10 Years Ago

Sacred Petal by Prachuap Chaikham-udom seen on Novica -05

Ten years ago. During the worry over Y2K; I was at my mother's funeral in New Hampshire.  Then spending the evening with Baha'is bringing the New Year..the new century.  Has it really been 10 years since I have talked to my mother..seen her face..??  It has been an amazing decade in my life begun with my mother's passing into the next world..Heaven, the Abha' Kingdom. A hard start, but a fruitful time.  I miss her...  I'm going to post what I said on Facebook on December 28th. (the date of her passing):

"Honoring my mother in my thoughts today. Ten years ago today she crossed over. She was the sweetest, most loving, and most determined soul. She had a wonderful smile that was truly radiant. And she was a very devoted mother to me; and wife to my father. She put others before herself. She was a dedicated Baha'i. And a strong woman. She had patience and transcendence. I wish her joy and peace in the next world....in Heaven, the Abha' Kingdom..


Wishing you----a joyful next year and decade...  Welcome 2010.

Albert Ellis's list of Irrational Beliefs

Every once in awhile I think about my career...how I went to school for my masters in counseling...how I worked for awhile as a Play Therapist and a Program Therapist.  It has been years since I've worked in a professional setting.  But I think about it.  and I think about going back to work when both my children are in school all day.  I had an incredible professor at Oregon State University: Mary Lou.  That's it: no last name, just Mary Lou.  She was inspiring.  I had her for Theories.  There are many lessons I remember and one of them, I just spent quite a bit of time trying to find and it is a list of irrational beliefs we may have in life..  And here is the list: from this site: http://personalmba.com/applied-psychology-ellis-irrational-beliefs/

I am not a cog-behavioral therapist..but I wanted to share this list because I remember Mary Lou talking about "shoulds"...We often think in terms of "shoulds" I should feel this way..I should have done this..I should be at this point in life..I should be better..  This list is exaggerated on purpose....  A good exercise is to look at the "shoulds" in your own life and "question your own thinking about them" whether they are healthy for you are making you "stuck"...stuck in shame..or whatnot. Are your "shoulds" helpful to you, or are they miring you so you can't grow...making you stuck..


Albert Ellis-Irrational Beliefs

The Julie/Julia Project

The Julie/Julia Project

I recently saw the movie Julie Julia

http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Julia-Meryl-Streep/dp/B002RSDW80/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1262288287&sr=8-1
And really enjoyed it!!  (quite a contrast to my Battlestar Galactica obsession awhile ago) It is a joyful, sweet, humorous movie.  But it was also inspiring to me for a couple of reasons:

Themes:  True stories of : Two women  30-40 something stage of life discovering a passion for cooking and writing.  Julie discovers blogging and that turns into a book and then a movie..  wow..  Julia learns to cook in her forties in France---not just cooking but "professional cooking"---artistically, masterfully..and she teaches writes a cookbook..and becomes one of the most influencial teachers of cooking in America.    Not only that, she seems to be a "joyful" person" unapologetic in how strong of a woman she was..but also very genuine and did I say..."joyful"..at least that is how she is portrayed..  I respect that way of being.. 

And Julie discovered blogging years ago!  2002 or 2003.  Her original blog is still online.  Julies' Blog Her challenge to blog everyday about doing every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook in 365 days...it turned into a transformative process for her and was quite a creative idea.

(I'm not quite saying this the way I'd like to..It's not a very good writing day for me)  I want to write well today...but it isn't coming out the way I'd like it to..  I'm not quite portraying my description of this "idea" as well as I'd like.  My ideas aren't transferring into words the way I'd like them to..  I "feel" very inspired by this "idea"...hoping that one day what I do now will be meaningful...in a form that is helpful to others.  It will be purposeful..  Julie and Julia did something that became meaningful to other people.  That is what I mean..and that is my hope with my own writing..that somehow this blog will transform into something..not sure what..as it evolves.