Real talk: Save the second portion.

For the past couple years, I have slowly been making life changes. Forever, changes.

There have been fits, starts, having fits from having to start again, again, then again, for goodness sakes again?, and again.

I would get some act right. Would tell said act right to go on ahead and kick some rocks and take new habits, Life, and at times God with…*gasp*.

Yea, I said it. I admit it. Told God, on more than one occasion, where He could take the requests to ALWAYS lean on Him and NOT my own understanding as I never really would understand all that had happened in my life.

Now, I tastefully told God that I “got this” and therefore did NOT ALWAYS have to lean on Him. I was a big girl. I was really smart. I worked really hard. I was a giving person. I was gregarious. I was a Christian. Ha!

So, slapping down my ace card, I let all know to leave me be and let me get about getting after this thing called life.

God and Life graciously got out of my way so I could go about getting in my way, leaving me to get in my own way.

Fast forward through all of the embarrassing my bads, oppppp, my apologies, and many a what in the tarnations, I learned how to patiently wait on Him, who had patiently been waiting on me, and learned how to take care of myself in healthy ways.

By training myself to put less and less, on bigger plates. I learned to start using smaller plates. It took time, beloveds. I had been used to heaping helping plates of comfort, er, food. Not just one large heaping and helping but one more than one more.

Sadly, the one more depended upon what I perceived God or Life or job or family or friends had done or not done or not said.

I punished me, you see. Thinking it was ‘just me’, so I could use the excuse of poor treatment or no treatment to get me to dismiss and disabuse me in the same manner I was so hurt receiving.

Over time, I learned to love me, learned HOW to love me. Which helped me to love loving on some me. The more that I began to love me, the less I wanted to ‘comfort’ myself with things, or in ways not helpful, not loving, to or for me.

Now I am a master portion peep. Now, I am into meal prepping and preparing things to last a few days. A while back I made some fabulous ground beef, potatoes, green beans and cheese concoction. It looked like an earthquake had hit the plate but was outstanding. Problem was I had made much too much for my supper.

Being lazy, I told myself not to ‘waste it’ and promptly laid waste to ALL those dastardly potatoes. I wolfed down the offending beef and cheese. I apologized, profusely, to green beans scarfed down with little regard and zero care.

Caring less, I ate more. The more I ate, the more I felt like me before. Before, the positive changes. Before, the hope. I now felt hopeless and positive I had positively messed things up, yet, again.

“Start, over”. This whispered gently by He who was waiting, STILL, still patient, for me to learn to lean upon HIM and not just upon me.

Starting again, again I began. Mending, tending, making matters right with and for my body, for my heart’s sake.

This morning, I had fun making grilled cheese in my new maker. I looooove grilled cheese sandwiches. I really loooooooove bread. Knowing both things to be true, I determined to allow myself grilled sandwiches on weekends. Then, I would only allow myself two.

I freely admit, beloveds, of making TWO helpings of two grilled cheese sandwiches. 😆

For supper, I decided to try making some omelets. Have been waiting to try this, to try my hand at good looking omelets, for a change. No destroying perfectly innocent eggs and fixings as I fought with, and lost to, a standard frying pan.

I got this fancy maker, kind with stenciled triangeled wondrous non stick plates. The kind that made four ooey, gooey, scrumptious egg, cheese and Italian sausage delights of love. With that, I made a can of sliced potatoes. Don’t judge yall. Canned potatoes really are tasty and saved me from forever tossing out uneaten potatoes, from the fridge.

Meal prepared, I could see, right off, I had just made too much. Hhmmm….

*sigh*…

You guessed it. Tearing into the room came old habits, yikes, egads, me time, with new habits taking up the rear.

Stopping the war, before it started, I quietly served up the second serving, preserving it in it’s portion sized resting plate, and stored it to have on the morrow.

Real talk, beloveds, sometimes it’s best to save the second portion. Enjoy, tomorrow. Don’t allow doing too much, having too much, taking too much, to ruin THIS day. Do, have, and be what is needed for THIS moment, in your life.

It makes no sense, whatever, for us to keep punishing ourselves, today, for all we did not get or have, yesterday. Like not so smart folk, we fond ourselves either hoarding away, or keeping our hearts away from this, that or the other.

It’s well past time for us to heal, to move on, to forgive, to love and keep it moving.

Forgive, you.

Forgive, Him.

Forgive, mom.

Forgive, dad.

Forgive, him.

Forgive, her.

Forgive, them.

Forgive, Life.

Forgive, all.

Above, all, forgive all you have gotten, or not gotten. You have, what you have, now.

What, now? You tell me. I have already put up my second serving. What are you going to do with yours?

🤨

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Civil War: Superbowl Edition.

What?

What?!

Huh?

Me time.

Time for me to do what?!!

*Cassandra stops her tremendously imperative pregame Superbowl preparations, which consists mostly of napping in between the 13 and a half hour pregame coverage to cover a 3 and a half hour game, and demanded to know what the wide world was going on round here!!*

Me time: It’s time for you to get up and be about being about it.

New habits: Yea, we want to try those new arm raises we came up with yesterday.

Old habits: Ewww! H to the no! We in the middle of nap 3 of 10!

Me: Nap 4 WAS trending on the what’s next board to be honest.

Wombie: WHERE is today’s piece.

Me: It’s behind nap 10. Let me go get it.

Me time/New habits/Life/ 🥪 maker: 🤨

Okay. Okay!

*Cassandra wonders what insightful, inspiring words she can share about being about it EVERY day no matter what is going on in life*

Hhmm…*shrug*… realizing she had nuttin for folks today, Cassandra headed for the shower while thinking of how much of a blessing life is and asked God and Life to protect everyone. She decided to toss in words of hope, joy, peace, fun, and thanksgiving for folks to liberally use throughout the day.

Cassandra wondered if folks knew how very much they were loved and cared for and made a note to let folk know next time she had the energy to blog…*jots 📒 to let folk know they are loved*.

I know! I can slap a positive quote at the bottom and sneak back to bed…

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Don’t allow a dark place to take you to a dark place.

Don’t allow a dark place, to take you to a dark place.

This morning, after I did me some me, life walked up, tapped me on the shoulder, waited til I turned around, and kindly slapped me in the face.

After coming to, with tears in my eyes, I tried to be about being about it but my get up and go went where I know not.

In times past, I would have called upon old habits who would have brought familiar friends: comfort food, plenty of why come, why me, along with a boatload of melancholy.

Since I now live, now, I gathered myself, asked new habits to spend the day with me, reached out o my boss and let him know I could not do the workday.

I grilled some cheese on my new sandwich maker, thanked My Maker for having and being with me, and had grilled cheese and jello. Just HAD to keep doing me, for me, in a healthy way. Not in a, woe is me life is a tragedy so I have to make my way through a dozen cookies way.

Worn out, I tuned out, turned out the lights, lay in the dark, in order to catch my breath. A nap gently whispered for me to go along with it. Going along, a nap I took, leaving my heart to rest, in peace, while telling my loved one to rest in peace.

Nap taken, I awoke, realizing he was gone, still. Yet, I was here, still. Laying, in the darkness, I pondered, the darkness. Said to said darkness “get the hell out of here”.

Hell, having been kicked to the curb, left me shaken, not stirred. Stirring, I turned on the lights. Determined, I determined, to keep living, to keep loving, to keep going.

Speaking of going, another grilled cheese sure sounds good…

brb,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

One song at a time: Civil War, Day 2.

*sigh*

They are at it, yet again, beloveds…

*sigh*

Yet again, I was awakened, by me time, old habits and new habits. Seems like me time wanted to be about that life and head to the shower.

Yet, AGAIN, old habits did NOT want to drag lazy to the shower. In fact, this according to old habits mind you, lazy promised old habits hours of bliss, if all could stay in bed for another hour or two or three. Lazy always trying it by tryna be lazy with its lazy self!

New habits had idea to turn on some music and get a bit of exercise going. What the world new habits said this for I have NO idea. The racket that spewed forth could have woken the dead. It must have as Moses peaked round the corner to see what the world had set off World War II.

Drowning the sound of lazy, and of old habits, I grabbed some me time, blared “She’s A Bad Mama Jamma” and got to steppin’, sweatin’, and livin’ one song at a time…

Choose, life.

Choose, love.

Choose, you.

Do something healthy, for you.

Do something life changing, for you.

Do something positive, for you.

Do, something!

doing some me,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I woke this morning thinking of lazy, wanting to scarf down some this and that. Instead, I took comfort, in being good to ME, instead of comfort eating. I am finding taking care of me is quite comforting. How great is that?!

Say that!!

Yyyyyyaaaaaaaaaasssss!!

You, CAN.

You, WILL!

Get on up, beloveds. Tackle this thing, called life, one song, one step, one try, at a time.

Don’t worry, ’bout the outcome. That’s not your work to do. Your work is to be about being about it and let God, let Life worry about the outcome!

It was never about what you thought it was about.

It was never about what you thought it was about.

It was never about the degree, you did not have.

It was never about the money, you did not have.

It was never about the significant other, you did not have.

It was never about the car, you did not have.

It was never about the fancy clothes you did not have.

It was never about the career, you did not have.

You did not have because of a million reasons but none of them is because of what you did not have.

It was never about what you thought it was about.

Life, happened.

Life, continues to happen. Whether you decide to participate, or not.

Life could give two hoots about your excuses, about your whys, about your why nots.

Life asks, no Life demands, your try. That’s it. Just your try.

Life is waiting. On, you. On, YOU, beloved.

Life could care less about what you drive, what you look like, what you don’t look like.

Life is forever weary of folks throwing this, that, the other thing and every which a way but the right way, in It’s Face.

Yea, beloveds, Life has had just about enough of your foolishness. Said to tell you this:

It was never about what you thought it was about.

Best be about being about it. I know I am.

Today, I write.

Today, I live.

Today, I love.

being about being about it,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

I threw lazy in the shower.

I threw lazy in the shower, along with some yesterday.

I decided to toss in indecision, as well as some I don’t feel like its, I don’t want tos, and some whose life is this anyway.

I added some why me’s, kicked in some why nots.

Why not, I thought, then added who cares, why not them, some this, some that, some what nots.

I lathered, I slathered with vigor, with care.

Exited said shower, refreshed, ready, armed for bear.

Ready to tackle life, and all that the day might bring.

Revived, deep inside, I was ready to live, to love, to laugh, to sing.

Yea, old lazy no longer cares for me. Told me to kick rocks, and later I’d see.

Yea, no, I shot back. I don’t do you no more. Get a goin’, ‘cause I’m a growin’ into all I can be.

I threw lazy in the shower, along with some yesterday.

It’s time to do me some me, to give it my all, today.

Today, I write.

Today, I live.

Today, I love.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Life is short. You only have one shot at this. Time to be about being about it. Time to tell lazy to kick some rocks and toss it in the shower. Go on ahead and all the other people, places and things you have been using to keep you from living outloud and living your dreams. Get after it….

Habits are hard to break: Civil War.

Habits are hard to break.

Good, habits.

Bad, habits.

Those puppies sure demand to have their way.

This morning, I set the alarm to go off after 11. I had taken PTO in order to be able to sleep in, until noon. I enjoy a good sleep in, of a morn, on the company’s dime, while I snooze away a hard earned, paid leave hour or two.

Yet, I have now gotten back into my me time, and my me time, whooooey, is a demanding soul! My me time, now, is about that me time life, now, and don’t take much flack from me, from old habits, from anything/anyone.

Yet, and still, old habits, like taking some PTO time, in the meantime, to while away, to sleep away, a good hour or two, also wanted to have it’s way.

So, this morning, I found, a civil war, had broken out. I found myself, in the middle, in the meantime, staring at my me time, at my old habits, at my new habits. And, wouldn’t you know it, peeps, the day had decided to barge in and have it’s say:

The Day: Good morning, Cassandra! I see you have your boots all polished and ready to give me some whatfor, today.

Old Habits: Shut up, Day! We fixin to hit the snooze button, repeatedly, to while away an hour or two, today.

New Habits: Well, me time, is wanting to have HER time, and I am siding with her on what to do with this day.

Me time: It’s MY time! Time to head to the shower, sing loudly therein. It’s MY time, let my day begin.

What happened, ask?

*shrug*

Don’t ask me. In the midst of their arguing, in the meantime, I headed for the shower. Let me know how things turned out yall….

living now,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

I was tired of living in the meantime.

I was tired, of living in the meantime.

I found, I was ready to live, in the here, in the now.

I was no longer willing, to wait for life to find me.

I determined I would live, now, and allow life to catch up with me.

I was tired, of finding other things to do.

I was, I am determined, to do what my heart was called to do.

In the meantime, I am living, I am loving, I am doing, I am writing.

I no longer wait, hoping, and biding my time. While, in the meantime, I do other things, lesser things, filler things, less satisfying things.

As distractions, saddened that I must do those distracting things, in the meantime.

In the meantime, was getting in the way, taking up all my time. In the meantime, leaving me no time, to truly live. Which left me, in the meantime, wondering and wandering my way, through life.

I have wandered my last. Now, I do. Yet, I don’t yet know how to live a meaningful life. You see, I had been living, in the meantime, looking to the future, to rescue me from my now. Now, was never enough, somehow.

Somehow, I found myself longing, waiting for a day that would never come. A day that would tell me my life had just begun.

One day, I found in the meantime was just not enough. I was tired of living in the meantime. I found, I was ready: to live, to give, to love, to be, to have, to do.

While learning, how to live, I find I mess up more than I fix. That’s okay. In the meantime, I live, I laugh, I love while learning how to live, to love, to laugh, in the here and now.

Today, I write.

Today, I live.

Today, I love.

praying for you in the meantime,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Moral of the story? Live. Now. Life is short. You get just one. What are you doing with, in and for your life? In the meantime…

Don’t let the darkness fool you: Write, anyway.

What the…

What THE!

What in the wide world of all things…!!

Yes, beloveds, my very words as I reached, in the darkness, for my glasses 👓 so I could start my day.

Only, my glasses could not be grabbed, in the darkness, from their nightly resting place.

I did not panic.

I did not fret.

Still, I got my day started, in the darkness. Determined not to let the darkness win.

In beginning, in darkness, I found that I had already won. Won, the day, in ALL its ways, in ALL its shapes, in whatever the day brings.

I, felt my way around.

I, stumbled just a bit.

Carefully, I showered, made coffee, and began writing, in darkness.

The words, still found.

The words, residing in me.

Glasses, eventually found, unneeded, unheeded.

Writing, I wrote, knowing, growing, enjoying the darkness.

Don’t let the darkness fool you, beloveds. Write anyway.

writing still,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Win the day, BEFORE it starts.

Win the day, BEFORE it starts.

BEFORE it starts, win the day.

Win THIS day, before it starts.

Before it starts, win THIS day.

Win the day, YOUR way, before it starts.

Before it starts, win the day, YOUR way.

Win the day, by CHOOSING victory, before the day starts.

Before the day starts, win the day, by CHOOSING victory.

What are you waiting for?

Win the day, your day, your way, choosing victory, before the day starts.

winning with you,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe