Mindfulness March-2017

[Lavande]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good evening friends,

Happy St Patrick's day to all!

Cyn, oh my goodness - that is a huge disaster to have to deal with all on your own
Living with a septic system was a new experience for us when we built this house. I was downright paranoid about it for a long while.
I have a guy come out every few years to empty/service the thing & so far we've had no problems.
I hope you can get this resolved quickly!
I did manage to get about a half dozen chicken willing to go out in the snow today, ha ha! They have been picking feathers out of each other, stressed out from being cooped up. Never a dull moment with them.

Did anyone happen to see the live feed of 45 insulting Angela Merkel today? Honestly, it's so embarrassing to witness these childish daily events.

Hello to Pauly, hope you are OK.
Star, not sure when you are returning, hope it's all been good!

Wishing everyone a peaceful night. We are getting some rain tomorrow so I hope it melts some of this ice 7 snow.

Lav

[treegirl]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Morning -
Wishing all a calm day giving lots of love to ourselves and the world around us.
Lav, thanks for the support! We had the septic pumped out 2 years ago, which should be plenty - I guess this has to do with a screen on the underground tanks. I am getting a blitz lesson on how septics work. (D&@n auto fill, it keeps writing "skeptics!"). This system was put in just before we closed on the house ... it had failed the septic test, so the whole thing was done in a hurry and overdone! They guy said 'this septic is big enough for a hotel!' Great, and it still gets a messed-up filter. But no worries, there could be a LOT worse things in life!

I'll check back later - hope all have a good day today....

[Lavande]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good evening friends,

Looks like it's just the two of us Cyn.

I was thinking & remembering that my brother had problems with tree roots or something messing with his septic system. Could that be a possibility? I honestly just hate dealing with things like that We have more important things to be focusing our time & attention on these days, right?

Don't know where the rain is that we were supposed to get today. Starting to feel very chilly, I hope it doesn't decide to arrive as snow, ugh.

Pauly, c'mon now & get yourself back in gear here, please!
We miss you when you go into hiding :hug:

Hello to Star.

Have a peaceful night one & all.

Lav

[Snoopy56]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good morning...

Missed all of you and glad to be back home! It was a great trip for the most part, my brother and his wife had to leave on Wednesday with a family emergency, so we drove down to LA in one day and were on our own. The weather was great, we lucked out with sunshine till the last day and a half, with lots of fog. I only gained 2 and a half pounds, so eating healthy and less for the next few weeks. The homeless population in LA and surrounding areas was huge, it was really sad, very much affected me. Overwhelming, so many homeless. The scenery was gorgeous, I like Northern California much better, but it was all beautiful, glad we traveled there.

Sounds like Cyn and Lav got pounded with snow. Sorry to hear that, it was cold when we came home too, but luckily, no snow.

Cyn, septic problems are the worst. My daughter had them and they saved up for two years to get the system replaced, they were in septic failure for a long time. It was truly a hardship in many ways. Hope you can get this resolved soon.

Lav, the poor chickens and YB falling on the ice/snow. I figured this might happen since the winter was mostly snow free.

Pauly, lucky you to live out west, it is so lovely and much warmer. Hope you are feeling better eating in a new way.

Off to make a green smoothie for breakfast! I caught my first cold of the winter on vaca, I bet it was due to eating out and lots of junk. Back to vitamins and lots of fruits and veggies. Have a good one.

[treegirl]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Morning all - welcome home Star!! So glad that you had a good trip. Sorry you got sick, but it's really hard to stay well on a trip, as we know. It will feel great to you to be back in control of your comfort and your food choices!

Lav, it's probably just the filter on one of the tanks - apparently even with new systems (which ours is) these filters are a problem. But by the time I got back yesterday morning from going out for a coffee (and a bathroom ��) the guy had come and dug out the place where the filter should be! So I'm all set for the septic guys to come do their thing tomorrow. Not letting any water go down any drain has been kind of a pain, but I'm just pretending that I'm camping, and I throw the dish water out in the yard. It's actually kind of fun -- I feel much closer to the outdoors, and happily so... maybe I'm just becoming part animal! Suits me... I must have some First Nation blood in me somewhere...

Pauly, miss you! Looking forward to your voice here... remember, we are all just walking each other home....

Well, the septic system got me out of going into NYC for an overnight, and I have to say I'm grateful. Instead HB and I are meeting in a town half-way for dinner. That will be some driving, but less time overall, and we'll get to see each other. Star, the homeless situation in NYC is so tough to see - in that harsh climate, people (more young women nowadays) destitute. I always keep some health bars and small bottles of water with me - what really breaks my heart is when they have an animal with them - these poor dogs lying on the bitter cold cement... uuugh! But I just read about an amazing piece of technology - the homeless are given a 'fob' that has digital info on it - caseworkers have asked them what they need most: often it is socks, or a haircut, or some medicine. You can make a donation via the fob to an organization that will provide something from their wish list. They say this is really having an impact, that caseworkers are now seeing people on a regular basis, that health is improving, and in some cases people have actually gotten off the streets. Verizon has something to do with it... I'll try to find the link and post it. One piece of good news to hang onto...

