Day 3333: Obsessions

Because I’m obsessed with interesting numbers, I’m noticing that this is the 3333rd day I’ve been blogging.

Because I’m obsessed with the healing power of groups, I’m working on a presentation about group work for my co-workers at a Boston teaching hospital.

Because I’m obsessed with communicating clearly and effectively, I’m driving myself a little crazy as I’m preparing this. At this point, I’m obsessed with this thought: “I wish I had said NO when they asked me to do the presentation!”

Because I’m obsessed with interesting quotes, here are some quotes about obsession.

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Do you see obsessions in my other images for today?

None of my obsessions are on that list of National Days, so I will celebrate this precious day however I choose.

Because I’m obsessed with sharing music or videos that fit the blog post, here’s Toto singing “I miss the rains down in Africa.”

Because I’m obsessed with gratitude, thanks to all who help me create this daily blog, including YOU.

Day 3325: Vivid memories

I have many vivid memories of the Olympics, so I asked this question on Twitter last night:

People’s vivid memories ran the gamut of tragedy to triumph, including the killing of the Israeli athletes in Munich 1972, the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” USA-Soviet Union hockey game, John Carlos and Tommie Smith’s raised fists on the podium in 1968, Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic flame in Atlanta 1996, and many incredible gymnasts, skaters, runners, jumpers, skiers, divers, swimmers, fighters, and other vividly memorable athletes.

Will this blog post evoke any vivid memories for you?

Another vivid memory, thanks to the Daily Bitch calendar.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “vivid memories Olympics.”

More than one person on Twitter cited k.d. lang’s rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” in the Vancouver 2010 opening ceremony as a vivid Olympics memory.

Vivid thanks to all who share vivid memories, including YOU.

Day 3146: Guilty pleasures

My guilty pleasures include chocolate, mac & cheese, watching old game shows on TV, blogging, tweeting, and sharing my latest images with you.

The Daily Bitch never looks guilty about her pleasures, so I’m going to follow her example. No guilt about pleasures!

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “guilty pleasures”:

What are your thoughts and feelings about this “guilty pleasures” post?

It’s a guiltless pleasure for me to thank all who visit this daily blog, including YOU!!

Day 2845: BFD

BFD, according to dictionary.com, means one thing AND its opposite, which I think is a BFD.

This reminds me of a BFD saying I came up with years ago — we are neither as important or as unimportant as we fear.

Are any of these recent photos a BFD?

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Around here, it’s a BFD when my husband Michael lets me take a picture of him and share it in my blog. We both got haircuts yesterday, which is a BFD during the BF pandemic. Also, the macaroni and cheese Michael made yesterday was a BFD.

The upcoming U.S. Presidential election is a BFD, and if my candidates win, I’m also going to win cookies and somebody else’s macaroni and cheese. To me, macaroni and cheese is ALWAYS a BFD.

In addition to Big F’ing Deal and Boston Fire Department, BFD might stand for Black Futuristic Drums:

What do you think is a BFD, in this post and elsewhere?

Gratitude is always a BFD to this Blogging Female Dilettante, so thanks to all the BFD’s who help me create these posts, including YOU!

Day 2804: Mood for a Day

When I was young, my mood for a day seemed to depend on how the Boston Red Sox were doing. If my favorite baseball team won, I had a good mood for a day. If they lost, I had a bad mood for a day. Many other people have had their moods for a day affected by the Red Sox; I’m not the only one who has had “Red Sox bipolar disorder.”

These days, my mood for a day seems to depend on the state of the U.S. November election. If it looks like my candidates are going to win, my mood is good for a day; if it looks like they are going to lose, my mood for a day is bad. I’m sure I’m not alone in this kind of daily mood disorder, either.

There are other things that influence my mood for a day. Can you see any of them in my recent moody photos?

Our moody kitty Harley recently showed an unexpected mood for a day — Harley jumped up on the sofa between my camera-shy husband and moody me and rubbed his head against my hand. That definitely improved my mood for a day and more. Yesterday, in the midst of many moods for the day, I said to Michael: “Harley hanging out with us and asking me to pat him was THE BEST.”

