How great thou art

Is this now the new routine?!!

Reflections The Week Of The Inauguration | Marianne Williamson

The New Jersey Watcher House | BEHIND THESE WALLS #3

BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Pilgrims

Stevie Nicks and me: these dreams.....

I know what happens when my antidepressant du jour stops working (usually after a year or so):  all the very vivid, symbolic dreams heavily come crashing back again.  I love them - I do!  They give me both story ideas AND now that I understand symbolism and how to study them, fill me in.  Don't worry!  I know by now that not taking my meds 'just' for the dreams is - literally - crazy-making: I'm otherwise not too good in functioning .... Early this a.m., I had a heavily symbolic dream in which I woke up crying from its content, and I wanted to record it :

I was in the mall - I was working, but not in a store - in an office.  I was all dressed-up.  My father was supposed to pick me up from work.  I was waiting and WAITING.  Where the heck IS he?!  

I took off my shoes and started walking around in my pantyhose.  Naturally, inside the mall, my hose got dirty ... and then when I started walking out in the parking lot looking for him, the nylon shredded and tore and my feet got cut and bloody ...

I turned a corner and there was a large picnic table of Jewish people: they were speaking Yiddish, laughing, eating that good rye bread ... and in the midst of them was - my very Catholic father.  "Hey, doll!" he grinned.  "They made me an honorary Jew!  Whoa, what a good time we're having here!"

And as much as I wanted to go home with my Daddy ... I knew he was having such a good time, so - I left him with his new friends and went on walking, even with exposed, cut, and bleeding feet ....

And this is how it FINALLY! ended!!!

Gratitude & Non-Gratitude, Weds, Jan 25th

I am so, so grateful for all the women who went out on 1.21 and walked!  I am so, so grateful there was a #DisablityMarch for those of us who could not physically do so.  I am grateful for the groundswell of change its bringing about ....

... What I'm not so grateful for are the people who trash-talk, print fake news, think it's one issue only! I am grateful for the one or two friends who asked me a direct question!  From an article forwarded by my friend Jacy :

Women are marching because our family and friends deserve healthcare. Did you know that before the ACA, newborns in the NICU would hit their lifetime caps on health insurance coverage. That's right, Babies who had never felt the sun on their skin could no longer get health insurance.

Women are marching because domestic violence crisis centers and after school programs deserve funding.

Women are marching because we deserve clean air, clean water, and national parks.

Women are marching because we believe the children protected by the DREAM act deserve to be here and they deserve to live with their parents, not in orphanages and foster homes.

And most of all, women are marching because we have the right to. The right to protest and speak out against our government is the first amendment. That's right, #1! It is one of our most fundamental American rights.

1.21.17

#disabilitymarch
#womensmarch

'Missing' gratitude & musings ......

I've kind of been aware that my anti-depressant has been s l o w l y wearing down, like one of those clocks you have to manually wind-up, since November-ish.  But by the turn of the New Year, and shortly after, I was getting very significant "you're swallowing me as prescribed but he! he! I'm not working!" signs .... little things and big things, like seeing a word search puzzle on the U.S. Navy and feeling a wash of grief over me for my late, beloved Dad and stopping myself from digging through old photographs .... yeahhhh ....

There are two good pieces of news in all of this, however!  The first is that I have continued my prayers and often talk to God and thank Him for the things I am grateful for.  Secondly, I did call my doc's office .... as she knows my selection is limited because I don't have prescription coverage (something ELSE to try to 'remedy' in 2017), she advised me to double the dose.  So we'll start that later tonight, and

see if I'm digging in the half-cabinet for old pictures, anyway, even tho I know .....

Early a.m. gratitude, Jan. 16th

Delilah making a nest of my lap; BIG Mama making a bed nest.

Legs that (mostly) work and aren't too extremely sore or spasm--y.

Print and online media that makes me give such a big smile, even my missing dog tooth shows ;)

Being dazzled by people who turn pain into action (recently saw the Brit Mrs. Evans, about her deceased son, Tommy Evans, who became a jihadi, as just one example ...)

My friend Pearl texting me (hope this keeps up!)

Its NOT about the party, but the great story lines!  West Wing; Madam Secretary (which I wonder ... will that morph into Madam Vice President???)

Saturday Jan. 14th gratitude (?!) musings .....

At least two of my dear friends are the recipients of emotionally abusive relationships; I spoke to one earlier today ... whenever I hear about such, along with gruesome details, it makes me grateful I'm single and not so sad that I've joined the standing team of over 40's cat ladies ... I suppose I should be grateful our ice storm wasn't nearly as bad as predicted, but this is where my heart is right now .......

Gratitude, in general ... (end of the week posting)

If there is a day when you have eaten until full;
if there is a time of joy you can recall;
if you have escaped even once the clutches of death;
if you can remember one or all of  the above,
then you have something to be grateful for!

~ Iyanla Vanzant

Today's Weds .... so what happened since Monday?!

