Thursday This and That

A well-kept garden filled with flowers
Has no room left for weeds to share;
The mind keeps out unworthy thoughts
When loveliness is dwelling there.

Leona Bold Martin

Remember how excited I was that they were going to fix up the front of our building by planting flowers?  The plans I had to sit out there amongst the beautiful aromas? Alas, what you see above is the garden that never was.  So much for these fancy ideas about framing the building in a colorful explosion of beautiful flowers.  The new super had all these wild and wonderful ideas of the things he was going to do to improve the building, and he has done absolutely nothing.  He even pays a couple of teenage boys to do the janitorial duties which are part of his job description.  The old super had his faults--he smoked cigarettes like there was no tomorrow, and there was always the smell of smoke in the lobby--but he took care of this building.  This was his baby, and he was proud of it.  He'd worked here 23 years, and then they fired him.  I can't blame management for that one, though.  His son was always trying to start arguments and pick fights with tenants.  He tried with my hubby but was soon put in his place.  The last straw was when he started something with one of the teenage boys in the building and busted into the apartment to beat the kid up. Is it any wonder the super was shown the door?

This new guy is fairly young.  Hubby and I are both giving him the benefit of a doubt.  Perhaps this is his first super's job, and it is a huge responsiblity entailing much more than painting your 'free' apartment pretty colors and pawning your work on the kids for a few bucks. I'm really hoping that he gets it together because I really 'love' this place.  And, as for the flowers????  Well, there is always next year.

I've signed up to go on a trip with the center to Atlantic City on the 21st.  We're going to the Taj Mahal.  It's been a long time since I've been there.  In fact, I was a little girl at the time, and it had been my first visit to the ocean.  How in awe I was!  Just as I will probably be in awe this time around.  I've never been to a casino before, and they say the Taj Mahal is one of the grandest to be found in Atlantic City.

Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure this is really me. Who would have believed that I would be on the go seven days a week?  I, the hermit, who never did anything but go to work. Sometimes it takes a health scare to really wake us up.  Life IS too precious to allow even one moment to pass by without having lived it to the fullest. 

Last night was a quiet night.  I didn't feel much like doing anything.  I couldn't get into reading and aside from 'Royal Pains' there was little I wanted to watch so I dug out the following that I had bought years ago, but never touched...

...and spent an hour participating in one of my childhood passions...coloring.  It really does help to calm the mind.

We are all flowers in the Great Spirit's garden. We share a common root,
and the root is Mother Earth. The garden is beautiful
because it has different colors in it, and those colors
represent different traditions and cultural backgrounds.

Grandfather David Monongye

My Newest Little Angel

When we travel in Divine harmony with our angels, we see ourselves, and others as well, without labels,

without lurking motives, without fear. We soften, gently detaching ourselves from problems

and hardened attitudes, yet feeling new life flowing and discovering new solutions...freer ways of being.

Karen Goldman

Yesterday the thrift shop at the center was open, so just before lunch I ran down and took a look of what they had to offer. There was lots of costume jewelry, but I've really too much already. There was also plenty of clothes, but I've been weeding out, not bringing in. They had some old videos, some books, and then there were the knickknacks. It was then that I saw her sitting way towards the back and knew I had to have her....my newest little Angel.

Then I realized that her little wing was broken. Many would have put her back, but I seem to draw these little broken Angels to me so when I arrived home, I did a little research and this is what I found...

'An Angel with broken wings symbolizes a person who has been emotionally hurt, but no matter how broken we may be, we still have that one wing still intact which means that, no matter what happens, there is still hope.' 

 What a wonderful thought!  Have a wonderful day.

May the angels keep you til morning.
May they guide you through the night.
May they comfort all your sorrows.
May they help you win the fight.
May they keep watch on your soul.
May they show you better ways.
May they guard you while you're sleeping.
May they see you through your days.
May they show you new hopes.
May they still your every doubt
May they calm your every fear.
May they hear you when you shout.
May the angels keep you til morning.
More than this I cannot pray.
And if the angels ever fail you.
Then may God be there that day.

Author Unknown

Tuesday Ramble

Why is play so elusive for some grown-ups? Because we are so strongly attracted
and attached to a profoundly goal-oriented, work-ethic-driven society. Like
other forms of non-work, play connotes wastefulness, a stoppage in the way of
what needs to get done. Yet often what really needs to get done has more to do
with our hearts and spirits and less to do with a deadline or longstanding project.
Play beckons to us, urging us to live in the present moment, a moment that
becomes more luminous when we disallow interruptions like work and worry.

Leslie Levine

(I bought the above when hubby and I got our first apartment.  I can't believe it has been that long.)

 (Breakfast time, the most important meal of the day, and Miss Minga sure lets me know it. You have to hear her in the morning. It brings me joy, though, that at her age she still has this hearty appetite.)

