Day 3169: What we can learn from cats

I believe there’s a lot we can learn from cats. The trouble with cats is that they’re not talking, so we have to figure out these lessons for ourselves.

As I observe our two cats, I learn to be more in the moment, letting go of regret about the past and fears about the future.

Lately, I’ve been watching our cats rather than watching TV.

I also learn that very territorial creatures can somehow work out differences and coexist in the same place, without bloodshed.

Can you learn anything from my other images today?

Maybe we can learn something from the song “Everybody Wants to be a Cat.”

What do you think we can learn from cats? I know I can learn from your comments, below.

I am grateful to all the cool cats I learn from, including YOU!

Day 3147: Superstitious

Not that I’m superstitious, but sometimes I think it’s tempting fate to leave out a definition at the beginning of a blog post.

I actually don’t know how superstitious I am, even though I asked that question on Twitter last night.

I grew up in a family where it was considered bad luck to say anything positive about one’s situation — that attracted the evil eye. I rebelled against that pretty early on and this was a typical conversation when I was young:

Me: This is going to turn out great!

My mother: Don’t give a kanahora.

Me: That’s not the way it works, you know. What I say doesn’t affect the outcome.

And yes — what I said didn’t affect the outcome there. My mother, who was otherwise extremely logical and sensible, still felt compelled to say “don’t give a kanahora” when I said something too positive about the future.

I think most of us have little, automatic superstitions like that. I often witness people knocking on wood, talking about jinxing things, etc. This week in a therapy group, somebody expressed the fear that when things got too good, something bad was bound to happen.

I’m crossing my fingers that we all have a safe and happy Friday the 13th and that you enjoy my other images for today.

In honor of International Left Handers Day, this lefty is going to share a favorite song with you:

I am super grateful for every day and, also, for YOU!

Day 3127: Growing old

Last week in one of my Coping and Healing groups, the older people told the younger people that growing old was not as scary as they feared. The older people talked about the benefits of growing old, which seemed to surprise the younger members of the group.

There are so many negative messages out there about growing old. Let’s see if we can balance those, here and now, with some quotes and images.

Speaking of ending the conversation, let’s see what the Daily Bitch has to say about growing old today.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “growing old.”

What are your thoughts and feelings about growing old?

I am grateful to be growing old and I’m grateful for those who are growing older with me, including YOU.

Day 3103: The first time

Yesterday, in my Coping and Healing group, people spoke about doing things for the first time, like taking a trip alone.

Then, I noticed that my tweet about being blocked for the first time on Twitter got a kashmillion responses and hundreds of new followers, also for the first time.

Well, as my mother used to say, there’s a first time for everything.

What helps us deal with things we are encountering for the first time? Things that are new to us, even those things we might want, invariably cause some stress.

I hope you enjoy seeing these images for the first time.

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It’s not the first time I’ve shared “Ain’t That Peculiar” here and it’s probably not the last either!

Actually, it IS the first time I’ve seen and shared that fabulous video.

What are your thoughts and feelings about this first-time post?

For neither the first nor the last time, thanks to all who help me create this daily blog, including YOU.

Day 3100: Now is the perfect time to be brave and courageous.

Now is the perfect time to be brave and courageous, because why wait? Life is short, my brave and courageous friends.

Now is the perfect time to look at all my images for now.

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Now is the perfect time to be brave and courageous and now is the perfect time for peace.

Now is the perfect time to tell you that I rocked my workshop and my speech yesterday!

Now is the perfect time to share what I find when I search YouTube for “now is the perfect time to be brave and courageous.”

Now is the perfect time to leave a comment and now is the perfect time to express my thanks and appreciation for all of you!

Day 3099: Tell me something good

Yesterday I posted this on Facebook:

Tell me something good because

• I‘m doing a workshop about my Coping and Healing groups today and I have pre-presentation jitters,
• I have to make a difficult speech in a business meeting today,
• bad things happen to good people,
• good things happen to bad people, and
• Michael discovered yesterday that there’s a leak from our shower to the outside of our home, which can’t be good.

Tell me something good you see in my images for today.

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“Tell Me Something Good” is a great song by Chaka Kahn.

Tell me something good in the comments section, below.

I tell you something good at the end of each blog post by expressing my gratitude to all who help me blog every day, including YOU.

Day 3094: Guess What

Guess what! I’m a person who loves to say, “Guess what!”

Guess what? I’m never sure how to punctuate “guess what”! It’s often written as a question (“guess what?”) but, to me, it sounds like an exclamation and a request, if not a demand (“guess what!”).

Guess what! My son Aaron and I had a conversation recently about punctuation and not caring so much about the rules.

Guess what I did on Fathers Day, 2021!

Did you guess that I tweeted, went for a walk, bought a gift for Aaron’s father Leon (who is a very talented photographer), saw a movie in a theatre for the first time since the pandemic started, ate some delicious food prepared by Aaron’s stepfather Michael, hung out with Aaron, Leon, and Michael, and took lots of photos?

Guess what movie I saw yesterday!

Guess what? I highly recommend “In the Heights.”

Guess what the Daily Bitch has to say about today?

Guess what?! I’m so grateful you’re visiting my blog, here and now.

Day 3074: Death is But a Dream

Yesterday, during Memorial Day in the USA, I watched the PBS documentary “Death is But a Dream.” Here is the official trailer of “Death is But a Dream”:

I plan to tell people I work with who are dying about “Death is But a Dream,” which movingly describes the dreams of terminally ill people.

My life near the ocean is but a dream, as you might see in today’s photos.

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I hope that peace is not just a dream

Twitter is but a dream.

Edinburgh feels like a dream to me now.

Here is the TED talk by Dr. Christopher Kerr of “Death is But a Dream”:

I expect that when I am dying I will dream about my father, my mother, my friends Hillel, Eleanor, Tony, and Michelle, Oscar and several other cats, and maybe some of my patients. I find this dreamily comforting, here and now.

What are your thoughts and feelings about this death-is-but-a-dream post?

Thanks to all who help me fulfill my dream of blogging every day that I am still on this earth, including YOU.

Day 3049: Trust

Because of experiences in my past, I sometimes find it difficult to trust. I trust that I am not alone in that.

Trust — in myself and in others — is especially important when I’m doing something new, like traveling to Nashville on my own in three days.

Do you see trust in my photos for today?

Harley, like the rest of us, needs to feel safe enough to trust.

Here’s “How to build (and rebuild) trust” with Frances Frei.

I trust that you will find value and inspiration in that TED talk.

Please trust your thoughts and feelings enough to express them in a comment, below.

Trust me to end these daily posts with gratitude for all who trust my blog, including YOU.

Day 3029: Talk

Let’s talk about today’s title, which is inspired by this …

… and this:

Let’s talk about my other images for today.

Let’s talk about my trip to Nashville. I hope to

• meet up with my friend Jenn who lives six hours away,
• meet up with fellow blogger Christopher Waldrop,
• explore new places,
• enjoy great food,
• perform some of my original songs at open mics, and
• be around people without fear.

Here’s some talk about the best things to do in Nashville:

Please talk to me about Nashville (or anything else) in a comment, below.

As always, I talk about gratitude when I end each of these daily blog posts.