Choices

 

Rosemary Flower

One day I happen to see something on the Rosrmary plant I brought inside last fall. The plant stays green so long that it is not easy yo know if it is still alive when I bring it indoors.

To my surprise, there are little lavender flowers blooming. It lives! What a thrill to finally have proof of life.

At one point, I was going to put it in the hall thinking it is not going to make it. Instead I chose to continue to take care of it until the leaves turn brown. 

A good choice.

So here I’m sitting questioning myself about a choice to make. Should I read a book written by somebody else or read and edit a novel I’m writing? Both will bring me enjoyment. Only one has the potential to bring me money.

Answer: I can do both. Choices do not have to only be yes or no, this or that. 

Birds Are Slobs!

This season during a freezing cold spell, I am shocked to see a carpet of seed trash all over the deck. I mean everywhere! No nook or cranny is safe from being strewn and stashed with bird seed. What slobs, I'm thinking. There are as many pieces of sunflower hulls as bird tracks. 

Birds peck and hop away to crack the hull and eat the seed inside. In doing so, the seed trash scatters where they scatter. Spreading compostable materials is what birds do. Mother Nature, I'm sure is pleased with the services birds contribute. Using a container or bird feeder helps, but it doesn't stop the scattering.

For a few days I didn't put out new birdseed. I want the avians to finish whatever is left in the mess they made. In that time the deck was tidied up. The wind does help blow the lighter pieces away.

Male cardinal in Winter

Making Egg Salad a Day Too Early

    There are few people that will disagree, I'm guessing, that hazards in the World are everywhere. For balance, this is about a hazard on the less significant side of the hazard spectrum.

Was Egg Salad

    This winter I decide that each week I will have a moment in the outdoors while having a coffee, snack or lunch. Instead of a mat on the floor to meditate or a comfy chair to space out in, being in the fresh air, looking around, thinking about my relationship with Nature will recharge my soul's energy.

    In a good mood from the bright sunshine today, I made a batch of egg salad with the intent of making a sandwich for lunch tomorrow outdoors.

    The hazard is making the sandwich filling too soon. 

    I notice I've had no meal yet today. In the fridge is a nice container of wonderful egg salad. The results are in the photo here.

To my credit, there are two hard boiled eggs left for tomorrow's lunch. 

Day 11 of Week 2 January 2025

Hello 2025

A texture of events greets us this new year with more sorrow than happiness. The wildfires in California are heart breaking in ways that cast shadows over what joy we may feel. Prayers and help are much needed.

The weather in New England is typical of the Northeastern United States. While there has not been very deep snow out my door, I expect Old Man Winter will have a few snowstorms to spare for here. 

My focus is to stay in the house as much as possible. It is a challenge to see how many trips to the store I don't have to make.

The blog breaks I've been taking have been restful. I haven't been taking many photos, celebrating the holidays much, writing, painting or going out and about visiting places. Excitement is on the level of finding an unopened bottle of blackberry brandy tucked in the corner of a lower cabinet and fixing a few technical computer issues on my own.  Oh, and putting effort into knowing what day it is in case the trunk of the car hits me on the head really hard, and I have to tell somebody what day it is. (They always ask.) The trunk slowly lowers after I lift it up. It's an ongoing learning process for me to get out of the way in time. 

A Funny. I was kneeling on the ground to access the back of the driver's seat floor where my key blade fell. Neighbors only saw my boots and butt sticking out of my vehicle. Thinking I fell, they were approaching and shouting out asking me if I was all right. At first I had no idea what they appeared so alarmed. We laughed. 😂

Next week's post is about bird watching...Birds Are Slobs

Have a Funtastic Weekend!

Read a good book

Bake apple strudel

Sing to a favorite window view

Dance 

Count your mittens & gloves

Browse wicker baskets online

Plan a spring excursion

Recite a Robert Burns poem aloud

Reflection Monday January 2025

  Self Care

You

watching out for you

❤️

🙏🏻

A New Year

 2025

Make Your

Happy!

