Infinite Happy Days - Gratitude and Joy Posts - Part 3
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Florida
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Yep - twice with the woodpeckers in the last couple of years. (well, that particular breed anyway... I've seen a LOT of different types this year specifically) The most recent was a few months ago & he was insistent on being "seen" during my walk, not even shying while I took pics.
VERY INTERESTING honey - especially since my next post was going to be about isolation & how I'm finding myself stuck between isolating away from people I know (since I can't seem to avoid the Pandora's Box of what I can't predict once I open up conversations) and craving so much social time/activity on the other hand that RAH, DD & my BFFs are all wanting to know wth already? I've been go-go-go about getting out & LIVING.
I hadn't even thought about the animal totem significance and that surprises me since they play such a big part of my "signs" from HP. Thank you for looking this up honey!
VERY INTERESTING honey - especially since my next post was going to be about isolation & how I'm finding myself stuck between isolating away from people I know (since I can't seem to avoid the Pandora's Box of what I can't predict once I open up conversations) and craving so much social time/activity on the other hand that RAH, DD & my BFFs are all wanting to know wth already? I've been go-go-go about getting out & LIVING.
I hadn't even thought about the animal totem significance and that surprises me since they play such a big part of my "signs" from HP. Thank you for looking this up honey!
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Florida
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Ok - another morning flock of ibis halted our path on the way into DD's school parking lot for drop off. They were all white with one exception - a single, grey ibis like a pimp among his ladies. 
Don't get me wrong - these are common birds here in SWFL and it's common to see them feeding in distracted flocks like this - but not quite THIS badly, where they cross roadways and bring traffic to a stop.
Definitely going to have to read further into them & their spiritual significance, honeypig!
_____________
Grateful this morning for RAH's big growth moment yesterday - long story as short as possible - last fall after 2 years of extreme loyalty helping to build the business & being promised all kinds of advancement, he was fired without notice, without warning, without having ever been made aware that there were ANY issues with him/his job performance at all. It was devastating - we were JUST starting to feel like things were on the right track financially & while we still had mountains to climb, at least we felt like we were finally making progress. Beyond that - they'd become friends over his time there - this is a small, family business.
The company has struggled since the week following this event & while his ex-boss has tried to apologize via sucking up (giving him great discounts on equipment for his new business venture, referring other work) he has still never apologized or offered any real explanations. Yesterday he pursued RAH hard to come back with a 15% raise and RAH not only turned him down flat but told him off respectfully at the same time.
I know it was hard for him to walk away from a "guaranteed" paycheck when he's struggling hard right now, but this is such a huge Moral Victory for him & such a change from old behavior when he would accept poor behavior from others in the name of Cold Cash. Amazing that he could stay grounded enough to hear past the new promises to the emptiness of this man STILL not being Big Enough to apologize or even try offering some reason why it happened to begin with - how he's too self-centered to not repeat this same offense.
It reminded me of something I read recently - along the lines of "thanks for the knife in the back, I needed it to cut the ties in our relationship completely".
RAH's ego/identity/pride is very wrapped up in his paycheck typically & that's a big part of what landed him in all of this mess to begin with - but this time around I see him making different decisions & I couldn't be more grateful.
Don't get me wrong - these are common birds here in SWFL and it's common to see them feeding in distracted flocks like this - but not quite THIS badly, where they cross roadways and bring traffic to a stop.
Definitely going to have to read further into them & their spiritual significance, honeypig!
_____________
Grateful this morning for RAH's big growth moment yesterday - long story as short as possible - last fall after 2 years of extreme loyalty helping to build the business & being promised all kinds of advancement, he was fired without notice, without warning, without having ever been made aware that there were ANY issues with him/his job performance at all. It was devastating - we were JUST starting to feel like things were on the right track financially & while we still had mountains to climb, at least we felt like we were finally making progress. Beyond that - they'd become friends over his time there - this is a small, family business.
The company has struggled since the week following this event & while his ex-boss has tried to apologize via sucking up (giving him great discounts on equipment for his new business venture, referring other work) he has still never apologized or offered any real explanations. Yesterday he pursued RAH hard to come back with a 15% raise and RAH not only turned him down flat but told him off respectfully at the same time.
