tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84112693471002584662024-03-12T19:20:41.772-07:00Tea LeavesElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.comBlogger198125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-13677039358673260382015-01-13T12:26:00.000-08:002015-01-13T12:26:44.045-08:00<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 26pt; line-height: 107%;">How to Be Happier, Step 7: Resilience<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><em>This
month my posts have been following a list from the blog of psychologist <a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/03/10-simple-habits-proven-to-make-you-happier.php">Jeremy Dean</a> of ten habits that science has shown make people happier. Today I examine
the seventh of these, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">resilience.</b></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><strong><em></em></strong></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FmTrnFtjJwM/VLV-3fkS-vI/AAAAAAAABWQ/b0mEOWygJY0/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FmTrnFtjJwM/VLV-3fkS-vI/AAAAAAAABWQ/b0mEOWygJY0/s1600/images.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This has been one of my favorite sayings since I found it on a
Salada tea bag tag. Those words really spoke to me, and I kept that tag pasted
up over my desk for years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I believe those words, and I’ve experienced that strength in
my own life at times when I had no idea where it would come from.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">From 2008 through 2012 I lived through the five worst years of
my life. In January 2008 my brother passed away suddenly from a massive stroke.
From then on my ninety-five-year-old mother began to deteriorate. Her mind and
memory failed; she was diagnosed with dementia; she could no longer live alone.
And I was the only remaining child; the responsibility for making decisions
about her care was all mine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I was blessed to have my husband and sister-in-law, who could
share some of the burden and give me support, but I was the only remaining
child; it was on me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As anyone who has had to care for an aging parent knows, these
decisions are the hardest ones of your life. You know that a parent with an
ounce of independent spirit left will fight giving up control of his or her
life. He or she will resist any suggestion of leaving the home, will swear up
and down “I’m not going anywhere. I can take care of myself.” You know they
will do this even when it’s obvious to everyone else that they can’t take care
of themselves. Somehow you, the caregiver, have to find the strength to do
what’s right while fighting your own sense of guilt and betrayal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">And so eventually, after months of trying different solutions,
months of pain and heartache and fear and “What am I going to do?”, we came
upon the best solution for us, to move into a new house with my mother. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This solution eased my mind about her physical safety, but it
didn’t eliminate the worry. Along with worrying about her, I began to worry
about my own mental health. Most nights I would finally retreat to the
sanctuary of our apartment on the second floor, exhausted, stressed, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dis</i>tressed, able to think only <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">another day is past. </i>Another day that
would bring us closer to the time this would be over, when we could return to
our own home. And although a certain amount of guilt came with that thought, I
believe I needed to think it in order to keep myself going and to preserve my
sanity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">And gradually I learned to do all the things caregivers are
advised to do for themselves. I stayed in contact with my friends. I worked at
maintaining my freelancing career, though it needed to be curtailed a bit. I
kept my love of reading. I prayed. My husband and I continued to attend mass
every Sunday. Each night I thanked God for getting us through another day. And
I began to relax and to enjoy my mother’s company again: her sense of humor was
still there, reminding me that my mother was still <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">herself. </i>We could take her out for dinner or grocery shopping and
be happy that she could still enjoy those small things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">She passed in 2012. We’re back in our own home, our own life
resumed. I’ve healed. And now this is what resilience means to me: to hold on;
to think transcendently, lifting yourself above whatever is happening and
looking ahead to a better time; to take comfort and satisfaction from the
things you enjoy; to call on and be grateful for the support of friends and
family. And to have faith.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s a line from the great Stephen Sondheim song about
resilience and persistence, “I’m Still Here,” after the singer has detailed
everything she’s been through in her life: “I got through all of last year/And
I’m here!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Maybe having the ability to say that is what keeps us going.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-42806362375468169462015-01-08T14:52:00.000-08:002015-01-08T14:52:03.496-08:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent5;">How to be Happier,
Step 6: Direction<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent5;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">On
January 2 I posted a list from the blog of psychologist <a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/03/10-simple-habits-proven-to-make-you-happier.php">Jeremy Dean</a> of ten
habits that science has shown make people happier. For the next several days
I’m posting individually on one of these actions/states of mind in hopes that
we can all learn to make them habits.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Today’s topic is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">direction.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Okay, how many of us have direction in our lives? How many of
us know exactly where we’re going and how we’re going to get there? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">No, not me, either. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Remember in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It’s a
Wonderful Life</i> when James Stewart tells Donna Reed, “Mary, I know what I’m
going to do tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that”? It didn’t work
out that way for George Bailey, and most likely it doesn’t for the rest of us,
either. Life has its own way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Nevertheless, having some sense of a direction in which we
want our lives to go can make us happier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I think I see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">direction </i>as
an overall bent of our personalities. It’s what we want to build our lives
around, the things that are important to us. For some people it might be
success in business—a good job, regular promotions, large salaries. Others
might tend toward the sciences, or sports, or adventure. For me it’s been
spiritual and aesthetic things—literature, arts, humanities. I’ve spent my
working life in nonprofits because I prefer the more relaxed atmosphere, the
relative absence of competition and pressure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">By this point of view, direction is more something that we
choose to align with our deepest selves rather than something we actively plan
and work toward. For that, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">goals </i>may
be a better word. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Goals are things you want to accomplish, things that are
important to you. These are the things that take planning and thought. For me,
because I’m lazy, I need to expend more effort into really thinking about what
I want and how I can get it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Because I’m not good at these things, this year I splurged and
bought a fancy new planner (the InkWell Press LiveWell). As you can see, each
month has a “Mission Board” in a honeycomb pattern on which you can
spontaneously write whatever you want to accomplish that month.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqO3gAC9Wng/VK8JXabwhKI/AAAAAAAABWA/uDDTPFUp3hs/s1600/P1010261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqO3gAC9Wng/VK8JXabwhKI/AAAAAAAABWA/uDDTPFUp3hs/s1600/P1010261.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">My overarching goal this year is to (finally) finish the
second draft of my novel, then take an online class to help me to shape it and
get it ready to submit for publication. That’s a pretty big goal. I’m hoping that by
breaking it down month by month it might be more manageable. This month I’ve written
down on the mission board my participation in the UBC, as well as continuing my
100-day writing challenge (goals that happen to overlap this month). Next month
maybe I’ll be more precise and write something like “write at least 100 words
of novel each day.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Small steps, like tea leaves, conglomerate into something
wonderful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
</div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-89315020858277076542015-01-07T20:34:00.001-08:002015-01-07T20:34:17.592-08:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 26pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent5;">How to Be Happier,
Step 5: Trying<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">On
January 2 I posted a list from the blog of psychologist <a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/03/10-simple-habits-proven-to-make-you-happier.php">Jeremy Dean</a> of ten
habits that science has shown make people happier. For the next several days
I’m posting individually on one of these actions/states of mind in hopes that
we can all learn to make them habits.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> Trying. Learning.</o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Continually learning and trying new things all throughout your
life is one of the best ways to stay healthy and keep your mind active.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I will admit that I’m better at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">learning </i>(book learning) than at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">trying </i>(actually going out and doing things). Often when I’ve tried
something new it has stayed there: as a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">try.
