I wasn't going to do the Friday Five today, but the title captivated me. I have been extremely busy lately, and maybe a little grumpy too. So here, straight from Sally at Revgalblogpals, is the Friday 5:
I am writing in my official capacity of grump!!! No seriously, with the shops and stores around us filling with Christmas gifts and decorations, the holiday season moving up on us quickly for many the time from Thanksgiving onwards will be spent in a headlong rush towards Christmas with hardly a time to breathe.... I am looking at the possibility of finding little gaps in the day or the week to spend in extravagant unbusyness ( a wonderful phrase coined by a fellow revgal)...So given those little gaps, name 5 things you would do to;
1.to care for your body
bundle up and take more walks with the dog; get back into my stretching exercises to care for my back; learn some yoga; learn a couple new "healthy" recipes; go to Good Earth Restaurant for good food and tea.
2. to care for your spirit
Light a candle; breath more deeply; practice receiving a gift and not just giving all the time (see picture above); focus on strenghs and not just "what I need to work on" all the time; think of "what I need to work on" in the light of my strengths. .
And, finally, sing. Loudly. With or without accompaniment.
3. to care for your mind
take time for deep conversations; use my voice; give myself permission to be right -- and to be wrong; finish reading a book which intrigues me, like Reading the Bible with the Damned; write the essay "Theological Themes in Children's Literature".
4. to bring a sparkle to your eye
Listen to a joke; tell a joke; laugh; watch children playing; play with them; jump in the leaves (without hurting back). Tear open a present instead of opening it daintily.
5. to place a spring in your step
play with the dog. Throw the ball, play "tug", teach her tricks, chase her around the house. anything playful and not goal-oriented. take a short trip to someplace beautiful and/or exciting.
make sure the place has a whirlpool for relaxing.
And finally, to repeat the most important ones: Sing. Loudly. With or without accompaniment. Play. with dog. with children. with friends. with husband. And Laugh. at self.
"Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly." --G.K. Chesterton
.... and then for a bonus which one on the list are you determined to put into action?
the short trip to someplace beautiful and/or relaxing is on my mind right now.
12 comments:
My (step-)dog Cassie and I love to play Foot. It starts when she's in a good mood, rolling around on her back. I will lightly grab a paw -- any paw -- yell, "Foot!" and then grab another paw. I mix up the order of the paws, speed up or slow down, pretend to go for one paw and then grab another, etc. She thinks this is the most hilarious game in the world; she literally grins, while making happy little snorting sounds. (Although if I'm not careful, in her joy she will try to tongue-kiss me, which goes beyond my animal/human boundaries. LOL)
Cody, the 17-year-old Maltese, was originally a puppy-mill dog, and has never "played" in a normally rambunctious doggie way. But he loves being chased...my house is such that he can weave in and out of the kitchen/dining room entrances and central hallway, so Fellow Traveler or myself will announce, "We're gonna getcha!" and he goes speeding all around (he actually can speed, even though he's an old man), tail wagging furiously.
really funny game!!!
I have a hard time receiving gifts, so does that mean I have to practice liking it?
You are a very smart lady, did you know that?
You are.
OOOOH receiving gifts... that's hard for me also...
Thank you for playing!
Your post reminded me that I actually told a joke at my last "Courage to Lead" retreat, Diane. It was in our Circle of Trust, so I told it to about 19 people. Talk about an act of courage! (for me, anyway). Then this guy, who came in late, told the same joke, only differently so people didn't recognize it as the same until the end. We all got a double laugh at that! (Guess you had to be there) :-)
Dogs (and other pets) are the answer to so many questions in life...ours brings us much joy too.
Now that book sounds interesting! I even looked it up on amazon, but shouldn't order any more books for awhile. When you finish, would you write about it? I liked that the author works in Burlington, WA.
yes, I mean to write about this book, Jan.
so glad you played, some inspiring and challenging thoughts here.
Playing (and walking) with the dog does help...I have to find more time to do it, too.
OOh Diane, I am so glad you played, what a delightful play. Hope you make your trip.
And get those walks with your dog, she'll er you will thank yourself.
This is lovely. Yes! Give yourself permission to do all these things.
I also could work on valuing my strengths a bit more, rather than focusing on the blemishes all the time.
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