I know it was hard for him to walk away from a "guaranteed" paycheck when he's struggling hard right now, but this is such a huge Moral Victory for him & such a change from old behavior when he would accept poor behavior from others in the name of Cold Cash. Amazing that he could stay grounded enough to hear past the new promises to the emptiness of this man STILL not being Big Enough to apologize or even try offering some reason why it happened to begin with - how he's too self-centered to not repeat this same offense.
It reminded me of something I read recently - along the lines of "thanks for the knife in the back, I needed it to cut the ties in our relationship completely".
RAH's ego/identity/pride is very wrapped up in his paycheck typically & that's a big part of what landed him in all of this mess to begin with - but this time around I see him making different decisions & I couldn't be more grateful.
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Join Date: Mar 2013
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Wow, FireSprite! So they fired him out of the blue, no explanation, and then turned around and said, oh, no, WAIT--come BACK, and at 15% more pay? With no apology, no explanation, WTF?? So do you think someone ELSE did something bad, threw RAH under the bus to save him/herself and boss man took action w/o bothering with minor details like FACTS? And now has learned the truth but is embarrassed and wants/needs RAH back but can't find the guts to say what happened and apologize DEEPLY and SINCERELY?
Holy cows.
And it is so great that RAH was able to realize that if this guy was capable of doing that once, he was surely capable of doing it again. "When someone shows you who they are..."
I can't imagine the stress levels for both of you, but it sounds like you've come thru w/flying colors! Words can't express how happy I am for both of you, and thanks so much for sharing this, FS.
Holy cows.
And it is so great that RAH was able to realize that if this guy was capable of doing that once, he was surely capable of doing it again. "When someone shows you who they are..."
I can't imagine the stress levels for both of you, but it sounds like you've come thru w/flying colors! Words can't express how happy I am for both of you, and thanks so much for sharing this, FS.
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Join Date: May 2012
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Yep - completely out of the blue. Actually - first he convinced RAH to go ahead & take his vacation time & fired him the morning he returned from it to work his next shift. Truly awful - especially considering all that RAH has done to help build his reputation in town & stuck with him through all kinds of ups & downs in the business. RAH was the only employee for more than a year, helping to grow business and ignoring efforts from competitors to try & poach him away.
RAH's assistant stills works there & has kept RAH fairly apprised of how things were developing - he was just as surprised as this development as anyone but also saw this maneuver coming & told RAH to expect this convo. Even when directly asked, his ex-boss has no answer about WHY - just a lot of circular, well ya know, blah blah blah that rarely even forms actual sentences.
In all honesty (and I *hate* being this way) I think this has a lot more to do with the boss' wife than anything. She decided to quit her job to work for their company but has zero experience in this industry or in business in any way. She & RAH disagreed over a small issue months ahead of the firing & she could never let it go. Boss knew & admitted she had no understanding of things but refused to stop her from involving herself in all areas of the business. I told RAH then to watch out - he is living with this woman every day & when push comes to shove he'll get tired of hearing her constantly harping old BS -it won't be his wife he gets rid of........ even though she had actively stopped doing any work in the business by this point anyway, she was still "there" constantly.
Although, this is the same man that considered leaving his wife because her son has become too high maintenance being a child of an active, emotionally abusive addict with learning delays who is getting ZERO help for his issues. He was tired of the 10 yr-old's issues tarnishing his reputation. (I could throw up thinking about this again) This happened early on when RAH started working for him & I called it out as a Giant Red Flag then - who thinks stuff like that AND says it out loud???
RAH's assistant stills works there & has kept RAH fairly apprised of how things were developing - he was just as surprised as this development as anyone but also saw this maneuver coming & told RAH to expect this convo. Even when directly asked, his ex-boss has no answer about WHY - just a lot of circular, well ya know, blah blah blah that rarely even forms actual sentences.
