Category Archives: Uncategorized
Saturday December 12 2015 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Saturday December 12 2015 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Happy birthday to everyone I know that is having a December birthday! How is that for “cheap” birthday greetings. My problem is that the days are going by too quickly for me to get the cards out. I haven’t sent a belated birthday greeting to my younger sister Faith yet and her birthday was LAST MONTH! I don’t think she reads my blog but if any of my relatives talk to her tell her belated happy birthday from me. I don’t talk often to my family by phone either. Lately, I haven’t really talked to hardly anyone else except Dave. This retirement bit has not opened up even one free hour daily for me…YET! I am still hoping however. Well, perhaps a bit of time has opened up, but if truth be known, the time has opened up because I am staying awake later in order to accomplish what I desire to do. And that is simply just to watch a Christmas movie on TV. And then, I only get to watch half of movie most nights. But I am determined to have some fun even if I have to give up sleep to get it.
Hopefully tomorrow will be a day off after church. The precious Sunday Sabbath when I actually try not to overdo. Joyce, if you are out there still reading, please remind me again how to be retired. I still like your way the best. When all is said and done I don’t really see it coming to pass until after next year. Remember that our next year is set aside (and who knows what could happen between now and then) to fine tooth comb this house for clutter or anything that resembles such. I AM SO READY TO DOWNSIZE the contents of what we live with. Any ideas? Please send them to me! I need help.
Have any of you heard of the FlyLady.net? I just now went back to see if she is still present with a web address. Yep! She is still in business. Years ago I joined the FlyLady’s protocol and my house and life were helped tremendously. I copied her 11 Commandments and inserted them below so you could read for yourself her little tips for keeping up your house. I fear my house is a bit beyond just following these steps, but they are a good reminder to me to get back on the ball. If anything is amiss or out of control at your abode she gives good, sound advice, about how to slowly and methodically gain control. Take a look at her website if you are interested.
The following is obtained from the Flylady.net website.
FlyLady has 11 commandments that will help you begin to FLY:
- Keep your sink clean and shiny.
- Get dressed every morning, even if you don’t feel like it. Don’t forget your lace-up shoes.
- Do your morning and before-bedtime routine everyday.
- Don’t allow yourself to be sidetracked by the computer.
- Pick up after yourself. If you get it out, put it away.
- Don’t try to do two projects at once. ONE JOB AT A TIME.
- Don’t pull out more than you can put back in one hour.
- Do something for yourself everyday, maybe every morning and night.
- Work as fast as you can to get the job done. This will give you more time to play later.
- Smile even when you don’t feel like it. It is contagious. Make your mind up to be happy, and you will be.
- Don’t forget to laugh everyday. Pamper yourself; you deserve it!
Well, that was like a refresher course reading the above. I especially like numbers six and seven. Number six, because it seems like I need to focus on doing that, instead of what I am currently doing. I seem to have a lot of irons in the fire at once. I need to remember that sage advice. And number seven I like because it makes sense. More sense than I probably have. I’ll have to remember that one. After I am finished with the blog, I may just go back to the Flylady website and bring to recall, some of the pointers about downsizing and ridding the house of things. I think she has a section on that if I remember correctly. Hey, don’t laugh! I need all the help I can get!
Today has been a mystical day. I awakened to a heavy fog covering the land. I didn’t realize how pervasive it was until I went to the gym at about 9:30 a.m.. It was thick and eerily spooky. There isn’t much traffic on the backroads and when a car would pass me going the opposite direction I would barely see their lights before they were close enough to go by me. Then as I looked in my rearview mirror it was odd to see them just disappear as if into nowhere. They would pass, and just a couple seconds later, swallowed by the blanket of fog. The fog never lifted entirely. I think it got a bit better but it was still misty. Now I sit here looking at my reflection in the darkened windows surrounding me, listening to the hoots of owls in the backyard area. One gives four hoots in different sounds and then there is quiet for about fifteen seconds. One owl is straight out back from where I sit, and the second owl is farther away. I hear it respond at intervals. I wonder what they are saying to each other. Let’s put it this way, I wouldn’t want to be walking through the dark forest right now, in the cold damp fog, listening to the hoots of the owls calling back and forth. I rather like the coziness of my sun room, sitting here with darkness surrounding me separated by the windows.
