Things I Love and a Quote of the Week

“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.”

                                                       ~ Charles Dickens

Friends are great, but a friend with chocolate (or a martini) can lift you out of whatever depressing situation you may find yourself suffering through. In fact, chocolate alone can save an otherwise pathetic day. No offense to my wonderful friends, but we are talking chocolate…one of the loves of my life.

Reading this quote made me smile and begin to reminisce about things that I love, and how as we mature our likes and dislikes evolve. Chocolate has been a constant for me, but other passions have come and gone. As I mentioned in a previous blog, as a child I was crazy for shoes. A new pair of patent leather Mary Janes could make me feel like a princess. As a teenager during the hippy-dippy 60’s, nondescript leather sandals replaced my shiny dress shoes, while music and friends became my new priorities.

 Moving to Alaska in the 70’s brought my focus back to my feet. Boots, I had all styles: dress boots, everyday boots, outdoor activity boots, and each type in a variety of colors. My husband called me the boot queen. I my defense, I did live in Alaska and boots were a necessity. All my northern friends were boot queens also. Since moving back to California I rarely wear boots. I kind of miss them.

 

I have always been a fan of the great outdoors enjoying skiing, camping, and hiking. Not so much now that I am getting older. During my adult life I have enjoyed domestic hobbies like sewing and baking. I love to bake on a rainy day. Puzzles and craft projects have also been favorites.

Traveling to exotic and historic destinations is my ultimate passion. I hope to continue my world travels for years to come. My all-time favorite pastime though is reading. I think I could read endlessly. I will never stop reading unless my eyesight fails. A good book and a box of chocolates…it doesn’t get any better.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

~ William Morris ~

                                                    Famous 19^th century designer

I couldn’t have said it better myself! I have tried to express this sentiment repeatedly to different members of my family who I consider to have ‘hoarding’ tendencies. I seem to be in the minority, at least in my family, when it comes to attachments to ‘stuff’. I don’t get it. What possible good can come from closets jammed with clothes, shoes, accessories, (some decades old) that are never worn, or cabinets so cluttered it becomes hazardous to open them. What need does holding on to useless items fill for some people? It is beyond my comprehension.

My husband, who will save and store anything, believes that I am the one with the problem. He claims I am ‘obsessed’ with cleaning and organizing closets and cupboards. It is true that I find pleasure in this process, and I have been known to get rid of items that turn out to be needed again soon after. However, when my life feels confusing and out of control, purging my clothes closet or pantry of unnecessary items soothes and comforts my anxiety. The comfort is renewed each time I open the doors of these newly organized spaces.

This has been an ongoing battle in my marriage for 37 years, what to keep and what to throw out. We (mostly me) compromise and he has his spaces to store (hoard) his stuff, stuff that will never be used or even looked at until our kids are burdened with the job of sorting through it after we pass on, like we had to do when our parents and grandparents passed away.

Along with Mr. Morris, I truly believe a person’s life is improved by lightening the burden of excessive stuff. Life is in fact a journey, and the journey is much easier with a lighter load. 

Suitcases Packed and Nowhere to Go

For once we are totally prepared for a trip I have been planning for months; a month in Europe visiting several countries including a river cruise on the Danube through Austria. My husband and I are so proud of our efficient, compact packing job, with one small suitcase each for the entire month. It is the day before our early morning departure and I have just printed our boarding passes securing them in my new lightweight travel purse next to our passports. Just a few last minute details and we are ready!

Looking in my email inbox I see the confirmation for the city tour I have booked in Prague has arrived just in time. I quickly open the email relieved that I can add this last document to my now complete and organized voucher file. The email begins as expected:

‘Your tour for June 6th is confirmed, however, I must advice you that our tours for today and tomorrow have been canceled due to the severe flooding in Prague.’

I am perplexed, as I have been checking the weather almost daily. I have not heard anything about flooding. I quickly begin a Google search for news. The first story I see reports serious flooding, evacuations, power outages, and sewer closures in parts of Prague. The next article reads, ‘Worst Flooding in Five Centuries in Passau, Germany.’ The article is complete with a German man standing in front of his house in thigh high water. Passau is where our river cruise begins! Panic sets in. Our flight is 12 hours away. Will we be flying into a flood zone?

While Mark, my husband, is out doing last minute errands, I can’t think what to do. I assumed my travel agent had gone home for the day but I tried her number just in case. I breathed a sigh of relief when she picked up. “Sonja, what is going on with our trip?”

“What do you mean?” she calmly asked.

“The flooding in Prague and Passau, it sounds really bad!”

“Flooding, what flooding? I haven’t heard about any flooding.”

I proceeded to explain about the email and what I had read online, and now she begins to panic. “I will try to reach the cruise-company and call you right back.”

As I am pacing back and forth in front of our suitcases, Mark returns.

“What is going on?” He asked. “I thought you were all ready.”

“The whole trip may be falling apart! I am waiting for Sonja to call back.” I explained the situation as the phone rang.

 “Your entire trip is cancelled, the cruise, the ground portion in Prague as well as at the end of the cruise in Budapest. I am stunned and so sorry. I don’t even know what to tell you to do.”

We had booked our flights separately (non-refundable of course) and were already checked in. However, we no longer had reservations or a plan of any sort, once we arrived in flood ravaged Prague.

After much fretting and deliberation, we decided to cancel our flights and hoped that our travel insurance would cover our losses. What a let down.

The next morning we debated about changing our plans and going somewhere totaling different, or just postponing our vacation for another time. But to waste all the planning, preparation, and those meticulously packed suitcases! We spent a day and a half trying to put another trip together, but it is just not happening. Oh well, such is life.

