I’m catching up on some of my my favorite podcasts today and I thought I’d share with you what I’m listening to. As I am posting this, I only have listened to the first one and am in the midst of the second one. These two are for me useful. I can’t speak if the others will be or not yet. Feel free to listen to what might help you in your own journey.
Addendum: I am pivoting and not listening to all of these today because I’m already into second one and it’s a lot to contemplate. It’s not bad, but it’s a lot.
…on WordPress.com and in October will be my 20th year of blogging, which I began on Blogger.
October 2005
I began my first blog, Just A (Running) Fool, to chronicle my journey to reach a marathon by the time I was 40. In September 2007, I finished the 25-mile Bald Eagle Mountain Megatransect, which, while short in distance of a marathon, was at least as exhausting physically, mentally and spiritually as a marathon, and, in essence, completed that goal.
December 2007
I began Journeying with the Saints to chronicle a journey through The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola that began in September 2007 and ended May 2008. There, I reflected on the Exercises first and then, after I was done with them, on other devotions with a special emphasis on the works of the saints – from Ignatius to St. John of the Cross and St. Benedict, to name a few – as well as sharing resources for devotions and the Exercises. Even though my wife and I are no longer Catholic, I still find Ignatius’ Examen a worthwhile exercise to reflect on the week or even the day.
2008
In early 2008, I began a blog to chronicle my reading on a blogging platform that eventually died. At the end of March that same year, I started an unfinished person (in an unfinished universe) with the idea of the blog serving as a portal to the other three blogs, connecting them all thematically: body, running; mind, reading; and soul, devotions. Then in April, I began a blog that didn’t fit into the body, mind, soul paradigm and was just for fun called Unfinished Ramblings, later Unfinished Rambler. Also that month, I began another reading blog, Just A (Reading) Fool, to chronicle my reading past, present and future.
The 2010s & 2020s
I went through several iterations of blogs with the words “unfinished” and “still unfinished” and even landed on WordPress.org for a while. Finally (?) I ended up here,as I say on my About page, to “send you transmissions (messages) from this unfinished person’s life, as I continue my journey to become less and less of ‘an unfinished person in this unfinished universe’ and a little more complete than when I started 55 years ago.” I also hope to help you become a more complete person on your journey too.
Every Thursday, I share three good things from today, in the past week, and/or in the weekor weeks to come, to focus on what is good. I encourage you to join me and share in the comments, if you want, or in your own journal, or both, whatever works for you.
This week is off the top of my head, as I’ve been running errands most of the day and didn’t draft this yesterday or earlier in the week as I often do. So, here we go:
Monday, my wife said, was the first day she felt “normal” after returning from the hospital last month and going back to work mid-month this month. And today she had a fitting for compression sleeves for her legs with a lymphedema therapist at our local hospital and was able to walk in with no trouble. A month ago, she had a hard time getting to the office and I drove her. Today, she went by herself.
Catching up with friends over the last few weeks, whether in person via phone or email or at the library where I work. I am so grateful for their friendship.
Bingewatching Corner Gas, a Canadian comedy that aired from 2004 to 2009 and now is available on Freevee, yesterday afternoon. It was the dad humor, or humour, I needed. We’re on the final season after watching it over the last several years here and there.
Author’s Note: Variations of “3 Good Things Thursday” can be found across the Interwebs and to which I was introduced by Deb Nance of the blog Readerbuzz who does hers every Sunday as part of her Sunday Salon post.
I am starting this on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. It is not coincidental, but also “it” is not, and will not be, the focus of this blog.
I won’t reintroduce myself here, especially for those of you who already know. For those of you who don’t know me or for those of you who do and want to know more about this blog in particular, here is my About page.
But I will tell you my inspiration for this blog and why I’m starting this today. It’s a quote from a book I haven’t read yet, but one that two friends say I need to read: Candide by Voltaire. One of them told me about this quote from the main character:
All I know is that we must cultivate our garden.
Candide says this to one of his traveling companions Pangloss after they encounter a Turk who tells them:
I have only twenty acres. I cultivate them with my children, and the work keeps us from three great evils, boredom, vice, and poverty.
My friend told me this was going to be his philosophy, to cultivate his garden, for the next four years. Likewise, I am going to attempt that – starting with this blog as I share the transmissions or messages I receive from the universe whether it be from books, TV, movies, or my own, and others’, life experiences. I invite you to join me:
on my continuing journey to become less and less of “an unfinished person in this unfinished universe” and a little more complete than when I started 55 years ago.
and to cultivate your own garden whatever that means…maybe even literally a garden.
Transmissions from the Northern Outpost 