violetismycolor

busy as a bee...

I'm not sure how I can feel as though I have been so busy, when I have gotten so little done!  But I am trying to manage the business things, the house, the garden, the sick dog...and all while I am trying not to get too much exercise cuz I am trying to baby my lungs.  Ah well...

The day was absolutely gorgeous, as was yesterday, and I could NOT go out walking...wah!!!  I am still feeling it in my chest and so I am putting off any real exercise just trying to get them back to normal.  I did do a little light (emphasis on the light) yardwork.  The front garden is gorgeous but the back...ach...really needs weeding and replanting and EVERYTHING! 

I have been spending most of my free time reading (instead of say, blogging)...I have to read The Kite Runner for my book group.  I am reading all sorts of metaphysical books and listening to Hayhouse Radio (and am actually meditating every day).  I have since been having very strange and powerful dreams.  I have these dreams and then there is this 'voice' that helps me to interpret them.  Okay, how weird is this? 

Here's the deal...I have been writing down and trying to interpret my dreams on and off for the past couple of years.  I am actually pretty good at doing this...getting the symbolism, etc.  I have gotten into the pattern of being sort of half-awake and going over the dream in my mind and actually re-dreaming it, all the while hearing myself interpret what is going on.  But for the past week or so, this voice has been telling me what they mean.  This is different from what happened before in that before I knew it was me talking to me...I would use the 'I' word.  But this voice says things like, "you need to be careful about..."   

I think this is cool, not scary...and I don't think I am moving to 'Crazy-land' or anything.  This just makes me want to delve further into my spiritual system et al...hence, the constant reading and thinking...

Photo Friday...rural...

This is my photo friday submission for 'rural'...it was taken in southern Oregon last May...Your can see it larger either by clicking the photo at left or going to my photo album page.

Ross headed off to Black Butte with a friend for the weekend.  He'll be skiing and bike-riding and playing Magic and D&D...the normal, nerdy 17 year-old stuff.  He left last night with a pocket full of cash ... necessary to rent skis and buy a lift ticket and (oh yeah) buy lots of food.  He can really pack it away.

I had coffee with lovely fellow-blogger Margaret, in town for her daughter's gymnastics meet.  We had plenty to say to each other and I recognized her right away from her blog's photos.  Actually, her daughter was the one I recognized first.  What fun we had!

Bonnie informs me that she is headed off to New York City next weekend, with a group of friends, to see The Gates.  She is very excited about it and I am very interested in her reaction.  It seems that one either loves it or hates it.  I think that it looks warm in a cold, bare-branched, winter park...but that is only from the pictures I have seen in the New York Times and on TV.

John and I are going to go out to see 'Sideways' tonight.  I am hoping that it will live up to the hype, but am skeptical, at best.  I will try to keep an open mind. We talked about seeing 'The Aviator', especially after seeing the Spruce Goose last weekend, but at 3 hours long...we hesitated on that one.  The shows either start at 4:30 pm or 7:30 pm...one is too early (since we will not yet have had dinner) and the other is too late (since we old-fogies like to get to bed earlier than that).  We just may have to wait till it comes out on video...

Oregon continues to steal California's sunshine.  It was sunny and 57 degrees today.  We haven't had a rainy day all week.  In fact, we've barely had any rainy days all fall and winter.  California, meanwhile, seems to be drenched and threatening to fall into the ocean.  Hope all of you down there are holding on for dear life!

painful events make me appreciate what I have...

I got home from a joyful dinner with my Coffee Girls (Happy Birthday, Evelyn!) and went to check my email.

I got a note that said that the husband of a friend had died that night and that our friend needed prayers and that they were organizing food to be brought. OMG!

This man had, one year ago, gone to Oklahoma to give a kidney to his 4 year-old nephew. The nephew was thriving but somehow the doctor had nicked Bob's bowel, and then the staff had not NOTICED the infection for a week. Despite Bob's fever. Despite his complaints about pain.

He almost died then, but because he was an amateur athlete in fabulous physical shape, he held on. He was in Oklahoma for about 7 months till he improved enough to come home to Oregon. But he was in and out of intensive care here, and had numerous surgeries.

His wife, Carol, was very brave and hopeful. His two teenaged children were upbeat. But last night, Bob was having one more surgery and his body just couldn't take it. Bob was in his early 40's and a great guy. What a sacrifice he made and how tragically it turned out...

Now I sit and think how lucky I am to have a wonderful, LIVE husband and three of the greatest kids in the universe. Count your blessings every day, folks. Appreciate your life NOW. It is a gift and I am thanking the powers-that-be for it right now...

ah, to be Florida...

found this on another blog and couldn't resist...