Magic in a Book Store

Another beautiful experience in my local hangout, Barnes and Noble.  I have been sitting here with earbuds in listening to beautiful music and reading.  Suddenly a little boy with blond hair came up to my table.  Cute as can be.  His mom smiled and walked him away.  I smiled at him.

Finally I had to go to the restroom.  When I came out and heading into the main part of the store I saw him and his mom again, several feet away, but facing me.  He started walking toward me.  I smiled and held my arms out. Immediately he held his arms out and ran into mine and let me pick him up!!!

What a joy.  His mom smiled.  He is 2 and a half years old with wispy blond hair.  His name is Brody.

Brody made my Heart Smile.  And now when I think of him my heart has the biggest, warmest smile.

Thank you Brody. 

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Answered Prayer

Photo by Carl Attard

Some months ago I asked…

“Dear God, I just want enough finances to support myself, help others. Dine out with friends and some traveling.”  Please show me what is your best for me and how I can accomplish it.”

Well, He has been answering my prayer over the last few months, and I am grateful.

“Thank you God for guiding me to the book “You will never have this day again” where I read an inspirational quote from Oprah “Do What You Have to do Until You Can do what you Really Want to do.”

It was like God hitting me over the head with a 2×4. It was then I realized I needed to accept doing as much work as possible in order to pay off my debt and build my savings.

I am grateful the paid work I’m doing for the City of Greenville is enjoyable and does not create stress.  I also enjoy the people.

I have been working at transitioning from my habit of procrastination to doing now, not later. I’m getting better and better as the days go on.

And now God has gifted me with my wish for working half days most of the year, or at least half the year, and full time when special projects require it.  This allows me the extra income I need to support myself, help others, and treat myself sometimes, specially the dine outs with my gal friends.

Half days off gives me the time to comfortably run errands (not Saturdays!), and take care of items on my personal to do list.  I try to make Sundays my day of rest and relaxation.

What I really enjoy doing is reading, awake dreaming, writing about what inspires me, coffee with friends, and sometimes go for a drive.  I have been away from my writing for a long time. I pray I stick with it now.

 

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My Observations

I made notes on specific days and going to leave them as I wrote on the dates.

Saturday 2/25/17
It’s sunny, 72 and very windy out today as I sit in my local BN Café, reading, people watching, and listening to bits of conversations; and daydreaming. There were two gentlemen around my age sitting at a table chatting over coffee. They meet here fairly frequently, but since I don’t get here that often while working the full time contract job, my times and theirs don’t sync. I only hear little snatches of their conversation about politics, their children, and a variety of other topics. One of them looks interesting!  Hey, I’m not dead!

Sunday 3/12/17
Here I am again at BN Café …Sunday afternoon, the day time changed, springing forward one hour! As typical on a weekend day here at the café there are a lot people. Lucky to find a place to sit. There is an older couple each engrossed in their own reader/tablet, an old man sitting alone reading, I think waiting for his spouse. A young couple sitting next to me…she seems to be studying from a large text book, he also but too busy texting…the girl can’t seem to stop talking (not in a soft quiet voice). There is a woman, maybe in her 50s, sitting alone while her grown son is off by himself among the magazines. A variety of people mostly reading with their drink, some with laptops, another young couple – she is painting on a canvas, he is reading. I was reading for a bit then my eyes got tired so I decided to watch others and write.

WOW! I look up and here comes Wendy. She has things to do on her laptop and so we decide to sit at a double table so we can each do our thing, yet communicate. We haven’t seen each other in a long time.

SO, BACK TO “WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?”

Still working at City of Greenville until April 28th, getting projects done at home, looking for another place to live (maybe, only God knows), involved in things through church, socializing with friends. This month the Gilmore Girls are in town so Catherine and I will be spending a good amount of time with them.

I’m also reading the book Uninvited (Living Loved, when you feel less than, left out, and lonely) by Lysa TerKeurst. Just what I need at this time as I struggle to stop feeling rejected. I am not as sensitive these days with those feelings. But, this book is helping to understand.

Also trying to change eating habits and maybe get into the Mediterranean way of eating. That will take some studying and trying recipes. Just have to get my body in better shape by eating healthier and exercising.

Gradually becoming less of a procrastinator and actually accomplishing the to do’s on my list. Maybe I should start a STAR board and add a star for each accomplishment. Might be encouraging!

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My Journal Entry – Saturday September 26, 2015

I’m sitting here in the Barnes & Noble Café on Haywood Road with my headphones on listening to relaxing music via Pandora on my Nook.  The headphones allow me to hear my own music, and drown out the loud piped in music supplied by the store.  I’m catching up on my reading of articles in Poets & Writers magazine.  They teach and inspire me.

A few minutes ago two women in their 50s or 60s sat down two tables away from me.  They are speaking in loud voices which intrude on my mind space.  So concentration, even a little concentration is not possible.

Now I hear Frank Sinatra singing My Kind of Town on the store speakers.  I can’t even drown them out by turning my volume all the way up, which could possibly damage my eardrums!

Wait…Frank’s song strikes me as significant to the part of my story of…finding home.  I suspect it is because of the article I just read by Joni Tevis under P&Ws section The Literary Life and titled Getting the Lead Out, about discovering a better essay in the foothills of South Carolina.

Now as I am reading the sub-section Why We Write Michael Bourne telling us that failure is an option.  This one makes me wonder if I should create a new blog of word, phrases, short sentences that have meaning to me…my thoughts, my life, my world, my town, my ongoing search within my heart, soul and spirit.

A good few hours.  Makes me smile.

Check out Joni Tevis and her book The World Is On Fire http://www.jonitevis.com/author.html

and Michael Bourne at http://www.michaelbournewriter.com/new-page-1/

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Encouraging and Inspirational Day

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I try to be faithful to my PostADay challenge and tonight I was going to say “This will be very short tonight because I am a couple of days behind reading the blogs I subscribe to, and want to get through them tonight.” The other issue was because I wasn’t inspired about anything in particular. Also, I did not want to a little lazy and just post another photo, or one of my previously written poems.

But then inspiration came walking in, so here I am.

While being out of work and searching for something new, one of the things I do is attend networking meetings as I did this morning. Today’s speaker told about her life and how she came to really KNOW herself. One of the ways she confirmed the person she is within was taking the Strength Finders 2.0 survey and reading the book which explains each of the 34 personality themes and the actions to take to be better at our true selves. She did a great job and definitely encouraged us to get the book and do the survey. At the end she said she needed a volunteer and asked who would help. I raised my hand and was the only one willing to volunteer, for what I did not know. It turned out that just by being willing to help I was given a copy of the book Strength Finders 2.0 by Tom Rath. There was nothing to help with. She just wanted to reward the willingness to volunteer. What a great idea. Getting the book was a great surprise gift.

Also during this time of transition in my life, I am learning more about myself, making personal transitions within, and working on my writing.

So, I will read the book and do the survey to confirm what I already believe to be true about myself; and enjoy learning what I may find I didn’t know.

OK, I am off to catch up on reading some of your blogs.

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