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Celebrating the holidays differently. What gift can you give yourself?
I'm not old, but then I am, I qualify for AARP! I thought I'd get myself a Christmas gift, I just received an setup an Apple Homepod. I live alone, and now I can talk to Siri for company! I just asked Siri to play the News, and heard from NPR, and now Siri picked out some Christmas music, that I wouldn't normally hear! Siri played the Temptations! What fun gift are you giving or receiving this year?
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Hi Merry! over the holidays, I found my way to your blog! I'm so very impressed, you've inspired me to do something similar. I've been trying to figure out what to call it. That plus it made me think back to my time that I've spent on the West coast. Why oh Why did I move from there to here? earthquakes and fires! I loved a conference that we had in Boston one time, I was a Legal Seafood fan back then, we travelled to Maine and we had lobsters from Maine! Boy, those folks from Maine are interesting, they didn't say much back then, and those Maine'rs had a reputation for that 🙂
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3 ReactionsMany, many thanks for your very thoughtful message regarding a contemplative New Year's Eve. What a wonderful way to welcome 2021. New Year's blessings to you.
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3 ReactionsHello Teresa; thank you for responding. Here in Houston, torrential rains, I hope we do not have another flood... that would be the cream on the pudding. I feel selfish to be so depressed but as I have said often when my tooth hurt I do not jump for joy because I can walk. Hugs.
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2 Reactions@nannette1941 Each day is a new day. When times were tough I concentrated on the minimals: food, clothes, shelter. If we had that I was grateful. If we were all healthy, I was grateful. If we had clean clothes and linens, I was grateful we did not have to wear dirty clothes or use dirty towels and sheets. If I had enough money until the next income date, I was grateful. If I had a functioning vehicle, I was grateful. If I could buy new clothes from the clearance rack, I was grateful that it wasn't from the thrift shop. If we were able to have family time each day, I was grateful. These may seem like such small, inconsequential things, but some days we did not have some of those things. And that made it harder. So, I decided to be grateful for what we did have. Sometimes all we had was each other. Some days that was not assured, as I had a baby that spend 9 months of the first year in the hospital and 6 months of the second year in the hospital. That child was resuscitated multiple times and is now 40 years old. Just for today I am grateful . . . (fill in the blank for yourself).
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6 Reactions@merpreb and @nannette1941, Darn! Those days of being in a funk when we feel angry and depressed are really a bear aren't they!
After the many numerous good wishes for a Happy New Year followed by comments of "hope for how much better the new year will be..(and I am guilty of those for sure!), I hit a funky bomb day with the thoughts of "what if it isn't a happier, saner, healthier year? After all, "things can always get worse!", right? Oh, my word...that is a sure trademark of "stinkin' thinkin" but it does happen and perhaps to most of us from time to time.
Not @nannette1941, but Merry, your question got me thinking of what I've done or do to help me step out of the blues when they hit. One of the best is to leave the house and head for a park or even head for a large pkg lot and just watch people going in and out...any season will work.
Another, weather permitting, is going into my yard and doing something physical to my landscape. Just turning the compost pile or ideas for adding or deleting plants for the next season or pulling weeds helps because I can lose myself there and it removes my focus on what's troubling and redirects me to a more constructive train of thought.
Long before I started jotting down gratitudes each morning and night before bed during the pandemic, I used to make myself sit and write as fast as possible as many gratitudes as I could come up with.
Merry, I agree that reaching out to someone else is another great antidote. When I'm having a really down day though, I don't want to call another but I've sometimes made myself make a call anyway...not to share my own blues but to check on what is happening with them..just hearing another voice and what is shared can improve my spirits.
Whatever I can come up with that will redirect my focus away from me and onto something else can make a difference. Physically "doing" rather than sitting and "mulling" works best for me.
However, yesterday was one of those days when I was feeling angry at the "state of the world". Could not work up interest in anything in the yard so drove over to the local wildflower park. Usually there are a few others there walking which allows for a wave or "hi" but I had the small park all to myself and though it felt strange not to see another, I did push to walk farther and longer than usual. Driving away I saw a family of four walking in the park. Timing is everything but I did have my own private park for awhile, yes?