(She is always at my feet.  This is how our evenings are spent.)

(I transplanted all my cacti into one pot.  I sure hope they survive.  The little turtle was a gift from a colleague.  It's extremities are made of jade.)

(A practice photo.  I downloaded another camera onto my phone.  It is supposed to have sharper images.  Not bad.)

Can you imagine experiencing the world as a great sandbox
given for us to play in like we did as children? As we play, we can
also open ourselves to the exploration of our edges,
always creating new adventures of self-exploration as we let go
of old out-dated beliefs about ourselves.

Judith-Annette Milburn

Monday Morning This and That

Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity.
We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand. . . and
melting like a snowflake. Let us use it before it is too late.

Marie Beynon Ray

As Monday rolls around, I find myself eagerly  forward to whatever this week shall bring. Hopefully, I will finally receive some good news.  On Friday I went to the healing mass and was touched on the by a relic from St. Alphonsus, noted for his healing works.  He is also credited with writing the masterpiece, "The Glories of Mary". When the priest opened the service by saying, "Welcome to Mary's Church", I knew I had come home.  On Saturday I listened to the weather and headed out in the morning to beat the rain.  I made it to the first store and as I was leaving, the rain began to fall.  I had an umbrella with me, but in all honesty, it was fun walking in the rain so I left it in my purse.  Sunday morning I went to Church and then came home to rest up for the coming week.  It is so wonderful to be free....

...Speaking of freedom, my turtles have also been set free. Over the weekend  I received an email and above photo from a colleague who had offered to take them when I retired only they weren't sure they were going to let them go.  They brought such joy to the clients.  But, last night I received an email from this colleague.  They had made the decision to let them go, and my little reptile babies are in 7th heaven having the run of the house. I am so happy for them.  At work, they were in a cramped tank.  Now they are in a place where they can spread their wings, so to speak.  

All right, this waiting for my test results is getting the best of me, and I have become a wee bit angry.  I know they must have been completed and sent to the doctor last week, so why am I still waiting to hear?  I have to question if it is because I no long have my good insurance and now have been pushed aside.  I do hope I am wrong, but I believe that, in the case of a test as important as a biopsy, someone should take the time to notify the patient of the results.  It's time to make some calls and climb the ladder to the higher ups if necessary. I should have done so last week, but because of fear I pushed it aside and pretended once again it wasn't there.  That is so wrong of me.  Early treatment is the key to survival.  

After leaving church yesterday, I made a stop at the shop across the street.  I bought some wonderfully scented fairy and rose incense and spotted the above Chinese Five Pepper plant.  It was only $4.99 and so attractive, I couldn't resist.  Another name for this plant is the Christmas Pepper.

Today I am off the the center for a day of bingo, dance lessons, current events and lunch.  I find myself looking forward to it.  On Friday I met a woman and during the course of our discussion, mentioned my retirement and where I had worked.  She replied that she knew the agency quite well; in fact, she had often done volunteer work for the organization.  It  certainly is a small world.

Do we need to make a special effort to enjoy the beauty of the blue sky?
Do we have to practice to be able to enjoy it? No, we just enjoy it.
Each second, each minute of our lives can be like this.
Wherever we are, any time, we have the capacity to enjoy the sunshine,
the presence of each other, even the sensation of our breathing.
We don't need to go to China to enjoy the blue sky.
We don't have to travel into the future to enjoy our breathing.
We can be in touch with these things right now.

Thich Nhat Hanh

No More TGIF

The American city should be a collection of communities where every member

has a right to belong. It should be a place where every person feels safe

on his or her streets and in the house of his or her friends. It should be a place

where each individual's dignity and self-respect is strengthened by the respect

and affection of his or her neighbors. It should be a place where each of us

can find the satisfaction and warmth which comes from being a member of the

community of human beings. This is what people sought at the dawn of civilization.

It is what we seek today.

Lyndon B. Johnson

Well, here we are.  It's Friday at the end of a busy week.  I mentioned to hubby last night that  I've been on the go every day this week, something I haven't done in many years.  In all honesty, while I was making all my fabulous plans before retiring, I wasn't sure if any of them would come to fruition.  I was too set in my ways.  I loved hanging about the home in my jammies, and I often wondered if retirement was just what I needed to become a hermit.  But, if anything, it's been the opposite for me.

I look forward to getting up in the morning and heading for the center.  I'm really beginning to meet people now, and it feels great to be acknowledged when I come in each day.  Yesterday we played Bingo from 9 to 10, meditation and relaxation from 10 to 11, and I learned a few basic steps of Chinese Folk Dancing from 11 to 12.  On Thursday, lunch is only 50 cents.  We had chicken cacciatore, white rice, broccoli, whole wheat bread, pineapple juice, milk, and an orange.  I swear, that chicken was so good I didn't want it to end. 

