The Gypsy on Adventure

T.I.M.E. and other concerns of the day

This Summer has been rough...I read an email from ToniandKim.com today and this was near the end of it, and I thought it was thought provoking and needed today.

As humans, we are all a work in progress. Life right now is extremely complicated. There is no manual for it.

1. Examine your daily life right now. What brings you joy? How can you add a little bit more of that feeling into your day?
2. What is one thing that you can remove from your day that will make it even just 1% more enjoyable? (For me, it was Facebook!)
3. Put your hand on your heart and close your eyes. Breathe in and out, slowly, 5 times. Ask your heart: What part of you needs tenderness right now? What exactly does it need? What is one thing you can do to nurture it?

1. Ah, what brings me joy? That would be my partner! He is amazing and loving, and adores me. And looking out my window to see all the wild life at our home. And what brings me joy is feeding the birds. We both make sure that there is enough water for the foxes, rabbits, wild turkey's and deer that come through our yard every day. That brings us both such joy.

2. What is the one thing I can remove from my day? Several. Remove the Doom-scrolling, not listen to the news every single day, and minimize time on Facebook, literally shut the window of Facebook down so I don't get any notifications. 

3. What needs tenderness?  I need to exercise, and my choice of exercise is usually walking, in Covid isolation I stopped walking, and a month ago when all the wildfire smoke invaded our ridge, I stopped walking...so now I seriously have to fix this part of my life. Movement. 

I was listening to Jay Shetty today on Amanpour and Company, how to cultivate a monk mindset. How he was speaking today was simple, using the word TIME to remember what you need to do every day.

Thankfulness:  Not just journal about it, but follow through and tell someone that you are grateful for them in your life. Express it to a person. Share that thankfulness.

Inspiration/Insight:  Read something that you are learning from, or that favorite quote out of a book. For me recently it has been Mary Oliver poems, and Rumi.

Meditation:  Be present in the body and mind. Communicate with your body and mind at the same time, centering yourself.

Exercise:  Sex, Yoga, Dance, Tai Chi, Walk...bedrock of the practice is movement.

(Today I walked more than I have in weeks, so I am starting the journey again)

Practice my breathe. Breathe is with us from the moment we are born until the second we die. Breathe and our emotions are interconnected. When we have something good happen to us it takes our breathe away. When something bad is happening we stop breathing for a moment. Connect to your body and breathe, hand to heart and breathe in for 5 seconds.

Then Jay said to ask yourself every day, "Have I made Time?" 

So simple, right? Then you would think more of us would be doing this. Today I am starting my simple practice. I think this sounds profound and life opening. I think it will help me not to be so judge-y in my life and focus on the things that expand my life. In this anxiety ridden political climate smack dab in the middle of Covid isolation, civil unrest, and the passing of RBG is too much. I have to stop doom-scrolling...I have to let it flow through me like water and not let it all stick to me. I catch myself breathing shallow or holding my breathe. I need to work on this.

The beautiful Sphynx cat that we found on our property yesterday, update. We got up, and brought the cage into the kitchen, fed her again, talked to her, played with her. At 10:30 we went to our appointment at Mother Lode to see if she had a chip. No chip. I was getting worried...we were going to take her to Sammies no kill shelter 5 minutes but the owner saw our flyer and called WGB!!! The family two doors down from us, SO happy he contacted us!! And his little girl was happy to have Mousey back! So stinkin cute! I tried not to be judge-y when he told us they let her outside every day, since she could be a nice snack for those big turkey vultures or the coyotes, foxes and big cats we have around. I hope this scared them enough to keep her inside. Mousey is a sweet, sweet soul.

 

 

 

 

 

And the bad air quality came back today. I was SO joyful yesterday with blue skies nad no smoke smell. I feel a little more sad today, I cannot take days of the gloom again! But the injured Jay bird is still getting stronger, she lays down funny on my deck though. But she is so pretty. I have fallen in love with her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally took photos of my recent Hobonichi pages before I journal in them:

Staying true to who I am...

Work. (Long sigh) Some times I think people want me to be invisible...but I didn't get that memo. And it is hard aging in a place that is so youth oriented...or I am just starting to feel pressure and I am fighting against the thoughts of age-ism. I feel like I am better than I have ever been, but it doesn't matter because I am not young anymore. Its hard. These are the times I realize how much my self-esteem is still low. It is better than it ever was when I was young, but man, the pressure I am feeling right now is hard. I just feel like my talents are not being used and I at times I feel so useless there...which was NEVER the case before the move...I always felt like I was a part of the place...but now I am struggling with why I am staying. Other than my medical benefits.

 

 

Also, what is hard for me is that I pick up on things around me and they affect me. Psychically I can feel the people around me and some of them are driving me crazy! I am sensitive to the things around me and so far around the job is a lot of chaos and upheaval  which is always uncomfortable for me.  People vying for new positions, people retiring, leaving and moving up or down. Chaos.

"Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes." -Mahatma Gandhi

I think for me, I just have to focus on my joy. Continue to do my art, make sure I have my studio tables at least freed up so I can work, and focus on the projects one at a time and let things be in que...but clean the space of the tables up so I can work. Then continue to feed my soul with spiritualism, poems and thoughts that are filling my heart up with joy and not fear.

