No Words

I woke early, read the newspaper and then got ready for work with the intention of working on updating our website ~ doing this work from home.  At 6:30 I turned the computer on only to discover a black screen.  So, I left a message for the IT guy at work; took the computer to the office and planned for the crashed computer to be the crushing blow of the day.

At the office a friend/co-worker told me about the mass shooting at the Aurora, CO movie theater during the opening night presentation of "The Dark Knight," the latest in the Batman series.

Since then ... it is as only it can be ... a truly dark day in which no words can possibly make sense of the unfolding horrors...  President Obama will be speaking to the nation within the hour.

... ... ...

Hot Humid Draught ... Minnesota?

Days gone by?

People from "down south" that are part of my world find it difficult to believe that we have really really really hot humid summer weather here in Minnesota just like they do south of the Mason Dixon Line.

For those of us who live here, we truly understand the meaning of Minnesota as a "theater of seasons."  This season, it is hotter than ... drier than "normal" whatever normal means anyway! 

The afternoon of the 4th of July my thermometer in the shade, recorded 106.3 degrees.  Last night the TV weather forcasters at 5:00 p.m. said it had cooled down to 98 avoiding another record high for the date, at my house the thermometer was still going up and finally stopped at 99.6 degrees. 

How hot and dry is it?  The house finches are drinking the hummingbird nectar; a baby bunnie died in the back yard in the heat of the day; the weeds are flourishing and the yards are toasted and roasted; record rains and high temperatures in May ended the draught;  this week it is back!  This morning the temperature at 4:11 a.m. was 81 degrees and the humidity already 80%. 

So people and animals need to take really good care today ... however, I doubt that any citizen could possibly turn on a fire hydrant in today's world.

Missing - one piece of paper

I woke at 4:01 a.m. fully rested.  So, naturally I got up and got busy!  It is now 5:47 a.m. and all my filing is done, magazines and mail sorted, general pick-up on the main floor done. French pressed coffee with soy creamer steaming and I am ready to roar into the day.

What a way to begin a summer Saturday.  Well, it isn't that I really wanted to file and sort, it is that I can't find a single piece of paper, not four just one blasted piece of paper that I need by Monday.  So, I decided that what I need to do to be able to move into this day fully is to write the snarly words that are careening around in my head with such frenzy that the image of a crazed out of control pinball machine seems placid.

How quickly I can move from the wonder of life to crash and burn simply because I can't find a bloody piece of paper.  You know the snarly words ~ will you ever get organized ~ if you put it where it belonged the moment you got it, you wouldn't have lost it ~ will you never learn ~ how can you make something so easy so complicated?  And those are the kindest words blasting around in my head.

So, it is time to sit down and take inventory of life in the past week:  trip to Chicago to be part of the planning team for a national meeting the end of September ~ top notch; organized and led 11th Day Prayer for Peace: Praying and Preparing for the Commemoration of the Bombing of Nagasaki and the installation of the Vision of Peace Replica which included Ojibwe pipe, smudging and water ceremonies ~ went off without a hitch and an email the next day read in part "your leadership in planning and gentle guiding of the prayer service were a gift to us all"; volunteered at the MN History Theater in the development office for three hours ~ kudos; dinner at Chris and Rob's with Jon last night full of stories and laughter and wondering about life ~ as always great. 

All of that good stuff crashed and burned sending up a cloud of black smoke that can be seen for miles because I can't find a silly piece of paper.  One piece of paper.  A piece of paper I can have faxed to me on Monday.  It really is that simple!  And yet, I have allowed it to build into the Mount Vesuvius of failures. 

Time to change words in brain - get a grip and enjoy the day.  This piece of paper is really a non issue!