This trip may be my ideal vacation, because it includes people I love, water, iconic scenery, walking, relaxation, new perspectives, photo opportunities,learning, music, comfortable weather, kindness, respectfulness, animals, natural settings, humor, good food, unlimited Wi-Fi, and plenty of chocolate.
Do you see elements of an ideal vacation in this blog post?
What is your ideal vacation?
My ideal anything always includes connections to wonderful people, including YOU!
The United States of America is approaching its midterm election. I am in such a state about the state of our country that I’m afraid to read what this New York Times article states:
I’d like to state that I live in the state of Massachusetts and I wish that the state of my country and the world weren’t so precarious right now. I hope people are in clear-thinking states of mind when they vote in their local elections. The state of inflation is bad world-wide right now and we can’t overstate how often people vote based on the state of their bank accounts. .
What states can you find in my other images for today?
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Here’s what I find when I search for “states” on YouTube:
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What state are you in? Feel free to state your states in a comment, below.
I’m in a state of gratitude for everyone who helps me state my states every day, including YOU!
‘Twas the day after Christmas,
And all through the house
This creature was stirring
And chasing a mouse.
The presents were present, ‘twas so nice they were there,
It’s a good thing I love chocolate because there’s plenty to share.
‘Twas the day after Christmas and these National Days:
I’ll choose whining ‘cause my stomach lining is acting up in some ways.
‘Twas the day after Christmas, and I hope that you stay
To answer this latest last question of the day:
“Twas the Day after Christmas” was an episode of M*A*S*H
Which I’m now adding to my gladdening “What to Watch” stash.
‘Twas the day after Christmas and as I pass out of view,
I’m exclaiming and reframing a hearty THANK YOU!
In my Coping and Healing groups in the past, present, and future, I have written, I write, and I shall write the important themes on the “Board of Importance.”
I tell my group members that when I write the words “past,” “present,” and “future” on the board I can relax, because I know I’ve captured everything.
At the turn of the year, people seem to think even more about the past, present, and future. Can you see the past, present, and future in the images I captured in the recent past, am sharing with you in the present, and will remember in the future?
There’s the past, present, and future, in one saying: “There is nothing like you, there was nothing like you, and there shall be nothing like you.”.
Now I can relax, because I know I’ve captured everything.
Here‘s a blast from the past: “Past, Present and Future” from The Shangri-Las.
Creating this post is now in the past, I am very grateful in the present, and I look forward to your comments in the future.
As we get closer to November 3, my anxiety is increasing. I know I’m not alone in my anxiety, which helps.
Can you see my anxiety in today’s photos?
Music is usually good for my anxiety. Here’s “My Anxiety” by Cal Scruby,
“Anxiety” by Anna Clendening,
“I Wrote a Song about Dealing with Depression and Anxiety” by Gremlin,
“Anxiety” by Black Eyed Peas featuring Papa Roach,
and, finally, “cute songs to help you deal with anxiety.”
My anxiety is grateful to everyone who is reading “My Anxiety” here and now, including YOU!
Because there are so many moments you nightmare about in today’s news, I choose to focus on moments you dream about in today’s blog post.
I snapped that photo during some dreamy moments food shopping last night with my husband Michael. Many moments later, Michael produced more food moments to dream about.
Earlier in the day, I had some moments to dream about …
Yay today (despite the clouds) for all the moments you dream about.
Here‘s “These Dreams” by Heart, with dreamy vocals, instruments, and other moments to dream about.
I dream about comments from you, so please take some moments to leave one, below.
I spent many moments yesterday look for expressions of gratitude to dream about, like these:
Yesterday, I took a look at my local supermarket, saw this ….
… and immediately thought of this song:
Where have all the
When will we ever learn?
Where have all my photos gone? Gone to blog posts, every one.
Where have all the comments gone? I’ll look for them later, when I’m less clueless and more clueful.
Where have all the thanks gone? They’re here, at the end of every blog.
Dear sweet readers,
Can you guess why today’s post may be Candied?
Many of us, this time of year, buy too much candy for Halloween, and get candied ourselves.
Candied, indeed.
Yesterday, many sweet people in therapy talked about eating candy (among other things) and how that made them feel.
All that sugar activated my sweet tooth, so I tried getting candied …
… and got cookied, instead.
As I suggested to others throughout the day …
… mindful eating includes recognizing slips and self-forgiveness. Our self-worth is NOT dependent on what we eat or how we look.
By mindfully letting go of the extra sugar I’ve been eating lately, I was able to notice and appreciate other sweet things around me.
Now it’s time to share some sweet music in this candied post.
Candidly, I chose today’s title partly because of this:
The Candide Overture by Leonard Bernstein is here on YouTube, with over one million sweet views.
What are your candied thoughts and feelings, now?
Sweet gratitude to all who helped me create this candied post and special thanks to you — of course! — for bringing your sweet self here, today.
