Back to School

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I’m trying to restart my daily writing habit. It’s not an easy task once I’ve let it slide. It’s tougher to start at 2 in the afternoon after a morning of busyness. My mind has had at least 6 hours to be corrupted by useless and sometimes bad thoughts. But I can’t give up so quickly. It’s September, a new month, a new beginning. I can pretend I’m going back to school. I have to clean off my slate and sharpen my pencils. I have to muster up some curiosity and pep like the young person that I’m not.

Young I may not be but I can observe and learn from them. There’s a daycare two houses down. Last year they visited our garden and we visited theirs. The little ones were quite eager to show me what they got, taking my hand and tugging me along. They were all so curious about all the plants we had, showing such verbal and facial delight. I’ve learned a couple of lessons from these young tots. 1. Never be afraid to express delight, however you may or can. I know that it had made me so happy to witness it. 2. Don’t be afraid to share what you got. I was so happy to be taken by the hand to see their little tomatoes. They were sharing and not showing off.

Further up the street is a high school. I get to learn from bigger kids- teenagers. Their enthusiasm is not quite so outfront and obvious. They’re more sober/somber as they stroll by our house enroute to learning. Quite often they have things in their ears or looking at a phone in their hands. I’m not sure yet what I can learn from them except not to do as they do.

So ends this first day of school. It’s a good start. I’m happy that I could start with a middle and now the end.

MUCH TALK ABOUT NOTHING

Another morning, another day. Soup is in the making in the Instant Pot. There’s a load of laundry waiting downstairs to be hung. I’ve messed around with this new theme for my blog site with a few results. Technology can be wonderful but can be a great waste of time. My cough is better but still present. Energy comes and goes but at least the sun is shining on me. It is a cool 7℃ outside. The sunroom and greenhouse is toasty. I am sure my bitter melons are still happy.

I am not sure what to write for this 22nd day of October and the Ultimate Blog Challenge. My head is rather empty and hollow. I wish I had a business to promote. It’s a silly thing to wish for since I am not at all bent that way. I am the same politically. As for religion, I’ve lost my interest if not my faith. There was a time when I felt Jesus’ loving arms though I was not religious nor searching. Isn’t life strange?

I suppose I’ve come to a new crossroad. Now which way do we go, Billy? I hearing that song from the jukebox in my head now. 1969 seems like a great year from here. I was a star stuck teenager. I wrote to Terry Jacks of the Poppy Family and I got a reply! I don’t know which way I’m going from here. I’ll just rest awhile before making a decision.

FALLING APART

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Sometimes I struggle too much to feel better, to be on top of things, to be more productive, to whatever. I struggle too much. Would it so bad if I just relax and let the apples fall where they might? It didn’t hurt Sir Isaac Newton when he got bonged on the head. He got credited the discovery of gravity. I’m thinking of changing my motto. Instead of no matter what, I’m going to get up, dress up and show up to let the apples fall where they might. How does that sound?

Photo by Jill Burrow on Pexels.com

My cold is getting better. That’s what I say every morning. Then the day progress and I with it – not in an uplifting way. So far, I’m still ok, tapping it out, releasing my angst. I’m erupting, disrupting, destroying my old self. I’m been pent up too long, being too much of everything. Now I’m a good girl going bad. It feels wonderful. It feels marvellous. It’s freeing. Hope it lasts. Then I can rebuild.

HANGING ON – LETTING GO

Now that I’m back in the saddle, I’m hanging on. 11 more days left in the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Do I have it in me to finish? My cold is still hanging on. Frustration doesn’t help it go away. I’m learning that I have to let go to loosen its grip on me. It isn’t though. I feel like standing on my head. Not being able to, I don a mask and took a short walk around the garden. The mask keeps the cool air out and my throat not so dry. The short walk provided a short reprieve for my discomforts.

I haven’t gotten very far with editing this website. Now is not the time to do it. It will only add to my frustrations and make my hair stand on end. It’s hard to resist though. We’re all addicted to pushing buttons. And before you know it, a whole bunch of time have past with no good results. I’ve only pushed a few buttons. I’ve stopped.

