Present day moments

Our water taxi at rest in the harbor

Yesterday my friend Don and I walked around Squalicum Harbor under cloudy skies with the occasional spit of rain, covering around five miles. But it was actually quite mild and very nice to be there. Friend Steve is under the weather so he didn't join us. We saw the water taxi that has become such a great source of new adventures, moored in the harbor. We had heard that it has two new propellers; they do look sort of new and shiny. I've gone on three separate excursions into the San Juan islands with them and expect to enjoy many more.

After last week's look back into past adventures, I realize how lucky I am to continue to be able to experience so many new exploits. My new acquaintances made through the Bellingham Senior Center continue to add new excitement to present day moments. After having considered what seniors like me need to have in their lives to continue to be healthy, engaged in the world, and willing to embrace every day, I realize once again how important it is to keep a positive outlook on life.

And looking forward to my next phase of being alive, I realize once again how fortunate I am to have my health and the ability to walk unaided at my age. While on the harbor, I see many older people exercising with the aid of a walker, or a cane, or being pulled along by a frisky dog. I also realize that one of these days, it might be me out there needing assistance of one sort or another. If so, I do hope I can remember to be grateful for that ability and not moan about what I've lost. When you are an octogenarian, you need to remember that every single day is a gift, and being able to have a brisk walk is not guaranteed to anyone at any age.

It also makes me think about that next and final adventure I have ahead: going into the long night. Of laying down in my bed for the last time and closing my eyes to the world I've known for so long. What's ahead in that journey? Will I be suffering from ill health, will I be hoping for release from pain, or will I just fade away? You don't get to my age without thinking about these things, unless you are pretending that it won't happen to you. Everything and everyone that lives must one day transition into its opposite. Some people face it with grace and beauty, while others are angry and bitter that it is happening to them. 

What occurs to me this fine Sunday morning is to ponder what can I accomplish with whatever number of days, years, decades I have ahead of me? I'm not at all sure that I want to live for decades longer, since I'm losing my eyesight and my walks and adventures have become more circumspect. When I looked back last week at my hikes up mountains in Colorado, I was reminded that I cannot do such things any more. But until I thought about it, I didn't feel any sense of being different today than I was half a century ago. Slow attrition brought about by all these years of living an active life, perfectly normal and expected, unnoticed day to day, but nevertheless a one-way journey we all experience, if we're lucky.

There is one thing that hasn't changed: my ability to think and reflect on life. I love to read, which is becoming quite difficult while trying to read books, but I can use my Kindle on its "low vision" setting and read just fine. I can also, I notice, see to read on my laptop and iPad because the light is coming from behind the text, and it's much easier on my eyes that way. 

There is so much to continue to learn and discover, and I intend to spend the rest of my days doing just that. I want to learn how sages navigate their final years and emulate them. As you know, I am a fan of Buddhist literature, and I also enjoy studying how those who have not been given my advantages learn to cope with adversity. Just learning about the journey Helen Keller traveled through life, after having lost her eyesight and hearing at 19 months, inspires me every day. She lived to be in her late eighties and was grateful for all her life, ending up writing dozens of books and learning to read (through Braille) four different languages, reading books in all of them.  She made an indelible imprint on the lives of so many, including me and others who read her books today. Not many authors continue to have books in print for more than a century, but she has accomplished that; her books continue to inspire others to remember the importance of living a good and honest life.

Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who are not honest. Thus honesty is attained. —Lao Tzu

 Today I will have an extra hour in the morning, before John comes to pick me up and take me to a different restaurant than usual. He is being treated to a special breakfast by our friends Lily and Lamont to celebrate his 84th birthday. I am also going along because I am usually with John on Sundays, I guess, and they invited me. They have been doing this for several years now, and it's become a tradition. In any event, I don't need to hurry this morning, with an extra hour that will evaporate quickly. It amazes me how just sitting and reading blogs and the news gobbles up time, and as I looked just now at the time I realize that I've already been dawdling and that extra hour is almost gone! Oh well, it happens when you're having fun and not paying attention to time.