Thoughts in December

Me at three years in my red jacket

By the looks of the trees, I think the photograph is in the spring. I remember that yard better than any place I've ever lived except for when I was a stay-at-home mom. 

This month I've been thinking along the path of what I want these weeks to be for me. Holiday decorations are minimal. I donated all but one two foot fake tree. Being creative and being outdoors are on my jingle bells' agenda.

A few weeks ago, I began writing about how I feel about being creative, writing in particular. To my surprise, having to put those thoughts into words has been a good learning experience. I've never been keen on writing about graphic violence or sex. A character can be dead without describing how. A person can be a murdered without going into the details of why. 

All of that brain activity brings me to my desk. It needs to be clear of stuff. I know where I am comfortable painting. I haven't chosen a writing nest. Sofa, recliner, dining table or desk are the spots where I land to write. This week I will set up a place to write. Where did I chose? The sofa, in a corner surrounded with pillows including one to put my clipboard writing surface. I'll still use my desk, but not for long hours of writing.

December is a month this year that will be not only productive, but it will also be happy by baking cookies in small batches. I will post the recipes as I go along.

Meanwhile, my easel awaits.

How is your December shaping up?

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Depression 24/7/365

Tis the season for many as one of few jolly moments.

There is no enigmatic smile on our faces or in our hearts.

How we carry our condition along through the year may be similar to some but not to others. 

Based on my life's journey with depression, all I write about here is based on that first-hand experience.

Everyone, I believe, goes through stages as they age and participate in different events, birth, jobs, adventures, moving education and such. Our personalities develop and sometimes, there are hiccups in that process. 

Depression, for me, is what causes my being me hiccups. At present, the type of depression episode I've been coping with for over a year is not the same as in the past. I think of it as a depression meh episode.

I used to notice symptoms and deal with them as they arise. This time, while able to laugh, enjoy, have clarity, most of what I felt connected to has disconnected. It is there. I know about it. I remember it. It is all a pile of meh to me now. Weird.

The most significant part of my meh episode is that there is no constant wallowing in sadness, melancholy, dreads or paranoia.

At this stage, I feel, reading about depression that others experience is a good idea because it might help me understand better what is going on. Maybe being at the end stage of my life is impacting me stronger than I anticipated. I have been clearing out stuff lately. That release of the past might have freed up space in my mind to explore this part of my life journey.

Do you have books on depression to recommend?

Day 335 of Week 48 November 2024

Looking Up

Farewell November 2024!

Warm and windy describes this past 30 days here in the upper westside of Vermont. The weather went back and forth from fall jacket to puffer coat. Thus far, no snow boots have been needed. The higher elevations, some not far away, did have snow fall. 

I keep looking though. Maybe tomorrow a few flakes will be seen out my window.

Have a Cozy & Warm Weekend!

Browse fonts online

Make a gift box out of a cereal box

Tell your favorite shoes a story

Bake a peach cobbler

Sing to a bowl of grapes

Watch cat videos

Make beef stew in the slow cooker

Try blueberry tea

if a nah, then

have a blackberry brandy in

hot chocolate

P.S.

In comments, I'm showing up as anonymous

when using my cell phone.

Password & Email Maintenance

Clearing out folders, changing passwords, and sorting photos was a monthly event for me that took hours, sometimes days. Files and photos, I feel, no longer require monthly sorting. Maintaining good password health, however, is always a priority.

In the early days of Ebay when, I believe, a lot of people were getting online, a unique password for each website one registered with was popular with some people. (Moi) A one password for all probably isn't a good security system. Writing down passwords in a tabbed address book is an easy way to keep track of that important information. 

Some tips I use for passwords:

1.   Use unique passwords for everything 
2.   Always write passwords in a notebook 
3.   Add date of creation and changes
4.   Never save passwords online
5.   Minimum 12 various characters long
6.   Never use personal information, name, dates, etc.
7.   Refresh by logging in monthly
8.   Note the website for each password
9.   Keep old password books for a few years

Tips for email addresses:

1. Write down email address in the password notebook
2. Categorize email addresses for family, websites, friends, etc.