Something very interesting:  I went through binge-watching tv (mostly Madam Secretary, which made me grateful for the friend who recommended it!).  Binge-watching!  Wow!  I can't even tell you the last time I was able to do so!  I know I only have Netflix for a short while, and I know that I ignored many online places and f2f places I need to be in ... that said ... it was so, so good to just sit here and cram tv in !  IT WAS FUN!!!  (Also exhausting and completely threw off whatever sleep schedule I had, so I don't see that happening again too soon - but - as an every once in a while thing - IT WAS FUN!!!)

I am grateful for the cats that (mostly ...) adjust to times like this, especially cuddly, cute, lap and desk cats!

Running late! Gratitude & thoughts for Monday, Jan 9th

I've been having a problem with greatly increased fatigue --

and I suppose that if I really look at it, there are things about it I can find to be grateful for! like --

A bed, with nice blankets, the right pillows, and at least one cat who snuggles!

No one whose life is disturbed by my random and heavy sleeping - no job, either.  

And a roof its under.

Gratitude & Musings with a movie review: Jan. 8th

I just watched the Australian recreation of a true crime, called "A Model Daughter" ... which is what Carolyn Byrne was, both literally and professionally.  Until she met up with a sociopath, who charmed her until That Day.  I'm not blaming the victim, but once you see proof he is a snake in the grass, DO NOT GO BACK NO MATTER WHAT.  That was how he was able to kill her and elude justice through two detectives and quite a few years, taking an enormous toll on her father.  

I have no idea how, but I've survived the ones I've bunked into (so far ...) and maybe thats to make me that Titus 2 woman 

or

simply grateful

Gratitude & Musings, Jan 6th and Jan 7th, 2017

On Jan 7th, my parents were married ... 72 years ago today.  Happy Anniversary in Heaven, Mom and Dad!!!  I love looking at their wartime wedding pictures, and sometimes in the past I've set-up a little display, but this year - its in my mind's heart.
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I'm grateful that the snow was soft, it stopped!, and the roads weren't too Gad-awful, either!

I'm so sorry my good heater quit, sorry that Wal-Mart wouldn't have the one I really wanted until Weds (when the cold snap is back to normal), but very grateful that $tore that one (and cat things too of course :)!  I'm very, very grateful for cats who easily adapt to my increased fatigue levels, in several fashions ...)

Gratitude for Thurs Jan 5th

I cannot even begin to describe how grateful I was to be back HOME after running a necessary errand today!!!  ... While I was out, I kept encountering the word Joy all over and in some very unexpected places! so that's one to ponder ! .................................

Gratitude for my patron saint's day: Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton, Jan. 4th

I am so very grateful for my patron saint and for all the various ways she has been woven through my life at different points, since my mother stood up for me and declared she would be mine!

Gratitude for Tues the 3d of Jan

That I can not only watch videos, I can comment on them!  I post reviews on places where I watch (like Amazon and Netflix) and then on YouTube I very often hear back from the vlogger and its truly like having a friend!

Gratitude for Monday Jan. 2d

I am grateful for my computer!  All the people, God-ness, sobriety, shopping, tv and movies, videos and pictures, and absolutely everything and everyone life-affirming, it connects me to !!!

TV show review: "Real Rescues"

The first link in the chain of getting help in an emergency is calling for help - here in the States its 911; in the UK, 999 ... and from the command center, that's where this impressive British tv show begins.  They interview operators, as well as go into more in-depth stories, complete with footage from the event, as well as conversations with rescue personnel and the persons involved in requiring assistance.

Before I watched this show, I was well-aware that England has an extensive CCTV system ... however, I wasn't aware how operators monitoring trouble spots and even ordinary boulevards, have been able to pinpoint trouble (abandoned animals & children, for just one example) and alert the police.  In addition, there are emergency volunteer doctors, and part of there job is to assess the elderly in there homes, to see if they can't be treated on-site, rather than putting the person needing help through the further trauma of going to the hospital.  I certainly believe that the US can take several lessons from there system!

An excellent show, fast-paced and quite informative!!!

Gratitude, New Year's Day (Sunday), 2017

That my newest day of the year has been a balance of cats, computers, coffee, couscous, new calendars, writing, conversation with Christ ... and sobriety  + + +

Blessed 2017! Sweet prayer "Directly From Lourdes"

Dear Lord,

We pray that this New Year will bring us closer to You.
May we take the time to get to know You.
Help us to truly celebrate the gifts You have graciously given us
and use them to serve You and spread Your word,

May we also see and love you in all the people we meet,
so that in turn, they can see You in us.
We know that all human relations take time
if they are to grow and deepen.

This is also true of our relations with You,
the Father and the Holy Spirit, which must grow
over the course of our lives.
In this New Year, let us realise that every action of ours
no matter how great or small, enables us to be in touch with You.

Let us accept You in our lives as,

• Truth, to be spoken
• Life, to be lived
• Love, to be shared
• Joy, to be given
• Peace, to be spread

and as Sacrifice, to be offered among our relatives, friends, neighbours and all people.

Amen.