The Meaning of Life

OK, someone else asked this question on Xanga and got a bunch of flip replies. I’m wondering if anyone can leave a serious one-line answer for me. I realize it’s a question you could talk about for years, but give it your best one line. For me, it would be:

To find what makes your heart and soul feel at peace, and when you find it to maintain it.
___________
And just to show my lighter side:
Deep Thought: Ambition is like a frog sitting on a Venus Flytrap. The flytrap can bite and bite, but it won’t bother the frog because it only has little tiny plant teeth. But some other stuff could happen and it could be like ambition.

Say, does anybody know how to put javascript in Xanga? And by the way, I so much hate these colors in the color chart (for the most part).

The Invisibility Factor

Appreciated the feedback so thought I’d post what I replied under Comments in the previous post below so there can be further input from whomever has it:

“I think it seems to start right around that lovely menopause age when all hell breaks loose – the kids leave, the parents are dying, grandchildren start getting born so you become a grandma and senior citizen to boot.  Plus of course all the grieving of leaving that old fertile life behind.  Of course, there’s a plus side which is good to focus on – no more periods, more free time for oneself, empowerment, yummy grandchildren, and senior discounts.”
_____
Deep Thought: As the evening sky faded from a salmon color to a sort of flint gray, I thought back to the salmon I caught that morning, and how gray he was, and how I named him Flint.

Latest Darkroom Feat
Last night’s class was way more stressful than before. First of all, I had two new rolls of my son and grandson to develop but I couldn’t get in the pitch-black developing closet until after other people, so I had to try developing more of my older photos first. This is the only one I really liked (my daughter again). Finally, I went in alone with my two rolls and spent about 20-30 minutes in that suffocating little space not being able to get the first roll on the spool all the way and had to cut some of it off. Then I went out and got the teacher and since we were running so late he came in and did my second roll for me. At least I’ll have it next week when I can start off developing these new ones of my son and grandchildren. As usual, the youngsters in the class treated me like the invisible elder I am. I’m sure I was just the same at their age. I felt really good about myself though that I’m brave enough to do this anyway.

Daily Affirmations for the Unstable!

I no longer need to punish, deceive or compromise myself. Unless, of
course, I want to stay employed.

A good scapegoat is nearly as welcome as a solution to the problem.

As I let go of my feelings of guilt, I can get in touch with my Inner
Sociopath.

I have the power to channel my imagination into ever-soaring levels of
suspicion and paranoia.

Today, I will gladly share my experience and advice, for there are no
sweeter words than “I told you so.”

I need not suffer in silence while I can still moan, whimper and complain.

As I learn the innermost secrets of the people around me, they reward me in many ways to keep me quiet.

I assume full responsibility for my actions, except the ones that are
someone else’s fault.

I honor my personality flaws, for without them I would have no personality at all.

Joan of Arc heard voices too.

When someone hurts me, forgiveness is cheaper than a lawsuit. But not
nearly as gratifying.

The first step is to say nice things about myself. The second, to do nice things for myself. The third, to find someone to buy me nice things.

As I learn to trust the universe, I no longer need to carry a gun.

Just for today, I will not sit in my living room all day watching TV.
Instead I will move my TV into the bedroom.

Who can I blame for my own problems? Give me just a minute… I’ll find someone.

Why should I waste my time reliving the past when I can spend it worrying about the future?

I will find humor in my everyday life by looking for people I can laugh at.

I am willing to make the mistakes if someone else is willing to learn from them.

CAT DIET

Lose Weight by Eating Like a CAT!

DAY ONE

Breakfast: Open one small can of expensive gourmet cat food – any flavor will do so long as it cost more than a dollar a can. Empty contents of the can onto your plate. Eat two small bites of food. Look around the room disdainfully, then knock the rest on the floor. Stare at the wall for a while before stalking off into the other room.

Lunch: Four blades of grass and one lizard tail. Throw it back up on the cleanest carpet in your house.

Dinner: Steal one green bean from your spouse’s plate. Bat it around the floor until it goes under the refrigerator. Steal one small piece of chicken or other meat and eat half of it. Leave the other half on the sofa.

Bedtime Snack: Catch a moth and play with it until it is almost dead. Eat one wing. Leave the rest to die.

DAY TWO

Breakfast: Find the remaining chicken bite on the sofa. Eat a small piece of it, then knock it onto the carpet and bat it under the television set. Chew on the corner of the newspaper as your spouse tries to read it.

Lunch: Break into the fresh French bread that you bought as your part of the dinner party on Saturday. Lick the top of it all over. Take one bite out of the middle of the loaf. Take another small bite from another part of the loaf, go into the bedroom, and spit it out on the pillow.

Snack: Catch a large beetle and bring it into the house. Play toss and catch with it until it is mushy and half dead. Allow it to escape under the bed.

Dinner: Open a fresh can of dark-colored gourmet cat food – tuna or beef works well. Eat it voraciously. Walk from your kitchen to the edge of the living room rug. Promptly throw up on the rug. Step into it as you leave. Track footprints across the entire room.

DAY THREE

Breakfast: Drink part of the milk from your spouse’s or partner’s cereal bowl when no one is looking. Splatter part of it on the table and any nearby appliances.

Lunch: Catch a small bird and bring it into the house. Play with it on top of your down-filled comforter. Make sure the bird is seriously injured but not dead before you abandon it for someone else to have to deal with.

Dinner: Beg and cry until you are given some ice cream or milk in a bowl of your own. Take three licks, and then turn the bowl over on the floor. Nibble at the remains of the cat food in last night’s bowl.

DAY FOUR

Breakfast: Eat six bugs of any type, being sure to leave a collection of legs, wings, and antennae on the bathroom floor. Drink lots of water. Throw the bugs and all the water up on your spouse’s side of the bed.

Befriend small things in their humility
and wonder at the lightness of them
passing through the world unnoticed
like the stammer of a new child’s speech.
Blush for them
and lift them to safe places,
and in moments of despair recall
that they are company as staunch
as any other.

We are having such a gorgeous day in Portland that I just had to gloat and posted a webcam in my sidebar.  You could do the same and then we could all see how the weather is happening around Xanga.

Here’s a helpful site for budgeting, which is way high on my personal priority list lately, as I head toward retirement. Click on picture.