In all honesty (and I *hate* being this way) I think this has a lot more to do with the boss' wife than anything. She decided to quit her job to work for their company but has zero experience in this industry or in business in any way. She & RAH disagreed over a small issue months ahead of the firing & she could never let it go. Boss knew & admitted she had no understanding of things but refused to stop her from involving herself in all areas of the business. I told RAH then to watch out - he is living with this woman every day & when push comes to shove he'll get tired of hearing her constantly harping old BS -it won't be his wife he gets rid of........ even though she had actively stopped doing any work in the business by this point anyway, she was still "there" constantly.
Although, this is the same man that considered leaving his wife because her son has become too high maintenance being a child of an active, emotionally abusive addict with learning delays who is getting ZERO help for his issues. He was tired of the 10 yr-old's issues tarnishing his reputation. (I could throw up thinking about this again) This happened early on when RAH started working for him & I called it out as a Giant Red Flag then - who thinks stuff like that AND says it out loud???
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Join Date: Mar 2013
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Oh my lord, I can't believe what a scumbag that boss sounds like...perhaps RAH being given the boot is really going to have a silver lining. I sure hope so.
Again, I am just so impressed w/the way this was handled! Grace under pressure indeed.
Again, I am just so impressed w/the way this was handled! Grace under pressure indeed.
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Join Date: Mar 2013
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Grateful it's FRIDAY and grateful I'm not in the path of the big winter storm dropping a foot of snow on folks and grateful it's "Sheep in the City" weekend so I can go down there and sit and spin and chat (must NOT buy any more fiber to spin...must NOT--buy--fiber!).
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YES! It's almost Bike Time!!
.... Sheep in the City....?....
TGIF & so happy to have fun plans again this weekend - I am reclaiming my social life, ha. The best part is that my niece (17) is willing to come to my house to "sit" with DD who, at almost 13, is capable of staying home alone but doesn't want to. This way they can have a pizza/movie/slumber party night & DD can take baby steps toward getting comfortable alone at home in the evenings. (we often go out late - not even leaving the house until after 8pm on many evenings & she's in bed on the weekends by 11 at the latest)
It's such a difference from Me at this age that I find myself constantly double checking whether she's growing up "normally" or if I'm too easy on her to make up for having grown up too early myself. At her age I was babysitting for other children, and in another year I'd be sitting for babies & toddlers too.
.... Sheep in the City....?....
TGIF & so happy to have fun plans again this weekend - I am reclaiming my social life, ha. The best part is that my niece (17) is willing to come to my house to "sit" with DD who, at almost 13, is capable of staying home alone but doesn't want to. This way they can have a pizza/movie/slumber party night & DD can take baby steps toward getting comfortable alone at home in the evenings. (we often go out late - not even leaving the house until after 8pm on many evenings & she's in bed on the weekends by 11 at the latest)
It's such a difference from Me at this age that I find myself constantly double checking whether she's growing up "normally" or if I'm too easy on her to make up for having grown up too early myself. At her age I was babysitting for other children, and in another year I'd be sitting for babies & toddlers too.
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I nearly forgot to include more of this week's spirit-animal run-ins..... this time with a single hawk, in the oddest place, determined to grab my attention one day; and a single black crow - chatting animatedly to me from an eye-level tree branch on another. I'd never seen one so close & face-to-face.
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Crows up close are always much bigger than I think they are!
"Sheep in the City" is just a small get-together for fiber folk so they can spin, knit, crochet, felt, and in general revel in wool, silk, alpaca, flax and other fibery delights. There are vendors of various spinning fibers, wheels, accessories and finished items. I went for the first time last year and enjoyed just shopping around, got some good deals, didn't bring my wheel as I wasn't sure what the place was like.
This year I am going to bring my wheel, Mr. Peacock, and sit in the spinning circle for a while. I'm sure there will be people to chat with, but sometimes it's nice to just BE and let the conversations and general vibe just sort of wash over you from a little distance while you listen to the click of knitting needles, the rhythmic treadling of spinning wheels, and the whirring of the bobbins and flyers. It can be very soothing.
"Sheep in the City" is just a small get-together for fiber folk so they can spin, knit, crochet, felt, and in general revel in wool, silk, alpaca, flax and other fibery delights. There are vendors of various spinning fibers, wheels, accessories and finished items. I went for the first time last year and enjoyed just shopping around, got some good deals, didn't bring my wheel as I wasn't sure what the place was like.
