Harbingers of Spring

Many years ago, a neighbor complimented me on my dress, saying that I looked like "a harbinger of spring."  I was quite young at the time and not sure what a "harbinger" was; I hope I remembered to say "thank you."

I know now that a harbinger is someone or something that  signals the approach of what is to come.  The neighbor was complimenting me because, in wearing that dress, I reminded her of something desirable that was coming soon.

A harbinger of spring can be many things to many people:

• The blooming of a daffodil
• The appearance of the star Arcturus
• The first sighting of a robin
• The baseball equipment truck headed for spring training

And these are only a few examples!

Whether I get excited about blossoming trees or opening day for my favorite team or just warmer temperatures, there is a sense of anticipation.  I am looking forward to things I enjoy.

What is good to remember is that every moment is a part of the process; every day is a step in the journey from here to there.  Do I want to wait until the sun is shining and gardens are bright with flowers - or do I want to embrace life now?

God Bless America

Yes, indeed, 'God Bless America.'  But not so that America can stand and gloat about how superior we are and expect the rest of the world to pay homage.  No, God should bless America so that America can be a beacon of light to the rest of the world; to illuminate a path to peace and justice amid conflict and discord.  God bless America so that it can live up to the mission that is symbolized by the torch held aloft in New York Harbor, 'Liberty Enlightening the World.'
(paraphrased from a sermon by Fr. Eric Diskin, January 6, 2002, and found at www.cs.cmu.edu/~mjs/fav-quotes.html.)

Beautiful Beach

The weekend at Lincoln City was absolutely beautiful.  The sun was out, the sky was blue, the temperatures were warm without too much wind.  The scrapbooking room had windows which provided an ocean view as well as natural light to work by.

I was happy to see Terrie, Shirley, and Joan, three of my friends from the now-closed Scrapbook Fever in Salem.  It was also fun to meet Stacy in person and visit her "Scrap Shack" for the first time.

Working with my Arizona photos reminded me of how much I learned from and enjoyed my trip.  I decided to include some of my journaling and blog entries in my scrapbook for a more complete description of the experience.  I still have quite a ways to go to finish the scrapbook, but I am finding pleasure in the process.

Some parts of the weekend felt sad.  Since many of my trips to the Oregon coast in recent years have included my son, I was missing him a lot - in fact, I actually called him from my motel on Sunday morning.  Being with a large group of scrapbookers reminded me of how much I missed all the folks from Scrapbook Fever and the sense of community we shared.

Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together?  I guess that wouldn't work.  Someone would leave.  Someone always leaves.  Then we would have to say good-bye.  I hate good-byes.  I know what I need.  I need more hellos.  (Charles M. Schulz)

Going to the Beach

I am looking forward to traveling to Lincoln City this weekend.  I'll be at an all-day scrapbooking session on Saturday, then staying overnight at D Sands Motel (see http://www.dsandsmotel.com/), where my son and I have stayed several times in the past (most recently in September 2010).  Scrapbooking at the Oregon Coast - two of my favorite things - I am so excited!

This will be the first time I've been to a large group "crop" since Scrapbook Fever in Salem closed in December of 2009.  This will also be the first time I've been to a "crop" sponsored by Stacy's Scrap Shack in Lincoln City. (see http://www.scrapshackshop.com/)

I plan to work on my scrapbook of my October trip to Sedona, Arizona.  I had not printed out the photos until this week, and I anticipate arranging them with notes from my journal to remind me of that adventure and what it meant.

To go by myself to a new scrapbooking group/location is a big thing for me.  Since moving to Portland in May 2010, I have done very little scrapbooking compared to previous years.  I see this as an opportunity to re-commit to my favorite craft activity, make new friends, and spend time at one of my favorite destinations - the Oregon coast.

Stay tuned.

Excepting February Alone

Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November;
All the rest have thirty-one,
Excepting February alone;
It has twenty-eight days' time
And, in Leap Years, twenty-nine.

I'm not ready for February to be over.  It passed much too quickly for me, and - although it seemed to be very full - I didn't do all the things I wanted to get done this month.  (Of course, my logical mind tells me that February is supposed to done more quickly.  After all, it has only 28 days.)

I can remember as a child thinking that a month was a very long time.  If someone told me that I had to wait a month until summer camp or Christmas or any other anticipated event, it seemed like  f o r e v e r .  Now, I can barely keep up enough to write the correct month and year when I fill out a form or write a check. 

As I approach my sixtieth birthday, I keep feeling like I want time to slow down.  I want to consciously live each day so that - at the end of each month - I can remember certain activities and experiences with some degree of clarity.  I don't like my month to seem like a 28-day blur.  (Or a 30-day or 31-day blur.)

I am reminded of a quotation that currently appears at the bottom of each of  my sister's emails:

I wish that life should not be cheap, but sacred.  I wish the days to be as centuries, loaded, fragrant.  (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Goal vs. Process

In preparing for a job interview today, I came across an interesting article about goal-oriented vs. process-oriented work.  Here's an excerpt:

"For goal-oriented people, growth is sometimes incidental; they grow only because their goal requires them to. Process-oriented people, on the other hand, attain goals because their process will take them in that direction anyway. For them, growth is not incidental, it is necessary, and goals are eventual. Because of this difference, the goal-oriented person will not necessarily be able to look past the goal to the next goal until they get there. The process-oriented person will instead already be thinking about future goals, since everything they do is focused to the process of improving; goals just give them a direction in which to move. To the goal-oriented person, goals are end points. To the process-oriented person, they’re simply mile markers."  (http://www.gnorb.net/ - 5 March 2007 post)

This reminded me of one of my very first blog entries back on September 28, 2010.  At that time, I was thinking of cooking as producing an end product - a dish or a meal.  It struck me that by paying more attention to the process - rather than just getting food on the table - I might enjoy the experience more.  I might even become a better cook.

I'm going back to my Twelve Month Plan to see how much I'm focused on goals and how much on process.

Stay tuned.

From the Heart

Last Friday, my sisters and I had a meeting at the Alzheimer's residence where our sweet mother lives.  They are moving her from Level 1 care to Level 3.  Her decline over the past six months has been such that she gets to "skip a grade." 

It was a sad day for us, but we are grateful she is in competent and caring hands.  Thankfully, her smile and sense of humor are still present, too.

Our family keeps a record of doctor visits and meetings with residence staff.  We also share our experiences with Mom in an on-line journal.  All of these are in a format that all family members can access from wherever they happen to be. 

So, I've been writing up the notes from the meeting, the notes from the doctor visit that same afternoon, and comments about our time with Mom.  My sisters will add their comments as well, and we will be able to refer back to our notes to prepare for future meetings and appointments.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.  May we extend love not only to our sweethearts but to every life we touch.