Always Learning

Got some bowling coaching yesterday.  Interestingly during the first game I was being "watched" I bowled a 245.  What can I say.  I did pick up some great pointers and learned what I was doing that led to some poor shots.  I'm writing those things down before I get them.  There really isn't much to remember.....   Focus.  when I'm bowling - bowl, Shoulders parallel with gutters, keep backswing in control, let the ball do the work,  know whether you are hitting your target - or how many boards left or right of your target you missed,  if I'm missing the 10 pin - move 6" forward (If that doesn't work - 6" backward).  After the first game may have to move 1/2 to 1 board to left every 5 frames.  Now that I write it down, it seems like a lot - but it isn't - after all, the brain is really the most powerful computer around!

I bowled my best game with my Storm Intense.  This has become my "go to ball".  I did well with the Global Honey Badger and I surprised myself with my control of the more aggressive Storm Physix.
I am so looking forward to our Thursday leagues.

Yesterday I got my good dart board out.  I'm going to set it up today or tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to playing some darts again.  My head is just buzzing with things I want to do and try.  I'm not quite sure why that is.  I'm even getting fishing fever.  I drove past Cherry Creek yesterday.  I should drive in and see if the ice has broken away!  I'm going to try and get in some spring fishing this year. Life is amazing isn't it!  It really is interesting where my mind can take me! 

So, where is your mind taking you!  Wherever it is, enjoy each and every moment of it!

Mindfulness & Living in the Moment

Carolyn and I went to Barnes and Noble to get a scrabble dictionary.  While there we both did some looking around for other things that might be of interest!  I happened upon a small (physically) book entitled The Little Book of Mindfulness .  I read a few pages and decided this book was for me. I think what made the connection for me was on page 6 of the book  "Mindfulness is being aware of or bringing attention to this moment in time, deliberately and without judging the experience." How powerful is that!  That statement, though simple it may seem, really tells one what a joyful life is all about!

February 22, 2019  One of My Special
Moments

I continued to browse and found the book Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn.  The other book was written by Dr Patrizia Collard. (I had forgotten to mention that.)  Anyway I bought that book as well.  "...be present for the unfolding of your moments___". (Page 9)  I don't consider myself a beginner at at least "attempting" to live in the moment!  Nevertheless I am a beginner in exploring the concept as fully as I thought I had.  I guess I'm waxing a bit philosophical here -- I tend to do that sometimes.  I think reflection is a good thing and can lead to the enjoyment of your moments even more fully. Multi-tasking (talk about jumping the subject to another box) takes us away from that.  So bringing one's self to the moment one is truly in may require some effort - meditation helps with that.

If you want to be in the moment - be in it!  Notice the twig on the branch twitching with the wind! Notice the breath being taken, the sound being sensed - notice life and live it!  May all your moments be awesome.  Enjoy one to the fullest as often as you think about doing so!  Life will change for you!  Really it will!

Birthdays, Scrabble, and Miscellaneous Other Stuff

The Martinez Clan --  Just a Few of Us

So, once again, I'm delving into family history.  This time, I'm working on birthdays.  One would think what a simple project.  But, Carolyn has 12 brothers and sisters and the many descendants there.  I have 6 brothers and sisters - not so many descendants.  As I put these into the calendar I tend to get a bit anal - like color coding the families, putting notes in about spouses, children, grandchildren, the celebrants relationship to us - like God-children, nephew, niece and other notes that may seem relevant at this moment.  The result is that what should take 30 seconds to a minute for an entry takes more like 2 - 5 minutes or more per entry.  The gift is that I really get to reflect and recall special things and moments that we've shared and times and moments yet to come.  It really is a gift.  Bottom line -- I've decided to limit the inputs to 1 month per day -- that way I should be able to wrap up this wonderful project in about a month.  On to the topic of Scrabble.

I love to play scrabble - Carolyn is getting better every time we play.  Last night was special because I had my highest score ever 416 - with the highest scoring word being "jubilee" (89 points - including the bonus 50 points).  I played a lot of scrabble with mom and L.J.  They played all the time and took pictures of their best scores. 

Other - well I was at the bowling alley tonight.  Our team took 2 games -- thank you ladies.  I managed to have the lowest set of the bunch!!!!!  But we sure had fun.  Enjoy your moments!

Valentine's Day and the Day After

Well, around here Valentine's day is just another manufactured commercial holiday on the calendar.  I did reminisce a bit about gradeschool and handing out the cute little cards to all my classmates - the first few year's of marriage when I felt obligated to celebrate the holiday.  Maybe today I give it some thought, but not much.  Carolyn and I spent the day working on a family project, went bowling (our team mates were moving into their new home - congrats to John and Eunice) and we still managed to win 3 of the 4 points available -- might put us back in first place!

