Share Your World – 2/11/19

It’s a cold, white day here with more snow in the forecast. It’s February, the month in which I live with major cabin fever. Weary of winter, annoyed when snow gets in the way of my movements – longing for sun and warmth. I cannot rid myself of this reality though, so I look for ways inside to amuse myself – in this case, it will be by sharing my world. One more time.

What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend? In this instance, my answer will pretty much mirror that of Melanie – I’m retired and there is little difference between a weekend and a weekday. My days are very quiet as a general rule, and I like it that way. Although, this time of year, I begin to long for some adventure, some sunshine, some warmth, some ocean.

Who do you admire most in the world? I most admire people who reason, who use logic but still indulge in fantasy now and then, who are honest, who are loyal. Tolerant. Gentle, but enthusiastic. Calm, yet passionate.

 What do you regret not doing? Saving more. Disciplining myself when it came to spending instead of being impulsive during the few years I actually had an income that allowed me to be impulsive. Being wiser in looking forward to these years when I am no longer young that were so far into the future back then.

If you see a puddle on the ground, do you walk around it or over/in it? Most of the time, I think I would walk around it or step over it. But on a hot day, in sandals or barefoot, I would splash through it. It would really depend on the circumstances.

The second section of this week’s questions is all about having a Valentine, and I think I’ll just go right on past it. My years of wanting/having a Valentine are past now, which does not really make me sad. Except when the deck needs snow shoveled off, of something heavy needs moving. It’s all about practicality now. Instead, let me just say that despite it being the time of year I grumble about the weather, the slippery roads, the inconvenience, I am grateful that I woke up to do all of those things, and that one day they will pass and green will pop out of the soil again.

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Share Your World – 2/4/19

There is white stuff out there, that has come in bits and pieces over the past two nights – not a lot of it, but enough to remind me it’s still winter, and to bring cold with it. Not like the Midwest and east had last week, but colder than I like. Which often means it’s below 55. Or 60. It’s 22 out there. Up from 17 when I got up. I’m waiting for the daffodils to blossom. In the meantime, I’ll see what I can do with Melanie’s questions, which, upon first glance, have me baffled as to how I’ll answer them.

What’s wrong but sounds right? Well, what’s wrong is the leadership (so-called) of our country. Except I’m not at all sure it even sounds right. What’s wrong is a man who cannot lead and will not take direction but says he’s the “best president this country has ever had” – to him, I’m sure it sounds right, because to him everything he says sounds right. Why this rant? It’s called the State of the Union address that is to happen tonight, which I know will make me angry, but I also know that I will be drawn to watch it, like a moth drawn to flame.

What physical action or gesture do you find romantic? Small things – a gentle touch that says “I love you”; a cup of coffee delivered with a smile; no negative comments while I’m cooking dinner.

What’s something you really resent paying for? Toilet paper.  Insurance.  Things that are necessary but with questionable benefits. Well, toilet paper might not be so questionable. Although I recognize the benefits more from the bidet attachment I put on my toilet. TMI? Sorry.

What’s your favorite romance movie?  A movie you may find romantic, even if that’s not the genre.  I’ve been watching a lot of those lately, loosely titled “romance movie” and found a surprising number of dramas, action and comedy among the hearts and flowers. I have no idea, primarily because I’m not sure I understand genres, of book or movies. I mean, what makes which one a romance movie or novel? What’s the difference between “thriller” and “suspense”? Was Patch Adams a romance movie? It’s one of my all-time favorites. As was ET, which could have been a romance movie, because of the relationship between ET and the kids, albeit not an adult romance.

And of course we have our gratitude of the week question:

What were you uplifted by in the past week? I was uplifted by getting out of bed every single morning, able to move about on my own volition, make my cups of coffee, cuddle with my furry girl, find food in my refrigerator, and warmth in my home. My kids – my friends. The birds outside my windows. Living.

And I finished a painting. One my FB friends have seen, but perhaps some of you have not. This one started in one spot, went to another – I showed you that last week, didn’t I? Well, it went through a couple more metamorphoses before it got here, and I decided to call it done.

Share Your World – 1-28-19

It’s 10:52, do you know where your kids are? Yes, indeed I do. Eufy is working in the family room, Shasta is napping in her big chair. If it were p.m. rather than a.m., they would both be in bed. I keep up with things here!

Now that that’s taken care of, it’s time to share with Melanie.

