfiguration Sunday. Really interesting thoughts from both life-long Christians, and folks who didn’t know the stories at all.

4. The landscaping guys FINALLY picked up all the twigs, branches, and sticks that have blown down and broken off with the snow earlier. The backyard looks much better.

5. The House of Representatives passed the repudiation of the Prez’s “emergency”. Now we lobby the Senate as best we can.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 2/25/21

Finding our seasonal rhythms fosters a space for gratefulness to be an integral part of our life.

Mike Martin

1. It was around 40 deg with the wind blowing hard, and wet streets first thing this morning. Blustery day. It never did warm up, and we ended the day at 46 deg. with a howling wind.

2. Big Al’ prescriptions came today. (Thanks be to God).

3. I fixed little individual pizzas for us for lunch with flour tortillas, pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese and Jimmy Dean’s sausage and bacon crumbles. I added chopped onions to Al’s and mine – sliced lunch meat ham to Al’s and mushrooms to mine. Very tasty.

4. We had Grab and Go Happy Hour this afternoon – sliced ham, pate, and fruit with a choice of wine or soda. Nice afternoon pick-me-up.

5. Good discussion about Global Supply Chains at Great Discussions this afternoon. I didn’t agree with the things most of the folks were saying, but, then, most of them come from an era of protectionism.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 2/25/19 (Remembered)

1. Woke up to blue skies and sun. Still cold, but looks warmer.

2. Wine and friends with the Gazebo Group.

3. Personal training with my friend and trainer who is more than a mentor.

4. Happy that folks of good will are disturbed about the UMC.

5. I’m having a hard time finding a number five, because I’m grieving with my Methodist LGBTQI+ brethren and sisters.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 2/24/21

Gratefulness allows us . . . to nurture a keener eye that no longer rushes past the small everyday moments that make up the larger part of our lives.

Guri Mehta

1.  It was 31 deg when I got up this morning. I was able to watch the sunrise out my window over the Cascades as I waited for my tea to steep. It got up to the mid-40s before nightfall.

2. The tax refund came! Hooray! I think we’ll be solvent for the next year (barring anything unforeseen.)

3. I went to Safeway and picked up my order this morning. They had EVERYTHING, including my blueberry scones, and Al’s favorite jams.

4. We had leftover French Onion soup for lunch. It was just as good this time as the first time.

5. According to the Washington Post, Biden is appointing three people to the Post Office board who may be able to fix what’s wrong. I hope we get Big Al’s prescriptions tomorrow. They were sent last Wednesday, and he is going to need them before too long.

If delivery is more important than ever, why is USPS struggling? — Quartz (qz.com)

Apparently they are upgrading the delivery equipment. I’m not sure how making it taller will make it more reliable.

How about you? What made you happy today?