Okay, I tried that. Not for me. </i>(See <a href="http://elainelk-tealeaves.blogspot.com/2014/07/beginnings-chaim-potok-oncewrote-all.html">here</a>
for my thoughts on being a “beginner”.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Still, I believe in trying things that interest me. I tried
skiing. I tried to learn to swim. I tried horseback riding and jiu jitsu. I
even tried <a href="http://elainelk-tealeaves.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-sixty-plus-takes-up-belly-dancing.html">belly dancing</a> a couple of years ago.
I’m glad that I tried all these things, even if they didn’t stick. Some of them
I may even go back to try again some day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">And some things I tried have stuck: crocheting, running,
bowling. And all those things I tried have kept my life interesting. I know
there are things I still want to try in the future, including yoga and tai chi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Learning</span></i><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> in
itself is something I expect to keep on doing my whole life. I want to learn
more history. More about art. I want to relearn French. And who knows what new
interest will come my way in the future?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">One of the so-called Big Five personality traits in psychology
is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">openness to experience, </i>and
scoring high on this trait is considered a sign of being a well-adjusted and
happy person (as opposed to scoring high on neuroticism, which I think I
would…one reason I pay attention to staying open to possibilities!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">New opportunities to learn, new things to try, are always in
our path if we’re alert for them and open to them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">What things have you tried in the past? Do you stay open to
new opportunities to try and to learn?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-41233742503906565052015-01-06T14:51:00.002-08:002015-01-06T14:51:59.122-08:00<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 26pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent5;">How to Be Happier,
Step 4: Appreciating<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">On
January 2 I posted a list from the blog of psychologist <a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/03/10-simple-habits-proven-to-make-you-happier.php">Jeremy Dean</a> of ten
habits that science has shown make people happier. For the next several days
I’m posting individually on one of these actions/states of mind in hopes that
we can all learn to make them habits.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Today’s topic is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">appreciating.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Here are a few of the little, ordinary, but beautiful things
in life and the world that I appreciate:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> A cup of hot tea and a sunbeam shining
through the steam from the cup<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼ Lighted windows at dusk</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Kindness and generosity<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Colors and patterns<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Birds chirping in bare winter trees<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Spontaneous conversations with strangers in
public places</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">That a gray sky has its own kind of beauty<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">My dog sleeping on her blanket in my office<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Strawberries and blueberries<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Smells: vanilla and cinnamon, lilacs, onions
cooking, pine trees, fresh wood, a library<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">A clean, fresh, dry towel after a shower<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Snatches of music that just enter my head out
of nowhere<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">☼ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Sunlight reflecting off the windows of tall
buildings<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">How many
more can you think of? What ordinary things do you especially appreciate?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-24241653155644192802015-01-05T08:28:00.000-08:002015-01-05T08:28:06.240-08:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 26pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent5;">How to Be Happier,
Step 3: Exercising<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">On
January 2, I posted a list from the blog of psychologist <a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/03/10-simple-habits-proven-to-make-you-happier.php">Jeremy Dean </a>of
ten habits that science has shown make people happier. For the next ten days
I’m posting individually on one of these actions/states of mind in hopes that
we can all learn to make them habits.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Today’s topic is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">exercising.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Uh oh. </span><span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 26pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent5;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">This is on a list of how to be happier—that doesn’t make me
happy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">This is one thing I do not do well, at least not as well as I
should.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Does anyone—other than my husband—really enjoy exercising?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Those who preach about exercising tell you to find an exercise
you really enjoy. Really? The only exercise I really enjoy is turning the pages
of a book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Nevertheless, and surprisingly, I am better at it now than I
was when I was younger. I remember even as a child that I couldn’t run very far
without getting a stitch in my side. When I became an adult, and suddenly
running (by adults) was all the rage, all I could think was, <em>Are they nuts?
What’s the point?<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Now I do enjoy walking. When I was growing up my mother didn’t
have a car or a driver’s license, so we would walk into town or take a bus to
go longer distances. Now my husband’s and my favorite vacations are to great
cities, where we can walk all over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">But running? Never gonna happen, I thought. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Until. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">My husband is a runner. He competes in races. After we were
married I began going to races with him as a spectator/cheerleader. He often
ran with people he worked with, nice, intelligent people who didn’t seem crazy
at all to me. In fact, they were enthusiastic and happy to be on the race
course. Gradually I started to feel twinges of envy. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What would it be like, </i>I wondered, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to be able to actually run three miles? </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Then I decided to walk in a few races. Having enjoyed that, I
started thinking, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hey, maybe I could run
just a little bit. From one tree to another. To the stop sign on the corner. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">That’s how it started. Just like they advise you to do. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Start out slowly. Run for one minute. Then
gradually increase your running time.</i> Eventually I was able to complete a
one-mile race, and later my first 5K—without walking! It was a thrill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I am not by any means a good runner. I’m still slow. I don’t
do it as regularly as I should. Especially in winter. Every spring I start all
over, thinking that this year I’ll run several times every week. I’ll get in
shape. I’ll do the ten-mile race in July. I’ve done that race exactly twice,
and certainly not running all the way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">But I remember when I first began being able to run that three
miles and the “runner’s high” I got. The feeling of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yes, I can do this! <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I still fight my own core of laziness. I still look for
excuses when my husband asks if I want to go to the gym. (The very word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gym</i> reminds me of high school horrors in
gym classes.) I prefer to say <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the Y</i>—YMCA
doesn’t have as many negative connotations for me. Sometimes I distract
myself by putting on HGTV while I do the treadmill. <em>Love It or List It </em>has managed to keep me going for an hour.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I know I need to do more.
Maybe sign up for a yoga class. Do weights or stretching at home. Lose that
extra five to ten pounds that seemed to come up on me out of nowhere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">But this nonexerciser at least tries. Does it make me happier?
