I've spent a month away from the Internet and Y2K forums in particular, including my own discussion board. Worry overload can creep in, and absorb life, even without Y2K, NWO, super-secret weapons, political shenanigans, and other considerations.

The thought: It is important to step back and have moments daily that are not consumed in worry,...life is short, if oh so sweet.

The question: What are you doing these days to clear your head, and embrace shining moments, moments that lend perspective?

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), February 13, 1999

Answers

Working on the yard! Here in central NC, we've had an even milder winter than usual and there are cherry blossoms out in many yards. The early daffodils are at their peak and forysthia is beginning to bloom. Quince will be along shortly. I splurged and bought three primulas, the purple ones with a small yellow eye, and some English daisies, and a friend gave me some wonderfully fragrant stock plants--these are my favorite things at the moment. Dark purple, lemon and dusty orange pansies planted in the fall are still blooming (they withstand a lot of frost) and daylilies are beginning to show their spikes (don't forget you can eat all parts of daylilies!), vinca is teasing with a few periwinkle blue blooms, and the strawberry plants are beginning to look boisterous. Best of all, there are fat little nubs on the David Austin roses. Herbs are beginning to look lively, and the fragrance of the lemon thyme is particularly refreshing. Tomato plants will be available very soon. Unfortunately, we're due for a frost tonight, as often happens. Fingers crossed it's not a hard one.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 13, 1999.

Almost forgot--for you folks up north, I heard first and then saw a flock of geese flying north yesterday. (Noisy buggers!) Always a reliable harbinger of spring.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 13, 1999.

I like to lay out on a clear night - any clear night - and just look out at Infinity. Sometimes I'll set up my telescope and hunt for galaxies... an object lesson in perspective, that.

-- Why2K? (who@knows.com), February 13, 1999.

Spent the day at the Philadelphia Art Museum, enjoyed a Rembrant. Ran up the front steps, just like Rocky -- only I walked after the first set of steps. Who am I kidding.....I walked after the first two steps.

(remove the Xs to email)

-- De (dealtonX@Xconcentric.net), February 13, 1999.

Planting fruit trees and watching the Daffodils pop up. Must be ten thousand of 'em in my corner.

Let the Morning Star Shine. God Bless America. Down with tyrants. Up with justice. Let the little children dance in the streets and the old folks walk in peace.

We win!

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), February 13, 1999.

Go walking in the woods . Take a backpack with survival gear,sm. stove ,some food and instant coffee and have lunch out there. Look into the night sky ,when it is ablaze with stars; that puts things into their proper perspective.

-- Electra (Electra@midmaine.com), February 13, 1999.

Getting my mother's house ready to sell, fixing this and that. Went to her house today to get ready for the inspections, turned the water on and sprang a leak at the main. My husband fixed that, turned the water on and sprang a leak under the house. Husband fixed that, and we thought we were home free! Turned the water back on and water ran all over the place. Where in the hell was that leak coming from! Inside the wall between the bathroom sink and and entry way closet. We cut opened the wall in closet and there she be! I wish I could relax. But this experience has lead me to tell all of you, have extra plumbing fittings, pipe glue, pipe cutter, insulation, etc. If some of you will have the luxury to have piped water, learn to fix it yourself because Mr. Plumber man probably won't be available.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), February 13, 1999.

It has been a mild winter here in Texas. The trees are beginning to leaf out and my flower beds are sprinkled with tulips breaking through the soil. My husband and I and our two kids go outside and walk. We walk through the pastures and talk. It is very cathartic. It brings me back to nature and gives me an appreciation for life. At times it is difficult to take off the "y2k glasses." However, I think it is good for one's mental and emotional health to get away from it all as often as possible. I have to say one more thing in parting. For the most part, I find this forum uplifting, educational, thought-provoking, and humorous. I enjoy the regulars with whom I feel a bond even though I most rigorously disagree with some of their opinions. This forum provides an opportunity for exchanging information and opinions and receiving support. What can I say? I'm addicted. Thanks to all!

-- Sharon in Texas (sking@drought-ridden.com), February 15, 1999.