Wishing everyone an AF Sunday where we send love inside and out...

[NoraC]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Hello everyone. I just love reading here. I love the line 'we are all just walking each other home....' So very true.

Tree - I agree about the homeless situation. Great that you always have something with you. I carry little bags that I make up with food, socks, personal care items. I feel so helpless when I see people that are in this situation. What a wonderful idea about the fob. Please post the link if you find it.

[NoraC]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

I came over here to tell you that I texted with Pauly. She is doing ok. Needed a break for a couple of days. She will be back tomorrow but wanted me to tell everyone that she is ok

[Lavande]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good evening friends!

Had some sunshine & a good deal of melting going on today, nice. It will be a while until the snow is completely gone I'm sure.

Star, welcome back, glad you had a good trip.
Northern CA has a lot to offer & see. I hope your cold isn't too bad. Maybe you picked it up on the flight?
In my mid-Atlantic travels Philly & Baltimore & DC have a large homeless population. Getting them off the streets during these snow storms & spells of frigid weather is a big problem, sad.

Cyn, glad you are surviving your camping experience, ha ha! That is exactly how I would have described the situation myself.
I did hear about the new program for helping the homeless with their personal needs. I also like in Philly there is an organization that offers free 'interview outfits' & free haircuts, etc to help people get ready for employment. That's a great hand up I think.

Nora, thanks for stopping by & letting us know about Pauly.
How are you doing?

I am shaking my head wondering how it can be - next Sunday is my 8 year AF anniversary, wow!
I have said many times that I am one grateful granny & feel so lucky that my grandson's arrival is what finally pushed me to do the right thing. Amen.

Wishing everyone peace tonight.
Lav

[Snoopy56]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good morning...

Woke up late, still on California time, could not fall asleep till after midnight. Oh well, I am sure I will be back on schedule tonight.

Sorry to hear Pauly is having a hard time. Thanks for letting us know you need a break. We are looking forward to having you back.

Cyn, lovely info about homeless people and how to meet a few of their needs. Wish there was more help for them out there. Hope your septic system is fixed today! You have a great attitude.

Lav, eight years coming up and no regrets, wonderful. I agree their is no downside to being AF! Very grateful you are here for all of us.

Off to get ready for work! Have a marvelous AF Monday.

[treegirl]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Morning all -

Hello Nora! So nice to see you! How are you Doing? Thanks so much for being the messenger... we respect everybody's journey here. I'm looking for that article, haven't found the link yet; will let you know.

Lav, lots of snow melt here... but it will be awhile before these mounds go down. At least the door isn't swollen shut (yet)! I hope the chicks can get out and stretch their legs for awhile today.

Star, I know - between daylight savings and jet lag, you must be reeling! I hope your day back at work is good. Sometimes routine is a good thing.

Hey Pauly, sending hugs -

Hoping to do a big push today and get HB's corp tax prep stuff off to the accountant, then tack down our joint taxes. I had a good start in January, then everything seemed to flow in... had to put them aside to Get Active. But now want to finish it all up.

They're coming to deal with septic today... cross fingers!!

Wishing all a sunny AF day, inside and out...

[Lavande]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Greetings friends!

Happy Spring to everyone
We had a sunny, above freezing day today so I feel special, ha ha!

Star, it's funny how a time change of just an hour or two can throw you off. I think the worst I ever had was the 6 hour difference between here & Germany. Somehow we all find a way to cope.
I hope your day was a good one

Cyn, our tax package is going to the accountant tomorrow. I am always so glad once we put it in his hands. That stuff just puts me to sleep.
I hope your septic is back to working well.

Today I received an email response from our local rep & one from the infamous US Senator Toomey (who has been MIA since the election). At least I feel like I am starting to be heard a bit but I am not necessarily getting the responses I want. We just have to keep leaning on these people, not give up. From all the Breaking News Alerts I've been getting today I see that 45 is starting to be exposed for the lying sack of sh*t he truly is - good!

Pauly, we are waiting for you so come on back.

Have a peaceful night everyone!

Lav

[Snoopy56]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good morning...

Nora, I want to also thank you for taking the time to let us know what is going on!

Pauly, hope you are doing better, looking forward to having you back. You are so fun and full of life, sassy and serious at the same time. You are real and not afraid to tell it like you see it, and we all need that.

Cyn, hope your septic was taken care of, what a pain for you and your husband. Water is a basic need. Has the snow melted yet? It is warming up around here, hope we are heading into spring weather.

