26 DAYS . . .
In 26 days, the calendar will read March 20. And my calendar reports March 20th as the First Day of Spring.
I'm ready.
We had plenty of snow this winter in the northern hemisphere. Now we're having the January thaw (a little late) and creeks and rivers in our corner of Indiana are overflowing. Add to that, early seasonal rain. River Floor Warnings come up on The Weather Channel every day.
So I bought some cute boots to wear and ditched my old umbrella with the bent ribs for a nicer one (still black, but at least the ribs are straight). My last year's raincoat is again doing duty to keep me dry when I have to dash from car to store and store back to car.
If I complain about the rain, I get the usual response, "Rain makes the flowers grow!"
Yes, yes, of course it does. So does sunshine!
All right, I'm ahead of myself--26 days ahead--but I can't help it. I've been indoors too long this year. There are no new movies to watch except on Netflix. There are no new books to read, especially when I don't want to go out in the rain to pick them up at the library. And my budget stretches only so far when ordering books or movie to arrive at my door.
I'm more than ready to sit on my patio with a mug of coffee and just watch the world open up. No need to stick my nose in a book--I can watch kids trying out bikes they got for Christmas. Listen to birds I can't identify (though I suspect a lot of the songs are from cardinals--did you know cardinals have 28 distinct songs?). If I'm careful and don't move much, smaller birds come to the feeders for breakfast, brunch, lunch, midafternoon snack, dinner, bedtime treat . . . . (I wonder--is this their version of catching up on the news at the water cooler?)
Spring opens up time. No need to keep doing things. Just sit--listen--watch--sniff. Pay attention to what Nature brings back to us each spring. And give thanks.
KEEP COUNTING.....
Four weeks and five days--Spring arrives March 20th!
In the meantime, Thursday's Child is taking time off to shovel snow and melting ice off the driveway and patio; fill a shopping cart at the local Walmart with all the things she's used over the past two and a half months (pantry shelves, like Mother Hubbard's cupboard, are bare-bare-bare); set the alarm a little earlier to start the day at the Y with a walk on the track; and come back next week with something to say.
Have a blessed week!
BOOK REPORT
School has been back in session for a few weeks, and I've heard that some students had books to read over their holiday break. So, in keeping with the school spirit, here's my book report for the last quarter of 2017.
October
8 mysteries
2 romances
2 never-before-read books!! (More on these later)
Total - 12
November
7 mysteries
5 Christmas stories
Total - 12
December
3 mysteries
3 Christmas stories
1 non-fiction
Total - 7
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The new reads for me were:
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Shaffer and Barrows
The Woman Who Smashed Codes, by Jason Fagone
(These were discussed in detail in the November 2 post.)
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Books are among my favor gifts to give. This past Christmas I learned one of my greatgrands is reading The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer. I gave her Book 3, A Grimm Warning; and I heard later that she was discovered reading it instead of eating her Christmas dinner.
My Ohio daughter works with healing herbs, so I got her a huge encyclopedia of herbal information that she refers to often. Her other gift was The Pioneer Woman Cookbook--she's already used recipes out of that one.
Books are also favorites to receive. Before my birthday arrived in January I'd already received All My Relations: Living with Animals as Teachers and Healers, by Susan Chernak McElroy.
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Not all experiences come from books. Yes, I love reading and owning books. But they'll never take the place of interacting with people in my town, my church, my family.
Once the weather settles down--I've had more than one week of staying in the house for five straight days--I'll get back to the Y for exercise; my sewing group for our joint projects of making blankets, hats, and pillow cases for the NICU; and my church for Sunday services.
If you were stuck inside for days on end, I hope you had enjoyable times to share with others. Or a good book to read. Or a movie or two to make you chuckle or think a little.
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My reading tally for 2017 was 163 books. Many, many re-reads, because those books were like comfort food, without the calories.
And I have to say--I'm thrilled to quit writing down every single title I've read! That takes time away from, um, reading.
P.S.--I thought about telling you the dog/cat/hamster ate my homework, which is why my book report is late. But unfortunately you already know I no longer have a dog or cat or hamster. I'll have to think of a new excuse.
Have a lovely week--read if you want to--shovel snow if you live up here in the snow belt--or enjoy your snow-free climate.
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| Mesa, AZ Arts Center |
THE VOICE OF AUTHORITY
[Here in mid-winter--only 6 more weeks of winter weather, so we understand--I find this post from 2017 helpful in keeping my perspective. Hope it speaks to you also.]
If there were only one Voice of Authority, life would be a lot simpler.
Instead, Authority is one of those concepts that varies from person to person. Not only does the definition change, but the spin each of us puts on what Authority says/advises/demands comes out of our own lives and experiences.
I'll start the ball rolling with my own spin--that ought to get your editorial juices flowing.
In my long life I've encountered three distinct types of advice from Authority:
1. Parental Guidance
2. Well-Meaning Advice, or One Size Fits Most
3. Self-Serving Advice
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When I was growing up, it was natural to hear words of wisdom or suggestions about behavior from my parents. The two things I remember most are these:
Mom: Put yourself in the other person's place.
Dad: Don't get too close to people, you'll only get hurt.
Mom's advice always stayed with me. When I was critical of someone, or their words hurt me, I tried to put myself in that person's place--find out what lay behind the unkindness; and if I couldn't discern it correctly, I looked at several possible reasons. I still do that to this day, and I find it makes my life a happier place to inhabit.
Dad's advice has, alas, also stayed with me. It isn't quite the antithesis of Mom's advice, but it definitely puts a barrier between me and others. What I've learned on my own is that I'm always going to get hurt--by someone, by something, by matters outside my control. The getting hurt part isn't the issue; what I do with the hurt, or about it, is.
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A kid hears lots of advice--besides parents, there are extended family members (older siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins), neighbors, friends of the family who feel they have a right to tell a kid what to do or not do.
I call this kind of advice "One Size Fits Most." Examples: Work hard. Practice. Do your best. (And to little girls, Act like a lady.) Always be on time. Think of others.
Now I'm not against working for one's goals, practicing the oboe/soccer/knitting/cursive writing, or doing one's best. They're all positive actions. Sometimes, though, those pieces of advice come at a time when a young person is vulnerable--tries too hard; breaks down; wears out too soon. And let's face it--sometimes we just can't be on time, or thinking of others means neglecting the self we're given that needs nourishing to be a positive force in the world.
As for acting like a lady--my all-time favorite coffee mug reads: "Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History." Enough said.
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Self-Serving advice was another Voice from childhood. It said, Behave. Be quiet; speak only if you're spoken to. Don't go any place you'll be embarrassed to be seen.
Lots of negatives in that short and un-sweet list. Not bad advice, per se, but look at the emphasis: Each one isn't about what might happen to me, the advisee, but about what reflects back on the advisor. Hmm.
The same messages can be turned into positive statements. Or, they can be the springboards for a discussion with the young person.
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My last type of advice: Advice to Self. Or, Learning from Our Experiences.
We encounter all types of messages from others: positive, negative; practical, impractical. What we seize on comes out of our leaning--our own way of dealing with the world--and is likely based on our experiences.
My Note to Self: Beware of giving Unasked-for Advice! (There's already plenty of that around.)
