Five things that made me happy today – 10/31/21

Halloween. A magic night. A night when anything could happen. Monsters could be real. Magic could whisper in the air.

Cynthia Eden

1. It was 38 deg at dawn this morning. With blue skies and bright sun, the temperature rose to 58 deg this afternoon.

2. Church was lovely. We looked at the Tower of Babel, and the sermon was about how God meant for us to live together with no one more important than anyone else. We also had a service of remembrance for people from the congregation who had died during the past year.

3. Big Al and I rode down to Kyoto for Lunch today. I had a bento box that had WAAAY too much food. Al had chicken teriyaki and tempura. I think I had too much because he off-loaded a lot of his tempura on me (squash, broccoli, mushroom, etc.)

4. On our way home from the restaurant, we dropped by Safeway to pick up the grocery order I made last night and this morning. We were both out of milk for breakfast tomorrow, so it was really necessary.

5. Cowboys play on Sunday Night Football. I’m going to be trying to cheer them on to victory.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Intentions Review for October 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. – Check
  • Eat more vegetables – We’re back to relying on the cruciferous veggies. Hardy cold weather vegetables came early this year. New potatoes are occasionally unavailable. Sweet onions, peppers, celery, etc. are good for mirepoix.
  • I’m starting to go to “soup of the week” again.
  • Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day – Check
• Big Al and I got our second Pfizer shots on February 13th, so we’ve been fully vaccinated since the first of March! We got our boosters on October 27th.
  • I’m still minimizing my shopping trips. I would hate to succumb to COVID now that we seem to be (maybe, fingers crossed) approaching the end.
  • My grandchild who was unvaccinated has gotten her first Pfizer shot. HOORAY!

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.
• 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 – finished
  • A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George – finished
  • How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates – finished
  • Stargazer by Anne Hillerman – finished
  • Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg – finished
  • Beneath a Scarlett Sky by Mark Sullivan – finished
  • The House on Vesper Sands – Paraic O’Donnell – finished
  • Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven – Fanny Flagg – finished
  • Payment in Blood – Elizabeth George – finished
  • Well-Schooled in Murder – Elizebeth George – finished
  • A Suitable Vengeance – Elizabeth George – finished
  • For the Sake of Elena – Elizabeth George – finished
  • Missing Joseph – Elizabeth George – finished
  • Playing for the Ashes – Elizabeth George – reading
• I’m trying to keep up with the news without obsessing over it.
  • Listen to NPR – Check
  • Watch Rachel Maddow – Check
  • Follow Heather Cox Richardson for perspective – Check
• Participate in Creative Writing classes – giving it a rest for now.
• I subscribe to the New York Times and try to work the crossword puzzle and read several columns regularly, including the cooking column.
• I subscribe to the Seattle Times and read several of their newsletters.
• I subscribe to the Washington Post. and read several of their newsletters, including Travel, Fitness, and Cooking.
• Support aspiring writers via Patreon and Substack – Check
• Participate in Great Decisions here at Franke Tobey Jones – The final class of the year was End of Globalization?
• I subscribed to MasterClass. I’m still looking for a new series.

Spiritual Health

• Continue to participate in weekly Bible study, and weekly Worship – Bible Study is on Zoom and I’m attending regularly.
• Worship is available on YouTube Live, and I’m regular in attendance from my living room.
• Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – No meetings yet, although we’ve tried to schedule a Zoom meeting. Maybe later in November.

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones
  • Wellness Center – My personal trainer is on maternity leave. I’ll try to soldier on alone.
  • Gazebo Group – We are doing ZOOM once a month, and meeting in person the rest of the time in the Wellness Center. It’s not ideal, but it seems to be the best we can hope for.
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church Bible Study – Check
• Continue to connect regularly with the sisters, virtually – Our weekly chats are one of the things that keep me sane.

