Day 2695: Nature

Since my nature is to observe nature (including human nature), it’s natural that I would write posts with nature in the title. However, this is only my fifth post out of two thousand seven hundred and thirty-one to use the word “nature” (see the other ones here, here,  here, and here) and the first one where “nature” stands alone.

Is it your nature to guess why I chose the title “nature”after looking at my photos from yesterday?

Is it your nature to choose your favorite photos of all of those?  My nature is that it’s sometimes difficult to choose, but this one — with its gentleness, kindness, love, and self control  —  appeals most to my nature:

When I wasn’t out & about observing human nature & nature, I watched the beautiful Chinese animated film Big Fish & Begonia, which is about nature, human nature, and the call of the ocean.

It is my nature to include the official trailer for Big Fish & Begonia:

It is also my nature to collect hearts & thank you’s, so here is the natural end to today’s post:

Day 2678: Bitching Days

As we’ve all been bitching about during this bitching pandemic,  it’s been difficult to know what bitching day it is, because one bitching day merges into another one.

Therefore,  I was bitching thrilled when the Daily Bitch Calendar arrived at my home yesterday.

I’ve been missing that bitching calendar from work, every bitching day.

Can you bitching believe what that bitching calendar was bitching about the last day I was in my bitching office?

On February 28, I was bitching to my husband Michael that I didn’t want to leave him and go to bitching New York City for a bitching week-long conference with hundreds of other bitches from all over the bitching world, what with all the bitching news about the bitching coronavirus pandemic.

Well, we’re all bitching about the bitching pandemic together now.

I shared yesterday’s Daily Bitch calendar page with both my bitching  Thursday therapy groups.

That is bitching hilarious, because people in groups often bitch about their families.

Here are many other bitching days from The Daily Bitch Calendar:

 

I wish we all had an adult role model to look up to, every bitching day.

This daily bitch …

… is a nice segue to all my other photos from my bitching day yesterday.

Honestly, what has Harley got to bitch about?

Here‘s a cat video from some bitching days in 2020:

 

I look forward to your bitching comments, every bitching day!

 

Day 2671: Outlets

It’s challenging to find outlets for our feelings, thoughts, needs, wants, and wishes when the coronavirus is out there, not letting us live our normal and familiar  lives.

Yesterday, my outlets included

• connecting with others, remotely and in person,
• mindfulness exercises, including focusing on the phrases “May I meet this moment fully” and “May I meet this moment as a friend.”
• facilitating two of my Coping and Healing groups online,
• going out for short walks while maintaining social distancing,
• accepting myself and others, exactly as we are,
• looking up, down, and all around,
• enjoying what I have, and
• taking photos.

My outlets also include music and dancing, and Michael and I recently danced to this old R.E.M. tune:

(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville
R.E.M.
Looking at your watch a third time
Waiting in the station for the bus
Going to a place that’s far
So far away and if that’s not enough
Going where nobody says hello
They don’t talk to anybody they don’t know
You’ll wind up in some factory
That’s full time filth and nowhere left to go
Walk home to an empty house
Sit around all by yourself
I know it might sound strange but I believe
You’ll be coming back before too long
Don’t go back to Rockville
Don’t go back to Rockville
Don’t go back to Rockville
And waste another year
At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend
I don’t care if you’re not here with me
‘Cause it’s so much easier to handle
All my problems if I’m too far out to sea
But something better happen soon
Or it’s gonna be too late to bring you back

When people have an outlet to express themselves (like my Coping and Healing Groups), they’re saying it feels too late to bring ourselves back to where we were before the pandemic and that we might all be wasting another year waiting for this to be over.

How can any year be wasted if we meet each moment fully and as a friend?

What are your outlets, my friends?

Here’s another daily outlet for me: gratitude.

 

Day 2661: PTSD

People who regularly read this blog might know that PTSD can stand for

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• President Trump Stress Disorder
• Post-Thoracotomy Stress Disorder
• Pacemaker Transplant Stress Disorder
• Pain Tolerating Stress Disorder
• Physical Tasks Stress Disorder
• Painfully Taking Stairs Disorder
• Political Talk Stress Disorder
• Post-Trump Stress Disorder
• Pre-Trump Stress Disorder, and
• Presidential Terror Stress Disorder

During this age of anxiety, PTSD can also stand for

Plague Times Stress Disorder

Pandemic Terror Stress Disorder

Almost everyone I know has some form of PTSD, including me.

Here‘s something that’s been helping people deal with PTSD: Some Good News with John Krasinski:

I don’t know if this is a sign of PTSD, but I can’t make it through any episode of that wonderful show without crying.

Here are my latest PTSDs (Photos That Somebody Deserves):

 

What are your thoughts and feelings about PTSD, my Perceptive, Terrific, Super, and Dear readers?

Presently, Thanks Seem Deserved.

 

 

Day 2659: What’s the title of today’s post?

Five hundred and sixty-three days and posts ago (but who’s counting during these strange times?), I created and published a post with the same title as today’s.

Today’s post COULD be titled Day 2659: Stay Wicked Fah Apart.

It could be also titled

•  Day 2659: Social Distancing is Working
• Day 2659: When will things return to normal and what will that look like?
• Day 2659: With daffodils and magnolia trees in full bloom
• Day 2659: The rites of spring
• Day 2659: Clouded
• Day 2659: A hard truth
• Day 2659: No one really knows
• Day 2659: Let’s keep playing!

• Day 2659: Let’s Go!
• Day 2659: SLOW

• Day 2659: Caution

• Day 2659: Sheer Compassion

Looking at all the photos I took yesterday, you might have your own ideas about what the title of today’s post could be.

