Travel Tips For My Psyche Suitcase

Good Morning on this Tuesday Morning...

I should find quotes about mornings..because it is an important part of the day.. with all of the rituals..it sets one in motion..at least for me it does.. it starts me on my next journey wherever I may be.. sets my psyche and body and whole mind set in motion...

But with the morning I need my shot of heroin.. my coffee...so here I sit sipping away...I feel so sorry for the people who do not know this greatest pleasure of life.. that first hot cup of coffee in the morning... nothing like it.. not even sex... and I am trying to get warm on this really cold brrr morning.... it is 22 degrees outside.. I think of all of the tourists who are freezing their bottoms off thinking "I did not know New Orleans could get this cold."

I am at my favorite toy.. my computer.. and doing my favorite thing.. writing.. as I listen to the latest news.....which now is not about the war in Afganistan or the lame duck session and voting.. but... the war with the weather.. all about the snow storm that hit our nation..like a furious blast from nature's huge missile..... and all of the many people stranded in various places ...caught in their travels..

The dogs are fed..happy campers..speaking of travel.... they do not know what is in store for them in the next few days.. my two, Reilley and Charlie are headed to Doggie Camp because Beth and I are driving to Dallas early tomorrow morning...and taking Dutch to be back with his mommy and daddy ...Janet & Jean...so we are packing our suitcases and also preparing Scott and Jack who will be joining us on our travels..

But before all of this takes place... Beth has a big job... cleaning her car..have you ever seen her car?...that is a journey in itself.. she has the task of bringing her son, Brett, and his friend & his family to the airport so that they can fly to Las Vegas... what a journey they will have.. a different world ... the lights ... the shows.. and hopefully they will get to the Grand Canyon...

And so I look for quotes about travel... and I have the graphic of the cartoon car.. because we are all going to be traveling on this holiday.. Some people travel without any problems . They just hop in the car or on the plane and off they go. Others like me prepare a journey with some reservations. I like my bed, my coffee ritual in the morning in my own kitchen and I hate putting my sweet dogs away at camp for several days. I will probably hug them a dozen times before they go . Truth is, they will be so happy there. It is a super place and they will have all of their puppy friends to visit with.

It makes me think of how we make so many journeys in life..and it is not always easy to leave a place and take on the challenge of something new.....the death of a loved one or a relationship or a job ...the end of a school term... moving to a new house....the beginning of a new career...starting a new relationship ... becoming a parent... the list goes on...

And I wonder what to pack in my psyche suitcase to help me on a journey.. certainly a healthy ego.. feeling good about myself.. trusting in myself to fall down and get up...I want to remember how I have succeeded in getting up before... to know that even with obstacles I have the skills and assets and strengths to deal with a challenge. So I want to remember my assets and strengths. There are so many but they are our tools.. If you are driving and have a flat tire, what are your tools? So too do we need tools in life to meet the challenges and to move onward in our journey. We need the support and love of my loved ones.. not only trusting in ourselves but in others to be decent but not in a polyanna way. There will be some who are not decent along the way but I think most people are innately good.. so I do not want my travels in life to be filled with fears and anxieties. Most times there is no boogie man in the closet.

"The longest journey a man must take is the eighteen inches from his head to his heart......or from his heart to his head"

And in my life travels, I hope that I can remember this . There will be times when I will have to listen to my heart and trust it like a good GPS . I hope that I can reach out to another and feel empathy and what another may be dealing with in his journey. I hope that I can get out of myself and walk in another's shoes. Then there will be times when I will have to travel from my heart that is dragging me to a journey that is perhaps not good for me and to use my cognitive skills, my head, to make some positive and wise choices that offer better outcomes. I want to use my head to control my emotions and recognize the false beliefs that a particular situation means that I am doomed. This is not so. The sky is not going to fall down on me....Henny Penny.

"A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it." George Moore

So often we travel in search of finding that infamous rainbow.... only to find it right in the very place where we are at the moment.. for it is within ourselves that we find peace.

"A good traveller has no fixed plans , and is not intent on arriving." Lao Tzu

How important it is to remember to enjoy the moment . Climbing the mountain is just as important as reaching the top. Stop and smell the flowers. Stop and look at the sunset. Stop and feel the love and joys of being with another.

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." Mark Twain

I know how much I love Beth and her children, my partners in this travel but I also want to remember how much I love the ones we are going to see. Sometimes the confusion and excitement can add stress to a visit and we forget why we have made the trip.

A friend of mine is on a journey as we speak. She is in the hospital with congestive heart failure. May our love and prayers blanket her from the cold fears and warm her as she travels on this journey ...not knowing where it will take her but her GPS...her love of God and her strong faith will guide her to the right place. , Knowing her she will be up and around in no time and praying for me.

There is another thing to remember about our journeys in life. It feels so good to win. The Saints won last night. They beat the Falcons and now we are back in the running for the world trophy again.. Geaux Saints Geaqux. A coach once said to my grandson Brett after winning a game.. "Don't it feel good to win."

So until we meet again.. happy traveling now and in the new year of 2011... jerrie

p.s. be sure to check out my blog at ..... jerriemcgreal.blogspot.com

The Gift of Christmas

Everyone is dashing about with the last minute searching for the right gift to give to others at this special time of the year. It is indeed the time of gift giving....more than any other season of the year....and the retailers are jumping with joy hoping that the crowds will get bigger and bigger. At the same time we are reminded not to get too caught up in the material part of Christmas ...and to remember the real message . I have to say that giving gifts is a part of that message....because when you think about it....that is what Christmas is.. a gift ...to all of us.

If you are a Christian then you would probably think that there is no greater gift than the Birth of the Baby Jesus....and if you are not a Christian... then you can at least accept that there is something magical and special about this Birth. Even the History Channel recognizes the importance of this birth. And whatever your beliefs may be what about jolly old St. Nicholas and his busy gift giving.

We hear of the Gift of the Magi and how the Wise Men brought gifts to the new born Child. No matter what some of us may believe, we follow this tradition . It is a birthday and we celebrate the specialness and magic of this Birthday with giving gifts.

And as we celebrate this birthday, I think of how we feel when we see a new born baby. We feel that innocence not yet tainted by cynicism . We feel all good inside and in spite of the ugliness sometimes of life and the difficult challenges we face, we get the feeling that there is goodness in mankind. Christians believe that this Birth is a reminder that Gopd gave us the gift of redemption ....that He sent His only Son to redeem us....to give us new life. What is nice is that you do not have to be Christian to appreciate this message. The gift is for everyone. According to my beliefs , God sent His Son to everyone ...to people of all faiths... to believers and non believers. Talk about a gift.

And speaking about magic what about Santa. He flies through the air at night. He is everywhere at the same time. He brings gifts to all of God's children along with the thrill and the excitement of the wonder of this moment. Just look at the faces of the children as they awake on Christmas morning and see the magnificence of the moment...the tree with the lights and the gifts all about.

I will never forget my many Christmas mornings and I thank my parents for that special gift they gave me each year even in the hard times when it certainly was not easy for them. They gave me the gift of magic that we all want... the belief that life is wondrous...that life is a miracle...that everything is possible...that we can all hop on that sleigh and grab some of the dreams that we have.

So to all of you I send a gift of love and good wishes. May you and your loved ones have a beautiful Christmas filled with joy and peace and love. Jerrie McGreal

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air." W. 'T. Ellis