Silence

I learned a good lesson about what silence means the other day. Raised an only child , I wasn't around noisy people growing up. My fellow graandchildren lived far away so few episodes of running, frolicking cousinry are in my memory. I love my neices and nephews and grand nephews and neices to pieces....but they are noisy. And in big colorful bunches the decible volume goes over my staid,sensitive limit.
The other day our kitten became lost for 20 hours. Instantly, despite the pack of two other adult cats and two other adult dogs...the house was too quiet. We slept with one eye open , and an ear tuned for a little mew. Nuttin. QUIET. No balls rolling down the halls wooden flooring at midnight. No earrings swishing off the nightstand at two a.m.. No loud sucky noises on the fuzzy blanket, near your ear at three a.m.. I can hear my friend Susan saying " And that's why I don't let the damn cats in "!! And I smile. But, the other night it was too quiet. I didn't know it could be too quiet.
And then baby kitty was found and rescued and brought home. And I was busily shouting"No! Kitty no-no" again. And my husband looked at me and said, " That's what it was, you werent yelling at the cat all the time!"

Let it Snow

Snow is falling. And falling. And stacking up! Its a nice powdery white that drifts and hides all the bad spots I never got around to in fall clean-up. But dog poop shows up quite nicely. Ugh.
It is winter. And its not officically winter yet. It is interesting to see how the season shapes up. Is this the one with mountanous piles all over town for months or the big storm and then everything melts and just looks dull all the rest of the time? I like that I have more time indoors and dont feel guilty because the sun in shining and the weeds are looking me in the eyes! It's time to enjoy the fire, good books, those sewing projects I've put off too long.
The Grosbeaks landed at the seed feeder today. Zeke went running hard to the back corner and then skidded to a halt in the powder and flopped upside down for a good snow massage. Tanzy chased the quail hiding in the remnents of the rasberry rows. Christmas songs are on the radio and the neighbor put up the Christmas lights. I suppose I'll have to dig out the ornaments now! Hmm, a good stew needs to appear in the crockpot.And now that my friend gave me a real old fashoined iron fry pan, I can try out that recipes for apple tart. OOOhhh, covered in cream straight out of the oven! Love the seasons!!

Fall

There is nothing like the first frost and sub 32 degree F night to awaken awareness of fall seasons's onset. Crisp cold air, crunchy dried leaves tumbling from trees, flower heads bending and dripping seedlings; The pumpkin vine is stretched across the garden, alas the lone pumpkin still greenish . Tomatoes and peaches warming in the kitchen window for final ripening, having been spared the shriveling chilled night.
Time to think of pies baking, quilt designs, warm fires with a good book. Or maybe a brisk walk with the dogs kicking up orange and yellow maple leaves and chasing squirrels busily hiding nuts.

Mid Year

When I made my New Years Resolutions this year I never dreamed how some of the goals would be accomplished.
The exercise thing has picked up...because we adopted two dogs. Dogs need to walk. So, I'm walking. And plotting how to keep walking in the winter. I had forgotten how much I like walking.
 I bought on sale a keyboard so I could learn to play the "piano". I am midway through book one. I need a teacher. Self help only goes so far for the non musical mind!
I am about half way through my stack of" books to read" and am enjoying most of them.
And the garage sale went really well.
I'm doing a little sewing although the whole back log thing is not happening.
The Orchard did get planted and I'm thrilled with the tiny apricots, peaches, pears, and apples that are presenting on the first year trees! The raspberries are looking like a fine crop is coming in also. Don't ask me whats eating the beans. I don't know and the fourth planting appears to going the way of the others. Gazads! Maybe no beans to can this year! Yikes!
And no writing is occurring. But its only the end of June. I have 6 more months.

Hope for the Future

Everyone goes through periods of time when they think "I must change" and "Now is it, I can't go on this way". I've always believed those feelings are gut instinct telling you to move on. What I hadn't learned until now, at nearly 51, is, the change maybe just needs to be in your thinking. Shift your self perception; look through the other side of the glass; change you. Hmmm. I'm working on it!

Rain it is

Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.


Saw this  and loved it!!

Rights for all

From an AAUW news brief: "Thousands gathered at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., to remember feminist and civil rights champion Dr. Dorothy Height. President Obama eulogized Dr. Height saying, "We remember her for all she did over a lifetime, behind the scenes, to broaden the movement's reach...To make us see the drive for civil rights and women's rights not as a separate struggle, but as part of a larger movement to secure the rights of all humanity, regardless of gender, regardless of race, regardless of ethnicity."
Being a member of AAUW, I am particularly fond of the fact that we not forget that in supporting women's equity rights, we not forget we should be supporting humanity in general. Men, children, immigrants...for we are not different from one another in our dreams and hopes. In our self-interest, we should strive to account for our own actions in this regard and not overlook our own prejudice.