Owner: A Transitional Life URL:http://www.transitionalife.blogspot.com Join Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 22:05:45 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Musings on the many changes that occur during a lifetime, whether they are personal, environmental, global, political, spiritual, or whatever. All of life is change. Site statistics:Click here
It's been a lot fun getting my downtown office in ... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 It's been a lot fun getting my downtown office
in shape. It was ok when I first moved into it in April, but since then I've been adding this and that, and I really like the way it looks. The only drawback is that I don't know whether to take all my hypnosis books down there or not. The last time I took books down there, they ended up being the books I would need to prepare for client sessions. I think I'll take the books I don't usually use, and keep the others here.I'm hoping to grow so that I can include Cheryl's modalities as well as mine, and maybe sell her astrology talents and the herbal creams, lotions and tonics that she makes. I wonder, sometimes, how much different a person I would be if I would have been this motivated when I was younger. I think my life would have been different, but then, it went the way it went. No regrets, just occasional wonderings.
Time Flies! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Wow! I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted - well, almost a month. A lot has happened in the past three weeks.I have my new, revised Healer's Helper site up, and my new ritaballard.com site is up and running. I've been busy adding content and figuring out how to administer these two sites.I've opened my hypnotherapy office, and have been busy posting flyers around town, getting the word out, and seeing clients.I have another hospice patient, so I'm seeing two a week again.I've been doing tons of blogging - it's hard to think of new content all the time! But I've been using life experience, which makes the best content, anyway.The cat had kittens this morning while I was gone. I had a feeling when I went to feed her and she wasn't there, and then when I went out to my car, I looked around the places where she usually is, but she didn't come running. Then I knew she was holed up somewhere with new babies. When I came back, I looked in her little porch ho Read more:Flies
, Time Flies
Mother Cat Knows Best 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Our cat had kittens. She had four, and two survived beyond the first couple of days. They are so adorable! We built a box with a removable lid and a little entryway for momma cat to have her babies. We put it on the front porch.The day before she gave birth, she was rooting around in a cardboard box in the garage. She was considering it as a suitable place to have her babies, but Paul didn't know that and ran her out. So, she had the babies in the box on the front porch.On Mother's Day, she moved the babies back to the garage, to the box she was originally checking out. Paul put rags in the bottom to make it more comfortable.During what I thought was the fifth week, I moved the box back to the front porch, and let the babies wander around a little bit. Momma cat was very nervous about this, and tried to pick up one of the babies and take it back to the garage. I only wanted to introduce them to wet cat food to help in the weaning process. But, momma cat knew what was best f
Our Wild Hen 1970-01-01 00:59:59 We have a wild hen. She's really very pretty - a soft creamy beige, with black and red feathers. She's probably about a year old, maybe a little more. How we got her is a long story, and I won't go into it right now. But she's become a part of the family, it seems.She was laying eggs in the dirt right next to the house. One day I noticed that she'd laid three eggs, so I took them and had them for breakfast, just to try them out. I'd never had eggs that fresh before, and they were good!After that, she moved her spot. We didn't know where she went for the longest time; we'd see her during the day, of course. She seems to like chasing the cat, eating the cat's food from the front porch, and generally intimidating the cat whenever they're in close proximity. She'll run towards the cat, flap her wings, puff up to make herself look bigger, and squawk. That's enough to get the cat running in the other direction!Yesterday we found her new nest. She's been roosting in b
Strange and Interesting Happenings 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I have a friend who has some pretty interesting things happening to him lately; here are a couple of his recent stories. Now before you read them, keep in mind that this is a pretty serious, concrete kind of guy - usually. These past few months, however, he's been experiencing some out-of-the-ordinary phenomena.The first incident occurred late one night last week. I had just gone to bed and was sort of half- asleep when I had the sensation of an earthquake. Our bedrooms are on the second floor and during the last big one in Feb of 2001. I was upstairs and felt the whole house sort of sway. This sort of felt like that for a brief second, enough to startle me. I sat upright in bed and then the quake-like sensation stopped and I felt a very strong energy or presence coming down the hallway towards my bedroom. As it approached the open door I got really scared as this force was palpable; I could hear and feel it. The energy literally passed by me as I sat in bed and then dissipated and Read more:Strange
, Happenings
Whatever Happened To...? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Throughout my life I have had the pleasure of becoming friends with some pretty unique people. Life happens and we grew apart, but there are a couple of people who have forever stayed with me. I think of them frequently, have tried to find them - to no avail - and I keep them in a warm and safe place in my heart. I hope that someday we will run into each other again.Where are you, Jerome? It's easy to see how we lost touch. After I left GH, I lost track of most of my old friends. Some of them didn't seem to want to continue our relationship; that's ok, I guess. I've thought about you so often, wondering what you're up to these days, and if you've expanded your practice, or changed it in any way. I hope you're doing well, my friend.Where are you, Margot? We wrote to each other for a short while after you left the state, and I've tried to find you, too. I've looked everywhere I can think of - Kansas was where you were last time I heard from you. I wonder, are you still
