Here are a few pictures from Phoenix in November. The first two are of the obligatory cactus. The 3rd is Phoenix.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
I'm NOT waiting
You know the whole idea about “waiting” has always irritated
me.
Mainly because, what is the action of the wait, exactly? Is it twiddling your thumbs? Is it trying to
distract yourself? Is it pacing the floor? And if it’s primary giver is God or
the Universe - waiting for one of them to swing around and throw candy to you
like they are riding the float of the Milky Way - how do you deal with that
when you think it’s taking a little long?
You get bitter, angry and sad because waiting is not a
realistic or natural place we’re meant to be. Some things are uncomfortable because
they are meant to strengthen us because we were built to get stronger. But we’re not built to wait.
Go ahead all you holy rollers; get mad at me as you sit on
your hands and try to look and sound pious.
I’m not waiting.
I had a house blessing in September of 2011 for a new
apartment. It was the first time I was
living alone in a long time. I was
looking forward to it. I had waited and
prayed for an apartment in the city for years.
Pastor Jared, a friend of mine who was leading the blessing
with a few friends and family, asked “What do you want this place to be?”
I only had to think a split second and I knew, among other
things, what I most desired.
“I want this to be a place where I can practice
contentment.”
As I looked back over all those prayers, one thing I thought
about and prayed for was a place where I could practice contentment. As I prayed, I wondered if that “I want to
live in the city” prayer would ever be answered; I realized that I had never waited for that prayer to come true.
I had already started practicing the art of contentment. I found something to enjoy about the several
places that I lived in the meantime.
All you semantic champions back off a bit and let me tell
you the difference between practicing contentment and waiting.
Waiting usually involves other “W” words whether you want to
admit it or not.
Want
Wrestle
Worry
Yeah, nobody likes to admit that waiting sometimes involves
worry. You've probably worried about how
much longer you’d have to wait.
Waiting involves looking for a termination. How long is this line going to be, fo’ real
though? Usually, as you wait, you expect
some kind of outcome; either a “No,” or something more pleasant. There is always some kind of answer involved;
an answer that comes in the future.
Waiting is future oriented.
Waiting requires hope.
As Terry Pratchett so eloquently says in Hogfather, “Jam tomorrow equals hope.” Hope is a wonderful thing, until tomorrow
after tomorrow comes and you don’t get your jam. Or preserves. Or
marmalade. You only get crickets. You stare down at your bread and honey and
ask, “When will I at least get some jelly?”
Contentment is different because it is concerned with the
present and only the present. It doesn’t
look forward to any answer in the future because its main concern is accepting
what you have now. It doesn’t ask
questions about tomorrow. It is thankful
for today and everything in today.
Contentment
leans into at the heart of
gratitude.
learns to appreciate
what you have now in all its limitations.
Contentment looks
down at that honey and says “Wow. This is versatile stuff. It sweetens my tea and spreads on toast.”
And, most importantly, contentment makes yumming noises and says “I’m enjoying this
right now.”
And you do; you can enjoy it right now because you’re not
dreaming about what might be tomorrow instead of chewing mindlessly and swallowing
and wondering what it just tasted like.
You can taste it right now.
You enjoy it.
Contentment enjoys friendships for what they are worth
instead of wondering what they will be and loosing touch with all those
precious little moments.
Contentment finds fulfillment in a smile on a job well done
even when the most menial tasks usually drive you crazy.
Contentment perseveres in pain, knowing that it is the miracle eye-opener to all the brief glimpses of beauty you had never noticed before because now nothing is taken for granted.
Contentment knows change is
constant.
Contentment waters
hope.
If you can enjoy your present, even when it doesn't live up
to your dreams, you realize that you can enjoy life as is it blossoms.
Waiting’s got its thumb out, hitch-hiking for the next thing
to pass by. Contentment enjoys the ride it’s already on.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
365 Day Project - Day 282
Lilly looking lovely.
Lilly ready to pounce.
Fegie hiding in wait.
I HEART my FEGIE!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
365 Day Project - Day 280
So, I've had a couple of questions from readers about "Does she try to cover up?" when using the litter qwitter. Yes, sort of. She doesn't try using the water in the bowl. You can see her here "scratching" at the back of the toilet. Sometimes, she scratches at the toilet seat.
Fegie: Um. Do you mind? I'm trying to concentrate in here.
365 Day Project - Day 279
Me: Fegie, this is a sign of true friendship. I was on the phone on hold with Continental Airlines and I wanted to get this book for the weekend. The library was closing in less than 1/2 hour and there was no way I was getting off the phone in time to get to the library. Audene stopped what she was doing to go get this book for me. When she go there they were already flashing the lights and she braved the impending dark, in a strange library and came out with this book for me!
Fegie: It just shows how much she doesn't love you.
Me: You mean, how much she loves me.
Fegie: Do you call getting you something to read that intensifies your zombie nightmares love?
Me: You have a point.
Fegie: No, I have a tail. There's a difference.
Me: I still think it was an act of true friendship.
Fegie: You hoomans and your . . . "friends"
365 Day Project - Day 277
Me: This is nice.
Fegie: What?
Me: The candle light. The bokah.
Fegie: Are you calling me names?
Me: No, it's just that I was out of ideas of what picture to take today and I looked a the list of themes for this month. This week is Romance. So I decided to take a "romantic" shot.
Fegie: Uh, really?
Me: Don't you think candle light is romatic.
Fegie: Well, usually romance at least includes the same species . . . and I don't think those candles are all the same flavor.
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