The ABC of Feelings - E

According to Alexandra Delis-Abrams, Ph.D, in ABC Feelings: A Learning/Coloring Book, E is for feeling excited. She says,

"Can you think of a time when you felt excited?

It sounds like you were really happy, knowing good things were about to happen. I (I kid you not, this is what it says) bet you felt like a rocket ready to take off."

Now I'm stuck on the orgasm thing, but I don't think my elementary students will get that: I should be safe to share E with them.

(I'm going to use this book next year for writing prompts for my students.)

A time when I felt excited?

I feel a low level of anxiety a lot of the time, but tonight, right now, with the house empty, the windows open and the train sounds in the distance, I feel calm and peaceful and joyful.

I have a car that runs, a home with a view of trees, a clean kitchen and almost enough money to pay next month's bills, not to mention hot and cold running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, a big ass TV, a Netflix account (Big Love season 2 discs 2 and 3 are coming tomorrow!!!!), wireless internet access, a MacBook provided by my work, two loving dogs, a cat that's cute (but kinda nuts!), a husband who works 100 miles away and comes home on the weekend, three sons, one with a wonderful girlfriend, and 2 roommates (my youngest son and one of his friends) who pay cash money rent....

My needs and wants are mostly met - what else could I want here at Casa de Refugio?

Hey I'm almost feeling excited thinking about how great I have it!

So, I'm going with that answer.

I feel excited that I am feeling so contentedly joyful!

How about you?

Can you think of a time you felt excited -

like a rocket that is ready to take off?

;-)

10 from my friend Ananda

These meme questions come from Ananda who got ten from Lime and then made her own.

I haven't even looked at them yet.

Let's see:

1) If you could live anywhere on Earth, where would it be?

Hawaii! With a house on the mainland, too, for when being in the middle of nowhere, stuck on a rock, gets to me.

2) What thing really burned you up recently?

My husband asking me to drive Joe-Ash back to the Bay Area (200 mile round trip for me), because I am on summer break and did not have to go to work on Monday - even though he, my hubby, would be driving within 50 miles of San Pablo at the same time. I think what really burned me up is that I did it!

3) What thing or event or person really made you happy recently?

I made some pot holders out of material that I really like yesterday and today. I shared two of them on my blog yesterday.

4) The age old questions... choose all or whatever;

Pepsi or Coke - Regular Coke/Diet Pepsi

or

Miracle Whip or Mayo - Mayo - it's all I've ever known

or

Stones or Beetles? - Later Beatles (trippy, man!)

5) What was the strangest thing you have done?

The strangest? I don't know. Driving 200 miles when I didn't want to?

6) Who is your personal hero?

I have many. Ananda is one. She made up her mind to get out of Dumb Potter's Hell and she did it! Another is Joe-Ash. He has never had an easy time, but has always made the best of it.

7) What did you do as a child that gave you a sense of pride?

I memorized poems in the 5th grade and went to other classrooms to read them. I now have my kids at school (please realize my kids are all in the lowest reading groups) do Reader's Theater about three times a year. We have done the Theater in Kindergarten, the Special Day Class and most recently in the Staff Room during first lunch. I think the kids will remember that and feel good about themselves ( I hope!).

8) How are you connected to Kevin Bacon?

(Supposedly we all are in some way.)

Well, I do like The Closer - Kyra Sedgwick - (who is married to Kevin Bacon) - who was in a movie with John Travolta that was filmed in this town - before we moved here.

9) What do you have an honest passion for?

Taking photos and making cards with them. I decided today that I could brighten up my friends lives by sending them cards - so they can get something beautiful in the mail along with the bills and ads and daily crap filled crap.

10) How lame is this set of questions?

It's not lame at all and I have no idea how I will come up with a set as good.

Now for my questions to you - feel free to not answer - but if you do, feel free to let me know!

1. What is your earliest memory?

2. Did you ever believe in the Easter Bunny?

3. Where did you learn the most - preschool, elementary school, junior high, high school, college, post grad, or elsewhere?

4. What is your favorite Bob Dylan song or album?

5. If your house was on fire (or flooding, or in the path of tornado) what would you be glad (secretly or otherwise) to never see again?

6. Would you rather read fiction or non-fiction and why?

7. Do you receive the newspaper delivery at your home?

8. Mac or PC?

9. Was your first kiss all that you hoped it would be?

10. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would spend money on?

Well, friendly friends, enjoy the show!

Peace out!

I Took Some Photos Today

Taking a break from my feelings, I would like to share some photos that I took today.

This is our court house.

I did not know it - until today - but -

We have swallows!

They were zipping all over.

(I did not really get any good pictures of them - Ananda Girl knows about that!)

But I did get some pretty good photos of their nests.

And I saw something kinda horrifying -

there was a baby swallow on the grass, with a blue jay hopping around and poking at it.

I thought, hey, I should do something about that!

So I walked over closer to it, and what do you think that pesky evil mean blue jay did?

Flew away?

Well, you'd be partially right.

That stupid jay flew away WITH the baby swallow, right up into a big magnolia tree.

