The title of this post is meant to be taken literally. In fact, I’m down to mere fumes. Given the busy holiday season you might think I’m referencing energy or sleep, maybe even my line of credit. But no, what I don’t have enough of (besides the above) is time on my meter.
I'm not terminal, or even sick. But I do live in one of the last vestiges of pre-twenty first century internet service. No cable here, no speed higher than my limited satellite can provide. Our monthly allotment of slightly faster than dial-up is rationed out in equal parts – 10 GB from 8 AM – 2 AM and 10 GB for those hours flip-flopped. Admittedly, I do occasionally get online before 8 AM, but rarely with enough time to create an interesting snippet before the meter switches to “prime time”. And though I definitely consider writing for you worth the bytes, there are other users in the household. So for the rest of this month, I will either have to “gas up” by writing a day ahead, or plan on a little middle of the night posting. Starting yesterday.
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You've probably seen them. Those adds they show before the feature film at the theater and on rented videos reminding everyone that "you wouldn't steal a car", etc., so why pirate?
From experience I've learned that those who steal the most from us are.........well,.... ourselves. Our critical selves steal our joy. Our fearful selves steal our sense of well-being. Our unforgiving selves steal our future happiness. Our lazy selves steal our dreams. I could go on and on, but you can make your own lists. What kind of thief are you? And more importantly, when and what are you going to do to make amends? Sorry to say, I've never been a huge fan of winter. Every year though, I endure it, and Always, there is springtime on the other side. That's because nature abides by the Law of Undulation. Waves, the fluctuating seasons, life cycles - all of these remind us that for every valley there is a crest, for every ending a beginning. When we look through the lows to the coming highs - and they will come - we can find beauty wherever we are in the wave. So, since migration to warmer climes is out of the question, I'm settling in and setting my sights on spring. Until then, pretty frosting makes even winter a little sweeter. Happy 12/13/14! And speaking of old dogs, one thing we don't have in common is our ability to wait patiently. I got tired of wondering if I was good enough, of waiting to be let out into the world. So, I decided to learn some new tricks, i.e. self-publishing. I might not have the energy of a young pup, but I'm still hoping there will be a reward for my efforts. After all, who doesn't want a treat?
We have an old dog. These days, napping is her favorite sport. Sometimes she'll look up at me all bleary-eyed, resigned about being woken and hoping for a belly rub. I usually comply, but never for long enough. I can tell by the way her eyes follow me into the next room, and urge me to continue when I come back.
That's how I feel about foot massage. It's one of those things you can do for yourself, but the result just isn't as satisfying. People who love me know that a good ten minutes per foot will get them just about anything within reason, including my undying loyalty. Guess us old dogs have a lot in common. I love this image! It was taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and depicts the Helix Nebula (cool name too!), a trillion-mile-long tunnel of glowing gases with a dying star at its center. Astronomers say our own sun may look like this in few billion years.
The death of a star....... That brings to mind another recent tragic passing that resulted in surprising beauty. One life, snuffed out too soon, that lives on through the gift of organ donation. Eyes closed for a final time, reopened, allowing another to see. None of us will be around to witness our full impact on this world. But we can try to make the lives around us more beautiful right now. There is a big storm headed our way today. I hope it brings snow, not freezing rain, but all the hoping in the world won't change what's coming. I can't control the weather. What I can control is my reaction to it. Negative thoughts are draining. Why complain when I should save my energy for something I can do something about? Like, finally getting out of this bathrobe, eating breakfast, and going to work! I'll let the storm take care of itself. And tomorrow - rain, snow, or shine - I'll be that much further ahead.
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