Winter and Inspiration

I love Springtime in the Rockies, Summertime and Autumn.


Wintertime here is most often tolerable, although this one so far has been colder than most.


Nothing quite like the ones in the far north country...it can be challenging for those of us who suffer from season affective issues. Personally, sunshine and warmth seems best for my healthy and happy disposition. So what if I get to experience fifteen minutes of the stuff during my workdays (nights).
Just about the time when hibernation takes hold....then comes the sunshine...fools gold!
Much of November, December and January had record breaking chilly spots.
I ask myself, "What about Global Warming?"
The past few days have been in the high sixties with plenty of sunshine.
Darn, if I have missed being out in those rays!
This too shall pass as a new cold front is imminent...for yet awhile longer.
I seem to have the distinct impression that Mr. Groundhog might very well see his shadow this upcoming February second.

I have been seeking a new source of inspiration, but just maybe I have been looking in the wrong place at this time. I think that an older source, yet timeless and fresh inspiration comes to me from a favorite piece of literature.

"Oh Bother!"
This quote from Pooh I think may be fraught with profundity and meaning.
Attitude is Everything!
Christopher Robin's stuffed animal friends have such "personality."
I prefered Winnie the Pooh's attitude...tenacity...keep moving forward...well at least give it your best and you will get through whatever may come your way.
It would seem that Pooh Bear was really not bothered much at all by circumstances that hindered his quest for the ultimate pot of honey.
The fluffy and somewhat silly bear often found himself in sticky and stuck in situations.
Even so, he just kept keeping on in his keeping on.
Actually, the character which still tickles me the most is Piglet.
Perhaps my inner child continues to identify?
The seemingly inquistive mischief of this curious little pig still makes me chuckle.
One of my favorite books as a child was The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne.

When I think of it....his story is still one of my own very cherished tales.
The famous British author could have endured ridiculously bitter winter weather conditions.

This may have been part of the author's inspiration to stay indoors and write from imagination.

This gifted poet passed over around the year that I was born into this place.

I wonder if we may have crossed paths in our coming and going?
Hmmmm...Inspiration and Attitude?


Well, it is a fresh beginning!

The Humor Factor!

I've gotta laugh or I will cry about the corporate workplace...retail especially at this time of year.

Seriously, funny things are happening all of the time.

There are times when the load is overwhelming as pallets and piles of crap keep coming off of the truck. Pallets tipped over with broken bottles of maple syrup drenched cases.

Frozen aerosol paint cans exploding, spraying every which way. Televisions stacked atop crushed cases of goods. Smelling to high heaven,broken cases of pickles or vinegar all over the unsorted goods.

It is awesome!

Shorthanded,skeleton, backroom crews haul multitudes of stuff into each department of the store. This can only take place after throwing them onto conveyors then sorting and palletizing. Tedious, thankless but for the paycheck the work earns each choice individual.

Mostly decent, hardworking guys!

Ten...fifteen pallets stacked seven feet high brought to the departments which have the most brisk activity. Particularly housewares and electronics these days.

Corporate headquarters has sanctioned a new program.

Let go of uneccesary associates and eliminating excess payroll.

Overtime is prohibited.

Sanctioning includes setting so many cases per hour for each exhausted, remaining robotic associate. Nothing new...just fewer and fewer people to do it all.

This is happening every-over in current crisis economy.

Something called "Micro-Management!"

It is not funny or maybe it is...I am trying to see the humor in the lack of common sense with the status quo. The Bean Counters whom work in cubicle think tanks which never service the floor or customer. Having not a clue or working knowledge of the reality. Keeping eye on the bottom line. Greed.

So many more times than I can count, my load does not come out of the backroom until four hours after my shift begins. Then again, nearly half of the stuff is left buried in the backroom as the clock ticks away and backroom crews leave for the night...frustrated and disgusted for reasons of their own.

I go fetch my stuff, dig it out by moving various pallets in the way.

I pull what is recognizable out onto the floor and work on accounting for each piece of precious freight. The alchemy of turning discouragement and frustration into laughter and lighthearted joy seems impossible.

However, I am determined to see the humor in this.

Just as I have in past triumphs over much more discouraging things in my life.

There is more to life than this and I know it.

A reality show would be interesting here!

Each shift that I work, I go to my happy place...in my mind...my children and grandchildren, their antics and great love keep me in balance and moving forward.

Perspective, the way I see humor in these things is what is going to get me through.

