Today is dictionary day.  I closed my eyes and turned the dictionary this way and that and picked a word at random.  The word my finger fell on was so unexpected.  “Buttery.” I like buttery. 
Better yet I like butter.  In fact within the last 12 hours I had toast with just butter on.  Not just a smidgeon of butter but laid on thick.  Ok I know that is not real healthy, but it is in my mind real nice.
Yet I did not know buttery could mean so many things.  I saw that not only does it contain or taste like butter, it can mean a room where I can buy meals and drinks.  Or it can be a storeroom for liquors.  In fact, the online Oxford English Dictionary (OED) said there are 7 meanings of buttery.  I went to look at them but it wanted more details about me than I wanted to give.  So I can only imagine all the meanings.
I did think of the ad that says, “I just want milk that tastes like real milk.”  I am happy for all these meanings of buttery, but I just want butter that tastes like real butter.
One thing the OED did say was that buttery occurs about 0.2 times per million words in modern written English.  Does knowing that change my life?  I would say not but I never know. I could be captured by people that want to do me in and get asked (and risk losing my life if I do not know) “how many times does the word buttery occur per million words in written English?  I could say 0.2 and be allowed to walk free.  But that is not likely.  I am back now.
Another thing stated was the earliest known use of the adjective buttery.  Just for people that may have always wondered that, and for those like me that have never wondered it, it was in the Middle English period (1150-1500)
But my mind keeps going back to butter on toast, or bread, or in cooking, or on many things.  I cannot remember if it was an ad or an ad for something else but for me things do taste better with butter.

There are a multitude of virtues.  One site says “the 7 virtues” while another list 100.  Other sited list different numbers.
I am looking at a list of 11.  They include, Love: emphasizing compassion and care for others.  Faith or a trust and belief.  Hope- the expectation of good things to come.  Kindness or showing consideration and generosity towards others.   Self-Control - The ability to manage one's emotions and impulses.  Joy- A deep sense of happiness and contentment.  Peace or an inner tranquility and harmony with others.  Patience: The ability to endure difficult circumstances without frustration. Goodness: Moral excellence and virtue in actions.  Faithfulness - loyalty and reliability in relationships and Gentleness which exhibits itself in a humble and considerate attitude towards others. (5 sources)
As far as I am concerned they are all legitimate to practice and aspire to, yet there is one I feel is most pertinent to me and the day in which I live.
Patience. 
I did find a number of definitions of patience.  Some I agree with and some I do not.  For example the patience listed above talks about “enduring difficult circumstances without frustration.”  Maybe that is some high form of patience, but I tend to be like “I want patience and I want it now!”
I don’t know I would ever have it without frustration, but I would definitely never have it without faith.  Despite the difficulties some things are worth the wait.
I do like what the Cambridge dictionary says, “the ability to wait, or to continue doing something despite difficulties, or to suffer without complaining or becoming annoyed” but again the “without complaining or becoming annoyed” is a bridge too far.
One of the things I really love about where I am right now is I feel I can be honest with myself and exercise patience in hope at the same time.  As far as I am concerned being honest with myself is healthy.   I can be annoyed, frustrated and wondering why and at the same time peaceful knowing that though I might not understand, someone bigger and smarter than me does.
I can express frustration and confidence while I wait.

I often say it.  The hardest part of any task is getting started.  It is one thing to think about a task and have solutions for every problem, but unless a start is made then nothing changes.  Also it is only in starting that reality can play a part, and perhaps solutions in my mind get modified to adapt to the present reality.  It is not a case of giving up, but adapting.
They say the huge coal trains that can be a kilometre long or more have a couple of engines at the front.  These engines are to get the train moving.  Once moving the load is easy to move.  Getting it started is the hard part.
I reckon it is the same for tasks I undertake.  And the thing is the tasks often take more work than anticipated.  In my mind it is I just need to do this and this and the rest will assume a life of its own.  In theory that is right but so often more was involved then I thought, and the task is way more involved than I anticipated.  To me that is ok.  Having made a start changing directions is easy.
I used to find that in sailing.  I was a crew on a Cobra Cat. The hardest part was getting started.  All the sail was initially used to catch what wind there was to get started.  Once started the going was easier. (I will never forget the Australian championships which we were practicing for.  A cyclone was heading down the coast, and we were on the water practicing.  I remember just thinking “I want to go home.”  The wind was ferocious, and the mast bent alarmingly, but boy was it great getting the wind behind us.  The speed across the water was amazing)
Starting that day was no problem.  But there was not always a favourable wind blowing.  Actually our best result was when the fleet was all but becalmed.
But the whole point to me is making a start.  I cannot assume favourable conditions.  In fact, conditions may be seemingly very much against me.  But if I feel to start something then my pursuing the matter is not a case of going for it only when all is good, but going for it despite what may be negative and difficult circumstances. Although I will weigh up each situation, it is always with achieving the goal in mind rather than giving up on the goal.