And my friend Holly knows how to hook me with her Beautiful Yarns! Just title them Lady Gypsy and make them look like this! Of course I had to have it! SO I immediately messaged her to save it for me for payday! I am so lucky she put it on hold right away and I was able to have this beauty! Ooosh! I love this yarn! I can't wait to see what I will do with it! It is funny how a little fiber can make me so joyful! And especially when it is hand made yarn...there is just a feel to the yarn that is so happy!

Today I continued to walk even in the heat. I was able to do 30 minutes...it isn't a lot but it is movement! Tomorrow I will walk and then off on Friday...this week was all screwed up....and this photo is not flattering but it is real. The struggle of health, not of being a bone. I don't want to be thin, I just want to be healthy and strong in my own skin...that I will live and love in this body for a long time, and keep my heart strong and my body moving!  I still have to work on my mid section, I need to get rid of this tummy, and I know it would be better if I could do sit ups, but I just can't get on the floor and do them without hurting myself. So I will continue to walk. I think I might try jump roping and hula hooping too. I have to get my bike out and start riding that again...I have been feeling good enough to do that lately.  I am so encouraged because today I can REALLY see the difference in my body, I am starting to really loose some of that weight and it feels so good!

AND I am so excited, I did a little gardening and my trumpet plant is FINALLY coming back! Look at all the leaves! I sure hope it blooms!   I had really thought I lost this plant over the Winter! I am glad to see it is really coming back! This is the plant that my massage therapist Julie gave me and I have not been able to get it to bloom yet! Yikes...she has a greener thumb than me that is for sure!

When sadness and yarn p0rn collide!

Knitting Arts my all time ever fav yarn store is closing their doors...DEVASTATED!  But they had a sale today so I ran off to go get stuff for me and my girl friend Mary, she is in Nevada and wouldn't make the sale. And I had a great time in line with other women going through the same feelings I was having about letting go of our store!!!!

I even got a number for a get together with Dora who was behind me! That was worth the 1 hour 45 minutes in line! Giggle...she was the first person to approach me when I walked in with that deer in headlights look, and tears in my eyes as I was trying to sort through the yarnie goodness...

It was REALLY hard but I got some really good deals AND I got almost $100 off from my purchases from my punch cards I had been saving!

Here is Mary Stash if she wants it:









AND here is my stash...

Surprise Mexican Fiesta Lunch

Today was the surprise gift and luncheon for Lucy! It was hard to get up this morning, I didn't sleep much last night with the tattoo, just amped up and a little burning when I moved my arm, but nothing major. I got up early like 6:30 and had some lemon tea, showered and got things together. No anxiety today!

It went off well, I got there by 9:30ish made coffee and enjoyed a cup before Lucy arrived.

It was a great day! And I could tell it meant a lot to Lucy. I think every thing went well. She was so surprised about the story of the wallet! When we bought it was LAST May in SLO and she had no idea!

We were going to do a fabric book but we started the Habu scarves with Lucy's roving and my Habu, and it took too much time. If we had all spent the weekend like we had planned it would have been all done...but things changed and we all left.

 

      

Scope

Creativity is apt to come in waves of energy, Gypsy. Not only is it apt to be sporadic and excitable, but it is also likely to show up in simultaneous patterns of thought. Your ideas about the future and people's reactions to certain trends are apt to be right on target. You have a keen sensitivity for the creative pulse, and now is a good time to use this valuable instinct to your advantage.

Life of the day

Well...it was interesting at work today...we put paper foot steps where our new boss could go in the office...and put crime scene tape up so he couldn't go anywhere else! Then my old boss came by and made the foot prints go up to my desk and wanted to put them on my head ... is he warning me that I am going to get walked on? LOL

One of my friends brought me goodies! TWO faboo hats!!!! Here are some pics of them! My face is way red...I am having reactions to my meds again damn it...I have rashes and my knees are killing me...I am one of the 10% that has reactions to this particular med! GAH  But these hats are great fun!  The pink one will work well the next time we do a Hatitude outing!  Just have to do something with my long hair!  The black one has that wonderful netting!

And I have been working hard on my knitting! Look how far I have come! That yarn is beauteous! I bought that next yarn just until I get my yarn from Carolyn...I thought it would be really funky in there! : )  I talked to my girlfriend Carol and she is going to show me how to fix the dropped stitches...no panic! Giggle

Shit is shit is shit...sometimes life is just hard...she has gone for a cat-scan...seems there is something on her lung...we are hoping it is scaring from pneumonia. She will most likely find out tomorrow...Some times I think we are all falling apart!  But I am only sending good triple white light energy at her! (She said that to me tonight...and it stuck!)  She is a joy in my life...and although we don't get to see each other all the time, it never chagnes that we love one another...

That is a small recap of the day I had...

Oh one small note...I don't do reality tv...but I am hooked on Rock Star: INXS ...I LOVE it! There is some nice talent on this one! I am watching!

Where is My Magazine???

I had subscribed to Cloth, Paper, and Scissors a fun new magazine that has lots of paper art, ATCs and altered books. I had not receieved the magazine yet, and the Director of Circulation told me I should have receieved it in the first week of January...

They are being kind enough to send me another one.

I am starting to seriously wonder if someone is taking things from my mailbox. This is the 3rd time I have not received a coveted magazine...GAH. Mainly from the same company too...the nabbers must like quilts and paper arts!