Cleaning inside/outside truck with one eye on blooming Texas Redbud... these trees can re-convert one back to an UGI - I'm almost there.

Kicking soccer balls around with daughter at lake.. let me tell you, where we live, Y2K could happen and it might take a month to realize it. Truly idyllic here.

One thing we forgot to remind ourselves (Yourdonites) over the last few months is to have preparation complete by Spring.... so we can don't worry, be happy (for a while, anyway...).

Is the unexamined life truly not worth living? Today it is......

-- Lisa (lisa@peace.today), February 15, 1999.

Thanks for asking that question, Donna. I've decided to begin learning Yoga in order to be more present in each moment, now. It's so easy to get sucked into living only in a vague, fearful future.

It's odd how lately (maybe because of Yoga or maybe because of Spring) I've started to become aware of the land here, next to the ocean. The rolling hills, which are starting to green up, and the mountains, and the fields. I mean I've started to have such a sense of all the dirt and rocks piled up underneath the land we all scramble over everyday. It seems so quiet, so permanent, this earth underneath us. I even start thinking about the earthquake faults under there, and how the land is like a huge, dozing critter, who shifts in a slow, lazy way every so often. And we just keep scambling around on top of it. It's a funny, somehow hopeful kind of image. The 'hair' on the critter turning green, with flowers sprouting up in little crevasses, and patches of acne-artichokes and brussell-sprouts here and there.

-- cat (ccordes@scruznet.com), February 15, 1999.

Poetry. Edmund Spenser, Wordsworth, John Donne, Dante's Purgatorio. And thanks for the heads up on the geese: welcome news this morning (13 degrees). Only birds we've got are crows, bigger than chickens. I bet they're not bad with a little rice and ketchup.

-- Spidey (in@jam.com), February 15, 1999.

Wow, Donna, I'm impressed. I've taken a week or two from the net, but never a month!

I've been enjoying a walk in the river valley park once/week with a friend of mine for the last couple of years. Then we have a coffee together. It's wonderful :-)

I also like to read "brain-off" books, romances, mysteries, adventures.

I read other stuff, too, but not for relaxation.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), February 16, 1999.

The best part of my day is the time I can spend sitting watching the sun come up while I listen to the horses eating their grain. Cup of coffee, warm friendly pup at my side. I may only get ten minutes or maybe I can get 30..either way it recharges my internal self to where I can deal with the days atrocities. I run a home health agency that deals with low income elderly. I am not a liberal, I am a rather hard headed businessman. When I think of Y2k and my clients, it brings on a sense of foreboding that would paralyze me if I couldn't recharge. Anyway, enough gloom. This morning there must of been 25 - 30 Canadian Geese on the river behind my house. Lovely!! Rest your brains from Y2k, people. The other alternative is to fy it where you get nothing done. Lobo

-- Lobo (hiding@woods.com), February 16, 1999.

Elder home care, Lobo? We do 24/7 hospice care. We see Canadian geese too :)

Ashton & Leska in Cascadia, Good Death R Us

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), February 16, 1999.

Ah, but Leska, do your geese have wings?

-- Tricia the Canuck(ian goose) (jayles@telusplanet.net), February 17, 1999.

Tricia, they are real Canadian geese, flying in formation, honking. Soul-stirring sight. Fortunately Diane has seen them with us so can vouch for the sanity of this vision :-) Being surrounded by wetland marshes often in various pt's homes, see them, have even fed bread crumbs to them! Sometimes go to river beaches to watch. Sometimes wheel our pt's around numerous parks to see/feed the duck & geese etc. Tried fruitcake once, just to test ...

Say, has anyone seen Runway Cat's typing recently? Where did he go? Is Rob back?

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), February 17, 1999.

It's reeeeaallly good to hear that the geese are on their way back, maybe we'll get an early spring, after all.

No news on the Rob or Runway scene; I think Rob often posts in the evening, so there's still hope.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), February 17, 1999.

It's funny that you should talk about geese. I've been "disconnecting" by going out to the bird sanctuary and watching the geese fly in....sometimes it gets so loud that it's deafening, especially around the beginning of March here in the Lower Penninsula :-)

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), February 17, 1999.