Why does it cost so much to live these days? Where in the world did today’s prices come from? (I know, I know, it’s all about the cost of oil! But let’s just muse about life, okay?) I mean, it used to be we could buy a whole house for the current cost of a luxury car. When we were first married, our dream was to eventually work our way into a forty thousand dollar almost- mansion. A house like our parents had. By the time we bought our first house, it was thirty eight thousand and about half the house we were hoping for. Maybe even less. And it was kind of cardboard-y. Not like the brick homes of our parents at all. I’m concerned about vegetables. The price of vegetable is going up steadily and soon will be a luxury to buy. I wish I still hated vegetables as I did when I was a kid. But now, I love them. It’s actually just about all I want to eat. It’s possible that now is the time to try out gardening. Maybe start with little cherry tomatoes, carrots and onions and beats. That would be a nice start…
Category: Randomness
House Keeping Blues
There must be a way to clean the house and keep it clean. I mean, after all, there are only two of us living here; well, four counting the dogs and they do contribute to the dirty floor what with eight paws traipsing in and out of the house all day long. But still, you would think it would be a lot cleaner than when the kids lived at home. And what about all the dishes? One would think doing dishes for two would be a snap, yet there are just as many pots and pans to wash when you make a stew for two as there would be if making stew for six. And suddenly, I am unable to locate my coffee cup from one moment to the next which is why I end up with two or three cups going before I’ve even had breakfast. And water glasses; fresh water glasses all day long. I used to keep one water glass going all day long. Now I keep all the water glasses in the house going every day, all day long. It adds up to a lot of dishes. There are times when we finish with dinner and …
Miles
We have a new addition in our family. His name is Miles. He is three years old, a mere eleven pounds and the most adorable little guy you’ve ever seen. He is yellow, fluffy, loves almost every one he meets and best of all, he is going home to live with my dad. Miles has a big job to do. He must fill a giant gap in my fathers heart. Not used to living alone, it’s been a tough six months with no one to greet him when Dad walks through the door. Yet in just a few days we are trusting that Miles will become a treasured companion, greeting him eagerly every morning, snuggle up for naps, and getting them both out the door every day for a little fresh air and exercise.
Confusion
This is the way my days go here in the Pacific Northwest. I get up and drink a lot of coffee. Then, I start to get dressed beginning with a good study of the great outdoors. It is a little bit breezy out there by the looks of the trees and it’s been raining cuz the grounds all wet. The sun has gone behind the clouds so it’s looking kind of cold. Oh, now the sun is out and it’s looking like spring. So, do I need my long johns today or not? Okay, I opt out on the long johns. Normal undies but definitely wool socks. Jeans and a tank top. A long sleeved cotton shirt over the tank top. A cotton sweater over the shirt. An REI all weather fleece hoodie and then a down vest. I’ll wear warm water-proof gloves and a knitted hat and throw a scarf around my neck.
The Invisible Man – A very short story
The Invisible Man He really hadn’t meant to burn the place down. It was a joke, something to get her attention. Yet, the fire raged, the sirens screamed and the police lights flashed. Nothing ever turned out the way he thought it would. Maybe he should try a different approach. If she survived, he’d simply ask her out.
The Glass is Half…..
The older I get, the more I realize the importance of positive thinking; you know, walking in the sunshine and avoiding the shadows in our minds. We gaze into the future and wonder what lies beyond the little bit we can see. Our economy is terrible, the housing market is failing, businesses and families are sinking quicker than life preservers can reach them, and health care is no longer affordable. It’s a frightening time for everyone let alone for us baby boomers. Looking forward to retirement was supposed to be fun. That was back in the days when we thought we actually could retire. It’s getting more difficult to imagine living on investments that have all but disappeared and social security than is anything but secure. Social what? Did you say security? Yet when we get right down to it, we all have a choice to make and it is a decision that will affect the rest of our lives. The choice is: how will we decide to view life. Is the glass half full or is it half empty?
The Measuring Game
The rain was really coming down the other day, all day long. I wondered what my neighbor would say the measurable rainfall was. That’s her thing; measurable rainfall. It got me thinking about how many things we measure in life and by what variable of standards. For instance, the value of a new car is often measured by the name of the manufacturer and what the price tag says. The quality of a school is measured by the economics of the neighborhood it serves. Gourmet brownies are measured by the richness of the chocolate and butter used in the ingredients. We, as mere human beings, measure each other up for all kinds of criteria. The desirableness of a suitor may be measured by his income, his looks, his weight, or his age. Woman are far too often measured strictly by appearance. Friendships are often measured by how much time is spent together, or by favors that are granted or gifts given and received. They are too often valued by what one person can do for another as far as socially advancing another, or advancing them professionally. There are work friends, church friends, shopping friends and work out friends, all working…
Feather Dusters and Cob Webs
They have grown thick and fuzzy, these cob webs in my head. Not only that, but our damp Pacific Northwest winters present the grave danger of mold entering into the equation. Can you imagine? Moldy cob webs hanging out in our heads? I know it’s happening to me and I know what a dangerous outcome this could have if something isn’t done about it soon. My thoughts are becoming stale. Boring thoughts lacking essential energy and creativity. Useless thoughts void of anything positive or inspirational. Old cold moldy thoughts held prisoner in a cob webby head. All that can be done is to locate a magic feather duster, one that enters our damp webbed brains on a warm breeze and sweeps away the cob webs while drying out all the mold. It’s somewhere to be found- somewhere on this planet of ours. The duster is made from soft colorful feathers plucked from the tails of birds of paradise. It wafts through our heads ever so gently, carefully sweeping the thick sticky webs from side to side. Given enough time,at least a week, the webs will all be dusted away and the mold will dry out. Our thinking will be crystal…
I Want to be a Snow Bird!
Enter the long dark days of winter. The wind blows in great gusts of frigid air carrying rain drops and ice crystals. They slap across my face in the early morning trek down the road with my dogs who run for cover under parked cars and boats bundled in canvas and tarps. The sting causes me to pull my wool scarf up over my mouth and nose. I wish I would have thought to protect my eyes with some kind of goggle. It’s miserable. GET ME OUT OF HERE ! It’s time for Mexico. Oh, yeah. MEXICO. I don’t care what I have to do. I’ll strap myself to the wing of a plane if I have to. I’ll wear the goggles. I’ll be fine. I can feel it now; warm sand under my bare feet. Waves rushing up and covering us in warm salt water. The infinite pool, sparkling bright blue, just as blue as the sky. I’m going. I’m not sure how or when, but I’m going. Later, Mary Ann
Resolutions
As always, I have set quite a few goals for the new year. It happens every new year, of course. Yet the older I get, the more serious these resolutions have become and the more determined I am to stick with them. I really do plan to lose weight and get in shape and I really will set regular hours just for writing each day. But most importantly, I plan to spend more time developing my spiritual life. I plan to spend more time with God; to talk to Him more, to read His word more, to look to Him for guidance and comfort and to give Him my fears and frustrations. Through this, I hope to leave the stress behind and develop stronger ties with my family and friends.