Sat Sat 6
The Fabulous Friday 5 (or Satisfied Saturday 6) is about taking the time to focus on the good things. Post 5 or 6 things that made you smile during the week. It doesn't matter if it happened to you, to someone else, if you saw it in the news or when you were walking through the store. Just put aside the negative for a moment and share pleasure, big or small. Because happiness and smiles balance the world. BONUS: Name something you did well this week. Give yourself credit for being WONDERFUL!
1. Very lovely lunch with Russ. Just ended a few minutes ago and I'm feeling really good. Despite having about 45 minutes sleep last night and being in massive pain (because I'm too stubborn to take my meds - go ahead and yell at me, I can hear you rolling your eyes and shaking your fingers at me), I felt good in my head before he came to pick me up, so I knew it would all be good. Much as I hate not sleeping - knowing that I would be spending time with a fab person (and having fab food!), and having successfully (thanks to all Jacqui's and Helen's noodging) gotten out of my own head - I was able to just really enjoy the time. Gods, it is so outstanding to be having conversations like this again and feeling connected to someone outside WORK! LOL! It's not just that, but the gist of it is, that I am really glad that my body cooperated for a couple of hours and that we could have a good time.
2. Crisp, bright, lovely weather. When I woke this morning (way too early and grumpy from pain) and was trying to make myself UNGRUMPY, I realised how long it has been since I heard the dawn chorus, and saw a sunrise. I really paid attention, and looked around me when I drove to the pool. And paid attention when Russ and I sat by the river for a few minutes. It's been too long since I have allowed myself to be swept away by the beauty of the day, no matter what the weather. I felt connected to the wind as it pushed against me, and the sun as it kissed my face, and the clouds as they painted images for me to dream. I'm glad that I had a pretty day to wake up and pay attention again. I love rain too, but it felt utterly right to feel this day.
3. I am going to watch baseball in a few minutes. I missed seeing Opening Day (Thursday) because I was at work - had it on the radio, but it's not the same. I am SOOOO glad baseball season has started. The two months between football and baseball are really torturous for a nutjob like me. LOL! PLUS, because the winter FINALLY seems to have loosened its grip (though not let go entirely) I get to see kids playing in the park across the street. I cannot tell you how much I love the sound of kids playing - totally free, and yet concentrating. Totally unselfconscious, and yet trying to improve. Learning and yet totally immersed in having FUN. This is soul food.
4. OMG, speaking of FOOD! I made a variation of my shrimp pesto this week. I had some mushrooms and asparagus - you wouldn't think the asparagus would work well, but spinach pesto is not as tart/bitter as regular pesto and so the balance was OK. Better than OK. Plus, am still managing to have vegetables with every meal - almost 4 months now - and I didn't think I was going to manage it this week. LOL! SIlly thing to be pleased about, but it's nice to achieve ANY goal, no matter how small.
5. Writing. It's coming. It's not always as successful as I want, but it's happening. It's happening when I work my ass off at it and it's happening in the middle of the night when my mind is free. I find myself composing in odd moments - thinking in better prose. Not thinking in poetry again - yet - but I do feel like I'm on the brink, because even the most mundane things that I write or say are coming out more creatively than they were last year. This is a huge relief, as well as being satisfied. I tried really hard not to say it, but I was, on occasion, fairly convinced the Muse had left me completely. Even though I KNOW she didn't, I felt like that. You know - sometimes being able to write feels like being loved. I don't mean physically, I mean spiritually. And maybe that was the block. I realise that I spent a lot of the winter refusing to love myself - reflecting the harsh conditions outside (one of the drawbacks of being a druid! internalising weather). But Spring is coming, and so is the Muse. I am satisfied that I am back on the right path.
6. I saw some of the locker room friends this morning - one of whom I see often and one I hardly ever see because we're on different schedules. The one I hardly ever see was obviously pleased to see me and said so. I, being my usual cranky pants morning self, made some self-deprecating remark and she responded in a heartbeat, "it is ALWAYS a pleasure to see you. period." And I tell you, that felt amazing. I actually knew her before the rest of the gang, and she has always been sweet an supportive and friendly - even offering helps with little things I need (or she thinks I need - she brought hubcaps in one day because she saw my car was missing 2!). I don't know how I have been so lucky to make these connections with strangers - I hear tell that it's very unusual for locker room friendships to happen, and yet I have found several in the last 3 years. What a lucky woman I am!
