Trippin' with Susan Straley

“Remember, remember, this is now, and now, and now.  Live it, feel it, cling to it.  I want to become acutely aware of all I’ve taken for granted.”   Sylvia Plath The last time I posted I was feeling anxious and not very up-beat.  I apologize if I passed on those feelings to you.  I am better now.  I hope you are ok too. There are several things that turned it around for me. I realized I wasn't focusing on the good in my life.  I have learned before that making a little effort to change my outlook makes a difference in how I view the world and my happiness level.  I made a list of things I am grateful for.    I was amazed when in no time at all I had filled three pages in my journal.  I could have gone on and on and on.   Wow! If you are feeling overwhelmed by the changes and things in the news, I suggest you try that exercise. I blocked a few people on Facebook.  Not that I don't like them as people, it is just that we were not getting any closer to common

6/4/2020 It is Thursday,  I only have a quick moment to write before I get ready to go to a birthday gathering.  I am excited to tell you all about my first trip in my Weeroll.  But this afternoon a group of neighbors with whom I have been having COVID-Style happy hours is going to celebrate one of our member's birthday.  This time, however, the birthday gal wants to have our gathering inside her house, on her chairs, eating a shared cake. Yes, keeping our distance inside .   I am not sure it is safe if one of us happens to be sick and doesn't know it. That is the big thing about this illness.  You can be sick and contagious and not have symptoms and spread it around to quite a few people, just by talking, sighing, laughing. But, hey, enough is being said about the turmoil in the world without me reminding anyone.  Instead I will insert a link to a video of an interview of the Dali Lama on how he deals with fear and change.  You may find it a nice reminder to turn

Friday 5/22/2020 I am sitting in the quiet at the dinning room table.  I am bent over a large plate of salad with a big glob of re-fried beans and a couple handfuls of Fritos. My cell phone rings. The display tells me the call is from Rhinelander, WI, but it doesn't identify the caller.  I decide to pick it up because my sister lives in Rhinelander. Do you hear what I hear???  Available Now! It is Karen from Housekeeping at Holiday Acres.  This is the resort where I had applied to be a "Towel Girl".  Guests of the resort would bring their dirty towels to the Towel Girl (me) and I would give them fresh towels.   A job as Towel Girl was supposed to be my part-time job this summer.  A time filler, a way to meet folks, a couple bucks in my pocket, I was looking forward to it. But then the pandemic happened and everything is up in the air. Karen said she just met with the managers of the resort.  They decided that they are not doing Towel Service due to COVID