Icewind's Ramblings

Many of us get wrapped up in things and continually have issues with time and our management of it in our lives.  There are so many different items to be sorted and dealt with as one walks along our timeline in this life. Is it easy, probably not, and how you deal with things will make you either totally stressed or worked up or as things become a little clearer in our thought process we may start seeing that calm that comes with a Zen-like living or lifestyle. Everyone has stresses and sometimes it seems like the waves of Life keep crashing in on you but do not be dismayed . . . you have the power to change things. “You can’t control the waves, but you can learn to surf” Challenges are going to come . . . but we’re not supposed to get sucked in.  We shouldn’t let them be too “heavy” and weigh us down because we have been given the amazing ability to surf.  We just have to choose to do it. Osho teaches us, once you have tasted the juice of the present,...

We all seem to have it lately . . . I guess it is that time of year when everyone has so many things going on in their lives that things build up for everyone.  Maybe it is that Late Winter/Early Spring time of year that we are all starting to go crazy waiting for the snow to melt and get breakup over with here in the far north. I saw this story on Peter Kovacs wall and wanted to pass it on as it shows us that many times we look at something from the obvious perspective but it we change our focus or gaze just a little bit it opens up a whole other thought process which can give us new insight or attitudes about things going on in our lives. A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience.  As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question.  Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out from the class r...

Life Observation # 164 “If time travel is possible . . . we'll know about it beforehand.”   Traveling woes At the airport for a business trip I settled down to wait for the boarding announcement at gate C2. Then I heard the voice on the public address system saying, “We apologize for the inconvenience, but Alaska Flight 51 will board from Gate C8.” So everyone picked up our luggage and carry-on’s and headed down the corridor to gate C8.  It was not 10 minutes later the public address voice told us that Flight 51 would in fact be boarding from Gate C2. So again everyone gathered our stuff and returned to the original gate.  Just as we were settling down the public address voice once again spoke:  “Thank you for participating in Alaska Airlines physical fitness program.” Ice

Words of Encouragement I saw this picture the other day and many of us go about our days trying to be upbeat and have positive thoughts.  Even on a crappy day it seems to make it go quickly so we can get back to a place where the positive takes over again. You never know the power of encouragement as you can see from the picture that early in life we received it and it started us on the mobile paths that we take each day as we go through our lives. Take the time to encourage those around you so that they can reach their individual potential and over time maybe there will be enough energy that we can have a Zen like transformation of our piece of the world making it a better place to live.  It starts off small but can grow to improbable things if we put in the effort. It started off with baby steps, went to a wobbly walk, and now we have the ability to run! Enjoy the moment as that is all that is real, and be positive to align yourself with a rewardi...

I am sure there are times in everyone’s life that it seems like the hard times are the ones that keep finding there way into our lives which create stress within that person’s being. Every one of us needs to find that center where we can rid ourselves of those things which we may not be able to change or fix.  Lose those feelings of helplessness and pain. Next time you are stressed; Take a step back, inhale deeply and laugh. Laughter will ease muscle tension and allow your thoughts to flow into calmness all around you.  Laughter releases endorphin's that help you feel better and maintain a positive attitude. Remember who you are and why you are here. You're never given anything in this world that you can't handle. Prepare yourself for the unexpected. Be strong . . . be flexible . . . love yourself and love others. Life changes and you do not want to waste opportunities in your life. Always remember, just keep moving forward. Neve...

Anyone can achieve their fullest potential, who we are might be pre-determined, but the path we follow is always of our own choosing. We should never allow our fears, or the expectations of others to set the frontiers of our destiny. Your destiny can't be changed but, it can be challenged.   Every man is born as many men and dies as a single one. How is your own endgame of Life? Live fully and be prepared for the unexpected! Ice

You have the power to change someone’s life tonight . . . a call . . . an encouraging email . . . an idea . . . a contact . . . a positive post . . . or even a smile. And the funny thing is . . . when you do . . . your own life changes too! Ice

It looks like we may be in for another round of bad weather here in Alaska . The Municipality of Anchorage has issued a travel warning due to the snow, ice, and cold weather. They suggest that anyone traveling in the current icy conditions should make sure they have the following: Shovel Blankets or sleeping bag Extra clothing including hat and gloves 24 hours worth of food De-Icer Rock Salt Flashlight with spare batteries Road Flares or Reflective Triangles Candle and matches First Aid Kit Booster cables I looked like such an idiot on the bus this morning as I went for coffee! Ice

Confucius say: If you think we’re going to sum up your whole life on this little bit of paper, you’re crazy! Ice

The sun will rise and set today . . . regardless of what is going on in your life. You will go on today . . . regardless of what is happening to your, for you or around you. You can go through your day on autopilot or you can choose to appreciate your life experience. What will you choose today? Today I'm choosing to be grateful . . . for every moment and every person in my life. Everyday we have the opportunity to make this “Now” moment in our lives the best possible time as it is always fleeting and we can never get it back again. I'm blessed because you are here with me . . . on my journey.  Ice

It seems like this happens more and more these days as I received the call yesterday afternoon from an Old Friend that news of a family member having inoperable lung cancer was texted me so I would know what was happening.  Several phone calls later and with much anxiety details and some form of plan was put together on how best to prepare for things. It is never easy for anyone finding out news that affect your circle of family and friends but one which everyone needs to prepare so you can be the shoulder if needed or the foundation to give them your support and a pool from which to pull from your strength as needed while dealing with things. It is a bittersweet feeling that you are honored to be one of those who is trusted to give your thoughts on things but also the futility of not being able to “fix it” or make things immediately better.  All anyone of us can do is place things in “Others” hands to help everyone see things through as that is all anyone ...

