Year Two, Day 252: "I Made it Through the Snow..." And Got Some New Books! :)

It felt so good to walk outside today with only one layer of clothing! Still a bit chilly and VERY WET!

The fresh air was invigorating. I found myself taking big gulps.  And it felt wonderful to stretch my legs and take longer strides without fear of slipping on snow and ice. There is still some snow piled here and there, but it is quite slushy. When I headed out to the grocery store this morning, there was no traffic on the side streets. So I just walked on the pavement in the middle of the road!

I am becoming quite bold in my middle age!


I got to the bus stop in record time and lo and behold, my bus pulled up shortly afterwards.  It was so wonderful to get on a warm, uncrowded bus.

That old Barry Mannilow tune has been running through my mind all day:  "I made it through the rain..." Except I've been singing: "I made it through the snow..." ;)

And that's how I feel.

In more ways than one!

I began chastising myself this morning for not waking up early enough to get to the gym before my household chores and teaching.

I chastise myself way too much.  Suddenly, with the warmer weather (It is nearly 40 degrees presently at nearly 5:00 p.m. - most balmy!), I find my heart warming.

I feel like I am at the end of an era.  The era of being so darn hard on myself. And also so hyper focused on self- improvement. Don't get me wrong, I still have work to do, but as I walked, I heard a small voice.  I read in one of my devotionals not to try too hard to be in God's presence, but to allow yourself to be filled by the Holy Spirit.

For me, walking is when I feel closest to God.  And when I hear that small voice, I listen.

It said, "Respect all life, especially your own."

And with that, I felt like the weight of the world fell off my shoulders. At least for that moment.

Coming through this snow and ice storm has been difficult for all of us here in Portland.  I think human beings are reactionary by nature. We rarely get this much snow for such a long time, so we were most unprepared.  But now that the storm has subsided, I realized I learned how to survive a snow and ice storm.  I hope our city officials have too. And next time are better prepared!

I have been reacting most of my life. Now that my children are grown, I feel like I have learned how to mother them. Not perfectly, mind you. But how to guide, set an example, step back and let go.

And perhaps now that I am middle aged, I have learned how to care for myself so that I can be fully present in this world. So that I can respect all life and my own. So that I can enjoy my life and bring enjoyment to others.

These are the things I pondered on my walk and bus ride this morning.

And I forgave myself for sleeping in.  Because the walk to and from the bus stops and store were quite a workout!

I am quite pleased that I made it home in time to roast a chicken, and make mashed cauliflower and giblet gravy for dinner. I left it and little notes for the grown children. I had a lunch of leftover salmon cakes that I made for dinner last night.

Killer salmon cakes!

 Another thing I have learned, is that I like my own cooking. Better than most restaurants! So if I stay organized, we can all eat healthy and inexpensively.  My daughter is an awesome cook too, by the way. But she is rising upward in her career, working full time. I like to help out. I feel like I am channeling my grandmother who raised four children as a widow nearly on her own during the Depression on a farm in central Texas.  Her cooking was legendary.

My salmon cakes, in my humble opinion have reached near perfection. They are gluten-free. I discovered that spelt flour is the best consistency for these little morsels. I also add minced jalapeno.

Yesterday, I had another one of my moments of profundity.  I realized that for the past several months, since I have been attempting to enter the world of dating, and attempting to make myself more presentable, that I had been reading very little.

I miss reading.  Books have always been my best friends.  I have been doing daily bible study, which I love. It is like taking a vitamin.  One of the men in my church calls it "Vitamin B!"

I find my day starts out on the right foot if I begin with vitamins B, P, and J! (Bible study, prayer and journaling).

But I also like to read for escape, for pleasure, and for mental exercise.

So last night, I sat down and downloaded several new books on my Kindle.  I usually hunt the bargains. I use bookbub.com.  I found several bestsellars for less than $2.00 each!

Disclaimer: I prefer "real books" to digital readers.  A book to me feels like an "entity". I love the feel of the paper, the smell, the texture, the feeling of turning the page, and holding the book in my hand. You do not get that with an electronic book. But, as a commuter, my Kindle saves my shoulders. My family used to roll my eyes at me back in the day. I could not go anywhere without my bag of books. They affectionately (I hope) called me "Mom, the Bag Lady!"

Anyway, I'm really excited about some of my finds.  I will be giving you little book reports in the days to come!

Here is my list:

1. The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism, by Naoki Higashida, Traslated by KA Yoshida and David Mitchell
2. The Girl Who Chased the Moon, by Sarah Addison Allen
3. Ambulance Girl: How I Saved Myself by Becoming an EMT, by Jane Sterm
4. A Thyme and Place: Medieval Feasts and Recipes for the Modern Table, by Tricia Cohen and Lisa Graves
5. Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food, by Lysa Terkeurst
6. Embrace Your Magnificence, by Fabienne Fredrickson
7. Musician's Yoga: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Inspiration, by Mia Olson

That is the list of books I intend to focus on for the next few months.  Most excited am I!

On that note, a bus I much catch for my piano student.

Happy Wednesday! :)