Putting a positive note on our lost trip, we can begin planning and looking forward to the replacement trip. Instead of being sad because vacation is over, we still have it ahead of us. I might even keep that suitcase packed.

HOW DO YOU STAY POSITIVE? 7 RULES

I came across this wise advice at SIMPLE TRUTHS and thought it was worth sharing.

RULE #1  WAIT TO WORRY

What were you worried about this time last year? You probably don’t remember.

Did you know that only 8% of what we worry about ever comes true?

“Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength.”

                                                                    ~Charles Spurgeon

RULE #2  KEEP AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Count your blessing and jot them down.

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it”

                                                                    ~William Arthur Ward

RULE #3  YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH

If you lose your health, you lose everything… Take time to exercise, catch up on your sleep and eat right.

“One of the main qualities it takes to be successful is energy...it may be the only thing.”

                                                             ~Katharine Hepburn

RULE #4  JOY BOOMERANGS

Do something for someone else...the good you do boomerangs back to you!

“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”

                                                              ~Booker T. Washington

RULE #5  LEARN TO SAY “NO”

We have limits to our time, energy and interests. 

“If we always say ‘yes,’ we run a greater danger of severing relationships than if we refuse right away.”

                                                             ~Vicki Hitzges
 

RULE #6  UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF DISCIPLINE

If you discipline yourself today, you’ll enjoy your life more tomorrow.

“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you.

                                                           ~Henry Ward Beecher

RULE #7 SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE

Find people who will challenge you, believe in you and inspire you to improve.

“To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.”

                                                                 ~David Viscott

Stopping to Smell the Roses

Today on my morning walk, I was distracted by a stunning, vibrant rose in a neighbor's yard and just had to stop to admire it. While inhaling its delicious scent, I felt a calmness and sense of peace come over me. Most days I head out to cover as many miles in the shortest time possible. The effect the perfect rose had on my mood changed my course to taking in the sights, smells, and sounds of this fresh, spring morning, and not worrying about how many miles I logged or how quickly I covered
them.

 As I walked, I noticed so many other beautiful flowers, but especially the roses. It must be a good year for roses because they are huge and bountiful. Some of the blossoms were as big as cantaloups. Is it a good year for roses, or have I missed them in the past in my quest to complete my walk on schedule?

I live in an older neighborhood of large lots with mature landscapes. Everyone living here takes pride in their yards and each house is unique to the owners' plants of choice; but the same in the way they are

cared for and kept up. This stairway is across the street from my home and I rarely enjoy its artistry. As I studied it today, I was reminded of the gardens on Lake Como, or the South of France, but it is right here on my street to enjoy everyday.

 I marveled at the beauty that I take for granted as I rush through my days and felt grateful that one exquisite rose had reminded me to to take note of natures gifts that are all around. Stopping to smell the roses can inspire a great day!

My How Time Flies

Time speeds up as we grown older. At least it certainly seems to fly by faster each year. As Children, each day was an eternity as we waited for the last day of school, or an exciting holiday like Halloween or Christmas. Now I feel as if I just put the Christmas decorations away when it is time to deck the halls once again. How can it be that a year goes by with the snap of a finger when the same time period used to feel endless?

One way to put this phenomenon into perspective is to consider that for a ten year old, a year is one-tenth of their life. For a sixty year old, a year is one-sixtieth. One-tenth of a whole is a large segment, whereas one-sixtieth is a tiny fraction. Consequently, the more years we have behind us, the smaller they get – or seem to get. The good news is we don’t have to wait for vacations and holidays like we used to; all we do is blink, and the time has passed.

The reality is that a year remains 365 - 24-hour days regardless of our age. Later in life we know these years are limited, and therefore they become more valued. Wasted time is lost time – gone from us forever. Our time will pass whether we embrace each day or let it slip away. The choice is clear to me.

Bucket list

I just celebrated another milestone birthday. Our early milestone birthdays are celebrated as reaching a stage in life that opens new opportunities and experiences. I suppose we should look at later milestones in the same positive light. I will try not to focus on recent occurrences: like friends my age passing away, or the fact that I am debating about continuing activities I have enjoyed my entire life. Instead, I plan to relish what I do well and enjoy working on checking off that bucket list. This past weekend while my husband was out of town, I sat down with a good book and ended up reading it cover to cover, just because I could. For years I wished to read to my hearts content, and that is a wish for a lot of reading. I can do it now, and how I love my books.

As to my bucket list; It is quite long and, instead of getting shorter, it continues to grow. For every experience I check off, I add two more. At this rate, I will have to live to be 150. However, as my list grows, it also evolves. The older I get the more fine tuned my likes and dislikes become, and I am getting very selective when deciding how to spend my time. One item recently added to the list is 'letting go'. Letting go of guilt and anxiety if I don’t accomplish everything I dream about. I am learning to hone in on what really makes me happy and by doing so, I plan to refine my list.

I am learning that it is just as satisfying to settle in with a good book on a rainy day as it is to travel to some exotic destination. An evening with a friend can bring as much joy as a night on the town. I will continue to travel whenever I have the opportunity - European Adventure 2013 is coming in June - however, I won’t forget to enjoy the simpler pleasures that make up everyday life. My bucket list now includes exploring the fjords of New Zealand and telling my family members that I love them on a regular basis. After climbing the Zugspitze in Bavaria, comes sleeping in when I can. 

I hope my evolving bucket list brings me satisfaction and peace along with the realization of a life well lived.