Saturday, March 14, 2015

More today than yesterday

love you more today than yesterday but not as much as tomorrow?



Happiness is being married to your best friend. Love. Love. Love.




Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado


It's  important to share the bounty of G-d's great earth. I wanted to go to the Sulphur Springs for a couple of reasons .
Mostly because I wanted to see how they chose to run it in a functional inviting setting. My companion was hard pressed to go because she has such a splendid 
home, what else is needed. Still I like checking out hot springs and it is a wonderful way to see the country.
Still, each site is someone based on Ute Indians in this case and others in the area are lacking in updated renovation or safety,
But these Hot Springs was a pure delight. Lots of private 1-2 person baths, clean, quiet and so friendly.
I didn't insist on a tour but I did make an effort to check out the site for future visits and with pleasure eft only to return,
for longer.
This is in the heart of gold country, so don't  be surprised if a nugget grabs your attention.

Nature is Miraculous.



Tuesday, March 10, 2015

How to stay married

How to stay married when not?
Or, why I keep hanging on when I do not get very much anymore.
Or, how to continue when it's the same mistakes over and over again.

When the marriage is complete it either transforms to a peaceful 
calm endtity. But after 30 years if the same problem and same mistakes and same language is just more pronounced or the sameness is what stifles it, how do you decide when to say enough?

Especially if you did not love him so much you would not still be doing the same thing today as you did 20 years ago.

But I do love him. Perhaps don't love how he talks to me or makes decisions or bad choices for me.
At what point can I say it's not for me but I can try harder and harder and improve even more.


Monday, March 9, 2015

Our Corner of the Workd



When you're on a mission and you live your life in Service to G-d Almighty what appears as nothing to someone else might be a different dialogue to you.

Yesterday I came out of the grocery store.
A tall Black man in a bright orange sweatshirt was carrying an almost empty small sports "duffel" briefcase bag.

I'm sure the people coming and going to and from the store thought me a 
"sucker" to fall for this mans 
story of woe. 

Perhaps I am.

But when I saw the look in his eyes, he appeared humiliated and struggling.

I thought, what G-d puts on my screen, in my field of vision or part of my Daled Amos (my 4-cubit space of the world I am responsible for), I thought differently.

I listened to his plight. He was on unemployment, his check had not arrived, he did not want to sleep in the shelter, rather he wanted money to rent a $47.00 hotel room. He had $20 and needed help getting the remainder.

"There but the Grace of G-d go I."

My husband was also off work a couple weeks ago.  He was working at the Bakersfield Californian when the executive editor announced the bottom line in January was off and they were forced to let the last hired be the first fired or "laid off". 

I asked the man in orange to give me a minute to see what I could do. I felt G-d's presence instructed me to help him.
I am never allowed to offer a ride. 

So I returned with some cash for his hotel room. Rather than take him there, I added five extra bucks to get a bus pass.

 Granted I am not exactly in cash excess at the moment, but I am in emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust) excess so I decided to help.

I figured if G-d needed me to help this man, then I certainly had nothing to worry about for myself.

I hoped after I gave him the cash he would offer a word of blessing in return, usually that is payment enough for me.

When he saw that I gave him the cash he needed, I saw him emerge from a deep dark state of disbelief.

So I asked him for a blessing in return.
He asked my name.
Brocha, I answered.
It took hearing Brocha a couple times to get it. 
Once he figured that he heard correctly,
he said, "G-d's Blessings to you Brocha".

I fought off wondering if others nearby thought me a fool.

And I told myself that, at the worse, how good could he be doing if he was forced to stand outside the grocery store to beg.

So whether I'm right (which I am) or not, I choose connection. Connection to help. Connection to make safe choices in a safe time, space and place. 

That's taking care of what's on my screen and my corner of the world.

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Frozen Purim Silence


"Their silence shall be interpreted as we approach them"From a poem by the same name Silence by Edgar Lee Masters


Departing Sabbath Queen


Havdalah lites the candle honoring Melava Malka,the departing Sabbath Queen.