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Snow day skiing

It is a snow day!  Maybe this is nothing for you to note or write about, but here it is all about enjoying the wonder of the experience.  As a child, it meant usually we had the day off from school, and we did not mind making it up in June, because a snow day was just so rare it was wonder full.

Not until my siblings took skiing lessons up the mountain did we have snowsuits, rather we just layered up and pulled on rain boots, mittens and hats.  When we were so wet and frozen we could not hang out for one more minute, we came inside for warm cups of hot chocolate and often a toasty bath.  If we lost power, then the fireplace was called into service and we played marathon rounds of board games in the flickering light.

The city often set aside streets for sledding, because everyone just stopped and enjoyed the experience.

And then the rain would come warm and wash it away and life would return to regular routines.

I probably had 10 Snow Days during my years in the public school system. (I spent my last two years of schooling in Cleveland, Ohio – no snow days there)  My youngest child celebrates her birthday in February and she had 9 birthdays of snow days during her progress.  One year my children were off from school for 18 days over the course of winter and they had to be made up in June.

One of my children lives in California now, and she is wishing that she was home for this Snow Day.  Yes she loves to cross country ski and build snow folk in the yard, but I think it is also that sense of wonder and just raw joy that comes from deep inside.  That rush to not waste a moment of this experience and feel it soak in right up to the knees.

There is something different this year.  They can tell us that tomorrow will be the worst day of this storm.  There are so many children who go to the mountains skiing every weekend, that snow at home is not so novel an experience.   The city is not blocking off streets for sledding but rather borrowing street cleaning equipment so that there will not be disruption because of the weather.  No snow folks have emerged on my walk.  And I do not hear the sound of children enjoying and calling out, “look at this!  Watch me!”
The school buses are not running, so I am fairly sure that the schools are closed.  We still have power so I think the TV and computer are still available.

The new kind of quiet is actually eerie.  Solemn.  Poignant.

I am curious as to whether or not now “they” will attempt to develop a pill or programming to recreate that inner joy and wonder of a Snow Day?

“Be aware of wonder.
Live a balanced life
–learn some and think some
– and draw and paint and sing and dance
- and play and work every day some.”
Robert Fulgham

ZIP still has the feeling and he comes in a shiny, happy puppy covered in snowballs and barking with glee.

How do you conjure up that feeling from deep inside?  How do you think folks find it today?  Do you think some folks do not know what they are missing?

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In 1971, a wonderful book was published by  The Boston Women’s Health Cooperative and it was called Our Bodies Our Selves.   It was here that I first discovered Dr. Christiane Northrup, an OB-GYN .   I scurried out to purchase my own copy.  No regrets here.

I shared my copy with my Mother as she did not know all those things about her body either and she could study by herself the material and not talk about it as she was taught.

I gave the book as wedding shower gifts and graduation presents to all of my friends.

I purchased several updates along the way and in December of 2010, I gave each of my daughters a copy of the new and revised edition.

In the 90’s I purchased a copy of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom and am aware that a new revised edition is being published January of 2012.    My copy looks ragged and worn, because I refer to it so often.   I am debating whether or not to purchase the new 2012 edition…I got a new copy in 2009 as my original was just worn out.

In the early 2000s Dr. Northrup wrote a book called The Wisdom of Menopause.  This book was almost too late to be helpful to me and yet I find myself still opening it up and referencing and sharing my copy with at least 25 other women.  I still like to keep it right by my reading chair and look at it at least monthly or when my current physician does not have time to share adequately with me about the medications or diagnosis being made.   The book is much more reliable and accurate than any other resource I have found.

Powell’s

I also own an Herbal Pharmacy and Remedy Book, in which I can look up the assistance I need for earaches and nosebleeds and indigestion in the middle of the night in order to care in the moment.  This has to be a personal choice because you have to find one YOU Trust.

This is the resource where I found putting VICK’s Ointment on the soles of your feet and then cozy socks will stop you coughing for the whole night.   I have shared that advice a number of times in comments and on this blog.  The binding is falling apart and the pages are loose because I have counted on mine for 30 years, but it is out of date.

I have referred 5 people since the start of this year to these books.  Men need to know about these books and be supportive of women’s health initiatives.  Folks are starting to understand that they have to know about their own bodies and what their bodies are saying, in order to get an appropriate diagnosis and assistance from their Physician or other health care provider.

I cannot imagine going through life without having these books nearby.  With Women’s healthcare so on the line in the USA and being so attacked, I cannot imagine any woman not having a copy of these books by her side.

What is your body telling you?  What are the resources you use?  How do you listen?  How do you know if the messages are deceptive?

The Internet is a good start point,  and I have found that they are just not as good as any of these sources.

No one paid me to mention or review these books.  The opinions stated here are my own and come from my use and research.   These books have been invaluable to me in being my Do It Yourself (DIY) healthcare representative.   I like knowing that my Physician and Naturopath have these books on their shelves too.   How about you?

Dr. Christiane Northrup has an e-newsletter and also  Facebook 

If you purchase anything from Amazon or Powell’s from this site I will receive a few beans in my bucket.
Thank you

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I just love reading JD Meier’s amazing quotes posts on Sources of Insight.  To me these quotes are like amazing tweets that intrigue the imagination and share wisdom on the quick.  JD says organizing and arranging these quotes is similar to working in a ZEN garden for his mind.   Nice concept- eh?

My Uncle John, my Mother’s younger brother, sent me a book he published for his grandchildren.  It is a lovely collection of his thoughts about his life and it includes some of my family’s infamous quotes that just keep coming past my ear.   It is something I miss with my Mother’s passing, because she was full of many of these herself – and her brother included some of her tweets in his book.

