The View from Here

Back to normal...

Last night as I was getting ready for bed and anticipating a pain-free, headache-free night, I thought about how blessed I am to be able to solve my problem so easily. The medicine that affected me so adversely is not something I must take in order to survive. It is not the only solution to the pain in my back or the arthritis that plagues me. I have choices and options. I don’t have to continue to take the medication and hope I can learn to tolerate the side effects. However, many people are trapped in that situation by cancer and other powerful conditions and diseases. Some people endure daily pain and discomfort in order to control a dangerous health condition. There are no easy answers and pain-free nights for them. I hope I never forget that. I hope I never forget that my good health is a blessing.

I suppose I should have thought of something much more profound for the last post of the year. But health is always on my mind. I have friends and relatives with cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s, lupus, heart problems, and a dozen other conditions. None of us has a perfect body and we complicate things by treating the one we have as though it came with a warranty and spare parts. We live in an environment that seeks to harm us at every turn. It’s a wonder any of us survives puberty!

I have spent the last year improving my diet. I know my weight doesn’t bear witness to that, but I honestly have made some major changes and eliminated a lot of extra salt and sugar from my diet. I no longer drink sodas or eat fast-food cheeseburgers or buy anything without reading the label. Breakfast sausage and bacon are no longer on the menu. I switched from real eggs to fakes- I even took the egg holder out of my refrigerator. I seldom eat cookies, although I still enjoy ice cream. I eat more veggies. But this year I need to take a hard look at why I’m still fat, and the answer is portion control.

Regardless of how good my food is, there is a limit to how much of it I need to sustain my body. As I’ve gotten older and more sedentary I’ve continued to eat the same amount of food. Doesn’t work that way.  So this year I need to borrow a word from my daughter and be more “mindful” of not only what, but how much, I put in my mouth.

I also need to move. I’m not going to be one of the thousands of people who rush to the gym this week. I’m not going to announce that I’m training for the next half-marathon or even the next walk around the block. But I certainly need to be mindful of my slothful ways and get up from this computer more often. I need to stretch and reach and walk.

So, I am back to normal today and already thankful for every moment of the day ahead. I see this day and this New Year as an opportunity to create new habits that will improve my health and keep me from needing any more medications that do more harm than good.

Have a great day!

 

Recovering

 

Words cannot adequately describe the pain and frustration of the past twelve hours. I’ve always found it difficult to relate pain to someone else anyway: sharp, dull, stabbing, throbbing, burning? And numbers on a scale of one to ten only translate if we both have the same interpretation of the numbers. So let me just say that I spent the night with a headache that made it impossible to do much of anything except endure the night. And I awoke to the added insult of a major nose bleed. So I’m waiting for my joy to return.

I share this information, not as a plea for sympathy, but as a warning, because all of this was brought on by medication I took to alleviate the pain in my back. I have been having sharp pains in my back for several months and they have been affecting my sleep and my gait, so my doctor prescribed prednisone, a powerful anti-inflammatory drug. Apparently it does not agree with my body, and I will be placing a call to my doctor this morning to discuss the situation. Had I paid a little more attention to the drug information I might at least have been prepared for the headache since it seems to be the number one complaint mentioned online. So…a word of warning. Be cautious about what you put in your body, even if it is supposed to be good for you.

Have a great day! I’ll be here recovering…

Look at that!

I credit my father for giving me a sense of adventure and my mother for tempering it with a sense of impending doom. For while I am often eager to see and do things, I’m cautious to a fault and can tell you at least three things that might go wrong with any exciting activity. So I tend to be more of an observing adventurer, rather than a doing adventurer. However, that has still meant a life filled with memories.

 

Dad and I recently sat and watched a television special about Route 66 and reminisced about the sights along the way. We were able to recall many of the restaurants and motels and gas stations along the famous highway, having driven it nearly every summer. Thanks to our summer migrations between California and Oklahoma I’ve visited a lot of famous tourist spots and some not-so-well-known places in between. Summers were always filled with “look at that!’ moments, many of which have stayed with me forever.

 

Being married to a man who loves speed and danger and thrills has added many more “look at that!” moments to my repertoire and caused me to expand my sense of adventure. We have been to places and participated in activities that certainly set off my sense of impending doom, but I have lived to talk about them.

I’m glad we were able to share some experiences with our children even though we didn’t have a lot of money. We dragged them around to a lot of places and listened with satisfaction as they excitedly said, “look at that!” I think they remember more of the places and activities that we shared than they do presents and things that we bought them.

 

I thought about some of our past adventures yesterday while we wandered around Hagerman Wildlife Refuge. We have gotten older and wiser and more cautious in our wanderings, but both of us still love to see new sights and experience new places. It’s easier to stick to the usual routines and to “go to work, go home” each day, but there is so much more joy to be had if we venture outside our routine. Gary and I could have easily skipped the visit to Hagerman yesterday. I had been up the night before with a horrible headache. We weren’t quite sure where it was located, and though we had both looked at the map on Google, I had left the printed copy on my desk. The weather was cold and it began to sprinkle. We weren’t sure if there would even be very many birds this late in the winter. But neither of us suggested turning back.

 

So, we just drove in the general direction until we saw a sign. Then we drove and drove and drove down a winding dirt road until we saw water. Then we drove around until we saw our first bird. After that we spent an hour repeating, “look at that!”

 

 

Mary and Gary's Excellent Adventure

 

It was cold and cloudy today, but Gary and I had a great time at the Hagerman Wildlife Refuge and we definitely plan to return sometime in the future. I'll post a few photos here and then put some in an album later.

 

 

 

 

Not much to say...

 

No wisdom this morning.

No revelations.

No big plans for today- doctor, library, WalMart.

However, I did go for a walk yesterday!

Always a good excuse to share the view…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happily ever AFTER...

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, but I’m glad that it’s over. By the time we get to the “day after” I’ve enjoyed all the presents, candy, music, movies, shopping, decorating, and advertising I can stand. The “clutter” of the tree and other decorations began to bother me about three days ago, so yes, I’ve already taken my tree down and packed everything into little plastic boxes and stacked them neatly in the closet. More than a bit OCD, but I make no excuses.

To me the Christmas holiday is like a fairy tale. You have the introduction (planning and shopping), the great characters (family and friends), the plot twist (unwrapping the presents and eating the dinner), the resolution (gratitude and/or apologies for either the presents and/or the dinner), and then “they lived happily ever after” (resumption of daily life). It was always the later part of the stories that intrigued me as a child. What happened next? How did they live? Did the dragon return? Did the witch come back to life? Was she really satisfied to live in Kansas? I guess kids like me were the reason Disney created sequels!

Christmas also brings with it a sense of “Goal accomplished- what’s next?” After we’ve seen or heard about the results of our shopping endeavors and cooking efforts most of us are ready to set our sights on new horizons. Of course that means taking on the greatest task of all- remodeling ourselves. Time for the big diet! Tackle the obsessions! Eliminate the addictions! Banish the bad! Bring out the greatness! Reveal the inner glow of goodness and kindness! Well…something like that. Gym memberships and sales of nicotine patches will go up this week. Veggies and water will fly off the shelves. Self-help books will be downloaded to all the new Kindles and Nooks . We will experience a month, or perhaps even two, of hope and determination and endeavor. Then most of us will go back to the lives we were leading in October of 2010.

I’ve already decided to do things differently this year. I’m going to commit one thing to God and see what happens. Yes, you heard me. One thing. No big transformations this year. No list of resolutions. One goal. Let’s just see if that leads to a happy ending.

This morning the sun is shining, the heron is strutting on the boat dock, the ducks are floating on the pond, and the birds are gathered around the feeders. There is a new flower catalog waiting for me on the sofa and my cat is napping in front of the fire. Back to basics. Back to simple and ordinary. Makes me happy!

Hope you are happy and healthy today!

 

The Greatest Gift

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3.

 
I awoke this Christmas morning to the usual sounds of the wind howling and the cat meowing. In many ways it will be just another day for us. But as I puttered around the kitchen making coffee, feeding the noisy cat, and placing a pork roast in the crock pot, I realized that “another day” is really the greatest gift of all. The world is filled with joy and sorrow this morning as families celebrate with loved ones at the table or mourn those who are not in attendance. I’ve been on the sorrow side of Christmas and I know I’m blessed to be filled with joy today. My family members may not be physically at my table, but I know they are happy and healthy and experiencing another day.

Before or after we open all our presents today I hope we pause a moment to understand that God gave us the gift of being a part of His family. He looked at the world He had created and the mess we had made of it and instead of wiping us off the face of the earth and starting over, He gave us a way to redeem ourselves. He gave us a perfect life to observe and love and pattern our lives after. He gave us salvation. He gave us hope. He gave us His most precious possession. He gave us Jesus. That’s a present we can unwrap each and every morning.

I was wondering what I would write about today. When I opened my email I had this wonderful gift from a dear friend:

Recipe for a Happy New Year 

Ingredients:

12 fresh months

20 gallons forgiveness

5 pounds hope

4 quarts resolutions

1 Bible

365 dates

Constant prayer

Directions:

Mix months, forgiveness and hope with resolutions of your choice.

As you continuously stir, read Bible for guidance.

Add dates one by one.

Mix with constant prayer.

Sprinkle your new year with grins.

This dish is not meant to be consumed alone: share generously with friends and family.

from " Love's Little Recipes for Life" by Linda E. Shepherd

I love this because it has a depth of understanding that goes far beyond the simplicity of its words and form. At first glance it’s a gentle reminder that we should be faithful Christians and do what we’ve all been taught: live, love, and forgive. But for me it also sends the message that we must be doers of the Word, not just recipients. This isn’t a recipe to be consumed; it’s one to be created. We are creating our year by doing something each and every day to make our lives and the lives around us better. The recipe uses action words to remind us that we must mix and stir and add the ingredients of our life together in order to find fulfillment. We can’t sit around and wait for someone else to bring it to us.

And it tells us the ingredients that will give us a satisfying product. I often wonder why people go through life angry and resentful and then expect to be rewarded with joy and happiness. They don’t seem to understand the correlation between what they give to the world and what they receive in return. I’m not saying that bad things never happen to good people. We know that we are all subject to the same laws of the universe. God never said that floods and famine only visit the evil ones of the world. But how we face the day, how we perceive the life we are given, the attitude we present to others, often determines the true outcome of our experience.

I began this post with Proverbs because I usually find inspiration there. I have mentioned some things in my life that I want to change and improve upon this year and I have been seeking some guidance. There it is in a word: commit. Not just wish and hope or dream and plan, but commit, promise, entrust, and hand over to God.

I’m going to start by printing out a copy of this recipe and posting it in my kitchen so I will see it each and every day. I hope you will do the same. 

My gift to you today is a prayer that you will commit to the changes that bring you joy and happiness and success in the New Year.         

 

Lazy day...

 

I’ve been up since 4:30, but I’ve been lazy, at least mentally. I typed my Caddo blog, took a shower, started some laundry, cleaned the kitchen, watered the house plants, and fed the birds. But I didn’t write my “view” for today. I couldn’t decide on a topic.

I suppose part of my problem is that I’m already reflecting on the past year and wondering what I will do differently in 2011. My mind is a jumble of guilt, gratitude, and hope.

I feel guilty that I wasn’t more successful with my plans to lose weight this year. I wrote about many health topics that concerned me and I hope some of it was helpful to you. I did make some major changes. I haven’t had a soda since last December. I have reduced the sodium and sugar in my diet. I have decreased my junk food consumption. But obviously I’m still doing something wrong, because I’m still fat.  

 

I feel guilty that I have not graced the doors of the library in six months. I have gone from reading a book a week to reading a book every couple of months…if I’m lucky. How did that happen? I read magazines, I read online articles, but I seldom read a novel. We will soon have a new library building and I need to be a regular visitor again.

I feel guilty that I have not completed several personal goals that I set for myself. I suppose we all do that, but I now wonder if I should add them to this year’s mental list or simply let them go. How long can I fool myself into believing “this year I’ll finally do that”?

 

I feel very grateful for a hundred blessings I’ve received this year. God is good and I stand amazed in His presence. I end this year healthy and happy and well aware that many others are suffering serious physical, emotional and financial problems. I pray for them and I’m confident they will do the same for me when I need it.  I’ve been around long enough to know that there will be sorrow and suffering ahead for me at some time.

My prevailing thoughts this morning are of hope. I hope that 2011 will bring me more opportunities to help people, to overcome my own problems, and to improve my life and the life of my students. But I know that hope is not enough. Time and effort and money and perhaps a little pain and suffering are what we must be willing to expend in order to reach our goals.

 

As we enjoy the love of family and friends this weekend let us also reflect on 2010, release ourselves from failures and regrets, and prepare for the blessings and opportunities of 2011.

Merry Christmas!

 

 

Surprises

 

Yesterday was a day filled with surprises. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not always receptive to those. I’m a steady, routine kind of person. I like to be in control. I like to know what’s around the next corner. Some (Robert) might say I’m even a bit boring. Yesterday was anything but…

The very first surprise was that I had slept until 5am! That is quite unusual for me. My eyes spring open at 4am with or without an alarm. And our cat is often meowing at me at 3:55. So I was pleased to get an extra hour of sleep.