Sometimes the laughter or smiles come hard.

Is my sense of humor becoming more twisted...perhaps.

It is my responsibility to keep watch over the electronics department.

Technology is an intriguing thing for me.

The rest is just fluff and filler.

Checking in the freight as it comes to the floor then wrapping anti-theft devices on pricey items. I begin "throwing" it on perspective shelves which are limited to a select few items.

Complicated multitasking with just one person to run the whole department.

Certainly, as busy as things get with frequent, insomniac customers shuffling through as I offer service with a smile from the salesfloor to the register.

Shoplifters, thieves and fraudulent check writers frequently try their dirty work.

The same dumb gang each week attempting to purchase thousands of dollars of merchandise with someone elses probably stolen ID. Perps telling me the person in the photo is their own only with huge weight loss, facelift, contacts, hairstyle, train wreck...you name it.

Some have even been so bold as to grab high dollar merchandise and dash out the front doors.

Crazy!

Another aspect of my job is answering various and sometimes annoying phone calls all night long. Often callers inquiring about anchovy flavored condoms, vaginal creams and adult diaper dillemas. The other night a guy called and said he was having sex with his girlfriend. I think he had to be really bored.

Another associate took the call and forwarded it to management. We laughed.

Multi-tasking includes paging management to pick up calls or go hither or thither.

Then again, there is the overwhelming frieght situation. I wonder why the powers that be ordered three times what was needed for the holiday rush?

So much of the merchandise is in lock up...in several rooms which cannot be accessed without a special "key" from management. Management is yet another tale as they rotate like a spinning top...often veering way off course.

I have decided that the only way to survive the holidays at work is to laugh at how ridiculous the whole idiotic business is with this type of business.

Too many managers in a frantic state of non-communication with one another...each interpreting what the store manager has written in his notes.

One of such dictating and accounting, clipboard and pen in hand while gritting her teeth.

Hopefully this person will learn better people skills along the way.

Poor thing would be better suited at a prison institution counting heads. Having run off more of our associates in a short amount of time than any other previous. Since her experience was derived from college and not from elbow grease. The hierarchy has recently put this person to work stocking shelves like the rest. Although, she more often than not stands around and watches. Or better yet, squalks on her walkie like a shreaking shrew. Claiming her mental condition limits certain abilities. Duh? Annoying and irritating.

Respect is earned by integrity and treating people right.

Since I care, perhaps what may seem as too much sometimes...sensitive people do.

I will keep on looking for the humor in this line of work or move on.

A sixty-something gentleman scoots a shopping cart about the aisles of the department.

First he asks for cheap earphones. I go and get him one set...he wants more than one...so I show him where they are. He politely asks about DVD/VCR combo...cheapest ones. I show him the least expensive and tell him about the options with such a device. He then goes on to tell me of his insomniac condition that has affected him since childhood. His face is rather smooth and gentle looking with slits of eyes that are barely visible due to flaps of eyelids that are just that, drooping, thin flaps of skin.

The man wants to talk. Although I am terribly busy with the time clock ticking and mountains of cases to sort and throw. I listen. He tells me that his insomnia has offered him what he considers notches on his life post. Apparently, while fighting in the jungles in some far away land in some awful war, he was responsible for offing more of the enemy at nightime during his watches than any other soldier. I think to myself about my own personal values and am thankful for the Catholic guilty concience somehow.

Since then, he says he still cannot sleep and I think I know why.

Then he tells me that he has worn out countless VCR machines and that is why he buys the cheapies. He watches movies and shows while everyone is asleep...keeps him out of trouble.

Then there are the homeless individuals whom when the weather dips below freezing come in from the cold and ride the shopping scooters all night long. Some fall asleep on the benches and we have to wake them up to get them on their way. So they wander around the store again...seeming to disapear, then venture to the rest room and fall asleep on a toilet seat.

Funny, well kindof!

Merry Christmas!

What a Wonderful Holiday this is when we can be with the ones we love.

Annen and his Second Birthday

Guys of all ages seem to be excited about toys...especially ones with wheels...things that go!

Things with motors, gadgets and doodads.

At least all of the males in my life do.

Annen who is my second eldest grandson now turned two is especially intrigued by tractors, choo choo trains and garbage trucks. He says they are "Huge"!

And they are.

So for his special day he recieved many good gifts, but his favorite seemed to be an automated trash truck.

