I was in many amazing places yesterday, including two Zoom-like therapy groups. At the end of my amazing day, I posted this about amazing places on Twitter:
People responded with many amazing places, some of which I’ve been to (e.g., Yosemite, Iceland, and Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula) and some of which I want to visit (including Australia, Machu Picchu, Italy, Greece, and Hawaii). One person responded that Portland, Oregon was the most amazing place she’d been, which I found amazing because I might be going there next week.
Do you see amazing places in my other images for today?
I disagree with the Daily Bitch today: any place I’m still alive is amazing.
Our kitchen is an amazing place thanks to my husband Michael. Isn’t it amazing that this ….
… is a vegetarian meat loaf?
Here’s what I find in the amazing place of YouTube when I search for “amazing places.”
I look forward to your thoughts and feelings about amazing places in the amazing comments section, below.
I’m grateful for all who follow me in this amazing blogging place of WordPress, including YOU!
Yesterday, I used that for the mindfulness exercise in a Coping and Healing group. I told the group members to leave behind overthinking about the future and the past by asking themselves “What will my next thought be?”
Personally, I found this to be a very effective way to quiet my busy mind. The anticipation, curiosity, and wonder about the next thought focused me and emptied my mind in a way I had never experienced before.
I’m waiting for the next time when we can gather together in large groups like that without fear. My next thought is this: that time will come, we just don’t know how long we have to wait.
I’ll be waiting for the next comments on this blog post.
Yesterday, as I was balancing my needs with other people’s needs while working at home, I asked this question on Twitter:
The answers were balanced, and many people cited the Oxygen Mask Metaphor: you can’t effectively take care of other people’s needs if you ignore your own.
I continue to learn more about this balancing act for myself, as I witness other people struggling to balance their needs with others’.
What balancing needs do you see in my other images for today?
It’s might be challenging balancing the needs of fajita day with ice cream pie day, etc.
Here and now, I need to share a favorite tune from this CD I picked up on one of my balanced and needed walks yesterday:
How do you balance your needs with other people’s needs? You don’t need to reply, but I look forward to all the comments that will be balancing below.
As always, I need to express my gratitude to all who give me what I need to stay balanced blogging every day, including YOU.
I’ve been thinking about names because of our new cat.
This adorable, wonderful, sweet, chill, loving kitty was named Ginger by the adoption agency that rescued her, her sisters, and their many kittens from the street.
My husband, whose name is Michael, said he wanted an unusual name for a cat, so Ginger was out. Michael strongly suggested the name Meredith, but my son, whose name is Aaron, and I both thought that would be too hard to say.
Michael then came up with other girls’ names he thought would be unusual for a cat, including Phyllis. Aaron and I suggested other names we thought would be unusual for a cat, including Blanche. Michael vetoed all of our suggestions according to some secret knowledge of common and uncommon cat names that will remain nameless.
When Michael came up with Joan, Aaron and I agreed that would be a fine and unusual name for a cat, and easy to say. Michael warned us that if we called her “Joanie,” he would add an “ie” to our names, too.
I don’t like being called “Annie,” so I have complied with Michael’s request.
Michael was right about the name Joan being unusual for a cat. Every time I tell people her name, they react. Usually, they say, “JOAN?!” Sometimes, they add something positive, like “I love that.”
I love puns and Michael and Aaron do not, so they don’t know that I sometimes add the name “Clawford” when I’m talking to and about Joan. Also, Michael’s brother’s full name is Martin Sloane Malone, so I sometimes call Joan “Joan Sloane Malone.” Michael has no problem with that.
In the meantime, Joan, by any other name, would be as sweet.
I asked this question on Twitter last night:
While some people have responded with “my parents!”, others have told interesting stories about the origin of their names.
Not that I’m superstitious, but sometimes I think it’s tempting fate to leave out a definition at the beginning of a blog post.
I actually don’t know how superstitious I am, even though I asked that question on Twitter last night.
I grew up in a family where it was considered bad luck to say anything positive about one’s situation — that attracted the evil eye. I rebelled against that pretty early on and this was a typical conversation when I was young:
Me: This is going to turn out great!
My mother: Don’t give a kanahora.
Me: That’s not the way it works, you know. What I say doesn’t affect the outcome.
And yes — what I said didn’t affect the outcome there. My mother, who was otherwise extremely logical and sensible, still felt compelled to say “don’t give a kanahora” when I said something too positive about the future.
I think most of us have little, automatic superstitions like that. I often witness people knocking on wood, talking about jinxing things, etc. This week in a therapy group, somebody expressed the fear that when things got too good, something bad was bound to happen.
I’m crossing my fingers that we all have a safe and happy Friday the 13th and that you enjoy my other images for today.
In honor of International Left Handers Day, this lefty is going to share a favorite song with you:
I am super grateful for every day and, also, for YOU!