I thought today I would share some of this family wisdom with you, I will organize by person:

Grandfather:
-Just get at it!
-Shoot or give the gun to Eli. (Nothing to do with hunting)
-Get a move on.
-Hold your horses.
-Keep your shirt on.
-Does your train leave any minute?
-Only the very old or the very rich can afford to be eccentric.  You are neither so shape up!
-Cheerful service to others is the best medicine for whatever ails you.
-Hold still – Do you have the PIP?
-He profits most who serves best.
-He who stands in the way of progress gets run over.
-Better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick
-You can’t go broke taking a profit.

Grandmother:
-Happiness comes not from doing just what one likes but from learning to like doing what one must do.
-If something is worth doing it deserves your best effort.
-Measure twice cut once
-If you will get it right the first time around you may save yourself and others considerable time, trouble, and embarrassment.
- If you would kindly move your fat, fashionable, well groomed carcass we could get some work done in this kitchen

Sister Ruth (MUM):
-If you can’t find something nice to say about someone then for heaven’s sake just be quiet-or if you must talk, then talk about the weather.
-Big minds discuss concepts; small minds discuss people. (Eleanor Roosevelt)
-When you get your priorities straight most things tend to fall into place making life both more agreeable and more productive.
- That was fair heavenly!
- Just get busy and get your work done first thing in the morning, then when a moment of pleasure comes around you can truly enjoy it
- Pick out one gift for yourself each birthday and Christmas and then you will always get just what you wanted.
- When you get paid for your work, always put something in savings first.
- In this day and age a woman must be financially independent.  She must not be ignorant of her family affairs
- We do not always have to agree within the family, but the minute you step out the door you are in harmony
- Don’t make others have to tend to your mess

A number of years ago, all 5 siblings went on an Alaskan Cruise together.  All the other passengers wanted to sit at their table because they were so witty and delightful.  These are just the comments we remember and their ability to tell a story – amazing!

Do you remember some favorite family quotes – oft times repeated?  Please share

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Quite often during 2011, I received requests in my inbox with offers for guest posts and links to other sites and writer’s material.   I usually go and check out their requested site and try to understand the topic and style to assess whether or not it will fit with what Patricias Wisdom is trying to do.   I like to give a hand up whenever I can and call attention to some new efforts and endeavors.

Kirstin Offiler is one of those folks who sent me an email.   I went to her site and found some very good writing and interesting material that was pertinent to the goals here at PW.  It took us some juggling of dates but here we go – I would like to share Kirstin’s guest post with you now.  Hope you will enjoy her offerings:

What is your purpose?

Your purpose is not necessarily what you do for a living, but it’s just as important. We all have a calling in this life, but we don’t always acknowledge it, honor it, and pursue it. Why? Because for some, it feels frivolous to follow a dream when there’s much more practical work to be done, like laundry, work, walking the dog, running errands, spending time with family.

Your calling is your way of serving the greater good of the world. It’s how each of us gets to our core and satisfies our pull towards that which inspires us. And like I said—your job may not be your calling. That’s ok. But here are some ways you can incorporate your purpose into your life.

1. Define your calling. Doesn’t it seem like some people are born with a pen or paintbrush in their hand? They understand their calling from the get-go and never waver. For others, their calling may be a tiny kernel inside that is acknowledged every so often, but never given the chance to grow. To build your life around what feels most natural and right to you, you first need to define what your calling is. Are you a writer? An advocate for the homeless? A photographer? A knitter? A fantastic listener? Ask yourself what makes you feel most like yourself. When are you the happiest? That’s your calling. That’s what you should aim for in your life.
2. Take small steps to incorporate it into your life. Your calling is how you leave a mark on the world, no matter how large or small. But begin by doing small-scale things to make your calling more present in your life. If you feel that writing is your path, write for 10 minutes a day until it becomes habit. If you believe you’ll be of best service teaching yoga, tutoring students, photographing weddings, building websites, or whatever—start small and let your purpose organically weave its way into your life. Trying to make drastic changes all at once can lead to burn out or just plain boredom.
3.  Share your purpose. Tell friends and family what you hope to do with your life. Set goals for where you hope to be with your calling in a year, five years, and ten years and share it. Accountability makes it easier to stay on a path that’s true to our calling. Blog about it. Tell your coworkers. Share it—your purpose is what makes you unique, and it should be shared with the world.

Here are some affirmations you can repeat when it becomes hard to believe in your purpose or calling or when you doubt your own abilities:

• I feel most like myself when I am doing __________. This is my calling and I honor it.
• The easy path is ignoring my purpose. The hard path is focusing on my purpose. But the hard path yields happiness, peace, and fulfillment, so I choose that path.
• My calling in life is how I am most useful to the world. I am of service when I focus on what makes me happiest.
• It’s not frivolous to focus on my passion. By focusing on what lights me up, I bring more light into the world and will help others do the same.
• My calling is what comes easiest and most naturally to me. I trust my gut instinct about my purpose in this world.
• My job or career may be different from my calling, but both are important parts of who I am as a complete person and both deserve my passion and attention.

In short, your calling is that thing you’ve always felt you wanted to do or try. When you’re in your element and you feel like you’re doing exactly what you were made for—that’s your purpose. Tap into it. Live in that space. Share it with others because the world needs what you have to give. Your purpose is your wisdom.

Author bio: Kristin Offiler is a freelance writer in Rhode Island who writes for a site that helps students find the right psychology degree.

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