Bad blogger

I'm deciding I'm no longer a good blogger. Never thought I'd say that.

I have a few partially written ideas that I will try to flesh out and post, then see where it goes. It could just be the busy-ness of the holidays and the funk that often accompanies, so if I an put my head into these few pending posts parked over there in the "drafts" section, perhaps I will get past it. I don't know, though, as this is just one of a series of such blogging funks I've been through in the last year. FB does not have the body and context of the blog, and I miss that, but sitting down and writing much more seems to be out of my range right now.

Anyway .....

We'll see.

Holidays and grief

Getting through the holidays can be difficult when you're missing a loved one who has died. My sister died a little over a year ago, but the holidays this year have been harder for me than they were last year. Why? Well, because the reality of her death had not completely set in last Christmas. Most of us take the hardest hit with grief something like three to six months later. When Mother's Day rolled around, I was very sad. That was six months after she was gone. Her birthday in November was far harder this year than it was last year, just a few short weeks after she left us. When I called my brother, her twin, to say Happy Birthday to him, I was actually relieved when he didn't answer the phone, because I wasn't sure I could talk.

If you know someone who has lost a loved one in the last couple years, give them a call or invite them to join you if possible during the holidays. It can be really hard to get through holidays when everyone is so happy and you can't quite get in step with it. A few words can mean a lot.

http://www.ruidosonews.com/ci_19501019?IADID=Search-www.ruidosonews.com-www.ruidosonews.com


By the way .... a reminder to us all. Don't assume someone should "be over it." Unless they aren't able to live a pretty normal life, be kind and supportive, and don't criticize. We grieve forever. It gets easier with time, but the grief is permanent. If a hand is cut off, you learn to get along and to do things differently, but the fingers are gone forever.

Grieving is never easy.
Grieving is never the same for two people.
Grieving is never the same for two deaths.
Grieving is a lot of things, but it is never what
we expect it to be when it happens to us.
Grieving is something no one has to do alone.

One last thing .... remember that people grieve ALL loss, not just a death. In divorce, we grieve the loss of a family; we might be grieving the loss of jobs, homes, financial security, a pet, etc. If someone has lost anything, be kind. Let go of some of the frenetic holiday pace and pay attention to those around you.

Peaceful holidays to everyone! 

Day at home

I didn't go to work today. No, it wasn't about the weather. In fact, the big storm didn't happen here today. The northern part of the state got blasted, but I got nothing here. There were some flurries off and on all day, but nothing stuck to the ground. It may still snow tonight, but probably just an inch or so.

I stayed home because I woke this morning and was nearly unable to walk. Fibromyalgia had not just reared hit's ugly head, but was showing it's naughty butt as well. I seriously could barely walk from room to room, the worst I've been in a long time. I'm guessing the weather changes are what did me in.

I've slept off and on almost all day. Finally, by late afternoon, I woke feeling relatively decent. I can't say I'm feeling good, but I can at least walk without every step causing pain. I hope tomorrow will be a good day. I can't say I minded being home, sleeping and cuddling with the pups, but I need to get back to work.

Don't ya just love days in bed .... at last when you're not sick, just debilitated?  LOL! Hey, I'll take my joy where I can find it!

Wintery stuff

I've been a ba-a-a-a-ad blogger .... again. It is just so easy to get sidetracked. Oh, well.

About the time of my last post we had a big snow storm. Missing a couple days of work because of it put me behind, and I'm finally caught up again as of last week. The other good thing is that my driveway is finally clear of snow again! That's the only thing I don't like about this new kind of winter weather we are having; the temperatures are staying colder longer than is usual, so the snow doesn't melt. As I drive through the driveway, it packs down, doesn't melt and then becomes ice packed. The drive has a significant slope, so it becomes a slippery and dangerous place. 

And guess what? Yup, we are due for another storm beginning tonight. This one could leave me with anything between 5 and 10 inches of snow. Not a bad amount, however, it could once again impede my travel to work. Gah. And with two short weeks coming up, I will be behind again for a while. Double gah. Oh well, that is life!

