Tag Archives: Danielle Ate the Sandwich

Wishcasting Wednesday

13 Replies

image from Jamie's post

What do you wish to experience?

Contentment. Satisfaction and peace, surrender and acceptance, ease and relaxation, fearlessness and joy, simplicity and engagement.

Love. On every channel, all the time, 24/7. Know it, feel it, be it. Love, love, love. And then, more love. Keep it coming, keep it going.

Health. Full body and full life wholehearted and embodied wellness. I want to light up, shine with it, glow, radiate.

Confidence. Certainty, courage, daring, determination, faith, tenacity.

Self-love. This is most likely a combination or culmination of the rest, what is at the center, the heart of everything else, its foundation, but it seems to be worth an independent mention. I want to move through the hours and days of my life with supreme confidence in my innate wisdom, compassion, strength, and fundamental goodness.

That part of the list is states of being, but there are also “things” I wish to experience.

Playing the ukulele well enough that I wouldn’t embarrass myself. The secret wish underneath is to someday be able to do a duet with Danielle Ate the Sandwich. Just once, please. But I have a lot of work to do first, like learning to play.

Publication. I’m okay without it. I have a full writing life, even if it never happens. Writing is like prayer for me, a spiritual practice, and I am utterly devoted to it. But…I’d also like to be published, as in paid for my work, as in people curled up in hammocks or in front of a fire on the couch cuddling with their dog reading my books.

Paid work that isn’t work, but rather pure love, aligned with my calling, maybe even God’s work. I’ve said it before and it bears repeating that I don’t need what I love to pay my rent, or turn into a business, and yet…it might not be the worst thing if what I love, the work I would do regardless, the thing that wakes me up in the middle of the night thinking and planning, the stuff that makes me wake up and rise at 4:30 am every morning, and the money, the means to take care of what needs taken care of, would be in the same location at the same time, would feed each other, work together, and then I could just do what I love, all the time, instead of trying to juggle full-time paid work with everything else I want to do. It is sometimes like trying to live two lives, and that can be exhausting, and lonely.

Hike the Appalachian Trail with Eric.

My very own writing cabin.

A whole summer in Amsterdam.

Dathun, a month long meditation retreat at Shambhala Mountain Center.

An in-person workshop with Brene’ Brown.

P.S. The magic power of wishing, part two: Holy wow! Brene’ is going to be in Boulder for a two day workshop in May, and I am going.

A yoga retreat with my friend and yoga teacher Jessica.

A writing workshop with Natalie Goldberg.

Church with Anne Lamott.

A meet-up with Susannah Conway. Really, what I would love is a long weekend on the beach with her, writing and blogging and taking pictures and talking and taking long naps and eating and laughing.

P.S. The magic power of wishing: I just found out this morning, less than 24 hours after making this post, that Susannah is going to be at the World Domination Summit, and has proposed a writing workshop. Even if the workshop doesn’t go (it so will), there is a very real chance that I am going to be able to at least tell her in person how much I adore her. I can hardly believe it, but it’s true!

Walk and talk with Mary Oliver. This is most likely the craziest wish on this list, but I would just love to be near her and able to tell her just once in-person how much I love her, how much her words have meant to me.

Swim without fear.

Hike with Judy Clement Wall.
A walk on the beach with Julia.
Take pictures or paint with Andrea Scher.
Sit with Jen Lemen at her kitchen table.
Sit in stillness with Erica Staab.
Meditate with Susan Piver, (oh wait, I actually get to do this in a few weeks!).
Discuss writing with Margaret Atwood, and not embarrass myself.
Trust over a cup of tea with Kristin Noelle.
Make art with Patti Digh.
Take a yoga class with Jennifer Louden.
Ask Pema Chödrön one million questions.
Take a Nia class with Jamie Ridler.
Go on tour with Aimee Mann.
Teach an art and writing class for girls with Kandyce.
Draw with Hugh MacLeod.
Listen to Neil Gaiman read.

I could keep going with this list forever and ever…so many good people doing so much good stuff and I want to just hang out with them and soak up all that goodness and tell them to their sweet faces how much I adore them.

Gratitude Friday

3 Replies

“Life is weird. Hard. Also beautiful.”
~Estrella Azul (41 6-Word Days).

On Friday’s, I do a “Gratitude Friday” post that’s a mash-up of Joy Jam (“Join us to radiate the energy of gratitude, thankfulness and celebration of everything that gave us joy this week. Together we will help send positive energy out into the world”) and The Little Bliss List (“Every Friday, the Little Bliss List provides a chance for us to celebrate the little things that brought us hope and happiness this week. I do believe when we focus on the sweet stuff of life, the sweet stuff multiplies. And by sharing those small gifts in our lives, we help others notice the gifts in theirs”).

This week was a rough one for me, so concentrating on what’s been good is especially important.

The List

1. Nice cops. On my way to my mother-in-law’s this morning, to be there with her when our beloved Rocky died (and to be with him), I got pulled over for speeding in a school zone. It would have been even nicer if he’d just let me go with a warning after hearing where I was headed, but he was nice enough to give me a bit of a break. And who knows, maybe the Universe was taking care of me too, keeping me from something much worse by delaying me for ten minutes? I haven’t had a speeding ticket in over 20 years, and that one was the first and only until now, so there’s that to be grateful for too.

2. Good dogs who are no longer in pain. I was so lucky to have known, loved and been loved by Obi and Rocky, and we are so lucky that there’s a group of vets like those that work with Home to Heaven who can come to help when our dogs are just too sick and in too much pain to go on suffering. Both Obi and Rocky went peacefully and at home where they were comfortable, surrounded by those who loved them most. I am grateful for that.

obi and rocky, the very last time they were together

3. Spring in bloom. This week I’ve seen bright yellow forsythia and daffodils, and the crabapple and cherry trees are also in bloom.

4. I have the best husband. He brought me back a sprig of blooms this morning from his walk with the dogs, and left them for me with a love note, because he knew I was going to have a tough morning, and because he’s just that good and kind.

5. Vegetarian corn dogs and organic tater tots with lots of ketchup. All of the yum with none of the yuck or guilt.

6. Birds singing at dawn. This is one of my favorite things about Spring.

7. The Dalai Lama running on a treadmill. I saw this in a Russian documentary “Sunrise/Sunset” on Gaiam TV, and this clip includes the scene, towards the end. He’s shuffling more than running, and he’s wearing a white cotton tank top, with a large, fluffy pink bath towel belted around his waist. Too cute. I also realized as I was watching this film that when the Dalai Lama is starting to giggle, but still talking, he sounds kind of like Yoda. So cute, he is.

8. Two healthy, happy dogs. I know this was on my list last week, but it is worth repeating.
9. Danielle Ate The Sandwich. I am going with some dear friends to watch her play and sing tonight. A happy end to a hard, sad day.

10. I get to finally meet Roxie!!!