Gardening, At Last! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I've been stuck in my home office for months now. Seems like every day I have this list of things I want to get done, and only part of the office work gets done - and none of the other things on the list.Last Sunday I went for it. It was a really nice day. We came home from having breakfast, and around 11:30, I went outside.I had let everything go, intending to get out there and plant things and weed for months, but with our usual rain, I hadn't gotten to it. Today was the day. I didn't come back into the house until 8:45 pm. I couldn't believe I could spend that much time out there! I re-did 3 of the garden spaces and got them ready to put bark down.Monday was spent doing the same thing; I didn't spend quite the same amount of time outside, but I got a lot done. Tuesday we went and brought home 2 yards of bark, and I started in again.The yard is starting to look really good. I only have one flower bed left to clean. But having spent the beginning of the week outside, it
Is it Me? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I subscribe to Google Alerts, so I'm alerted whenever someone has done a search on my name. But, I didn't know that I was a hunter! I thought this was pretty cool. And pretty interesting, too. Her birthday is on the same day of the month as mine, but a month earlier. Isn't that an interesting coincidence? And of course, I have to mention that she's older than I. But she definitely has talent! I salute you, the Other Rita Ballard!
On Being Sick 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Last week I was sick; I guess it was the flu, but I'm not sure. I had really bad neck pain for three days. That seemed to let up for a day, and then I woke up with an excruciating headache, and nausea. I lay there for 3 hours, trying to quell the urge to vomit. I eventually lost the battle. I felt pretty yucky most of that day. The next day, I woke up with diahrrea. For the next two days I was unable to leave the house - had to stay close to the bathroom. It took a week for me to feel like myself again.I am never sick. I have my days of not feeling well, but rarely am I so sick I just want to lay around and sleep. I don't do well with it. I think it happens to me because I do not take time for myself. If you don't do it for yourself, the wisdom of body/mind/spirit will do it for you.
Time Management 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I have a time management problem. I seem to be constantly busy, but almost none of that time is spent in billable hours. I have so many things to do, it almost feels like I don't know what to do first. I work with two local hospices as a comfort therapist; I'm growing my hypnotherapy practice; I have a virtual assistance business; I write for 3 blogs and manage 2 websites.All that is the business part of my life. In addition to that load, I have a fixer-house and a fiance'. How does anyone find the time? How do you prioritize all that business stuff?I know I should choose just one thing to focus on and then pursue that whole hog, but the trouble is, I really like doing all of those things. I've been a hypnotherapist for 8 years but only now became really serious about marketing it. My virtual assistance business is almost three years old and I'm still not making nearly enough to sustain myself. They both have the potential for making really good money.I need to set aside Read more:Management
, Time Management
How Do You Learn? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 We all have different ways of learning things, and we access the world through different styles. The three basic styles are kinisthetic, visual, and auditory. There are more ways than that, though. Check them out here, at Memletic Learning. Take the learning test and see how you learn.
Third Time is Charm! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 In 16 days I will get married for the third time. As with most brides, I believed every time that this was the one that would last a lifetime. Only with age comes wisdom. How many people are there in the world that you could be compatible with for the next 60 years?Each time I married, the reasons and situations were different. Without going into all the sordid details, I will say that the first time, I was very naive, and ignored all the warning signs that this wouldn't last. No, I wasn't pregnant. Just young and not very wise - I was in LOVE!The next time I married, I had two very small kids. I couldn't imagine a family without a man in it. This time, the fiery burn of passion and raising children are not the issues, but the looking forward to a settled, stable, secure life. I'm ready to settle in and carry on with the day-to-day stuff of life. Love has a different color and flavor at this age, and I'm perfectly comfortable with that.
Do You Paint the Switch Plates? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 We have a little discussion going on at our house; actually, this has been going on ever since the first time he saw me paint a wall. He says it's not 'professional' to paint the switch plates, and that it looks tacky. I say, why not paint them? I don't want a switch plate to be obvious and stand out. I'm not striving for professionalism; I want an asthetically pleasing look.What do other people do? I've painted switch plates all my life. It looks better. But, maybe not to everyone. Read more:Paint
, Plates
Winter Solstice 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The new year is rapidly approaching. Have you made resolutions? Are you going to?I've read a lot of business blogs lately that all mention 'down time' and the value of 'taking care of yourself'. This time of year is typically the time to go into that dark, silent place within and ponder things. It's hard to make time to do that, but in my opinion, we all need to rejuvinate this way.This is the winter solstice. Solstice
means "standing still sun." For some really fascinating history on the solstice, go here.
