Monday, May 26, 2025

Yesterday was my birthday, which started off dull but livened up when my friend Susie texted about having dinner together. Susie is a fun companion, and this time, we wandered downtown. We wound up dining on mussels and rice noodles while sitting at the bar in The Wild Rose, a fine Thai restaurant. The header photo is of us after a beer. The image includes my t-shirt’s super-cool Mickey Mouse, hands in his pockets, and one imagines, about to whistle.

Some quick thank yous to long-time friends who remembered and got in touch: Linda, Jan, my dear cousin Mary, Rachelle, and Lisa (who used to be the manager of the department store where I work, and to the disappointment of we locals, now manages a sister store in Colorado).

While catching up last night, Susie and I had wide-ranging discussions. She spoke about missing my blog and suggested I consider blogging again. I’d been thinking of how much I have missed being a writer. So, today’s a fresh start. I’ll not blog on days I’m due early to work, unless a topic mightily grabs my mind and imagination (which often happens).

My advancing age makes me want to avoid birthdays, but help from friends made yesterday special. That let me refocus and enjoy my present self. Ahead, I will write about topics that matter and keep evolving personally.

Dear Friends: Writing clarifies experience and turns learning into perspective. Diana

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Yesterday, I attended a special one-day jewelry display of creations by a major designer. I wasn’t attracted to any of the visiting items. Instead, I chose a cute wearable that’s been in the store’s collection for months. I’ve had time to see and appreciate my new multi-gemstone necklace that will go well with almost any outfit. I am happy to have it.

I am starting to understand how to work out successfully at the gym. I’ve considered my body’s strengths and weaknesses and identified a few areas lacking the strength to support my desired activities. I can achieve some early goals by working out at the gym on my days off. Achieving some noticeable progress will encourage me to expand those workouts.

“Use it or lose it!” That’s true, and it can be a “sneaky loss.” It’s easy to not realize less strength in some part of one’s body until something forces one to use that part–and, “Oops!” That’s how I recognized that my left side was noticeably weaker than my right side, and I’m working to correct that. I’ve become aware of other silent areas needing attention, too.

I’ll certainly wear my new necklace at the gym. Its vibrant colors will brighten my mood and my workout garb. Hey! Everything’s about whatever works!

Dear Friends: Have a wonderful day. Diana

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Another beautiful dawn here in the Pacific Northwest’s Central Oregon, and today, I am free from working at my outside job. This afternoon, I will visit the store as a customer. It’s hosting a special one-day display and sale of jewelry by a designer known for pieces with high-quality gemstones and diamonds. Last year’s one-day display was a visual knockout.

I’m not planning to purchase. I have little money and have few opportunities to wear beautiful jewelry. Essentially, I want to look, see, and “get into my head” a majestic array of colors and their shapes. Hopefully, the visuals will influence me later. I want to be outdoors, “seeing” colors and shapes through my camera, and capturing images.

The jewelry show will motivate my small talent beyond “just wanting” to create art. The experience will encourage me to strive actively toward creating artistry of my own. I’ll enjoy the process, and hopefully, love its outcomes.

Dear Friends: Expanding an experience encourages and reveals new opportunities. Diana

Monday, April 28, 2025

I’ve been surprised by messages from readers about missing my blogs. I enjoyed writing and sharing impressions of moments and events that delighted, puzzled, or (at least) irritated me. Creating several paragraphs that are easy to read and make sense often consumed a lot of time; I’d wind up rushing to be on time for my outside part-time job. Pausing the blog made sense.

I haven’t quit writing but have been making lists and turning them into paragraphs. These lists keep me mindful of necessary activities and timelines and are becoming increasingly complex. I detail my daily key goals and later evaluate their outcomes. My goals are to pinpoint the wins and losses and identify needed improvements.

Identifying wins and losses is difficult because all activities involve complex bundles of conscious and unconscious decisions. I might want to discuss some aspect of my job with a store manager to achieve a personal goal. That manager has specific goals, too, and our discussion becomes a negotiation that’s hoping for a “win-win” outcome. The process is fodder for my later journaling about wins, losses, and improvements made or needed.

I keep trying to adapt to situational and environmental needs without fundamentally changing my views. The bottom line is that we are who we are, and today’s hectic environment requires us to enhance adaptive skills. My daily listings and evaluations encourage some serious, real-time thinking, reflection, and striving to cope better.

Dear Friends: Today’s early beauty makes us believe summer is here. Diana

Saturday, April 05, 2025

I felt inspired, and the outcome was this poem:

__________________________________________

In Her Part-Time Job

She moves swiftly, backstage, at the department store,
Clearing dressing rooms, organizing garments,
Loading cast-offs onto a towering trolley,
Guiding them back to their proper homes.