Honestly, I’ve been wondering what kind of post to create on the last day of this year AND my second year of blogging.
Honestly, I could reminisce about the highlights,
the lowlights,
and the midlights
of the days and nights of 2014. But honestly, it would take me a long, long time to go through all the photos and all the experiences I shared with you in 2014.
Honestly, I’d like to write a regular, run-of-the-mill post today, because isn’t today just another day (no matter how much significance we tend to give certain days over others)?
Honestly, all the posts I wrote for you (and — honestly — for me, too) this year included:
Honestly, every post I wrote for you and for me in 2014 helped me
Honestly, if it weren’t for this blog, I don’t think I would have seen, heard, thought, felt, and experienced as much wonder, curiosity, and hope in 2014.
Honestly, having this blog was like confiding in a community of great listeners, carrying everybody’s presence with me no matter where I went, and enjoying everything so much more, because I knew I could show it to you the very next day.
Honestly, I saw these yesterday, and looked forward to sharing them with you today:
Honestly, I think Harley’s gotten more comfortable with everybody, in 2014.
Honestly, I really need to straighten up and clear off my blogging table.
Honestly, I took only ONE of all those delicious chocolates offered to me at work yesterday. Would you like to guess which one I took? Which one would YOU have chosen?
Honestly, whenever I ask you to guess, listen, look, or respond in these posts, I don’t need you to do anything. I’m just glad you’re here.
Honestly, whenever I say that I heard a song on one of my walks that fits a blog post perfectly for me, I’m telling you the truth. For example,”1999” by Prince was the first song that came on yesterday and I thought,
Wow! That’s always seemed like the PERFECT New Year celebration song, ever since I first heard it in 1982. I can’t wait to use it in my end-of-year celebration post!!
Honestly, I can’t find “1999” anywhere on YouTube right now.
Honestly, every time I’ve encountered an obstacle in 2014, whether in blogging or elsewhere , it’s all worked out — maybe, even for the better.
Honestly, who knows? We’re all just doing the best we can.
Honestly, as I was dancing yesterday, next to my car in my work-place parking lot …
… I heard a song which reminded me of the one video I kept meaning to share with you in 2014.
Honest!
Honestly, this is why I love that video of Carly Rae Jepsen, Jimmy Fallon, and The Roots playing “Call Me Maybe” with kids’ classroom instruments, so very very much.
It’s filled with honest, heart-felt joy.
AND bongos*!
Call me maybe, tomorrow? I’ll be here.
Many honest thanks from me to you, here and now.
* Also found, in 2014, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Some people find it more challenging than others to change, to transition from one state to another. I know that’s true. I’ve also observed, in my many years on this planet, that change is challenging for all of us.
Here’s some proof that I’ve been here for a while:
(Photo taken on Groundhog Day, 2/2/13).
The above is also proof that (1) I’m too busy and (2) I haven’t gotten used to switching from Windows to the World of Apple, since it took me so friggin’ long to get the pictures of my birthday party (taken by the wonderful Carol) onto my computer.
I’m looking at that picture now, and realizing that it’s also proof that (1) I like chocolate, (2) the word “like” doesn’t even come close to approximating my feelings about chocolate, and (3) I like using exclamation points (to express joy). I’m also remembering that I was soooo tired during that party (because — surprise! — I had trouble sleeping the night before) and so worried that I would lose track of those two candles I’d bought (I mean, I didn’t want to destroy that beautiful frosting with 61 candles, people!), that I made sure to put them in a safe place, so that I could easily retrieve them when I needed them, and then — of course! — I couldn’t find them when it was Cake Time.
But since the candles ARE in the picture, the picture is also proof of this: I may get anxious from fear of making mistakes (especially when I’m tired) and I may lose things temporarily, but I usually find them in time (even if people have to wait a few minutes, which they probably don’t mind doing).
Wow! I’m learning a lot, even now, just looking at that picture.
Of course, when I first started writing this post, I had another point in mind. (I pretty much always have another point in mind when I start writing a post.) The picture — which I’ve now riffed about for several paragraphs — was just some data for a claim I was making: that I’ve lived long enough on this planet to have some wisdom and experience. (Using the photograph is also an illustration that I respect my son’s opinion, since he told me, after I published this pictorial essay, that I had finally reached my stride as a blogger.) (That post my son likes? I like it, too.)
Question to self: So, Ann, what WAS your point, when you first starting writing this post, on this fine morning?
Answer: I am about to go on vacation for a week. And even a “good” transition like that — which I certainly am welcoming right now — is causing me some anxiety.
It helped me to name that anxiety, right now, dear reader.
So now, I can gather my wits, my breakfast, my other morning necessities, my headphones, my lunch, and my son and leave for work, knowing that:
I mean, I may lose track of those truths — just like I lost track of the candles for my birthday cake — but I know now that I’ll find them again.
Thanks for reading, everybody.
The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally 