Grace Upon Grace

In accordance with my plan to live in the now, I’m always on the watch for unexpected little moments of beauty. You’d be surprised to know how many times my patience and vigilance have been rewarded. Today there was one such moment.

I needed to go to the store for kitty litter, no errand more prosaic. But when I glanced at the clock I realized I’d not had lunch and I know “they” say you shouldn’t go hungry. A little bite, along with some orange juice, should do the trick. I pulled a roast chicken out of the fridge and detached a wing. I popped that in the microwave, meanwhile quartering two cherry tomatoes. Just enough to take the edge off, but not enough to spoil a small, late lunch. The microwave dinged, I removed the saucer, turned to the counter behind me to set it down, added the tomatoes and Suddenly, the sun burst through the gray clouds and drenched my tiny meal in warm afternoon light. The reds of the plate and the tomatoes flamed, and the wing of the fowl glistened golden in its juices. I ate my snack standing at the kitchen counter, with the flooding sunshine enhancing and blessing my food, and it was beautifully delicious. Five minutes sooner, or later, and my little miracle would have occurred unnoticed. What a lovely gift. It made my day.

Thought for the Day:   When you start your day anticipating miracles and blessings, the Universe provides.

My Favorite Mnemonic

In July of 1988, I attended a consciousness-raising seminar in Snowmass, CO, hosted by Dr. Jonathan Parker .  There were just over a hundred attendees in all, from all over the country, and I had arranged beforehand to share a gorgeous three-story condo with all the amenities, including a sort of great room/living room/dining room with a fireplace that faced in both directions.

All three of my condo mates were charming ladies, and since we were there for a common purpose we found plenty to talk about.  I hit it off especially well with Barbara (who lived on Rainbow Avenue in Denver).  She invited me to cancel my flight from Aspen to Denver and drive back with her.  This would give me a chance to see more of Colorado at ground level, and she would then deliver me straight to the airport, where I’d pick up my flight to Dulles.

I accepted eagerly  The route from Snowmass to Denver passed through breathtakingly beautiful scenery.  I took lots of photos, and even got one of a prairie dog sitting up on top of a concrete highway divider.  I can’t imagine how he got up there, but he was comfortably ensconced and watching the cars go by.  I waved to him, but I guess he didn’t see me.

Barbara and I talked most of the way back, sharing our experiences at the seminar (another story entirely) and exchanging life stories.  She regaled me with a tale about a friend who had decided she wanted a memory aid to remind her that God loved her.  For some reason she picked for her symbol a Yellow Volkswagen Beetle (YVB), of all things.  That struck me as sweet and practical at the same time, and I adopted her idea on the spot.

Since VW had discontinued the Beetle about ten years before, yellow ones, or any other for that matter, were kind of thin on the ground.  Then in 1998 the new VW Beetle was introduced, and I was in business again, spiritually speaking.  Yellow is a very popular color, so I get plenty of reminders.  I had to laugh at myself, though, because as much as I like to think of myself as a wordsmith/dictionary freak, I had to look up the word “mnemonic” three or four times before I could fix its meaning in my mind.  Duh!

Recently I was recounting this story to a friend as we were out running errands.  I had noticed and been reminded by a YVB sighting.  The best part was that, as I was finishing the story, she made a left turn and, coming toward us, was a Yellow Volkswagen Beetle!  Coincidence?  We think not.  Bwahahaha!

Thought for the Day:  “In the midst of life…..”   Please pray for the repose of the soul of my friend, LaVerne D. Miller.

From My Heart to Yours

In the spirit of the Holiday Season, I offer these thoughts.

In the last several days, I have been in touch with family and friends, old and new, to exchange holiday wishes. Our conversations soon turn toward the happiness we’ve been experiencing. Each person mentions, in particular, what a wonderful Christmas this has been, citing a family gathering, a small, unexpected gift, a thoughtful gesture or a graceful compliment from someone whose opinion they respect.

I have been warmly welcomed into an extended family celebration and sit by a beautifully decorated Christmas tree basking in the warmth from the fire, while I eat my fill of delicious food and watch two overexcited toddlers being babysat by a village. Instruments come out and are tuned, voices are raised in song. The feeling of community is intense and warms me from the inside out.  This happiness is heady stuff.  I wish I could stay in this exalted state always and I revel in it while it’s here.

These positive feelings are buoyed up by the fact that the immutable laws of Nature allow the pendulum to remain in a negative position only so long, before gravity has its say. Now each tick of the clock brings us farther down the positive swing of the arc. Suspend disbelief and consider with me for a moment that things can only get better. Since we are what we think, perhaps we could simply think a better world into existence.

There is a YouTube video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkbpXRSIUnE which shows the positive and negative effects of thought on water crystals, and which opens whole new avenues of thought.