Maybe. I know <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>there’s at least one part
of every run that’s happy: when it’s over and I walk back in the door of my
house, knowing I did it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-91826855724996414752015-01-04T11:01:00.000-08:002015-01-04T11:01:34.755-08:00<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%;">How to Be Happier, Step 2: Relating<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">On
January 2, I posted a list from the blog of psychologist <a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/03/10-simple-habits-proven-to-make-you-happier.php">Jeremy Dean</a> of
ten habits that science has shown make people happier. For the next ten days
I’m posting individually on one of these actions/states of mind in hopes that
we can all learn to make them habits.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Today’s topic is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">relating:
</i>connecting with other people<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I have to start off by admitting that this is something that
doesn’t always come easily to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I am a shy introvert. I’ve never been very comfortable in
social situations. For most of my life I’ve had very little self-confidence or
self-esteem. And it’s hard for me to open up with people and to let them get to
know me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I don’t have a large social circle. I don’t like hanging
around in groups. I’m not a party person. I’ve never had a lot of friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">What I do have is a small circle of really good friends, most
of whom go back to my college or early work days. And these are people I
treasure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I treasure them because they have stayed with me all these
years. Somehow they saw something to like in me when I didn’t like myself so
much. They were patient enough to want to get to know me and to let me take my
time in revealing myself to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">And they help to make my life happy.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">As I’ve grown older I’ve come to be more relaxed and open with
people. Having the support and love of my husband has helped me be more
confident in myself. I’m no longer afraid to talk to people. I’ve learned to
accept myself as I am (see step #9) and to accept that, although I don’t need a
lot of socializing to be happy, I do need and want to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">social. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I also accept that I still have trouble forming new
friendships, but I do have a pretty good group of acquaintances, through church,
the neighborhood, and other avenues, and meeting and talking to them on various
occasions fills a need for me. Maybe some of them will develop over time into
something more. If not, I enjoy them as they are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I do try to nurture the relationships I do have. My friends
and I make a point of meeting regularly for lunch or dinner. We realize that
good friends, people who’ve been with us through good and bad times, are
irreplaceable. Finding people you really connect with is a rare blessing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Many people come and go in our lives, and they all bring us
something. The ones who stay, the good friends, bring us joy and enrich our
lives. We need to nourish them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></i><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-38263807498909455942015-01-03T10:04:00.002-08:002015-01-03T10:04:16.053-08:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 26pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent5;">How to Be Happier,
Step 1: Giving<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">On
January 2 I posted a list from the blog of psychologist <a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/03/10-simple-habits-proven-to-make-you-happier.php">Jeremy Dean</a>
of ten habits that science has shown make people happier. For the next ten days
I’m posting individually on each of these actions/states of mind in hopes that
we can all learn to make them habits.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Today’s topic is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">giving.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">We all know how to give. We give to our families, friends,
loved ones on special occasions or just spontaneously, and doing so makes us
happy. But it’s possible to become even happier by giving to people we don’t
know, who we’ll never meet, who can never repay us, simply because they need
our help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Yesterday I read in our local paper that our new mayor-elect,
who’s being inaugurated Monday, called for a three-day “celebration”—but not
the usual indulgent, overexpensive inaugural party that most politicians mount.
Instead he asked for the people of Providence to do something good for others
over this weekend. As one example, several locations around the city will be
collecting food for our state food bank.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">This is only one example of how every one of us can do
something to help others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Giving doesn’t have to cost a lot. We don’t need to be
millionaires endowing schools or museums or making huge donations to charities.
We’re all capable of doing something, no matter how small. Small things add up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Do you have a cause that means something to you, but you can’t
afford to make large donations? My primary cause is mental illness, particularly
research on Alzheimer’s and other dementias. I’ve supported the Menninger
Hospital, and a few years ago I began to donate regularly to the Alzheimer’s
Association. I set up an automatic donation of a monthly amount of $25 to be
charged to my credit card. This gives the Association an assured amount every
month, and truthfully I barely notice the difference, and I don’t have to think
about what and when and how much to give. You can donate any amount that’s
comfortable; even $5 or $10 a month spread out over many donors can be great
help to an organization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Another example: Someone wrote to Carolyn Hax’s advice column
a few days ago to share the story of how her family—not a rich one by any means—set
up a college scholarship at the high school they’d all gone to. They got
tax-exempt status and funded several $1,000 scholarships through small events
like golf tournaments and garage sales. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Small
things add up!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Of course many things other than money can be given. Time
spent with adolescents or elderly people in nursing homes. Teaching adults to
read. Getting involved in church activities. Anyone who can knit or crochet can
donate handmade items to numerous charities. Volunteer with Habitat for
Humanity; you can be valuable even if you don’t know how to hold a hammer. Pick
up an extra can of food or box of pasta when you go to the supermarket. Collect
them over a few weeks or months, then donate to your food bank.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">We all want a better, more caring world. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What if every one of us made a commitment to do something for others
this year? </i>Not only would we make ourselves happier, but we’d be contributing
to the happiness of others. Is that a win-win situation or not?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-60628292476990126572015-01-02T08:37:00.000-08:002015-01-02T08:46:12.666-08:00<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent5;">How to Be Happier<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">What things can you do to make yourself happier? And can you
make each one a habit in your life?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fzjRPiupEyg/VKbLQ0oAiRI/AAAAAAAABVw/ICteDjxilMg/s1600/P1010127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fzjRPiupEyg/VKbLQ0oAiRI/AAAAAAAABVw/ICteDjxilMg/s1600/P1010127.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">My favorite psychology blogger, Dr. Jeremy Dean at <a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2014/03/10-simple-habits-proven-to-make-you-happier.php">PsyBlog</a>, </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">regularly shares findings from the latest psychological
research. In one post, he discussed ten actions that have been shown to make
people happier. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Today I share his list in hopes that all of us learn these habits of
mind and action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">1. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Giving</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> Doing things
for others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">2. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Relating</i></b> to other people. Making and maintaining connections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">3. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Exercising</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> Taking
care of your body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">4. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Appreciating</i></b> the world around you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">5. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trying</i></b>, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>learning new
things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">6. Having <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">direction</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">,</i> goals that are important to you, things to look forward to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">7. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Resilience</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> Being
able to find ways to bounce back from misfortunes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">8. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Emotion</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> Taking a
positive approach to life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">9. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Acceptance</i></b>. Being comfortable with who you are and what you
have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">10. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Meaning</i></b>. Being part of something
bigger than yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I would make my own addition to this list: having a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pet</i></b>.
Sharing your love with an animal and receiving their devotion can make your
entire day happier and add meaning to your life.<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Elaine%20Kehoe" datetime="2014-12-31T18:54"><o:p></o:p></ins></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Over the next ten days, as part of the UBC January challenge,
I’ll post on each of these ideas individually, relating my own experiences and
hopefully helping you to make these things habits in your own life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-9925843179978558672015-01-01T09:42:00.000-08:002015-01-01T09:42:10.902-08:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 26pt; line-height: 107%;">One Word 2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 26pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Two years ago, January 1, 2013, was my first blogiversary, and
I marked it by participating in an Internet “One Word” challenge: to choose
just one word that you hoped or planned to make the focus of the coming year.
Now this has become a tradition I look forward to each New Year’s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So today, on my third blogiversary, I reveal the word I chose
for 2015:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CM8YWqFj1u8/VKWFHuBWRNI/AAAAAAAABVg/23AeDGvtnyw/s1600/P1010260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CM8YWqFj1u8/VKWFHuBWRNI/AAAAAAAABVg/23AeDGvtnyw/s1600/P1010260.JPG" height="363" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Create </span></i><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">has
special meaning for me now, because this past year I began to feel that I
wanted to try to tease out whatever creative abilities I might have and work to
enhance them. Now I’ve never considered myself a creative person, so it’s
required some mental shuffling for me to take on this challenge. But I’ve come
to believe that I can find and nurture that tiny spark through work and
practice and belief. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This past year I had a flash fiction story published and had
another story accepted for publication, as well as two haiku. And after a year
of being amazed at the work of Zentangle artists on the Web, I finally decided
to try to learn the art myself. As you can see from the above drawing, I’ve
made a start, but I still have a great deal to learn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">And now I think I’m in a position to make creativity a
priority in my life. I plan to continue my 100 Days of Writing self-challenge.
