Marsia's Diary

J said that as a reward for getting the paperwork done, we'll get me a new bike. Mine has 2 shredded tires, a rusted chain, and is huge and heavy. I am going to pick out a nice folding bike that I can put in the trunk so they can skateboard, and I can ride bike, and we don't have to fuss with a bike carrier and worry if we go somewhere that my bike will get stolen.
Ooo, tell me what you get and how you like it!
 
J said that as a reward for getting the paperwork done, we'll get me a new bike.
That's exciting & a fold-up one sounds like a good idea for what you have it planned for.
It is already a bit cooler here today & may even rain a little later :) I couldn't cope with extreme heat.
 
Hey Marisa, there are still a lot of unspoiled places in Florida, and a lot that have been built up, probably the same as California. You just need to go investigate. In general North Florida is less developed than the south, but there are still a lot of places in south Florida that are nice and not too spoiled.
do you know if Northern Florida people in general are ok with mixed race families? My husband is Filipino
Good question, Florida is like a lot of places, you might have some issues in less diverse more parochial places, and there are probably more of those in North Florida than further south. However it is not all that way, I have a friend who lives in Pensacola who has a Pilipino husband, I have not heard them complain. However Pensacola is a navy town, with a bit more diverse population than other North Florida places. Again, you probably need to go and check it out for yourselves. After choosing a place I would suggest going and staying a while, there is always a big difference between being a tourist and a resident...
we live where it's cool and damp, and wilt like daisies when it's over 80 degrees F here!
Wow, you need to spend some time in the south in summer, no matter where you choose it will be a lot hotter and more humid that you are used to, in the summers anyway!
 
Being healthy feels great & it is an excellent incentive. I am going to try to remember just how good I felt ( how full of energy I was) when I got to my happy weight. Maybe instead of getting so despondent for regaining weight, I'll try to hold onto that happy thought & move towards regaining that feeling.
 
I really really appreciate health and how good it feels.
Definitely good motivation. I think if weight loss feels like punishment or an exercise in deprivation, it will be a lot harder to stick to. Finding things that bring you joy on the journey i find really helps. Like for me, just adding in so much walking since walking was naturally joyful for me. Finding new levels of health and having fun goals to achieve really helps me too.
 
When I see movies where people are out at restaurants sitting next to each other and such, I think back to the good old days, then remember that was only a year ago!
Isn't that the weirdest thing?! It makes me feel downright claustrophobic just watching at times.
 
I have more energy today, and just got through digging out ivy and wild blackberries some more
I love work like that--I find it so absorbing and satisfying! You were mentioning moving earlier on I think? Is that the plan? It sounds like such a beautiful place you have there.

One thing with the pandemic I find is I'm glad I did enjoy my time with others when I had the opportunity for it. And now I want to use the time of the pandemic and isolation as wisely as possible as well. Like I want to be using my extra time alone to be playing piano and meditating and reading good books rather than wasting it on too much netflix and chess as is my tendency!
 
I tripped carrying a bundle of rose canes, but luckily the bundle caught my fall and I sort of bounced back upward and was not hurt or scratched at all.
Wow, that was so lucky! Is chicken apple sausage all one thing? It sounds very creative :)
 
I tripped carrying a bundle of rose canes, but luckily the bundle caught my fall and I sort of bounced back upward and was not hurt or scratched at all. That was like in a cartoon.
haha that really made me laugh--i totally got the cartoon image in my head! You were lucky to not get scratched up by the rose canes though!

That is really too bad about feeling the need to leave your house and community that you love. Housing is getting so tricky these days :( I worry about that at times myself. Well, maybe like you I try not to worry so much as make a plan to deal with all the uncertainty around it.
 
Having a little greenhouse sounds lovely! My parents had miniature kiwis growing against the barn (when I was younger and not yet allergic to kiwi) and they tasted so much better than the storebought ones. What kind of pastries did you get?
 
I love planning and reorganizing gardens. I got very lucky with where I rent and have a good amount of garden space to play with. I started reorganizing a lot of the perennials last year. I think there's nothing quite as satisfying as gardening for me. It just incorporates everything--planning, learning, physical work, all the senses and eating!
 
Those pastries sound delicious. I love hearing that you are having lovely social days with your family, Marsia xo
 
We went to a nice outdoor talk today on contagious calm (in the Buddhist sense of living from one's Buddha-nature) and it was lovely. One point I really liked was how it talked about mirror neurons, how if people around you are angry or afraid, you tend to catch their emotions, so learning to be calm and radiating calm help the people around you because calm is contagious, too. (I have always wondered why it is so hard not to get pulled into some people's stormy emotions.)
That talk sounds really good. I think often just being aware helps to not get pulled into another's negative emotional space. Especially for more sensitive types--knowing how to put up a bit of a barrier...but yes even better when one can bring calm and happiness into a situation as I do believe we really feed off each others energies.
 
I helped out in the kitchen in secondary school and the lunch lady taught me to - when I knew I'd be dealing with an energy-sucker - breathe through properly first and circle my solar plexus three times with the ball of my right hand. I'm sure any other movement would do the trick just as much as long as it's a ritual.
 
Hi, Marsia. Learning to be calm & radiating calm would be a wonderful gift to have. I'm looking forward to a Tai Chi class next Saturday. I have missed it.
 
But with an emphasis on inner calm and Buddha-nature I really feel I can become a rock of a person who can be there for myself and for other people
Yes I am becoming more focused in my practice as well, lately realizing that gaining that inner strength, stability and happiness is crucial in dealing with tumultuous externals.
In terms of putting up that sort of barrier, I can almost feel it as a physical thing now-- i can really feel the difference of when I am feeling relaxed and happy and open with another and when I put up a little shield around me!

Do you have a group to meditate with Marsia? I find that is super helpful--I have a group I have a zoom meeting with that is really helpful.
 
Those little side tables sound lovely. I just adore elephants! Glad you got to go out to dinner & enjoyed the company. I love baked veggies, cooked just like you do. We're going shopping today & I'll buy some especially to do this way.
 
Very cool tables!

used to go to my teacher's talks a couple of times a year, and that really helps to remember how wonderful that is - a huge room full of peacefulness and concentration.
Yes I really find group dynamics (if that is the right word for a bunch of people sitting very still and quietly! haha) very helpful for meditation. I also really find listening to teachers excellent for bringing about that head space...The zoom groups do feel different but they do really help me--we have a discussion portion in ours so it just helps to connect with others that way too.

Your projects around the house of clearing and sorting sound excellent as does your roasted veggies--yum!
And exciting about the veggie seeds coming!
 
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