In fact his greatest request lately being to watch youtube video clips of tractors, trains and trash trucks. The other day while watching him for his parents I was held captive for an hour or longer accessing snippets of mini-shows of the sort.

Of course I watched the age appropriate videos with him.

Personally, thinking it is quite funny that there happen to be such variety.

How do people have such time on their hands for this stuff?

I would opt from time to time to check out clips of his favorite zoo creatures.

However, he would soon have us guided back to the trash truck movies.

Sheesh...I am so glad that his Gidgi found him this toy.

I had been looking for one as well without success...then I found a darling wooden choo choo train which Annen also likes.

It does not have a motor or lead paint, it is "Huge" and is wooden, stackable with rolling wheels. Something for his imagination to do.

My eldest grandson Colin who is also two seemed a bit puzzled as to why his cousin was getting presents. However, he watched in wonder.

Perhaps recollecting his own second birthday three months ago.

He enjoyed the fun and the cake and ice cream.

As their grandmother I want to spoil them both...and rotten too!

However, I cannot do that...can I?

Christmas is coming soon and I just might...Yes I will do my best!

My Grandchildren and the Center of the Universe

Funny thing about life in the Universe. How things come about full circle. Especially when becoming so blessed with their first grandchild. I am in awe to have been given two to look after in prayer and by God's sweet grace, by my presence here. They are my heart of hearts. Even as my son and daughter are my very heart. Somehow I always have known that these special souls were to come here to this place through me. Words are not able to express this type of grace and joy. The warmth in the smiles as well as the tears from years of hope and hard work can only be understood in spirit I think. As a mother and grandmother this lifetime is teaching me to love unconditionally. I am yet learning to let go of the past. In fact, my beautiful daughter is a wise woman. She has taught me so many significant lessons. Each of my children have taught me special lessons and continue to. Out of the mouths of babes is a true statement in my life. There are many things that this life school is educating me about. How important is it to stay curious and explore that curiosity? I think very much so! Reading books and learning is one thing and Life learning is fully yet another. Experience seems to be the best education for myself it seems. The world outside has become a dangerous place for those without faith in our source of love and light. It is a dimension far different than where our heart and spirit dwell. Since my work involves working with the public on a daily basis. This is not easy sometimes. The firm balance of living in this world must be accomplished by faith in our source of inspiration. My inspiration comes from knowing that love is all that really is. My two year old grandson Colin talked to me on the phone today and said, "I love you!" This was the first time he spoke all the words out loud. That is what his own lovely mother told me. I am blessed!

What do you believe?

I believe that God is love. I believe that the one who made all of this has a tremendous sense of humor as well. Even so, I have peace of mind and heart within. I pray that each and all of my loved ones share in this peace.

Outside In or Inside Out....

Felines do not care much for water and fish just love it...in fact they need it to survive and thrive. Naturally, each creature just does what it does naturally.
Humans have seemed to forgotten this simple law of nature.
Personally, I do not think humanity was designed to destroy everything in their path. We became stupid!
Think of the story of The Tower of Babel.
The plan went awry somehow.
Everyone scattered.
We forgot who we are!
This happened long ago and is nothing new.
The aging population think that they have seen it all.
Perhaps things are the way they are due to Urban sprawls.
Too many people living in clusters of society.
Think of the Romans or other failed civilizations that allowed greed and war to destroy the work.
In my way of thinking and knowing...this is idiotic.
The definition of idiocy is not learning from one's mistakes.
We cannot point our finger at one individual.
It takes a village so to speak...not a village idiot!
Our Western style of living becoming much more of a caste society as the middle class dissapates before our very eyes.
Many homeless in this country seem to own cell phones and MP3 players.
That is a new one!
They have healthcare and food taken care of by taxpayer dollars.
My thoughts on politics versus common sense (uncommon these days),
is this one.
Human beings need space to wander, explore and enjoy the outdoors.
Shelter from the elements is our common sense issue.
Of course we need a healthy diet and pure water.
We need good friends and healthy relationships.
So with these simplest of ideas that are necessities of healthy living, why and how is our civilization going to get back to basics?
I personally do not mind working hard toward goals that help myself and my beloved family. Thankful that I am able to do so.
However, wanting to seek the changes and once answers are found, then performed in order to prepare a better world for those deserving souls who will respect and nurture this beautiful planet we are graced to abide.
Call me a dreamer perhaps, but this concept is just plain simple in my mind.