Today has been a strange weather day. This morning when I drove to church, the sky was brilliant blue and there were very low lying clouds in areas below my own elevation.

 You can see how gorgeous the sky was, and there were no clouds except for those clinging to the ground.

Three hours later I was coming home and noticed the clouds were still there but were darker.

And when I got home, I had a surprise waiting for me. Do you see it?

Uh-hmmmm. This is Miss Jazmyn Jewel, sitting on the railing, as if it is a normal daily occurence!! Little snip!!

I had actually left her with access to the deck to see if I can figure out her escape route. I was pretty sure I knew what was going on, although I certainly didn't expect to see her on the railing! I left her semi-blocked, and sure enough she moved big things out of her way to get to where she could climb up the wire, pull herself onto the railing and escape. Knowing I would be gone just a short time during daylight seemed like the time to test the waters.

I spent a few minutes and erected a new level of security, and I think we are OK once again. Well, until she figures out a new place/way to escape!!!

This afternoon the fog began to creep up the mountain toward my house. It was surreal and beautiful! Look at these: (click on them to enlarge, as they are beautiful)

This peak is the same as the very first in this post but taken from a different spot.

After this was taken, the fog first enveloped the house, then began to move away again! It was very strange.

Now I'm just sitting, waiting for the next weather event, and it will probably begin around midnight and last until Tuesday morning. Wish us luck for a less-than-immobilizing snow storm!!

I'll let ya know!!

Growing old

A friend recently sent me an email with statements about growing old. [Thanks, Ruth!]  Several of them resonated with me, and I thought I'd share them with you, along with my thoughts on each.

So long as one continues to be amazed,  one can delay growing old. 

 Maybe that's why I have trouble "feeling" old. I am always amazed .... at others and at myself, too! Honestly, life is just amazing, and I can't imagine not noticing it, feeling it.

It is by growing old that one learns to remain young.

Growing old raises my awareness of so many things, and I think much of that awareness if external, rather than the egocentric kind of awareness more common among the younger set. It's not exactly that I want to be turn back the clock, but I agree that growing old is making me feel young in so many ways. 

Old age embellishes everything.  It has the effect of the setting sun on the beautiful twilights of autumn.

Ohhh, yessss. I see so many things in technicolor these days! There is just something about knowing it's all there specifically for my enjoyment! OK, OK, not just for me, but I enjoy most things as if that were true. Perhaps it is because I don't know how many more days of beauty I will be blessed with, but whatever .... it is awesome!

As one grows old, one generally rids himself of his shortcomings because they no longer serve any useful purpose.

I hardly now how to explain this. It's one of those "you have to be there to get it" sort of things.  But it is true. Time spent on the trivialities of shortcomings is just wasted. Oh, I still have shortcomings, but I'm spending less time exercising them! Or worrying about them!

The person who considers himself too old to learn something has probably always been that way.

When my kids were little and came to me with a question that I couldn't  answer, I didn't try to cover my lack of knowledge. Rather, I said, "I don't know. Let's find out." That was, of course, before internet .... WAY before!! .... so it meant getting out the encyclopedia or dictionary or a trip to the library, where we learned together. I'm still that way. I'm not too old to learn, I'm not too proud to adit I don't know everything, and I try to learn every day. Something. Every day.

My all time favorite wasn't included in the list. I'm going to throw it in here, just for fun!   

Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.

I don't really have to explain that one, do I?  [chuckle] Didn't think so!

What do you think?

Let me say right off the bat that this is going to be a controversial post. The controversy is not in what I say but in the topic. Also be advised that I am not going to respond to comments, however, I will delete any comments that are nasty-natured or hateful. Please don't make me have to do this; keep it civil. The post is to invite thinking and discussion; I'll even tolerate debate, as long as it is not personal or venomous. I will not take sides, although I think this is an interesting concept and most assuredly have my own opinion, open to being convinced, if you think you can!  Here goes ....


The question ....

Was The United States of America founded as a Christian nation?


Many think so, citing such ideas as that the pilgrims were Christians looking for safety to worship without religious persecution. Remember that the pilgrims arrived on these shores in the early 1600's (the "official" date is 1620); the split with England, the Revolution and the founding of the US were farther down the road, culminating a century and a half later (1775-1783). We all know how things can change .... think of our country in 185 and now; many changes.