I do hope that you will have a good week ahead, and that you'll spend some part of it thinking about your life as it exists today, and consider what you might be able to accomplish during the week. Remember to spread some of your goodness and honesty into the world around you, and I'll do the same. Until we meet again next week, dear friends, I wish you all good things. Be well.

Remembering adventures

Mama and me in 1943 (or 1944)

This cheeky little girl was me, long ago. I didn't know what the world would hold for me, but I knew I was loved and cherished by my parents. Daddy must have taken the picture, and since I was still in diapers, I figure it must have been my first or second year. Mama had created the outfit, probably even knit that adorable beret. And of course Daddy had to get his car in the picture, too. Is it a Packard? I have no idea, but it sure needed a bath.

I went rummaging around in my pictures, looking for some inspiration for today's post, and it occurred to me that I have always been an active person, looking for adventure. Although I grew up as an Air Force brat (as we were called by those who stayed put in their lives, while we moved all the time), I never doubted that my parents loved me and would provide me with everything I needed. When you're born in such an environment, there is no uncertainty clouding your days. When I think of those children born in a war zone today, filled with uncertainty in every respect, I feel bad for them. What a different world. If I were Queen of the World, it wouldn't be like that for anyone.

But I'm not and now that I'm on the other end of life, I am remembering some of the wonderful moments of exhilaration and discovery that I've experienced. When I lived in Boulder, Colorado, before I got pulled into the skydiving world, I spent plenty of time in the Colorado mountains, hiking many of the fourteeners with friends. "Fourteeners" is the epithet used for the numerous Colorado peaks that are at least 14,000 feet high. There are, I believe, 52 of them. I've climbed exactly half: 26. Some I have climbed more than once, like Longs Peak, which has a direct route (the Keyhole Route) that doesn't require technical skill, and a climber's route on the East Face where you need ropes and at least one other person. I ran into a group of climbers in Boulder who were willing to train me to use crampons and ropes, and we did climb what is called Kiener's Route once many years ago. I found those two links and in reading the descriptions of the routes, I am simply amazed at what we accomplished.

On top of Long's Peak

Of course, I was young then, and in looking at that picture of me I don't remember having long hair but I did, although I remember very well that yellow and blue hat. The Keyhole Route is 15 miles, and I remember starting before dawn to be able to get up and back before the usual thunderstorms formed. I remember the Boulder Field that seemed endless, and the scary part where you hug a sheer cliff with a long drop down on the other side. But I did it, and I remember feeling really exhilarated when we reached the summit. It's almost 5,000 feet of elevation gain and loss.

On the other route, the technical one (Kieners Route), we roped up often as we ascended. I well remember looking at what is called "Broadway," a long stretch below the Diamond shape of the wall, where of course we were roped. You might get a bit of the heeby-jeebies when you look at the picture of it because of all that exposure.

Climbers on Kieners Route, from internet

These days, thinking of completing such a long and arduous climb under those conditions simply amazes me, but reminds me that I have indeed gotten much more circumspect in what I attempt these days. More than 70 people have died on those Longs Peak routes, the last one in 2022 when the weather turned bad and the guy got lost. 

I am not done with adventures, but I have had more than my share already. Now that I am getting towards the last years, or months, or days (who knows?), I realize that many of my adventures have never really left me. They are still there to be remembered, shared and enjoyed. And if I am lucky enough to experience in retrospect once again the fearful moments, I'll consider that to be a bonus! A frisson of fear courses through me now and then, but these days it's for more mundane reasons, like stumbling on an uneven spot on  the sidewalk. 

Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones. —Thich Nhat Hanh

Some of us seek out those fearful moments, because they remind us of just that: we are still alive, and we can see and hear just like always. Well, maybe some of us need some help in that regard, like needing eyeglasses and hearing aids. But still, we can continue to live each day with an adventurous spirit. It is so much more fun to approach each day that way, so much better than to be fearful of everything around us. Even if we are not in the best shape of our lives, we are still able to have lots of adventures, different from our youthful days perhaps, but still adventures.

