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As if to punctuate my current mental state – not to dismiss that I have been grappling with some fear that I seem to express to anyone and everyone without thinking about it – using words that have power – and so instead, I’m trying to reshuffle my thinking, my talk, my speech – I’m open to what comes because I have faith in me and the great mystery of life (speaking of mysteries, I haven’t seen hide or hair of the pumpkin prankster lately), but I digress, I am speaking of the great things, the big things, not pumpkins, but the outline of a life, a very big and important life, mine – and here comes this affirmation to me today – let’s just say it rocks:

Daily Affirmation

October 28, 2008

I am conscious of an infinite wisdom directing me. Whatever I ought to know, I know I shall know. Whatever I ought to do I shall do. Whatever belongs to me will come to me. My every thought and decision is molded by Intelligence and expressed through Law in my experience. I not only think upon and realize the meaning of this truth, I am impelled to act upon it intelligently, creatively, without confusion, doubt, or hesitation. I know that freedom and joy are mine today. They spontaneously express themselves in my experience, as there is nothing in me that can obstruct their passage. I permit them to flow through me in all their wonder and might. With joy I enter into the fulfillment of life.

Friends stopped by for cocktails last night to introduce me to their parents. The best news of the visit was the parents, who voted for Bush four years ago, have decided to cast their vote for Obama!

Can I get an AMEN.

Anything Warm

Anything warm is warm.
Anything red has something to say.
Anything that drifts also smudges,
like secrets. That intense.
Anything loose is a message,
endless, and endlessly enticing.
Anything narrow gets there first.
Especially anger. Anything watery
pleads, though the story stays
buried under its layers, obscuring
whatever it is we’ve done
to deserve this. In the eternal life
of regret, Sunday looks back.
Monday is certainty,
with a mystery inside out.
Anything two days in a row
sings the same song I do
without repeating the first verse.
Because there is no return.
That seems dramatic, but likely.
Just look at the waves,
all moving in one direction.
It made Noah crazy!
Another day—hell, another
hour—he’d be ready
to wring that dove’s neck.
What right did she have
to exhaustion, to twittery musings?
One declarative sentence
would be a relief.

WENDY MNOOKIN

T said she read that people who are in love or very happy experience time at warp speed. That must explain this sudden feeling as if the earth is spinning at a 1.5x revolution and why the onset of winter, with shorter days, causes me some warm fuzzy feelings mixed with cold steel apprehension.

Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m still packing in the experiences and adventures as much as I can, but good golly, Ms. Molly, ain’t it funny how fast time flies?

The key to change is to let go of fear or so the sages say. I’ve had a deep seeded feeling like I had had just about as much change as a person could stand – moved home cross country, Katrina, divorce – to name a few. But alas, just as I settled into a new house, a new love, a new animal or two, along comes the unprecedented, historical collapse of the stock market – me worry? Forgetaboutit. The only thing constant around here is change and maybe that is how we roll.

I figure here are the things that make me happy:
1) Tatjana
2) good friends and family
3) dogs and cat
4) New Orleans

As long as those things aren’t changing, then I can tuck and roll with the best of them. As I told a friend, I’m pretty resilient as long as you don’t touch me where it hurts.

The neighborhood seems to have shaken off its summer lull and is in full speed ahead mode. The latest is an art installation of paddle boats in the bayou that make music. The Pedal Boat Project (Little Music) is the work of artists, Edgardo Macchi and Jorge Rudnitzky. They have fabricated five (5) musical pedal boats. Each boat has the traditional eight-paddle wheel. The paddles have teeth that activate the metal keys similar to a music box. As you pedal the boats, you will make music.

Mom called today to say breaking news is the Alaskan newspaper endorsed Obama.

My accountant, who I have the deepest admiration for, endorsed Obama because and I quote:

Our country is in a helluva economic and ethical mess. We, as a country, have been ripped off by Wall Street, politicians, insurance companies, lawyers and the military…

Interesting stuff coming from an accountant who represents a very rich clientele.

Went to Whole Foods last night (here in New Orleans we don’t have a lot of choices in grocery stores). But have you noticed that as soon as Whole Foods carries something that sells well they instantly get rid of the brand and usurp it under their own generic? And you know what? Whole Food generic brands suck!

We were looking for the chicken sausage they used to carry and now the case is full of only a Whole Foods Nature something brand. I told the butcher that their sausage is not as good. He said, “I hear that all the time. They tell us it has exactly the same ingredients but everyone says it doesn’t taste as good.”

Whole Food used to carry these tortas that were so tasty – they were cheese, pesto and sundried tomatoes and you could just whip them out at any little gathering and it was oh so good. But noooo, Whole Foods quit carrying the brand and started making it themselves and I have never bought a torta there since because they SUCK.

Okay, Whole Food’s bottled water is good. Particularly, the sparkling mineral water. But really Whole Foods management, stick to water, do you have to hijack everything that is good and subsume it under your own inferior brand to eek out a few more dollars? Who died and made you the food god? You suck! Be happy, spread the wealth, stop with the monomaniacal need to control all food products in your store.

Woke this morning to howling winds and a noticeable temperature drop – it’s winter, sigh. The good parts about winter is that it requires a lot more cuddling, hot tea, yummy soup and candles. The bad part is that it is brrrrr cold as demonstrated by the wind that whipped through the park on our walk.

The fallen leaves were blowing sideways through the park, and a Double-Crested Cormorant flew low across the lagoon and so now we have Pelicans, Cormorants, and Geese all back for the winter. Let’s add the birds to the list of good winter brings.

We went to see Nicholas Payton at Snug Harbor on Saturday night and our expectations had been somewhat lowered by friends who went on Friday and said that he was not playing his trumpet much and the music was so loungy they ended up leaving before the set was over. We went anyway and actually enjoyed the show even though we agreed those wanting to see him play the trumpet – his most natural instrument – would have been disappointed. But his voice sounded good for the few songs he sang towards the end, and he’s lost considerable weight – most of the evening he dedicated himself to the organ and piano.