OGNO – Old Gal’s Night Out

Tuesday night was a long anticipated evening with hospitality industry friends – a social evening of dinner and Stomp performed by the New York Broadway national touring company. There were about ten of us – most of who I know from working in hotels or through a national association I belong to.

We met for dinner at 5:00 PM at Tequila Museo Mayahuel at 1200 K Street downtown, just a block from the Sacramento Community Center Theater.   An upscale, attractive restaurant right on the corner of 12th and K Streets.  They have a lovely selection of signature margaritas and varied and interesting menu items.  Their website was down at the time of this writing, but I’m sure you will find the menu interesting and varied!

I ordered their La Flor margarita – made with Frida Kahlo silver tequila, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, muddled fresh cucumber, mint and grapefruit juice, served on the rocks.  Delightful, refreshing, NOT sweet – and one was plenty! 

For dinner, I thoroughly enjoyed CARNITAS DE ATTACHEO MICHOACÁN  which is an experience from the home of the owner, Attacheo Michoacán. Braised and simmered tender pork carnitas served with charro beans, pico de gallo, salsa de chile de arbol and a roasted jalapeño. Of course, one has a choice of corn or flour tortillas.  

The front half of the restaurant is ideal for intimate dining , while the back half is already set with large tables to accommodate 10-12 people.  Not unexpectedly, service is not QUICK, but then it’s not fast food.

stomp
taken from the Stomp! website

After dinner, we walked the short block to 13th and L Street to the Community Theater to watch Stomp!  I’m not sure I knew what to expect, but it was absolutely unexpected!  A delightful two hours of percussion created by everything from match boxes to broom sticks to newspaper to tire inner tubes to coughing to garbage cans and more!  Without any spoken lines this amazing troup of percussion and dance professionals absolutely entertains the audience through segments of unique performance and media, telling a story in each.  The audience is included in parts throughout in interactive joining in by clapping.

Well worth the money, and the evening with friends was absolutely exceptional!

 

Oh Joy …When It Rains, It Pours

rain cloud

It’s just a little black rain cloud …  you know the one – my car is due for an oil change (synthetic, of course, and so costs about $75.00 rather than the $29.95 specials), the suspension has started squeaking when I go over speed bumps, AND my dryer stopped drying (timer – and labor $350).

Tut tut, it looks like rain!

Oh yeah, and the lift gate on my VW Bug leaks (either a clogged tube OR faulty seal from when I had repairs done after being rear-ended in June) and of course our rain this year is exceptional.

And, oh yes, car registration is due in a month!

Oh the Joy!  Of living on a fixed income where, as I’m sure many of you know, gets you just by from social security check to social security check with not a lot left over for emergencies.

And yet, there is still joy – these things always have a way of working themselves out.  In spite of these “all at one time” challenges, I am fully grateful for all of the positive, loving things in my life and for all of the wonderful, loving friends I have.

And in the midst of these little challenges, I think of two friends today – one is grieving the passing of her younger sister two days ago; and I just learned this morning that another friend is celebrating the completion of chemo (as I just told her how the hell did I miss that?).  I had no idea she was undergoing chemo. I guess it’s been too many months since we visited … and she (a very private person) didn’t mention that she was going through this type of crisis.

I will take the little black rain clouds along with the sunshine – grieve with my friends their losses, celebrate with my friends their successes – and remember that life isn’t so bad – and even these challenging ones are ordinary days.

 

Time To Live Intentionally

The last week has afforded me much time for reflection – soul searching if you will – and consideration about what will make me contented and allow me to find my passion.

When I retired last year, I was bound and determined to run out and build my own meeting planning/wedding planning business.  Put all my effort in participating in and pursuing those avenues that would lead me to business. It was my year to do what I thought I wanted.

The fact is that, while I do enjoy planning meetings and events – and I do enjoy helping couples realize the wedding of their dreams, I simply don’t have the energy or desire to put that much energy into the serious “selling” any longer.

I will always assist my class reunions, weddings of friends and family, fundraising events for groups I belong to, and with my professional organization I belong to.  Those are labors of love – not requirements – and after 50 years of working I am perfectly happy to labor for the love of it.

I also feel that taking this lessor path will allow me to pursue my “real” passion for writing and at 68 years old, as I was recently reminded, there just ain’t that many years left to live my passion.  It is my time to live intentionally – 

With that said, it’s time …..

live your opassion

It’s time to live my passion.

Is There A Calling For Me?

afraid to live it

 

I am a year out from retiring last February already – and what I’m realizing is that I was really ready to retire after working for 50 years.  I am also realizing that all my energy to build a business is really not there.

That’s not to say I am still not absolutely looking for opportunities to supplement my income doing things I enjoy.  The issue for me is figuring out what I enjoy.

I know I enjoy very much participating with dear friends and my work related friends in helping to maintain and drive forward the local chapter of our national association; and volunteering to help with other events as I am available and they arise. I enjoy the opportunity to fill in temporary staffing needs for my hospitality friends.

My question to myself is – are any of these fulfilling a passion? A heart’s desire?

Since I was a teenager I have enjoyed writing.  Then it was short stories.  Then marriage, kids and life got in the way.   The messys got in the way.  Years flew by where I seemed to always be “redirecting” what I thought were my hopes dreams and passions as circumstances changed.  And maybe that is what happens when we expect that others will be a part of those hopes dreams and passions and then they are not?

I still believe that I can somehow put this passion to a good use – find that calling that will give ME joy … a purpose … a sense of content – a way of self expression.

And that leads me to wonder – are you retired? Are you living your dream? Your passion? Did you know what it was all along?  Did you have to take time to figure it out when you retired?  Is it working for you? Are you STILL trying to figure it out?  Are others in your life a part of your hopes dreams and passions?

And bringing that back to my search for ordinary days, ordinary are days filled with a sense of fulfillment, a sense of peace and contentment – a sense of purpose.

And so it goes – in my search for ordinary days.

 

 

 

 

Second Time Around

I had a blog – for 7 years – but what do you do when it doesn’t serve your purpose any longer?  I couldn’t figure out anything else but to start again.

Life changes, directions change, focus changes … where I was in 2011 is not where I am now (thank goodness?).   There are times when I realize that not much has changed in some respects – and so much has changed in others.

At the moment, a feeling of disconnectedness from the people closest to me is almost suffocating me.  And while I try to work through that feeling, I know I will learn from it. I will grow from the experience.

This morning I was reading a blog I follow,  Cauldrons and Cupcakes,  in which the author was discussing yesterday’s Blood Wolf Moon and how the ebbs and flows of moon gravity can affect people – I know that but was truly startled to read her questions:

Do you feel disconnected, emotionally or spiritually isolated, lonely, uncertain, scattered or ungrounded?

Do you feel out of flow, too hurried and not where you need to be?

Do you feel as if there is a calling for you, or something you are meant to be doing with your life?

Nicole nailed it.  NAILED exactly what I have been feeling for most of the last week! And while she is marketing a series of bundled meditations (which I am likely to buy when I have the disposable income), these three questions alone without even answering them beyond, “YES!!!” have lightened my heart.   Over the next week I will definitely explore each of these questions in depth.

In search of ordinary days – and joy. Thank you, Nicole Cody!