Why, just thinking about this post has been an adventure for me. When I went back and refreshed my memory of those strenuous hikes of yesteryear, I experienced the same sense of accomplishment that I felt decades ago. I look forward to what the day ahead will bring, and I look forward to spending some time with family and friends, reading all your blogs and learning what's going on in your lives today. I am hoping also that perhaps you will look at your life with a sense of adventure as you move through the moments, realizing once again how incredibly lucky we are to have another day to enjoy being alive. 

Soon I will climb out of bed and begin the rest of my day. My dear partner, as usual, still sleeps quietly next to me as I type, and now that we are approaching springtime, the light in the morning sky greets me, instead of the darkness of winter. The magic of writing this Sunday morning post has once again catapulted me from drowsy dreams to looking forward to what the day will bring. And of course, my dear friends, I hope it will bring you whatever adventures you desire. Until we meet again, I wish you all good things. Be well.

 

Mixed emotions today

At the Great Wall of China 2003

So much time has passed in life since this picture was taken, both SG and I in China visiting the Great Wall. I was in attendance at a conference that my boss Mickey had arranged, and we were taken by our Chinese hosts to see the sights. Of course this was included, and we were so lucky to see it and have a chance to walk along part of it.

I was looking for a picture among the thousands I've amassed, one that would be relevant to our history, as well as part of our present-day life. We are fast coming up on our thirtieth wedding anniversary, one that felt impossible when we first met, both of us in our fifties. Who would have been able to predict that here in 2024 we would be happily growing old together? Certainly not the two of us. But here we are, octogenarians with a rich life of adventure and travel behind us, and settled into our daily lives with joy in the present and hopes for many more years ahead. But who knows what the future will bring?

I have been following the news, as much as I can stomach anyway, because it has a tendency to make me sad or angry, and there's not much I can do to change things. But I can express myself in this blog, say what's on my mind, and know that many of us are in the same situation. What is happening in Israel and Gaza keeps me awake at night. What is happening in the political arena here in the US also makes me fearful for the future. But again, there is little I can do other than give a few dollars to those organizations I feel can make a difference. 

I am just ten days younger than Joe Biden. When he was first running for President four years ago, I felt he was too old. After all, I couldn't fathom myself having the energy to do that incredibly difficult job. And if there was anyone else who might run, I would definitely consider supporting a viable candidate. But nobody has come forth yet, and I will vote for Biden and Harris again, if I have the chance. And he has done a really good job during  his first term, in my opinion. But to have another five years in the cauldron that is American politics today? It is worrisome. However...

A human being would certainly not grow to be seventy or eighty years old if this longevity had no meaning for the species. The afternoon of human life must also have a significance of its own and cannot be merely a pitiful appendage to life's morning. —Carl Jung

 The entire conversation about age and ability is everywhere right now. And of course, as one who is already well into old age, it sure looks like "ageism" to me. That because of some verbal slips by Biden and Trump, they are not cognitively fit for the difficult job of the presidency. And they may be right. We will only know after the fact, but I find it very troubling that this is the metric that many are using to make their decision about who to vote for. Both of them are old! But one of them has made tremendous positive strides forward for the country, while the other has been just plain wacko. How can so many people feel he is not a threat to democracy but a good idea? It boggles my mind. So I'll get off this contentious subject and turn to more positive thoughts. 

I feel very fortunate to have such a great place to live, and having moved to the Pacific Northwest when I retired in 2008 has been one of the best moves I've ever made. I am so glad to be here, and even if it is a little rainy, the result is plenty of vegetation, flowers, and trees that flourish everywhere. We even have lots of domestic wildlife, such as birds, deer, and squirrels that also enjoy the mild weather. It's true that we get the occasional snowstorm during the winters, and the occasional windstorm as well, but there is no place in the world that has better weather for someone like me. And I have a plethora of rain gear for the wet days, like today.

Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year, and we have entered the Year of the Wood Dragon, whatever that means. From what I can surmise, for those born in the Year of the Horse, like me, it portends a chance to create our own stories this year and carve our own path. Our natural charismatic and optimistic nature will benefit us in this endeavor, according to astrologers. That sounds pretty good to me. I hope we will all have a good year ahead.

It's also Super Bowl Sunday, the annual celebration of the two football leagues having it out with each other. I am rooting for one of the teams, but I really don't care all that much about the game. I don't usually watch it because I get all wound up in it and it's not good for my ability to stay neutral. I just hope nobody gets hurt and that everyone enjoys themselves. How anybody can afford to actually be there in person astounds me. I think the cheapest tickets cost more than most people can afford. But then again, if you've got the money, it's yours to decide how to spend it, right? Many years ago, I would watch the game and felt very invested in it, but now I am wiser and have better things to do with my time.

Today after I have breakfast with John, I'll call my friend Lily and we'll make plans to spend some time together. We were going to go for a nice walk, but she's not keen to walk in the rain, so maybe we'll go to a movie, or who knows? The main thing is to be together. She is a dear friend whom I don't see often enough. 

And friendships and loving relationships are central to having a good life. It's worth spending some of my time just hanging out with good friends, as well as my partner, who of course still sleeps next to me this morning. I laughed at one blogger who wonders how he deals with the incessant tapping of the keys as I write, so I asked him once again how he feels about it. He says he not only doesn't mind, but he finds it soothing, unless he's just trying to make me feel okay about it.

Well, that wraps up this Sunday morning post. I am filled with all sort of emotions, some good and some not so good, but I am also happy to be alive and in good health, for an old bird like me, anyway. Until we meet again next week, dear friends, I wish you all good things. Be well.

Halfway to spring

Lake Padden on a winter's day

We here in the US have finally visited the rodent who predicts the weather,  Punxsutawney Phil, on February 2, to see if he will be predicting that we'll have an early spring or not. It's the day when we have reached the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Apparently he doesn't have a very good track record, since he's only been right 39% of the time. Maybe we should be considering that, since he's predicts an early spring this year, it will be late.

Whatever. It's fun to speculate and spend some time with such antics, but one thing I know for sure: the days are getting longer, there's a bit of light in the sky when I walk to the bus in the early mornings, and that soon I'll be seeing sprouts of emerging daffodils and primroses beginning to show the change of the season. It's been a confusing winter so far, with extreme cold and snow, followed by extreme warmth and rain. At one point last week, we had a warm front come through where the day's heat just kept on rising, long after sunset. We reached a record of 68°F (20°C) at 7:00pm on the 29th! And I saw on TV that Seattle had three nights of record-breaking high low temperatures during that same period. Very strange weather indeed, and it seems like just a few days ago we were buried in more than a foot of snow and extreme cold. Now we're almost back to a normal weather pattern, but there's no question that things are definitely not following the usual norms.

I really didn't know what I wanted to write about today, so I went over to my favorite quote library, brainyquote.com, and I got interested in reading about Helen Keller once I found this quote by her:

Once I knew only darkness and stillness... my life was without past or future... but a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart leaped to the rapture of living. —Helen Keller

 Many years ago I saw The Miracle Worker (1962) movie and enjoyed it very much. I actually might have seen it a time or two later, but I don't remember much from it except Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke in two memorable performances. What I didn't relate to at the time was what it must have been like to be both deaf and blind and unable to understand the world around me. Not only did Helen overcome her handicaps, with help from her teacher and others, she ended up attending Radcliffe College and graduating cum laude in 1904. She wrote 14 books and her biography is still in print.

