Seems like a "no-brainer"....

"Seek an outcome with no regrets"

I found this heading on a Seattle PI article this morning. I like it. It resonates. Fits my new "normal"...where the lumps are all mine, the drool (from laughing too much at my dog and my life), the dry-eye syndrome from reading and napping and staring out the window at birds and trees and sky and clouds is all mine.....all mine, mine, MINE...with no regrets...

Here's another cool thing I found written by Joyce Rupp:
Blessed are you,
gracious season of summer,
you surprise us with a variety of gifts from Mother Earth.
We, too, gaze into the earth of ourselves,
beholding gifts waiting
to be honored.

I just love that, too.
And a few other things---
*I danced last night with the Sistahs and a few other Tara alums. T'was hard, good, hurting (a little), sweaty, and FUN! All the technique exercises that we do in the beginner and next beginner classes are paying off in my own dancing. I had/have some challenges holding my shoulders tight and up to keep the scar area from hurting. I will work on breathing, relaxing, and using lots of cream...maybe I should use that anti-wrinkle stuff I got at the Aveda place for my eye wrinkles....might help. comfrey is also my new-again best friend. took a walk around the neighborhood last night with dog to loosen up knees before bed. walking alright today. haven't gone back to Curves for awhile. too much.

Did nothing for three days last week after all the work around here. Literally. sat. slept. sat some more. read from a great book on forensic anthropology called "The Bone Woman". finished it. I hope Meaghan has read this book. If not, it may show up in her life soon. watched a movie called "North Country" about the first class action lawsuit on behalf of a group of women who were being sexually harassed and abused at a mine in Minnesota. Boy, have I had no clue about the shoulders of the women I stand on and what they endured.....good movie. food for thought. not terribly uplifting. the sitting and going nowhere are restorative. the hours seem to wrap themselves around me like one of Val's beautiful, soft, made-with-love-and-nourishing-colors shawls, soothing my skin in and out, allowing my heart and spirit to nestle into a quiet, safe, nurturing coccoon. Just what I need. Must have. Desire. Deserve.

This weekend held two special celebrations--one for my Star-Sister, Jean and one for my Sistah, Brigid. Jean is walking into her 60th year in this ordinary reality. To celebrate, honor, and love her is a Gift to me. More of that to come.:) Brigie had her bridal shower out at Maude's home. Oh, my Goddess---you could sense the estrogen-energy a half-mile before the 164th exit off of I-5! Good gracious---it was HEN CENTRAL---all ages, stages, sizes, shapes, eras....one way to describe it would be to tell you about the types, shades, states of upkeep or lack there of of all the pedicures in the room. Another would be the hair colors, cuts, dos, wigs, and general baldness (Haydn was the one boy in the room)..and we had some dos. She got a lot of great loot and the time was a wondrous scrum. It was overwhelming. And a right of passage. For all of us. I Believe in participating in whatever way I authentically can in these rituals that continue to define the women in my family of origin. They are as important to me as wearing my grandmother's worn-out apron and stirring my tea with Mammo's teaspoon. Auntie Donna (my mom's baby sister) rocks---she carried on the rich tradition from Auntie Helen(my great aunt who is now in Heaven with my grandma-Dorothy)she gave Brigie a box full of cans---with all the labels off of them---to spice up the first year of married life. You never know what you're gonna get for dinner---green beans, peaches, chicken noodle soup---it's all part of the fun!

I start a class tomorrow down in Renton on math and kids and standards. I think it was a mistake. I am not feeling up to it. We shall see. I give myself permission to back out as needed. Time for doing dishes and packaging up dictionaries for Jonestown.