I caught something when I first arrived here. It seemed harmless enough, I felt lousy for a few days, then much better.

I had this deep cough that lingered, I sounded terrible, but felt ok. It wasn’t constant, so I was able do yoga.

At least I thought I felt fine.

Six weeks later, I actually DO feel well . I have my energy back. It’s funny. I think when I arrived, I had so many things to adjust to, I had no perspective for how I was really feeling.

This is not that unusual for me. I’m not the most self aware when it comes to being sick. In fact I tend to have a fair amount of denial over it. I really don’t like to waste time being unwell. Even as a kid, I perfered school to staying home.

The three days that I was fevered and didn’t want to infect others, I didn’t go to yoga. Those days passed soooo slowly. I kept my distance from everyone for weeks, but today I can hardly believe how much better I feel.

Plus

I noticed that I’m adjusting pretty well. Being here felt hard at first. G had a few stand-offs with his mom. There were awkward days. She relented though. I started reading “Be Water, My Friend” and kept reminding myself to stay neutral.

Small wins over little things have made things much better. It’s a bit of a dance, I’m learning to stay fluid and consistent.

Good to be feeling like myself again. Nothing like getting over a cold , to notice how good it is to feel well.

Today the oldest thing I’m wearing is a hundred year old gold necklace. It looks like a locket but it’s not. My grandmother gave it to me (or my mom to keep for me)

The little note that was included with it says it was fifty years old in 1968. My grandmother passed soon after, I was too young to have a memory her. The necklace was packed away with a few of my old baby items.

My granddaughter was with me when I discovered it again in storage this past winter. She was interested in seeing my baby clothes. There was another necklace in the box that I had worn as a kid. Rose loved it.

These necklaces have not been worn in fifty years.

So we wore them home. I haven’t taken mine off. I like the connection to my grandmother and my granddaughter on the same day. Now that I’m living far from my grandkids, having a daily reminder, a touchstone of sorts, feels important. Pictures are nice and give me comfort since being away, but I appreciate the physicality of the necklace. It’s a nice reminder of a fun day that spanned four generations. I like to think of my grandma, Rose’s great great grandma, looking down and appreciating that she set this in motion all those many years ago.

Grandparenting is another amazing part of life that I never expected to experience. I wish my own grandmother had lived long enough for me to remember her. Her husband, my grandfather, was a big part of my earliest memories, his influence has stayed with me throughout my whole life.

Generation to generation things change dramatically, but the love we have for our grands, that stays with us from both directions, forever.



I don’t lead or follow

I just walk

Or maybe wander…

Avocados

Berries

Fruit fresh off the tree: oranges, lemons, cherries, plums

That’s six, but some people don’t consider avocado a fruit, 🤷🥑🫐🍋🍒🍊plus I didn’t see a plum emoji

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to live near an orange tree or a cherry tree or a plum tree, you know what I mean. Also a lemon tree is a bonus of abundance. You see these in So Cal all the time, hundreds of lemons covering one little tree. Luckiness in real time.

There is no grocery store equivalent for some fruits picked and eaten immediately.

I’m trying to pay attention and learn from things.

Every interaction

Every reaction

What is this teaching me about me?

Conversations

oh man

I’m realizing how very little control one little person (me) actually has. In fact I am getting futility on a much deeper level.

It’s all an exercise in letting go. Not letting things affect me.

But if they do, finding acceptance of that, compassion and moving quickly on.

Because nothing is worth closing my heart over.

What is the lesson or lessons I’m learning? What is all this teaching me about me?

I’m not there yet. I have no answers.

I know there will be some so I’ll just stay as much in the roll of observer for as much of the time as possible.

One day, there will be a blog…

We need them.

One interaction with a positive person can change a day.

I think it must have been Ringo Starr

He does a fun concert with several of his musical friends fairly regularly.

It was a complete treat to see Ringo. He looks great. Young for his eighty something. Sounded awesome. It was fun to see all the performers having fun on stage.

I also saw BTO fairly recently at the same venue. They had some fun early songs. I lost interest when they changed style in the 80s, but always fun to see the oldies play live.

I haven’t seen much in the way of performances lately. I hope to soon.

Is a Bruce Lee quote and a book by his daughter, Shannon Lee

I love the reassuring sound of that statement.

Be water.

My friend.

Water is a beautifully metaphor. I wonder if we use it so often because it’s the closest thing we have to energy. Water, unlike energy, is tangible. We can feel it and see it and hear it, yet most of it’s qualities are a lot like the qualities of energy.

So it is with this energetic theme, that I keep reminding myself to be water. Stay fluid. Stay open. Water becomes the shape of what ever it’s in. Cup, bowl, stream, lake. It has no preconceived shape, it’s not out to be anything. When contained it’s still looking for the path of least resistance. Meandering around any obstacle without becoming engaged, offended, really anything but neutral.

I’m finding the concepts in the book are fun to learn, but hard to remember and even harder to articulate. I’ll have to read it again, but I’m enjoying it. I like reminding myself to be water, especially when my peace is being challenged.

I like community. I think it’s important.

I like to find something I enjoy and show up regularly to be part of it.

A bunch of us went to a town meeting today to support a neighbor who has been trying to get a small home improvement project approved. After over two years of modifications, finally their plans passed. A non comedic Parks and Rec’ style meeting, not fun, but yay for our friends.

I attend yoga at the same time most days. There was a book club meeting at the studio last Sunday. Many old friends from last year, some new ones too. That’s a fun community to be part of.

I enjoy this Word Press community here online. It’s very supportive and provides many interesting and informative nicely written posts.

I miss my community in California.Whenever I’m homesick I like to look at all my pictures of fun times. My sweet supportive, fun loving friends, I miss them.

Sigh.

One that’s so successful that the sky is the limit.

Basically more of last winter.

Every day something different and interesting.

Last winter I did stop often and look around. I knew I was living my own dream. I enjoyed so many fun art-filled moments.

I worked every day and loved it. Sure there were things to navigate, glitches here and there, things to challenge me, you know less glamorous, less fun issues to solve. I would welcome one of those now!

How can I bump some art into my life here? Is the obvious question that I’m asking. This is my puzzle.

Some have suggested that I volunteer to teach a class at the senior center. I did that last year. They told me they already have people. (with a tinge of attitude)

I wasn’t offended. Life has a rhythm here that has been going on long before I arrived on the scene.

I have been painting a little in the attic. Today it’s been pouring rain and cold and I have this cough. So Van Gogh/la Boheme vibe. I should just embrace it, but I’ve just been so spoiled. I guarantee things are going to improve. It’s just that for right now I’m probably adjusting to discomfort, which I will get the hang of.

Good things every day. There have been plenty. This cough has nearly run its course. There are only three more days of predicted rain. It’s all working out.

I’ll find some art, some way to contribute artistically.