This is a little creek going under a local road, not far from the court house, that (the road, not the creek) used to be the major thorough-fare, taking you to many towns. Now it is a lovely road to drive, but absolutely not the fastest way to get to work.

I also made some pot holders today. It was fun!

All in all, I would have to say that I am enjoying my summer vacation.

Oops, I just talked about feelings, even though I said I wouldn't!

;-)

The ABCs of Feelings - D

Well friendly friends, let's see what the letter D stands for -I'm betting on disappointment - let's see.

According to Alexandra Delis-Abrams, Ph.D in ABC Feelings: A Learning/Coloring Book,

D stands for - ta da - feeling disappointed.

"We feel disappointed when something we want to happen doesn't happen, or when we don't get what we want.

"When you felt disappointed, did you feel tired, and just wanted to go where no one would see you?"

I remember times in my childhood when I felt disappointed - one time someone was going to pick me up so I could play at their house, and that didn't happen. I burst into tears. My mother gave me ice cream to calm me down.

Another time some neighborhood kids were going to see a Beatles movie and my mom wouldn't let me go. (I don't remember which one - I didn't see it.)

And another time, the same kids were going fishing in the canal near their old school,

and again my mother wouldn't let me go. I think I must have had a melt-down, because I remember one kid asking,

"What's wrong with her?"

and the older sister said, "She wanted to go, and now her heart's broken."

Ah yes, I thought - my heart is broken!

I think I spent most of my childhood - and maybe even life - with a broken heart.

Sheesh, what a waste!

I just recently discovered that facing the world with a smile

is way better than facing the world with a scowl.

People respond way better to you when you are smiling than they do when you are scowling.

I know, you all already know this!

(In many ways, I am late coming to the game.)

So now when I feel disappointed, I remember to face the world with a smile.

(It's way better than having a melt-down!)

Can you think of a time when you felt disappointed?

The ABCs of Feelings - C

Today's letter is C. It stands for CONFUSED.

(I didn't know confused was an emotion ~ I thought it was a state of being!)

The question that the book ABC Feelings: A Learning/Coloring Book by Alexandra Delis-Abrams, PhD, is, "Can you think of a time when you felt confused?"

She also says, "When a person feels confused, it's a a good idea to stop what he's doing, take a few deep breaths, and relax inside. That helps him choose what he wants most."

Well, there you go.

I am often confused when people say one thing and then do another. Or say one thing and then say another and then do yet another.

When one plus one does not equal two, I get confused.

I am not much of a game player.

I don't count cards, I play what's in my hand and rarely give a thought to what is in anyone else's.

Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose.

Gullible, that could describe me.

Anyway, when people are duplicitous, I get confused.

Unless, of course, I see them as a duplicitous whole - like ying-yang man above.

"I yam what I yam, a ying-yang man."

Nothing confusing about that!

So - can you think of a time when you felt confused?

(Note to self - it says "felt", not "were")

The ABCs of Feelings - B

Continuing my feelings series - the letter B.

B is for feeling Brave

(again, kudos go to Alexandra Delis-Abrams, PhD for this feelings communication tool).

The questions is, when did you feel brave?

I felt brave the day I drove 75 miles to interview for my first Foster Family Social Worker job. It was a perfect job for my skill set and family situation. I got to work from home (imagine that!), work with families in my location, and they gave the dude a beeper.

I was so scared - I hadn't had a formal job (not counting my traineeship) in 4 years. As I was driving to the interview, I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers came on and I knew I was in the will of the Ancient of Days and everything would be alright.

I tried 3 times to embed a youtube acoustical version - to no avail - they explain that havering is an ancient Scots word for talking rubbish. It's a good version, just the 2 of them. Oh well.

It turned out to be a perfect job for me. I did it for 3 years, was able to be home for the kids, for the most part, and I learned a lot.

Can you think of a time when you felt brave?

The ABC of Feelings

I got a writing prompt book for my students. It's called ABC Feelings. It's really for facilitating conversations between parents and their children.

I am going to use it for a writing prompt for my students - to help them write about something of interest to them and to maybe help them navigate their way through their childhood a bit more smoothly.

I have decided to use it here, as well.

Mainly because of something the author, Alexandra Delis-Abrams, PhD. wrote in the introduction, 'The study of FEELINGS attracted me when I saw that people suffer depression, stress, disease - a state of imbalance - when they fail to understand the source of their feelings."

So here is my adventure into the land of feeling........

A is for Feeling Accepted

I have felt accepted and part of a group occasionally.

Sometimes at work, sometimes at church (not so much) and usually when blogging, and almost always at home with my family (hubby and kids and their friends).

The first time I remember feeling truly accepted and part of the group was way back in the day when I went to a private "free" school in 11th grade.

Ananda School.

Oh my, was that a great year, and I felt truly accepted for who I was. It truly was free of form; bliss.

That's where I met my great and true friend, Ananda Girl.

It didn't last, unfortunately, something to do with a teacher loving a student, personality conflicts and stuff like that, but oh it was fun while it lasted!!!!!

Can you think of a time when you felt accepted and part of a group?