Friday Free for All- Welcoming Meditation

      Happy Friday all. Yesterday was a long day, out the door by 6:10, two and half hour drive, present, drive back, get through urgencies that came up in the day, before getting the puppy ( who's so big and leggy) walked. I was happy I put aside all the good stuffing for a sort of chicken pot pie last night. I need to make soup, but that won't happen with my weekends ahead, so the meat not used will freeze with the bones for soup making next week. I write about anything in Friday. Join my meandering thoughts or add your own. 

Native American Prayer and Meditation

     My meeting was hosted by and on Tribal land. The greeting involved a prayer with tobacco, drumming, sage burnings, and pipe smoking. The tobacco was all of our hopes and prayers. I listened to the presenter and felt a calming, almost meditational, feeling. We all can learn from our ancestors, our neighbors, our friends who have other cultural norms and rituals. It was special to be included. Even with the chaos of work and dogs, I'm trying to keep myself grounded through finding at least 10 minutes a day to just shut everything out. 

      I had a cry Wednesday night, not even sure why. It just sort of came out. Did I feel better? I didn't feel poorly before it happened, but I guess I needed some sort of release. Being an observer of the pipe being smoked with tobacco that represented what we held for prayers, or wishes, or dreams, helped me understand a bit why people choose to smoke. I'm not starting anytime soon, but the ritual of letting your mind release stress and pain with each inhalation of the tobacco I suppose is similar, before adduction that is, of the calming of the ceremonial pipe. I'll keep taking my breaths with just pure air though. 

To Do List Paper 

     At the meeting they had To Do List pads at each space. I've never understood dedicated pads of paper for lists, groceries, activities, etc. I'm kind of a reused envelop list maker. I suppose the pads that have menu planning with them grocery list space serves a purpose, but I'd never purchase them. I do like a good planning calendar though with space for writing things. I stopped buying them too, even the one I could get for work. It was serving as nothing more than a notebook. I'll put a freebie to use though. 

View leaving northern Minnesota.
Peak color is pretty much done. 

Weekend-Early Week Plans 

     My daughter and are going to brave the cold Saturday morning and check out her neighborhood fall festival for a bit. It will be a good place to socialize grandpup. We've got a trip to a few shopping places too, Trader Joe's, Indian grocery, and Sam's Club. My plan is basics and things we can get better bulk prices. I mean it when I say no frivolous spending if it doesn't meet my personal wow meter. I'm going to let DH get a really good night's sleep Friday and stay with puppy at my daughter's. She has to bring him over for doggie care for Tuesday when DH will be on his own for the morning. I'll leave Sunday afternoon for my conference but back for afternoon care, walks, and feeding.  We've had some set back nights with getting him to sleep all night. Shots on Monday, a storm last Tuesday, me gone Thursday, all disrupted our pattern. But, our pup is a little less grumpy, until he had his own vet checkup and shots in Thursday. 

     Oh, and guess what? We got snow  this morning, October 14. It should be more a dusting then melt but it's here none the less. That's what I got for this Friday. Jump in and share what you'd like.