Day 1461: Great

Great!  It’s time for me to write a great blog post on the final great day of 2016.

I have this great tradition, every New Year’s Eve, of listing the 10 greatest things AND the 10 least great things that happened all year.

My son, Aaron (who tops my great list), recently said to me, “I’m sure the worst thing that happened to you last year was your open heart surgery.”  My great answer? “No, it wasn’t.”

Any great guesses about what tops my worst list for 2016?  I hope you know that any comment you leave would be great.

Yesterday,  the great staff at cardiac rehab gave me this:

See that Arm Ergo exercise on that great card?  I felt great about telling the great cardiac rehab staff that  I didn’t want to do that yesterday, since that great new exercise had caused some great pain to return last weekend.  The staff said, “That’s great!  Pain just means your muscles are waking up!”

Cardiac rehab:  Making pain great again.

Are any of my other photos from yesterday great?

 

One of my top 10 great memories from 2016 was watching this great Jim Jefferies routine with my great friend Maria two weeks after my open heart surgery:

It was great to see Jim Jefferies with my great son last night at the Wilbur Theater in the great city of Boston (where they recorded his great gun control routine two years ago).

Two of my pictures, above, are inspiring me to share this great song in this end of year post:

 

In conclusion, thanks to my great readers for supporting me throughout 2016. I have high hopes that we will have more to celebrate in the future.

Day 1460: Circles

As I circle back here to create another daily blog post, I notice that I’ve circled through the concept of circles before (here and here).  If you’d like your thoughts to circle more positively, it’s worthwhile to circle through those previous circular posts.

As any new year approaches,  my mind circles through memories of the past and wonders about the future. Those circles make it difficult to circle in on the present moment. Nevertheless, I try to circle back to the present moment, over and over again.

What’s circling in your mind, here and now?

Yesterday, somebody in a therapy group circled around to asking if he could co-lead the group with me.  I circled my seat around to let him sit at the head of the table.  He helped the group circle through many important topics, including this one:

You can circle to more information about the wheel of intimacy here.

Do you see circles in the other recent photos circling on my iPhone?

Before I circle back to cardiac rehab and all the circling machines there this morning, I have time to circle around to music  by The Cyrkle …

 

… and to gratitude.

Day 1459: In the dark

I’m in the dark as I’m writing this because

• the sun hasn’t come up yet,
• I’ve not turned on any lights, and
• there are so many things I don’t understand.

I took this photo when it was dark last night.

I guess I felt the need for some sunshine, although that was just somebody trying to sell me soap.

When  I’m in the dark, it helps to remember happy times, like this scene from my favorite movie:

Even though I’m in the dark about so many things, I’ll still keep  singin’ in the rain with the late Gene Kelly,  the late Donald O’Connor, and  the late Debbie Reynolds.

As light through yonder window breaks, good morning and thanks to all of you for brightening my life, here and now.

Day 1458: We’re still alive

Yesterday, in a therapy group, somebody said, “We’re still alive.”  Since that phrase felt very alive to me, I wrote it on my white board, where it still is.

I heard and wrote that shortly  before I found out that Carrie Fisher was no longer alive, when I  read this on Facebook: “We lost a Jedi.”

I still believe it’s important,  every day, to remember we’re still alive, because eventually every one of us will be still.

Here‘s the best song for this post —  Stephen Sondheim’s “I’m Still Here” from Carrie Fisher’s Postcards from the Edge:

 

I often sing that song when I walk around, still alive,  and see scenes like this:

Which images are still alive, for you?

I’m very grateful we’re still alive as I thank all  who helped me create this post and you — of course —  for still being here.

Day 1457: Steadiness

During this time of the year, I need steadiness.  Where does it come from?

A cup of herbal tea, in the evening, provides some steadiness.

Yesterday, we had the character and commitment to take down the little Christmas tree, which has been looking rather unsteady.

We also had the character and commitment to go to the supermarket, where I had the steadiness to take these pictures:

Then,  while the cats demonstrated steadiness …

…. Aaron and Michael had the character and commitment to make latkes,

… and I had the steadiness to eat lots of latkes with applesauce AND sour cream.

Today, I have the steadiness, character, and commitment to provide individual and group therapy at work.

But first, let’s go with a ready and steady music video.

 

As I was watching that video of Ready, Steady, Go by Paul Oakenfold, I was remembering a question my steady son, Aaron, asked me yesterday:

When you had your open heart surgery, did you ask them take a picture of your heart?

