CIRCLE THE WAGONS!

     

        Reds here.  Blues, you circle around back.  Greens, you're in the garden.  Purples, aka all others, find somewhere to be.  Somethings coming.  We have to hunker down in our camps. 

      Uh-Oh. Holidays are almost here.  No problem, we'll mix it up, and follow Peanuts' character Linus' advice in the 1966 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.  He said, "There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people...religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin." 

     Can't really speak to the Great Pumpkin issue but I'm thinking the politics rule has been blown to smithereens in the past eighteen months.    

      Conversations with people who agree with us, even if it is  in whispers, are easy.  We don't want to offend anyone, right?  But, be honest, when is the last time you had a one on one, face to face discussion about your political views with a friend or family member with an opposing view?  Now some folks post comments, links, or art work that reflects their view on  social media...Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat, etc..  Many of these posts border on being downright nasty at worst or just plain ole disrespectful to a  "friend" with an opposing view.  Guess this is the new way and okay for some.  I wonder---there sure is a whole lot of blocking, defriending and opting out going on.  

     You would think since the election is over, the social media wars and protests would settle down.  After all, what's done is done. The politicians are giving  unification speeches out of the yin yang.  It's not working. Maybe unification happens one person at a time, not one politician at a time. Wouldn't working together to find some common ground be better than circling our wagons and shooting barbs at one another?  I believe love of family and friends will prevail but only if we demonstrate respect for one another, including on social media.   

      It would be very epic to see a train of all the colors circling together.  Perhaps Bruce Springsteen envisioned the same thing when he wrote the lyrics to "Land of Hope and Dreams."  Below is an excerpt from his song.  Peace be with you.

This train
Carries saints and sinners

This train
Carries losers and winners
This train
Carries lost souls
This train
Dreams will not be thwarted
This train
Bells of freedom ringin'
This train
Carries broken-hearted
This train
Thieves and sweet souls departed
This train
Carries fools and kings
This train
ALL ABOARD


   



       

ARE WE LISTENING?

            Are we listening?  I mean really listening.  It is an art you know.  It not only means hearing the words that slide off someone’s tongue but also deciphering the motivations and hidden meanings through observing tone, body language, and motivation.  

            Over the past few months, millions of us have stayed up past our normal bed times to watch some or all of the fifteen presidential debates.  Why? Now, I am not a politician, pundit or pollster but I surmise some have already made up their mind and only watch for the entertainment value and, admittedly, many of the debates have been laughable.  But, I believe the majority of us want to become informed and ultimately make the right choice about who is the best person to lead our country.  The dynamics of this election cycle are making it exceptionally difficult.

           Think about it.  Amazing promises of change abound from almost all of the candidates. Each candidate contends that they can do it better than the other because they are (A) establishment, (B) non-establishment, or (C) none of the above.  We want to believe our favorite candidate, at least at the moment, is the best and can do everything promised.  On the other hand, we are so disgusted with the partisan gridlock in congress we want to throw up our hands in despair and give up.  All the candidates claim they can tear down the barriers and get things done.  Bring it on! 

            But wait…hold the phone, push pause, and block the spam!   Are we not also observing name-calling, personal attacks, insults, cursing, and antics that mirror elementary school spats among the candidates?  Cute, funny…let’s think about this. If a person cannot even maintain common civility among just a few opposing adults, should we think they are going to react any different when a large group of legislators disagree?  Will they call them names and expect everyone jump to attention?  What if leaders from other countries simply have other ideas, at best, or disagree with them entirely regarding international issues, at worst?  Will they take their marbles out of the game and fly home?  

The candidates would like us to believe their campaigning demeanor is all part of the game but, if elected, they will magically develop decorum and represent our country with sagacity and finesse, domestically and abroad.   Of course, this incredible transformation from their campaign trail “anything-goes” persona to oval office stateliness will indeed allow them to instantly work through all opposition and fulfill all their promises.  Hmmm…

            The truth is very few us average Americans will ever meet or have a conversation with any of the candidates, much less really get to know them.  Making an informed decision about who to vote for based on a few soundbites here and there is difficult but it seems to be more important than ever to do so.  The world is changing and there is so much at stake. 

            Citizens do have the right to expect the candidate we ultimately elect to be president of the United States of America to not only speak responsibly but act with dignity, even under duress, every day not just when the mood strikes. Let’s put all the candidates on notice that we are looking beyond their promises and assessing their potential to inspire productive, meaningful relationships so this country can move forward.  Yes, we are listening!

Summertime, Summertime...

Sunflowers welcome the sun with delight








But Luna Hibiscus only open at night.

 Blueberries fresh from the bush are a delicious treat














And tater digging is pretty neat.


                 

 

Mowing in the summer is not

too cool

 





But a dip in a river
or pool MOST DEFINITELY RULE!

 

HOPE YOU ARE  ENJOYING YOUR SUMMER!

 

 

I'm Puzzled

   
         It all started last Christmas.  Ron gave me a 1000-piece jig saw puzzle entitled, "National Parks America."  This was appropriate for two reasons.  First, my bucket list includes seeing all the U.S. National Parks before I pass on to a better place.  Secondly, I grew up doing jig saw puzzles with my five siblings every New Year's Eve.  I loved the gift.  For the next few weeks, this puzzle dominated our dining room table. In between other activities,  I worked on it.  Ron also worked on it but our 12 year old grandson, Cole, turned out to be the quickest of all in recognizing the pieces that fit.  We completed it in just a few weeks.
    
