big giant relief

I remember reading somewhere that the two most common prayers offered up are "Help me" and "Thank You."

Well, I'm not always so good at using "Help me," even when I need it; life has kind of trained me to think my problems should not be anyone else's problems (not even The Man Upstairs'). But I will say, to my credit, I am pretty quick with the "Thank You" when something that I feel like I need for my personal well-being is forthcoming.

That meeting I was dreading? Because, as long as I've been part of the group it only met when there was some ENORMOUS problem that needed dealing with, and it often meant upset people? (This was the one where at a recent meeting, I wound up doing an ugly in-public cry because I couldn't deal with how the anger was being expressed. Which actually might not have been so awful; I think it did shake up the two angered parties a little and make them realize how non-productive what they were doing was).

Well, anyway - came home to a message at lunchtime from the new head of the group. Couldn't get everyone at the same time so for now the meeting is briefly postponed. The head of the group is going to make a stronger effort to try to get everyone and schedule them....for monthly meetings.

Which tells me a big big thing - this new leader is going back to the way of doing things the way this group USED to operate before I was in it, and also, the way every other variant of this group I have seen everywhere else operates. ALSO I take it to mean there is not some giant, potentially world-ending (for some values of World) problem looming, but the new leader is just being pro-active and wants to meet regularly to head off problems before they develop.

I will happily trade the certainty of a monthly meeting that is likely to be low-to-no drama for only occasional meetings but that come after something big and bad has happened, and everyone is upset and hurting and fearful their side won't be heard, so people wind up shouting at each other.

The other thing is, I now don't have to juggle this one between getting home after field lab (and wanting to wash my hair) and my regular monthly Wednesday night meetings at church. So it simplifies my life all 'round.

I had to run a couple errands (needed more pantyhose, and the only place near me that has it is wal-mart, so despite my dislike of there....) I also wound up checking the Christmas stuff aisle. They now have in the peppermint-filled Lindor truffles. (Those truffles - there are many flavors -  are probably my one big food-vice these days). So I got some. And I admit, I took a couple moments (I was still calming down after the realization that the meeting was called off) and strolled the Christmas decorations aisle. Yes, it's still a little early but for me it's beginning to approach the realm of not-too-early.

And I took a quick run through the toy aisles. I got to see the StarLily huge animated toy unicorn (well, really - she's an alicorn, she has wings AND a horn) in person. I confess a tiny corner of me still wants one even though I know (a) I'd get bored with the slightly jerky stereotyped (="not real") motion quickly (b) it's huge and would be hard to find a place for and (c) most importantly, really not cuddly because of all the electronics. (Far better, I think, to finish my Moondancer stuffie and then embark on either Trixie or Cheerilee....)

But yeah, for the right kind of little girl*, I could see it being an utterly magical present.

(*Or little boy, I suppose)

There's also a line called Lego Elves that I probably would have loved as a child....Hm, maybe a small set from that line becomes my traditional Toys for Tots gift this year. (I have a tradition of buying a toy that either I or my brother would have loved as a child and donating it for Christmas. Since I don't have a kid of my own to buy for)