Day One-hundred-and-seven: A squirrelly day

About 1:30 PM, I looked at the outdoor temperature. It was a balmy 75 degrees. I quickly did two things, I opened my house to the outside and hung the sky chair. Then I sat in it for an hour. Most of that time was with my eyes closed as I was trying to meditate.

There were a lot fewer noises, most appreciably the construction sounds were gone. It didn't start out that way. There were a couple male voices in my newly occupied neighbor's house's backyard. They weren't going to chase me away but they either stopped talking or left very quickly. About 40 minutes into it, I heard a strange "skritching" sound. I opened my eyes and was staring at a squirrel running along the top of the fence that runs between my and my neighbor's yard. It conveniently paused at the closest possible point to me then after a few seconds went on about its business.

Its business was to go into my neighbor's yard and pick up what looked to be an apple. Then it went further along the fence and climbed a tree in my yard to eat it on a branch, sufficiently out of my reach were I to try, of that tree. I had noticed portions of eaten apples in my yard before but didn't know which animal to blame. Now I do.

When we were buying this place, I told Marilyn that it was a "healing place." While circumstances did not allow her a physical healing, I know she always loved the backyard. Maybe it will be "healing" me. It didn't have a chance to do so until my Life after Layoff and just recently started to do so since that. I have enjoyed the peace that permeates the space.

I used up some more of the excess beer that visitors bought, brought in, and left. Yes, I made another loaf of beer bread. I have enough of that beer to make one more loaf. The problem is, I no longer have enough self-rising flour for another. So, my next loaf will need to be a mathematically calculated combination of self-rising flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.

I should have gone for a walk this afternoon. The only piece of mail I didn't recycle before I brought it into the house, was not for this house. Hence, I should have walked it to the right house, 735 instead of 835, on my street. Since I didn't today, I'll try to remember tomorrow, after I get back from my out placement consultation. My "consultant" is to review my personality and style self-assessments.

I am INTP in Myers-Briggs MTBI speak.

I am Achiever, Learner, Focus, Futuristic, and Self-assurance in Strengths Finders.

I am an Intuitor / Senser normally and an Intuitor / Thinker under stress in I-Speak Your Language.

In a 20-page report on my Personal Style Inventory, I am:

More Optimistic and more Prefer Change in my Orientation to the Future;
More Work-Centered, extremely Flexible, balanced Emotionally between Reactive and Resilient, and more Intrinsically Motivated in my Personal Working Style;
More Introverted, more Assertive, balanced between Independent and Collaborative, more Straightforward, and more Customer-Focused in my Interpersonal Style; and
Extremely Participative, extremely Visionary, and balanced between Role Relations and Human Relations Orientation in my Management Style.

At one time these were insights, but now they are just words that may be more or less accurate. What I am now I am still discovering but I already know that I am confident in my abilities, in my mental balance, in my life. While I don't feel that I am any different than I was when I was working, my Life after Layoff has both brought it into better perspective and improved my personal awareness--of me.