Tag Archives: Easter

the first year.

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A beautiful sunny Easter Sunday. I’ve been up and at it. It’s easier now that daylight comes by 6:30. I’ve pushed the dust mop around the floors. Been out to vote. Now sipping my second cup of tea, enjoying the sunshine through the windows and tapping my words for the Ultimate Blog Challenge.It’s getting easier, getting to be a habit, a ritual of a sort.

Today marks 6 months since my mother have left. In these 6 months we have muddled through Thanksgiving, Christmas and now Easter. We had our Easter supper with my father last evening. My turkey roasted according to Chef John’s recipe turned out perfect – juicy and golden brown. Though my father thought it was a little overdone, he had 2 healthy helpings. He did not remark on the 6 months but I am sure it wasn’t forgotten. I was happy to see he enjoyed the food, our company and conversation. Tonight we will have our supper with our extended family at a Chinese restaurant.

Don’t Sweat the stuff

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It’s another sunny but cool Saturday morning. But I see that it’s warmed up to 8℃ from the 0 of 7 am. Already it is 23℃ in the greenhouse. It’s an hour before noon so I should not be surprised. I’ve pushed the mop around the most needed places. It helps to start moving right after breakfast and dishes. Otherwise I could just sag all day.

I am happy and proud to say that I’ve done the most hard thing for today. I was tempted to sit and rest on my laurels after doing the floors. The turkey in the fridge keep popping up in my mind. I was thinking, ‘how the hell was I going to get it cooked’? I was overwhelmed just thinking about it. I do recall that I’ve done it a few times before. Theoretically, I can do it. I do have Chef John’s Roast Turkey recipe. I was overthinking. I need to stop the thoughts and start doing.

The doing is done. The turkey is cleaned and spiced up sitting on top of chopped onions, carrots and celery in the roaster. It’s all ready for the oven when it is time. I’m sitting pretty here with my tea and tapping out my words for the Ultimate Blog Challenge. It’s another lesson in not sweating the stuff, big or little. But it’s easier said than done. I have to keep reminding and watching myself – on where and how my energy is spent. Am I overthinking, over reacting, repeating the same mistakes over and over? Am I doing the same things, hoping for different results?

I hate to admit it, but often the answer is yes. I am a fixer, a mender of fences even though from experience some fences cannot be mended. Though that has been hammered into me quite a few times by my neighbours, I still find it difficult to believe that I can’t explain, reason, appeal – fix it somehow. It was hard for me to accept that they don’t like me even though we don’t have a personal relationship. We just live next to each other. It’s a good lesson in not taking anything personally or other people’s stuff. It’s also a reminder to look at myself and my own behavior. Am I also guilty of the same?

It’s Easter weekend, not a time to dwell on grievances, past or present. It’s a good thing I can’t see into future ones. I choose to let go of everything and be open to all possibilities. It is a good time to re-read Richard Carlson’s Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, and It’s All Small Stuff and Miquel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements. Happy Easter!

Where Did It Go?

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Going to the gym is another ice breaker to start the day . It’s a habit now. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I would grab my gym bag and head for the door. It helps that somebody else is going, too and doing the driving. It makes it simple and easy. Of course there are times the habit is broken. The time getting back depends on how long I’ve lapsed. Good Friday is not a good enough reason to skip though the temptation is there.

I am sorely tempted to change my website again. I might just press the button after I post this and let things fall where they may. They say curiosity kills a cat. Well, it is killing me and I am wasting time wondering about it. It’s not that anything will get broken, right? It could mess things up but how else can a person learn?

Did I say it’s Good Friday? Sunday is Easter. Time is marching speedily along. I haven’t lost faith but I haven’t felt the reverence and holiness of this time for a long while. I miss it and wonder how I can get it back. It’s been a difficult year of losses. But I am also filled with gratitude for the life that I have and for our world with all its wonders. Of course, there are troubles. There always will be. It’s for us to work together and solve them.

BELIEFS and DISBELIEFS

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So it’s Easter Sunday. The sun is shining brightly. The snow is slowly melting away. The nights are a bit warmer. I no longer have to board up and cover in the greenhouse. It saves some time and energy. I’m feeling a little crunched these days, not being able to show up here daily and reading others’ post in this month of the Ultimate Blog Challenge as planned. As they say, the best laid plans often go awry. I do the best I can. With my limitations, I choose carefully to do the musts and what I truly love.

Those quiet, magical early morning moments are gone from me now. I hope they will return. Things and life change. I have to roll along with tide. What hasn’t changed is that life is always full of challenges, no matter what life stage. It is not true that I’m not getting older. It’s true that I’m getting better at navigating what life throws at me. It is resilience from experience. The valuable thing I’ve learned is that it is not good to feel another’s pain. It weakens and renders me useless. It does no one good. Each of us has our own cross to bear. We can help but cannot carry each other. Maybe we can carry one another over a short period but not forever. It’s like Caroline Myss says, If you are the life guard, you save the person from drowning. But you don’t take him home after.

What does that mean for me? I guess I don’t believe that Jesus die on the cross for us. He did it for himself. That thought just came to me. I’m open to other thoughts. Happy Easter.

EASTER MONDAY

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It is day 21 and Easter Monday.  It is late evening.  I am catching my breath and sipping ‘Sleepytime’ tea.  I hope I won’t fall asleep over the keyboard before I am done!

Easter supper for the family last night was a success.  Sheba was so happy and excited with so many people here.  She let everyone know, too, jumping and barking with joy. That is how we should be, too – showing our joy.  And we did with good food, laughter, conversation, and home movies on YouTube.

My nephew is somewhat of a cook.

And my roommate likes to build bikes of a different sort .

The stress and worries of the day are washed away quickly in the midst of good fellowship.  We should do this more often!

 

 

WE CAN MAKE IT WORK

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IMG_2101I am well into this month’s challenge.  Besides writing a post every day, I have incorporated  some healthy habits into this challenge.   It would make marking my progress and assessment easier and in writing.

I have been faithfully getting up, dressing up and showing up.  I have done my qigong exercises faithfully every morning.  Some mornings I am more focus and in the moment than others.  But I am always here, trying.  I always feel the better for it.  It opens up my channels to receive the world.  So why would I  neglect a good thing?  After awhile it is like brushing your teeth and washing your face when you get up in the morning.  It is a habit.   Ahhhh, it feels so good after!

Another challenge is to keep the floors reasonably clear of Sheba’s hair.  She sheds a lot and I haven’t been good at housekeeping for awhile.    Some days, it is light duty and when time and energy permits – a thorough vacuum.  It is a surprise to find the big vacuum is not really that big.  With practice and practice, I have been able to do it in a relatively short time and with ease.

These are simple challenges that I have success with.    I have been consistent and persistent or you can say, I have been neurotic about it.  They are good neurosis, wouldn’t you say?  But I have not been successful in other areas – the area of the heart IMG_0514and mind.  The gremlins are still rearing their ugly heads.  Though it is the holy time of Easter, the demons are still tearing at me.  They are not succeeding yet.  I have put up my shield and sending out hot and searing flames IMG_0512to thwart them.

All I need is consistency and persistence and lots of heart…and a good hearted Easter bunny, and maybe an Easter basket.  Well, the hot chocolate sort of helped.