A Daily Cuppa

Nature

Yosemite

Today, Yosemite National Park is 130 years old.

Congress passed an act creating the park on October 1, 1890. It was then signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison.

I imagine that, on that day, the boulders and trees and streams quietly smiled, grateful for the designation granting them honor and recognition. Perhaps they also uttered an indulgent sigh, patiently and lovingly allowing us to believe that our existence validates theirs, knowing that, in actuality, the opposite is true.

“This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming on seas and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.” – John Muir

Life People

Power

According to the National Today calendar (nationalday.com), today is National Love People Day. It’s described as a day “dedicated to inspiring and supporting others with the power of unconditional love.”

I’m not going to pretend that I love everybody, unconditionally, all the time. I’m human; I feel anger, frustration, fear, confusion, all the emotions that make it hard to love.

When I do have the courage to choose love, however, I find that I’m able to see opportunities and potential, instead of barriers. Love clarifies, simplifies, inspires.

Today’s cuppa reminds me that it’s not always easy, but it’s also not complicated. Here’s to the simple power of love.

Animals Nature

Bears

We’re all coping in the best ways we can during these crazy times. Perhaps this info will provide a bit of happiness and bring a smile.

Today is the start the annual Fat Bear Week, sponsored by Katmai National Park & Preserve.

Fat Bear Week celebrates the Katmai bears and their preparations for hibernation. They’ve been gorging themselves on salmon and berries for months in anticipation of the long, cold months ahead. Now, it’s time to determine which one will wear the Fat Bear crown.

Voting happens here: https://explore.org/fat-bear-week

More info about Katmai National Park & Preserve can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/news/fat-bear-week-2020.htm

Here’s to fat bears and celebrating the lighthearted moments in life.

Life Pets

Water

We have a slab leak. We discovered this unfortunate reality by noticing water all over the floors across our house.

Fortunately, there are plumbers and water damage repair people who can assist us with the situation. I am grateful to have these options.

Currently, however, there are a variety of large, loud fans and de-humidifiers running 24/7 throughout my house. It’s a bit like living on an airport tarmac. Additionally, our furniture and personal belongings have been displaced, shifted into corners and hallways and countertops, wherever they will fit while the work is being done.

My cats are, understandably, freaked out by it all. One of them has taken to hiding under the bed. The others beg to go outside, then beg to come back in, staring at me through the window with big eyes as if silently asking, “It’s over now, right?” They’re afraid to go into the kitchen where their food bowls are kept. At times, they are exceptionally clingy, meowing pitifully and pawing at my ankles.

I’m doing my best to keep them calm, minimize the stress they’re feeling. But I totally get their perspective. If I could fit under the bed, I might take my cuppa with me and spend a few hours hiding there, as well.

Life

Pumpkins

The other day, I came across a “Pumpkins for Sale” display, the first I’ve seen in 2020.

Each year, this moment, the first arrival of the pumpkins, feels like New Year’s Eve to me. It feels like the start of something, a beginning.

That might seem strange, considering that pumpkins traditionally mark the final hours of warm weather and endless sunshine, of abundant, growing crops. Autumn is known as a time of endings, falling leaves and dormant flowers.

But heat makes me wither. It feels like I’m holding my breath, stuck in time as I endure the hot and sweaty Summer days, grateful for man-made cooling options and icy beverages. When the first chilly morning breezes begin, and the pumpkins appear, I feel like I can exhale, and then take a new breath and step forward.

I don’t see Autumn as the end. I see it as a fresh start, heralded by orange and brown and gold and green, piled in a display with a hopeful sign overhead.

Pumpkins for Sale.

Election

Register

I meant to post this yesterday but got distracted and forgot. The good news is that voter registration doesn’t have to happen on one specific day. So, today can also be a Very Good Day.

Today is National Voter Registration Day.

All across the country, people are being encouraged to register and participate in the election process. That makes this a Very Good Day.

Voting is cool; voting is wise. See you at the polls.

People

Tenacity

“I’m dejected, but only momentarily, when I can’t get the fifth vote for something I think is very important. But then you go on to the next challenge and you give it your all. You know that these important issues are not going to go away. They are going to come back again and again. There’ll be another time, another day.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Life Neato

Ice

I read an article yesterday that explained that sucking on a piece of ice can be a good means of quelling anxiety.

There are two reasons why this works. First, the cooling sensation in your mouth can be a distraction from whatever is making you anxious. Second, the melting ice activates the parasympathetic nervous system in your brain, increasing saliva production and eliminating dry mouth, thereby switching your body from a “fight or flight” mode to a “rest and digest” mode.

Here’s the article if you are interested in more details:

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/ice-cube-trick-calm-anxious-thoughts

I have two last thoughts to go with my cuppa today. I didn’t realize that there’s such a thing as a Nutritional Psychiatrist; you learn something new every day, I suppose. And, I can’t think of the information in this article without hearing Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby in my head. It’s kind of fun, makes me wanna dance, but earworms can get old very quickly. My apologies if you are now in the same boat.

Adventures Life

Penny

There’s something magical about finding a penny on the ground.

When I take Mollie for a walk, part of the fun is the possibility of finding a penny. I almost always do.

Some of them are in bad shape, their edges rough, their faces scratched. I think about what might have brought them to that place, there on the concrete, in that condition. Where they’ve traveled, the people who’ve carried them in their pockets or purses or backpacks.

Some of them are pristine, newly-minted. They are easy to spot, shining in the sun. They haven’t yet had the opportunity to experience the world but are still an exciting prize.

Occasionally, I’ll find a dime, a nickel, or even a quarter. Once, I found several of each, lying on the road like an unplanned path, and I paused to scoop each one up as I made my way along the distance.

Those types of finds make me happy, but finding a penny brings a slightly greater thrill. I suppose it’s because pennies are associated with good luck.

Little magical lucky stars, just waiting to be discovered.

Life

Writing

I took some time off from writing.

Sometimes, writing is smooth and easy, even when it’s about something complicated. The words come quickly. They pop into my head and become my friends, eagerly sharing the space and carrying the message.

Other times, the world becomes so large and the emotions so full that writing hurts my heart. I find myself wallowing, searching for words that make sense. Feelings are unformed, floating, unprocessed. It seems impossible to put them into something understandable.

In simple terms, I suppose that’s how writer’s block works. Fortunately, I have no writing deadlines to manage; nobody’s holding me accountable for delivering a certain number of words by a specific time.

Starting up again, I’m giving myself permission not to write every day. I’m still choosing my cuppa based on the meaning I find in the moment. I’m just going to remove the pressure of posting each day’s choice.

If I do choose to post my words, perhaps they’ll resonate with somebody besides just me. Perhaps somebody else will laugh, feel a bit of hope, or learn something interesting. Maybe they’ll experience a recognition of sameness, the thought of yes, I get it, that’s familiar, I’m not alone.

That’s the purpose of this little blog. It’s thoughts, words, and a cuppa; a simple means of marking the moments of one person’s journey along the path of being human – a path we travel individually and also share together.