Upside Down Cats

As I mentioned in a previous post I've recently been spending some time outside, even though It's June in Illinois. Normally by this time of the year it is already too hot and humid for me to choose to leave the confines of Home Sweet Air-Conditioned Home unless absolutely necessary.

We have been privileged, however, to be the recipients of several gorgeously temperate days lately, so I have spent a few relaxing late afternoons sitting in the back yard.

On this particular day I was struck by the reflection of our Welcome sign on our house. Maybe it was the combination of the lucky vantage point of my lawn chair that day and the sentiment, welcoming balmy days in the yard - twice, even.

Whatever the reason, I felt compelled to capture the image for posterity - a reminder of a quietly lovely sight.

So, Welcome - and Welcome again - to a little corner of my yard on a late Spring day.

I have been an uncharacteristically conscientious homeowner this week.

I am a fairly fastidious housekeeper inside the pleasantly climate-controlled walls of our house. It's funny, then, how it can look like the Amazon jungle in my back yard and it usually doesn't bother me one bit. Once Summer parks it's humid unpleasantness on us, I don't go in my yard if I can avoid it. The thought of just sitting in that muggy rainforest of a yard is enough to make me, nauseous let alone exerting myself with physical labor. Frankly, we are doing good by our standards if the lawn gets mowed on a fairly regular basis during the hottest months.

This year, however, we've been blessed by the weather gods with several pleasant days when I've actually enjoyed spending time sitting - and yes, even sprucing up - out in the yard.

Being outside has forced me to actually experience the leafy walls enveloping our yard... The horror movie they will undoubtedly make about our yard will surely be titled, Attack of the Honeysuckles! I couldn't stand the look of it! I dragged out the hedge clippers and the branch cutters - wishing I had a machete as well - and set about cutting and clipping the beastly bushes down to size!

The downside of this project is nothing surprising...

I expected the sore muscles and joints from the repetitive motion, bending and stretching.

I expected the multitude of scratches and gouges from immersing myself in the branches.

I expected to get leaves and sticks in my hair and clothing.

I expected to be inundated with insects... Perhaps you are aware of my revulsion for insects?

The upside seemed straightforward as well...

I expected to see my yard again.

I expected to like the improvement as I regained control over the foliage.

I expected to burn a few extra calories.

I expected that was all that was to be expected.

But I didn't expect to find this...

Continue reading "Serendipity In My Own Back Yard" »

In honor of Father's Day, I want to pay tribute to the Father Figures in my life.

My own father, Jim, was the finest father I can imagine. Dad to seven of us, he taught us about family loyalty, love and laughter. I have already written the ultimate testimonial to Dad back in November when I shared a series of posts on things for which I am thankful. Read Daddy's Little Girl to discover this daughter's admiration for the first man in her life.

Although I lost my dad nearly eleven years ago, I am so very fortunate to have in my life another wonderful man I consider my father as well - Scott's father, Marty.

Continue reading "My Two Dads" »

This is a desperate attempt to write myself out of an energy slump...

I really hate Tuesdays - they are the most uninspirational of days for me. Tuesday just wallows there, not quite midweek and nearly as far from Friday as Monday.

And today I woke up on the wrong side of Tuesday.

Continue reading "If It's Tuesday, This Must ... »

I'm taking the occasion of Mother's Day to reflect on and celebrate the woman who gave me life

...and so much more.

Continue reading "My Mother" »

Today I'm revisiting an old friend...my Favorite Words series. The inspiration to write about today's word came from my Sweetie, Scott's recent post titled, Build Your Own Best Of - Steely Dan. His post is part of his series where he compiles a list of his personal choices for a Best Of collection of a musician's or a band's recordings.

I always have a running list of favorite words and this one has been on the list since its inception...

Continue reading "One Of My Favorite Words ... »

You may have noticed that I haven't posted much this week.

By way of explanation, it has been a busy and emotionally draining week for me. I have felt that I was too distracted by one issue to be able to focus on anything else. I've been blocked from writing by this monolith, and I couldn't see around it.

Last night it finally occurred to me... The only way to get past feeling overwhelmed by it IS TO WRITE ABOUT IT! It is going to take the thought process I use to write to lead me through the quagmire of my emotions and make some sense of it all.

Shall we proceed into the inner workings of my mind?

(Be careful...It's slippery when wet...)

Continue reading "My Adverse Reaction" »

While meandering around on the internet I have come across a very inspirational blog called Insights For Life. In the most recent post, Make Friends With Uncertainty, the author discusses the subject of dealing with the inescapable fact that life is uncertain.

I have been thoroughly inspired to share my thoughts on dealing with uncertainty in life.

I'm a fairly optimistic person - most of the time. I'm sure just about everyone can relate, though, to the times when no matter what you do, you can't seem to catch a break. You begin to think that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. The chance of anything good happening seems less and less likely. This is a dark and scary vortex where it's difficult to keep your inner Pollyanna alive.

That's when I try to remind myself that life is no more certain to be miserable than it is to be delightful. This is the uncertain nature of it all...

Remaining mindful of the very fact that life is uncertain is the path out of the depression that can overtake you when your outlook turns negative. It is just as likely that something good could happen as it is that something bad could happen. It's not easy to think positively when it seems things are falling apart all around you, but misery is not a certainty. After all, who knows today who will have a tomorrow...? Who can predict when or how circumstances will turn, and to what effect?

These are times when it feels we've lost control of our life. But in all honesty, how much control do we ever really have, even when things are going our way...?

Continue reading "Life Is Like A Box ... »

There was a time in my life when just about everything sucked. I felt trapped in a violently abusive marriage, I felt my family of origin had betrayed me, I had no friends in whom I felt I could safely confide and we were drowning in debt. This was seventeen years ago in a land far, far away. Not one minute of my day felt safe...When was I going to be screamed at or hit by my first (and now - thankfully - ex-) husband? What was his tirade du jour going to be about? I was afraid to go to the mailbox for fear of finding a scathing letter from someone in my family. I was afraid to answer the phone for fear it would be a bill collector demanding payment. And when the doorbell rang...well, that was rarely pleasant either. I was suffocating in a miserable, lonely cesspool that continually closed in on me, squeezing the life and sanity out of me, minute by minute.

For a girl who, by my very nature, prides herself on keeping a handle on things, I couldn't have felt more desperately out of touch with myself...more out of control...

Continue reading "Regis, I'd Like To Use A ... »

I figure it's more productive to begin a new project or year with some goals in mind...

So rather than simply wishing for generic happiness in the New Year, I've come up with a list of more concrete aspirations to hope for this year...

Continue reading "My Wishes For The New Year" »