Word World

Thursday, June 06, 2024

An article entitled “What’s your nudge word for 2024? Let us help you discover it” caught my attention in today’s Washington Post. I was attracted to the idea of a nudge word after earlier exploring something similar and selecting a word.

The Post set up the discovering process as a game. I studied it and decided to play.

Everything starts by identifying an overarching word. The lead question is: What single word describes your hopes and dreams for 2024? The game then offers many categorical choices: active, optimistic, mindful, relationships, strength, growth, and personal relationships. I chose “mindful.”

Next, another game step was to “Focus on words that will nudge you toward positive change.” Many words related to mindfulness were offered, and I selected such as observe, awe, gratitude, notice, thankful, breathe, awareness, anticipate, and balance. Finally, I found one that summarized it all, and already that word was a favorite: appreciate.

I’ll take it. So, “appreciate” will be my nudge word for 2024.

Last month, I was thinking about “appreciate” in relation to my upcoming birthday. I wished to actively and often feel more appreciative as a change and birthday gift to myself. For several weeks, I paused and focused on appreciating but eventually got too busy and preoccupied with unrelated thoughts.

I appreciate the Post article’s cool word game which helped me renew a pleasing frame of mind. To me, appreciating touches a deep sense of gratitude and recognition, and taps into wishes to feel seen, valued, and understood. I am recommitting to actively being mindful and appreciative and staying on track this time.

Dear Friends: Words, tiny little abstracts that trigger big feelings and thoughts. Diana

Cheesing

Tuesday, June 04, 2024

This is National Cheese Day (really!). Later this week (get this!): June’s first Friday is National Donut Day. In exploring celebratory days, I’m finding that opportunities to appreciate are overwhelming, and it’s enough already. I’ll stop searching and yet make a shout out: Happy Cheese Day!

I wrote yesterday morning that the outside weather looked blowy and chilly. I was correct for those conditions lasted all day. My window this morning reveals similar weather behavior. For me, this is a day off from work and I’ve planned to tackle much-needed outside work. If today remains windy and cold, I’ll stay inside where plenty needs doing, too.

While inside, maybe I’ll poke into the cheese world. There’s much to explore about its cultural significance and the human passion for making it. I could learn by reading or streaming documentaries about the history of cheese, its different kinds and methods of making, and its lasting cultural significance.

Good learning can transform perceptions. Learning could turn my chuckles about National Cheese Day into awe.

Learning an appreciation of cheese on this day represents only a beginning. More ahead and scheduled annually, will arrive on October 15.

Dear Friends: The donut product also has a history and a big (bah!) cultural influence. Diana

Hurry, Late….

Thursday, April 04, 2024

Overnight, snow fell, and this morning, we’re in a snow globe. Nature’s artistry boosts all surroundings. Six or eight fluffy inches weighing on juniper branches are fairy tale illustrations. It was different two days ago; then, our temperature rose to the seventies. We were wearing T-shirts and basking in spring weather—hiking, gardening, water-sporting, and welcoming wonderful warmth—for one day.

That’s typical, for this high desert’s transitions to spring or later to winter keep us on our toes. My winter wear remains handy (having learned from experience). This morning, I’ll bundle up, go outside, and kick a downhill path to the barn to feed my equines, chickens, and goats. Aside from essential outings today, I’ll stay inside with my dogs.

Thinking back, I remember my first spring here. Around April, I attended a friend’s “clothing party.” She was allowing someone representing a clothing company to show its newest line. I had come from California with light clothing and needed warmer items. In astonishment, I found myself looking at very summery apparel. I asked, “When could we wear these summery clothes?” and then laughed at the answer, “In September.”

To me, that was joking, but I learned differently. Back then, our high desert summer weather was cool and didn’t warm much until August. I found the September and October weather perfect for summer wear. That’s different now because weather transitions are more complicated, and our summers are hotter.

I am reminded to be treasuring episodes of rain and snow. This area needs lots of water to adequately support the continuing city growth and established agricultural community. Water shortage is a political issue that pressures this area’s ancient water distribution methods and how much becomes allowed to receivers.

“Oh dear, oh dear,” said the White Rabbit…

Dear Friends: We have learned the world is small, and everything affects us all. Diana

Tying Up

Sunday, March 03,, 2024

Yesterday, my job in a large department store had me working in the Men’s Department. I met a couple examining suit jackets, and the man was trying on some. They were preparing to leave in April on a cruise ship that’s headed to exotic places. He’s not bought new clothes in quite a while, and although not particularly happy or comfortable, dutifully tried on shirts and jackets.

I’m very slightly aware of trends in men’s clothing, but did assisyt the couple by searching for sizes and colors they wanted. They proceeded slowly, we became acquainted, and I enjoyed helping them. At some point, they had selected jackets, shirts, and pants and asked me to select some neckties.

I know too little about neckties and approached several large tables. Each was covered in a seemingly endless bunch of neckties, an astonishing array of colors and patterns. Here’s the thing, I like neckties, but have clear preferences and opinions about them as fashion. I enjoy looking at ties and imagining clothing they’d go well with.

However, working in Men’s has taught me that someone might sound casual, as in, “Find me a tie,” but he actually has opinions and preferences. So staring at ties, I’m pushing aside my preferences as too confident for my customer’s comfort. Finally, I picked out a few ties with subtle patterns that color-wise blended with his clothing selections. In the end, that couple themselves selected his ties.

I needed some training on necktie selling and asked a savvy coworker to help me. We went to the tie tables. He chose several he liked and explained why, saying red is a power color, and certain blues go well on the blue shirts he loves, and to him a very subtle paisley is playful. I realized that he plans carefully for wearables at meetings and casual gatherings (typically, he doesn’t wear neckties).

I pointed to my favorite tie, covered in a “tiny flowers” design, and no surprise, he wasn’t interested in it. Earlier, I had sensed that my customer would avoid a flower pattern. My friend and I stared at the tie; it’s not particlarly feminine but has tiny flowers.

This is Women’s History Month. Back when social changes began evolving, socially awakened men wore neckties sporting complex designs and patterns. Back then, tiny flowers would have fitted into modern wardrobes.

At that moment, I decided to start on a learning journey–by buying that tie and wearing it to work. My friend gave me a lesson on necktie tying. Then, the tie’s price made me gasp; Who knew! Maybe expense is one reason men very carefully and specifically select ties.

I brought the flowered tie. Today, I will practice tying and arranging it on a boy-style shirt.

Dear Friends: Working offers learning and fun challenges, so make things happen. Diana