When I was a little girl, my mom would drag me to the stores while she shopped and I’d amuse myself by looking at stuff. I was just learning to read and was always thrilled to find items with “Pat. Pending” on the label. I didn’t know what “Pending” meant, and had no idea that the “Pat.” actually referred to patent applications, but I loved being able to read my own name on so many things!
When I was trying to come up with a name for this blog, it occurred to me that besides being kind of cute and clever (at least to me), Pat Pending is also the perfect description of where I was in my life at that time. A few years before, I had left a long-time job and career with no earthly idea of what I was going to do next. I was…pending. And the truth is, I probably always will be. Are any of us ever really finished? So, with that in mind, I offer some reflections and revelations that occur as I pend.
Well, we did it. Bob & I successfully installed our first water heater yesterday. It took from 9 a.m. until just after 6 p.m., with no breaks except a trip to Home Depot. It was an adventure which included some fun, some frustration and some very helpful friends. We started the day with a "team […]
I’ve just passed the first anniversary of being laid off from my job and to celebrate, I’m paying attention to how I’ve changed, what I've learned about myself, and what I’ve accomplished in this year of freedom and discovery. One thing that feels different about the me I am now is that I don’t seem […]
I imagine my hordes of faithful blog readers have been wondering where I’ve been for the past few months. Thank you, by the way, for not inundating me with emails, calls, texts, etc., demanding to know what’s going on and when I’ll be back. It was nice of you to grant me the space for […]
There's a lot of dying going on around me. It's to be expected, I suppose. I'm at the age where my friends, colleagues, and their parents and siblings are passing away. It's not remarkable; it's just life. Of course, this isn't the first time I've encountered death. Like most everyone else - at least everyone […]
There are few things more beautiful and calming that the sight of a pair of swans gliding upon a glassy lake. That was the sight that greeted me on my walk this morning. But instead of being calmed, I felt somehow sad and frustrated. My life is in transition, there are so many ups and […]
The Angel Card I drew this morning was "Grace", meaning that's my gift for the day. Grace is a word with several definitions. It can mean poise or elegance, but also a gift or blessing. Since I'm looking for it today, I thought I should explore its meanings, especially the one having to do with […]
I'm a big fan of the four elements. You know, Earth, Water, Air and Fire? (Although someone suggested to me once that the last one should really be sunlight. That actually makes sense, because isn't the sun fundamentally a big ball of fire? But I digress.) I like the elements because they reduce everything in […]
In a recent entry, I was commenting on joy and how it seems to elude me. I've been thinking about that a lot, and I'm coming to understand that it may be that I really am experiencing joy and simply not recognizing it as such. I think, like a lot of people, I've been looking […]
I was reading today that a group of guys around the globe are trying to decide whether to keep the "leap second" or get rid of it. The leap second is similar to the leap year, and apparently every few years the "timekeepers" have been sticking in an extra second in order to keep all […]
I had an epiphany today on my walk by the lake. Actually it was more a remembering of something I learned a long time ago. I love when that happens. It's like getting a dividend on an investment or a royalty payment for work you did in the past. The re-minder was that the purpose […]