The "Founding Fathers" were of diverse backgrounds and spiritual beliefs. They were Christians of many denominations, deists, atheists, agnostics and Unitarians. Look these up and consider the wide variety of those beliefs. It is important to understand the combined backgrounds of the Founding Fathers before making blanket statements about who they were and what they believed.

I'll say no more now. Please read the links below. I selected some on each side of the argument and at least one that is relatively neutral. If I did not get a balance, please forgive, but this was just a ten minute exercise in research. You can also select your own by googling "Were the Founding Fathers Christians?" or a similar phrase.


http://www.theology.edu/journal/volume2/ushistor.htm

http://nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm

http://www.jameswatkins.com/foundingfathers.htm

http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html

http://www.afn.org/~govern/Christian_Nation.html

http://freethoughtpedia.com/wiki/Was_the_United_States_founded_on_Christianity%3F#The_Underlying_Question


Once you've read some of these sources, feel free to come back and comment. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

My thought, and the last one I will offer is this: There is no really clear answer. We must be careful in "quoting" things we've heard; sometimes those words are simply the thoughts of a another person, sometimes a uninformed one.

Winter Flora Fauna & Fog ... and other good and lazy stuff

Yesterday was an interesting weather day. I woke actually too late to see the sunrise, unusual for me. But shortly after the sun rose .... or I guess it did .... to a thick, heavy fog. I could tell the sun was up because of the amount of light outside my house, but I couldn't see it. We get these fogs occasionally, and they always amaze me.

It was cold as stink. Well, OK, maybe not that cold, but the temp was 17° and the moisture in the air made it bone chilling. There was a very thin layer of ice on every window of my truck, frozen so hard that I couldn't make a dent in it. I started the engine, cranked the defroster all the way up, and came back inside for a few minutes. When I went out again, I was able to scrape it off. I'm glad the side irrors have a defroster in them! I wish all the windows did, as well.

The drive to work was slow. The fog was still pea soup thickness, so I went slow. And although the roads didn't look bad, I felt a tiny bit of slipping under my tires as I started up the mountain toward Ruidoso. I moved to the inside lane and finished the uphill trek there. I normally hate it when people drive in the left lane like that, but when that is the lane without ice .... Well, I broke my own rule.     

On the way home from work, about 2:00, everything was a wonderland. The fog was frozen on the trees. Yep, what you see is not snow .... it is frozen fog!

Then I spotted these just off the side of the road. Four does and a buck elk were grazing. I have elk here, but I rarely see them. I know they visit my property because they leave their "calling cards." But they stay out of sight most of the time. I was delighted to have an opportunity to get a picture or two.

This lady was totally unconcerned that I had stopped the truck.

This one watched me carefully. Even though it looks as if she is not looking, her eyes were never off me.

Oops! Just as I snapped this, she ducked her head for another  bite!

"Oh! Did you want a picture? Sorry! Is this better? You're welcome!"

And HIM!! He wouldn't turn around! He just Kept looking over his butt shoulder at me!

Seriously????

Two more of his ladies.

I'm poised to snap, and OF COURSE he ducks for a bite!

Then he hid behind those limbs!

OK, finally!

Wanna have a little drive in the fog?

This one is short, and it ends when I turn onto the gravel road that takes me home. It is rough, so I had to turn the camera off. Actually, I don't notice the roughness so much, but the camera on the dashboard made it evident! Right at the end you'll hear some clicking. It's my keys clicking against the steering column as the road becomes rougher!






And close to home I just had to take these pix of the icy flora beside the road.

Over night I got about 5-6 inches of snow. I really thought I would get twice that. Nevertheless, I made a decision to stay in as much as possible for the weekend. So far, it has been totally possible! I've had a delicious day. I stayed in bed till noon! Read and had several cups of coffee, then fixed breakfast and returned to the bed to eat it and read some more.  Since I got up, I've putzed around the house and got some things done, but I haven't broken a sweat! My kinda day!