Today I have errands to run so I won't be going.  I have to run to the bank to deposit my check from work.  Finally it arrived.  They sent it to the wrong address on the 18th, then made me eat my heart out waiting for them to issue me a new one.  Not nice at all.

Afterwards I want to stop at the store and buy some winter drapes for the living room.  It will be here before we know it. I saw a fantastic pair about a week ago and don't know why I didn't jump on it, but I didn't, and now I can just hope they are still there.

Then, it will be home to rest for a few and back out after dinner, something else I haven't done in years...go out at night.  The church has a healing ceremony at 7:15, followed by a vigil until 1 am.  I doubt that I will be staying that late, but I do plan on hanging out for awhile.  

Aside from Sunday services, my weekend will be my rest period.   

Wishing you all a weekend filled with joy.  See you on Monday.

Lammas Blessings

Time has gotten away from me since I retired.  My days have become so busy, I don't even know what day it is anymore.  The first harvest has arrived signaling, for me, the actual beginning of the dark time of the year.  It's nice to know that I can really enjoy the dark time this year, that I can cozy up in my flannel gown and sit in my rocker by the window....while sipping hot chocolate with marshmallows.  Oh, what joy!

Today when I leave the center I have to be sure to stop at the fruit stand to buy some traditional Lammas foods for tonight--a delicious homemade whole grain bread, strawberries, some nice vine-ripened tomatoes for my salad.  Later, my harvest goddess will be brought out from her summer slumber to participate in a short ritual.  It's nice to not have to work this day, to actually be able to celebrate as I see fit.  Retirement is a blessing.

I found the following picture of our ancestor's first harvest and felt it appropriate for today.

As a part of nature's wondrous cycle

Of new birth, growth, fruitfulness and death

We rejoice in the creation of new life,

For parenthood, the passing on of knowledge,

For understanding and the wisdom of years.

We are grateful for those who have gone before

Passing on to us our spiritual heritage.

May our lives blossom as the apple tree in Spring

May we become fruitful in thought and deed

And may the seed of love that falls to the ground

Linger beyond our time on this earth.

John Birch 'Faith and Worship - Prayers and Resources'

A blessed Lammas to you all!

Wednesday Ramble

There is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as
a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap;
the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and
grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

George Bernard Shaw

I snapped the above picture of the Verazano Bridge as I was on my way to enroll in the recreation center.  Needless to say, it was a long, somewhat wasted trip.  I didn't even go in because I because I didn't get a good feeling about it.  First of all, it was a long walk from the bus, downhill going, but returning it was all uphill.  Then, it was a plan green building located in what I consider 'no man's land'.  It was so far from civilization that no one would hear you if you called out for help...and, there was no one around anyway.  It was just too dreary and depressing so I just turned around and walked back up to the bus stop.  At least I got to explore a part of Brooklyn I was unfamiliar with.

During my travels yesterday, I came across the quaint little Episcopal Church above.  It was so small and nestled so far back that if I hadn't been looking for an address, I wouldn't have found it. It would be nice to attend a service there, but the bus runs every 40 minutes on a weekday.  I can only imagine how it would be on a Sunday.

It was almost lunch time at the senior center so I headed on over.  For one dollar I had a meal of delicious meatloaf, real mashed potatoes, fresh string beans, fruit salad, milk, and juice.  Plus I had the added benefit of being surrounded by others.  I loved it.  We also stood and faced the flag and said the 'Pledge of Allegiance' and sang 'My Country Tis of Thee' before the meal was served.  Haven't done that since school.

After lunch I tried my hand at the belly dancing classes they offered.  Yes, 'old stiff as a board' me.  The old hips may not have moved that well, but it sure was a lot of fun, and it felt good to laugh.  Today it's needlecraft, bingo, and dance lessons and history...whatever that is about. This is so much better than work. 

Received a call from an old colleague yesterday. It was good to be remembered. Of course I asked about my clients, and she told me that the young boy I'd been concerned about has been missing.  The last time he was there was my last day when he came to say good bye to me.  Since then, no one has had word from him.  It had been my fear that he would take it hard.  He'd once told me that everyone he cared about always left him, and that's why he had tried so hard not to get attached to me.  But, then he began to trust me and trust that I would be there for him.  And then I am gone.  It is so sad, but there was not much of a choice for me.  The job was killing me, so either way, staying or leaving, I would have been gone.  And now, I have to let this go, as well. I can be concerned, but nothing more. I can only pray that he is alright. 

Prayer for worldly goods is worse than fruitless, but prayer for

strength of soul is that passion of the soul which catches the gift it seeks.

George Meredith