Family, Favorite Things, Grief, Life, Pets, Photography, Soul Homework, What I Kept

what i kept – january 2024

Kari

these are the things i kept on my phone in the month of january.

click here to read previous posts.

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this quote from carl sagan showed up in one of the books i’m reading…
…while i’m currently reading carl sagan’s daughter’s book… 💕
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he has been doing this to me more than usual…
can i help you?
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i wanted to like that book up there, but i couldn’t get through it. it was a little hard to understand. but while reading it, i learned some useful information. like the paragraph above… perspective.

my dad is doing well. he experienced some chemotherapy-related side effects last week that made him pretty miserable. during his checkup, they discovered that his white blood cell count was extremely low, which is normal. they put him on antibiotics and gave him IV fluids while he was there. thank goodness for cancer centers. he felt like a brand new person after that appointment.

i went to get my hair colored and cut this weekend, and my friend had this on her television in the shop:

not this exact one, but one like it. this has become my new favorite thing. if you find any really cool places, please share them.

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38 thoughts on “what i kept – january 2024”

  1. Hi Kari, a lot of good stuff on your phone…thought-provoking and goosebumpy…James Taylor’s moving, wise words…Carl Sagan’s words…the pretty snow…I had to look up the “source” re page from the book…Pema Chodron…Happy to hear your Dad is doing better. I wholeheartedly agree with your words “thank goodness for cancer centers” and the angels that work there. Thank you for sharing. 💕 Erica

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes! Sorry about the Pema Chodron quote. I added it…It was from the same book as above, but I forgot to include it! Thank you for the reminder! 😘🤣

      I cannot thank the wonderful people who work at these places enough. It has been incredibly inspiring to be a part of this entire process. To take it all in and witness each step.

      Thank you for reading! 😘

      Like

  2. The Carl Sagan quote is a good one. I also agree about taking a bigger perspective as you grow into who you can become. The “To continue, please type the characters below:” series is a hoot. Who among us hasn’t gone through that hassle?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s funny that you say, “grow into who you can become.” I was on Goodreads yesterday and was reading a book review written by a man who happened to be a therapist. He initially gave a negative review on a book I was interested in, but later changed his mind. He now agreed with the author and came back to say that in the review. It just made me think of this for some reason. Perspectives, changing…

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I think if nothing else I’ve learned from blogging is that most people evolve as they go along and become a different version of their prior selves, meaning your blog changes and your readership changes over time, too. Except for a few core people like you who hang around, of course!

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Kari, “Between Peace and Joy by James Taylor is BRILLIANT! Btw, I love James Taylor. Whenever I hear one of his songs, I am immediately transported back to wonderful memories, as it was listening to the video you shared at the end of this post. One of my faves is, “Your Smiling Face”.

    Your PEACE mantle is beautiful!

    Word for the Day is spot on! Life can be both challenging and glorious. It’s a dichotomy.

    LOVE your blue jean shirt! Great photo!

    And as I shared on Instagram, that picture of your father is beautiful. He looks so strong and vibrant!

    Thanks for sharing what you kept, my friend. Always enjoyed Always learn something!

    X

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love his music too!

      Thank you! I keep the PEACE up all year long. 💕

      It’s my favorite shirt. 😊

      I love that picture of him, too! So good.

      Thank you always for reading, my friend! I appreciate you. 😘❤️

      Like

  5. I think I’m back in comment purgatory. Here’s another try:

    Louise Erdrich and Karl Sagan and Pema Chodron. What a rich selection of people who are giving you perspective and wisdom! I looked in my library for the book by Deb Dana, and she has a more current one: Polyvagal Practices: Anchoring the Self in Safety. The line for it was shorter, so I placed a hold on it. Looking forward to reading, as it seems in line with the work I was doing with my chronic pain doctor. She’s not available to me any more (thanks, US medical system), and I still need to learn more.

    Also, your dogs. I miss having a dog, and I just love what you share of yours. So much soul in them. And the tacos. Isn’t there something so nourishing about good tacos and a Coke? I hope you are finding lots of nourishment, in all kinds of ways. I, too, really like that picture of your dad. I don’t know him, but you can see his spirit in that image. It’s amazing, really.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Fucking WordPress.

      Okay, I’d like you to read it and feed it to me like a mother bird to a baby bird.🤣🤣
      I hate that the pain doctor isn’t available to you! Gahhhh.
      I absolutely adore them. Seriously, so much. But I think you already know this.
      There’s nothing like tacos and coke. Maybe a really good hotdog and a coke.
      You’d love my dad. I wish I could host a cookout and invite my blog friends to meet him. It would be such an amazing time. 
      Also, I love how the photos I’m taking of him capture his spirit, his true nature. It has a magical feel.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. i’ve noticed that we read a lot of the same books, quotes. i’m a science nerd, so i’m gonna give “Anchored” a try (if i can find it at the kindle library).

    it makes me happy to see you, your dad smiling! <3

    Liked by 1 person

  7. I’m so glad to see you reading that Sasha Sagan book. I found it a lovely and comforting read. I think about how each new day is a new start and how every culture celebrates the passing of time regularly. It gives me some much needed perspective when things are difficult.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. The picture of the hawk is so majestic. Your Dad is looking fantastic! Compared to the books you read, I think I’m in Reading Group D and you’re in Reading Group A, if you remember elementary school. Your dog could be a meme! I love the Wake Up Morning Coffee Porch. I’ve not seen a video like that before, but it’s quite soothing. My favorite pictures are on the Instagram account for Carmel By the Sea. Bucket List travel destination for me.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love that picture of my dad.
      I am NOT in that reading group! 🤣 I had to stop reading the book because I was LOST.

      I’ve always wanted to go to Carmel by the Sea! So beautiful there.

      Like

  9. Oooo. I want to learn polyvagal theory. There’s a horse trainer who completely changed his outlook (which changed his methods) after learning about the nervous system and polyvagal theory etc. He learned about it to help his wife cope with panic attacks but he applied it to his whole life. Changing his outlook changed the behavior of his horses & their training journeys. He spent more time listening & thinking. I feel like if an animal can sense it, then it’s not bull-poo.

    I enjoyed that passage from the polyvagal book. When you think about it we are all walking around, interacting using the script that kept us safe through childhood. For some it works into adulthood but not always. And you can see the underlying scripts. Maybe people attack first, taking everything as a personal insult or perhaps they try to keep everything calm & problem free… And you think…huh. Was this what kept them safe as little kids? And now they don’t know how to drop that script, that pattern? And what would it take for people to change? I guess polyvagal theory would have an answer?

    “Taking a bigger perspective ” passage & the circle we stand in — reminded me of the value of shielding & maintaining your boundary of peace. Sometimes I picture a bubble around me that I can raise to shield me from emotional turmoil that is not mine & that is not my responsibility to “fix”. I don’t do it with everyone but some people walk around projecting hate or ego or mindless outrage. Having a way to deflect that so it does not stick to you is useful. Prob not what the Buddhist was thinking of tho lol.

    The reverse of this is sometimes I look at people or animals and think, “love.” Just sending them some love. Maybe that is the Buddhist circle of gentleness?

    I could totally look at your dogs all day & project love. They are such special souls. Glad they are in your life & thank you for sharing them with us interneters. I miss my dog so much!

    I hope today had happy events for you & your family. Sending you guys love ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I also want to learn polyvagal theory! But my ADD prevented me from understanding her book. I haven’t yet replied to Rita’s comment, but I think she suggested an easier book.

      YES regarding the scripts. I think we’re all just protecting our nervous systems.

      No, you’re right about the bubble; the saying “not my circus, not my monkeys” comes to mind. Tonglen meditation can help with this. I think there are humans who do not want to be helped. That is when the bubble comes in handy, and doing a Tonglen meditation makes you feel as if you can help others in the same way. Putting out goodness to them and seeing their humanity in a way that doesn’t hurt us, if that makes sense.

      I hadn’t read your comment about sending them love before writing the above. Yes, Maddie! That’s Tonglen mediation!

      My dogs are very intuitive. I think that is why Buddy has been staring at me. He knows. He and Biscuits love my dad so much. My dad wanted to come over right after he got out of the hospital because he missed our dogs.

      I’m taking my parents to one of my dad’s checkups today. He feels good, and that is all that matters. Time spent together and him feeling good. It makes me so happy.

      Love you, my friend. 😘❤️

      Like

      1. Tonglen meditation! Omg it has a name!!! Thank you for telling me! Now I can search for this & hopefully find cool links. You are the best Kari ❤️

        I am so bad at learning certain things from books. I think I’ll look around & try to learn about polyvagel theory from YouTube or a University podcast. Some subjects need to be taught & the best teachers never “teach from the book”. They just talk. YouTube sometimes resembles a good class & in the past I’ve found interesting University courses posted free online (if they still do that).

        But first I’m gonna search out Tonglen meditations. We need more love in this world.

        Sending love to you and your dad and your fam! ❤️

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Yes! I found it thanks to Pema Chodron. I love her so much. ❤️

        I am a visual learner, so YouTube is perfect for me. When I was homeschooling Ella, we relied heavily on YouTube. By the way, Crash Course is a YouTube channel run by John Green, whom I also love. We used Crash Course all the time when we were homeschooling because he made the subjects so enjoyable. BUT, it’s also a fun place for adults! I learned so much when I taught Ella in so many wonderful ways.

        We definitely need more love in this world. We also need to think more collectively, as a globe rather than a country. If we could get over that hump, we could make so much progress.

        I am sending love back to you, my beautiful friend. 😘❤️

        Like

  12. The sun only has one day – I love that! What a great reminder.
    That cake looks so good and I wish I was there to share it with you! As well as to sit with you during this time.
    I am glad to hear that your dad is doing well. May your moments with him be blessed. xoxoxo

    Liked by 1 person

  13. I haven’t heard the one about the sun having only one day, but I do love it.

    I find the idea of Polyvagal theory really interesting – there was a number of workshops on it at my NLP training conference a couple of years ago – but all were full.

    Just love the photo of your Dad <3

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  14. Carl Sagan is so cool. i watch his videos on youtube and I can just sense his love of the world. Beautiful pictures of the snow and everything else :) – Mike

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  15. The Sagans are coming for you. 🤩
    What is Buddy trying to tell you? Something important, I can tell.
    I’m happy that your dad is being taken care of; those cancer centers are amazing! He looks great!

    Liked by 1 person

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