1. Are you thin or thick skinned?   Are you easily offended or tend to let it just roll off your back like a duck does with water? I think in my younger days I was more thin-skinned than I am now. Usually things that could offend roll off my back, although sometimes totally innocent comments will make me think for a moment or so – “should I be concerned?” In reality, I think our society spends far too much time being offended. We all need to get lives.
2. How important are morals in a healthy society? What are the most important morals for citizens to have?  (Credit to Rory for this question) Morals are very important – without them we are nothing more than barbarians. Those virtues that I believe are most important are empathy, courage, honesty, tolerance.
3. What will your epitaph be? Epitaph?! Say what!? That would imply I’ve died – that’s not on my list of things to do. Yes, I know – not a choice. I’m going to be cremated, there will be no place for an epitaph. Moot point.
4. (I don’t admire either/or questions much, which is why you won’t see ‘em often.  Today is an exception)  French toast, pancakes or waffles? Probably French Toast, unless my mood changes. Then pancakes. Waffles are a rare craving for me to have. The French Toast has to be made with a thick sliced bread and a custardy  dipping mixture.
5. What were you grateful for this past week? Sunshine, warmth – relative thing, of course, but warmer than normal temps. The same thing I do not want in the summer. Conversations with my kids and friends. Bird song, squirrel antics, my furry girl.

I have a painting in progress – it started like this

Then grew some trees, but I wasn’t happy, so it morphed to this

Where it will go from here I do not yet know.

Share Your World – 1/21/19, except, of course, it’s now 1/26

It is a lazy Saturday, and my fingers feel like romancing the keyboard, so I’ve decided to play with Melanie today, before the next SYW post is out.

What’s the closest thing you’ve experienced to real magic? I guess it would have to be after a failed marriage, when I realized suddenly that I was strong, and there were many things I could do on my own. It was a “I am woman, I am strong” moment, a coming of age moment, an acknowledgement that I am a survivor.

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Who is the messiest person you know? And why? Most of my friends are super neat, which often leaves me feeling I could be the messiest person I know. Which, by the way, does not disturb me. But I know that’s not really true – I am a stacker and so where I sit most of the time usually has a bit of a stack nearby, which reaches a point that I can no longer tolerate it, and neatness happens. I do know someone that might fit that category, but then again that might also be a situational thing, so I won’t name names.

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If you could know the absolute and total truth to one question, what question would you ask?  Oh gosh, I don’t know. Someone said “when I will die”, which I don’t think I want to know. On the other hand, her reasoning made sense to me. I don’t know. This is not an answer, but wouldn’t it be nice if truth became a “thing” in our world, and lies were a rare happening?

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What benefits does art provide society? Does art hurt society in any way? I cannot think of any way that art hurts society. Sometimes artists should be more respectful about where they create their art – on the sides of buildings they do not own and other public structures, might not be the best choice. Yet, much of it is beautiful. I think art can awaken emotions, provoke thought, give pleasure. It’s an individual, precious experience. So yes, I think art does benefit society.

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What’s something positive you’d like to share?  Can be a smile, a joke, or music..anything that gave you a lift this week!  Oh, the same things I appreciate every week could be mentioned here, but I think I’ll veer from my norm a bit. I recently made a purchase that I have since concluded is probably the very best purchase I’ve made in a long, long time. I bought a robot vacuum – spurred on by a friend getting one because her very serious bursitis prevents her from using a standard vacuum. For quite some time now, my back complains mightily when I vacuum, and it generally takes days to get through the whole house because of that. As a result, it was a chore that got put off far too long far too often. When my friend got one, it made me think about that – made me wonder if I should just squeeze the budget and go for it. So I visited Amazon (because that’s my favorite shopping place), found a model that is far less expensive than the big name – the iRobot Roomba – and very highly rated with very good reviews. Consideration, thought, rationalization, internal arguments, discussions about responsibility and guilt with oneself – I took the leap. We are getting to know one another, Eufy (that’s her brand but also her name) and I, and I am learning about her. I am also very much enjoying the fact that I can let her run free – with occasional checking to make sure she hasn’t found trouble – for her standard battery life period of 100 minutes per day, and my floors look better than they have in a very long time. That makes me smile, gives me a lift, and my back says “thank you!”

New Dreams for MLK Day

Beautiful dreams, beautifully written. I share each and every one of them.

themiddlegeneration

Today is the solemn anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. I would like to use this post as a tribute to MLK’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Given all that has transpired since the 2016 elections, I would like to add some clauses to the dream…
I have a dream that the leader of the US will believe in and uphold the principles of the Constitution that all men and women are created equal and have the right to free speech. This includes the freedom of the press- not the suppression or demonization of it.

I have a dream that children will no longer need to practice lockdown drills and people can freely walk their neighborhoods and attend concerts without fear of being gunned down because the Supreme Court will realize that the intentions of the second amendment are not reflected in today’s reality.

I…

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Procrastination – and whatever else that may wander into my mind

I wonder if procrastination is in our DNA? (If you’re up there with my mother, please don’t let her hear that!). I have it, my son has it – my daughter, not so much. It baffles me, the things I put off and off and off – nothing difficult, so why do I do it? Getting clothes into the washer is not hard and I do that readily – the dryer might take a little longer, but it’s because I don’t hear the washer chime and short-term memory doesn’t happen around here. Getting the clothes out of the dryer – that’s a whole ‘nother story.