Gowns to Designer Dresses, bras to Intimates,
Casual wear to Ladies’, denim to Juniors’,
Men’s back to Men’s, shoes reunited with Shoes.
She navigates the trolley in an endless loop,

Weaving through aisles and neatly arranged shelves.
Again, returning to dressing rooms for another cycle.
Dresses, bras, jeans—and, sometimes, personal
Belongings, left behind, small riders on her trolley.

Making her rounds, cheerfully greeting, briefly high-fiving,
Warm laughter, brief chats–camaraderie alive.
Yet, puzzles appear:
In the break room, a loaf of bread,
A peanut butter jar—
Offbeat riddles in the day’s routine.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

I’ve thought about writing blogs daily—specifically, about continuing at the same rate. The pros are that I have interested readers, get good feedback, and enjoy being in touch. The cons are that I battle empty-headedness in the mornings. Both writing and editing are consuming tasks, often against a looming publishing deadline. I must also accomplish additional unrelated morning needs and then clock in on time at my outside job.

The bottom line is that “life happens,” and mine has become busier. By changing my priorities to free up more early hours, I could focus on handling essential household needs. Blogging less will reduce daily morning stress.

I’ll continue writing blogs, but not daily, unless some pressing topic drives a series. I hope you’ll all stay connected, reading, and responding. I hope having more time to think and plan will help me write better, more interesting articles.

Dear Friends: Thanks for caring and being in touch! Diana

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Good morning!

For a few days, I’ve been forced to struggle through very challenging (local) weather to care for my outside animals and attend to my outside part-time job.

So, I’m taking a hiatus from daily blogging.

My blogs may be only a few paragraphs long, but writing of any length demands creativity and editing. Creating the clarity and readability I wish often consumes several hours.

Today (and maybe tomorrow), I need to take a break.

Dear Friends: Have a pleasant day. Diana

Monday, March 17, 2025

Happy St. Pat’s Day!

I yielded to internal pressure and bought a corned beef roast for the pressure cooker (because it was cheap, the way prices trend with special days on the horizon). Honestly, I’m no “corned” fan–too spicy–except when biting into a Ruben Sandwich–the best, always.

Yesterday, it snowed, snowed, and snowed. At least I was at home all day.

By evening, heavy snow forced me to make it down to the barn by creating a path. I had to kick through fluff rising as high as 8″ from one day’s snowing. Then, and no surprise, I had to overcome snow-caused challenges while feeding my horses. I had to cope by wading through muck galore and deep water puddles, fighting huge flakes falling into my face, and then, there were the horses–eager, hungry, pushy as all get out.

Oh, also Pimmy! She brays, making the saddest imaginable sounds–long and loud with shifting keys. Ya gotta be a witness to grasp my description. Her braying works–gets me hurrying to take care of her needs.

Just before nightfall, guess what. The sun came out! Briefly, but there it was: Sunshine!

Dear Friends: March tiptoed in like a lamb; now it’s roaring like a you-know-what. Diana

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Today is a rare, lazy morning. Outside, it’s raining, and I’m off from work. I’m still thinking about poets, styles, and blogging. I am also reflecting on nearly fifteen years of daily blogging—capturing my morning thoughts and ideas, shaping them into paragraphs for sharing with a community of readers. That invites a question: How much has the practice influenced and shaped my core interests and thinking?

Daily writing has been more than a routine; it is a continuous dialogue with myself. Writing requires discipline to articulate thoughts, and regularly doing so has influenced my perceptions of the world around me.

The blogging years have defined my key interests. Routine blogging repeats explorations and reflections. It becomes a mirror reflecting perspectives and their evolutions. Consistent blogging is a challenge requiring me to reconsider and refine viewpoints.

Blogging posts spark an interactive aspect—responses from readers and outside conversations—that stretches my thinking and deepens my self-awareness. Feedback makes me reconsider connections or insights I might be overlooking; it reinforces or gently reshapes my thoughts and ideas.

The daily commitment of thoughtfully expressing myself has helped to define me. The need to convert abstract ideas into coherent narratives has honed my analytical skills, boosted my curiosity, and enhanced my ability to grasp subtleties in complex issues.

Blogging has strengthened my personal voice and increased my authenticity in navigating the daily-shifting landscapes. It’s been a journey that’s shaped many personal interests, thoughts, and even some of my identity. Its evolution often influences how I engage with daily challenges and discoveries.

Dear Friends: Daily blogging has proved to be a transformative discipline. Diana