Journaling

When I day-dream, I'm energetic, thin, and usually a writer, or some sort of artist, or musician, or public speaker. In real life, I'm somewhat lazy, overweight, and do not have the discipline to write or create or practice or keep my voice from quaking.

Come into my office and you will find many notebooks - journals started and abandoned, memory notebooks half full and abandoned. BUT - this year (so far) I have kept a daily journal right on my desk and faithfully enter a few lines for each day.

For several years I did "morning pages" (per Julia Cameron of "The Artist's Way" fame) and felt that it really helped me be more energetic. It was a half-hour committment every morning. That half-hour is now spent reading the newspaper.

I try to keep three blogs going, my daily journal entry and an e-mail to my cousins every night with two gratitudes & a summary of my day. It is my form of being a writer. My form of being an artist can be seen on my other blogs (quilting and counted cross-stitch) and my form of being a musician can be seen Sunday mornings when I sing in the choir. As far as public speaking goes, I make a great audience!

Do you journal?

Wallace Nutting

These are two pictures from my small collection of Wallace Nutting pictures. You have to be fairly old to know about Wallace Nutting pictures. Wallace Nutting pictures are actually black and white photographs that he hand painted. They became very popular (before color photographs) and were sold by Sears Roebuck & Co. Because they were so popular, there was no way that one man, Wallace Nutting, could possibly paint all the pictures that were sold. In fact, there were many people painting these pictures and signing them with Wallace Nutting's signature. I have a book telling the history of these pictures and about the life of Wallace Nutting.

I particularly like the scenery pictures of lakes and quiet country roads. They are very meditative and serene. It would be lovely to transport myself into one of these pictures for a quiet hour or so.

And they said it couldn't be done

The fireplace in my home is a stone facade and lacked a mantel. Recently I went to a fireplace store and asked about having a mantel or shelf put on my fireplace. When I told them it was a stone fireplace the unfriendly male clerk told me, "Can't be done," and he walked away.

Then my cousin's husband offered to spend a few days at my house doing handyman jobs. On my list, of course, was the challenge to mount a mantel or shelf on the fireplace.

With a much skill and a little thinking outside the box, he was able to install a shelf, center it, and make it level. Beautiful!




Now I can display my china dogs and my favorite covered bridge painting. At Christmas, I can hang a wreath and place garland, candles and stockings on the shelf.

(Please sing along.....) It's so nice to have a man around the house....

Monday Morning

The absolutely best thing about retirement is Monday mornings. On Monday mornings I have several cups of coffee while I read the newspaper, do a Sudoku puzzle, and read my book. There is no rush to get dressed and no rush to start my day. What a blessing to look forward to Monday mornings.

My doorbell just rang and it was a little girl from next door. "Our ball went into your back yard" she said with a shaky voice. Oh my, do you remember when the next door neighbor's yard was a scary place? I tried to reassure her, with a friendly smile, that it was OK to go into my yard and get the ball. She is the littlest of the neighbor children and got the unwanted job of ringing my bell. She was mighty brave.

Good Sister

Yesterday and today I helped my sister clean out her closet. See the pretty white shirt she is wearing in the above picture? This picture was taken in 2005. She lost the white shirt and today we found it on the floor in the back of the closet where it had fallen off a hanger. But we didn't find the white knit suit that disappeared several years ago. We had a good time reaming out clothes and preparing eight bags for charity. Don't worry, she has plenty left in her closet. She is feeling good about getting her closet organized and I'm feeling good that I could help. We have always had a helping-each-other-out relationship. Many times over the years she has come to my rescue, even to giving me a room in her home, rent free, when I lost my money on a silly investment - and this is when she had a husband, five children and three dogs. Now that is a GOOD sister!

New Car

Crash. It happened on May 24th. I had the green light and was waiting to make a left turn when a car came the from my left, through the red light, and crashed into my car. The airbags imploded, bruising and burning my right arm. I was scared and thoroughly shook up. I remember crying and saying "Somebody help me."

A nice young man calmed me down and called the police. "There has been an accident involving an elderly woman." WHAT?????? The crash was a shock, but being called an elderly woman was the biggest shock of all. As one of my friends said it was like adding insult to injury.

My car was towed away and so was I - to the hospital. Fortunately I had no other injuries other than the surface burn on my arm and some bruises. No neck pain, no back pain, no broken bones. I'm grateful.

My car though did not make it. It was totalled. I loved that little car - a Honda CRV. The crash pushed the engine back and bent the rails. The cost of fixing the car would have been more than the current value.

While the insurance company was deciding about my car, I drove a little rental car. As soon as I found out they were totalling the car, I started investigating new car deals. Even though I could have gotten something cheaper - or a better deal - I ended up getting another Honda CRV. I like the size, the convenience of being able to haul things, and I like sitting up high. And now I love the fact that the car is heavy enough to sustain a driver side crash without the driver getting hurt!

Oh - and I picked the color green for my car - Tea Leaf Green. Green is my favorite color - green fabric, green paint, green trees, green eyes, green lettuce, and yes, green money.

Is there anyone out there that remembers the movie "The Boy With The Green Hair"? I saw it when I was very young (I'm 68) and had nightmares about it for years. Not because of the green hair, but because the children in the movie were burned out of their orphanage. As a child that was pretty horrific to me.

Oh, I love pea soup too.