Moving On 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Christmas is over, and I've already taken down the tree and most of the decorations. Odd, how I do that every year. It's like, ok, time to get on with real life again.It snowed last night, to the surprise of most people. It wasn't forecast for lower elevations, but when you live in Washington state, you learn to expect anything in the way of weather. But you always know that it will probably change soon, too. It's only 8:30 am and already it's melting.I have a whole list of things I'll be doing to re-vamp my life; I've already accomplished one of those - cleaning out my overloaded email inbox. The next thing is to schedule my days so that I'm more efficient. Read more:Moving
A Peek Into a Wildlife Sanctuary 1970-01-01 00:59:59 One of my clients sent me a link for a webcam that is set up in a wildlife sanctuary in Africa. Most of the action takes place at the site of a small pond where the animals come to drink. Yesterday I watched a beautiful, powerful lightning storm. This morning I watched an elephant grazing.The background sounds are very soothing to me. There is a constant chirping, whirring, buzzing of insects and birds. I love it.Check it out for yourself, HERE. Read more:Sanctuary
See With New Eyes 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Anytime you're feeling a little down and having a hard time finding meaning, try seeing with new eyes.Every evening, take a review of your day. Ask yourself these three questions:1) What was I surprised about today?2) What inspired me today?3) What moved me, or touched me, today?Sometimes, all that's really needed is a change of perspective. This little exercise may seem hard at first. But if you give it enough time, you will re-discover how to be in the moment more often.
Weather Changes is a Good Thing 1970-01-01 00:59:59 We've had some very interesting weather since the fall. Record high precipitation (and that's saying something, for Washington!), and our latest has been lots of wind, snow, and now, very cold temperatures.People around here look at this kind of thing with alarm. People don't like things to change much. They would prefer to just stick to the norm. In my opinion, weather - and other kinds of - changes make life interesting. Whatever it takes to make you think or act differently is a great thing. Read more:Thing
It's Already Christmas Eve! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I've been a little negligent in posting lately. This past couple of months have been so busy. Attended a funeral on my birthday; an unexpected death.We've had some strange weather patterns, too. First it was unseasonably cold. Then we had torrents of rain. And then, a mother of a windstorm, and Seattle pretty much shut down because of massive power outages. I'm sure glad we moved out of there four years ago. We're only 80 miles south of there, but our area wasn't hit nearly that hard. We lost power for maybe 10 hours the first night, and most of it was while we were sleeping.Tonight is already Christmas
Eve. Last night we went to dinner at a friend's house, tonight we're going to a candlelight service with relatives, and tomorrow we're going up to Seattle to be my kids and sister.I'm hoping that whoever reads this finds the next few days to be peaceful, calm, and enjoyable.
Wake Up, America! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 It's election time again, at long last. How long has it been since so many of us were this unhappy with the condition of our nation? I am so looking forward to the day when there are somewhat enlightened people in government. By that, I mean people who are introspective and tend to follow their feelings as well as their minds. It would also be nice to have some who were not so easily led astray by power and politics.As a nation we need to quit being so docile; don't we understand how complacent we've become? Look how long it took us to wake up and realize what our government was really up to! By the time we 'got it', it was already a done deal.Let's be more careful this next go-around. What happens in Washington and each of our capitols affects every single one of us in a variety of ways. It's time to stop letting politics and religion run our government. So far, it hasn't done us much good. Think independently, think interdependently. If it didn't work in the past Read more:America
A Death in the Neighborhood 1970-01-01 00:59:59 One of our neighbors killed himself yesterday. I didn't know him very well, but my husband had spoken with him many times. He was a house husband, of a sort, although he did do a couple of things outside the home occasionally. But mostly, he stayed at home with the 4 kids; his wife has a very good job, I hear.Yesterday he brought his youngest child over to the neighbor across the street and asked her to watch the child for him. Then he called the police and told them he had a gun (this is what I've heard), and went off into the woods and shot himself. This happened around mid-morning, and he was found in the early evening.It's such a tragedy. I can't shake the awful feeling it gives me. I didnt' even know these people, but I look over at their house and can't even imagine the emotions going on over there. I want to help, but don't really know what I can do. Suicide is such a tragic thing, because the family is left with so many questions, and the kids - so sad for the kids. Read more:Neighborhood
Free Hugs 1970-01-01 00:59:59 After the neighborhood trauma on Monday, I needed this! Get your free hugs here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4 Read more:Free Hugs
