Make It So

 Autumn is upon us~

And it is becoming. . . . 

Beautiful.

(All those little white spots are ladybugs.  They looked like faeries.)

We are still having end of summer weather

rather than the beginning of autumn weather.

It's a little cooler but is supposed to be back in the 80's this week.

I am enjoying the season we are in regardless of what we label it.

I'm still canning like a crazy person

though I've cleaned up the kitchen and put some things away.

We had a horrible wind storm that blew the smoke in

from all the fires.

That was Labor Day weekend.

Everything was coated with dust and ash.

I finally got the summer kitchen cleaned (mostly).

One thing about cleaning and canning,

there is usually little interruption or offerings of help

so it gives one time to ponder.

I like to ponder actually~

you know while doing those little mindless things

like washing dishes or stirring a pot.

Recently, I was thinking not only about my own life and happenings,

but the state of our environment and society

and some things that I've read on other blogs as well.

I came back to something I already knew inside.

If there is something I don't like, change it.

Well that's all fine and dandy except for the things that are out of my control.

Oh yea, that list:

Fires set by angry individuals.

The health and well being of loved ones.

Things I disprove of being forced upon us.

Obviously, this list could go on for a while,

but let's just stop there.

That could end up being a very depressing rabbit hole.

First, and many of you probably already realize this,

but I very much appreciate nature so it hurts me when

our Earth is abused so blatantly.

I much prefer to see a vibrant thriving Earth

with kind people enjoying her bounty.

Make it so.

I went out and took care of some areas of our garden that I'd neglected.

It might not be much, but it is what I have control over.

There are no fires in my garden,

and having happy vegetation growing helps clean the air.

And those angry people don't exist in my garden.

And I think folks catch on or we send out vibes,

because I can't wear a mask.

A month or so ago, I was accused of being okay with killing people.

That stung!

I still wash my hands and respect other people's space and distancing, etc.

I had to go to the store for a couple of things and stopped by the thrift shop

to see if I could find a couple shirts for Mr. LB.

I wait before entering and make sure it's okay that I go in.

I had more people speak to me than I think ever before.

One lady I kept "running into" introduced herself 

and asked my name.

She was entirely kind and bid me fun looking.

(Well, we can't just look at men's shirts can we - heehee.)

Another woman in the craft section said she usually did shows

and was really going to miss them this year.

One person told me of a valuable mosaic bistro set she almost sold too cheap.

There were a few others.

When I went to the grocery store,

I ran into a friend I haven't seen in a couple years.

She asked if I was giving hugs - yep!

(Not to strangers of course, but friends you bet.)

The point is - there was tons of kindness going on.

Made is so.

Changing the health or hurting of loved ones - Oy!

It's so difficult to see, hear, . . . feel.

Wanting them to be well.

Make it so.

I mentioned in my last post that my dad had been in the hospital

having two major surgeries in a 3-4 day span.

He actually ended up going back in for 2 more minor surgeries.

After not going to a doctor for 40 years,

he made up for lost time.

He's now getting better - YAY!

I've been having to step into the parenting of my parents roll a little.

That has been a little tricky.

To any of you who take care of your parents - bless you!

From finances to diet, training one's parents while trying to remain respectful

can be a fine line to walk. 

I also have a friend who has been struggling with losses.

Her losses are not mine.

I don't know the same people or have the same feelings,

but I do care that she was hurting.

She lives alone and was feeling alone.

I acknowledged how she felt and told her 

it is difficult not to be with those we care about at times

 when we feel we should be closer, and

that sometimes folks just need a hug.

She said "You nailed it."

I think just identifying that helped her feel a little better (hope).

Made it so.

And that last one, 

all I can say is I'm countering it with love and kindness.

Make it so.

It's easy to be grumpy about others trying to force us

to believe certain things.

My solution to that is just find a diversion.

I've been trying not to share my opinion on much of anything.

That might sound a little silly,

but it seems to me that we've become so accustom 

to sharing our opinion without it being sought and

without much consideration of how others

might feel or respond, we've become non-communicative.

Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of opinions.

I've just been trying to keep my big mouth shut.

Sometimes I'm more successful than others - am still so human.

I'm trying to remember that it is much more pleasant 

to communicate in a positive manner than to force my opinion on others

or have them force theirs on me.

It works both ways, you see.

It does seem to be working.

Made it so.

So all those things that are out of my control,

well, maybe I just need to look at them sideways.

Seems like I'm making some progress.

I will falter (will just go ahead and ask forgiveness right here and now)

as I know I am so far from perfect.

And only One has control,

but if being grumpy or discouraged or depressed wasn't working,

why not do my itty-bitty part in attempting to right the wrongs.

I might only be one person,

but it's one less grump spreading negative.

Guess I would rather be one person spreading joy.

 

If your autumn isn't absolutely beautiful,

Make it so.

And whatever joy you seek,

Make it so. 

Blessings dear friends~

 

Of Old Friends and New Tales

There is an old nursery rhyme or song that's come to mind lately.

It's rather short, kinda like Row Your Boat.

It goes~

Make new friends

but keep the old.

One is silver

and the other's gold. 

There are many quotes and sayings

advocating the importance of friends.

And I would venture to say, 

not one of them is an exaggeration.

We need friends no matter who we are or what our character.

I view myself as an introvert,

but I've been told by several employers in particular

how easily I speak with clients.

The thing is, I don't have problems talking.

(Just ask any of my grade school teachers:-)

It's the getting to know me bit that's a challenge

so my friends are real treasures to me.

There are those rare occurrences when you will meet someone,

and it's like you've known them all your life.

Those are the easiest and often the closest friendships.

There are also the friends that develop over time.

Those are nice in that there are typically few expectations

about what's ahead. 

They can become valuable in that each person knows

the habits and norms of the other person so they know well

just how to help or get along with the other person.

There are some "firey" friendships.

I'm not so sure those are real friendships.

And lastly,

there is a new kind of friendship.

Those found here online.

In a way, it's not really a new kind.

In years past, there were pen-pals that created friendships.

These friendships are a different kind of valuable

because there is no keeping up appearances.

There is no:

"I don't like going to the store with Jane because she wears too much perfume."

Or 

"She just walks so slow."

Or 

"I'm allergic to her cat."

Whatever.

Those things don't matter one iota if you aren't there with him/her.

(By the way, I actually like the name Jane and cats among other critters.

Too much perfume and slowly meandering through a grocery store

might get to me a little though.)

So what of these friends of different sorts?

What actually makes them important?

Well, you see~

humans are a herding animal.

I know there are some out there who don't take fondly to being called an animal

and others who take it as a compliment.

But we are creatures on this earth, and we were created with instincts.

Hubby and I were talking a while back, and he made the comment 

that he wasn't sure why but religious communities have lower crime rates.

The uncertainty was because people who are religious 

are just as likely to commit crimes from a statistics standpoint.

I said two words:

It's community.

He looked at me kinda sideways.

I continued~

Acceptance is what every person seeks deep down

 be it gang members or church members.

You follow the rules of what is acceptable in order to be accepted,

and you don't hurt your own.

If you break those rules, you are kicked out of the heard, gang, church,

community.

That's where those friends come into play.

Our friends accept us.

They still love us even if we snort when we laugh,

even if we spill down the front of our shirt every time,

even if we aren't super stars,

even if . . . well, you get it.

Our friends accept us for who we are.

There has been quite a bit of discord in 2020.

Communities have been shattered.

Families have been separated.

Friendships have been strained.

These things are more important now than ever.

I guess the point of this post is just don't forget.

I know different areas have different mandates in effect,

but there are still things you can do.

Leave a bag of tomatoes hanging on the door knob of a neighbor

then call and let them know it's there.

(If you don't have any to spare, just let me know.  I have tons!)

Send a quick note or card to a friend or family member.

By all means hug your kids and grand-kids!