Social Justice

• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials.I follow my local, state, and federal representatives on Social Media and send messages about things that matter to me.
• It never occurred to me that I would need to lobby the Congress to pass laws to make it easier/possible to vote, but here we are. I’ve gotten complacent living in Washington where we have easy registration, vote by mail, and non-partisan independent commissions to redraw voting districts after a census. I was pleased to see that the President has appointed our REPUBLICAN Secretary of State (who is in charge of elections in Washington State) to a similar post at the national level.
• I have regular contributions to the DNC and my US Representative. I also contribute to reps in other states if they seem particularly outstanding.
• 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 – 10/30/21

October air, complete with dancing leaves and sighing winds

Jaime Allison Parker

1. Mid 40s and breezy when I got up. We’ve reached the time of year when I get up in the dark and we have another week before we fall back. No higher than 52 this afternoon. Threatening colder overnight.

2. Right after breakfast I went over to the Wellness Center to do my exercise, so I wouldn’t have to feel guilty as I sat in front of the TV for Football Saturday.

3. The Ducks played Colorado at 12:30. They won handily 52-29. It’s nice to have a game that I don’t spend the whole time worrying.

4. I snacked on Nachos during the game, and after it was over I fixed Lloyd’s Barbecue Beef on buns.

5. The 4:00 pm games were Arizona v Southern Cal, and Oregon State v Cal. I alternated depending on the score and what looked good at the time I switched. The night games are UCLA v Utah, and Washington v Stanford. I’ll also channel hop through them.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 10/29/21

…we are out of time on the clock. The US Government, and the world, have done far too little on climate change, and so now we must move far faster than is comfortable or convenient.

Bill McKibben

1. A little cooler this morning – high 40s with drizzle. The rain quit, and the sun came out sporadically in the late morning. We were warned that the temperature when we got up would be the high for the day, and – they were almost right – it got up to 51 before it started its downward slide.

2. If you are in the mood to fall down a rabbit hole (like I did this morning), go here. You might accidentally learn something about the world or about yourself. (Thanks to Hugh Hollowell.)

3. I hurried over to the Wellness Center and got most of my steps in around noon. The staff had all dressed up for Halloween, including my (very pregnant) trainer. This is her last day before she goes on her maternity leave.

4. I fixed a little steak, mashed potatoes, and fresh Brussels sprouts for lunch.

5. I’m hoping since it seems to have quit raining, I will get a good night’s sleep tonight. With all the rain, the sump pump (located under my bedroom) turned on every 15-20 minutes last night. And I heard it every time it turned on.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 10/28/21

1. A lot warmer today – upper 50s this morning, with rain. The atmospheric river has arrived to dump inches of warm rain on us. The temperature never made more than a couple of degrees advance on the early morning temp.

2. I went over to the Wellness Center early so I could fix lunch in time for Big Al to finish and mentally prep for Great Decisions. (See #5)

3. HCR talked about how the country responded to the rise of slave owner power in the 1850s. Are there any lessons we can learn from history that might apply to today?

4. In honor of the constant rain this morning I fixed Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Warming to the tummy.

5. Big Al was the facilitator for Great Decisions this month. We discussed whether this is The end of Globalization? We asked if Globalization is a good thing? or not?

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 10/27/21

Finish every day and be done with it…You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it well and serenely, and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

1. Upper 40s when I got up with (surprise) DRIZZLE. It’s continued to be cool (high of 55) with a watery sun the rest of the day. The rain is supposed to return tonight.

2. I went over to the Wellness Center before noon to get my steps in and listen to HCR’s and Joanne Freeman’s Podcast – Voting Rights – the Big Picture. It was terrifying to think about.

3. Al and I were BOOSTED today – We got our third Pfizer COVID shots.

4. I was a good girl and didn’t cry (except from relief), so Al and I went to lunch at the Ram. I had a mushroom cheese burger, and Al had a chicken sandwich with havarti sandwich. We both had sweet potato fries. As a special treat, I had a chocolate milkshake. Goodbye diet!

5. Al is the discussion leader for Great Decisions tomorrow, so he spent a while working with the Senior University coordinator learning how to use slides on Zoom. (I read my lesson for tomorrow – none too soon.)

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 10/26/21

We often talk of saving the planet, but the truth is that we must do these things to save ourselves.

David Attenborough

1. The rain and blustery wind continues, but the wind isn’t as fierce as it was yesterday, and it’s a little bit cooler – 49 deg. The high temperature with stormy winds was 56 deg. this afternoon. “They” are promising clear and cool for Halloween this weekend.