Here‘s the musical inspiration for today’s post:

Here‘s Steve Howe from Yes showing moody guitarists how to play “Mood for a Day”:

Here‘s Steve Howe improving people’s mood for a day by playing “Clap” and “Mood for a Day” live:

What affects your mood for a day, these days?

My mood for a day can always be improved with gratitude, so thanks to all who help me create this mood-for-a-day blog and to all who visit, including YOU.

Day 2735: The light

As I’ve said to several people lately, “I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope it’s not a train coming in the opposite direction.”

Can you see the light in my photos from yesterday?

Here‘s “I Saw the Light” by Todd Rundgren:

I look forward to seeing the light in the comments section, below.

There’s always the light of gratitude at the end of these posts (and I don’t think it’s a train coming in the other direction!).

Day 2068: Brilliant or perfect?

Four years ago (but who’s counting?), I wrote a blog post — Day 597: Brilliant — about how people in Edinburgh responded “Brilliant” to many things I said to them.  (If you could visit that old post, that would be brilliant.)

In 2018, when I was back in Edinburgh for our usual August visit,  people rarely told me I was brilliant.  That didn’t damage my ego, however, because instead of “Brilliant,”  I often heard “Perfect” in response to things I would do or say.

Actually, to be more perfect about that, I often heard this: “Perrrrrfect.”

Last week in Edinburgh, when I handed my ticket to a  Festival Fringe employee and he said, “Perfect,” I commented to him how I’d noticed that “Perfect” was the new “Brilliant.” He laughed and replied, “Six years ago, it was ….” but I am neither brilliant nor perfect enough to remember the last word in his sentence.

Personally, I think it’s brilliant and perfect to be kind and complimentary to visitors.  I wish I could witness more brilliant, perfect, and civil discourse in my own country, here and now.

Are any of my photos from yesterday brilliant or perfect?

I may not be brilliant or perfect, but I have fixed my photo-loading problems on WordPress, FOR NOW.

Here‘s what comes up on YouTube when I search for “brilliant or perfect.”

Believe it or not, that is one of THREE different videos on YouTube titled “Brilliant Tips on How to Select the Perfect Watermelon.”  Unfortunately, I don’t see any videos on YouTube about how to be brilliant and perfect about anything else, so I’ll just share this brilliant tune from Jacob Collier, which made me perfectly happy when I heard it yesterday.

I will not pressure you to post brilliant, perfect, witty or thought-provoking comments today. I will do my best to express brilliant or perfect thanks to all who helped me create today’s post and — of course! — to YOU.

Day 1790: Thankful for the little things

I’m thankful for the little things, including

• babies,
• baby animals,
• baby aspirins,
• macaroni and cheese at work on Fridays,
• slow news days (remember those?),
• my shoes,
• my toes, and
• Thanksgiving cards from friends.

I’m thankful for the little things in all my little photos from yesterday.

I’m thankful for this little video on YouTube.

What little things are you thankful for? I’m thankful for all comments, little or big.

I’m thankful for the little things in this blog post and — of course! — for YOU.

Day 1705: Meanwhile

Meanwhile, from Edinburgh, there’s this.

Meanwhile, on my last full day before returning home tomorrow, I’m sharing my photos from yesterday.

Meanwhile, as my son and I have been whiling away the time with comedy, food, walks, talks, music, and good company  before he starts his second year at University of Edinburgh, there have been lots of meaningful things going on in the world.  I’m not sure what these will all mean, but let’s not be mean to each other in the meanwhile. Do you know what I mean while I’m writing this?

Meanwhile, here’s a video featuring Peter Brush and other U.K. comedians:

Meanwhile, thank you for visiting  and please come back soon!

Day 1503: Windows of hope

Even when we feel helpless and lost in the dark,  we can persist if there are windows of hope. When we open our hearts to those windows of hope, we can tolerate today’s distress and  see through those windows to possible solutions in the future.

Do you see any windows of hope in my photos from yesterday?

I hope I soon look through windows to see hopeful scenes like these:

  

When you look out your windows today, what hope do you see?

Here‘s a window of hope on YouTube:

Windows of hope and gratitude to all who helped me create today’s window into my hopeful heart and to you — of  course! — for the hope you bring, here and now.