The risk of them feeling abandoned, unloved, or neglected

far outweighs that of a virus.

I worry about the unintended consequences 

of some of the things that are happening around us.

There are ways to make new friends also.

There is always someone who could use a friend.

Ask a pastor if there is an elder who can't get out much.

A phone call or dare I say even an old-fashioned letter

can go a long ways in brightening someones day.

Or, a couple other ideas:

a nursing home director - sorta adopt a grandparent

a childcare provider or family member with munchkins 

(kids love a phone call to them rather than to Dad or Mom)

Obviously, that one would need parental approval.

Teens!  They need reassurance as much as any 2 year old.

The last thing they need is to hibernate in their room for a year.

There might be someone who has a family member in hospice.

They are typically exhausted and could use a nicety.

I really think most of you are pretty kind and creative.

If you have more ideas,

please share in the comments.

So all of this to say,

remember to remember 💝

 

By the way, I'm one of those folks who loves to do those little 

random act of kindness.

They often cost very little, but can be very meaningful.

Okay, I'll stop (see told ya I could talk.)

I just want to encourage folks to be friendly.

Have a beautiful day.

A Moments Peace

Well, it seems I'm not the only one

who has had a bit of a rough go of things lately.

My dad ended up back in the hospital for a few more days.

It was far less severe, but still.....

He is now home again.

We stopped by yesterday, and he is looking better - yay!

He is also getting grumpy about meds and all the fuss

which for him is a very good sign.

The month of August, he spent 24 days in the hospital.

Mom was only permitted to see him once during all that time.

The rest of us were not permitted at all - 

nor were we allowed to call for a period of time.

To me that is inhumane.

I am sooo grateful he is home and improving - again.

The blackbirds are flocking at sunrise ~ the introduction to autumn :-)

Our garden is going bonkers.

I know many of us are preserving the harvest right now.

I had several humungo heads of cauliflower that

are now all blanched and frozen in meal sized portions.

Yum!  I love cauliflower.

The tomatoes are insane.

I have canned almost enough for our own use.

Mom hasn't had much time to do much canning

so I canned a dozen jars of diced for her 

and will give her some for juicing and making into sauce.

I will probably do another batch of diced for them as they ripen.

The rest will be shared 😊

That of course is part of the joy of a garden,

the sharing of the bounty.

This is just one round of several.

Work has been insanely busy, long days and short nights.

We've all been to the point of nearly complete exhaustion.

Hubby was 'rummy' he was so stressed.

Between family and work and trying to maintain our own living/home,

we were spent.

I actually asked him if he tied our trusty K9 companion one evening.

He answered No.

I went out and tied him, then came in and told Hubby I tied him.

He said Oh thank you.

Not 2 minutes later he went outside.

I asked what he was doing.

He said he went out to tie up the pooch, but I'd already done it. Oy!

So we took what we could get and went camping.

We left Friday late afternoon and came back Sunday morning.

There is no service at one of our favorite spots not terribly far from here.

I told Mom where we would be and how to get a hold of us if need be.

Unluckily, the propane regulator went out on the trailer

so it took over an hour to make a pot of coffee!

That's almost an SOS situation!

But luckily, we had the little propane stove since there is a fire ban

during the dry months so we were able to get our fix.

Hubby caught 3 trout over 12" and several smaller ones

(all released.)

That's more than he's caught all up in the past year.

He also took a nap Saturday!

I took my stitching along and actually got to sit and stitch.

Needless to say, it had been a while.

We are back at it now, but that little break did wonders for us.

We had lots we could have done,

but sometimes sanity is worth more than plum pickin', weedin', cleanin', 

or a million other things calling our names.

I heard a saying many years ago~

When your basket is empty, you have nothing more to give.

So many are dealing with life issues

be it societal changes, health, relationships, or preserving the harvest.

If you are among them, take a moment, 

even just a walk out behind the garage and look up to the heavens.  

Inhale as deeply as you possibly can and hold it for just a minute.

Let it fill you up and give you strength for the day.

Prayers for you all.

We have today~