Five things that made me happy today – 11/30/21

Thanks for this day, for all birds safe in their nests, for whatever this is, for life.

Barbara Kingsolver

1. The ran returned in the night, but it didn’t cool off any – mid-50s when I got up. The wind came up with scattered showers through the day. It’s still 55 deg. It’s supposed to stay the same all night – breezy, showery and mid 50s.

2. I got all of my blogs written this morning – Five Things (in draft), Intentions Review, Advent Word, and 30 Days of Gratitude. I’m finished with 30 Days until next year, and the Intentions are just monthly. WHEW.

3. We talked about Deborah in Bible Study this morning. Deborah was a judge, and leader of the Hebrews in the time between Moses and David. Her story is in Judges 4-5. Warning – it’s bloody and gruesome. But she was important to the formation of Israel. God had given the land to the Israelites but the folks who lived there weren’t happy to hear that “God” had given their land away. What does that say about us and our relationships with indigenous people?

4. We had some problems with all of our electronics last night – Alexa, AppleTV, iPads, iPhones, iMac, etc. Slow to load, and movies that stopped unexpectedly. I ran a speed test on my phone and it was normal, as was the speed test on my iMac. I was on the verge of rebooting the modem, but decided to call #2 son first. THAT worked. All he has to do is become aware of a problem and the problem goes and cowers in the corner saying “Don’t hurt me. Don’t make me behave. I’ll be good.”

5. Greisser Girls Gab this afternoon. Looking forward to a glass of wine and good conversation.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Intentions Review for November 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 both of her Pfizer shots. 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 – finished
  • Better Off Dead – Lee Child and Andrew Child – 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 – Finished for the year.
• I subscribed to MasterClass. I’m following Cornell West teaching Philosophy.

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 December.

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones
  • Wellness Center – My personal trainer is on maternity leave. I’m trying 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

Coming – Advent Word – 11/30/21

30 Days of Thankfulness – 11/30/21

Today, I’m thankful for Heather Cox Richardson, who interprets the news for me and others with the clear-eyed perspective of an historian. When I am struggling with existential angst about the state of the country and the world, she reassures me that it’s all happened before and we’ve lived through it.

Five things that made me happy today – 11/29/21

The very least you can do is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance, but live right in it, under its roof.

Barbara Kingsolver

1. It was in the low 50s this morning, and the rain had departed in the night. It was partly to mostly cloudy all day. but the temperature got up to 58 deg. Expecting lots more rain tomorrow.

2. A blogger friend of mine was talking about twinkle lights today. She said “The promise is that there is hope even when we don’t see the light…It’s easy to miss it when it comes in twinkle form but it’s out there.”

3. I fixed pork chops, and broccoli and squash for me, and Big Al’s beans and cauliflower for him.

4. The laundry is finished, and a Safeway pickup has been accomplished.

5. Gazebo Group tonight with a glass of wine!

How about you? What made you happy today?

Hope – Advent Word – 11/29/21

Even with Omicron staring us in the face, vaccines give me hope.

30 Days of Thankfulness – 11/29/21

Today was Papa’s birthday. He would have been 110 today. He’s been gone for 12 years now, and I still miss him. I’m so thankful he was my father.

Five things that made me happy today – 11/28/21

Moving through dark days is the only way to reach the light.

Sabra Boyd

1. It was in the upper 50s when I got up today. The wind was up and there was a spectacular sunrise that disappeared before I could get the camera. Now it’s down to 55 deg and drizzling.

2. In church we are doing a series about women who are genealogically in Jesus’ line. This morning the sermon was about Miriam, who was Moses’ sister and basically saved him when he was a baby. She led the Israelites along with Moses, through the Red Sea, and in the desert.

3. I’m finally set free to listen to Christmas music. My favorite album is Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas. I’m listening now, waiting for Big Al to be ready to go to lunch.

4. We decided to go to Harbor Lights for lunch. I had panfried trout with sautéed squash and sautéed Brussels sprouts. Big Al had Shrimp Louie. Very tasty. I forget between times how much I like trout.

5. I got some of the manger scenes out, and set them up. I also got the little tree out of its box and put the lights on it.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Gather – Advent Word – 11/28/21

30 Days of Thankfulness – 11/28/21

I’m thankful for Bethany Presbyterian Church – Tacoma, and all the people therein. During the pandemic they have kept me connected with the world. We now have a choice of church in person or church on line. We do Bible Study weekly, on Zoom, either in the evening or in the morning. I appreciate the choices available.