APPRECIATION SHABBAT: From Meh to Amazing

Meh = uninspiring; unexceptional.

Amazing = wonderful, cool; great.

Gratitude = appreciation, gratefulness, thankfulness; positive reception.

I mentioned in an earlier post this week, that “happiness is a choice”: an actual decision (aka, a series of small choices made every day) towards fulfillment of your goal to live a happy life.

What we end up as, is a confirmation of every choice we have ever made – and we are constantly one choice away from change: we just have to decide to take that step forward towards the change we want.

I woke up this morning thinking that come Spring 2023, I want to be back to exercising every day. I want to have a toned body again (I am smart enough to understand that I’ll never look 20 – or even 30 – again; but I can be a toner 66 😉). I want a healthier skin color; I as telling Chrystal the other day, “I haven’t been outside much this year, and I’m starting to look {ghostly} – my skin is so pale”: and it’s true! Building “community” (network of friends across three counties) has not left me much time to be outside, soaking up the sunrays and strengthening my muscles. I need to get back to that in 2023.

So, that is my goal looking towards the New Year, should Elohim grant me another 12 months of Life.

As well as honing spiritual fortitude, a strong Friends community, and a healthy body structure … it is also necessary to absorb gratitude into our daily life.

Gratitude causes a shift in perspective: instead of languishing in a state of “meh”, you shake off the gray funk and reroute your thoughts to take steps in active decisions that will focus on the changes you want to see manifest in your life.

Shifting your awareness isn’t that hard, once you set your mind to do it.

So, while drinking my first cup of coffee this morning, I heard birds chirping at the birdfeeder – and glancing towards the front livingroom window I noticed the bright yellow leaves of the ornamental maple in the front of my home … and all the bright colors of my immediate surroundings inside my home: my thoughts were filled with appreciation. I like color in my small corner of the world 😊

Walking from the livingroom to the kitchen to rinse the coffee cup before refilling it, my peripheral vision caught sight of the rolled exercise mat laying against the bag holding my latest knitting project in progress; I felt my lazy bone being prodded to unroll it and get busy using it. I was home – now was a good time to kickstart afore mentioned {goal}. So, that’s what I did. I skipped the second cup of coffee which would have sidelined the prod … I set the coffee cup on the end table, unrolled the mat and did some quick sets of glute exercises. It felt good!

Then, feeling inspired to “go the extra mile” – literally as well as figuratively – I gave Chrystal a jingle and asked if she’d like to go for a walk with me: she would … so, we did 😊

Right off the bat, we saw a white egret; that was a good sign. White Egrets are known to represent blessing and prosperity (conformation of Chrystal’s prayer request). White Egrets are also symbolic of gratitude and contentment (thank You, Yeshua, for this Shabbat confirmation).

I also got a text from another friend, reminding me that there are angels around me. I don’t need reminding … but it was a friendly reminder from a loving friend, that I am not alone even when it appears so, to myself at times – or to strangers who see me out and about solo lobo. I texted him back that I appreciate his agape love, and I appreciate his brotherly friendship: Elohim is faithful to keep Christian companions in my new life, that encourages me always with positive vibes.

And when I parked at home, the evergreen tree across the way seemed to be signaling a “Victory!” sign 😉 

Matthew Ward – ‘Trust in You’ song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDhvVCTdGmk)

There was so much to be grateful for this Shabbat: a hot cup of coffee; bright color to boost the day’s mood; a body still agile enough to ‘work’, so it continues to work for me; friendship that gives – and generates – a smile; conversation that keeps the ‘lonelies’ at bay; nature that awes and soothes the spirit; a cozy home: my day was oozing with thankfulness.

L’chiam! To Life! Happy Shabbat 😊

With just a prod from my peripheral vision, my “ordinary” day of {just me, today; nowhere to go, no one to see} suddenly went from meh to great 😊

“GOALS ~2023 Kickstart” Post, earlier today: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/11/goals-2023-kickstart.html

SHABBAT EVE

As I’ve mentioned numerous times before – I celebrate the Sabbath, as mentioned in Scripture: I am not an orthodox Jew … and I do not adhere to any particular brand of religiosity. I simply do as Scripture says.

I specifically set Friday eve and all-day Saturday aside to relax in Elohim’s goodness towards me, a Messianic Jew; and I include/enjoy Sunday, which is “the Lord’s Day”, to Christians.

I am, in effect, a Messianic Christian; though neither Jew or gentile Christian recognizes the dovetailing implication.

But, Elohim, Yeshua, and the Ruach HaKo’desh totally understand 😊

For me, the Sabbath acknowledgement does not require the preparation of special foods, flowers, candles, clothing, or music. The only requirement is to set the day apart from the other six days … where the world infringes, and crowds my ‘personal space’.

And if you’ve been reading my weekly Friday posts – you know that I spend at least half of my Friday with friends, in Wahkiakum County; about 1½ hours away. I enjoy a relaxing afternoon lunch (nothing at all fancy), in a boardinghouse-potluck style setting. And that is perfectly okay, and acceptable for a low-key/kicked-back Shabbat, that works well for me 😉

Shabbat Eve is all about accepting Elohei’s much-needed “time alone” to unwind the body, relax the mind, and soothe the soul: a time to reflect on the weekly blessings in my life – and to appreciate the friends Elohim had richly blessed me with.

