Connection

Dreams, Booze, Winding your way…

Choices, Connection
Posted on 4 Comments on Dreams, Booze, Winding your way…

“He’s got this dream about buying some land
He’s gonna give up the booze and the one-night stands.” Gerry Rafferty

Dreams and visions. Dreams or visions. To me, a dream is ‘wouldn’t that be great?’ as distinguished from a vision, which is a goal with action steps to accomplish it.
O la la… I used to say to my mom, “How hard can it be?” She usually just kept peeling potatoes for dinner or mixing the bread dough. I now understand she knew trying to correct a teen-ager would be counterproductive. Life would provide the lessons.

“You used to think it was so easy. You used to think it was so easy.
But you’re trying, you’re trying now.”

My son recently reminded me of Gerry Rafferty’s great song, Baker Street. I had forgotten how much I loved it: Rafferty’s wisdom, insight, rhythm, and creativity.

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“And when you wake up, it’s a new morning.
The sun is shining, it’s a new morning.
And you’re going, you’re going home.”

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at Fort Casey State Park (c) MDessein

My vision: swim 9 miles by the end of October! Oui, je le ferai! as the French would say.

Baker Street: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo6aKnRnBxM

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think~

Vibrance

Authenticity, Belonging, Connection, Performance
Posted on 6 Comments on Vibrance

When you see a musician grinning, his shoulders bouncing as he nods at the other musicians performing with him, it is obvious he is totally absorbed and in the flow of what he is doing, hearing, and feeling. It was wondrous to see this man play his djembe, an African drum. Vibrantly present in each moment.

Vibrantly present. It is often a challenge to be truly present in the moment, be it in a work meeting, talking through an issue with a family member, at a committee meeting, with one of your kids’ teachers, much less vibrantly so.

Seems to me the vibrance comes from joy. Being truly present is just as valuable as vibrantly, simply a different aspect of being present.

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This passiflora vine absolutely delights me. It is exotic and beautiful. One of the gardeners at a local floral shop recommended it to me when the plant I came in for was gone for the season.

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It is vibrant to me.

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I had never seen a flower like this. Now where to plant it where its vines can grow vibrantly and the deer who are in my yard every day and evening, won’t devour it!

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Passiflora vine (c)MDessein

How am I doing with my 3 Promises of things to absolutely do each day from Jack Canfield’s advice?
Good. Some days one of the things is something I was going to do anyway, some days there are things I go out of my way to do, things I have been putting off!


Yup, I am querying literary agents. I am going to perform at an open mic tonight.
My, oh my, the weeding is ongoing, like for the next decade! Yet, I feel progress even when I only do 10 minutes of it.


Vibrance.~*

Thanks for reading~

Peace, Love & Light to …

Connection, France, Personal growth, Personal growth, Bracelets,
Posted on 5 Comments on Peace, Love & Light to …

“Peace, love and light to every being, everywhere.”

Every being, everywhere. Those seventy plus sparrows, wrens and swallows (yes, I counted them) out there on the power lines are beings. They think, make decisions, remain vigilant in protecting their safety, find food, and raise their young. They are beings. I am a being. My dog is a being. Wow, does he make decisions! And he is thinking when he tips his head sideways and looks at me with those big brown eyes.

Wayne Dyer, a teacher, author, motivational speaker, who I heard this statement from continues with: if you want to have peace, love and light for yourself and people you care about, you have to send it to every being, everywhere. Even people you can’t stand, disagree with, or have harmed you. He said even to Hitler. Every being, everywhere.

A composite of other tidbits from my scads of hours in personal growth classes that I work with a lot is: Don’t blame, don’t name-call, don’t judge. My, oh my, sometimes that keeps me pretty busy. In watching others and myself as I try to learn. Many people judge other people just because the other people are different than they are. Hhhmm, different does not mean wrong or less than. I could go on about calling others names and blaming them, which generally side-steps the real issue. I’ll spare you at the moment!

Now, are these bracelets too cool!

The top one is an original souvenir bracelet from the World Exposition of 1889 in Paris when the Eiffel Tower was built and so many other wonders. Yes, my great-grandmother, Adele, was there and this is her bracelet! The medallions are of the French Revolution, including pivotal men: Robespierre, Danton, Kleber, and Marat.

The trinket bracelet is an original from the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962!

Would these make a great book cover!

(c) MDessein

Thanks for reading! One more Chapter to go on the wondrous book~
Peace, love and light to you.

Metroid, Pikmin… and 7 Gallons

Community, Connection, Donations
Posted on 22 Comments on Metroid, Pikmin… and 7 Gallons

I got acquainted with video games via Tetris and Mario and Donkey Kong. And learned a bit about compulsion when one evening after my kiddoes were in bed, I started playing Tetris. Next time I looked at the clock it was 6 a.m., nearly time for me to get up and make breakfast!

My kids and grandkids play these video games that to me are so complicated. Yet my six-year-old grandson whistles, jumps and zooms through them easily. He understands and learns so quickly the complexities. I am pleased when I can figure out new apps on my phone!

I am also pleased when I swim a mile twice a week, which I have recently returned to doing after two and a half years of no swimming. Life. Decisions. Motivation. Self-care. Recognizing and owning consequences. O la la.

And as some of my friends and I have realized more deeply with time passing, connection with other people and with friends is of primary importance. I have gone to a couple community luncheons and meetings recently in order to meet and engage with people. I am truly enjoying the open mic near here twice a month – being present there, meeting people, as well as performing.

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Oh yeah, the 7 gallons. I recently completed donating my 56th pint of blood for a total of 7 gallons. Yes, it was over about forty years all told, yet I did it. Not that I had a number of donations as a goal, sometimes I went years without donating, such as when I was doing a good bit of international travel and was ineligible to donate for periods of time. Woo hoo, the world is a better place.

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Yup, I’ve got deer poop in my driveway. I smile and step around it. My kids are speaking to me, my grandkids hug me and want me to chase them when I visit them, I am connected to friends and making new ones, my dog loves me, my property taxes only went up a few dollars, I can count laps when I swim, and my novel is nearing completion.

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Double yee-haw on the novel. More about that soon~
Thank you for reading~~

Time, Time, Time

Connection, Life, Light, Living fully
Posted on 5 Comments on Time, Time, Time

Look what’s become of me! Can you believe it is the 30th of November?

And you know next year is the year of the Horse, the Fire Horse to be exact, in the Lunar Calendar. The Lunar New Year is February 17, 2026. Those of us born in the year of the Horse are energetic, animated, and optimistic. Okay, I’ll go along with that.

I get to look out and listen to the birds squealing and chirping, watching them drift and swoop, seeming to enjoy that and being alive. Indeed, being alive.

Ah, a sunset view of Admirals Cove in October.
So many things about our world are uncertain, changing while others remain the same. A friend and I were talking about how important connection to others is now, as I have mentioned here before. Do you find that to be true?

Changes. Last night I got some great bargains at the local hardware store annual sale. I was so pleased it took me over an hour to calm down when I got home. Ten years ago, I doubt I would have noticed the sale, much less gone out of my way to get to it!

By the way, our next year in the western Gregorian calendar is 2026. It is year 4724 in the Chinese calendar. We have a ways to go~

Yes, the novel is coming along! And my book, When I Was a Rock Star, is now out in an audiobook. Available at Barnes & Noble, The Audio Book Store, and Amazon.

Thank you, merci beaucoup, for reading my rambles. Feel free to let me know what you think~

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