I looked up the type of owls we have here in our back yard. They are called Barred Owls. I’ve seen them so I could tell by their picture and the description of their hoot. They have a four syllable hoot that sounds like (according to the website) they are asking the question (in hoots) “Who cooks for you?” Two short hoots, minimal pause, another hoot of same tone with the last hoot following in a higher question like tone or pitch that sort of goes up the scale and back down. The hooting description is mine but it really does sound like they are asking “Who cooks for you?” like the website described.
If you are interested, google “Wisconsin owls” and see the nine varieties that we have living in our state.
WHITE DARKNESS
By Kathleen Martens
December 12, 2015
The darkness of fog
Creeps in on little cat feet.
Silent and stealthily
Creating a white darkness.
Alone in a world of mystery
Softening the sound of life.
I just wrote the above poem which reminds me of a poem I remember writing as a young girl. The only line I remember for sure from the poem written years ago is, “White darkness of fog”. I can still remember why I wrote it. I was walking up and down the hills on my way to school and the fog was so thick I could not see anything more than a few feet away. Living in a bay town we would occasionally have these heavy fogs which I later found out to be similar to tulle fogs that we experienced in Southern California years later. A fog so thick and dark (but it was a white darkness) that you couldn’t even see where to drive. If you have never been in a fog like that before, especially when driving, believe me it is an unbelievable experience. I could tell you some frightening stories about driving mountain roads with my two babies in the car and Dave having to open his car door to watch the yellow divider line so as to know which way to turn the steering wheel on the winding road. There is more to the story but I think you get the picture. Needless to say, it took us a long time to get where we were going.
As a child I thought that fog was both frightening and enchanting. It didn’t take much for my imagination to soar and it was quite an exciting walk to school that morning. The thing that mesmerized me the most, was the fact that even though I could not see anything in the “darkness”, the darkness was white. I could never quite figure that dichotomy out.
Today’s fog wasn’t quite that bad, rather it was safe if you drove slowly. I drove slowly, and two hours later when I left the gym the fog was still just as thick.
Yesterday I asked an acquaintance, John, what was one thing about aging that surprised him? Here is his reply:
“About seven years ago I was walking down the railroad tracks here and I had a real encounter with God and the Holy Spirit, and it changed my life. So late in my age, but it changed my life and it wasn’t that I hadn’t known Him (God) before, but I hadn’t known Him so well. It changed everything. I am still working. Every summer I am still out in the field plowing and doing everything else that I could do younger. I really haven’t gotten terribly old yet.” I asked: “Do you want to share your age?”
John’s reply, “Yes, I’m 79.
Here is his answer to my question about what gift has older age given him:
“Patience. Patience with the young.”
John is the kind of guy that one can’t really tell how old he is. He walks tall with a brisk walk and a twinkle in his eye. He is well read and full of information, thus, very interesting to talk with. I had the opportunity to experience his personal home library last evening and I had to be careful so as not to covet. He has many books that I wouldn’t mind owning. He offered to loan several to me but I declined. I always seem to write in my books, make notes, and lots of colorful underlining. I was concerned that I might not be able to return his books in the same condition he loaned them. So, I will just continue to purchase them as the Lord brings them to me. I think I have enough books right now to last me the rest of my life and not finish them all. But there is always just one more to buy. I look at garage sales, second hand shops and library bag sales. God always provides the ones I need. Right now I am looking for the works by A.W. Tozer. I own only one book by him, “Knowledge of the Holy”.
Thank you John for sharing the surprise as to what aging brought to you, as well as the gift it gave you. It sort of goes along with how I view the gift that aging has given me. I now have more time to spend with the Lord in order to know Him better.
Good night and God bless you.
11 December, 2015 20:08
Lite-Brite creation. Xander made me do itexactly like the instructions said.
Visions of Poetry 