Day 3249: What are you reading?

What are you reading, besides this blog?

I’m reading this …

… and finding it very helpful, including this excerpt:

The words I remember were: The boundary to what we can accept is the boundary to our freedom. During the silence that followed, memories flashed through my mind revealing how much I had been defended against. I could feel the walls I had erected to keep out those people who were different from me, those who intimidated me or demanded too much from me. I recognized my aversion to physical discomfort, to feeling fear and loneliness. I realized how unforgiving I felt toward myself for hurting others, for being judging, obsessive, selfish.

What are you reading into that and the other images in today’s post?

.

I’m reading into people’s responses these days that there is a great need for grieving and healing.

This is what I find on YouTube when I search for “what are you reading?”

I look forward to reading your comments, below.

Thanks to all who read this blog, including YOU!

Day 3235: Be mindful

“Be mindful” is good advice and is something I saw on a sign yesterday near work.

Because I try to be mindful of people I love, I want to wish my friend and co-worker Jan a happy birthday!

Let’s be mindful of all the riches around us.

Let’s be mindful about self care, shall we?

What else is there to be mindful about? What helps you to be mindful?

When I search YouTube for “be mindful,” I find this …

… and this:

Be mindful of the comments section, below.

Finally, be mindful of how grateful I am that you show up here, exactly the way you do.

Day 3186: I do what I want!

Ever since we adopted Joan — our kitty who was found on the streets of Tennessee with her siblings and many kittens — my husband Michael has been “speaking” for Joan by saying, in a high Southern-accented voice, “I do what I want!”

Joan does what she wants by

• chasing our other cat Harley around the house,
• sitting where she wants to sit,
• playing when she wants to play,
• sleeping when and where she wants to sleep, and
• generally, being cat.

Joan does what she wants within the confines of wearing a cone …

… as her skin infection heals. Actually, if she was really doing what she wants, she wouldn’t be wearing that damned cone, but she’s doing just fine.

“I do what I want” is also what many humans say as they get older and wiser. I discovered this, again, when I tweeted this yesterday:

Many people on Twitter agreed with me and shared how they do what they want, more and more, as they get older. Somebody actually responded with this:

.

Here are some other responses:

I do what I want when I create this daily blog, so I want to share the photos I took yesterday at work and at home. You do what you want with these:

The Daily Bitch does what she wants. Do you?

I do what I want and I want to see what I find when I search YouTube for “I do what I want.”

I do what I want and I also want to include some music here. Here’s “Do What You Want” from OK Go.

I do what I want and I always want to end these posts with gratitude for all who visit this blog, including YOU!

Day 2584: Incredible life moments

Last night, after spending many incredible life moments at work and at home, I watched An American in Paris with these incredible life moments:

Comments from you are incredible life moments for me.

Thanks to all who help me share incredible life moments in this blog, including YOU.

Day 2570: Antisocial

Is it antisocial to think,  every once in a while, “I’m so done with everyone and everything”?

Here’s a definition of “antisocial” I found on social media:

an·ti·so·cial
/ˌan(t)ēˈsōSHəl,ˌanˌtīˈsōSHəl/
adjective

1. contrary to the laws and customs of society; devoid of or antagonistic to sociable instincts or practices.
“a dangerous, unprincipled, antisocial type of man”
Similar:
objectionable
offensive
beyond the pale
unacceptable
unsocial
asocial
distasteful
disruptive
disorderly
lawless
rebellious
sociopathic
2. not sociable; not wanting the company of others.

I would say that, sometimes, I’m  not wanting the company of others, especially if they’re objectionable, offensive, beyond the pale, unacceptable unsocial, asocial, distasteful, disruptive, disorderly, lawless, rebellious, or sociopathic.

Does that make me antisocial?

Let’s see what my Daily Bitch Calendar says:

Are these other photos antisocial?

Even on days when I’m feeling a little antisocial, I also feel anti-antisocial or, more simply, social.

I don’t want to seem antisocial, but I need to end this antisocial post in order to get to work on time.

Before I do, here’s some antisocial music.

 

I’m never too antisocial to express my thanks to all who help me create and share this daily blog, including YOU.

 

 

Day 2545: Shocks to the system

Every day, there are shocks to the system, as you can see in my Friday Fotos:

Some shocks to the system are nicer than others.

Any change from routine can be a shock to the system. Starting tomorrow, I’m off for a vacation that will include several shocks to the system, like

• Hanukkah,
• Christmas,
• seeing my 21-year old son Aaron in a tuxedo,
• my fiancé Michael wearing his first suit ever, and
• Michael and I getting married a week from today!

Here‘s “Shock to the System” by Yes.

It’s not a shock to my system that one member of the soon-to-be-married couple loves Yes and the other one decidedly does not. Differences may be a shock to the system but they make life much more interesting.

For regular readers of this blog, my ending with gratitude cannot possibly be a shock to the system.

Day 2542: Monday!

This just in: Yesterday was Monday!

I saw evidence of Monday all day long, starting with this …

….  and ending with this:

What are your associations with Monday? Let’s see what associations we find in my other Monday photos.

No matter what day it is, I have trouble deciding what to wear.

Here are the top 10 songs about Monday, even though it’s Tuesday.

 

Every day of the week, I end with thanks to you.

 

 

Day 2518: Mood swings

Yesterday was November 22, a day when I’ve often had mood swings.  Why? Because fifty-six years ago on that date, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and I had my first heart surgery to get my first cardiac pacemaker.

After I swung myself out of bed, I put on my “I have mood swings” socks, hoping that my mood swings that day would be manageable.

Thankfully, my mood swings yesterday were not remarkable. For example, when I noticed that Michael had removed stuff from two kitchen cabinets during the night, I thought, “That can’t be good.”

But my mood didn’t swing dramatically.

When I noticed a truck that reminded me of death on my way into work …

…. my mood didn’t swing that much.

Here are more things that caused negligible mood swings yesterday:

Did any of those photos swing your mood in any way?

Here‘s The Mood Swings Orchestra, an all-woman big band located in the Boston area:

I expect my mood will swing up when I read your comments about this “Mood Swings” post.  Thanks to all, including YOU.

Day 2508: Flow

Two days ago, I drew this flow chart on my office white board for somebody who was trying to decide what action to take in a very difficult family situation.

Then, in a flow of  synchronicity, somebody who used to participate in my Coping and Healing groups sent me this flowchart in an email:

I love the way that flow chart keeps flowing into the same conclusion.

Are you ready for the flow of lots of other photos?

 

Last night, my dear friend Jeanette flowed into town from Philadelphia and shared our dinner, flowing conversations, photos of a Nailed It! cake and her trick-or-treating dog Gidget, and also this:

It looks like that kitty has some opinions.  Go with the flow and don’t worry about it!

Here‘s a review of the book Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi:

 

Here’s “Flow” by Shawn James:

 

I look forward to the flow of comments below, because

Are you ready for the flow of gratitude for all who help me create these daily posts, including YOU?

 

 

Day 2496: It’s that time of the year

It’s that time of the year for

• dressing up,
• holidays,
• traditions,
• changes,
• anniversaries,
• anxiety,
• comfort food,
• selfies,
• memories,
• celebrations,
• communication,
• complications,
• simplicity,
• faith,
• love,
• forgiveness,
• self-care,
• accepting all your feelings,
• balancing your needs with other people’s needs, and
• sharing photos.

It’s also that time of year for cats (at least around here) and music (here , here, and here on YouTube):

It’s always that time of the year for gratitude, so thanks to all who help me create timely posts, including YOU.