Today - is an immediate family day - us and our four children.  We've been working on this get together since Thanksgiving 2018.  That is one of the reasons we went to Aspen.  It was a quiet together time for Carolyn and I to address Christmas cards and working on or Will Documents.  It has taken us a couple of months to finish that task and prepare for this get together.  We may have overdone the preparation a bit, but I think it is worth it.  I saw what sister Lana went through when mom passed - and I've heard horror stories - even who the passing of parents have torn families apart.  We are providing the kids with, what we think, is all the details to make things easier for them. Today we present the draft documents, get their input, have frank and honest discussion and do some celebrating - breakfast and lunch provided!  Hugs and kisses and some tears shared.  God knows we shed some putting this stuff together. 

We have been and are blessed.  Each and every moment of every day brings with it everything to sadness and pain to joy and celebration - all filled with caring and love for one another.  We don't always understand - but we try too.  We don't always get things right - but we make every effort to do so.  We don't always remember to ....  there are so many things we don't always remember to do, but we always do our best to reach out to each other and do our best to be open to what each other needs. (now I truly am rambling).  I think the reader can get the just and understand that we are a family who cares - I think we care enough to ask forgiveness when we get it wrong and to celebrate the moments that we get it right! Today is going to be full of those moments, whatever they may bring. fini

Sometimes You Just Have to Write it Down

It has been a very good week.  But this post is really not about the week so much as it as about the urge to write.  There is a television show that has caught me in a very philosophical and spiritual way.  My wife is the spiritual one in the family - me not nearly as much but this show has caught me attention.  The name of the show "God Friended Me"!

I've been catching up with the show on CBS all Access. We don't have cable or dish or any real time TV except for what is available on HD via the air waves - the old fashioned way to watch TV.  But - we don't typically watch it except for me - some golf matches and some Bronco games (especially when they are winning)!

Whether you believe in God, are spiritual, agnostic,, atheist - whatever - if you are human, I think you might like this particular show.  The episodes are well written and the messages are pretty clear....  The show has given me pause to think about things that I haven't thought about in sometime.  In a way, it is about strangers helping strangers....  about being true to your beliefs even when you are a non--believer. 

Give it a go, watch a few episodes - you might just get hooked!

Happy Birthday Carolyn

 Yup, it is Carolyn's birthday.  It has been 12 years since this famous cake was given to her at a surprise party at Mama Alvino's.  What a fantastic time was had.

Birthdays are special days - sometimes fraught with anticipation and sometimes overwhelming joy and sometimes pure bliss and mostly a bit of every kind of feeling one can think of.

I know I get anxious - will the kids and grandkids remember her birthday and give her a  call or come and see her?  Will her brothers and sisters remember her on this special day.  (I probably think of the same things when it is my birthday.) 

Today one may think that all I need to do is post something to facebook or send an Instagram message - what if she doesn't see it - what if she doesn't use facebook or any  of the social media.  Maybe a phone call would be great - yah, it probably would, but what if she doesn't answer - should I leave a message. 

How about putting in some effort - getting a card - writing a little something in it for this special person - putting the stamp and address on it and taking it to the United States Post Office?  Perhaps that is just too much effort!  I know I'm guilty of that and tend to rely on E-Cards - well, if they have an email address they will likely get it and know that I at least thought of them on their special day! Oops... they have an email, but they never use it!  Now they will be thinking I didn't remember them! 

I am a bit anal about birthdays.  If I know your birthday, it is on my special birthday reminder calendar -  and sometimes I get the date wrong -- but heck, even if it is the wrong day - at least I noted that you have a birthday!

I put together a special Google Photo album for Carolyn's birthday - I did it just this morning.  I know she will enjoy it and I will enjoy seeing her smile and hearing her comments!

Happy Birthday Carolyn -- enjoy all your very special moments on this day!

Time to Take Care of Trees

We had Swingle (Now Save a Tree) out to estimate taking care of our trees this spring.  We've been using the company for over 30 years now.  Swingle has been purchased by another company, but the guys who came to the house to do the estimate (Charlie and James) knew their stuff.  I still didn't know the names of a couple of our pines - now I know we have a Douglas Fir, Blue Spruce, and Austrian Pine (the big one).  We also have a Birch, 2 Ashe trees, a Hawthorn, several aspen, and a an Eastern Rosebud.  Oh, and a Viburnum and a Dogwood (technically shrubs I think) - and one Rhododendron I planted by our Koi pond.  They were very surprised to see how healthy that plant was - I guess they don't do too well in Colorado soil.

We checked on the Rosebud to make sure she wouldn't harm foundations.  She happens to be right between our house and the neighbors, right on the fence line.  She has damaged the fence - I did do some repairs to that.  Charlie assured me the foundations were not in jeopardy as the root system is fairly shallow and if they do run into foundation they will make a left or right turn and not penetrate.  That is awesome, because the tree is so beautiful during the spring months.  (Not shorting the other trees because they all have their special beauty).

You already know the squirrels love to run around in them and live most of the winter on the Hawthorn berries.  I did learn that the Viburnum berries are poisonous - no wonder the squirrels don't snack on them.  So, bottom line, I learned a lot, got a decent estimate and now I can assure my neighbor no damage will come to their foundation.

Have an awesome day - enjoy the SuperBowl if you are so included.   Oh, yah, the tree to the left is the one we had to leave behind when we sold our old house - I really miss her.  We drive by once in a while just to see how she's doing!