Day One Card Pull…

PORCUPINE SPIRIT

Time for beginner mind

Protection Message: Are you feeling prickly and defensive lately, and assuming you will be hurt before you have seen any sign that such a reaction is called for?

Perhaps an old sense of guilt and shame is causing you to be cynical and wary when you are meant to be open and curious. Self-protection is a good thing, but you may be protecting yourself from something that will not actually harm you but instead will bring you abundance, happiness, and love.

Remember your innocence, and you will see what you have been overlooking. Porcupine quills are filled with air, allowing a porcupine to float in water. Now is a time to let your innocent nature keep you buoyant.

The Hiatus Begins…Day One

Today marks the first day of my Lenten hiatus from all social media. Around this time of day, I’m usually checking Facebook memories and getting my usual posts of the day, which include “Twenty-Four Hours a Day” and “Language of Letting Go,” as well as a punny that I obtain from the past or a brand new one.

It usually takes me a week to get used to being away from the daily grind. I have removed all the apps from my phone and have removed the bookmarks from my home computer. This makes it less likely that I’ll accidentally open on the the aforementioned programs.

I have found that I can post my Wordle and Connections result on my blog, using copy and paste or taking a screenshot. I got the Wordle word of the day on my last guess and completely struck out on Connections. I will continue to play and post these games daily, as I don’t consider them social media.

I will head out to the coffee shop after I go through my morning routine. I will also be going to a meeting this morning. At some point today I’ll take my four-mile walk. I’ll visit with my daughter and granddaughter after their school days are done to talk with them and give them their Valentines’ Day presents.

This is the second consecutive Valentines’ Day that I am not in any sort of romantic relationship. It’s not really any big deal for me. While I’m not in any sort of relationship, I realize that there are much worse places to be.

David Lee

Lenten Sabbatical from Social Media

In past years, I’ve taken a leave of absence from social media during the season of Lent. In looking at this year’s calendar, I hadn’t realized the Lenten season starts on Valentines Day. Given the fact it was already February 9th, I had to decide if indeed I would be absent from all social media for the Lenten season 2024

I am not exactly sure how many years I’ve “done without” something for the season of Lent, but I do know for at least four of those years, I’ve taken a sabbatical from all social media. 2024 will be no different. I have decided to forego all social media for Lenten season, which begins on Valentines Day, February 14th, and lasts through Easter Sunday, March 30th.

So between now and then, I’ll make the usual preparations for that time away. As in years past, I’ll leave links to the two posts that I’ve done each and every day for the past eight years. The link will take readers to the website that I use as the source. It will take an extra click or two, but if the readers really want to see what’s shared, I figure they’ll be willing to do that.

I’ll also be deleting the apps for social media from my phone. By my cell phone carrier’s usage records, I estimate I spend nearly twenty-four hours a week,,,that’s collectively one whole day, on social media sites. So yes, this will leave quite a gap of time, but I feel at this point in my life, it’s the thing to do.

David Lee

Cemetery Project – Subject 1

I go for walks during the day in our fair city and have recently started winding my walks through Oakwood Cemetery. It has been in existence since the late 1890s- early 1900s and has many interesting tombstones. I am going to pick out headstones of particular interest and do some research on the people buried at those locations.

Subject 1 is Daniel Washington Rowe (July 4, 1854 – June 30, 1888 at 33 years of age)

Married to Candace Seitz on April 13, 1876

Wife – Candace Seitz Rowe (August 13, 1859 – April 3, 1954 at 94 years of age)

Children: Lillie Gertrude Rowe (April 25, 1877 – December 29, 1945 at 68 years of age)

Carrie May Rowe (April 13, 1879 – July 3, 1897 at 18 years of age)

Daniel Guy Rowe, Sr. (March 19, 1883 – March 31, 1969 at 85 years of age)

Essie Pearl Rowe (October 3, 1885 - October 1, 1900 at 4 years of age)

Daniel was evidently a hard-working man. I found a newspaper article from the Hickory newspaper in 1881 that said he had a large livery stable. He had plenty of horses and carriages that would transport people to and from nearby towns. The business was reported as “red hot.” 

Daniel’s obituary was also to be found. It mentioned that he had died four days short of his 34th birthday. It says he had stood before his brother Junius’ grave several weeks before and had said he didn’t expect to live much longer. He seemingly was in good health at the time. He then went home to his bed and died seventeen days later.

His wife’s and two of his children’s gravestones are nearby.

Walking in ’23

          

On May 29th of 2023, I decided I needed to make an effort to get more exercise. I started walking two or three miles each day and before you know it, I had worked my way up to at least four miles each day. Besides losing some weight and feeling much healthier, it also provided me with better mental health as well. Below is a chart that shows my monthly totals and the total for the year

Month    Miles

June     132.31

July     148.3

August    325.72

September  164.22

October    186.29

November  116.32

December   85.65

Grand Total – 1012.5 miles

Beginnings and Endings….

227 days….42 weeks, 1 day….21 years and 2 months….all endings of certain journeys in my life. But also the realization that those endings also mark the beginnings of new ways of life.

There come those points in life when we note the endings of certain parts of our existence. It might be that a person we once knew disappears from our radar….it could be that we decide to cease practicing some destructive habit….we could just decide we’d had enough of a particular job and start looking for some other line of work.

But there is also the realization with these endings that there are beginnings as well. When someone we know and cherish leaves our lives, it can become an opportunity to make new friends. Our destructive, sometimes addictive habits are replaced with healthier ones. Our world opens to new possibilities when we shed parts of the past. And it can turn out to be one of the best things that happens to us.

It has been said that the only constant in life is change. And beginnings and endings are certainly a part of those things we see changing. We should take lessons learned in all of our life’s journeys and use them to make better decisions in the future.

David Lee