Monday Dreary or Dreaming?

MONDAY MUSINGS

 From a collection of photos of origami boats by Victor Eredel.

Spring.  Rain.  And in my little corner of the world, that can also mean storms and possible tornadoes.  We're keeping an eye on the middle of the week for those.

Somehow we escaped the original forecast of a rainy Easter.  I spent the day inside anyway and found the top of my desk.  I now have a box of papers to sort and file.  The truth is, I need a system to make finding things easier.  With three of my four daughters and their offspring and hubby/SO off to share the day with their dad and his wife, the house was silent.  I don't mind the quiet.  In fact, I invite it.

In fact, the entire weekend proved semi-productive.  I started work on a new website design (for myself!), but shelved it.  The ideas weren't coming as easily as I'd hoped.  Much of both days tended toward learning and introspection.  No deadline is looming--except for the need to dive farther into a new book proposal--and family demands were at a low.  It was a Me Weekend, for the most part, and although I didn't do anything earth-shattering, I'd rank it at an 8 of 10.  There aren't a lot of those.

Having a day or two without demands and requests from others is a gift.  It doesn't happen often, so when it does, I start out not knowing how I should spend the time.  While I didn't get everything done that I should have, I also didn't scold myself for the things left undone.

I caught up on the TV show Cosmos and watched last night's episode of Game of Thrones.  The two are on at the same time, but where there's a will, there's a way, and I watch Cosmos later online, when time allows.  Yesterday allowed it.  Another gift to be thankful for.

I finished the weekend with a short list of "me" things to do this morning, the first being this blog.  The other two are personal things I've begun working on, such as making time for myself, making life more positive, learning how to become a more positive person, and simply enjoying a small part of each day.  A phone call from a friend completed the evening.

All in all, the weekend was enjoyable, and I look forward to the next one.  Plans for that one include the possibility of rearranging my office, which will eventually lead to painting my desk and purging the myriad of boxes of who knows what that fill much of the space in the room.  My mother's habit of hoarding got its hook in me at an early age, but that story is for another time.

The sun is peeking through the clouds, so maybe the chance of the rain sticking around is over, at least for a while.  The day is new and bright.  Let's make it a special one.

As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round. ~ Ben Hogan

What Happened to Monday?

Let's just call this Thoughtful Tuesday, because that's all I have.

To be honest, what happened to Monday is that it was such a blah day, I didn't care if anything got done.  No, not a bad day or even a down day.  It was simply BLAH.

Somewhere, as Monday finally wound down---or would that be up?---the blah moved on.  Blame it on spring break coming to an end and life getting back to normal.  My normal.  Maybe it was watching the WSU Shockers lose in the NCAA tournament, which didn't especially hit as hard as would have expected.

No, it was just Monday, and I vetoed every hint at being productive.  Not that I've been especially productive lately, but  really, I should have gotten life back on track.  I simply didn't want to.

So here I am, late, as has become my habit.  Those who know me understand that late thing.  I'm notoriously late with a lot of things.  I blame it on having four children, who managed to suck up every second of time I built into anything.  Get up an hour earlier to get them up and ready for school?  Never worked for me.  Start getting ready to go somewhere two hours early, when it should really only take an hour?  Nope.

But back to Mondays.  From that vantage point, the weekend is only something in the far, far future.  Does anyone like Mondays?   If you do, it must be your day off.  Let's just leave it at yesterday was my day off, especially considering what an off day it was.

So I'm at Tuesday and decided it was time to forge ahead.  Not that there's been much forged.  I did clean off half of my desk, put papers in folders, and...  Um, okay.  Not a productive day quite yet, but it's getting there.  A touch of spring fever?  Yeah, that's a good excuse.

I have managed to get a few other things done.  I was behind so many episodes of Parenthood, that I watched three in one night, then two more last night.  I'm also behind on Castle.  Believe me, it's not as if I watch a lot of TV, but there were more important things to do, and I stopped watching everything.  Did I really miss anything?  Probably not.  It's nothing but entertainment, but I've been needing a huge dose of entertainment.  It could be because it really isn't yet spring, and it isn't still winter,either.

In spite of my blah Monday, I found something to share.  Instead of adding a quote, this is my gift for today.  Read it, think about it, and try to incorporate it into your life.  That's what I'm going to do.  No more blah days!

P.S.  Writers beware!  I found some excellent "stuff" and will share it tomorrow.

Life Changes with Learning

Quicky Hail Storm March 15, 2014

It's been a crazy winter for everyone.  Because of it, we've all learned a new term: Polar Vortex.

Now, I'm sure this isn't something weather people suddenly came up with, but in all my years, I can't remember ever hearing it.  Yeah, that many years.  And now I sound like my mother. *grin*

As I posted on Facebook this past Saturday, I heard the rain, thought one of my car windows was down a couple of inches, and ran outside to roll it up.  I'd just opened the car door to climb inside, when the hail started.  Hail?  Oh, hail, yes!  And it was coming down hard and heavy.  Aha!  It's spring!  Well, for a while.  We had snow flurries during the night.  Or at least I heard we did.  Just a touch of winter to remind us that it's only March.  Don't get your hopes up.  Temps of 78 or so for a day don't mean anything.  Mother Nature enjoys teasing the mortals.

That's the micro version of life.  That's the kind of thing we notice.  But later that night and thanks to a friend on Facebook, I sought something much bigger.  Something macro.  Something huge, enormous, gigantic, (fill in your own adjective) that boggled my mind.  Yes, boggled.  I watched the first installment of Cosmos: A Space-time Odyssey.

Yeah, me, watching a science show.  That, in itself, is mind-boggling.  Before entering 6th grade, I loved
 science.  I loved it so much that I begged and pleaded for a microscope, which I got for Christmas when I was 11.  All the neighbor kids offered fingers for bloodletting, so we could see it on a slide under the microscope.  We found dead bugs and checked out their legs.  Bits of leaves and flower petals were scrutinized.  My life goal emerged.  I wanted to be a research scientist.  Jump forward to a year later, and I had a science teacher who totally burned me out on science.  I've never had the tiniest bit of interest in science since then.  Don't believe it?  Fast forward to July 20, 1969.  Does that date ring a bell?  The first man walked on the moon.  I remember leaving my bedroom and walking through the living room, while my parents, watching TV, asked where I was going.

"Out," I answered.  "Down to the park.  Wherever."
"Aren't you going to watch Neil Armstrong (and Buzz Aldrin) walk on the moon?"
"No."

I have no idea what they said after I closed the door behind me.  I'm sure there were sighs and the shaking of heads, followed by the bemoaning of what would become of me, more than likely.

My dad worked at Boeing for just short of 25 years (mandatory age 65 retirement) and was a part of that company's involvement in the Space program.  As a person who had only received a 7th grade education, he broadened his mind and learned more than I ever have with reading.  He knew a lot about a lot of things.  One of his favorite things to read was Carl Sagan's Cosmos.  That and National Geographic Magazine were his mainstay.  He loved to learn new things.

So there I sat on Saturday night,  watching a show on my computer that I wouldn't have dreamed of watching all those years ago, my eyes wide with wonder and astonishment.  Age and maturity sure do make a difference.  Afterward, I told my daughter how amazing it was, so she found it on TV, and we watched it together.  The second in the series aired on Sunday night, and we were there again, fascinated by everything we saw.  And we'll continue to watch.


I'm not going to debate the Bible vs. Science.  For me, the two can easily be interwoven.  For those who don't agree with that and would avoid watching Cosmos?  You're missing some of the most beautiful images ever produced by God, nature, and, yes, even man.  (P.S. It's on the Fox Network.)

Give it a try.  Check it out.  More information and previous episodes can be seen via computer at cosmosontv.com. Let me know what you think. ;)

That deep emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God. ~ Albert Einstein

It's Not What You Think

No, I was not on vacation last week, although I truly wish I had been.  Sometimes work and deadlines and family completely take over life, and other things must take a backseat.  In fact, I shouldn't even be here writing a blog.  I should be working, but my conscience is bothering me, so, well, here I am.

It's a good thing February is a short month.  By the weekend, we'll have run the four weeks of the second month of this new year and be on our way to what will hopefully be spring.

Does anyone remember Spring?

We've been on a long run of cold and ultra-cold this winter.  Polar Vortexes, included.  I'm yearning for warm.  Not hot, mind you, but a nice 75-80 degrees to thaw my feet, hands, nose...  On the other hand, as I complain about the cold, and the snow, and the sub-zero temps, I realize that it could have been worse.  I could live in the Northeast. ;)  Blessings to all of you who have had a rough winter.  May you thaw quickly and soon!

I'm impatiently waiting to see the first green buds on trees.  They will come, as they always do each year, but sometimes the wait seems eternal.  Spring, it's been said, is eternal, but this year I'd have to say that Winter has been.  This week is supposed to be another cold one.  Not frigid, as some of them in the past couple of months have been, but still cold enough to wish for a few more days of 60 degrees, when a jacket is all that's needed.  I'm more than ready to put away the long, down coat, gloves, three pairs of socks and the rest of the layering.  I yearn to sit barefoot at my computer.  If I tried that now, I'd have a severe case of frostbite.  I'll even try to be grateful when my 6" fan, buzzing away on my desk, is needed to keep me cool.  And I know it won't be long until I'm complaining about unstable weather and threats of tornadoes, along with power outages.  Although I hope this year those outages don't cause another computer monitor to die.  Which reminds me, I need to find a chimney for my oil lamp.  One more thing to add to an ever-growing list of needs, thanks to the weather.

As I sit here, I gaze longingly at the photo above.  How I would love to have a hammock, where I could rest and dream!  I've been so busy, even dreaming has crowded into that backseat with work and deadlines and family.  But I have given myself permission to watch college basketball.  Our beloved WSU Shockers are now the only undefeated team in the nation.  I'm convinced that's the only thing that has kept me from complete insanity.

Oh, have no fear.  By May I'll be whining about storms and tornadoes.  By mid July it will be the heat.  By August it will be the need for school to start again.  If only I could learn how to accept and enjoy each season, each turn in life as it speeds by, faster and faster.  Maybe I'll work on that...when  spring arrives.  And maybe, if I'm really, really lucky, I'll get a vacation, even if it's a working vacation.

Now back to trying to dream about that hammock and the beautiful beach with a gentle, cooling, tropical breeze...  Dream on!

I'd like to dial it back 5% or 10% and try to have a vacation that's not just e-mail with a view. ~ Elon Musk

How to Survive Blah Season

Yes, the photo on the left is a black hole.  That's how I feel about this time of year.  You know, the holidays are over, the weather is, well, unspeakable in some parts of the country right now.  We're looking at at least another month and a half of dreary and probably closer to two months.  Around these parts, our worst winter storms tend to happen in March.  So if January is shutting down the South, I'm really not looking forward to what we'll get in the middle of the country before spring arrives.

Weather is changing.  Yes, January is supposed to be cold, at least in my neck of the woods.  Cold weather means staying in more than usual and bundling up when going out.  It means going out less, if possible.  While I'm not a big outdoor person--I spend most days at my computer, working on projects, no matter what season or weather--I still like breathing fresh air.  But I don't like going out in the cold.  Let's face it.  Most of us aren't kids anymore.  And just why can the younger ones deal with cold weather so much better than adults?

Aside from the weather, I consider this Blah Season.  Yes, Valentine's Day is coming up soon, but other than that, we're on a slow boat to spring.  Punxsutawney Phil will or will not see his shadow on February 2, issuing another 6 weeks of winter, either way.