My novel draft has been brought back to life. The possibilities of Zentangle
excite me, and I look forward to learning more and developing my ability at it.
And I’m sure if I look and keep my mind alert, I’ll find many more occasions to
practice creativity. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I am also planning to participate this month in the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Over the next four weeks I’ll be sharing with you </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">some</span> things that make me (and can make you!) happy, as well as a few "themed" weeks, such as Book Week and Learning Week. I hope you'll join me.</o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m looking forward to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span><o:p> <em>What about you? </em></o:p><em>Do you have a word for 2015? <o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
</div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-21775594396682487262014-11-26T09:51:00.000-08:002014-11-26T09:51:02.557-08:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Juice ITC"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%;">Black
Friday—or Black Hole?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Juice ITC"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">When Black Friday comes,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">I’m gonna dig myself a hole,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">Gonna lay down in it<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">Till I satisfy my soul.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>—</span></i><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">Steely Dan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">For the past few
weeks, when I open my email in the morning, I see a long, long list of messages
with subject lines containing the words “Black Friday”—from department stores I
shop in, from online businesses I’ve bought from, even from nonprofits (e.g.
the Metropolitan Museum). No one, it seems, is above the hucksterism that’s
taken over the day after Thanksgiving. To me this has become second only to
(the month of) Halloween in overhyped, excessive, self-indulgent manufactured
pseudo-“holidays” for the sole purpose of making money. The day has become a
black hole that sucks the gentle gratitude of Thanksgiving and the good feeling
of Christmas into it and grinds it into sawdust.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">It has not always
been like this. There was a time when most people—anyone remember?—actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">worked </i>on the Friday of Thanksgiving
week. Even people who didn’t work in retail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">And truth be told,
I was an early adopter of this shopping day—way back when, before it was given
a name and an almost religious status.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">When I was growing
up, we usually had company for Thanksgiving. One or another set of aunts,
uncles, cousins would drive up from New York or New Jersey to stay with us here
in Rhode Island over the Thanksgiving weekend. On Friday my father went to
work; school was out; and my mother, brother, and I would go shopping with our
guests. My aunts especially enjoyed seeing stores they weren’t familiar with
(before the days of cookie-cutter malls). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">The day was a
little busier than ordinary weekdays, but nothing like the near Gotterdammerung
it is now. We browsed, maybe got some ideas for gifts but bought very little,
looked at the decorations (which back then were not put up at the beginning of
November), had lunch, visited another store or two, and went home to hot turkey
sandwiches. It was a pleasant day and part of our own Thanksgiving tradition. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">So what’s
happened? When did this day explode into chaos? Was it the Cabbage Patch doll
craze that first got people standing on lines through the night? Was that the
first falling domino that led to stores opening earlier and earlier, until now
many are opening on Thanksgiving itself? Is that what led to the crazy onslaught
of advertising starting around Halloween?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">I don’t know. Not
having children, I was never under overwhelming pressure to be sure they got
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">absolute newest and most popular </i>(i.e.,
most heavily advertised)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>toy every
year. I never felt the “need” to stand sleepless and shivering in a line for
hours before dawn. I remember a few other fads like that one, if not as crazy.
I don’t think there’s been one in a long time, but the genie is out of the
bottle now and can’t be put back.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">I can’t help but
imagine what people in other, poorer countries think of us when they hear about
this insanity. Wonder why they don’t like us? Here’s one good reason. While
they struggle every day for food, we fight each other to throw our money away
on the latest completely unnecessary luxury item. They wait in lines for
something to eat; we wait in lines for the newest tech gadget. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;">I’m afraid there’s
no way to turn the clock back on this. “Buy-Nothing Day” has barely made a blip
on the radar. I hope at least that people will listen to the message of
“Small-Business Saturday” and save some of their money to spend in local shops.
For my part I intend to stay right here in my warm, comfortable home, going
nowhere, just crawling into that hole with Steely Dan and finding other ways to satisfy my soul. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-38413564956923054092014-11-24T09:20:00.000-08:002014-11-24T09:20:26.455-08:00
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2BzaphyPFl8/VHNn979COOI/AAAAAAAABU8/LuggHSXdcPY/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2BzaphyPFl8/VHNn979COOI/AAAAAAAABU8/LuggHSXdcPY/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Microblog Monday: Aid for the Injured Crocheter<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I want to
share this little tool that has helped me get back into crocheting after my
wrist surgery:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4xogqF133w/VHNoRT9xMRI/AAAAAAAABVE/OlwGggRLO9I/s1600/P1010237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4xogqF133w/VHNoRT9xMRI/AAAAAAAABVE/OlwGggRLO9I/s1600/P1010237.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is a
Boye ergonomic crochet hook handle. It’s soft and easy to hold and work with.