Choose to hang on and enjoy the ride! Take an occasional glance in the rear view mirror, but pay attention to where you are now, while you approach the unknown future. If you’re not in the driver’s seat, call dibs on Navigator and indicate your interest in moving up. Life is for living, for being involved.  There are few things sadder to read than stories of a life full of regrets and backward glances.

Here’s a serious thought.  Pretend that you are elderly, certainly you know your story is winding down.  Have this future you sit down and make a list – I mean really think this through! Make a list of all the things that you always wanted to do and never did.  Then come back to the here and now and start to do them.

As you may know, last January I packed up and sold off my worldly goods, including my car, picked up myself and my two cats, and moved away from my whole world of almost 50 years and started a new life in Oregon.  I am happier and feel freer here than ever before.  I made a list of 20 Wishes a year ago, and after rereading it just now, I find that, with a few tweaks here and there, I’m a solid 9 for 20, I’m working on several others and am tinkering with the rest.  I remain, as always, a work in progress.

Thought for the Day:  My most sincere wishes for peace, health, happiness and love, now, in 2010 and always.

Evening in the City

The rain comes down in a medium but determined manner, the day appears windless and the sky is a medium gray. All the little holes in the window screens are full of water, and they vibrate as the wind I cannot see trembles them in their frames. The traffic swishes by in the watery streets four stories below, the slick sound of the cars’ tires and the occasional deeper note of a bus. Oh, how glad I am to live in a city again, particularly when the city is Portland, toward which my heart has yearned for a decade. Eleven months now and I’m still in love with the skyline and the patterns of the lights and the sounds of traffic.

When the weather permits, I enjoy sitting on the deck, particularly at night, and breathing in that wonderful air. I don’t know, nor do I care, what it is that so delights me about it, but it is a constant source of pleasure.  And how could a day that ends this way be anything but good?

Thought for the Day:  (From “Taps”)  “Day is done, Gone the sun…”

To Paraphrase Blanche

I am constantly heartened by the unexpected kindness of strangers, and here is the perfect example. I had gone to my local Fred Meyer and done a week’s food shopping, and I’d completely lost track of the number of items in my cart. I moved a few nonessentials to the end of the belt and asked the cashier to subtotal for me at that point. So… I thanked him and told him I’d changed my mind on the other items (none of which I couldn’t live without). I paid up and was loading my bags into my grocery cart when I noticed the cashier had put my extras in a bag, and I knew I hadn’t paid for them. I got his attention and began to explain, but he interrupted to say that the man behind me had paid for them, around $18 in all.

I turned around to face a perfect stranger, who when I attempted to thank him, waved me off and looked fixedly over my shoulder. So I accepted the gift and was very grateful and totally awed. Talk about Random Acts of Kindness, and, yes, Perfect strangers. I am so blessed.

I’m happy to share this story with you, but whether or not this kind stranger ever sees my post, I’m putting a message out into the Universe, to say thank you to a man who didn’t need a seasonal reason for a Completely Disinterested And Totally Random Act Of Kindness (or as I like to say, “CDATRAOK You’re OK.”)

Thought for the Day: Refrain from putting out there energy you really wouldn’t like to get back. That boomerang effect can be killer.

One of My Favorite Small Miracles

Shortly before Christmas two years ago, I was taken tree shopping by my friend, Rick. He and his wife, my dear friend, Sandi, had bought their tree there the day before. It was a Christmas tree farm, so off we went, saw in (his) hand, to find the perfect one. It didn’t take long before I found it, and while Rick was chopping away, I wandered around, mentally decorating my tree.

A flash of brilliance caught my eye and I moved toward it, focusing on the spot where I’d seen the light. I stooped down and saw that someone had sawed down another tree, quite close to the ground, and the stump had coated its wounds in a concentric circle of sap, which then dried to a perfect, translucent amber. And there it was, lovely as any Faberge egg, lying humbly in the dirt and only revealed by a “chance” beam of sunlight and my glance in that direction.

Thought for the Day: Be careful what you say; the Universe is always listening, and it has a sense of humor even quirkier than mine.

Reno that Dark Place — in One Hour and Free!

That’s a pretty promise, but what kind of renovation could you do in only one hour? Well, let me tell you what inspires this rather lofty claim. About a year ago a dear friend of mine made a comment about going to his “dark place”. It made me think about my own dark place, and I decided that a makeover was long overdue.

I started (in my mind) with a space not unlike my own loft, and I emptied it to the walls, swept out and knocked down all the cobwebs, and tried not to look too closely at the dustpan once it was filled. I disposed of all the boxes that had been stacked in front of the windows, scrubbed those windows till they gleamed and flung them open to a perfect late afternoon. A lovely cool wind blew through and displaced all the stale air, perfuming the rest with the scents of flowers and spices, with just a hint of the sea and a strong note of old hardwood forest.

