Julanne's Village Jewels

A COMMITTEE MEETING TRIPS LIFE is indeed a trip . One can take a planned trip or an unplanned trip. I’ve found that the UN-PLANNED variety are the most surprising and challenging. Considering the whole of LIFE, it is best to prepare for both kinds of TRIPS as much as possible. As careful and conscious as I am about the safety of my living environment, I experienced the un-planned TRIP last week, the 11 th to be exact. I bent down to carry some dishes to the table and WHAM, I went down like a ton of bricks, landing on my back and bumping my head. It didn’t really hurt but oh my, was I dizzy. The room kept spinning! The ambulance came and I was taken to the hospital, for 2 days. Five different tests showed nothing wrong but I was wobbly, so I’m now using a walker that I find most helpful. Fortunately I have home care, a physical therapist and a therapist twice a week all of who come to my apartment. I consider myself blessed beyond words that I’m receiving such good...

CLOUDS IMPERMANENCE As I was waking up this morning I realized how peaceful and happy I felt. It was such an amazing feeling to just ‘float’ in this feeling. When I looked out my window, I noticed one of my favorite things in this world…CLOUDS. I watched them ‘float’ by and was, once again amazed, at how IMPERMANENT clouds are! They don’t ‘stand still’ for a single moment . . . ever! I watched how the whisps of clouds transformed into streaks of soft, puffs with fluffy edges as they floated on by. Very quickly, they all gathered together in a light grey shade, ever moving onward. Who knows what will be next. A marvelous ‘movie’ to watch! I also had a flash of a memory I have not had for years. It was not pleasant but I realized how much of my unhappy memories of my past I have truly LET GO OF! One moment of thought about anything will change to another in a split second unless we labor over remembering the dark stuff. I do my best to think about the PRESENT moment and all...

SUNFLOWERS BELIEFS Every now and then we all have periods of low energy, grief, loss and ‘befuddlement’. Times when life hands us a blow that is almost impossible to ACCEPT. We are caught ‘off guard’ or somewhat being on a ‘tilt-a-whirl’ ride at the carnival. It usually hits me on the occasion of an anniversary of a LOSS, an unexpected loss or trauma of some kind. Last week, I experience all this. The anniversary of losing my baby and favorite aunt and uncle in one week (59 years ago) hit me particularly hard this year. Then the passing of a lovely friend added to my ‘tilt-a-whirl’ feelings. I was ‘lopping’ all my feelings into Loss, as if I had never had the GIFTS of LIFE in other ways. I went on to have 4 wonderful children and 4 precious grandchildren. I also have many wonderful friends. Then this morning I suddenly was struck by the fact that I am living my LIFE with all it’s ups and downs, blessings and seeming LOSSES.   What all I am feeling is LIFE! ...