     Hooked,  I bought more puzzles.  After all, putting together puzzles is supposed to be good to keep you mentally sharp and help prevent dementia.  I bought Ron a 750 piece puzzle entitled "Clunkers."  The finished puzzle depicted cars from the 1950s & 60s in a rustic scene staged in a colorful drive-through bar and restaurant setting.  He finished it within a couple of weeks.  My 6 year-old grandson Nathan, with his brother's help, completed a 100-piece Glow Zone animal puzzle shortly after. 

       Okay, I admit it, I got cocky.  I bought a 2000-piece Mega puzzle with very intricate zoo scenes. I spread it out on a large cardboard sheet on the table because I knew it would take a while.  No one wanted to join me in this challenge but after working on it a few minutes each day for several weeks I had almost all the edge pieces.  All was going well until we had guests for dinner and I had to move it. I mistakenly placed the cardboard with the puzzle-in-progress on the arms of a recliner in the corner.  Wrong move!  On the way to the bathroom, someone knocked it on the floor.  Oh my!  I would have to start all over again.  I decided to postpone the challenge. I put it away with a plan to bring it out again next New Year's Eve.

       So I was done with puzzles for the time being, that is, until I discovered www.jigsawplanet.com.  I learned I could put together puzzles, any theme or size,  to my hearts content for free online.  You are actually timed to see how long it takes you to put your selection together and where you rank with your competition.  This feature turned out not to be such a confidence builder for me. I completed a 63-piece frog puzzle in 20 minutes.  The top completer finished the same puzzle in 2+ minutes.  Determined, I did a 48-piece Mona Lisa in 17 minutes. The best time was slightly over a minute.  Bummer!  I guess I have a long way to go but can you beat me?

New Year - New Goals

         For those of you who follow this blog, you will remember last July I posted
"Somebody  Talk Me Out of It."  I was thinking about walking the nearly 500 mile Camino de Santiago trail in Spain for spiritual and health reasons.   I promised to make a decision around Christmas about the reality of undertaking this 30-40 day/15 to 20 miles per day trek.  I set about embarking on some common sense training and conditioning to see what level of endurance I had.  This is how it went.

        Ron was supportive and biked with me on several of my longer training expeditions  My son, Craig, treated my aches with acupuncture.  He toyed with the idea of meeting me somewhere along the way to walk and provide acupuncture treatments as needed if I decided to pursue this goal.  My friend, Susan, walked and talked with me on numerous occasions which provided a great diversion from just focusing on the walk.  As she walked with me, she weighed the possibility of hiking the Camino with me.

       My training routine was consistent and progressive. I went from my normal average 2-3 miles of walking, 3-4 times per week to 5-6 miles every day.  However, I jumped it up by a mile or so per day, 7 miles, 8 miles, 9 miles, 10 miles.  I even had a spreadsheet to document my daily goals vs actuals. Each day my legs and hips ached and I was really tired. I applied ice and took Epsom Salt baths. Craig also gave me acupuncture a couple of times per week. After a month or so, because walking every day was so time consuming, I decided to back off.  I  focused on making my average mileage increases by the week rather than by day. That turned out to be a good plan. It took the pressure off of me when I needed to do other things. Life happens, you know.  

     Throughout my training, I was amazed to see how my body snapped back overnight and how ready I was to go again the next day. My energy level seemed to elevate instead of diminish. I gradually increased and, in mid-November, I was able to complete my goal of doing a 16-mile hike on the St. Marks Hiking and Biking Trail. YAHOO!  I made it in about five hours (including stretching and pee breaks).  I called my sisters, Cindy and Anita, on my cell while I walked. Ron met me at the end with a huge smile and bear hug.  We celebrated at the Riverside Café, a waterfront restaurant at the end of the trail, with lunch---a beer and steamed/raw oysters.  

     It was a great feeling of accomplishment.  To be honest, although I am relatively healthy "for my age," I really never thought I had it in me.  I guess the old cliché about you never know until you try is true, which for me meant pushing myself beyond my comfort zone.  I have been a walker for most of my life but never to this extent.  The amazing thing to me is walking five miles is easy now (as long as I stretch before and after that is). 

     What I did not expect to happen during the many weeks of walking through the woods, on trails, and sometimes at the gym, was to evolve from focusing on the exercise and the end goal of doing the Camino to increased awareness of the present moment, especially on the outside walks. Because of other commitments, the timing of my walking schedule had to be flexible. This was good.  I began to pay attention to little things like how the air touching my face and, even the woodsy sounds of nature, were different, depending on the time of day or season  I love the lush dark green summer woods but, as the seasons changed to fall and into winter, I began to see things that had been hidden before, like the late afternoon sun enhancing the color of the leaves and dancing on Overstreet Lake.  I guess I had a lot of time to ponder and maybe even space out a bit.  Gradually, I acknowledged I did not have to do the Camino to be inspired or achieve my fitness goals. 

      As I began to absorb this small revelation, my attention turned to Ron and how much I loved traveling and seeing new things with him.  The Camino trek was just not his idea of a vacation.  I decided I would rather spend the time and money I would have used to go to Spain on something we could do together.   Although he was supportive of my earlier goal, I think he feels the same way.  Consequently, we are planning a trip to Eastern Canada in the summer and a "follow the leaves" trip to the northeastern U.S. in the fall.

     So I went full circle from my July blog, I talked myself out of it.  No one had to do it for me.  Don't get me wrong, I love walking more than ever. I actually get a bit cantankerous when weather or commitments keep me from doing it.  As a matter of fact, my new goal  is to log in 1200 miles in 2015.  Unless, of course, someone talks me out of it.