A Day Off...from my o.c.d.

I didn't make my bed today.

Ok...I straightened it up before I left the room.

And it's barely even buggin me...

My light switches are not all lined up.

The shoes by the front door are not paired, but piled.

And it's barely even buggin me...

My apron is on the back of a chair, not folded in the drawer.

The pancake mix is still sitting out.

The pantry door not shut tight.

And it's barely even buggin me...

The clean dishes aren't put away,

the dirty ones not stacked or washed.

Dinner isn't planned.

Floors not swept or vacuumed.

And its barely even buggin me...

I'm taking a day off...

from my self diagnosed O.C.D. tendencies.

Doing what we want all day.

And it's barely even buggin me...

All right, truth be told,

after the playing and fun stuff is done.

Before I can go to sleep.

 It will need to be caught up.

Because really...

It has been buggin me...

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

The Fence

This morning the neighbor's dog woke me up at the crack of dawn-barking and slamming into the wooden fence, that my stupid cat's think is there to protect them, as they habitually antagonize the dear, chololate colored half horse...

Those two cats will lay inches away from said fence, grooming themselves, totally ingnoring the frenzied brute on the other side. While he stops now and again to put his eye close to a slot between the boards to see if he has got them on the run...This move only get's a half hearted slap of the paw in his general dirrection. As they tell him, "Ahh..gawan!".

If they are feeling particulary antagonistic they will hop up on the top of the 6 foot fence and pretend they are the rabbit for a dog race. This move sets the fence to dancing and test's their agility.

It is a strange relationship these neighbor pets have. If they haven't had theese opportunities during some part of the day,either the cats will wait for the dog or he waits for them.

I wonder...what would happen if one of those redwood boards seperating them should give way?

My guess is that the cats had better be able to run a lot better than they tease!!

                        Honkie                               Pooka

Smile and remember;

We're all fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Simple Stuff...

Outside My Window...the sounds of evening are abundant! The barking of dogs mingled with the squeal of playing children. Cars driving in quick, but sporadic succession, up and down the street...the after summer storm breeze is playing through the open window, ruffling the aging lace curtains...its pleasant.

I am thinking...about the things I want to do this week end. A big adventure is in the plans...Its time. 
I am going...to be jumping out of my comfort Zone, giving its boarders a good firm stretching...I can do it! 

From the kitchen...I'm hearing the beginnings of cookie recipes that have been sitting, patiently waiting out the Summer to be baked...pumpkin, oatmeal raisin, Gramma Peterson's oatmeal chocolate chips...I hope I can decide soon which is the loudest and get it calmed down a little :) 

And this?

 I just wanted to share with you...just because.

Now go have a good week end!

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Today, I'm OK With It...

My dishes have been sitting in the sink, for two day's now.

The pile of laundry waiting to be folded is HUGE.

The washing machine is leaking and the lawn is turning brown is spots.

The dust on the tops of the cupboards is starting to wave and say hello to visitor's.

And just where have I been you ask?

I've been out side playing. And because none of that stuff is going any place, and you know, there really is not a house fairy to come do any of it...

Today, I'm ok with all of it.

Roses don't bloom all the time, children don't stay little, and Summer will turn to Winter sooner than we think.

So today, I throw open the windows and get the chores done. I play music and dance singing off key through it all...

And today, I'm ok with all of it.

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

The Friendship Quilt

While I was growing up there were treasures in our basement.
I know because they were my Gramma's things that my Grampa had put away. We used to get to go down with him and look through a lot of it and he would tell us about everything.

There was an old wooden *hope chest* that my Gramma's, Grampa, made for her, covered with an old, dull green, woolen army blanket (everything was covered with old, dull green, woolen, army blankets), that held the things she had lovingly made for the Grandchildren  she would not live to meet, and two old quilts.  They are both beautiful and a lot of love and time went into both, my personal favorite was this one;

The Friendship Quilt

Gramma's friends made it for her.
Each block is made with the same fabric pieces, sewn onto the sun yellow foundation, and each has the maker's name signed and embroidered in the center. Only one bears the year, 1941.
We recognize a few of the names as being family member's, a few as being our friends Grandmother's and a few we wonder about...Seratha S., Romina, and Leta N.

As the nights are beginning to to usher in a little of the Fall chill that makes you want to tuck your nose under the covers, but not close the window's. the time my thoughts turn to these kind of quilts. Partly because they weigh half a ton, each, but mostly because of the love that was put into every stitch. And everyone knows you sleep better under a hand made quilt because of that!

My Gramma Stokes used to host many a Quilting Bee in her tiny living room, where the quilt was set up with chairs filled with women and girl's surrounding it, kids playing under it and more women fussing over food being served, traiding off places every now and agian. Some times there were a few quilts set up in the shade on a Summer's lawn. Quilting Bee's were an all day affair, seeing quilts finished to the point of binding.  Who ever had a quilt that needed quilting either hosted a Bee, or, helped at them, and there always seemed to be one going on somewhere. And I am sure that much, much, more than quilts were made.

