Day 3314: Inspirational Stories

Last night, I asked this question on Twitter:

Based on people’s responses to my question about inspirational stories, I’ve ordered the books I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven, Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller, and Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trial of American Democracy, by Jamie Raskin. I’m looking forward to reading those inspirational and, I’m sure, difficult stories.

Do you see any inspirational stories in my other images for today?

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On National Chocolate Cake Day, here‘s what I find when I search YouTube for “Inspirational Stories.”

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I’m sure I will be inspired by any comments or stories you share, below.

Thanks to all who inspire me to blog every day, including YOU.

Day 2955: Groundhog Day 2021

Well, faithful blog readers, today is my 68th birthday and the best gift for me is that we’re all still here.

I am celebrating this incredible feat of mutual survival, here and now, by sharing my latest images.

The Daily Bitch Calendar does it again, because later today Michael and I (and maybe Mr. Harley) will be dancing.

I just searched “Happy birthday Groundhog Day” and found this from a few years back in Punxsutawney:

Thanks to all who help me celebrate this day and every day, including YOU.

Day 2248: Venture

I venture to say that I like looking more closely at what’s in front of me, no matter where I venture.

All the photos in today’s blog were taken when I ventured in and around the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.

In L.A.,  birds venture inside buildings. Could you venture to see the birds inside the Westin Bonaventure in the last three photographs, above?

The following photos were taken when I ventured across the street from the Bonaventure to the Border Grill:

 

Caramba! I loved venturing into that vegetarian food.

I just ventured to post a video of my venturing at the Westin Bonaventure to sing new lyrics I had written to an existing song. Now I have to vent about how that venture vent awry. Because that video has not ventured to show up here yet, here‘s Wipe Out by The Ventures instead:

 

As usual, I venture to express gratitude to all who help me venture to create these blog posts and — of course — to YOU, for venturing here, now.

 

 

 

Day 1414: I wake up this morning feeling uneasy

Almost fourteen hundred days ago (but who’s counting?) I wrote a post titled Day 17: I think I wake up most mornings feeling uneasy. Here’s what I think, as I wake up this morning feeling uneasy:

• That was an important post for me to write back then, because I named and accepted my feelings, which freed me up to look at next steps.
• When I wrote that post, I ABSOLUTELY had significantly fewer reasons to feel uneasy than I do this morning.
• Uneasy is not the only feeling I’m having these mornings.
• I’m also feeling dread, hope, fear, disappointment, and love.

What helps when I’m feeling uneasy?

• Naming it.
• Connecting with others.
• Self care.
• Reminding myself, “It might be safer than it feels.”
• Remembering that no matter how I’m feeling, some people out there are thriving and some people are suffering.
• Identifying something I can do.
• Doing it.

Here’s what I’d like to do right now: share my photos from yesterday, which I took when I was feeling uneasy (as well as many other feelings). But I’m feeling uneasy because:

• I can’t access my photos.
• WordPress is not saving this post as I’m writing it.
• I need to restart my computer to complete this post the way I want to.

 

I’m going to just do it and hope for the best!

 

 

Is anything making you feel uneasy, now that you’ve read my post and seen my photos?

When I was feeling very uneasy in the hospital after my recent open heart surgery, I listened to a Bach CD on repeat, mornings and nights.   Here‘s some Bach for us all:

 

More things that help when I’m uneasy:

• Reading people’s comments on my blog.
• Expressing gratitude to all  who help me create new posts in the morning.
• Thanking you — of course! —  for making my life easier.