Helen on her 80th birthday

It's almost impossible for me to imagine how Helen became so proficient in everything she attempted. To only know the world around you by the tapping of someone's fingers into your palm, and having that be enough to open the doors of perception so wide that you could become a world-renowned author. She traveled to dozens of countries and gave interviews with many world leaders. She was acquainted with many famous people, including Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, and so many more. She helped to create the American Foundation for the Blind, which offers an archive of her works, which is available here. 

And I was pleased to learn that she lived a good long life, dying at the age of 87, a few days short of her 88th birthday. Until she suffered a stroke in her 80th year, she continued to be active and engaged in many pursuits. Afterwards, she lived a quiet life and probably spent her time reading, but I don't know for sure. She died in 1968.

To each one of us is given in some degree the power to create and distribute happiness, and that is about the best thing any one of us can do. There is no surer way to keep the fire of happiness burning in our own hearts than by sharing its brightness with others. —Helen Keller, 1924 speech

When I think about all the wonderful people who are alive today, carrying on the work that Helen started, to reach those who were not given the abilities we take for granted, I am truly humbled. But she is right: we are all given to "some degree the power to create and distribute happiness," which is what I attempt to create every Sunday morning with these posts. Helen came alive for me today and has reached through the mists of time to inspire me, a fellow traveler. And I will purchase a copy of her biography to read on my Kindle.

Are there people who inspire you to become a better version of who you already are? I know that now that I am old, I am impressed with others my own age who have found ways to do that. We are at a crossroads in our lives today, with so many of us becoming frail and aged, just when we are getting ready for more upheaval and strife all around the world. But I refuse to give up my pursuit of happiness and will try to keep Helen's words uppermost in my thoughts: that there "is no surer way to keep the fire of happiness burning in our own hearts than by sharing its brightness with others."

As I sit here with my laptop, typing these words into a device that can carry them to the farthest reaches of the globe, it's important for me to realize the gifts that I already have, and take advantage of them in the moment. My dear partner still sleeps quietly next to me, and I know that John will be coming to take me to breakfast soon. It is quiet and serene in my world, as I prepare to wind this post up and send it out into the world. For you, my dear virtual family, I am hoping that you will find some way to share the brightness of happiness with others. Until we meet again next week, I wish you all good things. Be well, dear friends.

Rain and more rain

Steve, me, Don

I guess I really am sort of short, as I look at this selfie of the three of us. I am pretty wet in the picture (maybe I shrunk!), although I'm wearing a usually quite capable rain slicker. The rain started out as a light sprinkle but then picked up to remain a drizzle or a light rain for the entire five miles we walked at Squalicum Harbor. 

But I am back to my old workout routine, getting five miles with the Happy Wanderers on Tuesday, around seven miles with lots of elevation on Thursday, and five miles on Saturday with my two regular partners. And on none of these excursions did I have to deal with snow! Warm temperatures and rain have taken care of all of it. Now it's back to normal puddles as we face a trio of atmospheric rivers coming up from the coastal waters of warm Hawaii. You might wonder what an atmospheric river is. Well, since you asked:

Atmospheric rivers bring moderate to heavy precipitation into the region, sometimes for days on end. This first atmospheric river is anticipated to bring between 0.5 inches to 1.5 inches to the lowlands through Saturday afternoon, with a potential for 2 to 4 inches of rain in the mountains and up to 2 inches in coastal areas. The system is also expected to usher in milder temperatures, raising snow levels between 7,000 and 8,000 feet, leading to some snowmelt. Temperatures may be as much as 10 degrees higher than normal by Sunday. (KING5 Hydrological Outlook)

That was issued on Friday, and sure enough, we got more than an inch of rain yesterday (Saturday). I even discovered that my waterproof rain shoes are also no longer keeping all the moisture from reaching my feet. However, it was so warm that I never had a problem staying comfortable. I wonder if there is some way to get the Gore-Tex lining back to its original state, or whether it's time to just bite the bullet and buy another pair of what have been my favorite shoes for the past year. They weren't terribly expensive, and they were comfy from the first step I took. For those who might be interested, they are Hoka's Clifton 9 GTX brand. And for months they have kept my feet dry as well.  