With the progress of quilting machines and the rush people often find themselves in, the Quilting Bee has been lost, and sadly with it, the time that women of all ages had together to form bonds of support, learning, sharing and love.


I'm thinking we need to get a quilt on, what do you say?!

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Dreaming...

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.

                                                         T. E. Lawrence

Do you have dreams?

Are they little one's or really big ones?

Are they quiet solace finding dreams or big crazy impossible dreams?

Do you have a hankerin' for new dreams,

Or aspirations, and just good ol inclinations, that even you think are a little out there?

I am a dreamer. Always have been. Always hope to be.

I believe there is no dream to big to dream.

These type of things generally have an element of risk involved. Because you usually have to put yourself firmly outside your comfort zone.

I have been doing a little imagining, a little fancing, along with a fair amount of formulating. Trying not to pass up opportunities to share with other dreamers along my way.

And I'm here to tell you it feel's good!

So while my dreaming, scheming and hatching plans, along with my honest pursuits, may not always be as big as the ocean, but rather as small as a successful jam jar. The simple fact is...I have them...

and...

I'm building a pretty good sized reservoir of them...

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Evenrude's Lesson

Have you ever watched hummingbirds at a feeder?

They are little tiny birds with eagle attitudes!

It seems like every feeder has a guard-

I don't know if it is a self imposed guard or if that's just how they roll.

One will sit a short ways aways and if another whistles in? They start dive bombing each other...while those two are narrowly missing things in the chase...like houses, trees, dogs, and, peoples heads...others will hurry in and feed as fast as they can and then get the heck outta Dodge!

One little hummingbird is a little on the heavy side...he sounds more like the little Dragonfly named Evenrude, from the cartoon movie The Rescuers...he sputters when he's coming in. Well the guard bird picks on the poor little guy...waiting until he is eating and minding his own business, when...wham! There he is! Stomping the back of his head, forcing his bitty little beek further into that red plastic flower, until he's stuck! Then goes and sits and watches him try to get loose. But ol Evenrude, he's a determined, gutsy little guy, he pulls backwards until the flower gives his beek back, regains his composure, then settles in for a good long drought of that buzz giving syrup. Leaving only when he is ready.

Evenrude is brave in his own little world!!

Sometimes I seem to be running on gummed up cylinder's and sputter around a little bit, when...WHAM! There life is, stomping my head trying to get me stuck in the muck.

Its times like that I look to Evenrude for inspiration.

He knows he's usually going to have to face adversity getting to what he wants and needs, he knows what he needs to do to get out of the situations that get him stuck, he takes the time to face the feelings of what is going on, regroup, and then...he just keeps doing what he needs to.

He never gives up, he never backs off, he just happily keeps going. 

If he could I bet he would be humming a little made up happy tune.

I think that's what I'll do-Hum, hum, hummmm. Hummm, hum, hummmm, hum!

 

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Magical Garden's

In your real world are you always on the run? To busy from sun up to sundown?  To many places to go and people to see?

My real world is usually pretty full of meals needing to be planned, shopped for, cooked and cleaned up after. Laundry piles that are getting smaller as we get older, but are still there every Monday morning. Beds need changing, floors vacuumed and mopped. windows long neglected.

I have errands to run, play dates to find, fat cat's thinking they may not survive another minute, because they can see the bottom of their bowl....

Well you know how it goes, you have exactly the same things in your life, only a little bit different.

A few year's ago I started feeling like I had been missing out on a lot of things, because of all the real life things I had been living. As Dale Carnegie described " (I was) looking for some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside (my) windows."

I had forgotten to look at the things that were bringing me pleasure, that day...the magical garden I already had... 

One of my first pictures; Missy Fonnesbeck

I got a little blue notebook with an extra package of paper to fit, and started that night to write the things that bring me joy. 
At the top of the page I wrote;

      Simple Pleasures

• clothes on the line.
• the smell of cookies baking.
• the laughter of my children playing.
• Honey's smile.
• corn dog's and pears for lunch.
• Hummingbirds at our feeder
• Etc.

Some day's I would add only one or two things, other's I would fill pages. I repeated some things because they bring me pleasure often...

I also wrote the important things I was learning;

 I Learned That...
   ...weeding the garden together, isn't really work.
   ...a smile is the easiest thing to share.
   ...old friends can pick up where they left off, even when there are years between visits.


I stopped doing the little book a while back, because, well, I thought I was getting to busy...

The time has come, to dust the little book off, sharpen the pencil once again, and invite you to keep track of the real life magical garden's that are ours today...

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

When Enough Is Enough

I'm not very patient.

