My emotional baggage is still firmly in hand, I’ve been toting it around for days. Fortunately I got to go see *A* this afternoon, and sob all over her office. Cathartic. And then I looked at what our message said. No shit. We’ll just keep moving though. Better to not go there at this exact moment. I have assignments, and a book to find. (Both of which you WILL hear about, just not yet.)
There really are fish in there,
I promise.
This fountain is in the courtyard of her building. It’s delightful, and every single time I’ve walked past, there has been someone out there enjoying it.
Speaking of soaking up the nice weather, I wandered today. On my long Route, the way I now go when I ride. Five miles. My feet are puffy and complain-y, but it was worth it. There were a few changes to the neighborhood since I last stomped that way. (I don’t see as much when I’m whizzing past on the bike, apparently.) Many of them involving landscape bark.
These folks were different. It seems as though they are going with dirt. That square in front of the brick lamp-post is all new. On their driveway they had some potting soil in bags and a few plant starts. Can’t wait to see how it looks all finished. Good for them!
I tried to get some shots of the park (you know how I love the park) but the sun stopped cooperating, so mostly it would have looked like shadows. There were teams on all the grass areas, playing a game like baseball but with big red rubber kickballs. The number of matching t-shirts was massive for my tiny part of town. (Most had the names of bars on the back as sponsors, or possibly just one bar pays for all of this.)
My son said (in his comment from yesterday) that I forgot the watch. I did not. Neither did his father, it was in that white box (in the tweetie pic). But, since you all don’t have x-ray vision, I took this picture earlier, so you can actually SEE what the watch looks like.
Yes, it’s on.
And showing the time.
I’ll let one of them explain it. At first we thought I’d hate it, partly because it’s so confusing. But now I kinda like it. Also, it’s so classic looking. Can’t wait for him to have a chance to wear it. (He has one he wears for work, it has actually visible numbers on the face. Lots of numbers.)
Our card today is one of those long types; it felt as though we needed both directions this time. Both sides seem valuable today. (I only shortened/edited it slightly, where it seemed redundant.)
“Armadillo ~ Boundaries ~ 28
Armadillo wears its armor on its back, its medicine a part of its body. Its boundaries of safety are a part of its total being.
What a gift it is to set your boundaries so that harmful words or intentions just roll off. Your lesson is in setting up what you are willing to experience. If you do not wish to experience feeling invaded, just call on Armadillo medicine.
A clue to how to proceed is to make a circle on a piece of paper and see it as a medicine shield. In the body of the shield, write all that you are desiring to have, do, or experience. Include all things that give you joy. This sets up boundaries that allow only these chosen experiences to be a part of your life. These boundaries become a shield that wards off the things which are undesirable to you. The shield reflects what you are and what your will is to others on an unconscious level.
Outside of the shield you may put what you are willing to experience ‘by invitation only.’ For example, a visit from a long lost relative or criticism from friends, or people needing handouts.
If Armadillo has waddled in, it is time to define your space…. It may be time to ask yourself the following questions:
1) Am I honoring the time I need for my personal enjoyment?
2) Do others treat me like a doormat?
3) Why do I always get upset when I’m taken for granted?
4) Is there a reason for my being a ‘yes’ person?
All of the answers to these questions relate to setting up boundaries: what you will and won’t do; what makes you feel uncomfortable and what is comforting to you. How you react in any circumstance has to do with your ability to be objective ….
If you have no boundaries, you are like a sponge. It will seem as if all the feelings in a room full of people must be yours. Ask yourself if you are really feeling depressed, or if this feeling actually belongs to the person you are talking to. Then allow Armadillo’s armor to slice in-between, giving you back your sense of self.
Contrary:
Go ahead, roll up and hide. This, sarcastically, is the message of reversed Armadillo. You may think the only way to win in your present situation is to hide or to pretend that you are armor-coated and invincible, but this is not the way to grow. It is better to open up and find the value and strength of your vulnerability. You will experience something wonderful if you do.
Vulnerability is the key to enjoying the gifts of physical life. In allowing yourself to feel, a myriad of expressions are made available. For instance, a true compliment is an admiration flow of energy. If you are afraid of being hurt and are hiding from feeling anything, you will never feel the joy of admiration from others.
The key is in allowing Armadillo to help you to stop hiding, and to use Armadillo’s armor to deflect negative energies. In this way you are able to accept or reject any feeling, action, or energy flow without having to hide from it.
The underside of Armadillo is soft, but its armor will protect this softness if the boundaries are in place. Hiding from your true feelings and fearing failure or rejection will amplify our need for cast-iron protection. You have the power to rid yourself of these doubts and to touch the deepest part of beingness. You will know you are doing the right thing. Whether it is communicating, or painting, or surfing – the creation belongs to you.
The only real rejection is in not trying to break out of the armor you have used to protect yourself. Is the armor now becoming a jail, and your fears the jailer?”
Another Find-my-Grand Dog photo. He is short (like many of us) so he jumps up onto things for a better view of his surroundings. (Who wouldn’t?!)
Highly alert!
Today’s Deck:
Medicine Cards – The Discovery Of Power Through The Ways Of Animals by Jamie Sams and David Carson illustrated by Angela C Werneke
Tomorrow:
notes I took on my walk that I’ve run out of time for and a few pictures from Seattle that I forgot about.