We change the world a little bit each day with our kindness. It seems to start slowly but with time it gains momentum and spreads to others who are also kind extending the aura around you. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. Never miss an opportunity to make others happy, even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it. Ice

Since my heart attack it has been hard for me to get back into my groove of writing each day so I wanted to make some changes to things hoping it may shake up my subconscious to jumpstart again. I have always believed that being positive in your thoughts and actions each day is a choice we make when we wake up each morning and that it will affect how your day will generally go.  Not always, but it stands to reason that if you are positive you will be sought out by other positive people and negative people will have other negative folks drawn to them. Over the last months I have been sending positive messages to someone who has been struggling with the past and seeking changes to their life.  Sending these each morning has made me feel great in giving of myself the time and effort to put positive energy out in my realm of the universe each day.   I want to start sharing some of these with you to hopefully brighten your day and help you be reminded how li...

One Hundred Twenty Five Hours that changed my Life - Part Three - The Hospital ER & OR I warmed my rig up and started for the hospital.  The winter time here in Alaska gives us a little different ambiance than that found in the Lower 48.  We are in our cold dark period and on this day it was minus 10 degrees outside and at seven o’clock in the morning it would be over three more hours before the sun would rise over the mountains to the east of Anchorage .  We are approaching the winter Solstice where we only get about five and a half hours of daylight.  The sun is up around 10:30 in the morning and sets just before 4 in the afternoon.  The rest of the time we are in darkness making for long cold nights here during the winter. On this morning traffic from my house to the hospital was extremely light with only a few cars making there way along my route.  I had seen a moose eating beside the road as I approached the Hospital by the University o...

One Hundred Twenty Five Hours that changed my Life Part Two  - The Time Line of Events This is the second part of sharing my recent heart attack and the lifestyle and possible events leading up to it.  Sometimes we are so busy living life that we fail to see or recognize things that may be in plain sight in front of you.  I recently had one of those experiences that oddly through the mental pain, the physical pain and suffering found a way to change some things modify my lifestyle a little bit.  It is from these changes and those events that probably saved my life.  We are getting older and need to be aware of our habits both in eating, exercise, and our mental state, not sweating the small stuff. What I am talking about is a heart attack. Friday, 11-30-12    11:00 am      Pick up Friend & go to Fred Meyer before lunch She had returned home from a flight late the night before and wanted me to give he...

Part One Sometimes we are so busy living life that we fail to see or recognize things that may be in plain sight in front of you.  I recently had one of those experiences that oddly through the mental pain, the physical pain and suffering found a way that surprised me and probably saved and changed my life. What I am talking about is a heart attack. Through my blunders and somewhat set ways I came through this and survived but as my cardiologist told me I could have easily died as most people do that have the type of heart attack that I did.  I had what is often called the “widow maker” is a nickname used to describe a highly stenotic left main coronary artery or proximal left anterior descending coronary artery of the heart.  Mine was the LAD type and the widow maker term is used because if the artery gets abruptly and completely occluded it will cause a massive heart attack that will likely lead to a sudden death. Mine was als...

Like most people at this time of year it seems like everyone takes a few minutes to think about and review the past year.  I do that now and again but try not to write those “year end reviews” that some people enjoy sending out each year which embellishes all the great things that have happened to them or their family members. Hopefully this will not be that type of review though there may be some exaggeration of a few things since I tend not to really want to go to those things which may have been negative for me this year. As 2012 started in January there was much work going on with me traveling out to many remote Alaskan villages where the company I worked built clinics, water & sewer plants as well as other needed infrastructure so needed in the bush.  Many Natives still do not have indoor plumbing or clean water and I was fortunate to help provide that in several villages. The time of my separation and divorce brought me to a period for the first time in...

It has been a little strange for me that since my heart attack that my being able to sit down and write just seemed to be stalled.  There was much to say and many notes to gain topics from which to write but it has been hard for me to sit down at the computer to write it down. I have tried many times in these last few weeks where I would sit and start and just as quickly stop not able to make my fingers hit the key strokes like they have so many times before.  It is strange in some ways as I could sit and write things on a notepad but could not bring myself to transfer the words from paper to word process.  I have wondered why that has been that way or what did not motivate me to sit and write during this time I have been in a state of convalesce since my hospital stay. It has only been two days now that I can seem to sit here and contemplate this state and start to put things down on what I would like to say again.  I have been editing my book getting it r...

When we were on vacation last summer we came across this while wandering around. Enjoy! Ice

It is such a needless tragedy on so many levels of American society and politics. Our hearts and prayers go out to those families affected by this tragedy and the effects it will have on this country in our efforts to secure our children’s safety and well being. "More than any time in recent history, America 's destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek, nor did we provoke, an assault on our freedom and our way of life. We did not expect, nor did we invite, a confrontation with evil. Yet the true measure of a people's strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive. 26 people were killed a couple of hours ago at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut .  20 children from the school were killed and 6 adults in this needless act of violence.  Police were alerted after having been notified, they ran into the building to help get people out and protect others still inside and in harms way.  Ran into the building to help...