Bonus something I did well this week: Oh hell, I don't know. Can't think of a blessed thing, other than having a good attitude week in the midst of a high stress environment. I guess that's a personal accomplishment, right? Struggling less to do the FFF/SSS than I have been all year. Feels kind of lame though. Because that's what I SHOULD be doing. Somebody tell me something I did well that's not, you know, EXPECTED.
1. Very lovely lunch with Russ. Just ended a few minutes ago and I'm feeling really good. Despite having about 45 minutes sleep last night and being in massive pain (because I'm too stubborn to take my meds - go ahead and yell at me, I can hear you rolling your eyes and shaking your fingers at me), I felt good in my head before he came to pick me up, so I knew it would all be good. Much as I hate not sleeping - knowing that I would be spending time with a fab person (and having fab food!), and having successfully (thanks to all Jacqui's and Helen's noodging) gotten out of my own head - I was able to just really enjoy the time. Gods, it is so outstanding to be having conversations like this again and feeling connected to someone outside WORK! LOL! It's not just that, but the gist of it is, that I am really glad that my body cooperated for a couple of hours and that we could have a good time.
2. Crisp, bright, lovely weather. When I woke this morning (way too early and grumpy from pain) and was trying to make myself UNGRUMPY, I realised how long it has been since I heard the dawn chorus, and saw a sunrise. I really paid attention, and looked around me when I drove to the pool. And paid attention when Russ and I sat by the river for a few minutes. It's been too long since I have allowed myself to be swept away by the beauty of the day, no matter what the weather. I felt connected to the wind as it pushed against me, and the sun as it kissed my face, and the clouds as they painted images for me to dream. I'm glad that I had a pretty day to wake up and pay attention again. I love rain too, but it felt utterly right to feel this day.
3. I am going to watch baseball in a few minutes. I missed seeing Opening Day (Thursday) because I was at work - had it on the radio, but it's not the same. I am SOOOO glad baseball season has started. The two months between football and baseball are really torturous for a nutjob like me. LOL! PLUS, because the winter FINALLY seems to have loosened its grip (though not let go entirely) I get to see kids playing in the park across the street. I cannot tell you how much I love the sound of kids playing - totally free, and yet concentrating. Totally unselfconscious, and yet trying to improve. Learning and yet totally immersed in having FUN. This is soul food.
4. OMG, speaking of FOOD! I made a variation of my shrimp pesto this week. I had some mushrooms and asparagus - you wouldn't think the asparagus would work well, but spinach pesto is not as tart/bitter as regular pesto and so the balance was OK. Better than OK. Plus, am still managing to have vegetables with every meal - almost 4 months now - and I didn't think I was going to manage it this week. LOL! SIlly thing to be pleased about, but it's nice to achieve ANY goal, no matter how small.
5. Writing. It's coming. It's not always as successful as I want, but it's happening. It's happening when I work my ass off at it and it's happening in the middle of the night when my mind is free. I find myself composing in odd moments - thinking in better prose. Not thinking in poetry again - yet - but I do feel like I'm on the brink, because even the most mundane things that I write or say are coming out more creatively than they were last year. This is a huge relief, as well as being satisfied. I tried really hard not to say it, but I was, on occasion, fairly convinced the Muse had left me completely. Even though I KNOW she didn't, I felt like that. You know - sometimes being able to write feels like being loved. I don't mean physically, I mean spiritually. And maybe that was the block. I realise that I spent a lot of the winter refusing to love myself - reflecting the harsh conditions outside (one of the drawbacks of being a druid! internalising weather). But Spring is coming, and so is the Muse. I am satisfied that I am back on the right path.
6. I saw some of the locker room friends this morning - one of whom I see often and one I hardly ever see because we're on different schedules. The one I hardly ever see was obviously pleased to see me and said so. I, being my usual cranky pants morning self, made some self-deprecating remark and she responded in a heartbeat, "it is ALWAYS a pleasure to see you. period." And I tell you, that felt amazing. I actually knew her before the rest of the gang, and she has always been sweet an supportive and friendly - even offering helps with little things I need (or she thinks I need - she brought hubcaps in one day because she saw my car was missing 2!). I don't know how I have been so lucky to make these connections with strangers - I hear tell that it's very unusual for locker room friendships to happen, and yet I have found several in the last 3 years. What a lucky woman I am!
Bonus something I did well this week: Oh hell, I don't know. Can't think of a blessed thing, other than having a good attitude week in the midst of a high stress environment. I guess that's a personal accomplishment, right? Struggling less to do the FFF/SSS than I have been all year. Feels kind of lame though. Because that's what I SHOULD be doing. Somebody tell me something I did well that's not, you know, EXPECTED.