Next I applied a coat of soft white paint, and hung diaphanous draperies in shades of super white, cream, palest lemon chiffon and a sharp touch of bright lemon here and there. I added large puffy pillows and placed small love seats and divans, with more draperies and candles and wind chimes and with flowers everywhere. Scattered about, hanging from the ceiling, in tiny alcoves, I placed small lovely things in crystal and glass, with touches of brilliant, coruscating color wherever the eye should touch. I framed and supported and caressed it all with the kind of music that is my favorite form of “soul food”. Last but far from least, I filled the air with a certain purity to lift the spirits, like removing a heavy rock from the center of your chest so you can breathe again.

(Due to the fact that this place exists only in my head, I have no pictures to download, but if you’ve followed me closely through the reno, you should be able to create a similar place, tailored to your own specifications. It takes almost no time, costs nothing and has only one drawback that I’ve been able to find. And that is, now that my dark place is gone, I have absolutely no place to hold my pity parties.)

Thought for the Day: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When it gives you two tickets to the islands, call me.

A Gift from the Universe

Yesterday my son and I cooked a batch of food. I baked a chicken and he roasted a bunch of vegetables, all with the intention of using the chicken carcass and the leftover veggies in one of his incredible soups. I had a couple of ears of corn I wanted to cook, too, so I shucked and rinsed them and was trimming the ends when suddenly, out popped a caterpillar from among the greens. Now, I had bought the corn on Sunday at the farmer’s market one block from my front door (eat your heart out, East Coasters), and it had been in the fridge for a few days, so I thought he was a goner. I was just getting ready to consign him to the garbage disposal when he started uncurling. It took him a while, but after he warmed up he started raising his little head up and looking around, and then he started crawling. I have two cats that would love to add a little protein to their diets, so I decided I’d take him outside and put him among the roses. Any creature who can survive what he did deserves another chance.

I put him on a piece of paper and headed out. Down the hallway, down the elevator and then another hallway. The poor little guy was so scared he was leaving a little trail of poo across the paper. So we got to the door and my friend, Sofia, who happened along just then, opened it for me. I deposited him tenderly (all right, I pushed him off the paper) and left him among the roses. btw, I checked later and he was gone, so I’m assuming a happy ending.

On my way back toward the elevator, I was feeling pretty good and greeted the lady walking toward me with a big smile. She was carrying a brown paper bag, and as she came closer she said, “Would you like some sheets? They’re queen-sized but they don’t fit my bed.” I thanked her and accepted a set of brand new, beautiful sheets, which will look lovely on my bed. To elaborate a little here, in my apartment building we have a habit of leaving things, like the sheets, that are still good but for some reason we don’t need any more, in the mailroom. Whatever is there is up for grabs, and I have both taken (my vacuum, for Pete’s sake) and left (a too-small crockpot, some knickknacks) things.

All of this to say that, had I not rescued the little green caterpillar, I wouldn’t have my new sheets. Thank you, Universe!

Thought for the Day: Look around you every day for the “small” miracles.

While I’m thinking About It

Hello, again. I’ve been off investigating life for a while. This morning I turned on the TV in time to hit President Obama’s speech and the signing of the Vets’ Bill, as he had promised, paying a year in advance, and all done using available money. It’s so evocative of the scene in the film “Dave”, with Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver, where the villain (the masterful Frank Langella) tells Dave that if he can find the money for the day care center he can have it, and Dave brings in his brother-in-law, the accountant, who helps him pull it off. And then there are the undeniable sparks between the POTUS and the FLOTUS, who also seem (gasp) to like and respect each other, and who complement each other so well. First Families who are also demonstrably human beings are so much easier to get behind. And were it to come right down to it, I believe, as did Ving Rhames’ character of Dave, that yes, I would take a b****t for Mr. Obama. (Of course, I rather visualize myself meeting him and Mrs. Obama at some glitzy affair, which I’ve attended dressed to the nines!)

Thought for the Day: It is not the thing that occurs that upsets you; it is the way you choose to respond.

And Don’t Get Me Started on Consumer Protection Laws!

For your delectation, from a department store “Right to Opt Out and Information Update” which I just received, to wit: “16. Default/Collection Costs: If we fail to receive any Minimum Payment Due, if you declare bankruptcy, or if you die, it will be a default, and…..we may declare the entire unpaid balance in the Account due and payable.”

So if it’s true that you can’t take it with you, are they still able to come after you and demand it back, even if you Still don’t have it?!?

And if that’s not sufficient, I checked my statements for another card for the last three months and found that, with the recent interest rate increase on my account (and I was also offered the right to pay off the account in full and opt out there), and projecting out the actual dollar amount for a year, Capital One is now officially taking six weeks’ worth of groceries off of my table. When I called in an attempt to negotiate a decrease, the nice gentleman in Sri Lanka, or Singapore or wherever, listened and then told me, pretty much, that they’re So sorry but they can’t help me. Maybe if I apply for TARP money…………

Thought for the Day: Illegitimi non carborundum (Latin for Don’t Let the Bastards Grind you Down)