Skip to main content

Year Two, Days 199 and 200: Advent

 
 I did not get a chance to post yesterday. I think I was suffering from a food hangover!

I played for the homeless luncheon at the church on Thanksgiving from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It was a "volunteer" position, but they gave me $60 and a free lunch!

In addition, I got to sit with some lovely people and visit.  And look at this lunch! (I had pie too....oh boy do I need the gym!)

After the lunch, my daughter and son-in-law picked me up and whisked me off to my brother's house for yet another Thanksgiving meal!  I did not eat lightly.  I enjoyed every morsel.

And some heated political debates. lol  But all in all a good time!

Luckily I did not have to work yesterday. My daughter was also home. Her husband went out hunting. So when she and I get a day off together, we go to lunch! But we were both moving sluggishly, so first we took Honey Dawg for a nice romp in the nearby doggie park. Then we decided we would walk for a nice cup of pho and then walk up to Walmart to get cleaning supplies and do a thorough cleaning. 

Luckily we missed the Black Friday crowds. We don't do crowds.

So we had a lovely walk. Wonderful lunch. And then on our slow, sluggish walk/crawl to Walmart, we came upon a thrift store we had not been to. We decided to stop in. They had a well stocked clothing supply! And we saw little signs everywhere that said "50 % off everything".

Most of the clothes were in really good shape. I found some lovely jeans that fit! And at 50% they would be $2.50! We kept snickering to ourselves that perhaps we were misunderstanding the 50 % off  EVERYTHING sign. When suddenly a light bulb went on. For both of us. At the same time.

The thrift store was having a Black Friday sale!

Then we discovered dresses and skirts were 75% off!!

So we went super crazy and bought about $150 worth of clothes for $50.

SCORE!!

I am so excited. The jeans I got yesterday were a nice fit, but a little snug. But today they are actually a bit loose. Because yesterday I had poofy Thanksgiving belly!  They are a size 16!! My original goal was to fit into size 14 jeans. I have several pair in my closet donated to me by my mom.

I am close!!!

Today my daughter, son-in-law and mom met for breakfast before I went to teach.  We had a lovely visit.  My daughter talked me into sharing a meal.  I am feeling quite svelte!

At the church where I teach on Saturday, they have a lovely grand piano. On my break, I decided to record "O Come, O Come Emmanuel".  This is considered an Advent hymn, although many people consider it a Christmas carol.

I am not fond of all the Christmas decorations going up before Thanksgiving, the crazy commercial and ads encouraging us to spend, spend, spend, "ho ho ho!". But I do love Advent.

Especially when I was a church pianist. There is a deep feeling of longing and expectancy. Almost like pregnancy. And of course, what the people were hoping for was a Messiah which came in the form of a baby, from the beautiful Virgin Mary.

If you are not familiar with the term "Advent", here is a nice synopsis from our good friend Wikipedia:

"Advent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. The term is a version of the Latin word meaning "coming".
Latin adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used to refer to the Second Coming of Christ. For Christians, the season of Advent anticipates the coming of Christ from three different perspectives. "Since the time of Bernard of Clairvaux (d.1153) Christians have spoken of the three comings of Christ: in the flesh in Bethlehem, in our hearts daily, and ini glory at the end of time."[1] The season offers the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, and to be alert for his Second Coming."


And here is my youtube video:
And on that note, I am off to meet a fish from Plenty of Fish. I am feeling surprisingly calm and serene about this. Finally. I put it into perspective. I am just meeting someone for a drink.  I will be polite and kind whether we "click" or not. I am not shopping for a car. I am meeting a new person. No
expectations.

I wish I would have had this insight many moons ago!

Happy Saturday!

And Happy First Day of Advent!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Year Four, Day 328: Success at Last!! This is What I Do

Hello My Long Lost Friends! Or, perhaps it was I who was lost? And now I think I am beginning to find myself!  Under layers of fat, and self loathing!  How's that for an opening line!  Or perhaps the title of a novel:  Layers of Fat and Self-Loathing! Today I stepped on the scale.  I am weighing myself every morning these days. I was shocked! I told my partner the scale must be broken!  Yesterday I weight 186. Today 185! I have been on a strict intermittent fast for the past 10 weeks. I have officially lost 12 pounds!  And the best news is I think I not only can stick to this way of eating, I am actually beginning to really enjoy it!  And look how far I've come! I've been writing since May 12, 2015.  Over 8 years now!  I know this blog post says Year Four, Day 328, but there have been many pauses in blogging. For instance, when I am not pleased with progress or simply have no words! I was 53 when I first began blogging. I am now 61. I honestly feel better than I did 8 years
Post a Comment
Read more

Year Four, Day 335: "Crisis Fatigue"

Hello Friends! I have missed you! I have been so utterly exhausted and downright depressed, that I couldn't summon enough energy to even lift my fingers to this computer keyboard to write.  Apparently there is a mental disorder for people going through crises.  Crises such as pandemics, systemic racism, political division, unemployment, police brutality, civil unrest.... It's called "crisis fatigue". When humans are presented with a threat, adrenaline is released to give us quick energy. This is called the "fight or flight syndrome". But when threats are overwhelming, and perceivably continuous, like this year, it overwhelms the system. People can feel numb, depressed, anxious and irritable. Yup. That's me.  I guess I'm quite normal after all! I found an interesting article that describes crisis fatigue, especially in relation to current events.  But it doesn't really address how to take care of ourselves during these unsettling times!
1 comment
Read more

Year Four, Day 247: What Happened in Vegas...

  Expectations can be brutal. Especially when reality dashes them against the rocky shores of our souls. How's that for an opening line? I was so excited about my recent trip to Las Vegas.  I haven't travelled anywhere in so long. I do believe I have been bit by the travel bug.  I want the freedom to go places I have never been, see things I have never seen and experience life as a stellar adventure! My kids are young adults with families of their own.  I have my role as Zma, as Teacher Zita. But I am on a quest to find Zita. She's hidden someone deep inside. Covered in layers. Like an onion. I like the onion analogy. Notice the outermost layer of an onion - dry  and papery. As you peel off layers, the inside is juicy and sweet. I have paid my dues of sacrifice, shame and self deprivation.  What I want now is to embrace the life I have remaining. Have you seen the life pie chart? I don't know where I read this, but it stuck with me.  Draw a circle.  And then divide it i
3 comments
Read more