This year I am going to bring my wheel, Mr. Peacock, and sit in the spinning circle for a while. I'm sure there will be people to chat with, but sometimes it's nice to just BE and let the conversations and general vibe just sort of wash over you from a little distance while you listen to the click of knitting needles, the rhythmic treadling of spinning wheels, and the whirring of the bobbins and flyers. It can be very soothing.
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Join Date: Mar 2013
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Grateful for the deck of "Earth Magic" cards that I bought some time ago. As I mentioned last weekend, I haven't really done anything w/them since then, but last weekend I shuffled them and pulled a card, looking for general guidance and focus for the next few days.
I did the same today, and I pulled the "River" card.
The reading from the interpretation booklet said:
Fighting or blocking the flow of your Life Force can lead you to feeling spiritually void and disconnected from Source. Just like the metaphor of the river, it does not work to force or fight this compelling movement. When you simply pay attention and observe the flow, it becomes easier to navigate your experiences and see what lies ahead, or at least get a sense of what is to come by the ever-changing geography that unfolds as you cruise along.
Your resistance is hampering your ability to make a choice in this matter. Surrender to the movement of Life, be grateful and you will see the signs along the shore and in the river itself that offer you clues about what direction your egoless Self is to be making. “Go with the flow” is more than a trite aphorism here. It is essential that you do so now. Breathe, relax, and you will know.
Having read this over a few times, I'm going to light a candle, meditate a bit and then go forth into the day.
Wishing everybody here a weekend filled with what they like best!
I did the same today, and I pulled the "River" card.
The reading from the interpretation booklet said:
Fighting or blocking the flow of your Life Force can lead you to feeling spiritually void and disconnected from Source. Just like the metaphor of the river, it does not work to force or fight this compelling movement. When you simply pay attention and observe the flow, it becomes easier to navigate your experiences and see what lies ahead, or at least get a sense of what is to come by the ever-changing geography that unfolds as you cruise along.
Your resistance is hampering your ability to make a choice in this matter. Surrender to the movement of Life, be grateful and you will see the signs along the shore and in the river itself that offer you clues about what direction your egoless Self is to be making. “Go with the flow” is more than a trite aphorism here. It is essential that you do so now. Breathe, relax, and you will know.
Having read this over a few times, I'm going to light a candle, meditate a bit and then go forth into the day.
Wishing everybody here a weekend filled with what they like best!
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 6,780
I've seen that deck before HP, it's beautiful. I can't wait to hear where your day/weekend took you after reading it's message. 
Today I'm happy for melatonin when my sleep patterns have been disrupted & that my wii fit program thinks I'm 26. That fills my vanity needs for the week, I think.
Today I'm happy for melatonin when my sleep patterns have been disrupted & that my wii fit program thinks I'm 26. That fills my vanity needs for the week, I think.
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Join Date: Mar 2013
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OMG, firebolt, the suspense of scrolling down thru those first two pics--ooooohhhh, there's the truck....ooooooohhhh, there's the open door of the truck....OH YAY, THERE IS THE MOTORCYCLE, AND THERE IS FIREBOLT ON IT!!
Woo hoo!
Nope, the roads don't look too amenable right now, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for the weekend for you.
Thanks for sharing that beautiful smile!
Woo hoo!
Nope, the roads don't look too amenable right now, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for the weekend for you.
Thanks for sharing that beautiful smile!
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Florida
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I was hoping this would be your update today fire, I'm so happy for you & thrilled that we got to see your smiling face!!!!!! (sidenote: we could be cousins with that hair!!)
I can't wait to hear about all the adventures ahead for the 2 of you!
I can't wait to hear about all the adventures ahead for the 2 of you!
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Midwest
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firebolt, did you get out to ride over the weekend, or did the weather remain horrible?
I am grateful today for the snow, which is pretty to look at, and even more grateful for the warm weather coming this weekend which means I don't have to DO anything about it!
I am grateful today for the snow, which is pretty to look at, and even more grateful for the warm weather coming this weekend which means I don't have to DO anything about it!
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