half tag

Sarah tagged me, and here are the answers to her questions. 

1.  Before blogging, did I write in any other formats?
Yes, but intermittently and privately.  I have gone through spells of journaling, and writing bad poetry!  I had a blog in the past, but didn't keep up with it for some unknown reason. 

2.  Why did I start blogging?
Sarah inspired me.  She shared her blog with me, and it got me thinking of how I enjoyed it in the past and thought I would give it another go.  Sometimes this blogging business is a place to vent or lament.  Other times I use it as a resource because it allows me to read interesting posts by others for motivation and inspiration. 

3.  Did I stop reading blog because the writer's grammar or spelling made me crazy?
Yes.  The occasional typo has no impact on me, but consistently poor language skills makes me annoyed.  I lose the content because I am so distracted by the errors.

4.  Have I met the author of a blog that I follow?
No.  I admit to being intrigued by certain authors, however, and wish that I could meet them in person.

5.  What is the best thing I ever ate?
That is a tough one.  Fresh shrimp, right out of the gulf, cooked over a barbeque grill, perhaps?  One dish that is on my mind right now is an Icelandic dessert, made with layers of cookie crust and spiced prunes.  Not only is it delicious, but it is especially sweet in my memory because my dear friend, Lois, made it once a year and always shared some with me.  It was filled with love, and we ate it together with cups of tea in her kitchen. Over this past weekend, I tried to duplicate it, and because it needs to "age" in the fridge for a few days, it is sitting there tempting me to try it.  Like right now!  Whether it ends up being anywhere close to her work of art has yet to be seen, but every bite will remind me of Lois.

6.  Where would I go for a week, by myself with a Visa card?
I would go wandering through Manitoba to look up some old relatives.  I would time my trip to coincide with the Winnepeg Folk Festival because it is a blast!  Music, folk dances, art.  Cool.  I got yelled at by a pedestrian in Winnepeg because I was too slow in observing her in the crosswalk!  She let me have it in French, and who knows what she said, but I knew I had committed a major violation.

7.  What is my biggest pet peeve of all time?
I am hugely annoyed by hearing people eat when I am not eating.  All that crunching, slurping, chewing and swallowing drives me crazy!  I know I make the same noises when I am eating, but when it is just one person doing it, I find myself being impatient.

8.  Have I visited a place and felt like I belonged there?
I feel that way about South Carolina, specifically the area near Hilton Head Island.  I have been there several times, and yearn to return.  The beach, the vegetation (live oaks, spanish moss, palms, flowers) and the charm of the old southern buildings - I like it all.  And Savannah, Georgia, which is nearby, is always a treat.

9.  Do I prefer to pack my own groceries or have them bagged for me?
No real preference, although it is totally disappointing when my bananas get bruised!

10.  How large was my graduating class?  Did I attend any class reunions?
The 1971 Senior Class of Buffalo, MN had about 130 students.  I tried the reunion thing twice.  At the five year reunion, I ended up getting sick, going to the hospital, and my husband (who did not attend my school) went to the reunion and got drunk!  What???  Then I went to the ten year gathering, and I vowed to avoid any future reunions for the rest of eternity.  No fun, too much idle chat with folks with whom I had nothing in common except our alma mater, bad food, blah, blah, blah.  My college friends are much more meaningful to me, and I keep in touch with several of them.

11.  How do I feel about salon care - coloring, hair styling, pedicure, massage, facials?
I get my hair cut when it gets shaggy, and back in the day, I would get the occasional perm to make my fine, straight hair have some life.  I am permanently out of the perm business!  And I postpone a haircut until I can't tolerate it any longer, and I am tempted to take the scissors after it myself.  I don't do nails.  I don't do facials.  I don't do massage.   What I have learned to love is eye brow waxing!  It is the most amazing act of self-indulgence that I can think of!  Well, almost...

This is only "half tag" because I am not tagging anyone else!       

the surprises of decluttering

Well, my project is not finished, but I made a nice dent in clearing out some old crap, and what nice little surprises I found along the way.  Like the passport renewal form that I meant to send in awhile ago.  And the photo of the river that I wamt to get framed.  Oh, and the mother's day card from my granddaughter.  Nice!

I threw away the overgrown ivy that was sitting on the ledge, along with the root-bound philodendron.  I filled up a bag of paper going to the recycling bin.  I ditched some old receipts and junk mail.  Way too much junk mail.

Feels good. 

Now if the mail man would stay away for a week or so.....

the clutter

I hate to admit it, but I am a clutterbug.  I don't like it, and it overwhelms me, but I have a problem with "stuff."  It is mostly the mail, and pieces of paper that seem like they should be kept for some unknown reason.  So, today, I started atttacking some of my clutter.  I tried to figure out why I am so indecisive when it comes to throwing out the stuff I get in the mail.  It is like I want to think about it a little while before I toss it out.  Those envelopes can can tossed when they have sufficiently aged on my counter top, but not one day before.  On days like today, I give myself a good talking to.  "Stop it," I say.   "Don't do that anymore."  "Make a damned decision about the stupid mail," I scream at myself. 

I LOVE AN UNCLUTTERED COUNTERTOP.  Another mantra I will add to my list of chants. 

aahhh, Melissa

I had the pleasure of seeing Melissa Etheridge in concert over the weekend.  Total fun.  She sang her heart out, and gave us just enough old stuff to make us happy, and enough new stuff to intrigue us for the new album coming out soon.  The crowd was enthusiastic and appreciative of her presence and her proficiency at playing her guitar.

It has been eight years now since her breast cancer put her in the spotlight.  She looks great, and sounds happy in her life.  She speaks of the need for humans to be happy, and to treat our bodies well. 

Total enjoyment. 
 

On mindfulness

I work at living in the moment, but I often fail.  It is hard to be mindful, and to live in the moment when so many things are tugging at my consciousness.   I know this is a common complaint for anyone trying to be more aware of the "now."  And yet, in the real world, at work for example, how does one be mindful when there are so many tasks and deadlines to manage?  So many pressures, from so many directions, and so many phone calls, and, and, and...



 

sugar, or the lack thereof

I have had it!  I am tired of being a slave to sugar.  It grabs me like a stranger in a dark alley, and makes me do terrible things!

I am working on mindful eating, and it takes a lot of energy.  I am realizing how I often I eat food without thinking about it.  If it is there, I eat it.  I am trying to embrace the feelings of feeling hungry, and eating because my body needs nutrition, rather than eating simply because I like to, or because it tastes good. 

So, here's to mindfulness, in eating and all things.  Mindful of the moment, appreciating who I am, where I am, and what I am doing.  Here's to casting off the sugar albatross around my neck, and feeling more free to be my authentic self. 

the walking drudge

I read Judy's blog about walking to work, and I so relate to feeling out of shape.

I know walking is good for body and soul.  It is achievable any time of day and it costs nothing but time, and a good pair of shoes.  So why do I avoid it so?  I like walking for about the first five minutes, and then I start thinking about all the other things I would rather be doing.

I have told myself that if I only walked three times a week, that is 300% more than I was walking before.  Who can argue with a 300% improvement!!  So I am giving it a good shot. 

I suppose walking to the Dairy Queen doesn't count.....