2. I’m pleased to see that I’m not crazy – I really have been suffering from Outrage Addiction. According to stories about the Facebook algorithms, I was being lured into compulsive clicks on Facebook. Outrage Addiction is a real thing, and, now that I know about it, I can change the way I interact with the platform. I deliberately limit my “Likes” to beautiful photos, and reports of people doing helpful and/or funny things. It’s getting better. I’m no longer presented with sixteen stories of the latest awful things the former president and his cronies are doing. Out of sight – out of mind.

3. The housekeepers came today and I have clean sheets on the beds, swept, vacuumed, and mopped floors, clean kitchen and clean bathrooms.

4. I fixed my regular Tuesday ham sandwich for lunch and Big Al warmed up his leftover fajitas from Sunday.

5. I treated myself to a mocha and an apple fritter from the Bistro after I worked out in the Wellness Center.

Big Al had to go to Safeway and pick up some meds (that Express Scripts said they had delivered, but hadn’t), so he dropped me off over there and then picked me up on the way home. He also was able to get some potatoes (that were unavailable yesterday).

BONUS: Greisser Girls Gab in a few minutes! That’s the first thing in a couple of days that I’m willingly attending. I’ve had a bad case of the “I don’t wanta”s, but that seems to be passing.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 10/25/21

Routine keeps you from losing time. New and fulfilling experiences give it meaning.

Steven Johnson

1. The wind blew raindrops and leaves against the window all night long, and disturbed my sleep every time it blustered. 55 deg when I got up. There was little change in the temperature all day, although the sun came out and it cleared off around noon. Then the rain and wind returned with a high temperature of 56 deg. this afternoon.

2. Big Al was out of milk by the time breakfast was over, and I made a grocery order that I picked up in the middle of the afternoon. STILL no potatoes…

3. We had pork chops, cinnamon applesauce, Stovetop stuffing, and green beans for lunch.

4. The laundry is all washed, dried, sorted, delivered, folded and hung up. Hooray for washers and dryers!

5. We’re having Gazebo Group this evening in the Wellness Center. I don’t know how many people will go, because nobody is going to want to walk over with the rain blustering and blowing. It’s possible to drive over and park near the door.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 10/24/21

Practicing contentment is a radical act in a consumption-driven society.

Robin Wall Kimmerer

1. Upper 40s this morning and drizzle when I got up. If you think I sound like a broken record, believe me, it feels like it to me, too. When we came out of the restaurant at lunch, the bomb cyclone that they have been threatening us with all week was arriving. We got home just as the wind came up strong at our house. There won’t be many/any leaves left on the trees by tomorrow.

2. Our theme at church for the next three weeks is Weaving an Inclusive Tapestry of Faith. The sermon was about Joseph and his family.

3. We decided we’d like Mexican food for lunch, so after church we headed south to Moctezumas. I was feeling the need for vegetables and I got a Gourmet Parillla Bowl. Big Al got chicken fajitas.

4. This morning between breakfast and church, I heard the hawk in the back yard, and saw something swooping around out there. Yesterday, there were a lot of robins on the lawn, presumably fattening up of the trip south. I hope the hawk didn’t get one of them.

5. The younger buck was grazing in my yard earlier, and he seems to have paired up with doe. I guess it’s that time of year.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 10/23/21

Going to bed fixes stress, anger, and bad moods at a very high rate. Sleep is a powerful drug.

Chase Arbeiter

1. 48 deg. when I woke up this morning, with a light drizzle. The clouds continued all day with scattered showers. Mid 50s for a high.

2. Wellness Center before noon to get my steps for the day out of the way.

3. The Ducks played UCLA at 12:30. Unfortunately the game on ESPN that was on before them went to 9 overtimes. UCLA scored twice in the first quarter. So I missed that. Once they went back to Oregon the Ducks improved. Final – Oregon-34. UCLA-31. #GoDucks

4. Big Al ran to get fast food for lunch during half-time of the game. I got KFC chicken. I’ve been jonesing for some ever since Al bought himself a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder the other day and didn’t even ask if I wanted anything. Al got two Burger King hamburgers.

5. The rest of the afternoon/evening was spent watching alternating PAC-12 games. Then we watched the next episode of The Crown, our current evening entertainment.

How about you? What made you happy today?