Here is music for one of the suggested titles, above.

The title of today’s post, of course, could also be Day 2659: Thanks!

Day 2658: If you are struggling

If you are struggling during these difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, you are not alone.

Yesterday, as humans I love and people I work with were struggling, I captured these images:

When I was struggling to fall asleep last night, I looked at that New Yorker page on my phone.

If I am struggling, music always helps, and I’m struggling to focus on a future when I will be able  to see Jacob Collier in concert, rescheduled  from next month to some time in the future when we’ll be struggling less with the coronavirus.

If you are struggling, it might help to watch this NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert with Jacob and other incredible musicians:

If you are struggling, consider sharing in a comment, below, and please know that I am so grateful you are here, now.

Day 2656: Waiting for other people to join

Yesterday morning, while I was waiting for other people to join a virtual work meeting, I snapped this photo of my computer screen:

These days, I’m waiting for other people to join

• together in global efforts to save ourselves and our planet,
• any safe, healthy, healing, and anxiety-reducing activities available to them,
• my Coping and Healing groups online,
• me in wishing  others a Happy Passover and Happy Easter this week,
• me in wishing my dear friend Jeanette a Happy Birthday,
• the present moment, rather than worrying about the future or regretting the past, and
• each other in looking at all my other photos from yesterday.

We’re waiting for other people to join us in a more typical Passover Seder next year. In the meantime, I couldn’t wait to partake of Michael’s amazing cooking last night.

Now I’m waiting for other people to join in watching this bit by comedian Sebastian Maniscalco about joining his first Passover Seder …

…  this “Happy Passover!” musical greeting from the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra …

… and this “Passover Songs Mashup – Dance Spectacular! with Elliot Dvorin and the Key Tov Orchestra from the days when it was possible for other people to join each other in public spaces :

I’m waiting, with other people like David Eisen, for a return to times like those.

David Eisen
3 days ago
I watch this every year to get into the Passover mood…5 years running strong! And, boy, do we need this uplifting spirit this year. God willing things will be back to normal in 2021/5781!

Now I’m waiting for other people to join in expressing their thoughts and feelings in comments, below.

Finally, waiting for other people to join me in being SO grateful for another day.

 

Day 2652: What’s essential, anyway?

During another essential day, I noticed this online article in the Washington Post:

What’s essential, anyway? It all depends on who’s deciding.

Here and now, I’m deciding that what’s essential, anyway, is sharing my latest photos with you.

What’s essential, anyway, is my letting my Facebook friends know that I am “a face of the coronavirus (recovered)”

Here‘s an anyway essential song from the late Bill Withers:

Please lean on me by leaving a comment about what you think is essential, anyway.

What’s essential,  anyway and every day, is gratitude, so thanks to all who help me create this essential-to-my-sanity blog, including YOU!

Day 2645: Following the hearts

Yesterday, when I was outside in the fresh air, walking around with my heart of hearts, Michael, I noticed hearts on the doors and windows of our neighborhood.

Michael and I exchanged some heart-felt speculations about what those hearts meant. We both believed, in our hearts, that this display of hearts was related to the coronavirus.

When I saw somebody outside this house with hearts …

… I asked her (from a distance) what the hearts meant.  She said, “We have health care workers in the neighborhood, so we are showing solidarity, love, and appreciation for the work they are doing for us during these times.”  She also pointed out that people were sharing their hearts with the children in the neighborhood by participating in a social-distanced bear-spotting scavenger hunt.  I looked around, and my heart rejoiced to see this:

.

I followed my heart  to capture  other images, which I now send from my heart to yours:

As we enjoyed that heart-healthy meal last night, Michael and I followed our hearts to watch the wonderful movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.   Here  is heart-felt music from the film, composed by Tan Dun and featuring Yo-Yo Ma on cello.

Please follow your heart to the comments section, below.

Every day, I follow my heart here to express my gratitude to YOU.

Day 2644: The rules

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, I’ve been thinking about rules.  The rules keep changing, but certain rules are clear:

• Practice social distancing.
• Wash your hands.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Stay home as much as possible.
• Connect with others remotely.

Here are the rules for somebody like me — who was almost definitely infected by the coronavirus but who could never get tested because of the scarcity of test kits — according to this email from my Primary Care Physician:

In terms of when you can end YOUR isolation (again, I am assuming you had COVID-19), according to the CDC (as of today – I just verified) you can leave your home once you have been fever-free without fever-reducing medication for 72 hours AND your cough has improved AND at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared. If you are still fever-free after 72 hours (tomorrow? Thurs?) and your cough is improving, I think you can leave your home but if you are still coughing it would be best to wear a mask.

Because my rules include “first, do no harm”  I waited a couple of extra days and first ventured out of my home yesterday. My rules include staying away from people and using gloves whenever I touch anything. As I wrote to a friend this morning:

I shall do my best to continue flattening the curve while not getting flattened by all this.

The rules at this blog include sharing photos that rule:

The rules for me, because I have a mechanical heart valve and take Warfarin daily, include my checking my INR at home.  Because my INR was so high yesterday (it’s supposed to be between 2.5 and 3.5), my medical team’s rules included my skipping a dose of Warfarin last night and eating more greens. New rules: We think the coronavirus and my taking antibiotics have probably disrupted my INR temporarily.  The rules of common sense tell us that this number will stabilize again soon.

The rules of this blog also include

• sharing great music (here and here on YouTube)

• inviting you to share your rules, thoughts, and feelings in a comment, below, and
• expressing gratitude for all who help me figure out the rules, every day.