Pope Francis Sounds Just Right!

I just learned that we have a newly elected leader for the Catholic Church, who has chosen to be called Pope Francis. When I heard the newscaster on the video say his name, something within me sang and I felt happy.

Ever since I was a young child I was taught to have a respect for Saint Francis. He was someone who was humble, he loved God and he was kind to man and beast. Being a great animal lover, I find myself uttering little words to St. Francis thanking him for watching out for my pets, and those animals who most need food, shelter and love. There is such a kindness about his name that about fifteen years ago, I changed my confirmation name from Michelle (supposedly a female version for Michael), to Saint Michael-Francis. I share a great fondness for the Archangel Michael, as well. To choose the name Francis is to associate with the nature of the man behind the cloth, admitting to those around us that we care deeply for people and animals.

I look forward to and am pleased to learn more about Pope Francis. I send him my most sincere blessings because I feel he will be a true leader for our church.

Photograph: Associated Press/Andrew Medichini 

A Surprise For Harper Jane

Harper Jane’s surprise arrived today. A week ago, my niece Rachael brought her darling daughter, Harper to visit expressly to prep, mix, roll-out & cut and then bake sugar cookies. Harper did such a god job Uncle Joe and Auntie Teesa decided to order her very own uniform. While there was about a half of a cup of flour on her shirt and the floor, we had a special time. I had my hands too full to take photographs, but we will snap them next time. Harper and I plan to prepare miniature pies (blueberry, cherry, apple and perhaps a few chicken pot pies as well. She will look awesome in her chefs jacket and I will wear mine when next we explore my kitchen. What a beautiful child!

Soap Rocks!

“Cool gift from my sister, Mary”

I am forever washing my hands and this was an exceptionally thoughtful gift from my sister, Mary.

She knows how much I love rocks and the blending of shapes, colors and scents combine to bring a smile to my face.

“They look like jewels”

This one still has the plastic wrap. The green one was the one I chose to use first.

“Here are all three of my Soap Rocks”

They will take a long time to use up, so I will admire each one everyday.

“Soap Rocks come in a variety of shapes, colors and scents”

The pamphlet shows the many scented Soap Rocks and tells the history of the company.

Have A Joyful Kitchen

It appears WordPress has changed things so this will be a long post of photographs depicting what I have been doing in a room that holds so much creative and delicious promise. My kitchen. It’s not very large, but it is packed with the essential items to help me turn out an array of cooked and baked foods. I suppose you can click the photographs to view them better and I promise everything tasted heavenly. Thought of the day … have a joyful kitchen that brings you comfort and peace. Happy New Year! Please forgive the wallpaper.

Surprising Events

Today I read a story that captured my interest. A veteran nurse who worked in the critical care unit located at Indiana University Health Goshen Hospital, was fired for refusing to take a mandatory flu shot. I will naturally provide the link to this story at the end of my post (it’s a very compelling article), as I am not going to repeat it all here. The thing is … I have taken two influenza shots (in 1974 and 1996) and both times I became deathly ill. I will never ever repeat this mistake let me assure you.

I stand behind Ethel Hoover’s decision to refuse the flu vaccine 100% because it is her body and she does have rights. I certainly hope she lawyers-up and sues the pants off that place. Ethel Hoover was one out of 1,500 medical employees who refused the flu shot, and one of eight employees that were fired. What is your opinion please?

See “Nurses Fired For Refusing Flu Shot”

Am I Selfish By Not Sharing Everything?

“Thoughts Become Things … Choose The Good Ones”

Today I did not climb out of bed until just after 1 PM. Since Christmas day, Joe and I have been at the mercy of the germs given to us by family members on both sides, neighbors and the people who ventured out to shop at the last moment. Although we could hear their sneezes, rumbling coughs and sniffs holding back the less delicate evidence of their sickness, while in-taking breathable air, we shuddered, crossed our fingers and hoped we would not succumb. Being coughed on, sneezed at and wiping drippy toddler’s noses didn’t help either … but they’re so darned cute at this age. We surely enjoyed being together with our loved ones!

After brunch, coffee and hot apple cider, I waved a brief goodbye to Joe as he got into the car and headed to his office. I dragged myself to the shower and felt revived for about ten minutes. Yesterday I ventured a peek into my Gmail and two hours later, I had finished sorting, answering and deleting everything else. I felt a bit finished by then and whilst I shut down my computer, it  felt as if I was hiding away since I have not written much on my site for about three months now. It isn’t because I have been tremendously busy. I have always been busy. It might be that after the highlights of the political fiascos, ads, election woes and the hurricane that destroyed so much, I felt sad. The push of the holidays and the work I was doing was actually clashing with the private me. That part of me that cooks, bakes, creates and is socially flirty. Then the rest of the world went topsy-turvy and caved in a bit when that madman went ballistic on those innocent victims at the elementary school. This horrific news and the weighty issues of the world were almost too much to bear, but I thought to myself, “It wasn’t your child or someone you personally knew … but it felt as if they were.”  Our country, our world has been changing rapidly, evolving and then on top of these tragedies … there was the end of the world to get through. It’s a wonder I didn’t run howling into the streets and jump into the ocean, a hard thing to do since I am hours away from there and never go into it anymore.

So I held my angst in. I kept these thoughts (most of them anyway) to myself. I contemplated what they meant, where the world was going and what I might do about it or how might I contribute to society. I sought my inner temple and rested in a spiritual limbo, secure in the tomb of self-imposed meditation. I watched (many times) a DVD by Mike Dooley of TUT University. I figured out he had his finger on the pulse of things in a new way that made sense. “Thoughts become things … choose the good ones” … “But How!” I shouted out loud to no one in particular but my felines, who looked up wondering what the heck Mommy was pontificating. My furry audience and I, we share some of the best quiet moments together. EVER! How was I to live my life according to my thoughts with all of the dissonance and violence in the world? My answer came to me quietly. My deep inner voice made it simple: Just keep trying everyday and the change I want will come. The parts I no longer wanted I was to pay no attention to. I was to improve my thinking and to ignore the negative words whenever they come to mind. It is easy to fall into the trappings of discouragement and dull days where we might feel a little trapped by the sameness of things. Enjoy what we have and dwell on whatever I really want, then work towards that. My new assignment.

The reasons I have stayed to myself have not been selfish. These past 90 days have afforded me time to point myself into the creative direction I was put on this earth to do and there is no looking back anymore. The past is the past and those constant memories of people, places and things that got me to where I am today are just that … my darling companions to whom I will always feel gratitude and love, but the future lies before me. I am on my way.

Awakened Me

“Awakened Me”

~~~

Lately I’ve hidden away wondering if my relevance

Was no more than a mysterious shimmering waviness

Hovering just above the desert road

Evaporating into the skies melding into rain clouds

To wash clean the earth

Washing me clean of cluttered thinking

To grind me down into the pulp of a new form of life

But how could I question these things

Unless I am remembering the chain of events

That brought these revelations before my mind

I stand on the cliff of comprehension

Balancing between the reality I accepted and

The necessary truths deeply imbedded in my soul

Ingrained at a precise moment in space

The birth of the universe

Born knowing what I considered

Was the simple complicated musings of a being

Coming to realize the interconnection

To every possible living thing in existence

I remember the truth the first time I read these words

“Be still and know that I am God”

Some of the most powerful and revealing words

To be spoken aloud as they expose the dawning of time

For what we truly are

One with our Creator

Thank you Father for Your gift of life

Truth in opening my spirit to

Awaken me so I am

Consciously aware of our connection

Theresa H Hall written today @ 0700