Thursday, June 22, 2017

Best By Date



Are you past your best by date? Or expiration date? Or whatever you want to call it?

I actually know a little something something about determining expiration dates, and there’s usually a decent fudge factor involved. But botulism is botulism, so hey.

I was talking with a friend the other day about their dissatisfaction with the status quo. I have my own complaints about the status quo, so in preaching to both of us I recommended changing up something. The scenery. What you’re doing for self-care. What you’re reading. What you’re praying.

Or, you know, clean out the pantry.

The further down this road I get the more astonished I get at all the things and people that have fallen off the back of the truck. Some I thought would be riding shotgun … or at least backseat driving … hmm.



I general avoid haunted houses, and that’s where ghosts live, so …


Onward.

I skipped posting last week because I had nothing new to say. I’m working on self-care and self-reflection. I pondered this piece of paper I keep tucked in my calendar. Yes, I keep a paper calendar. Life is better that way.



If you’re familiar with Marcus Buckingham and his “strength” books, these are my top five. Most are self-explanatory. Maximizer means I prefer to take things from good to great, as opposed to handling train wrecks and lost causes. Interesting.

I had to laugh at a meme I saw this week. Rather than copy and paste, I’ll quote the edited version here.

“I have a pretty big a**, so when I half a** something, you’re still getting something impressive.”

Word.

And perhaps some insight into why I have angst lately … I’ve not had much choice but to half a** several things with my hands (and my mouth?) tied behind my back. I don’t mind the opportunity to unravel the occasional train wreck or to address the needs of a lost cause that in reality has potential. Forever the optimist, I like the challenge.

But the lack of … well, there’s a long list. Best summed up by ...

Ugh.

I’ll have a convo with Juan Valdez about it. And keep searching for my joy.

And eat some avocado enchiladas. Self care.
  
And keep moving down the road.
  


And keep looking up.


Thursday, June 8, 2017

The Summer of My Discontent




Okay, I’m not really that discontented.

And it’s not officially summer yet.

I have been saying I’m struggling with exhaustion and schtuff. Allergies have a lot to do with that … hello grass pollen. I am discontented with pollen. I met a friend for lunch the other day, and the first thing she said was that I looked like I didn’t feel good. Indeed. Congestion, sore/scratchy throat, brain fog.

I’m schlepping through the best I can. Just a couple or three more weeks and I should be able to tolerate the outdoors a little. I’m working on extra self-care in the meantime.

This week thanks to the aforementioned brain fog, and because I snapped a lot of photos … also because I'm multitasking by listening to a Jimmy Abegg interview while I type ... I’m going heavy on the pics, light on the words. Enjoy.


When babies want to take selfies.

Let there be light. And let it be pretty.

La Marseilles, la marseill-e-e-e-es, da da da da, da da da …

The blurriness is perhaps a metaphor for why I need coffee at eight o’clock at night.

French crème brulee to go with the French fleur de lis.

Don't lick that.

A metaphor for my train of thought.
  
The asymmetry is assaulting my sense of feng shui.

It's healthy 'cause it has fruit on it.



Sometimes you’re the bird, sometimes you’re the light post?

Tune me.



Suburban blight.

Rural blight.



A metaphor for my sinuses. Take two chile relleno and call me in the morning

Keep looking up.





Thursday, June 1, 2017

Kerfuffle



The word “kerfuffle” has been in the news and on my brain.

Go ahead. Say it five times fast.

Kerfuffle

It’s a good word.

So is shrubbery, at which I am staring, hoping perhaps for some inspiration.



There are daily kerfuffles reported in the media and happening on the social media. Now the broadcast media reports on the social media. Oy vey. Do you ever chuckle at a reporter telling us what someone posted or tweeted? This is news now? How much our world has changed in the last ten or twenty years.

Let us all chuckle at the kerfuffles on the six o’clock news.

Another tongue twister for you to utter five times fast.

:-)

Do you have friends on your feed who seem to have a kerfuffle obsession? Many have observed with a shaking of the head and a face palm the current state of social media interaction, particularly as it relates to, but not limited to political discussions. Some display their obsession with likes and shares, and some jump right in with comments that often are as combative as those they seek to, I don’t know, debunk? Beat into submission? Occasionally a healthy debate breaks out, but it seems to be the exception rather than the norm.

You catch more flies with honey.

Sept d’un coup.

Along those same lines, it’s been said “consider the source” and “choose your battles wisely”. A recent kerfuffle in the social media had me shaking my head yet again. Often we have different perceptions of situations … and what ought to be done or said … and whether we are the ones who should do or say things. Our personalities, our relationships, the experiences we have, and the information we’re operating with can inform whether we jump in at all. Whilst I was privately trying to ascertain more information, this particular kerfuffle started to get a little disrespectful in the public arena. My experience on this one told me first not to have a cow – everything is probably not as it seems – and second not to touch the discussion with a ten foot pole.

I felt a slight passing sense of vindication when I was proven right before too long.

Sigh.

Sometimes the words don’t mean what you think they mean.


Kerfuffle.
Schmerfuffle.
Hasenpfeffer incorporated.


Perspective, man.

I don’t know, do you think she’s secretly flipping the bird with her right hand? Perspective. She doesn’t look happy, but without all the facts, how do we know for sure?

Murphy once said junk will accumulate to fill the available space. This is perhaps an accurate description of our SoMe feeds these days. I did start using a plugin for Chrome that curates my Facebook feed in truly beautiful ways. No more so-and-so liked or commented on this thing you could not care about less. Always in most recent order. I’m still evaluating, but so far so good. The sad part is there is no such thing for the phone app. But overall it is doing great things for my sanity and my blood pressure.

How much time are we all wasting on useless kerfuffles? Are there kerfuffles that are useful? Why are we not discussing faith, hope, love, truth, and beauty? Why are we calling out those we think oppose us, more or less calling them the devil incarnate, instead of praying for the discernment and wisdom to recognize what he’s really doing?

Why am I not currently on a beach somewhere in the coffee belt???

Perplexing times and perplexing questions.

Kerfuffle schmerfuffle.


Keep looking up.