Dusting – another one of those “later” things. Possibly because it’s a thankless job – I do it, the stuff comes back in short order – why bother? Vacuuming – close to the same, but with an added excuse – my back really dislikes that chore. Of course, if I would do my yoga instead of putting it off. . .

This is a “wandering” thing. I watched parts of the football championship playoffs yesterday, because I seem to become more interested in professional sports when championships are on the line. The teams I was rooting for both lost – both of them. That seems frightfully unfair to me, because now I have no one to cheer on at the Super Bowl. I might as well simply crawl into a hole that day.

Oh by the way – the dishes in my kitchen sink and on the counter next to it aren’t there because I procrastinated – they are scheduled to be washed this morning. It’s just not time yet. Yes, I have a dishwasher, but there are things that don’t go into the dishwasher in my house.

Wandering some more – I’m eating more plant-based now, but there are some things that would make life incomplete – like omitting all dairy things such as cheeses. That would be a hardship no one should have to suffer. So I decorated my China Study cookbook Sweet Potato Enchiladas (with black beans) with Monterey Jack cheese yesterday. It was a worthwhile addition, take my word! Then there’s the snack time cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese with my daughter’s cranberry/pepper jelly and crackers. . .

The stack of newspapers on the table next to my chair in this room that I collected when I picked up my neighbors’ mail while they were gone? Well, they’re waiting to be carried to the garage for future fire-starting – which might happen today because the wet stuff isn’t falling from the sky anymore. There’s a serious risk of melting if I go out in wet stuff, you know.

One thing in this household that does not get put off – feeding the Shasta girl. She doesn’t allow it, being a very persistent pest when she chooses to.

I watched the first episode of Marie Kondo’s tidiness series on Netflix last night. Rather discouraging that I find I already do most of what she says, in that I have been sorting and reorganizing lately. We won’t discuss my craft room however, which seems to be where things go when they don’t seem to have a real home. Or need to get taken out to an outbuilding or the trash bin, but you know, it’s raining or snowing. I don’t fold my clothes in the same way she does, and I don’t say thank you to my clothes as they go in the time to move on piles. I also don’t get those piles moved on as quickly as I should. So okay, I wouldn’t pass Marie’s tests. But I might come close in some areas. Maybe. My spice drawer is good.

This morning we have sunshine, which doesn’t happen as often as I’d like in the winter. I like when it shows its face over the hill behind me, because it makes the world glow. Glowing is good.

Share Your World – 1-14-19

Is it spring yet? We have grey skies (again), snow showers (again), cold (again). I’m ready for sunshine and warmer. Or, alternatively, time at the coast where the weather at least has some drama.

I have cleaned up my kitchen (because it’s rare that I do that in the evening), put some beans on to cook for freezing for future meals, and don’t feel like attacking any of the other chores that are calling my name. Solution? Sharing my World with Melanie. 

1. You’re walking in a forest and you find a black suitcase.  Inside it is one millions dollars and a piece of paper, stained in blood and bearing the single word “Don’t!”  Would you take the suitcase home or leave it? I think I’d take it – but the blood-stained note might deter me. Or I might take it home, then fret and worry that I did the wrong thing. How would I explain having come into having money? Because you know I’d have to spend – buy some new furniture, flooring, travel. Oh, and the new furniture and flooring would go into my new beach house. Or maybe I’d take it home with no bad feelings. Really hard to know unless you’re actually faced with it. However, it just occurred to me that I could take it home and if it became a huge problem for me, then I could turn it over to the police, right?
2. Imagine you lapsed and cheated on your partner. You feel horrible and you know you’ll never do it again, because the feeling is so awful. Would you confess? No. I would not, unless I sensed he already knew. Why inflict that pain on someone else when I am already suffering?
3. Would you live your life differently if nobody ever judged you for anything you did? I think not. I believe I am what and who I am, and that’s not based on other people’s judgments.
4. Would a fly without wings be called a walk? No? What would you call it?  I think a fly without wings would be called a wingless fly. Or poor fly. That’s what I might call it, except I’m not sure I have a lot of sympathy for a fly. Another thing I wonder – what came first, the definition of the word “fly” or the insect that has that name? Did the word exist first and the insect was called that because that’s what he did?

What’s something that brought joy and lightness of being to you this past week? Much of my joy is from having the freedom and ability to follow my own schedule, to spend time in my kitchen or not, and when I do to cook foods that please me in a way that pleases me. Beyond that, knowing I have the love of my children and friends always brings lightness and happiness to my heart. Also, the freedom to explore my world of art – or what fulfills me that I feel I can call art. I’ve done some painting this past week , have more in mind to do, but I’ll now share with you my most recent efforts. All are a combination of brushes and painting knives.

Forest Dwellers

City Skyline