Lav, rough day at work yesterday, adjusting to being back, feeling tired and achy, and too much to do after being gone a week. Hopefully today will be smoother, easier. Having my first cup of coffee, feeling better after a good night's sleep. Waiting to get our tax results, we will probably owe money, yuck. It never ends. I watched some CNN last night re: the latest 45 drama and that man will not admit when he is wrong or lies, but then I guess he would be admitting it day and night. I just keep hoping that the truth will come out before he totally destroys our country. We are the laughing stock of the world right now, very dangerous. I watch the drama play out and the good people who are trying to put a stop to the corruption and mayhem. Unbelievable.

It feels good to be home and back in the routine. AF is now the normal routine and I plan on staying with this forever. Sleeping well, working on eating healthy, exercise and emotional stability. Focusing on gratitude and kindness, my goal is to be gentle and kind and to be mindful in the present moment. That is a big order because normally I move full speed ahead and will work on slowing down, being thoughtful. I read that what our patterns are, things we do over and over or that happen to us over and over, are here to teach us lessons, once we learn them we can move on. Otherwise we will repeat the patterns until we learn the lesson and can move on to the next one. Interesting concept. I was thinking about what is going on in my life currently and what I have to learn. I have felt really lonely since my good friend died in 2015 and my other close friend and I had a falling out. What is it about me that I am unable to connect with new friends in that close way. I realize it takes time, but would like to find someone to hang out with, common interests, to share and laugh together. I will keep looking.

Have a great AF Tuesday.

[treegirl]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Morning all - up early because of dog issues... my Star you must be a super-early riser!

Lav, how is Maxie doing? You haven't posted anything about her, I hope she's doing better... are those chicks taking over your house yet? I bet it's getting noisy! Good job on getting your reps attention - it's their job, sheesh!

Star, between the stress of getting ready for trips and the stress of being behind when one returns, I sometimes wonder if it makes sense to travel! But of course it does, it's just knowing that those things are part of the package... I hope you have a better day today.

RE friends: I think it is much harder when one is older. Those close friendships from our youth are just irreplaceable. BUT, I have found this wonderful friend just by chance as a neighbor - so it happens! I could meet lots more people if I went to meditation classes, or yoga, or swimming or something, but the time element is just not do-able for me. Here's something for you to think about - what about finding your Indivisible group close to where you are? You could put your passion to work for the good of the country! Through my work here (and now co-chair of a committee) I am meeting some dynamite women - smart Professionals that are bringing their expertise to the table. I host a lot of short meetings, and we always stay after to talk about life stuff and I'm finding out more about this area where I've lived for almost 5 years now. You could also look at Emily's List, (emilyslist.org) which is identifying the future leaders and helping them get ready to go into government. Or flippable.org, anything to connect with like- minded people. It feels good! Good luck...

Septic fixed! Just a plugged filter, jeeez. Star, my husband is back working in NYC, and a good thing, since I could not use a drop of water in the house from Thursday until yesterday morning. I did quite a bit of 'dropping trow' and basically just treated it like a camping weekend, except for a nice warm bed and a roof over our heads. It was actually fine, and a nice break from the 'normal', which I find refreshing. HB would have had to move to a motel, so it was better that he was away! I miss camping.......

Love to you, Pauly!

Wishing all a centered AF Tuesday

[paulywogg]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Morning friends, Star,glad the trip was fun! Cyn,glad the septic system is fixed,what a PIA but you sounded like you put a positive spin on itLav,anything interesting in the email? Wishing us all a happy AF Tuesday

[Lavande]

Re: Mindfulness March-2017

Good evening friends!

Nice day here but tomorrow is returning to cold with wind chills. This needs to STOP soon! We deserve a real spring.

Pauly, good to see you!
The email responses are kind of skewed. You get your typical deaf, dumb & blind response from the Republicans. They basically tell you thanks for writing & giving your opinion but they are going to vote the way they want to vote. Then you get the Democrats agreeing with almost everything that I have said & requested. Politics = BS!
I hope everything is OK with you

Star, I really have no close, personal friends anymore either. It's just different as we get older & I'm OK with that. I am grateful to have a good relationship with my daughter & now my granddaughter. I guess that's going to have to be good enough.
I really don't mind spending more time on focusing on myself, I am a work in progress, ha ha!

Cyn, Maxie is getting really physically hard to handle but we are managing. I don't mention her much although she is constantly on my mind. We're just trying to keep her comfortable & well fed. She definitely lights up when someone comes over to visit, especially the kids.
Happy your septic troubles are sorted out, geez. Our septic is 13 1/2 years old & I say a prayer for it every day
I seem to be living in the midst of Trump country here & have not found too many people I can talk to openly about what's going on. There are a few like-minded women at Curves but we kind of have to 'talk quietly', ugh. I will keep up my persistent resistance right from my laptop!!!

Have a peaceful night everyone!

Lav