I am feeling a bit better. Having a chrysanthemum tea and a snack. They hit the right spot. The way to a woman’s heart is also through the stomach. I will wind this post up, pick up my knitting and watch another episode of Vera. Murder mysteries is also a balm for me.

Hula Hoop Saturday

I’m resorting to another wordless day for the Ultimate Blog Challenge. My brain and body are tired and depleted. Here’s my effort at hula hooping. I managed to stay afloat for 45 seconds. I have done better but this is my best today. I’m nowheres near Rachel of Hula Dancercise but I’m trying. Maybe if I practice a little every day.

WORDLESS THURSDAY – Bitter Melon Heaven

It’s been a busy October for me. Rather than throwing up my hands, skipping another day or giving up on the Ultimate Blog Challenge altogether, I’m posting another sort of wordless day. I’m featuring the star in my greenhouse – the bitter melon. Though it is almost mid October, they are still charging along. I’ve given the vines a huge haircut to let more sun in. That’s also a lesson in letting go. Trimming off excess vines stimulated more baby bitter melons to form. I’m not sure of the count. I think it is over 10.

I’ve just did a head count and got about 20 melons.

CATCH A FALLING LEAF


Today’s meditation practice is to an imagine of catching a falling leaf. It’s not too hard when I am looking out towards my large living room window. Even with my eyes closed I see the tree with its golden and orange leaves framed like a photo, lit by the morning sun. How beautiful the picture. I breathe in and out. The leaves are slowly drifting down like soft feathers. I reach out with my hand to catch one. I close my hand over it and felt it crumble. We live and then we crumble. That’s how it is. One life time. Spring, summer, autumn and then its winter.

There’s joy and sorrow in each and all. There’s growth and celebration in spring and summer. Come autumn there’s a slowing down. We mature, getting ready for winter and our rest/sleep. There’s much to learn and get ready. There’s sorrow but also joy, having lived a good life – the best we knew how. I have learned much in this autumn. I have celebrated. I have learned how to forgive and what to let go. I am a good gardener. I know how to tend and weed. I feel blessed.

MORNING LIGHT

Peace is elusive these days. Just when I think everything is copacetic and I can finally coast, along comes a monkey wrench. I take nothing for granted now. I breathe and stay in the moment, appreciating what is. Mornings are the best. I love how the early sun hits and lights up everything, creating Monet paintings of my very ordinary home and household objects. And I feel peace easing into my body.

It is Saturday. I have no place to go and nothing to do. I can stay in my pjs the live long day and languish as I used to long ago. I can still remember how. Tomorrow is another day.

EASY PEASY

I’m falling madly in love with the easy peasy way of doing things. It is so nice to give yourself a break once in awhile. When my brother said let’s discuss Thanksgiving and maybe we should just skip it this year, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Our 92 year old parents have been having more health issues this year. Just when you think everything is ok, something else happens. Though things have quieted down, we are all tired. It’s good not to fuss with ‘celebrating’ and gathering. I like the thought of celebrating and giving thanks in rest and quiet. I have given up the mantra of ‘I must. I must.‘ With that thought, this is my day 5 and 6 post for the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Easy peasy.

After a windy and cold night of -5℃, it is a sunny calm day. It’s not a sweltering day but it looks warm at 10℃. We finished harvesting what we want yesterday and covered the bed of brassicas. They are looking well. The lone pepper in the bed is done though. I’ve baked a batch of pumpkin muffins. The rack of pork is cooking in the oven. We are giving thanks and are grateful.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY – Hula

It’s a weird kind of a Wednesday with clouds, rain, wind and sun all in one day. I’m not functioning at my best, lacking sleep. My word bank is scanty if not completely empty. I’ve never resorted to a wordless Wednesday before. I thought I would try it today. I was introduced to hula dancercise on Facebook. The music is energizing. Looks like great fun and I hula hoop. Bet I could lose a whole lot of inches off my waist if I can keep up. Something to aspire to. Enjoy.