Category Archives: Franke Tobey Jones

30 Days of Thankfulness – 11/9/22

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For the month of November, I’m going to continue with my habit of posting things I am thankful for. Thankfulness is different from happiness, and I don’t want to conflate the two.

Our Duplex (2)

I’m so thankful for our little house that keeps me warm and dry. I’m also thankful for the maintenance people who keep everything in working order and for the grounds keepers who maintain the lawns and plantings. I LOVE Franke Tobey Jones.

30 Days of Thankfulness – 11/7/22

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For the month of November, I’m going to continue with my habit of posting things I am thankful for. Thankfulness is different from happiness, and I don’t want to conflate the two.

Today I’m thankful for the wildlife that inhabit my little corner of the world. Mama and baby deer are helping clean up after the high winds brought limbs and leaves down. They are a constant joy to me (except when they eat all the blooms off of the new flowers I just bought.)

30 Days of Thankfulness – 11/6/22

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For the month of November, I’m going to continue with my habit of posting things I am thankful for. Thankfulness is different from happiness, and I don’t want to conflate the two.

Today I’m thankful that I’m a Pluviophile (rain lover). We have entered the season of successive Pacific storms that roll in with heavy rain, drizzle, wind, and occasional sun breaks. Wash, rinse, and repeat.

Intentions Review for All of 2021

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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.

These were my intentions for 2021.

Physical Health

  • Eat real food. – Check
    • Eat more vegetables – I keep boxes of cauliflower and broccoli in the refrigerator to fix for dinner or to snack on raw. New potatoes are usually unavailable and I’ve started getting Yukon Golds instead. Brussels sprouts are good. I keep sweet onions, peppers, celery, and sweet potatoes on hand.
    • We have “soup of the week” on Wednesdays, particularly since the weather has turned colder.
    • Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day – Check
  • Big Al and I are triple vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine. I’m still minimizing being around people, so I do grocery pickup instead of going inside the store.
    • All my family is vaccinated!

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.
  • I was very faithful in posting my “Five Things that Made Me Happy Today”.

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 – abandoned
    • In the Presence of the Enemy – 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
  • 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 were scheduled.

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 Zoom 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

Intentions Review for November 2021

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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

Intentions Review for October 2021

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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

Intentions Review for September 2021

Posted on by
1

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 – Tomatoes are still okay, but I’m reduced to Roma instead of locally grown. New potatoes are still available. Sweet onions, peppers, celery, etc. are good for mirepoix.
    • 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 should be getting our booster in the next couple of weeks. They are trying to bring a clinic to FTJ for us.
    • 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 is still unvaccinated, and still unwelcome at my house.
  • My blood work that showed my cholesterol and blood sugar were elevated was fine this month.
  • FTJ brought a flu shot clinic to campus and Big Al and I both got our shots.

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 – 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 here at Franke Tobey Jones – I’m giving this round a miss because they’ve got the professor that I really dislike teaching it.
  • 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 – Our class this month was The Role of The Who (World Health Organization). It was timely and interesting.
  • 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 has resumed, and I’m attending regularly.
  • Worship is available on YouTube Live, and I’m regular in attendance from my living room.
  • I attended both the Mission Study meetings that were held outside in a park and socially distanced.
  • Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – No meetings yet

Social Health

  • Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones
    • Wellness Center – Personal training resumed this week. My trainer is seven and a half months pregnant, so we’re not working on anything very stressful.
    • Gazebo Group – We are trying to nail down a location to meet during bad weather. We will probably do ZOOM once a month, and meeting in person the rest of the time.
  • 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 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