On Thursday, I took a spill on a wet log and scraped my right forearm quite severely. Even though it didn't tear the coat material, it certainly took a good bit of skin off my arm.  I knew that I had broken the skin in a couple places, but it wasn't until we stopped for lunch that I inspected the damage.

Three pretty good scrapes

Two of those scraped spots show broken skin, so my trusty friends pulled out some antibiotic cream and a couple of good-sized bandages, and then I was good to go. It actually stung awhile after treatment, but then there was no longer any discomfort at all. This picture was taken Friday morning after a good sleep and after a shower, before re-bandaging the affected areas. It makes me happy to see how well it is healing up. I got a massage later on Friday, and I learned that it wasn't only the arm that took some of the beating, but my entire area from shoulder to waist was sensitive. Otherwise, the massage was just what the doctor ordered. She of course skipped my forearm.

It has occurred to me that it might be because I have "old-lady skin" that it tore like that. I notice that when one's skin gets old and rather fragile, it doesn't take much for it to be injured in such a manner. It was a glancing blow, so I was not in danger of breaking any bones. Fortunately I do have a strong constitution, but I don't want to jinx myself by saying I am indestructible or anything like that, because it's not true. I have taken many a spill on hikes before, but the last bones I broke were because of a bad landing under my parachute, almost two decades ago.

As I rouse myself to begin another Sunday here in the Pacific Northwest, I just checked the weather and we are expecting another bout of rain, but nothing like we received yesterday. By tonight the second atmospheric river should bring more warm rain, so I'll check my wardrobe of rain gear and figure out what might work better to keep me dry. I feel so much better when I can get out and about, so I won't let a little rain stop me. Or puddles! 

Last night I dreamed about my grandmother, who has been gone for quite awhile, but she was there, being her normal self in my dream, and it sometimes makes me wonder just whether our loved ones hang around in the corridors of our minds forever, or if it's just an illusion. Then I remember that it's ALL an illusion, that what we think of as reality is made up in our minds and has no intrinsic meaning. At least that is what I believe right now. But it sure was somehow reassuring to visit my granny in seemingly concrete form last night.

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. —Lao Tzu

 Friendship and loved ones are the staples of my existence. Without my circle of friends and my dear family, I would be quite bereft and lonely as well. But I am very fortunate not to have to try to exist without them, but I realize that it's important to value and cherish those who give me such love. It starts with my partner, who lies asleep beside me right now, who is journeying with me through the travails and joys of life. I am quite aware that as octogenarians, we will not always be as lucky as we are in this moment of time, so I need to bring my gratitude into the present moment and acknowledge it. 

There are only a few things I need to remember in order to find serenity, but probably the most important one is that we are all on this little lifeboat together, trying hard to find a way to peace and happiness. It sure helps me to visit my blogging family and see how each one is doing, and your efforts at dealing with the vicissitudes of your own lives. I like that quote from Lao Tzu, reminding me to "let reality be reality." I'm just glad that reality also includes visits from long-departed loved ones.

John's "chariot" will be coming to get me so we can head to Fairhaven for our Sunday breakfast in just a little over an hour from now. Before then, I will have done my Tibetan rites (five daily exercises I've been doing for well more than a decade now), spent a few minutes following my breath in meditation, and take all my morning vitamins. Then I'll head out to the front porch, enjoying the mild weather, and watch for his arrival. We'll have a nice breakfast together in the only place open so early, and then come back home to my sweet partner and look forward to the day ahead.

And with that, my Sunday morning post is finished. I have already inserted my "ears" and find that life is qualitatively better when I can hear. Thanks, hearing aids! I wish there was a way to slip on my eyeglasses and see the way I used to before AMD (age-related macular degeneration), but it's good enough. And of course, I'll read today's posts that you will have written, and enjoy visiting my virtual family. Until we meet again next week, dear friends, I wish you all good things. Be well.

Snowpocalypse!

