Day 2509: Transformation

When I search my old blog posts for “transformation,” I immediately find this:

Day 2359: Self-Transformation

When I wrote that post last June, I was definitely performing some self-transformation, as I often do with this blog.  That day, I was transforming the sadness, anger, and shock I felt about somebody’s behaviors into a positive and upbeat blog post.  I left some subtle clues about that transformation in my photos of book titles (which include lots of “f-cks,” one “sh-t”, and a “You Can’t Hurt Me”).  That behind-the-scenes transformation helped me cheer up, move on, and face another day.

Today, I want to share transformation of a different kind.  Yesterday, my Coping and Healing group transformed our roving thoughts into focused mindfulness by using the angel cards which a past transforming group member left me years ago.  One of the members chose this card:

I chose this card  …

… which was one of the few blank cards in the pack.  When I focused on that card during the mindfulness exercise, I noticed a transformation.  Somebody had tried to write something on that card, with a pen that had no ink.  Can you see it?

I tilted the card into the light, to try to discover the hidden markings.

At first, I thought the hidden word (which definitely started with a “T”) was “Thankfulness” ( probably because I find thankfulness so transformative). After many moments of mindful scrutiny, I finally discovered what somebody had tried to write on that angel card, years ago.

Transformation

Then, when it was my turn to check in, I shared that transformation with the rest of the group.

Do you see transformation in any of my other recent photos?

One of the group members yesterday asked the rest of us how we would transform ourselves, if transformation was possible.   Somehow, that transformed into a conversation about ducks, including

• how some of us are ducks — calm on the surface with lots of action below,
• the transforming coping strategy of letting things roll off one’s back, like a duck, and
• how to duck other people’s negativity.

Here‘s “Vital Transformation” by John McLaughlin and The Mahavishnu Orchestra, which I experienced as very transformative during the 1970s.

Now it’s time for another transformation — I shall transform this blog post into a guessing game!  Last night, Michael chose this classic Tom Jones song for us to dance to after dinner:

Michael told me that the young guitarist playing on that track later transformed into one of the most famous guitarists in rock and roll.  After I guessed Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and others, I finally came up with the right answer.  Can you?

Feel free to transform your thoughts and feelings into a comment, below.

As always, I end these posts with a transformation of thankfulness for all who help me create this daily blog, including YOU!

Day 2289: Could this be?

Could this be another daily post from me? Could today’s blog post be inspired by The Curse of Oak Island, a TV show I first heard about yesterday at a birthday celebration for my niece, Laura?

Could this be Joe — Laura’s step-father and brother-in-law —  telling me about the treasure hunting on The Curse of Oak Island and how the show’s dramatic narration constantly notices clue and repeats exposition, asking questions like “Could  this be the triangular rock that will finally lead us to the treasure’s destination after searching for all these years?”

Could this be my introduction to the rest of my photos from yesterday, many of which include ducks? (Could “duck” be my answer to the question, “If you could be any animal, what would you be?“)

Could this be the latest vegetarian culinary masterpiece from Michael? Could this be the point that I remind you that you can click on any of the above photos to enlarge them?

Could this be where I include the opening from The Curse of Oak Island?

Could this be Stephen Colbert interviewing the brothers from The Curse of Oak Island?

Could this be my request for comments?

Could this be my thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and to (dramatic music) YOU?

 

Day 1940: It’s all coming together

Even though this blog has been coming together daily for several years,  I’ve never before quoted something my boyfriend Michael says all the time.  Whenever I express relief or another positive reaction to some development, minor or major, Michael says, “It’s all coming together.”

I think Michael says that so often because

• things seem to fall apart as often as they come together,
• we discuss many falling-apart and coming-together developments, and
• he wants to help me keep it together.

For example, yesterday I left the refrigerator door open when I left early in the morning, the refrigerator heated up to the extent that Michael had to throw away lots of food, I left my Fitbit at home, many people were falling apart at work, and whenever I looked at the news, it seemed like the whole world was falling apart. However, when I did a blood test last night and found my INR was in range (during a period where it’s often been out of range), Michael immediately declared, “It’s all coming together.”  It all came together for me and I said, “That’s the title of my blog post tomorrow.”

All my photos that weren’t loading to this site are now coming together, including several photos of ducks coming together.

It’s all coming together for me to share #8 on this top 30 list of awesome rock.

It’s all right now and it’s all coming together for me to express my thanks to all who help me write these posts and — of course! — to YOU, for coming together to this blog.

Day 1907: A grain of salt

People I love keep telling me to take things with a grain of salt, even though I should be restricting my salt intake.

If you don’t know the meaning of the idiom “a grain of salt,” take this!

“(With) a grain of salt”, (or “a pinch of salt”) is an idiom of the English language, which means to view something with skepticism or not to interpret something literally.

In a pinch, here are more grains of wisdom from that Wikipedia page:

Hypotheses of the phrase’s origin include Pliny the Elder‘s Naturalis Historia, regarding the discovery of a recipe for an antidote to a poison.^[2] In the antidote, one of the ingredients was a grain of salt. Threats involving the poison were thus to be taken “with a grain of salt”, and therefore less seriously.

The phrase cum grano salis (“with a grain of salt”) is not what Pliny wrote. It is constructed according to the grammar of modern European languages rather than Classical Latin. Pliny’s actual words were addito salis grano (“after having added a grain of salt”).

An alternative account says that the Roman general Pompey believed he could make himself immune to poison by ingesting small amounts of various poisons, and he took this treatment with a grain of salt to help him swallow the poison. In this version, the salt is not the antidote. It was taken merely to assist in swallowing the poison.

The Latin word salis means both “salt” and “wit”, so that the Latin phrase “cum grano salis” could be translated as both “with a grain of salt” and “with a grain (small amount) of wit”. The phrase is said “with a pinch of salt” in British English and said “with a grain of salt” in American English.

 

These days, we could all use grains of wit, salt, and other antidotes to poisons.

Lately, I’ve been encouraged to take gloomier forecasts about my rotator cuff injury with  grains of salt. Those grains of salt are more helpful than rubbing salt in that wound.

Also, I should have taken yesterday’s forecasts about a “four-easter” in Boston with a grain of salt. I woke up early to find very little snow on the ground, which means fewer grains of salt on the highways and byways today.

Michael, who sometimes tells me to take things with a BIG grain of salt, just said, “I don’t think there’s going to be anything to shovel, baby. If you need any help with your car, wake me up.”

What do you take with a grain (or a pinch)  of salt?  Any of these photos?

You may take this with a grain of salt, but I think New England ducks have fun in the salt water.

There are at least three “Grain of Salt” songs on YouTube (here,  here, and here).

I look forward to the grains of comments about today’s post.

Grainy thanks to all who helped me write today’s salty post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 1549: If you could be any animal, which would you be?

If I could be any animal besides a human, I’d be a duck, because a duck

• is adept in air, water, and land,
• quacks,
• looks great,
• is very sociable, and
• likes being in groups.

Yesterday, after my therapy group, when I was being sociable with the nurses at work, I noticed  they had chosen a different animal for me.

If I could be any animal besides a human or a duck, I’d be a butterfly, because a butterfly

• is adept in the air,
• spends a lot of time around flowers,
• looks great, and
• changes in very profound ways.

If you could be any animal, would you be any of these?

If you could be any animal interviewing for a job, you might find this useful:

If you could choose any musical number about any animal, which would it be? The animals at YouTube just suggested two  (here and here):

The Lion King medley reminds me that I’ll be singing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” for groups of animals, very soon.

Thanks to all the animals that helped me create this post and to you — of course! — no matter what animal you’d be.