Instructions For Living a Life

Today is knee injection day!!!  This appointment makes me very happy because for the next five months or so, my knees will be relatively pain free.  These injections are supposed to last six months, but really the breakdown begins in that sixth month.  The first two sets aren't really painful, but the last one is but for a good reason.  There is something there between the bones.  Getting these started this week couldn't come at a better time.  April and May hold a couple of trips. 

The High Five Kids Choir led worship yesterday at church.  Their energy added a exciting dimension to the service.  At one time a music minister long ago said that children are not able to lead a congregation in worship but I think he was dead wrong.  Through the years children's choirs were more about performance but these kids yesterday sang out of their heart and out of love.  Wish the congregation could do some of the arm and hand movements along with the songs like the kids.  Roy and I went afterwards to The Fresh Market and picked up a few things and then headed back to the Rancho to have brunch at Las Alameda's.  We came home and picked up his trek and took it back in to the bike shop.  The light he bought for his bike is too heavy for the sprocket it attaches to.  We left it for the bike guys to figure out a solution, if there is one.  Since there was a 20% off coupon for Books A Million in email this week, we headed over that way.  Because we don't have enough books or magazines here in la casa.  The journaling magazine I like had a new issue, Roy found a bargain book, and BAM has Hello Kitty jelly beans.  Actually, it is the flavors she likes cherry, sour cherry, strawberry shortcake, cotton candy and bubble gum.  Can I help it that these are my favorite flavors too?

I spent Friday evening and some of Saturday afternoon researching my new project.  The time flies when I am involved in it.  Since the weekend held beautiful weather, I did some research and reading out on the courtyard.  Some of the birds are used to me or maybe somehow they know I am the provider of seed for their eating pleasure.  The mockingbirds in particular show no fear.  I think the mockingbirds have a nest in the trees in the center portion of the cul de sac.  They are the first to know when the feeder is filled. 

I have an email subscription to Robyn Waters Trend/Counter Trend.  Her articles are enjoyable to read yet they hold paragraphs of applicable stories crafted for marketing professionals, but nonprofessionals like me can enjoy.  The article that came to the inbox last night is titled Wish You Were Here!  It is her thoughts on the lost art of postcard sending because we have easier venues of Twitter, Messaging and Facebook to send pictures and update our activities.  She said finding a postcard and taking the time to write, find stamps and a place to mail takes much more energy than we are now wanting to give but she emphasizes it is important to those we treasure and love to take the time and the energy.  This is the poem she used to open her article

This month’s newsletter is a commentary on the final line of Mary Oliver’s poem:

“Instructions for Living a Life.
Pay Attention
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”



 Why haven't I ever heard of Mary Oliver?  She has pages and pages of quotes and poems on various quote websites.  These three things on living life are great.  Especially since I have been reading Madeleine L'Engle books and she emphasizes emphatically that we have to pay attention.  Pay meaning it costs us something and attention, focusing in.  There is so much to pay attention to.  Funny, pay attention has usually had a negative connotation since I have been asked to do this repeatedly during my lifetime.  Well I would have if it had been more interesting.  But that is another story for another day.  I keep thinking that maybe this is the first time I have really ever paid attention to Genesis and that's why I am reaping the rewards of the stories and application. 

Well, got to make another check to make sure my knees are not hairy or maybe that should be not too hairy for an injection.