Our driveway four days later

On Wednesday of last week, we got a bit of snow. In fact, more snow for the date than we had ever before received here in Bellingham and surrounding towns. We don't do well driving in snow, since we rarely have any. But this was more than scary: after all that exceptionally cold weather, the ground was frozen, and eight or more inches of snow fell all during the day and into the night. By midday, the bus authority stopped all buses, with several stuck in snowdrifts. It's been more than thirty years since we lost bus service throughout town, but they really had no choice. Anybody who had come to town that morning could get a ride home through the WTA website, and apparently hundreds did just that. I had taken the bus to the coffee shop that morning, but I headed home before the buses stopped running. The next morning, Thursday, bus schedules were back to normal, with buses using chains.

And on Friday, I didn't go to the coffee shop because, although it had warmed up above freezing, we had an event that anybody who drives knows to avoid: freezing rain. Friday morning my front porch steps had a half-inch of ice and driving anywhere was beyond my ability. Fortunately, it warmed up considerably by noon, and I was able to careen down the driveway to plowed and navigable streets. Unfortunately, I had to come back, and I couldn't use any downward momentum to help me, so I got stuck in the slush and ice and snow. At least I was almost home. 

After much soul searching and getting help from SG (and our neighbors), we were able to get my car into a relatively safe place, and I once again gave up on trying to get any exercise at all for a few days. At least I have a safe and warm place to hang out until I can drive on actual pavement once again. On Friday, the Senior Center opened up again after being closed for two days, two hours late, but still. I didn't try to get there. 

Yesterday, Saturday, John came and picked me up in his big truck that has 4WD, to take me to the coffee shop. Obviously there would be no walk, however, since where would I go that was safe? That coffee sure tasted good, though. I miss my routine, but I will cope with this however I can. I'll survive, for awhile at least.

[Sorry for font size, I can't seem to fix it.]

I am not yet willing to give up on my exercise, just because of a little white slippery stuff on all the available surfaces. However, for the time being, I am staying away from any attempt at driving in that slush. I think just walking to the bus tomorrow morning will be exercise enough. I just need to be patient.

Life is not so easy sometimes, and especially when I allow myself to get pulled into all the drama and problems of the world. You'd think I have enough to worry about in my own life that I wouldn't want to take on the weight of the world, but I continue to forget that and fall into worry and sadness about where we are right now. I know I am not alone in this. But it really, truly doesn't help anything to get better to worry about it. So the right thing to do is to raise my eyes from the horizon and take a nice full body stretch, and start over.

I have plenty of ways to feel gratitude, and I need to put those front and center to keep myself from falling into the darkness. Remembering how many people around me are available to help, if I just ask, is an essential element in moving toward the light. It is really amazing how different things look when I change my mind about how to see the world around me. I have no reason to be unhappy: I have a roof over my head, warmth inside it, a dear partner who loves me and I love him, and enough monthly income to pay the bills, even if I will never be rich. Who needs that? With my trusty laptop connected to the wide world, I have infinite opportunities to explore.

And I know without doubt that whatever I might be experiencing right now, it will pass. Everything does, and change is inevitable. When I think of all the various stages of life I have already passed through, why in the world would I think that this snowy and slippery landscape is all there is? It embarrasses me a little to think of how easy it is to forget all my wonderful and precious fellow beings who travel this path with me. Mary Oliver says it perfectly with this quote:

To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go. —Mary Oliver

This is true no matter what life throws at us, or what life takes away from us. We just need to remember that we are not alone, we are surrounded by others who love us, who wish only the best for us, and for whom we wish only the best of life's bounty. 

Taking it one day at a time

I find myself once again apologizing to my readers for a post that is not uplifting but filled with angst. Unfortunately, it's all that I seem to be feeling these days, as I make my way back to wholeness. It seems that the theme of my life these days is learning how to let it go, let it go. 

And with that, I will wrap up this post and think about how to have a more uplifting and better post next Sunday. My love for you is undiminished, and I will give it another try next week. Until then, I wish only the best for you and hope that all good things come your way.

