I'm back and ready

I spent the last month experiencing adventures with my 2 daughters that live in other parts of the country.  I am thankful for time to enjoy those that live far away and reflect on this past school year. 
For some of my adventures https://ptsd-acceptingcopingthriving.com/2019/06/30/adventures/

I spent time walking, lots of walking.  This coming March I am planning to participate in a major hiking experience.  I hadn't walked more than 4 miles on a hike for as long as I can remember.  This past month I learned to walk with a group....kids and adults enjoying each other.  I noticed that I can get very worried about little people walking to close to the road or the edge of a cliff.  I need to work with my over zealous reaction to some situations.  I learned to walk in the rain.  I spent time in an area that is experiencing record breaking rainfall.  If I didn't walk in the rain, I wouldn't go walking at all.  I did buy a second pair of tennis shoes to go walking in.  My shoes were getting so wet that when I put them on the next day they oozed water between my toes.  Not a comfortable feeling.  More time to dry my shoes with a second pair.  My final day of walking was a 5 mile walk, which is probably the longest walk since I was a teenager.  Go me. 

I also spent some time reflecting on where was I going.  What adjustments do I need to make to my life plan?  Do I feel like I am following Heavenly Father's plan for me?  I saw my daughters pray wall and felt a twang of envy.  I want a prayer wall.  I thought about my space in my house and what was keeping me from having a space of peace and reflection in my home.  I plotted and planned ways to change my space so that I can have a prayer wall in my house.  The movie War Room http://www.kendrickbrotherscatalogue.com/warroom/ introduced me to the idea but I hadn't thought about why I had not created such a space for myself.  I felt a bit of envy then realized that the only one holding me back from having my own space is me.  Heavy sigh, the Lord often points out to me that I am my own worse stumbling block.  Plans are a foot to change that one piece of what I can do.  Summer is only one more month with plans of more adventures with grandchildren and adult children.  Yes, my kids are still my children but they are such amazing adults it is fun learning to let them lead.  I feel so blessed. 

Living in Arizona

Sharing something silly....

YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM ARIZONA WHEN. . .
1. You can say Hohokam and no one thinks you're making it up.

2.You no longer associate rivers or bridges with water.

3.You know that a "swamp cooler" is not a happy hour drink.

4.You can contemplate a high temperature of 120 degrees as "not all that bad, after all it's a dry heat."

5.You know that you can make sun tea outside faster than instant tea in your microwave.

6.You have to run your air conditioner in the middle of winter so that you can use your fireplace.

7.The water coming from the "cold" tap is hotter than that from the hot" tap.

8.You can correctly pronounce the following words: "Saguaro", "Tempe", "Gila Bend", "San Xavier del Bac", "Canyon de Chelly", "Mogollon Rim", "Cholla", and "Tlaquepacque", "Ajo".

9.It's noon on a weekday in July, kids are on summer vacation, and not one single person is moving on the streets.

10.Hot air balloons can't fly because the air outside is hotter than the air inside.

11.You buy salsa by the gallon.

12.Your Christmas decorations include a half a yard of sand and 100 paper bags.

13.You think someone driving while wearing oven mitts is clever.

14.Most of the restaurants in your town have the first name "El" or "Los."

15.You think six tons of crushed rock makes a beautiful yard.

16.You can say 115 degrees without fainting.

17.Vehicles with open windows have the right-of-way in the summer.

18.People break out coats when the temperature drops below 70.

19.You discover, in July, it only takes two fingers to drive your car.

20.The pool can be warmer than you are.

21.You realize Valley Fever isn't a disco dance.

22.People with black cars or have black upholstery in their car are automatically assumed to be from out-of-state or nuts.

23.You know better than to get into a car/truck with leather seats if you're wearing shorts.

24.Announcements for Fourth of July events always end with "in case of monsoon..."

25.You have to explain to out-of-staters why there is no daylight savings time

26.You can say "haboob" without giggling. (I drove through one.  I saw it coming and knew I wasn't going to make it home before it hit.  Just drove slowly like everyone else.)

Yes, university students wrote a pamphlet on how to cook in your car.  

Quote from my favorite author

Laurel Hawkes posted an awesome quote:
https://laurelhawkes.blogspot.com/2019/06/monday-quote_24.html

Clutter is not just physical stuff.

It's old ideas, toxic relationships, and bad habits.

Clutter is anything that does not support your best self.

~ Eleanor Brownn

Closest I've seen

to the description on how I came to be so damaged by my parents behavior.  Always a bit spooky to me when someone else describes my life when I have no idea who they are.  Fairly long, but if you want to know how someone comes to have CPTSD this guy describes it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXGGqp_9EiU

Eeyore

Found on facebook

It occurred to Pooh 🐻 and Piglet 🐷 that they hadn't heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats 🎩 and coats 🧥 and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood🌲 to Eeyore's stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore.

"Hello Eeyore," said Pooh.

"Hello Pooh. 🐻 Hello Piglet 🐷" said Eeyore, in a Glum Sounding Voice

"We just thought we'd check in on you," said Piglet, "because we hadn't heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay."

Eeyore was silent for a moment. "Am I okay?" he asked, eventually. "Well, I don't know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? That's what I ask myself. All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All.

Which is why I haven't bothered you. Because you wouldn't want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All, would you now."

Pooh looked and Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.

Eeyore looked at them in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"We're sitting here with you," said Pooh, "because we are your friends. And true friends don't care if someone is feeling Sad, or Alone, or Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are." 💜💚

"Oh," said Eeyore. "Oh." And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all; somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better. 🥰

Because Pooh and Piglet were There.
No more; no less.

A.A.Milne
E.H.Shepard

* I am sharing this post that I found online - I do not know who wrote it.

I love this.  This to me is what friendship is about.  

Seeds

Came across a great quote on Facebook.  I wanted to share. 

They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds.