Friday Five-To Do list

Jan posted this anxiety producing FF:

Actually I'm pretty far along.

1. I get small gifts for my Counseling Unit and support staff which this year swelled to 12 people. I attended an 'Etsy' craft fair in October and got a swell bargain. Hand carved animals on pedestals, small for desktops at$1. each. Yes, you heard me. A buck each and they're really nice. See above. I even saved one for ME! And I bought all they had and had enough for the counselors and bought earrings at 10. for the secretary's.

2. Beloved and Godchild had birthdays earlier in the month so I got presents then even though Godchild hasn't gotten hers yes (and I can't find it.) But I will...

3. One crisis, got Beloved something with a top and a bottom-a set (she sometimes reads this.) and they just sent the top! Who ever heard of selling just the tops? Wish I could be more specific.

4. We don't do a tree, but next Wednesday the Menorah will be out. I thought about a tree in the beach place, but we're only there on weekends at this point and I worried about fire.

5. Last Friday we bought and wrapped our gifts for homeless kidswith the Catholic Lesbians and this weekend we're preparing tips for the doormen, porters, handymen, super, etc-the most expensive part of the holidays.

Bonus:

I've joined a new church, St. James of Jerusalem Episcopal Church. We'll see how it goes. They have a gay priest!

Friday Five Your Workspace

(The first picture is of my talismans. The second is of my office, or of a corner of it. I'm doing this from my office and on a PC, so it hard to manipulate.-I 'm used to a Mac.)

RevKarla posted this funny FF:

1. My wonderful ergonomic chair that I have carried from office to office and the fabric is now shredded from the substandard "new wooden desks."
2. The wooden desk. As a State of NY Office, our furniture in made in NY State Prisons, Oh Yes. And it tends to shred and fall apart. The beautiful new desks are made of soft woods and when we got them we found that the tops marked so easily-by writing on a paper with a pen, that we had to buy glass tops!
3. My huge cardboard sculpture, leftover packing material from the desks, that sits on top on my bookcase.

I also have a little, strange altar.
4. Piles of files, awaiting my approval, correction, or something else. Just passing through.
5. Photographs of various trips I have taken.

Friday Five Road Trips

Jan Gives us this Friday Five:

Tell us about five road trips--in your childhood, in your family, in your recent past, with friends, and/or hoped-for-places-to-drive-to. Don't forget the one that stands out as the BEST or as the worsttime.

1. All of our vacations as children were road trips, even the one to Niagra Falls, from Ohio to Canada with the Grandparents. Usually my parents and me, and my cousin-as we both were only children and got to go on each others vacations. They usually involved driving to some not too far interesting site, staying at a motel with a pool, and eating in lots of restaurants.

2. The most interesting road trip Beloved and I took involved flying to the Canadian Rockies, taking a train with a glass top to...somewhere in the Canadian Rockies, then driving around the Rockies with stops in Lake Louise, Banf and Jasper. We stayed at resorts build by the railroad. Wonderful and beautiful.

3. Three years ago Beloved and Godchild and I drove back to the hometown to celebrate Aunt Julies 90th. It was a sentimental journey along interstate 80, eating at truckstops. It only took about 9 hours, but I have done it many times and Godchild never. It was fun.

Summer Friday Five

Dorcas posted this Friday Five:

"Share five things that are happening in your life, personally or professionally or some of each, in this

season of life."

1. We're relaxing after beloved's dx and subsequent tx of breast cancer. She's gotten the all clear for now and is just taking the 5 years of meds. That's a relief... for now.

2. We're finally able to enjoy the beach palace, aka a condo in Long Beach, NY that a year ago last weekend we first camped out again on an air mattress, in the middle of major rehab. Then we used the shower near the pool on the first floor. Now things are much better.

3. We are planning two weeks there!

4. Work.

5. Play and rest.

Royal Wedding Friday Five

From our Royal Wedding in Toronto
Kathrynzj's offers this Royal Wedding Friday Five:

1) Will you be watching? If so, is this your first royal wedding?

I am watching between doing the laundry and packing for a weekend retreat given by Congregation Bet Simcah Torah, my Beloved's place of worship...You know where they rented us their space but the rabbi refused to marry us because I'm-as she calls me, a Non-Jew. No, I don't carry any resentments. I haven't gone for a few years but as BL has cancer I relented and have agreed to go this year. My Ipad is loaded with books...

This is not my first. The first that i remember was Princess Diana watched from my (tiny) office early in the morning with a bunch of gay guys and I think Champagne. It was fun.
2) The bride has chosen as her wedding cake a fruitcake. Where do you stand on this pastry?

Fruitcake? With all those other great cakes in the world. I like the idea of one for the bride and one for the groom, flavors of their choice, Maybe Vanilla with a great custard filling for her and of course chocolate for him!

3) The dress code for royal weddings has not seen the same sad decline as that for most other weddings. If you could design your own royal wedding hat, what color would it be and what special decoration would it feature?

Mine would definitely have a live bird, or maybe a small dog or a squirrel!

4) Any chance the Archbishop of Canterbury is using a Sustainable Sermon (tip of the mitre to the Vicar of Hogsmeade)? What would you tell the couple were you offering the homily?

Not sure what this is, but if you Gals like is I'm all for it, if it's short. Don't want to sit too long. Wrinkles the duds.

5) Believe it or not, kathrynzj is getting up early mostly to see the wedding dress. By the time this post is up, the world will have seen it. Did you like it?

I saw the train and the back of the veil and that looked fairly traditional. So the vote is not in yet. I was white. And I know that they have been living together :-0

Friday Five Words

Jan posted this thoughtful FF, Words:

"For this Friday Five, please list five words that identify your passions, spirituality, and/or life. Describe as much or as little as you wish."

This is a difficult one, so many words and only five to choose, and I love words!

1. Artistic-My first love was art. From an early age I was drawing and painting and as a kid I had a girl scout cookie box-the big one, that held a bunch of boxed to deliver with. to hold my art supplies, and I carried it everywhere. I was prepared to do my art when my mother was visiting her friends etc. No need to have a fancy tackle box or porfolio, I was prepared. I still have those tackle boxes from my undergrad. degree in Art Ed. no fine art degree in the school of my budget requirement. Still filled with the fine brushes I bought. And the first thing I bought when I came to NY was an oversized drawing table. I belonged to a feminist art collective that rented a huge loft in the village. I think my share of the rent was $25 a month-which was a lot in 1974!

2. Introvert. OK my Meyers Briggs is INFP and I'm the classic Introvert. Being around a group of people exausts me and I need a rest after a wedding or Bar Mitzah-happens to me more than you might think! Why am I a counselor. Hmm...look at the rest of the INFP of the Meyers Briggs Inverntory!

3. Visual-I'm always looking and commenting. I notice things. What people are wearing. Signs. Changed in people Everything. Once when Beloved and I were looking at apartments, we left an apartment and she asked what I though and I said the living room would have bigger without the grand piano. She said "What piano." C'est la difference!"

4. Depressive- Yes I am.

5. Disabled-that too. I have a hidden disability, Cauda Equina Syndrome. I walk with a cane. It's a spinal cord injury, actually an injury of the nerve roots that come from the base of the spine-the Cauda Equina-the Horses Tail. There are a lot of other features that I won't bore you with, but I do relate with the Disabled Community.

Friday Five Books

Jan posted this great FF: "I hope some of you received books for Christmas presents; I did and have been reading ever since. Then I discovered a new author from those recommendations that pop up on Amazon.com. Instead of buying those books, I've been checking them out at the library, which will not help Amazon's future recommendations for me at all.

So tell us what you're reading, what you would and would not recommend--five books or authors! And if you don't want to do that freestyle, here are some questions:"

So beloved is not from the readers. We learned early on that when she tried to buy me books, I had already read them or was not interested. And when I buy her books, I read them...

1. What books have you recently read? Tell us your opinion of them.

I've been reading 'Trauma and Recovery' by Judith Herman as recommended by my shrink, Very enlightening. A little too enlightening. I read a few pages and cry, read a few pages and cry and repeat.

2. What books are awaiting your available time to be read?

I got a swell new present for Christmas, an IPAD. I've been downloading a lot of stuff, although when I'm in place, I still like to pick up a book and I still like to graze through the Strand Bookstore-one of the best on the planet. I'm waiting to read "Jesus Freak" by Sarah Myles.

3. Have any books been recently recommended?

I'll be searching your blogs to look for suggestions.

4. What genre of books are your favorite, along with some titles and/or authors you like best?

I do love the Jeffrey Deaver, Kathy Reichs suspense, mystery's.

5. What have you read lately that you have a strong urge to recommend? (or to condemn?)

Stay tuned. I haven't read anything lately that I really loved except a series about a family of detectives that I can't remember the author or the titles-happening more and more. The series is hilarious, but, gone blank. I'll ask at work.

Friday Five Christmas Redux

Kathrynzj posted this Holiday reduz: "Yes, I know it's January and yes, I know some of us are still on a cool sprint after only a brief respite (if that) from Advent and Christmas BUT... before we move too far along into The Next, I wanted to give us a chance to reflect onWhat Was.

A couple of staff members and I sat down today and wrote down what worked and didn't work during the Advent and Christmas season. There are quite a few things bearing down on us at the moment so it was a discipline to do it, but ten and a half months from now Future Me is going to LOVE that we made the effort.

And so partly to give us all a record and partly to give us all a chance to reflect on the 2010 Holiday Season now that we are out of it, I ask you this:"

1) What food item was one of your favorites this year - a definite keeper?

Well, For Christmas eve, we went really simple with Turkey, Sweet Potatoes, Peas and ta tum Pastries from a new Italian pastry shop near our new home in Long Beach. This is a going to be a new tradition. Those cookies reminded me of my mothers and they were great!

2) Was there a meal or party or a agathering that stands out in your mind from this most recent holiday season?

It was the Christmas, get-out-of-town. We heard the forecast of two feet of snow and on Christmas morning we were checking the train schedule for trains to the city-that is Manhattan. We played Scrabble on my Christmas gift ipad on the train and that was the gathering that stands out. Those that didn't leave LB-like my boss- were stuck till Wednesday.

3) Were you involved in a jaw-dropper gift? Were you the giver or recipient or an on-looker?

I was the recipient of an overly generous ipad. They say that electronics and gadgets are the gems of the future and I'm wearing it with pride and having a LOT of fun, though a bit paranoid of using it on the subway.

4) Was there at least one moment where you experienced true worship?

I've been praying for a breakthrough in my search for a higher being. I have made a resoulution to try St. James Church in Long Beach this year, but so far no experience in true worship...

5) What is at least one thing you want to make sure you do next year?

See 4

BONUS: What is something you absoutetly must remember to do differently... or not at all!

I have to remember not to stress out, to breathe, to relax and to not take things so seriously. Maybe to take a meditation class or chair yoga something to actively relax.

Kathrynzj posted this excellent FF: "Whether a RevGal or a Pal most of us in this cyber community have enhanced responsibilities during this time of year. We also have traditions - religious and secular - that mark the season for us in a more personal way.

For this Friday Five please let us know five of the things that mark the season for you.

And the bonus? Tell us one thing that does absolutely nothing for you."

1. Tonight I will be wrapping gifts we give to homeless children with my SFX Lesbian Group-still not Catholic but still hanging out with them...

2. The Office Christmas Party. Yes I like it and it's fun because my counselor, Brian makes this game called 'ghetto grab bag' that is so funny, yet so mean and takes so long that every one is engaged and happy by the end and we go to really good restaurant in Brooklyn!

3. Lighting the Menorah with Beloved, because it's so intimate and lovely and watching the little candles grow every night and she says the prayer in Hebrew.

4. Seeing all the strange and makeshift lights on my street, because of course, we have not front yards so people make do and it's all kind of strange and fun.

Bonus 5. I hate that it all started before Thanksgiving and some of it even before Haloween, can you believe it!

Friday Five Pie-O-La

Songbird posted this topical Friday Five and what an excellent one it is:



1. Are pies an important part of a holiday meal?

Most definitely! When I was growing up in the middle of an orchard, we had many, many pies and everybody had their specialities. My Aunt Mary made a lemon meringue pie the likes of which I have not had since she passed away. It was so good and the meringue was perfect, sweet and with little beads of liquid sugar when it was humid. Yum. But we also grew sour cherries, perfect for pies, and peaches, plums, apples, I could go on and on. Yesterday we went out and I skipped the pumpkin-I only like mine- for coconut custard because I like custard pie. Not bad...



2. Men prefer pie; women prefer cake. Discuss

Hadn't really noticed. But the men I have observed growing up liked both and I do too.



3. Cherries-do they belong in a pie.

Yah, you betcha!



4.Meringue-if you have to choose, is it best on lemon or chocolate?

Never on chocolate, only on lemon.



5. In a chicken pie, what are the most compatible vegetables? Anything yo don't like to find in a chicken pie.

OK. Who ever had that really bad idea to put red peppers or any peppers in to chicken pot pie for a "little color?" Might as well cut up crayons and drop them in. Chicken pot pie is nice and comforting, why mess with it. I hate peppers! Just some nice peas and carrots and some potatoes and maybe a little, very little celery. Ok that's it and big pieces of chicken, white meat please.

Friday Five Unexpected Things

Jan posted this-not so easy- Friday Five:

"With the American holiday of Thanksgiving being less than a week away, I tried to think of some questions for Friday Five that could be connected to this, but in a new way. So here is my one try:

Name five things that were unexpected in your life that you are now grateful for."

1. I was born! Yes, my fathers first wife died of an illegal abortion and he wanted my mother to have one too (found that gem out when they were fighting and I was in the 7th grade in Catholic School-it did make quite an impression on me!) I also found out my mother was divorced. Wow! Years later, my elderly aunt told me this information, maybe 10 years ago, and I was able to tell her how I found out about it. Made quite an impression on a Catholic 7th grader, I must say!

2. I was a lesbian! It started to dawn on my when I found myself stalking my World History teacher, Ms Marsco! Not outside of school, but inside. It was a slow dawning of what this was all about, but by senior year, when I had several crushes on other students, I was getting it! Of course I dated boys all through college, no gay groups then until the Kent State Gay Liberation Front when I finally came out then went back in to do student teaching. I was still living at home.

3. I moved to NYC right after College. What was I thinking? But I was brave and I persevered and lived in a 5th floor walk up with cockroaches that had two arson fires, one that had us move out-where was the Red Cross? I lived on a friends couch for a week the went to my parents for two weeks-unpaid-my job had no sick or vacation time or insurance. I'm still here and happy!

4.I met beloved after kissing lots for frogs! I went to work at NYC NOW , the founding chapter, (a change of careers job) and she was a 'straight' volunteer'. Well she started paying a lot of attention to me and finally asked me out to dinner. 20 years this spring...

5. I'm still alive after all of this and some more. And I'm grateful to be here.

Friday Five-Winter's on the Way

When I was little and it snowed, I played with my cousins!

I'm the one in the middle.

Singing Owl posted this timely FF "The picture is of my back deck after the first heavy snow last winter. I am looking at the weather forecast with a sigh of resignation. You see, our glorious unseasonable stretch of sunny days is ending and rain mixed with snow is in the forecast. The weather guy actually said, "This is probably the last nice day till spring, folks..." So, I am trying to plan ahead. Help me out, please. When it is cold outside:"

1. What is your favorite movie for watching when curled up under a wooly blanket?

We haven't been renting or buying movies that much, relying on the gay station Logo to supply us with movies.

2. Likewise, what book?

The old faithful Strand, has great books at great prices and I'm always looking for a new book or 5, so call this my winter sport. I like mysteries, but not cozys, I'm just reading the "Girl Who" books, and I really like some of the spiritual books I have read about on the Revgal website. Harder to find, I like to read books that reflect my life. PS-tip! the Strand Bookstore is online!

3. What foods do you tend to cook/eat when it gets cold?

Now that we have an actual kitchen AND DISHWASHWASHER-DA-DUM!! I may find out!

4. What do you like to do if you get a "snow day" (or if you don't get snow days, what if you did)?

I have a million beads that I have bought in my travels. I may try to put them together somehow.
Did I mentionthat the State of NY does not give Snow Days. Not in my 12 years. And people with longer memories say they have NEVER gotten them and we have a very snowy state!

5. Do you like winter sports or outdoor activities, or are you more likely to be inside playing a board game? Do you have a favorite (indoors or out)?

As I said my winter sport, reading.

FF My soul is happy

Kathrynzj posted this Friday Five: "We lead privileged lives.

True, some are more privileged than others but the fact that we are communicating right now via technological devices puts us in the privileged category.

There are many perks in my life for which I give thanks and then there are some that make everything right in the world during the moment I am enjoying them. I'm wondering what a few of those things - five to be specific - are for you.

To help you along here are just three of mine that I will write more about on my blog: drinking coffee out of a real mug, walking into my home after the domestic goddess has been there, participating in the RevGalBlogPals Big Events."

1. I have Beloved who is there when I need her, and when I don't.

2. I finally have more than 500 sq. ft to share with Beloved, now 1200+500. Unfortunately in two different places. Fortunately one has NYC and one has an Ocean Beach!

3. On the good days and the bad days, I have a job.

4. I have some toys that I love, one that I'm I'm typing on now. Her name is Mac. Also books, but no ipad.

5. I have a godchild who is not a child but is a joy and a blessing. She told me all about Turkey before I went there but did not tell me about Chicken Pudding-really a dessert made with a chicken breast! (google that you revgals!)

Friday Five Singing

Mary Beth posted this FF

"Music is a part of the human experience, and part of religious traditions the world over. It is evocative and stirring, and many forms of worship are incomplete without it.Our title comes from a quote popularly attributed to St. Augustine: "He who sings prays twice." A little Googling, however, indicates that Augustine didn't say exactly that. In fact, what he said just doesn't fit well onto a t-shirt. So we'll stick with what we have."Singing reduces stress and increases healthy breathing and emotional expression. Singing taps into a deep, age-old power available to all of us. When we find our voice, we find ourselves. Today, sing like you mean it." And let's talk about the role music plays in your life and worship.

1) Do you like to sing/listen to others sing? In worship, or on your own (or not at all?)

Although I don't sing will, I do like to sing and it cheers me up. Since I haven't found my place of worship yet (still checking...) I will sing on, on my own.

2) Did you grow up with music in worship, or come to it later in life? Tell us about it, and how that has changed in your experience.

I was raised Roman Catholic-notice I still capitalize? And I was in the choir. I loved singing the roman mass. I also loved the the changes of the 2nd Vatican Council but the music, not so much.

3) Some people find worship incomplete without music; others would just as soon not have it. Where do you fall?

Not sure yet. Depends upon where I land. At this point my music is musical comedies.

4) Do you prefer traditional music in worship, or contemporary? That can mean many different things!

I guess that would be way traditional.

5) What's your go-to music ... when you need solace or want to express joy?

See above, and that would be show tunes. And I worked in summer stock for a number of years so I know a lot of them.

Will post later when I am not at work and not breaking the law-don't tell...



PS Next Friday I will be in Turkey, I think and the following in Greece. Opa!

Friday Five Insomnia

My pal, Mom Priest posted this FF on sleeplessness:
Our Friday Five today will focus on sleep, or the lack there of:

1. Are you prone to sleep challenges? Insomnia, snoring, allergies? Other sleep challenges?
Yes
Yes
Yes
And sometimes I can't sleep.

2. When you can't sleep what do you do? Toss and turn? Get up and read? Play computer games?
Not being able to sleep has been a fairly recent-and I mean in the last 15-20 years-thing. If I can relax after work and just calm down slowly, I can sleep, but inadvertently, my beloved will get in from work late and be full of pep and talk about exciting topics like the contractor! Then I'm all wound up again and so it goes.
I started with Tryptophane. That's the stuff that comes in Turkey. You know how you get sooo tired on Thanksgiving? Well they sell that stuff in Health Food Stores. Then they took it off the market because some of it was making people sick, bad batch. Now, btw it's back. Well then I turned to Benadryl, a mild antihystamine that is often prescribed to addicts who have a hard time sleeping and since I have allergies. Works well. Then Ambien. Now I take Trazedone. Also works well.

3. When you do sleep do you remember your dreams? Or just snipets of them?
I tend to remember dreams when I wake up and then go back to sleep. But not much, just snippets.

4. Can you share a funny or confusing dream you've had? Or a dream you have over and over?
Well I used to have a dream over and over where I had an exam never went to the class, but I went to Grad. School and actually went to most of my classes so that took care of that.

5. When you don't sleep how do you get through the day? Lots of coffee? or a nap later in the day?
I just drag on throught the day and then fall into bed at the end of the day. Sugar usually helps.

Friday Five De-cluttering Re-cluttering

Jan posted this apt for me FF:

"Since posting about decluttering, I am still muttering about the need for it in my house. How about you?"

Well about me and my beloved, we're in the finish line of the beach palace, weekend place, other home whatever. So we're slowly taking things out there. Consequently our apartment looks like a Tornado blew through!

1. What things do you like to hang on to?

Books, not the beach reads, but the ones that I collect the ones that mean something. Add to that the wall that divides the 'bedroom' from the living room is a bookcase wall.

2. What is hard to let go of?

See above. Also letters and such from the days when we still wrote letters. Remember that? Also photographs and since I was an art major my first time around what I have left from that.

3. What is easy to give away?

"Beach/Subway books, clothing, stuff we never use. We donate.

4. Is there any kind of stumbling block connected with cleaning out?

Transportation. We have a car that is currently residing with the Beach Palace.

5. What do you like to collect, hoard, or admire?

See 1.

Bonus: Tell us about recycling or whatever you can think of that goes along with this muttering about cluttering.

I hate to wash the leftover soda cans, and various plastic items that are made to make our lives easier.

FRIDAY FIVE Love the One You're With

Progress

KathrynZJ posted this most interesting Friday Five:

"And so I ask you to please name five things you like about where you are living now... and as your bonus - 1 thing you don't like."

Since we're Renovating the beach palace in a place about 50 miles from here on the Island of Long in the County of Nassau I have a few current ideas:

1. In my current locations, great restaurants- new place, haven't found them.

2. Here, bookstores, new place, you have to drive to one, none in town.

3. Here you can walk to places, many places, there not so much...

4. Both places you can dial out for dinner!!

5. There we have the ocean!

Bonus-The suffocating humidity seems less at the beach, usually. In NYC really bad.

Friday Five Pets or Not

Jan posted this furry FF:

1. Did you grow up with pets?

I grew up in the midwest-Ohio-near the country. Walking to school, we passed a feed store, no really. My friend Trudy and I would go in and ooh and ahh over the baby chicks and ducks every season.

I had dogs, turtles (from the 5 and dime-my mother stepped on one once-she thought it was a checker and was horrified to discover what she had done!) Two of those ducks-who weren't so cute once they grew up. Trudy got two too. Her eastern european parents ate one when it got too annoying-eeew! I also had fish periodically and of course we had a chicken coop, but we didn't consider them pets. Oh, yes I also had a white rat, the rescue from medical testing and a white mouse, a birthday gift from my pals in high school. His name was Heathcliff-He came pre-named.

2. Do you have any pets now?

No but I have deep dog envy. The weekend place only allows cats and fish, birds. I'm allergic to to cats and not really interested in the others. We'll see about after retirement. Any suggestions about hypo-allergenic cats?

3. What is the funniest or worst thing any of your pets have ever done?

The last dog, Barney was mind, but my mother stole his love by being available during the day and feeding him home cooked food. Bad dog!

4. Who is/was your favorite pet?

I guess the dogs. I was a mostly absentee owner. My child life was pretty busy and I didn't really bond with them. I bonded with books more easily.

5. How did you train your different pets?

Train? Like with tracks? Never took my pets on trips... ;-)

BONUS: Pictures of a pet or one you wish you could have.

Friday Five-Hot Town in the Summertime

Songbird posted this FF after an allergic reaction to black fly bites. Feel better Songbird!
"But I don't want that to ruin summer for the rest of you. So I invite you to share five things you love--or don't--about summer. The tone is up to you!"
1. I am the 'canary in the coal mine' when it comes to insects. They come to me first and then I am lunch. I hate this and alway have. The city doesn't have many mosquitos, but once you get a little ways our, watch out!
2. NYC is a hot and humid town in the summer. I remember how cold the drug stores of my youth were. Here...not so much. The stores all seem to keep the ac on low. Same for work. They turn it on about 8:00am (I get in at 7:30) and they turn it off at 4:00 (leave today at 5:00.) I like it cold, especially at my advancing age.
3. I love summer because I never got over loving it as a child despite the bugs and the ac. I love swimming. Of couse the palace by the sea is not ready yet and though we have been there every weekend, we have not yet been in the pool or at the beach.
4. Vacation!
5. July is my birthday. Nough said.

Friday Five- Patience

Sally posted this thoughtful Friday Five which for you Facebook readers is posted at my blog

Persistence often pays off, but we need to be aware that it sometimes turns into sheer pig headed-ness...

With all that in mind I offer you this Friday Five:

1. Is patience a virtue you possess? If it is then does it come naturally, if not how do you/ did you work at it?
It has to be a quality I possess because my job requires it, but so does my current big project (the destruction was supposed to start Tuesday, but the contractor didn't secure the permit, so still waiting.) No quick fixed anywhere...


2. Being patient with ourselves can be a huge challenge, we are often our own worst critics; is there anything you need to be patient with yourself with at the moment?
See # 1. Also I tend toward depression which is an illness which is not cured but comes again and again. This requires fortitude and patience. Also self care.

3. Are you the kind of person who can/ will persist with a difficult task? How much of this is personality related?
Yes and no. Depends on my mood at the moment.

4. Can you spot when persistence turns into pig-headed-ness, or do you never get there?
After a while

5. Post a song or a poem that chills you out and helps you to re-group, re-focus and carry on?
Since the big project I've been playing show tunes in the car, old shows...Carousel, South Pacific etc. They all chill me out and leave me singing and swirl around in my head taking me back to happier times. I'll post one later when I have time-Think "It was a real good clambake."