Thursday, January 29, 2009

Blaylock's Big Tree

DREAM OF THE DAY: My back does not hurt. My teeth are sparkling white. My vision is 20/20 without glasses. Hair has stopped growing everywhere except on my head. My chin does not resemble Jay Leno's. My nose does not look like it came from some other gene pool.
There are not excessive fat cells hanging out inside me collecting and storing every carbohydrate that I consume. Oh, and I am not pre-menopausal.

THE TREE: Remember that huge oak tree down in the Blaylock pasture behind Ganmommy and Gandaddy's house? The one that has a limb about twice as big around as a old-fashioned wood telephone pole, and reached down to about 3 feet above the ground. It must have extended 20 feet from the tree trunk and had a dipped-out place in the middle that was warn where people sat in the same spot for years. Whenever I was worried, upset, confused about life, or just wanted to reflect on life, I would climb over the fence using the steps that Gandaddy built, and walk down the pasture to the big tree. I wish I had named that tree something worthy. Time stood still while Big Tree held me in his hand and I felt safe. On every occassion I got some comfort there while just sitting and thinking - or not thinking - in my quiet, secret place. I only ever took one other person there with me, and to this day I wish that I hadn't. Some places are not meant to be shared. What I know for sure is that the secret place moves with me wherever I am. It never looks the same from one location to another but it functions the same. I like this rural life where I am because it offers more opportunity for quiet time to find one's secret place.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Today is his birthday

During my hour-long morning commute headed westward the backlight from the rising sun spread across the hills and hollers and created a septia effect with the pure, white glistening snow, gray-blue sky and bare, brown tree trunks. As a newcomer to this climate I am enthralled with the elements! I wonder how many seasons will pass before I dread the inconveniences of winter weather more than I enjoy the beauty. I hope that never happens.

What did happen this morning was that my feet got slightly cold while I swept the snow off my car in preparation for the trip to work. Not as cold as they would have been under the same conditions just a month ago. During my Christmas trip to Mississippi, I mentioned to my little brother that I would like to have some new shoes in anticipation of colder weather and trecking in the snow. He immediately responded to the challenge by taking me (yes, he went) to one of his favorite shoe shops. Can you imagine any man volunteering to go shoe-shopping with you, especially your brother? Not only did he take me there, he offered his opinion about what looked "like me" and what did not. For example, the alligator skinned yellow cowboy boots just didnt make the cut! "Not you, Sis," he said. In every instance of a reject, I agreed. He very patiently waited as I looked at every, literally every, option! And finally I found a very nice pair at a good price point. Not boots, but brown leather slip-on shoes with a thick bottom that has those little grabby cut-outs for traction and an inside lining for warmth. Perfect! By far, these are the best shoes I own for cold, snowy days. I am glad that today, on my brother's 41st birthday, my slightly cold, but not uncomfortable, tootsies reminded me of a very special time with him and of his love. The memory was his birthday gift to me. Happy birthday, brother.

Monday, January 26, 2009

What keeps me from blogging regularly? I do know, but this is not a counseling session, so I won't go there. Anyway, today, I am here. Hello, world wide web!



Politics: President Obama is now the leader of the US, and although I am not a political scholar, or even politically savy, I am a good judge of character, and this man is a good man and will be a good servant of the people. He has a good aura. I pray that the people who are advising him and working with him will be as good.


Economy: Personally, mine sucks. And according to the media most Americans are in financial poo-poo. My own situation was created from a combination of bank lending guidelines that were much to loose, a divorce, and my lack of discipline in accumulating too much credit card debt. A formula for disaster for anybody. However, I bought a Suze Orman financial planning/organizing system to file a record of my bad choices. Both my situation and that of others must improve, but the rollercoaster in still in motion. I heard someone on the radio say that a good thing that resutls from a financial crisis is that when you've lost everything, you find out what is really important and that's what you re-build from.


Weather: It's 25 degrees today in West Virginia which is warmer than it was last week. I have a whole new definition of cold since I've now lived through a day when the temperature hovered around zero for 8 hours. Almost daily snow keeps the landscape pretty enough to keep me from complaining much. I do love the snow. The ice; not so much. This past weekend I took a big fall on the ice at bottom of the porch steps and landed flat on my back. It hurt. It still hurts. Never let anyone convince you that fat people are protected from the excruciating pain of a fall by their "cushioning". My ass bruises just like yours does. The county schools are on a two hour delay this morning. Their little brains are going to be more delayed than that if they dont get some consistent schooling soon. And parents' brains are going to be fried from drugs that they take to cope with keeping children at home.


Religion: I am among the increasing number of people who are public about working out their own salvation. That's biblical, in case you don't know. I am spiritual and Christian. But not religious as defined by membership in a particular demonimation. Some religions other than Christian have teachings that I completely align with. I am at peace with my relationship with God. The recent best seller book, Eat, Pray, Love, is one of my favorite examples of spiritual inspiration, although I most closely relate to and subscribe to the series of books by Neale Walsch called Conversations with God.


Relationships: Too personal to broadcast throughout the www, but definitely I want to declare that I do have one. We are committed and happy. Not perfect yet. So in case any of you readers of this blog gets any idea of falling in love with me and pursuing my heart, don't go there. I have the type of relationship that would make for an interesting book, and maybe one day I'll write it.


Occupation: Not nearly as satisfying as the relationship! I have been bored with my present field of work for eighteen years. And wanted to make a change for just as long, but I haven't. Not because I haven't searched the options. I have had more ideas than you could shake a stick at.
I really think that writing is what I want to do. So blogging is part of my writing excercise. Now, as for making a living writing, I don't know how that's gonna be.


Dream of the Day: I live in a house facing a lake on one side and a mountian on the other. The walls of windows give me larger-than-life-views. My daily routine includes four hours of writing, meditating, cooking delicious and healthy foods, excercise, reading at least one hour, and loving my partner, my dog, and significant others the rest of the time. I am healthy and happy. The world becomes more peaceful every day.