Category: Gratitude



Much looks the same as last time. But you want to know what I’m learning as I go? All attempts get me closer to not. Not a baby beginner. Not a total loser. And if I take a moment and look back I find more proficiency. Faster, not so lost. Progress. And it’s not linear. There are times I pick up the recorder and find that somehow God put holes in my fingers. Air is escaping, somewhere.

Sometimes I get the chord progression of these simple songs. But if I don’t, I only have to remember a month ago. I could tune my uke. Now I can sing little songs and not look as I move from F to G7 to C to C7 and more, and I know without looking at my hand that I did it.

I can remember being 12 and learning to crochet and knit. How I got so frustrated when I had to rip it out.

Now I look forward to trying again. The thing that makes these hobbies frustrating is placing time constraints or perfection goals.

I may not be producing the way society deems worthy, but I’m 74 and enjoying my life. Learning is my fun. Seeing changes in abilities, even as I’m told growth can’t happen anymore, THAT is the fun.

I am keeping my goal on the stationary bike and other exercises. And I see tiny improvements.

My only disappointment in me is trying to find my way to the reading aloud/editing goal. But I’ll figure it out.

Here’s the pics of progress.

I rarely finish a crossword puzzle book but I threw this full one away and am looking for another. The other thing I rarely finish is a bottle of hand lotion. It usually goes bad before I’ve used it all.
These balls are to crochet a strap for my uke. I’m following Bernadette’s YouTube
I’ve only added a couple rows since I posted these. But only 2 inches until the heel. I’m planning to try the Fishlip heel. I bought the pattern. You can Google where to get it. I’ll include it when I find out it works for me.
Only a couple more rows added here, too. I can’t get hyper-focused on the thinner yarns and needles. They can hurt my hands or eyes.
I’m loving this beautiful bird. Can you see how much more color lights up this picture with each section of drills?
Not as happy with this one. It is tiny and the colors are not so vibrant.

I feel good about developing discipline. Why is it only now growing?

Floundering February


After National Novel Writing Month in November, then the birthdays, Christmas and cold, and the occasional editing and keeping up the journal, somehow, January needed help. Linda G. Hill gives us Just Jot It January. The prompts help make sure we write something every day. I have done those for a couple of years now. I am grateful for the push to Just Jot.

Thank you, Linda, for the fun of JusJoJan.

But always, in the past, I found myself floundering in February. Hence, the fish:

He is a quick sketch, and the eraser was smudgy. He’s a little cross-eyed. That’s how I feel in this short month that lasts a couple years. Let’s think about this guy. He is the bottom feeder. He lays on or under the sand, both eyes looking up to catch whatever morsel floats down to him. I’m sure he is grateful for the tension that occurs above. That is how I feel about the tidbits of passion the muses drop to me.

It’s too cold for walks. But I am being steady on the stationary bike. Knitting is to keep the hands busy during TV or chats. When I am nearing the end of the day, Duo calls me, and then I do my blog. Whatever comes to mind. I’m trying to go earlier on these, so there is enough time and energy to build callouses on the uke and stretch the fingers for the soprano and alto recorders. Learning how the music theory I learned and applied to the piano and voice can apply to these other ventures.

To help me get back into playing scales, which will help with getting back into piano playing, I picked up one of these roll-up pianos to play with in my bedroom. It has an earphone plug-in, so no one has to put up with the noise but me. So these are my musical flounderings. Right now, it is just mechanical. But I am hoping that my tidbits of time and energy will spark a real musical enjoyment.

My diamond painting area is now open as the dragon is being shipped to his friend. I don’t know which one will be next. But I intend to flounder and fuss about in there and seek the enjoyment.

So that is what my Flounder Feb is all about. Finding enjoyment, if not passions, and hoping that all the flotsam and jetsam of tidbits build a healthier me. We’re not looking for perfection. That’s what happens up topside.

What is your Flounder doing this February? If you choose to play, use my pic and link back here.


Per Linda:

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and today’s prompt comes to us courtesy of my friend, Kim. Check out her blog here!

Family is the most important thing to me. If I had my choice I would live with everyone in a cave, my adult offspring most important, my husband is too. But masses of cousins all over the place and I miss all of them! We all used to live in one area. My grandparents were two doors from each other so we got to see all the relatives on Sundays.

What I only recently figured out was my cousins’ other grandparents were not where mine were.

I thought everyone had it like me. And most of my relatives went to the same church. My dad’s dad helped built the church. His wife and he were known in the church as Mom and Pop. So I was related to everyone. All the kids had my grandma as their primary teacher. We all learned to read The 23rd Psalm and the Lord’s Prayer from her.

My grandparents and parents are no longer with us, but we cousins are still here.

My biggest problem is a phone phobia that keeps me from calling. I know I’ll answer in a minute if they call me but deciding I’m calling now seems impossible.

