Author: alwaysbridging

Yes, but first lunch! Come join me.

When I got here after seven o’clock last night, I was just in time for a swim in the warm outdoor heated pool (no stars though as it was drizzling). Now I am drying my suit in front of the heater.

Also, this luxury (and haunted) hotel did not provide a table for my GIANT breakfast. So I chose to use the ironing board. Sweet server Amanda said she’d never seen that done before.

Next, I called to ask if I could possibly get a to-go box, because I’ve decided to live these days by the mantra, “Ask for what you need/want, of God and everybody else too.” Plus, I wanted to hear Amanda call me “Love” again in her lilting Arkansas accent.

Know this: There are answers to prayers everywhere, Love.

And then the Parade!

And the Love Fest!

I could not be more grateful.

It is the 12th Day of Christmas and the sun is barreling in on me here at the beach house. Ideally I will mail the rest of our cards today in my attempt to prop up USPS, one of my favorite parts of our federal government which of course, is on life support. I know this is not the best way to care for our environment but, hey, I am old. It is a privilege to be able to afford the increasing expense. And I love seeing your names/faces still coming amazingly to my front door in hard-copy communication. I prop your holiday cards up around the house and notice that I think more fondly and often about you. I hope this happens from you to me in return. I believe this is the net of prayer.

Speaking of prayer, I am also fortunate to join in Morning Prayer every weekday morning at 730 Pacific on Zoom. We follow the Book of Common Prayer (for which there is an app). We assign readings and visit beforehand each morning and stay late to chat on Thursdays. We have agreed that if someone is muted or invisible, we won’t ask them to read, because in my case this usually means I am still in bed using earbuds so I don’t disturb Rob, sleeping beside me. Or maybe he has an early infusion at Kaiser and I am listening in.

Or just maybe (and this is unusual), I have the remaining cards spread out before me and am enjoying this love task of connecting wide-and-far even more than ever as I meditate.

Please know you are welcome to join us in prayer any time.

Before journaling today I rustled through recent gifts knowing the day had finally come. I needed to crack open a new notebook. I had shopped at least twice trying to find a Moleskine replacement for my beloved green diary, the one that is now packed full of words and ephemera. Alas, no luck finding what I thought was perfection.

I knew, though, that I already had at least two blank books to consider, each from a special woman in my life. I was hesitant because all I remembered was that both were perhaps too small. But, look, talk about ideal! Together they’ll get me through the year and beyond, Bee Book 1 and Bee Book 2. It’s gonna bee a good year.

As I often say to myself (and probably out loud too), “Just wait, Penny, the answer will become clear.”