It opens up so that you can insert several sizes of crochet hooks, each with a
washer to match its size. I can hold it lightly and it keeps me from having to
close my fingers tightly around a thin hook. I got this from <a href="https://www.anniescatalog.com/detail.html?prod_id=99018&cat_id=1211">Annie’s</a> catalogue,
but I’ve also seen them in Michael’s and Jo-Ann’s. If your fingers tend to
cramp or ache when you crochet, this is a perfect tool!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Note: </span></i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is simply my own opinion. I have
no connection with Annie’s or Boye. Just sharing what might be a helpful tip
for others based on my experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-87116366934704178192014-11-04T08:58:00.000-08:002014-11-04T08:58:22.036-08:00<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #a9d18e; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #A9D18E; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=60000 lumo=40000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent6; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themetint: 153;">My
First Colored Zentangle<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Since I mentioned my interest in coloring my
Zentangles yesterday, I'll share the only one I've colored so far. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">This is
actually a ZIA (Zentangle-inspired art), as true Zentangles don't use color and
I put in some lines that aren't part of any official tangles. I'm sharing the
black-and-white version and the colored one. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">The coloring was done with
pencils. I had already shaded the original tile, so that affected the color
somewhat. Also, if I had done this originally in color, I would've used blocks
of color instead of those of black. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I really enjoy doing the color and hope to
get better at it and try different methods!<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #a9d18e; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #A9D18E; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=60000 lumo=40000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent6; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themetint: 153;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oK9NewrENKM/VFkD3984u_I/AAAAAAAABUk/kZGoYsBZZEE/s1600/P1010219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oK9NewrENKM/VFkD3984u_I/AAAAAAAABUk/kZGoYsBZZEE/s1600/P1010219.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KrAzX8Vo5sg/VFkEPLZvO1I/AAAAAAAABUs/EBm6cQReWTA/s1600/P1010223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KrAzX8Vo5sg/VFkEPLZvO1I/AAAAAAAABUs/EBm6cQReWTA/s1600/P1010223.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-41068524002715139172014-11-03T10:01:00.000-08:002014-11-03T10:01:04.067-08:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%;">Gratitude and Happiness List—November 3, 2014<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">My
gratitude list this week is all about beauty and poetry, and who could not be
grateful for those things in our lives? Linking up with Laurel Regan’s <a href="http://www.alphabetsalad.com/todays-gratitude-list-linkup-53-100-happy-days-day-51/">AlphabetSalad</a> today to share gratitude and happiness.</span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">♥</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> That an old, abandoned amusement
park from my youth has been opened as a city park on 120 acres on the shore of
Narragansett Bay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gkKPm9jpeiI/VFfCdGXD6NI/AAAAAAAABUU/-iqrVDUtHBM/s1600/P1010213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gkKPm9jpeiI/VFfCdGXD6NI/AAAAAAAABUU/-iqrVDUtHBM/s1600/P1010213.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zBAYN5IQtSM/VFfCF9fxbSI/AAAAAAAABUM/PNhD7qdh0ek/s1600/P1010212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zBAYN5IQtSM/VFfCF9fxbSI/AAAAAAAABUM/PNhD7qdh0ek/s1600/P1010212.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">♥ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">For local arts programs like the
one we saw at a historic mill: poetry readings from Poe and Tennyson
interspersed with chamber music from a live group.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">♥ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Finishing the first work project
I took on since my wrist surgery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">♥ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Having not one but two of my
haiku published online on the same day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">♥ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Lunch with a friend and a tea
date at a lovely tearoom with two other friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">♥ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Joining a couple of Zentangle
groups on Facebook and feasting on the beautiful work posted there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">♥ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Buying some colored pens and
pencils so I can try coloring my Zentangles!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">♥ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Rediscovering my love for poetry.
While my husband was bowling the other night, I read Louise Gluck’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Averno</i> and half of a collection by Mary
Oliver; now I want to go back to my poetry collection and read more!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">♥ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Spending a cold, rainy/snowy
Sunday afternoon practicing and learning some new tangles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">♥ </span><span style="font-family: "Cambria",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Buying prepared lasagna at Whole
Foods and having an easy dinner in front of the TV and watching “Columbo” and
one of my favorite “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” episodes on MeTV.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-78608110930386714842014-10-23T14:46:00.002-07:002014-10-23T14:46:34.438-07:00<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Beginning Zentangles, Part 2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Earlier this month I posted the first few <a href="http://elainelk-tealeaves.blogspot.com/2014/10/struggles-of-new-zentangle-learner-over.html">Zentangles</a> I did. Here are a few more.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RLXl_bONmoE/VEl0oPIF9jI/AAAAAAAABTs/8VSFUpVCvoo/s1600/P1010200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RLXl_bONmoE/VEl0oPIF9jI/AAAAAAAABTs/8VSFUpVCvoo/s1600/P1010200.JPG" height="400" width="387" /></a></div>
Tornado (done with Isochor, Printemps, Shattuck, and Tipple)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hpjRi6fNBaE/VEl1G3YQoTI/AAAAAAAABT0/YYKl4qcoKzs/s1600/P1010201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hpjRi6fNBaE/VEl1G3YQoTI/AAAAAAAABT0/YYKl4qcoKzs/s1600/P1010201.JPG" height="400" width="398" /></a></div>
<br />
Forest Primeval (done with Mooka, Flux, Amaze, Tipple, and Printemps)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Suu3tszVoPg/VEl1TC1aglI/AAAAAAAABT8/uGfiDGtCFPM/s1600/P1010205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Suu3tszVoPg/VEl1TC1aglI/AAAAAAAABT8/uGfiDGtCFPM/s1600/P1010205.JPG" height="400" width="353" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Beehives (done with Isochor, Printemps, Shattuck, Flux, Poke Root, Festune, Tipple, and Fescu)<br />
<br />
<br />
I like these, and I think I'm making slow progress, but I clearly have a long way to go! Onward to learn new Tangles!<br />
<br />
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-4407898919959249362014-10-20T16:13:00.002-07:002014-10-20T16:13:57.475-07:00<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Urz5jqB95SQ/VEWVvICTYaI/AAAAAAAABTU/YApSWUtv9FA/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Urz5jqB95SQ/VEWVvICTYaI/AAAAAAAABTU/YApSWUtv9FA/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 107%;">Microblog Monday: Re-Hooked!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">For months before and after my wrist surgery in
July, I was unable to even think about crocheting, so my poor WIPs (works in
progress) just lay around mournfully, neglected and getting dusty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Now, finally, my hand is well enough to let me get
back on the hook—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">moderately</i>. I’m
taking it slowly and carefully for a while, but am psyched to pick up my
supersoft bright red Malabrigo merino again and get back to work on the sweater
pattern I bought especially for it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e5nWdABs9OE/VEWWiVH-05I/AAAAAAAABTc/bPO5kDC5H5k/s1600/P1000851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e5nWdABs9OE/VEWWiVH-05I/AAAAAAAABTc/bPO5kDC5H5k/s1600/P1000851.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s
been a long time!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
</o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<br /></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
</div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-70050148592352314242014-10-13T10:15:00.000-07:002014-10-13T10:15:28.813-07:00<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcGnauuk00I/VDwHLt5cGwI/AAAAAAAABS0/JU2GZvW1fbc/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZcGnauuk00I/VDwHLt5cGwI/AAAAAAAABS0/JU2GZvW1fbc/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;">Microblog Monday: My Writing Challenge (17 Days)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yN7RHpZtPUg/VDwH1slyT9I/AAAAAAAABTE/1DsHQkllOKI/s1600/cknaz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yN7RHpZtPUg/VDwH1slyT9I/AAAAAAAABTE/1DsHQkllOKI/s1600/cknaz.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I previously posted my personal <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8411269347100258466#editor/target=post;postID=1582633202916907504;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=2;src=postname">Writing Challenge</a> and goals. I pledged to check in on my blog periodically with
my progress, and this is my first report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">First of all, I have to say that I did not write
every day, but writing on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">consecutive</i>
days was not part of my original challenge—just to write on 100 days. I took
time off for our weekend trip to Baltimore and again to attend my father-in-law’s
funeral in Florida. Nevertheless, I did write for seventeen days, and I have
written <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">almost </i>every day, so I feel
successful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The results: over seventeen days I wrote