Before Aaron left for college in September, I had expressed the commitment to ask the doctors at the Mayo Clinic to take a photo of my very unusual heart when it was ready for its close-up on September 21. I decided not to, because I wanted them to focus on the steadiness of the delicate procedure.

I guess I don’t need to see my heart; I’m just enjoying the steadiness of  every beat.

Do you have the steadiness, character, and commitment for one more photo, today?

 

Day 1456: Guess What’s Inside

Guess what’s inside this post!

Photos that I took yesterday, of course,  on Christmas/Chanukah  Day.

Guess what my boyfriend Michael’s wonderful relative, Sharon, said  when she gave me that very good gift.

I am giving you that tree of encouragement because of your heart operation,  all you’ve gone through this year, and because of the way people on your blog support and encourage you.

What’s inside Sharon is beautiful.

Guess what’s inside the rest of this post!

More photos.   Can you guess what’s inside each of them?

 

Guess what’s inside YouTube?  My choice for today’s music.

 

Guess what’s inside my heart, here and now.   Besides a new mechanical valve, there’s  gratitude for all who helped me create what’s inside this post and for every one of you!

Day 1455: What makes a good gift?

Recently, somebody who is a gift to me gave me the gift of this question:

What makes a good gift?

What makes a good gift, to you?

During this time of gift-giving, I think good gifts include

• thoughtfulness,
• kindness,
• attention to what people like,
• pleasant memories,
• really listening to each other,
• acceptance of differences,
• fun,
• originality, and
• I hope, my photos from yesterday.

I believe that one of my photos, above, brings the good gift of a musical suggestion for this Christmas and Chanuka Day.

Any comment from you would make a good gift, indeed.

Gratitude also makes a good gift and I have gratitude, here and now, for all who helped provide the good gifts in this post and for you — of course! — for the very  good gift of your visit.

Day 1454: Original

In all the original posts in this original and daily  blog (which I originated on January 1, 2013),  there is not one post with the word “original” in the title. Until this original day.

Originally, I was going to start today’s post by showing you these two original photos.

My boyfriend, Michael (who is original in many ways), loves Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, so when we were in the original city of Quincy Massachusetts yesterday, we stopped there for a coffee break.  It’s not exactly original, but one of my presents for Michael is a gift card for Dunkin’ Donuts, which he can use at any of their locations, original or otherwise.

Do you see anything original in my other original photos from yesterday?

I feel free and brave enough in this land to mention that I originally thought tonight’s combination of  Christmas Eve and Hanukkah Eve was an original in my lifetime. This article (which was originally written in 2005 in  Houston, Texas)  reports that the overlap is not so original.

Here and here are some musical greetings for this totally original day of December 24, 2016.

 

Though it’s been said many times, many ways, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and many thanks to you!

Day 1453: American Standards

Having been an American all my life, I have certain standards.  With our latest non-standard Presidential election, I wonder about new American standards and America’s standing in the world.

My standards for creating this daily American blog include looking at my photos from the day before and deciding on the title and the topic. Here’s the American Standard that inspired today’s post:

Here are my other standard American photos from yesterday:

While my mood is addled, deprived, and puzzled regarding American standards in politics, my mood is also giddy and fabulous because Michael made tuna noodle casserole and MY SON AARON IS HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

To celebrate, here’s an American standard from the heroic American  Glenn Miller:

 

I’ll end with some standard American gratitude for all who helped me create this American Standards post and for you — of course! — for upholding your standards, here and now.

Day 1452: Winter Wishes

Usually, when it’s winter, this blogger for all seasons wishes she were in a warmer place.

This year, my winter wishes include accepting and loving exactly where I am.

I wish for all my readers that same acceptance of exactly where you are, because that is always the first step to moving forward to where you want to be.

Some other winter wishes for this winter’s day:

• my son has an easy flight home from Edinburgh,
• my therapy groups at work are helpful for people,
• there’s no ice on the ground so I can safely drive and walk around, and
• I get a fabulous haircut.

What are your winter wishes?

Yesterday, on the first day of winter, my wishes included taking all these photos:

 

That last photo reminds me that one of my winter wishes for people in my therapy group yesterday was accepting ALL your feelings.

Here are some musical wishes for the season I found on YouTube (here and here):

My winter wishes also include that you comment below.

Good wishes to all who helped me created this Winter Wishes post and to you — of course! — no matter what your winter wishes, here and now.