As I was driving to and fro, this afternoon, I listened to the Ellah Gorelik CD Bob and I bought years ago after enjoying her Shabbat Eve Concert in Vancouver. The songs were perfect for the Day … and I smiled at the memories invoked.

Ellah Gorelik – ‘Hallelujah, Amen’ song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDdah_eWqUQ)

Ellah Gorelick – ‘Light of the World’ song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x64Q29ZqSb0)

Today as been a great day 😊

((((Thank You, Elohim!))))

L'Chiam!

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS ~Shabbat

Joe Satriani – ‘Blue Foot Groovy’ tune:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN3opfgNHaI)

I love spending time in the country 😊

Though I live in the outskirts (rural area) pretty removed from actual ‘downtown’ … Longview is significantly expanding this year – and that expansion is seriously biting out a huge chunk of my {rural} area: the West End is starting to mimic downtown ☹

Heron Point is located this side of white boundary line shown on map.

So, when I get a change to flee the encroaching city sprawl … and spend time where the trees grown tall and thick, and screen doors offer a country welcome and a resounding whack sound when they shut; I’m out my front door and on my way with no time wasted 😉

But before I left home this afternoon, I made another batch of homemade Oat Milk for the coffee in my thermos travel mug; this time using a different recipe – I only strained it once through a cotton bandana; I don’t mind a thicker ‘milk’, and I don’t find the thicker style “slimy”, at all. I heat it a bit (30 secs) in the microwave before adding powdered creamer, 2 packets of sweetener, and a dash of cinnamon. Maybe heating the oat milk a bit before adding it to the hot coffee keeps my oat milk from the dreaded sliminess everyone else on the recipe pages keep yapping about … all I know is my method works for me. And I’m okay with being ‘different’.

DIY OAT MILK Recipe:

(https://minimalistbaker.com/make-oat-milk/)

Today is my Sleuth Sister get-together.

I had time to spare before our 1’noon sit-in, so I drove the long way to get there 😉

Beaver Creek Road; Longview to Cathlamet-WA

Erosion on Beaver Creek Road; 269 feet elevation – not a very steep incline, but the road is narrow and unstable on the lower end.

This way is less stressful that back-to-back traffic below, on Ocean Beach Highway (which is the scenic route along the Columbia River). Long scenic drives on winding country roads relaxes me; so, I will always take the country route. – some country routes will take me miles and hours out of the way, but to me those backroad routes are worth the extra time and gas.

Linda couldn’t make it to our get-together this afternoon; but Ramona, Becky, & I spend 5 hours of enjoyable chit-chat, laughter, sharing, and sleuthing 😊

Joe Satriani – ‘The Elephants of Mars’ tune:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9HCGqByjak)

It was 6 PM when we parted ways and I nosed the Highlander home. Coming over the top of scalped KM (recent logging allows for good viewing now), the sunlit waters in the distance winked at me, so I pulled over to the road shoulder, and contemplated which part of the river was being shown.

Bob would have known.

But I am not Bob. And Bob is no longer available for questioning.

I could only guess.

Columbia River seen from top of KM; 760 feet elevation.

Further along; driving through Skamokawa, I saw that Moe Hill had also been recently scalped. It was weird to see it naked – it’s always been swaddled in forest as long as I’ve been in Washington, which is 56 years now. That hill holds a memory for me: not a memory shared with Bob, but a good memory, just the same 😉

Moe Hill seen from where my childhood home used to stand ...

One summer day, we 5 kids (my mother was 30 yo; I was 10, ramona was 9, Mahlon was 8, Carla was 7 & Sam was 5) hiked with my mother, from our home on Ingalls Road in Skamokawa, across the highway and through fields, up over Moe Hill (Moe Hill is 883 feet in elevation – and it was pure shale at the peak; but we crested it 😊) to my Aunt Terri's house (long gone), where the Skamokawa Vista Park Trail is now. I remember there was a wall of what I would describe as {glass} in the forest of one of those fields – that ‘glass’ was probably sunlight quartz: but it was long, and tall, and very bright in the sunlight. Like a wall of mirror glass; very beautiful, and I’ll never forget that sight.

I also remember my youngest brother was 5 years old when we made that lengthy hike, and my sister ramona had brought her little Dachshund (Snoopy) with us. The shale was deeper and slicker the closer we got to the top of Moe Hill, and we took a breather break for a bit when we finally crested the top. Just as we cleared the bottom, and started walking down the logging road towards Aunt Terri’s house behind the old school house, my father and Uncle Don were walking up the road to come find us. But my mother just laughed, and we laughed with her. We had been having fun on our long, exploratory hike. And my mother could read the sky – there was no chance we would get lost. But the men were very seriously worried (our breather break had put us behind arrival schedule), so we stopped laughing and meekly followed them. Every time I drive through Skamokawa, and I see that hill, I think of that hot summer hike over Moe Hill.