approximately <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">4,900</span></b><span style="color: red;"> </span>words. This works out to an average of about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">288</span></b>
words a day, well above my self-chosen minimum of 100 words a day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">For the most part my writing was on the second
draft of my long-held-in-abeyance novel, “A Certain Shade of Blue.” I also have
to admit that not all of it was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">original </i>writing—I
took some parts from my first draft and some from my voluminous files of notes
for the second draft. Nevertheless, I did actually get the words into the
manuscript, so I’m counting that, because after all that’s where the words need
to be! I also wrote a few blog posts during that time, and all writing counts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">All in all, I’m very pleased with what I’ve done
in my self-created challenge so far and am looking forward to pushing ahead in
the next eighty-three days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
</div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-69575141232210089892014-10-12T12:05:00.000-07:002014-10-12T12:05:57.631-07:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "French Script MT"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%;">Struggles of a New Zentangle Learner<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Over the summer I decided I would finally start to learn the
wonderful art of Zentangle after seeing so much lovely work displayed on the
Internet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I've always longed to be an artist and never had the
slightest iota of drawing talent. But this looked like something even I could
learn, and the testimony of Zentangle artists I followed was encouraging.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I was scheduled for wrist surgery in July, so I knew I’d be
disabled for a while, but I couldn’t resist the urge to bring this beautiful art
into my world. With a Christmas gift card, I went to Barnes & Noble. I
bought two books: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One Zentangle a Day </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Joy of Zentangle. </i>As I looked through them I was chafing at the bit to be
able to start learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">When my hand was well enough I began. Before buying the
official tiles, I wanted to practice a little. I had a sketch pad, and I
measured and drew the 3 ½” by 3 ½” squares that mimicked the tiles. I started
drawing a few individual tangles, some one at a time, some together with others
in one square. Some I was pleased with; others made me feel like a five-year-old
trying to draw with a pencil for the first time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Nevertheless, I kept on going, and I began to discover some
favorite tangles, as well as those I needed much more practice on. And soon I
did buy those tiles and began making my own official Zentangles. They were rough, to say the least.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">This one was my first attempt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
String of Pearls<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lxU1qocKKog/VDrM2aoxcqI/AAAAAAAABSI/0u88dDb2Wq4/s1600/Scan_20140903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lxU1qocKKog/VDrM2aoxcqI/AAAAAAAABSI/0u88dDb2Wq4/s1600/Scan_20140903.jpg" height="400" width="360" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">This uses three tangles, Crescent Moon (on the left and right
edges), Static (probably self-explanatory, in the middle sections), and Tipple
(the different sized circles), which quickly became one of my favorites. Because
I so much liked the way the thin band of Tipple looked crossing over Static, I
decided to name it String of Pearls, and since then, just for fun. I’ve been
naming my Zentangles according to what they remind me of.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">(Note: in these early tangles I haven't yet experimented with shading; there's a little more in later ones.)</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">The next two incorporate Poke Root (the ones that look like
cherries with stems), Festune (the flatter ovals), and Hollibaugh, the crossing
bars. To my surprise, because I usually prefer curving designs, I really liked
Hollibaugh. It reminds me of the kind of spotlights you see at the Academy
Awards, and the black areas give dramatic interest to the design. The other
two, though, I’m not satisfied with. I need to practice them more, especially
Poke Root.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q0SPID2u1WI/VDrOFSOgGQI/AAAAAAAABSU/KEsAtyNllpQ/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q0SPID2u1WI/VDrOFSOgGQI/AAAAAAAABSU/KEsAtyNllpQ/s1600/001.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bALIU_1px0A/VDrOIpifDWI/AAAAAAAABSc/O-6PUQWrObs/s1600/002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bALIU_1px0A/VDrOIpifDWI/AAAAAAAABSc/O-6PUQWrObs/s1600/002.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">In the following I used Tipple and Hollibaugh again, along
with Jonqual (the black-and-white squares), Nipa (the bubbles and wavy lines),
and Shattuck (the “bulb” in the center). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQp86yINRG0/VDrOxp9P_QI/AAAAAAAABSk/dvIaMjrI0dI/s1600/P1010199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQp86yINRG0/VDrOxp9P_QI/AAAAAAAABSk/dvIaMjrI0dI/s1600/P1010199.JPG" height="400" width="356" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">You can probably see why I like Tipple so much: it’s
wonderful for filling in wherever you have empty spaces, its mixture of large,
small, and tiny circles is pleasing to the eye, and it can look like many
different things, from bubbles to stones in a stream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Thus began my Zentangle “journey.” In a future post, I’ll
share a few of my more recent attempts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">And, like other Zentanglers, I definitely encourage anyone
who’s interested in creating art to try this. It’s fun and challenging and very
satisfying. I love looking at my completed Zentangles, and I’m eager to go on
learning and improving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">What more can you ask for from a hobby?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-15826332029169075042014-09-29T10:44:00.000-07:002014-09-29T10:44:09.339-07:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent5;">Microblog Monday—My New
Personal Challenge<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FPP8J9IUaG4/VCmZgb32KmI/AAAAAAAABRw/vT765JYi2Os/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FPP8J9IUaG4/VCmZgb32KmI/AAAAAAAABRw/vT765JYi2Os/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" /></a><span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent5;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Having seen a number of all kinds of challenges on Facebook,
from blogging every day to taking a photo every day to doing something or other
for a certain number of days—and participating in several with
not-always-successful results—I’ve decided to create <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my own </i>challenge. Since I don’t seem to do well at being
accountable to a lot of people in my Facebook/blogging world, I’m going to be
accountable to myself alone this time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So here is my personal challenge:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OlizSqcBS3s/VCmZrBl5UXI/AAAAAAAABR4/3DJBnA-5DWs/s1600/cknaz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OlizSqcBS3s/VCmZrBl5UXI/AAAAAAAABR4/3DJBnA-5DWs/s1600/cknaz.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I am challenging myself to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">write at least 100 words a day </i>for one hundred days. If I can stick
to this, I will have written 10,000 words at the end of the challenge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I actually began this challenge to myself one week ago and
have managed to stay on track, some days writing much more than 100 words. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Now
I’m making it public on my blog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So far I’ve been mostly writing in my novel manuscript,
second draft, but I may apply this challenge to other writing as well—sometimes
a blog post, maybe working on a short story. The point is just to get the
writing done. To pull myself out of my procrastination in as easy a way
possible. One hundred words can be written in one paragraph. One paragraph
takes only a few minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">To make sure I keep myself going, I will check in on my blog
periodically to track my progress—maybe on Microblog Mondays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In the meantime, if anyone else likes this “personal
challenge” idea, please do jump in! It’s not quite NaNoWriMo, but it would be
nice to have some company!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
</div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-77222015281605796602014-09-22T10:58:00.000-07:002014-09-22T10:58:16.503-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bntq-rouarA/VCBfZaKjIZI/AAAAAAAABQ4/x-hS000JIu0/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bntq-rouarA/VCBfZaKjIZI/AAAAAAAABQ4/x-hS000JIu0/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent5;">Microblog Monday: Heavenly Art<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I love medieval art. The brilliant tempera colors, the
gilt, the intricate carving in ivory, wood, and bone, gold filigree and gemstones, the beauty of illuminated
manuscripts, take my breath away. We were able to visit the Walters Museum in
Baltimore this weekend, which has one of the best medieval collections I’ve
ever seen. Being in the midst of it made me feel like I was walking into
Heaven. How craftsmen created these works without sophisticated tools is something I find hard to imagine. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Look at the faces of these tormentors of Jesus! Aren't they so perfectly grotesque?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jcrhgk7Jdlg/VCBf1V08h7I/AAAAAAAABRE/rc8lXPPk4Ls/s1600/P1010164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jcrhgk7Jdlg/VCBf1V08h7I/AAAAAAAABRE/rc8lXPPk4Ls/s1600/P1010164.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
