Archive for ◊ May, 2010 ◊

28 May 2010 Games of Chance
Author: Susan |  Category: Celebrate 50!  | Tags:  | Leave a Comment

I have to admit, I am not much of a gambler tho I do enjoy having different life experiences….so my husband and I went to the casino in Erie.  We only gambled for probably an hour or two, which was just enough to have some fun.  I have only been to a casino a handful of times, but my naïve approach is this….anytime a machine hits any win of $20 or over, I cash out.  Then when my gambling budget is spent, I hand in all my vouchers.  I don’t like the idea of reinvesting the win back into the machine.  You can see…I am not a big gambler!  But it was fun for me as long as I set those kinds of rules for myself.  We even netted out ahead so that was fun!

I also found myself reflecting on the casino being a metaphor for life.  I am not even a gambler, yet I found myself wishing/hoping/praying that the machine would just deliver for me.  Reminded me how we tend to look to God in our “crunch” situations.  I have a daily spiritual practice and a belief system that everything happens for a reason so I don’t pray for specifics.  But in that casino, despite my beliefs and practices, I still found myself asking to please have the machine deliver.  How very interesting!  Years ago there was a movie titled “Life as a House”.  Maybe there should be a movie “Life as a Casino”.  I think we could probably learn a lot about human behavior at a casino.  game of life 2

I am, though, a risk-taker in life.  Actually, this entire Intentional Living Project is about life adventure..intentionally experiencing a wide array of life experiences.  In that way, I am a gambler and whole –heartedly through myself into this interesting Game of Chance called Life!

21 May 2010 Shhh…it’s a secret….
Author: Susan |  Category: Celebrate 50!  | Tags:  | One Comment

Secret Santa 2I am having such a wonderful year on this Intentional Living Project journey.  This week’s activity especially touched my heart.

What fun!  My husband and I were out to dinner and saw a young couple, obviously out to dinner before their prom.  My husband looked at me and said, “let’s buy their dinner”.  I said, “YES!  That’s on my Intentional Living list!”.  We called the waitress over and told her to give their bill to us, but to not tell them who paid for it.  What a wonderful feeling.  This must be how Kris Kringle feels!  And angels! 

I often buy presents for people, and it lights up my heart to have touched them with my gifts…but doing it anonymously.  I haven’t done much of that, and definitely not in this way.  I will do this again.  This is giving from the heart in it’s purest form.  I LOVED it!

Do you have a Kris Kringle story?  I would love to hear yours….

14 May 2010 Happy Mother’s Day
Author: Susan |  Category: Celebrate 50!  | Tags: ,  | 2 Comments

mothers dayAt a stop light, on Mother’s Day, I looked out the window & saw this roadside memorial.  I pulled off the road to visit this memorial.  I do not know this woman or her story, but I am guessing from her memorial along the sidewalk of Route 20 in Ashtabula, that a mother and her baby died together.  On this Mother’s Day, my heart goes out to you & your family.

 My Intentional Living list had included visiting the roadside memorial of someone I knew & also someone I didn’t know at all.   I wondered if the experience would be different.  It was, but visiting someone I didn’t know was extremely special in it’s own way.  It was a privilege to honor this woman and her child in this way.  Seemed a way to share with them that their lives were seen, witnessed.

Last fall when my mother passed away, a friend of mine, Jackie Swanson, sent me a sympathy card.  I had been out of touch & wondered how she knew my mother had passed.  She said she makes an intentional point to read every obituary.  She feels every person should have their obituary read by at least one person.  This is her way of  honoring life.  I love that practice.  Jackie, you are a special person.

On Mother’s Day I, likewise, had the pleasure of honoring 2 lives.  May they rest in peace.

05 May 2010 Singing in the Rain…
Author: Susan |  Category: Celebrate 50!  | Tags:  | Leave a Comment

little girl looking upDoo-dloo-doo-doo-doo……

This week’s intentional living activity was to play in the rain.  How glorious.  Time to be a kid again.  The weather gave me a perfect opportunity.  I needed to plant all my new purchases in my garden…and we did it in the rain.  It was heavenly.  You may think this doesn’t count as “playing” in the rain, but I have to tell you…doing all this planting may well have felt like work if it hadn’t been for the rain.  Planting in the rain turned a job into fun and play.  It held the heat at bay and kept us cool and refreshed.  And made the planting oh so easy and enjoyable.  What a blast.  I will PLAN on planting in the rain next year.

singing in the rain dancingDoo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo…

I’m singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain…..