So among other things I’m working on family is my primary goal.

I love my family, even the non-blood related ones, chosen extended family.


It’s not like this, but I would love it! Sadly, it has not been on my diet for a couple of years now!

Per Linda:

Your prompt for JusJoJan, January 25th, 2024, is “cheesy.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

Cheesy is from Yvensong. Check out my friend Yvensong’s blog. It’s not too cheesy!

She would definitely say I’m cheesy.

I’d say all my friends have to be a little cheesy. We are like fine cheese. The outside may not look like much, but we are aged to perfection.

Photo by Mark Stebnicki on Pexels.com

It’s kind of sad how the world forces us to look at one another. We tend to see the package first. Well, I can tell you my friends had great packages way back when; I did, too. Sure, there were the imperfections we saw in ourselves, but looking back, we were something. Now, we have gone through a lot of life working on our issues and trying to become better people. I think we succeeded. And we are following our passions, the things that draw us to learn more and extend ourselves.

But when we get together, it is hard to say goodbye. We enjoy our time together even though we can only see each other through the internet. We are grateful we can see each other. Physically, it is getting harder and harder with lack of funds and aging joints, so a few hours being cheesy, or communicating our lives to each other, is so worth the wi-fi interruptions and family intrusions.

Each friend:


Your prompt for JusJoJan January 8th, 2024 is “gratitude.” Use the word “gratitude” any way you’d like. Have fun!

I am grateful for the prompt from Sadje click the blue gratitude. For the “rules” of JJIJ, click the other blue word. I am grateful for the WordPress family given to me starting with Linda, Sadje and so many others. Everyone is ready to help, lend support, or laugh with.

I love all of you!

I feel such gratitude for all my family and friends who surround me with love.

This is kind of a weird thing to be thankful for, but I’m thankful for what we learned from the pandemic. Zooming church and friends is a wonderful way to enhance our lives.

Oh, and I’m grateful for our snow. Except I couldn’t make it to my doctor’s appointment. But, hey, we are Zooming an appointment tomorrow.

Tomorrow we’re going to get a lot more snow. We really need the precipitation.

Merry Christmas


Good thing I had to get up at 3:53AM. I peaked through the curtain and the porch was white. We weren’t expecting snow. Just in case it’s gone by morning, here’s proof the sky wanted to give Christmas Valley a beginning-to-look-like nod.

It’s still coming down.

My son and his beautiful lady came to see us yesterday. Today, during the day, they are driving back home. Spare a prayer for them and other travelers for Christmas love.


Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “spruce.” Use it as a noun or a verb, use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

Not a spruce. Just a trio of fake trees. A live pretend tree won’t get here until the day after Christmas. And it is Rosemary not spruce.
This guy always looks spruced up for the holidays. He just likes to photo bomb if the tree gets attention.

So with the health issues in the house we didn’t get to do much sprucing up around here, even though we have company coming tomorrow.

I’m excited that I get to see #3 and his special lady. And we plan, if weather permits, to finally hike to Crack in the Ground. I’ll take pictures and send the YouTube if we get to go.

And right on time these socks are ready for the new owners. I hope they fit. They fit on the blockers.

My brother has been busy. Our floor in the bedroom was so bad it was like tightrope walking. My husband fell and with a lack of good flooring it was hard to help him back up. Anyway my brother got busy and made a safer floor for us. No more falling. And he was the decorator, putting up and finally lighting our tree and window. We are so lucky to have him around.💜🤗

May all of you have a blessed Holiday, Christmas Eve, and Christmas.

Ta-Da Tuesday


I’m in love with these. Sadly, they are not my size. Hopefully, they will be finished after a bit of ankle then a cuff. Can’t wait to see the finished product!
Long leggings. I love the colors, but am not as excited doing these as actual socks.
These are ankle and cuff from being done. I hope I can finish these and the pinkies on top by the weekend.

Really, I’m more excited about actually finishing my laundry today. Oh. I still have a couple dishes in the sink. You’ll hear my Ta-Da before I go to bed.


Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “to me.” Find a way to use the phrase “to me” in your post. Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

That’s easy! Happy Birthday to me!!! I am so blessed with so much family and so many friends. And the line blurs between.

Recently, I got the notice of over 2,000 followers. That was a shock. I’m just keeping track of my passions and my life.

Dewali


Sometimes, things happen, and you see synchronicity in the works. Friday on GMA3, they shared about Dewali. I won’t try to explain as I am very new to the idea.

I was about to let it go. But today, in my writing, I randomly generated a young girl whose name is Puja. The heroes of the novel rescued her, and so that she would feel at home, they set up their house to celebrate this festival of lights. I’m still new, but it seems a great way to welcome a scared orphan.

I don’t know where my story is going. And I am 2k behind. But I will not give up because the story is still teaching me.

Happy Dewali!

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