 

I made coffee and checked my email. First item in my inbox was an announcement that we will have a new family member! No, not one of my direct family members, but a joy just the same. I’ll leave that for another day until the person has a chance to spread the news a little more.

 

 Next came a surprise visit from my dad. He routinely visits and had in fact been out to see us on Sunday. But he called yesterday morning and said he “needed to see us”.  I hoped and prayed as I waited that he had good news. Yes…he just came out to deliver gifts and talk about Christmas plans. He stayed to have coffee and watch a PBS show about Route 66. We chatted about the many times we traveled that road and the people we met and the dives we ate in and the car troubles we had and saw. It was one of our best visits!

 

Later I went to town to get the mail and deliver a couple of newspaper articles to a friend. A gentleman I know and respect stopped me on the sidewalk and asked me to help him with a project to honor his daughter. I am surprised and grateful to be able to help him.  

The mail brought three Christmas cards and the happy news that one of my old friends has a new grandbaby. We don’t correspond a lot and I have not seen her in about three months, so the announcement was a welcome surprise indeed.

 

In the afternoon I went to the cemetery to take some photos for a descendent of a local family. I got a surprise I have been dreading for years, but it turned out to be pleasant. I thank God for the outcome and my children know that I am quite serious. In all the years I have been photographing headstones, I have never been bothered, but I have always, always been fearful of dogs. I’m not a dog lover and both of my girls have been severely bitten by dogs. There are many living within a half mile of the cemetery and some years there have been packs of dogs roaming around town. So yesterday I was looking through the lens and heard a strange sound and turned to my right.  I had a moment of sheer panic as a huge dog bounded toward me. Praise be to God that he dropped to my feet in a “playful stance” and wagged his tail. My heart beat wildly and I had to catch my breath, but I quickly realized he was just curious.  I didn’t touch him, but I started talking as calmly as possible and told him I really didn’t need a helper. Of course he followed me all over the cemetery and even managed to get into a shot or two. Next time I’ll take my cane with me! At least I won’t feel so vulnerable.

 

 

My next and much more enjoyable surprise came when I returned to the house and took a walk down to the pond. (And yes, I took my cane with me!) My intention was to see if any of the thirty to forty ducks would stay. Of course they wouldn’t, and flew off as soon as I got within fifty feet of the water.  I decided to stand under a tree and wait for their return. Only four returned, but I found myself surround by birds! One landed right behind my head, another on the fence next to me. At one point there were at least twenty or more within ten feet of me. They flitted and chattered and walked down to the edge of the water. It was a great experience! You’d think I would have gotten more photos of them, but I had two problems. First of all, the camera has trouble distinguishing brown birds against brown mud or brown tree limbs. Second, they moved so quickly I had trouble keeping them in focus. But I captured a few.

 

My best surprise of the day came when my old friend delivered this new friend!! I now have a yard elephant to declare to all visitors that they are entering the crazy zone! Lol She also brought me a Christmas card made from photos I took for her and it was such a joy to see the results.

 
 

Ended the day with a tiny surprise: I didn’t fall asleep on the couch! Must have been that extra hour of sleep!

 

I hope today is filled with pleasant surprises for you!  

 
 
 

 

 

The Shortest Day

 

Finally! December 21! The shortest day of the year has arrived!

Why am I excited? Because now the days get longer and longer and longer…

I know we are talking about minutes, but it’s a psychological crutch that helps me get through the cold months ahead. Don’t knock it! My calendar says “winter begins” today, and I’m just preparing for the nasty weather in my own creative way.

 

Winter always reminds me of our brief stay in Iowa. That year was our first experience with real winter weather. We had visited the snow covered mountains of California many times. Gary was an avid skier and loved the outdoors. But going to the mountains to ski and build a snowman with the kids was not the same as driving through snow to work or trudging through it to get the kids to school. We learned a lot of difficult lessons in Iowa. And we didn’t stay for a second winter!

I try to not only apply those lessons now, but to appreciate the fact that our winter weather is usually nothing compared to the conditions others face. So please know that I am praying for you to have a pain-free, accident-free, healthy winter!

 

 No complaints about yesterday’s weather! It was 74 and sunny. I filled bird baths and feeders, walked around, and enjoyed watching the geese on the pond. More of the same today, so I’m off to the cemetery to take some photos. There is also a sweet new calf just down the road, so I may have to capture a shot of him. Gary and I plan to take photos of the lights in town tomorrow night when he is off.

 

I am loving my vacation already! Days and days ahead to accomplish a few tasks, complete some projects, and do some shopping. But mostly just days to relax and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy the shortest day of the year.