Decided that the car could really use a professional bath but too many others had the same idea and my patience wasn't up to the wait. Once home, I grabbed the spray and cleaned all the windows. That didn't take long but doing that one small thing improved my outlook. Had been "looking at" the basket of yarn, needles and instr. manuals sitting on my breakfast bar for days to encourage my attempt to re-teach and resume knitting for the new year. Last evening, I actually opened the manual and while I wasn't completely successful with the beginning steps, I was surprised that instead of being frustrated at the failed attempt, I would never have even tried that yesterday given my mood earlier in the day. Everything is relative yes?
Just a ramble here and not expecting responses but glad to have a place to share and would be interested in hearing what others do and find helpful when a down day happens?
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4 ReactionsHello Ginger,
In the past I could walk 10 miles a day, so I would go out and walk, today, the feet hurt, that is another thorn, and I had more friends... today, everyone is afraid of the virus so very few contact... I write poetry also, and, in the past I had to go to work so I had 8 hours whereby I did not have to look for things to do, what about you Ginger?
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3 Reactions@fiesty76 I admire your honesty, and tenacity. I find it takes great effort for me to move out of a funk, sometimes either more than I have available or want to give. Then it becomes a pity-party, self-made. While we are all allowed that, for me, it is another challenge to overcome, one that has to be hurled to the curb so I don't stay in that funk, getting comfortable in the "stinkin' thinkin". When you lined out what works for you, it certainly rang true for me. Thank you for your words.
Ginger
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3 Reactions@nannette1941 Wow! Ten miles a day, that's a lot! I also did a lot in different jobs but never logged actual distance. These days, I have to push through the aches and pains to go walking, but the reward is how much better I feel physically and mentally. Fresh air revives me, and the sights along the way stir up memories or create ideas for creative pursuits. Being a visual person, I love seeing colors and all their shades or hues.
We all have days when we to reach inside and pull out our desire to do something that we enjoy. Sometimes it is a long reach, isn't it? And it's okay to think of doing one thing, and changing our mind. I hope you will read the post that @fiesty76 made, and see how she deals with a funk, it is pretty inspirational!
Tell me more about your poetry. I would love to read it! How does it make you feel when you write?
Ginger
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3 Reactions@cindiwass I never thought I would live to be 73, my current age. My father passed away when he was 64, my mother when she was 67. They were 50 and 40 when I was born so I was still in HS when my father died and in my 20s when my mother did. Since this was typical for her whole family I just figured I too would die when I was in my 60s. Surprise, surprise, I'm still here, as is my sister who is 3 years older than I am. My brothers are both gone but they made it into their 70s too.
@becsbuddy Thanks, Becky. These sound delicious. I have a recipe for coconut snowballs that is good too, using white chocolate. We had a caterer once for a large event here and that one of the desserts he brought. I loved them so he gave me the recipe, but these sound even easier!
@fiesty76 Thank you for your condolences.
I also believe that we have to remember to treat each person well, we don't know what they are going through or have been through that day.
I was walking up the aisle in a drugstore once and a man who passed me said "you could at least smile" - this was out of the blue. I didn't know him, he was a well-dressed man, but who was he to say that to me? He had no idea why I might not have looked happy.
@Erinmfs California is a beautiful state but it sure does have its drawbacks. My son lived there from 2004 until 2018 and now lives in Denver. For him, it was the high cost of owning property but I think he is happy being in Denver, fewer natural disasters there, plus he is an avid skier, and his wife is an avid snowboarder.
@merpreb @nannette1941 I think these days many of us are in a funk, on some days. I sure know I am. I think we can take anything for a certain amount of time but this has gone on for way too long. I actually predicted at the very beginning that it would last for a very long time, and wondered if I would ever see my son in Denver again since seeing him requires a flight and I do not want him taking the risk of flying here. We will see how the vaccine helps but so many are not planning to take it that we will never reach "community immunity" and for us who are on immunosuppressants that's a problem since even if/when our transplant teams say yes to us taking it, it will be less effective on us. I have read it will be about 60% effective so I suspect I will be wearing a mask for the remainder of my life.
When I find myself in a funk though about staying home and going literally nowhere except for isolated walks, I try to remind myself of what people over the years have endured. I have read a number of books about the Jewish experience during WW2 and how horrible that must have been. That helps me to realize that I live in a nice home, we have plenty of food to eat, and so far my husband and I are both doing OK, healthwise.
JK
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3 Reactions@contentandwell, Well what a clod that goofball was! Methinks he could have used a quick kick in the tush!!
It did remind me that one of the very best things we can do for ourselves when feeling down is to remember to give the widest berth possible to any we know who are judgmental naysayers and frequent downers themselves.
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