A diptych of St. George and the Virgin Mary; he was considered to be her special messenger.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rpgu-lkTY1E/VCBgsAkVOnI/AAAAAAAABRU/YXWnVF5PJ4c/s1600/P1010171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rpgu-lkTY1E/VCBgsAkVOnI/AAAAAAAABRU/YXWnVF5PJ4c/s1600/P1010171.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WO528451Hmg/VCBgUlunCTI/AAAAAAAABRM/S1QW_3EMKzI/s1600/P1010170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WO528451Hmg/VCBgUlunCTI/AAAAAAAABRM/S1QW_3EMKzI/s1600/P1010170.JPG" height="400" width="300" /> The crowning of Mary, Queen of Heaven</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hxVAMxgbf7w/VCBhTrwxFiI/AAAAAAAABRg/_saLKWTUYtg/s1600/P1010174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hxVAMxgbf7w/VCBhTrwxFiI/AAAAAAAABRg/_saLKWTUYtg/s1600/P1010174.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
An etched gold cross</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-36896002725012709792014-09-17T12:36:00.001-07:002014-09-17T12:36:20.355-07:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 107%;">Gratitude/Happiness List—September 17, 2014</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Once
again linking up with Laurel Regan’s <a href="http://www.alphabetsalad.com/todays-gratitude-list-linkup-no-46/">Alphabet Salad</a> to share some things that I’m
grateful for and that have made me happy this week.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
</o:p></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">—To have reconnected with old friends from high school on
Facebook, to have met with two of them over the past month, and find that we
still “click” together and have so much to talk about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">—Having a reliable, professional boarding place to leave our
dog when we go away—even though I always hate leaving her, they make it a
little less wrenching by telling me how sweet she is and how much they enjoy
having her. (They may be lying, but it makes me feel better anyway.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">—Anticipating the fall restarting of our church book club
with a discussion of what may be my favorite book of the year, “The Goldfinch.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">—Discovering a wonderful new tea, Belgian Mint—slightly chocolately
and to die for!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">—A cozy rainy Saturday night listening to the radio as the Pawtucket
Red Sox won the International League championship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">—Being able to run a 5K and coming in second in my age
group, thereby winning a prize!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">—Having work coming in again after a nearly two-month pre-
and postsurgery layoff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">—Having the date set for the closing on the sale of our
other house.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-21376670239972964872014-09-15T08:24:00.000-07:002014-09-15T08:24:23.598-07:00
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fhVnT27lNsQ/VBcDCgbDWKI/AAAAAAAABQA/ZZD6elM_WX0/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fhVnT27lNsQ/VBcDCgbDWKI/AAAAAAAABQA/ZZD6elM_WX0/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Microblog Monday: Happiness Is Tea and an Old
Friend<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve been fortunate through Facebook to have reconnected
with some friends from high school—more than forty years ago! Over the past
month I’ve had the joy of being able to get together with two of them face to face
and talk for hours—just like nothing had changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I had a lovely afternoon on Saturday with <span style="color: red;">Sue Munroe </span>at a delightful little tearoom in Warwick
called <a href="http://trinityconfections.net/">Trinity Confections</a>. Wonderful food—soup,
salad, quiche, and delicious pastries and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">homemade
chocolates—</i>and great talk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">So people I didn’t think I’d ever see again have reappeared
in my life, and I’m so grateful for that!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jwozjKD2yyQ/VBcDX0X3uSI/AAAAAAAABQI/b0KjiEmTXIE/s1600/P1010105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jwozjKD2yyQ/VBcDX0X3uSI/AAAAAAAABQI/b0KjiEmTXIE/s1600/P1010105.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E6o3i7Yjoic/VBcDsl2ooAI/AAAAAAAABQQ/AlJE5KGcg9w/s1600/P1010106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E6o3i7Yjoic/VBcDsl2ooAI/AAAAAAAABQQ/AlJE5KGcg9w/s1600/P1010106.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OdtCoEHDy-g/VBcEB2qvEgI/AAAAAAAABQY/ocLMNvWd1qo/s1600/P1010107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OdtCoEHDy-g/VBcEB2qvEgI/AAAAAAAABQY/ocLMNvWd1qo/s1600/P1010107.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-17513147559416530202014-09-12T11:06:00.000-07:002014-09-12T11:06:25.530-07:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #5b9bd5; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Gratitude/Happiness List<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #5b9bd5; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Week of September 7<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #5b9bd5; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Joining with Laurel Regan’s Gratitude
linkup at <a href="http://www.alphabetsalad.com/todays-gratitude-list-linkup-no-45/">Alphabet Salad.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #5b9bd5; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent1;">Here are some things I’m grateful for and
that have made me happy this week:<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #ed7d31; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent2;">☼</span></b><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> My hand and wrist
are nearly completely healed. My last therapy visit was today, and my doctor
cleared me to go back to work. I can even start crocheting again—slowly and for
short times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #ed7d31; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent2;">☼</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">
Delicious whole-grain bread from our local bakery. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-61BQdIr3Zz0/VBM1ovOZvuI/AAAAAAAABPw/YJp4_vYRRLg/s1600/P1000877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-61BQdIr3Zz0/VBM1ovOZvuI/AAAAAAAABPw/YJp4_vYRRLg/s1600/P1000877.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #ed7d31; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent2;">☼</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">
That we had a last week of hot summer weather before fall starts moving in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #ed7d31; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent2;">☼</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">
Our upcoming weekend trip to Baltimore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #ed7d31; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent2;">☼</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">
Having some time to start and work at practicing Zentangle, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which I’m really enjoying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #ed7d31; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent2;">☼</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">
Community events like Cyclovia, in which about a mile of the street is closed
to traffic for the benefit of walkers, bicyclists, inline skaters, etc., and including
food trucks, entertainment, health and fitness information, and a dog dress-up
contest!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #ed7d31; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent2;">☼</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">
Getting maybe our last chance this year to eat outside at a restaurant with our
dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #ed7d31; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent2;">☼</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">
Having the Boston Red Sox’ Triple-A team, the Pawtucket Red Sox, playing just a
few miles from our home and being in the playoff finals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #ed7d31; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent2;">☼</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">
That said, I’m grateful that my husband is patient with me when I get cranky
because a ballgame goes into extra innings. He loves it; I just want to go home
(it’s after 10 o’clock and getting chilly!), and I grumble things like “Why
can’t baseball games end within a civilized length of time like other sports?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; tab-stops: 293.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #ed7d31; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent2;">☼</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">
Gentle, warm breezes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #ed7d31; font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent2;">☼</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">
The beautiful flowers (even roses!) and flowering bushes that are still around
in nearly mid-September.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
</div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-56378830757577640812014-09-08T12:01:00.002-07:002014-09-08T12:01:58.648-07:00<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 107%;">Microblog Monday, September 8, 2014<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">: What Is Wrong with People?<o:p></o:p></i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dTy8-B802UE/VA38WFfpBnI/AAAAAAAABPg/_t3e24gx-Ds/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dTy8-B802UE/VA38WFfpBnI/AAAAAAAABPg/_t3e24gx-Ds/s1600/Microblog_Mondays.png" /></a></span></div>
<br />
</div>
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Melissa Ford at <a href="http://www.stirrup-queens.com/2014/09/what-is-microblog-mondays/">Stirrup Queens</a> has initiated Microblog
Mondays. You can read her post for more information <a href="http://www.stirrup-queens.com/2014/09/what-is-microblog-mondays/">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I love the idea of writing a tiny post on Mondays. Whenever
I sit down to write a blog post, I get so tangled up in more and more words
that sometimes I don’t ever finish it. Microblog Mondays lets you post
something as short and instantaneous as a Facebook status update, so it’s great
for the wordy among us, like me! So here’s my first micropost.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">What
Is Wrong with People?<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I find myself asking (sometimes screaming) this question
more and more these days as I read or hear about some of the silly, brainless
things people do. The latest case in point: a story in our paper yesterday
about new “wedding fads.” One: bridesmaids pulling up the backs of their gowns
and exposing their asses for the purpose of photos to be put on the Internet.