My composure repeatedly falls apart.

My peace of mind gets interupted.

My inner tranquility is often a thing of naught.

I know that may come as a bit of a shock to some.
But, sadly, tis true.

I can be all those things

IF

I can see the desired results of life coming on the whistling wings of hummingbirds...

Photography by John Fonnesbeck

If not...well I tend to get frusterated easily.

There are just some day's that nothing about, or around me, appears to be enough...

Not... 

fast enough, good enough, long enough, sweet enough, quite enough, serine enough, clean enough, thin enough, rich enough, composed enough...

Just not...

Anything enough...

And I'd really rather throw my hands up and cry.

Some day's I wish it could all be easy peasy...

Or do I?

I need to be reminded every now and again,

that if things were to come

when, and how, I want them to?

Well, lets  just say that might not be the best thing all the way around.

What I'm learning is...

 that on the day's when I feel like I am enough,

all those other little things don't seem to intrude quite so harshly into my wading pool of composure.

On these day's, 

When my enough is enough,

sitting on the patio with Honey,

 watching hummingbirds rush around,

is the perfect catalyst to my serenity.

 

Smile and remember;

We'ree fool's wheter we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Snags

Just a quick note be fore I start: August is National Zucchini month and I just want to note that one plant is generally enough to feed a small continent...well this year is the first year I have ever seen a plant die! It wasn't lack of attention nor was it lack of water it was however...an abundance of cat's?

That said it leads me into some deeper thinking...

As it occurred to me I had run into a glitch in my gardening...A malfunction in my plan...

A snag as it were.

Snags are interesting things sometimes...every now and again they might be big or little, they might be mine or yours, they could be full blown *birds nests* or little easy *loop overs*.

Regardless, they usually seem to get us right in the...

Isn't it interesting that when we incounter such snags in our lives...though we may need hind sight to see it...help is made available in various forms.

Maybe a friend drops by for a much needed visit and says something that gives you strength or understanding.

Maybe its a family member trying to be there for you and lifting you when you don't feel like you can lift yourself. Just loving you where you are.

Maybe you receive an email telling you how wonderful you are...even if you are having a hard time seeing that yourself right now...

A green thumb gardener with an over~abundance of zucchini comes to your rescue and once again you can make your beloved some Lion House zucchini bread.

Maybe, we, are the ones helping another untangle a snag they have run into...

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

When We Were Kids...

Have you ever mad a mud pie?
Have you ever pretended your bike was a horse or a motorcycle?
Or that a swing could transform you into a bird in flight?
Have you ever turned a summer-salt, a cart wheel, or walked on your hands?
Have you spent days, and days, building forts or tree houses?

Going to the movie's was a treat, and drive-inns had car hop's?

Maybe you were one who played in the barn-swinging from loft to loft with that big knotted rope?

Day time games included Freeze tag, Red Rover, Mother May I...and well after dark, playing No Bear's Are Out Tonight, Kick The Can, or, Hide-n-seek?

Did you get to ride a bike or walk most every place you went?

 
Chore's were often a group affair that could include milking the cow's every night and early morning year round?
 
Weeding the half block garden, that you would later need to help harvest and preserve?  


Or possibly, your job was the dishes, done by hand, and weren't *done* until the counter tops were wiped and the floor's all swept?


What about mowing the lawn with that old wooden handled push mower?!


Making everything from *scratch*. Cookies, cakes and bread. Nothing much came from a box...


What fun we had, when we were kids...

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Ice Cream On The Porch...

It seems like we look so forward to Summer Time.

We spend our winter months planning the things we will do...

when it gets warm.

The places we will go, the things we will do, the garden's we will plant.

The lawn! Oh my!

We will be able to go out and mow the lawn!

What rapture!!!

Before we know it the Season's have once again brought us to our precious Summer Time, and hallelujah! We are out the door and running!...and sweating...and searching out breezes and shade...looking forward to the sun going down to relieve us of the heat!

Often looking for ways to cool down...

If you are like me, we have our favorite way's and places to find a reprieve from the glorious all~be~it sweltering Summer Time...

Ice cream is one of the tastiest ways to cool off...

You know, I made homemade ice cream this year for the first time.

Well not the very first time, but the first time I was ever in charge of the opperation.

Having purchased a small electric maker and inheriting an older larger model. Which was to obvious choice.

I was soon on the phone with my Nephew asking him to share his most de~lic~i~ous

Strawberry Banana recipe...

Busy Momma, and a passel of Grandchildren joined me on the porch and had a most wouderful time!!!

The giggeling and talking...the stories, and playing...

the antisipation of everyone...

was rewareded with heeping bowl's of the most glorious soft ice cream...and now that I know I can do it...

you better believe there will be more!

Few things are better than ice cream on the porch...

Isn't Summer Time fabulious?!

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.