Nature, Travel, Uncategorized, work

A Garden without Godzilla

43 Comments

Things have been pretty stressful for me here, especially at work, as several people who I work closely with have taken up offers on job buyouts from the State.  Loss is not easy.

The recent post by VS about Godzilla made me think back on our recent visit to the Japanese Gardens in Portland. It is a pretty serene place.

 

I find it helpful to look back on these photos and remember the quiet, the beauty, and the peace.

What helps you find serenity when you are stressed?

43 thoughts on “A Garden without Godzilla”

        1. Dos head banging count? Does then fixing the hole in the wall count?
          In truth bike riding and doing pastels were my steam relief valves for years. I have been thinking of trying to build my private holy place, withdrawal space, more in my imagination with our small apartment. Since movement won’t do it, maybe worry beads and mental imagery. Has anyone here used worry beads or the stress balls?

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  2. Rise and Shine Baboons!

    I really thought the question today would follow up on yesterday’s question: How many Baboons ate popcorn last night?

    What I do for stress depends on the level of stress–frustration with a difficult situation prompts me to weed the garden will extra oomph directed at roots of big weeds.

    The next step up usually involves Netflix or Hulu and an old favorite movie with the cell phone turned off. Food might be involved as well.

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  4. Sometimes a bit of “comfort TV” (those favorite shows that, thanks to Netflix and DVDs, you can go back and watch – “West Wing” has been on my go-to list lately). Summer time I will take a good read and sit out on the front steps – watch the neighbors and the world go by. Winter – assuming we have the rink – a bit of time on the ice soothes my soul.

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      1. I loved the pilot episode — especially the first appearance of Martin Sheen as president nearly halfway through, quoting the Bible and putting a bunch of smug, self-righteous Christian zealots in their place. At least, that’s what I recall. What an entrance!

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  8. Listening to music.
    If I’m really stressed and upset playing it at extremely high volume helps.

    And slamming doors and throwing tools. Oh, and yelling and swearing.
    Anything to help alleviate the stress, right?
    (Throwing tools and swearing is frowned upon at the college; I have to go stand outside- away from the students- for a few minutes. But I have made smoke come out of my ears once or twice.)

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  9. Music…..headphones tune the world out….’tho living here is an escape in and of itself. Spring brings many botanical rewards. This year my Yellow Lady Slipper was gorgeous…and I had a newly discoverd plant (from the birds?) a Nodding Trillium. I love the visiting and nesting birds. Bugs don’t qualify as stress releavers except for the blue dragonflies and butterflies.
    Having put our home on the market has turned into a stressor for me rather than a stress reliever. Exhaustion set in last weekend…and I consumed a quart of HagenDas in one day…..can’t buy the yummy flavors as they go down too easily. Been eating a lot of popcorn….edgy stress eating while watching old movies recorded form TCM.

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  10. I guess that people in Portland were stressing over the well being of the Koi in the garden when it got so cold this winter. They constructed a place for the Koi to go so they won’t freeze .

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    2. I find that cumulative effect of meditation is almost magical. Really helps me stay on an even keel. After my daily half hour, a 15 minute spin in the massage chair, and I’m almost as good as new – well, relatively speaking.

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    2. What? You moved to house that doesn’t have a hot tub? What were you thinking?

      Will I be seeing you tomorrow at the Sedaris reading?

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  17. For some reason, I felt very stressed today. I felt like throwing things, which I’m usually able to refrain from, because I’m so wise and mature, haha, so after a little bit of yelling, I went through all my clothes and tossed out about half of them (will donated them to a thrift store). It’s not like I had tons of clothes, but it felt good to have some control over something in my life, even if it was a very small something.

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