Attention and Options in Everyday Ramblings

I started this post yesterday, but Copilot was trying to “help” me and got annoying, (I write my posts in Word first and copy them over to Prosebox) and to make it stop I had to turn it off in the settings and by then I was thinking ugh, it is such a complicated and difficult day and so I gave up.

In spite of the horrible news from Minnesota, and the parade in Washington it looks like the “No Kings Day” activities were a buoy for many and that is much needed. My favorite sign had a taco stuffed with shredded tissue paper with orange on top, (perhaps to represent cheddar cheese) and the writing in big block letters said, “I’ll Take That Taco to Go”.

I agonized over going to the local demonstration. As I mentioned earlier, I am having a flare up of issues with my skin and this last week, also my heart, and both are made worse by stress.

On Friday I took the bus to the grocery in the morning after a long discussion with my concerned students about what is happening in Iran and Israel. Two of my students have close friends in Iran (another was in the Peace Corps there), and one has an adopted son, a cardiologist, who was born there and now lives on Bainbridge Island and is concerned about being deported even though he has lived here almost his whole life. His passport says he was born there, though.

On the bus there were six or seven transit authority people. I am not sure why. Their presence made me feel uncomfortable. Not more safe. Interesting how context can make all the difference.

So, I decided to stay home, work on League of Women Voters “stuff”, I have plenty of that to do.

It was the right decision for me but I am thrilled and proud that so many folks did turn out. I was also happy to see as I was checking in with the news sources I trust about the unfolding manhunt that there was very little news about the parade. Not that I am against the individuals involved in and with the military.

Where we put our attention matters. That is one thing that I know to hold true across all aspects of my life.

I did find myself watching the Trevor Noah podcast interview with Jon Stewart from a few days ago on YouTube. It is rare for me to sit still long enough to watch anything for an hour, but it was smart and thoughtful, and yes at times funny. Noah’s perspective as a South African was interesting.

This morning, I went to the garden and was there by myself in my happy place. I have had some wins, and some fails but generally I am enjoying my plot a lot. It is so remarkably different each year even with the perennials I have been slowly putting in. I was delighted to see that even though someone ripped out the community passion fruit vine a couple of years back they didn’t get it all and it is making its way back and there are a few of the remarkable space alien looking flowers in bloom.

I brought home almost 3oz of fresh raspberries this morning but after about 10 days the vines are starting to get straggly and the fruit small, perfect for the birds. Soon the blueberries and blackberries will be coming on.

My classes this week are about what our bodies need to get down to the floor and more importantly, back up again. The ability to get out of the bathtub, that sort of thing. There are such mixed abilities figuring out what is going to work for the most people is the challenge. I have my site visit for the in-person classes next week. I had to get insurance for that. All the formalities.

I am maintaining my weight loss. It has been three months. I guess that means I know how to maintain my weight at its current point, but I would like to lose a little more. The problem is that I get hungry. Who knew?

It all seems self-centered with all the stuff going on out there but I also think it is distinctly human to be concerned and preoccupied with whatever it is that seems to take over the real estate in our heads.

Where we put our attention matters. I am grateful I have so many options on where to put mine today.