Stand a Little Taller…

“Whatever you pursue, you will accomplish. Being gentle and steadfast for reaching the best, it will come. You have something very unique about you and success has no bounds.  “Life is always touching you in sublime ways; you sometimes only glimpse it when circumstances emerge to slow you down. The Gentle Wind is a message about steady progress and steadfastness in the face of difficulty.” Being gentle shows the exercise of character. You know your path so move on it gently and with trust. When the decision is made, all things come to you. When pursuing the best, the universe meets you half way to help bring you forward and God is with you all the way.”

Kind words as spoken by my Aunt Mary.  A lot of changes.  A lot physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual changes. This season I am just over all learning to stand a little taller on my own two feet.  I am short in stature, but that doesn’t stop me from striving to be as tall as the GREAT and MIGHTY Sequoia trees.  I keep reaching!  Striving for growth in an upward fashion and I know that all will be just fine.  Baby steps.  This post is more a reflection than anything.  I need to slow down and enjoy where I am at in the moment.  At this VERY moment…for it really could be gone tomorrow.  Savor these times like an awesome coffee tasting. Engage all of your senses.  Smell.  Take some whiffs.  Let the smell infiltrate your senses.  Next take a cautious sip.  Let the flavor linger on your pallet before you choose to swallow.  What is your initial taste?  Is it bitter?  Is it sweet?  Is it maybe the best or worst taste you have ever had in your life up until this point?  Perhaps…but these little tastings, if done in life frequently can increase our awareness and bring us into a new appreciation and understanding.  For life is so very beautiful if we allow ourselves to step back and take advantage of tastings once in a while.

Stand firm.  Stand tall.  Remain faithful and true to yourself and all will be well.

❤ The CatMan

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What is your guilty pleasure???

So my cousin and I have become pen pals…well actually 2!  I enjoy receiving mail so much it’s not even funny.  Today I received a letter from my cousin.  I realized since I was made aware that he sent it out Friday it was probably at home waiting on me!  Upon getting home I quickly ran to check the mail and sure as the sun shines there was his letter.  Just as a side note, I was on the phone at the time too.  Well as I was running into the house I realized that the phone battery was draining so I had to get it on the charger BUT I also had to take a bath.  So we can compromise on this right?  SUUURRRREE!  Outcome as follows….

While still talking, ran to get my phone charger and place the person on speaker so I could draw the bath water.  Jersey doesn’t mind as she does the same thing all the time!  It is just this understanding among busy women that it is acceptable to a) hear the toilet flush at anytime (some of you might be saying ewww but, it does happen more often than not!), b) hear running water or kids yelling in the background, c) chomping or accidental slurps over the phone  OR d) any of the above combinations but not limited to them at one time.  So, getting back on track, I plugged in the extension cord safely away from any water source.  Next, plugged the charger into the extension cord then extend it across the vanity as close as it would go and kept the conversation going.  I started to draw the water.  GUSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!  Jersey says, “Uh…what’s that?”  My response “I am drawing a bath, sorry!  I felt like I could use one.”  Jersey states, “…no problem!  I understand that…”  Then I blurt out the best line ever, “I should have been an engineer for as good as this job was to charge my phone, draw a bath, and make this functional!”  She just laughed because if anyone who really knew me heard me say that they would know how sarcastic and hilarious that really was.  Don’t get me wrong, I could engineer parties and arrangements, rig simple things (such as what I demonstrated in the bathroom), and probably some other items given the production background I have but other than that I could NEVER give you the mathematical equations as to how I figured it out.  It just is because I said so…

Well as I still had Jersey on the phone, I slipped into the bathtub.  I had brought my cousin, D-A-M-I-A-N’s letter into the bathroom with me as I was planning on reading it once my conversation was over.  1/2  hour later, I started reading his letter while still in the bathtub.  I must say, I felt like I was out of another time period.  I just imagined myself at the cusp of the 1900’s reading a war letter, just totally relaxed and enjoying myself.  Dare I say it was very Jo March out of Little Women??   It was fun!  Taking a step out of my comfort zone, feeling the calmness of the water, and ultimately just being was the goal.  I came out feeling refreshed and just glorious!  That is simply a guilty pleasure…reading letters in the bathtub!  Seems kind of out there….but try it!   Dare you!!!

Image by: http://theadventuresofbear.blogspot.com/2010/06/reading-nook.html

So the question I propose to you all tonight is “What is your guilty pleasure???”  I would love to see it!

THE CatMan

PS: OUTCOME to the multitasking:  ALL WAS A SUCCESS!!

 

Leavin’ on a jet plane…..don’t know when I’ll get back again….no but seriously!

A tad bit of irony this time with my Book of Face status.  We all remember the song by John Denver  “Leavin’ on Jet Plane”….WELL (as Jack Benny would say…) I placed this status up: “I’m leaving on a jet plane…don’t know when I’ll be back again…” as I was heading out to Aspen…and now I am stranded IN Aspen!  (Get it?  In COLORADO…John DENVER!  STRANDED)  OH no?!?!  NEWS FLASH!  Justin Bieber’s voice is changing!  Dang puberty!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4.  YES, I got BIEBER FEVER!  WHOOO!

Today we decided to get some late dinner.  We are waiting on pizza now.  At happy hour this evening we overheard a story as told by our table neighbors.  You see coming back from where our campus is set up going into town is a round-a-bout.  They were talking about these kids who were chanting “round-a-bout…whhhaaaaaattt!”  Long story short…they went around the round-a-bout like 5 times chanting and screaming!  Amazing…simply amazing.

Day one stranded in Aspen.  Success.  🙂

 

Yes this is a real thing for most Americans right now....making it very hard to get home....

 

 

NOW I was able to get out of Aspen that next morning.  HOWEVER, not home quite yet.  I am currently Day 2 stranded in Denver.  When I arrived in Denver I got an email alert saying my itinerary had changed.  This usually means a cancellation.  And that assumption was correct.  I got a hotel, wandered aimlessly around the airport to get my stuff situated.  I ran into a customer of ours (mind you in DENVER and she lives 4 hours away and in the same state that I reside in and I never see her!), got to play with a little tike, talk to a woman about rest and relaxation therapy, and finally got to my hotel.

At the hotel, I got everything set up and went down to eat.  It was pretty funny.  I met a gentleman who was originally  from Michigan.  It was a great lunch.  There are other like-minded people out there and its refreshing when you find them.  I also met a gentleman named Eddy Money, a group of people from a company that uses a lot of labels, and a guy from my hometown!  It was an awesome time.  So this morning I moved into a different room and I am trying to get my flight stuff addressed.

Out of anyone to be traveling alone, I think I may be the best at it.  I make friends everywhere.  Not a problem.  I actually had fun talking to people.  It makes the world so much smaller.  I can’t be upset at anyone because we cannot control the weather.  I am not going to get irritated with anyone and I am just going to figure it out.  You also figure out a lot about yourself when you are forced to explore.  Life is good.

 

I can ALWAYS make friends! 🙂

 

 

So here I sit telling you about my mini vacation.  It has been refreshingly wonderful.  I love it.  I have been so blessed.  I must tell you that I am ready to be home.  God apparently needed me here though.  So for now, I sign off and continue this adventure!

Happy Snow Day!

The CatMan