And I smile 😊

Continuing along Ocean Beach Highway home via the Cathlamet route, I passed through the wildfire section of the route.

WILDFIRE!

(https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/08/wildfire.html)

Site of the recent wildfire; Wahkiakum County.

Boot trail blazed by the firefighters ...

Coming around the corner at Stella – about 5 minutes from home – I saw a red ship: this is a new sight. A red ship is not something one sees every day unless you happen to be a captain or deck hand on this ship 😉

It was kinda startling. Interesting, too.

This bright red ship caught my eye; seen from Stella.

Stella from Heron Pointe; via Ocean Beach Highway - 7 min (5.1 mi) via WA-4 W

I had a great time with the gals. I enjoyed a relaxing countryside drive with scenic vistas. I smiled when reflecting on good memories. And my attention was snagged by a red ship highlighted by sunlit waters and a green forested hillside.

My Shabbat Rest began with a restful day; and I am thankful 😊

HAPPY SHABBAT ~Concerning All Things

Three things of importance happened, today:

As I finished up getting ready to walk out the door, the phone alerted me to an incoming text – and I knew this would be the last time I responded to texts from this source.

It looks like my face got a bit of a sunburn the other day, dinking around in the garden area - note nose area. LOL

Should I stay; or should I go? That is the million-dollar question.

The Clash – ‘Should I Stay or Should I go?’ song:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfEH7uXaGLY)

(1) I'm not sure the Friday mornings in Lexington will work for me ... they're okay people, but I don't feel that I really {fit}; I'm not the "rah-rah!" cheerleader type - never have been & don't want to be. The History of Longview, and the history of the Civil War Era don't interest me enough to stay interested. I'm more of the "in the moment" type of History person.

This morning was my last Friday Lexington drives. I’ll still be friendly with everyone, but it’s time to move on. When you have to scramble for reasons to ‘make it work’ – it’s not the right {fit} for your life.

My last Friday in Lexington; The look of knowing you've made the right decision in a difficult situation ...

Building a New Life is difficult. There are a lot of starts that fizzle out and go up in smoke. I’m still trying to find where I {fit}. It’s a process – no apology forthcoming: I have to do what’s best for me. The Lexington get-togethers have been fun, but they aren’t what’s best for me: there’s something lacking. I don’t like aimless loose ends. I don’t feel the need to be around people just for the sake of being around people.

There’s got to be something deeper threaded through the gatherings; and there doesn’t appear to be so. I am continually asked to return, but there is really no reason to – I don’t play games/small talk just to send echoes bouncing off walls bores me/I have nothing to share about my kids or grandkids/I’m not a globe trotter … and no one is interested in hearing about local Daytrip jaunts/covid and shootings are the highlights of convo – and I’m just not interested in wasting breath on either. I’m wasting gas to get there; and wasting time I feel guilty spending there, when it could be used more effectively elsewhere for more profitable purposes.

There is no real, connecting identification, on any level.

Building a New Life is difficult. I don’t want to waste my time in a fruitless atmosphere. Maybe I’m expecting too much – I don’t know. All I know is that I’m not feeling any excitement to be there, anymore; and I come away more drained than when I arrived. Friendship should feel more uplifting, and fulfilling.

(2) My new sunglasses arrived this afternoon. I received the text as I was preparing to drive home from Lexington.

On my way to pick up my new Sunglasses; they are not as dark as I had been promised ... and I had hoped.

The lenses look great in the frame; but the polarization is pretty see-through! That’s disappointing: Bob wore polarized sunglasses, and I don’t recall them ever being see-through lenses – they were more like opaque reflection mirrors. I hope these new lenses deflect the glare from the sun and oncoming headlights. I'll try them out next glaring sunny day - or nighttime drive. I've never had polarized sunglasses, so I'm not sure what to expect: but I did expect DARKER lenses.

They do look nice, though. I like that 😊

The polarized lens' don't appear to be that much darker than the tint on my everyday glasses.

Pros & Cons of Polarized Lenses: https://connectusfund.org/9-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-polarized-lenses

(3) Later on; at home, while balancing my checkbook, I noticed a significant deficit in both checking and savings tallies - so back into town I drove to find out "why", "how", and "who": it was a mystery, and I was thinking someone had stolen my account info and was skimming, leaving me in dire straits if it continued (bills need to be paid next week! I need that lost $$$$!!); I balance the balances every month, just like Bob drilled into my head for 44 years - there should have been NO glitches in either account.

It turned out to be a freak thing, and was quickly sorted by the girl who went over the details with me - she had a sharp eye that caught the snafu 😊 NO FAULT OF MINE – YAY!

The $$$$ has been recovered, and my deficit balance righted, again. HAPPY!

I decided to treat myself with a splurge, and picked up a pizza on the way home.

Shabbat Supper Splurge; Cheese Pizza.

I am thankful for Elohim's presence and faithfulness in my life this week. I am honored to be loved and favored by Yeshua. I am grateful for every single circumstance, and situation I experience: through them I am 'becoming'; and finding out who gets to share space with me as my Tribe is being formed.

Concerning all things - I'm not getting younger: or richer. Time is of the essence for balances to balance ... 😉

L'Chiam!