The coldest part is behind us

On Western Washington campus yesterday

I know it doesn't look all that cold in the picture, since the sun was shining and the wind was minimal. But while on a walk with Steve, I saw that lovely rose and went over to check it out, only to find that it was frozen solid! It felt like a brick instead of a rose. We got down to 5°F (-15°C) on Thursday night, and the wind blew very hard all night. We didn't lose power again, thankfully. (We lost it for four hours early on Tuesday morning, but the cold air had not yet reached us.)

By Friday, I was not willing to walk to the bus just to get some coffee in 5°F weather, and you know how unusual that is for me. Then John called me to see if I was going out, and I told him that I would go only if he would come by and pick me up. Which is just what he did, and we enjoyed coffee and a treat at the coffee shop, before he brought me back home, where I spent the entire day indoors, no desire to walk in that weather. The wind was less, but still there were occasional strong gusts.

However, yesterday (Saturday), we made it through the night without losing power, and the wind had pretty much stopped. But it was still very cold, not enough to stop me two days in a row, however. I dressed as warmly as I could and went out to my car, hoping it would start. My first problem is that I couldn't get the key to unlock the driver's side door. Finally I was able to get inside the car by entering through the passenger side door, crawling over to the other side (not all that easy with a manual transmission to navigate) and opening the driver's side door that way. Whew! I turned the key and the car started right up. I allowed it to sit for awhile and warm up a little before heading to the coffee shop. The roads were dry and the sun was just coming up when I arrived without incident. Steve was already there, so I pulled out my iPad and got the Wordle (in three!) and drank my own welcome coffee. 

I was in no hurry to venture out in such cold temperatures, but we agreed that we'd walk to Western University campus and back, which turned out to be around six miles. By the time we got to the waterfront, it had warmed all the way up to 11°F, and we saw three young people on a dock, getting ready to take a jump into the water! We stayed long enough to watch one young lady strip to her bra and leggings and ease herself into the water. She kept her winter cap on, and swam around for a bit. She was still in the water when we left.

Grace on ice

For those of you who don't know the story about Grace, she just showed up one day on that pile of metal shavings in Bellingham Bay many years ago. She then mysteriously disappeared from the rock, and the artist must have gone through the proper channels and then she appeared again. I've seen birds nesting on the rock and yesterday she was standing on icicles of salt water. I was able to capture this with the sun shining right on the statue. 

It's still cold, but this morning the temperature is in the low teens, not single digits, so we seem to be through the coldest and most difficult part of our cold snap. The rest of the country is not so lucky, though. In the Midwest today it will be horribly cold and windy. What do you do when you have no heat and you cannot go anywhere to escape it? I am so glad we are warm and safe here, but I worry about the others who are not so fortunate. If that might be you, or someone you love, please try to find a safe place and hang in there. It will get better, but it might be some time before that happens. It would be a good idea to stay out of the water, unless you are a young adventurer.

In this period of cold and ice, we need to take some advice from the birds: stick together and huddle somewhere out of the wind. Life is full of challenges, but we usually don't have to deal with such life-threatening situations. Until this passes, we must stick together and help one another get through it. 

It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.—Epictetus

And here I sit, in the dark January morning, with my dear partner sleeping next to me, the light of my laptop screen lighting the shadows, and enjoying feeling warm and cozy as I write. I don't have much to say this morning, it seems, as I cast about for some words of wisdom before starting my day. Every Sunday morning at this time I am usually wrapping up my post, but today I haven't been able to mine any great thoughts from my recalcitrant brain. Well, there's always next week, right? I don't have anything to prove, but I do want to give you, my dear reader, something to take away from this moment. Therefore, I will let Confucius say it:

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.—Confucius

So, dear friends, until we meet again next week, I hope you are able to stay warm and safe, and huddle together with your loved ones. I wish you all good things and lots of virtual (or actual) hugs and kisses. Be well.