My New Friends

Scientists have published research findings that indicate maintaining friendships and social interactions have added to the life span.  I believe this whole heartedly.  In an attaempt to lengthen my longevity I acquired three new friends this winter.  They are Oreo, Chip and Dark Chocolate. It is becoming a close and sustaining relationship.  I have never felt such a willingness from  my other friends to be helpful and comforting. 

 My new friends tell me only what I want to hear and never focus on my faults or character flaws.  With sincere hearts they offer support from boredom, restlessness and winter depression.  They exhibit qualities not found in my other friends.  Oreo, Chip and Dark Chocolate will never disagree with me or challenge my point ofview.

This trio is very serious about exercise.  Because of my association with them I have now added zumba dance to my workout routine.  Monday and Tuesday I attend yoga class at my local gym and Wednesday I sweat through an hour of zumba.  There are no men in the dance class, but I do see a large group of women who must also know my friends.  If you don't have the support of good pals, there is no way you would willingly jump, sway, clap, and shake your hips and sweat for one solid hour with no water.

I am grateful to my new friends for their devotion to my happiness and well being.  Hopefully, I will quietly expire in the pigeon pose or moving across the gym floor while executing the grape vine.

A note to self:

It is gratitude for the small things that helps us move from day to day.  My small thing I will focus on today is the date...January 19th which puts us past the middle of January.  This is the worst month of the year.  It has no redeming value except that it preceeds February which puts us over the hurdle toward the winding down of winter.

January has forgotten to look for the sun.  She resides in the gray flat light where everything moves in monotones of color.  The birds are silent and hide among the pines.  Listlessness wanders in and out quietly whispering in our ears.  As each day passes January weakens breaking into tiny drops.  Somewhere on the horizon February begins to struggle towrd the Janurary gloom.. Pushing her aside to find the hidden sun, bits and pieces of warmth emerge.  Thirtyone days of waiting for January's departure can seem twice that many.   Passing the middle is the beginning of the end.  I feel a little better knowing I have made it to this point.  The sun will shine again.

Let It Go

Another January--another year.  A breath of fresh air arrives with each new year.  It is, for me, a cleansing.  The rubble from the past year needs to be tossed and elbow room and a sense of freedom takes its place.  I am finding that I have less attachment to things and can see them in the context of just things.  What value do they hold long term?  Most are of little worth except for the sentimental value we create for them. 

Objects, possessions, things, collections often end up in a box somewhere on a shelf.  Once in the box they are no longer a treasured possession.  The only things of value are those that we enjoy looking at on a daily basis or use regularly.  Our boxes of collections will never hold the same interest for someone else.  My goal  is to turn toward disposeable items.  My travel purchases are candy for the grand kids, an  inexspensive piece of jewerly that I will wear and a cataologe of memories.  If something new comes home with me, then something old must leave.

Now as I preach the art of organizing and uncluttering I am guilty of bringing home three new books on card making, two books of bound colored paper, rubber stamps, stamp pads, glitter, ribbon and a new kind of glue and paint brushes to spread the clue.  I also have three boxes of blank cards--let's see how many hundred cards would that be?

I will justify these purchases because they fall in the area of creativity, personal expression, art.  My box of clay and books on jewelry design are in that same catagory and sleep peacefully under my work table.  At this point in time I am consumed with creating cards.  It entertains me on the long winter nights and I pretend that I am in the midst of a creative awakening.  Whatever--I am happy and my bubble is still flying high.