Two: some brides having plastic surgery done on their ring fingers so their
fingers will “look better” in the photos. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So I ask again: What is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wrong</i>
with people? When did our society become so narcissistic? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-13897536832362561152014-09-05T11:07:00.000-07:002014-09-05T11:07:27.950-07:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Monotype Corsiva"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 107%; mso-themecolor: accent5;">Just an Arrangement<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Our “other” house is under contract and set to close within
a couple of weeks. This will be a relief to us, both financially and
psychologically. So why do I feel ambivalent about it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9FP84AC_v8c/VAn7acFRlLI/AAAAAAAABPQ/xaS96Pt1ZvY/s1600/130%2BNorwood%2BAve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9FP84AC_v8c/VAn7acFRlLI/AAAAAAAABPQ/xaS96Pt1ZvY/s1600/130%2BNorwood%2BAve.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">The two years we lived there were among the most difficult
years of my life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s the place where I watched my mother’s mind deteriorate
into dementia and her body slip inexorably out of her control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">But it’s also where I saw her every day, made her coffee,
laughed with her, enjoyed the sense of humor she still had.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s where I came downstairs from our second-floor apartment
several times a day to check on her on the first floor, where I might find she’d
been incontinent or left the teakettle on to boil dry or was wearing the same
clothes she’d had on the last two days or was trying to call my brother, having
forgotten he had passed away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s also where I came downstairs one day to find her
sitting in an armchair in the foyer with the door open, watching the rain fall,
in peace and contentment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Where I saw her little smile of pleasure each time I
reminded her that my husband and I lived right upstairs from her. “Over my
head?” she’d ask, pointing to the ceiling. Yes, mom, right over your head. And
where I saw her face collapse in grief every time I had to remind her about my
brother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s the house where I became her full-time caregiver,
taking away the independence she’d had living on her own but giving her safety,
security, and care in exchange.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">In my office in our apartment I tried to juggle my freelance
career with my responsibility for her and didn’t always succeed. Part of my
mind was always on her. Was she sleeping safely in her recliner, or had she
gotten up and fallen? Had she forgotten where she was and was feeling panicky?
Would she open the downstairs door and yell up, “Is anybody here?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Every night, after spending the evening downstairs with her,
I would come back into our apartment and breathe a sigh of relief at having
gotten through another day. I’d pray to God to give me strength for the next
day, and for the unknown number of days ahead of us. Until the day we were able
to get back to our own home in Providence and resume our normal lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I thought about that day so often and always felt guilty for
wishing for it, because when that day came, I thought, it would mean she was
gone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">As it happened, though, that day came before we lost her. It
came after her fall and broken hip, when in spite of successful surgery she no
longer had the cognitive capacity to do rehab and so was unable to walk again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">When she went into assisted living, we began planning for
our move back to our own home. We gave our tenants two months’ notice. Yet,
although I had thought I’d be nothing but happy about going back, something
else had happened. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Our temporary house had sent roots into our hearts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s where we were living when we got our dog. When I
discovered the joy of crocheting. When I first started doing morning runs, into
the village a mile away, past the river and cove where the sun sparkled on the
water. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s the last place where we were together with my mother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">We always knew we’d be returning to Providence. This house
was always just an arrangement for my mother’s care. Yet in spite of the
difficult circumstances, we’d become attached to it and to the neighborhood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Even now, almost three years since we moved back, I still
occasionally miss that house. I sometimes wonder whether it might not be smart
to keep it as an investment. But the market is so uncertain, and we were never
cut out to be landlords. Selling is logically the best thing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">And yet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I used to think my memories of the time we lived there would
be painful and hard. But the difficult memories have blended with the good ones.
When I look back now I see a complex and intricate tapestry of two years of our
lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">So I do feel a little sad. But I have that tapestry now, and
that’s nothing to regret.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8411269347100258466.post-45496542185256713562014-08-02T10:24:00.000-07:002014-08-02T10:24:55.859-07:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #4472c4; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: accent5;">Weekend Writing
Warriors</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7pFIc4cuAwU/U90ecEHxnGI/AAAAAAAABOs/uvV3VGbAva0/s1600/wewriwa_square_4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7pFIc4cuAwU/U90ecEHxnGI/AAAAAAAABOs/uvV3VGbAva0/s1600/wewriwa_square_4.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once again I’m
taking part in the <a href="http://www.wewriwa.com/"><span style="color: #992211; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Weekend Writing Warriors</span></a></span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i>Snippet Sunday</i>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Here are eight sentences from my
novel-in-progress, </i>A Certain Shade of Blue. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In my previous snippet, six-year-old Claire was awakened by her baby
brother’s crying, then by a scream. This snippet follows. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Thanks!</i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">She sees her
mother leaning on her father by Toby’s crib, half drooping, he trying to
support her, hold her up, like trying to hold water. The sounds coming from her
mother’s mouth are unearthly, frightening. A shocked, scared hiccuping noise rises
from the child’s own throat. Her father looks up. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Claire, go back to bed,</i> his voice cracks. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What’s the matter, Daddy? Just go back to your room,</i> he says. She runs
back, collapses into her bed, and curls up under the covers, shaking.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
</div>
ElaineLKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00866201775130742517noreply@blogger.com18