Day 1859: That was then, this is now

January was then,  February is now.

 

That was February 1st when I took those photos, this is now February 2nd, Groundhog Day, and my 65th birthday.

For those of us who are still recovering from the past, this is now the time to tell ourselves: “That was then, this is now.”  The then is still with us, but the now offers the gifts of opportunity, healing, and hope.

That was then when I watched and listened to The Monkees.  This is now “That Was Then, This is Now.”

 

That was my blog post for the day.  This is now my gratitude for all who have helped me get through the then and the now, including the Monkees, The New Yorker, Roz Chast,  and YOU.

 

 

Day 1850: What fresh hell is this?

“What fresh hell is this?” is

• a book about the writer, wit, and self-proclaimed “wisecracker” Dorothy Parker,
• a variation of a phrase Dorothy Parker would say when her doorbell rang (“What fresh hell can this be?”),
• something I’ve considered using for a voicemail greeting, and
• a thought I often have when I check the news.

Because I was dealing with so many fresh hells yesterday, I have only two fresh photos today.

Some people consider their birthdays a fresh hell, or at least a fresh realization that they’re growing old. I don’t see my birthday — February 2 — as a fresh hell. I see each birthday as a fresh start.

Here are some fresh ideas about how to cope with fresh hells:

• Share your fresh hells with people you trust.
• Try on a fresh perspective.
• Raise hell by taking one fresh step.
• Eat some fresh food.
• Get some re-fresh-ing sleep.
• Make a fresh comment on somebody’s fresh blog.

How do you deal with fresh hells?

There are a lot of hellish fresh hells on YouTube, but I’m choosing “What Fresh Hell is This?” by Gilbert Neal.

Fresh thanks to all who helped me create today’s fresh hell of a post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 1845: I should have known better

#1 on my personal list of what doesn’t help is telling myself “I should have known better.”

At this point in my life, I should know better than to tell myself “I should have known better.”  Nevertheless, I’ve been telling myself “I should have known better” a lot lately, even though it doesn’t help.

What would be better than telling myself “I should have known better”?

Self-forgiveness, acceptance of what is, and identifying  achievable and helpful next steps.

Therefore, I forgive myself, accept what is, and identify these achievable and helpful next steps:

#1.  Include my other photos from yesterday.

#2. Share some music (which should be here and here on YouTube).

#3.  Express gratitude to all who helped me create this should-have-known-better post and  to you!

Day 1494: Groundhog Day

Today is Groundhog Day!

Groundhog Day is my birthday.  Can you guess how old I am today? Here‘s a hint:

While there are many things out there on Groundhog Day 2017 that are making me afraid of my own shadow, there’s still a lot of sunshine.

Do you see shadows or sunshine in the photos I took the day before Groundhog Day?

Happy Groundhog Day to all my readers and Happy Birthday to me!