Daily Reminder # 473

A hug

It has been an odd, but nice day today. Lots of connections.  The last night part of it brought word that my friends in the flood zone are ok.  Then this morning began with a phone call (which I missed) from my neighbor at the top of the hill asking if I was ok. (I was, but the post office had delivered a package and put it between the screen and the door.)  I called her back but she had already left and her husband - who knew nothing about her concern - was totally baffled about why I was calling to say I was ok. It was very funny. Later I heard from Diane of Forks off the Moment, that she was finally granted her disability.  And I heard from the woman for whom I write the reminders after a long and worrying silence. She's ok, just doesn't have computer access very often.  While I was writing this, I had an Oprah network show on and it was John Quinones reporting about a woman named Amma. She is hugging the world. I think she positively GLOWS and I felt a bit like just looking at her face is a bit like being hugged. I wish she could drop by my house in Hancock, but just knowing she is out there makes the world seem a little kinder. I came to hugs late in life. In my disturbed and dysfunctional family we did not touch. Then I started going to a little church around the block from my apartment in Stuyvesant Town (NYC) and met Bertha Wegis. Bertha was in her 80s and you basically couldn't get in the door without a hug. She changed my life with those hugs. I slowly got comfortable with them and over time tried them on my mother, who could not receive them. She would allow/endure them, her arms stiff at her sides. It was painful and sad and as emblematic an image as you could think of for the kind, beautiful, angry, wounded being of love and light and dark who gave birth to me, gave me much of my strength and damaged me so deeply that I need every ounce of that strength to survive her critical, often cruel voice in my head. Life is strange and complicated.  I think Amma is beautiful. I send my own psychic hug to the world every night. I do what I can do.  Here's a video of her.





On another front, maybe I'll do some bragging. (Well, not that I have anything to do with how wonderful they are, but I have pride by association or something.)  My sister's children are all splendid and exciting.  My Arizona niece told me she and her daughter (who is 10) are writing a book together. About chaos. There is a character who holds chaos at bay or something. Trevor,  who is seven, is giving advice and suggestions. Sounds very cool to me.  She's such an amazing mother.  She and her daughter have painted together.  (See below.) My other niece has been quilting (see below again)... and my nephew's amazing catering business is starting to thrive.  Check it out here at Little Kitchen, especially if you live in Toronto.

This is a painting that Cindy and her daughter Annika made a year or so back.

I couldn't find a picture of the quilt (which Diana just entered into a competition)
but this is a pillow she made.  Both are first efforts. Nice work, isn't it?

Some things I'm grateful for today: (Items in red are pre-gratitude, an effort to inspire generosity - big time generosity - in the Creative Forces of the Universe, to get them whispering among themselves... "She's been thanking us for that truckload of money for quite some time... Have we given it to her? Better get on that..." )

• Angel and Tara Grace
• my home
• my computer
• the internet
• email
• my TV
• the remote control
• my camera
• sight
• hearing
• taste
• touch
• smell
• computer games
• music
• Pandora radio
• the joy of singing
• fans
• coffee and International Delight
• water for drinking and bathing
• that I heard (after a long silence) from the person for whom I post these reminders)
• that she is ok
• email with good news from Diane of Forks off the Road
• coconut oil
• caring neighbors
• the USPS/mail
• my nieces, my nephew and their families
• AIM
• SKYPE
• Google
• YouTube
• that they are safe, healthy, happy and successful
• my friends
• that my town didn't get flooded
• the diverse cultures of this world
• the free Healing with the Masters Course
• a truckload of money (big bills)
• zero balance on my credit cards
• a clothes dryer
• a sun room on the back of the house
• new curtains
• blinds for the front window
• more flowers in the back yard
• $5,000/week for life from PCH
• clean windows
• a reading and healing with Nancy DuTertre
• a paid off mortgage
• a ceiling fan in the bedroom
• winning lottery numbers
• freshly painted living and bedroom walls
• Nintendo
• seeing the red list turn to black
• reiki
• angels
• miracles
• Dennis Puffett
• Nature
• beauty
• green grass
• purple rocks
• my rock collection
• my Tibetan salt lamps
• the colors of the rainbow
• the telephone
• the ability to read and write
• the ability to type
• indoor plumbing
• my kitchen
• my microwave
• coconut oil (I'm REALLY grateful for it right now)
• FoodScout - a creation of my niece Diana and her husband-ish, John
• creativity
• imagination
• ideas
• resilience
• Sam-e
• Omega-3
• IP-6
• Vitamin D-3
• hugs
• people like Amma
• my chair/walker
• my cane
• that my legs still totter me from room to room with help
• Jon Stewart
• Stephen Colbert
• laughter
• kitty hugs (sometimes)
• garbage out, litter box changed
• the garbage man's extra steps
• books
• poetry
• electricity
• Dr. Bronner soaps
• my refrigerator
• yogurt and bananas
• humor
• movies
• Netflix
• Tara Grace's passionate stares
• beauty
• goodness
• kindness
• generosity
• compassion
• love
• laughter (I really love laughter)
• life

WISHING YOU HUGS

LOTS OF THEM
AND LOTS OF LOVE