Maurading Elephants 1970-01-01 00:59:59 According to an article in the New York Times recently, elephants in Africa and India are on the attack. There is speculation that it is the result of the shrinking of their natural lands - they have almost no space left and they're not happy about it. I've always heard that elephants are similar to us in that they mourn their dead, protect their groups, and maintain close relationships with each other.In Jharkhand, India, elephants killed 300 people between 2000 and 2004. In Africa, they are attacking villagers on the road and destroying fields and entire villages; last year, 300 villagers abandoned their homes because of elephant attacks.What's even more strange is that in several animal and wildlife reserves in that region, young male elephants are raping and killing rhinoceroses. Just last year, officials in Pilanesberg, South Africa killed three young male elephants who were responsible for 63 rhino deaths.Sad to say, but this sounds more like human behavior than animal. Makes
What Is This Picture?? 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I've been looking high and low for a particular surreal painting, and can't find it anywhere. I've looked at tons of art websites, and still, it's not there. This is what I'm looking for:It's a surreal painting/print of a very small land mass floating in the air, with nothing on it except one tree. The tree is positioned over to the right of the picture, on the land mass. The foliage is normally full, but on the right side it goes over to the right, not as if it's bending, but maybe like it's untrained on that side, or a wind or something is blowing that side out.The only colors I remember are browns and blues. It doesn't have any 'unreal' colors in it. There is nothing else on the island, and nothing else in the picture except sky, I don't think.It's been more than 20 years since I saw this painting (?), but I thought it was very famous. If it's so famous, why can't I find it??If anyone has any idea what I'm talking about, PLEASE email me at hh@ucmax.com. Read more:Picture
After-effects of the Hussein Hanging 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I came across this news story today and was aghast! There have been many reports of young boys hanging themselves after seeing the Saddam Hussein
coverage on television. I just couldn't believe it. Some of the relatives of these boys blamed television's news coverage of Hussein's hanging, but that seems a little off the mark, in my opinion. We all know that the very nature of news and media is that the more sensational, the better. Their job is to report the news, and they will broadcast it in any way they feel that they need to.Although that whole story is distasteful, to say the least, that doesn't mean that it is the fault of the news media or television that those boys died. Parents have a responsibility to protect their children from whatever they feel may be harmful to their children, and that includes television. They also have a responsibility to talk with their children about those events. There really is no blame to place. The boys did what they did, and it is tra Read more:Hanging
Planning for Spring 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I can't believe how fast January is going by! The cold and snow that was so unusual for our area is gone, and we're back to the rain. That is, rain is forecast; yesterday was a beautiful day, though, sunny and mild.I felt like I had to get outside before it went away; it's been quite a while since we've had sunshine. No wonder people in the Pacific Northwest are prone to depression!I want to build a patio this year, so Paul and I figured out where we'd put it and how big it would be. Then we laid the black plastic to kill the grass. It was a start that I've been wanting to make all winter. It feels good to have even that small piece done.We still need to level the ground somehow, get gravel, and buy the stones that will be the patio. I want something like 12 x 12 stones, and I'm thinking about two colors - brick red and gray. Maybe I'll make some kind of a design in the middle. Read more:Spring
The Elusive Northwest Sun 1970-01-01 00:59:59 There's something a little weird about a day where the sun doesn't come out until 4:00 in the afternoon. I mean, what's the point?I've thought that so many times; I live in Washington, and we frequently wake up to fog and rain, or fog, or rain. The weatherman will forecast sun, as soon as the fog burns off. That can - and most of the time, does - mean as late as 4:00, just in time for the sun to go down!If you want to catch a little sun this time of year it can be pretty frustrating. You may see it peek through the fog, like it's doing right now. By the time you grab your coat and shoes, the sun is already gone down. Read more:Northwest
Great News! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Are you tired of all the negative news? Does political talk and war escalation get you down? If you're starved for some GOOD news, go to the Great
News Network; it has ONLY good news.
Blue Monday 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed (even though I was on the same side as always ... hmmm) today. I can't seem to find my groove. I'm feeling really irritable and out-of-sorts. I feel tired. I have several little things that are stressing me out. I've spent all morning on the phone for various clients, and that probably adds to my grouchiness. I hate being told that "we are experiencing a large volume of calls; we expect the average hold time to be 10-15 minutes.Best thing to do is to get out of my head for a while. Exercise would be one way; do I want to go that far, though? One look at my flabby body tells me that it might be just the thing! Read more:Monday
, Blue Monday
Valentine's Day 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Some people think that Valentine
's Day is a sappy holiday, but apparently someone likes it; it generates almost as many gift card mailings as Christmas!Valentine's Day is a good time to think about those you love, how you love, and and what you love. It's not only about romantic love. Love plays a major role in almost everything you do - either the presence of it, or the lack of it.What are you loving today?
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