Seasonal Affective Disorder
Yes, SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is real.  Let's face it, we need SUNLIGHT!  The Winter Blues affect millions of people.  But there are ways to effectively deal with them and get through Blah Season.
(Found on SmartPeople:  10 Cool Ways to Beat the Winter Blues)

1. Exercise  Okay, I'm not a big exercise fan.  I enjoy a nice walk, but this isn't the season for it.  Numb  and sometimes throbbing fingers don't make me smile.  I'm also not a fan of gyms.  So what to do?  I have a treadmill that doubles as extra "closet space."  By that I mean that I have a tendency to hang my clothes on it. ;)  I'd get some exercise by reducing that particular closet space, then I could actually use that treadmill for exercise.  And let's not discount the small collection of exercise videos that collect dust on the shelf.  I guess that means I really can use #1 after all.
2. Eat a Healthy Diet  I'm allergic to the word "diet."  Each time I hear, read or type the word, I want to rush out and get a shake at Sonic.  Or eat a container of ice cream.  Or a bag of candy bars.  Yeah, you get the picture.  Still, it couldn't hurt to eat more veggies and cut down on the sweets.  Couple that with #1, and it might be a win-win situation.
3. Get Some Sun  There are two windows to my right with sunshine coming through.  I make four trips a day to two different schools, so it's not like I never leave my house.  And I leave early on those trips, so I have a good parking place, then I sit for 20 minutes, waiting for the school bells to ring and the students to come rushing out.  (I spend that time working, reading, or even listening to music.)  For now, I have this one covered.
4. Act on Your Resolutions  Remember those New Year's Resolutions we made four weeks ago?  Or have they been forgotten.  I did work on one of them this morning, although I don't call it a resolution.  If I do that, I set myself up to fail.  What one did I work on?  Being grateful.  After Max the Dog woke me this morning, I realized it's Wednesday.  Hump Day.  Hump Day in Blah Season.  Is that an oxymoron?  My first thought, after saving my fingers from Max's playful bites, was that I'm grateful it's Wednesday.  Get through this day, and there are only two more days to make those school runs.  Now that's something I look forward to.  Yes, I'm acting on my resolution to start the day on a positive note.
5. Avoid Binge Drinking  Really?  And I was thinking this might help.  Shucky darn.  Bummer.  My binge drinking amounts to nearly nothing anyway, so where's the fun in that?  Okay, this one is taken care of. :)
6. Treat Yourself  Hmm, this one is tough.  Then again, I do manage to do this, now and then.  Last night I watched my two favorite college basketball teams on TV.  Because they played at the same time, although not each other, we flipped back and forth between channels.  Both teams won!  One of those teams, Wichita State University aka WSU, is ranked #4 in the nation.  Yes, watching them win 22 straight games has been a treat.  I also downloaded a book to my Kindle that I've been wanting to get for some time, found it discounted and am reading it.  I'm reading!!  Now that's a real treat!
7. Relax!  Yeah, sure.  I recently finished revisions on my August book, jumped into writing the next book which is due in less than a month, and received line edits on that first one on Monday.  Relax?  You've got to be kidding!  By the time I make it to bed at night, my brain has quit functioning.  Meditation hasn't been happening for several days, so that's off the list for now.  Still, I've been reading that book in #6, so I do get some relaxation.  Another winner.
8. Embrace the Season  This one is hard, but since I'm determined to be more positive, I'll try to stop complaining about the cold, terrible roads when it ice and storms, and enjoy the beauty of snowfall at midnight.  Okay, I admit that I enjoy nature, even during Blah Season.
9. Get Social Support  Isn't that what Facebook, Twitter, and email is for?  Not to mention the telephone.  And because my youngest daughter lives with me, I'm rarely alone.  No, being lonely isn't something that comes with Blah Season.
10. Catch Some Zzzz's  Okay, now I'm really rolling on the floor laughing.  Writers on deadline sleep?  But I have been sleeping in later on weekends and not getting up nearly as early on weekday mornings, gaining me a half hour.  If Max doesn't decide it's playtime at 7 a.m.  On rare days--and I do mean rare--I'll sneak in a nap.

If the above list didn't help point in the wrong direction, try Buzzfeed's 13 Simple Tips and Tricks for Beating the Winter Blues.  If nothing else, the photos are fun and at least chase the blues away for a few minutes.  Sometimes that's all we need.

Before we know it, the snow and cold will be gone, garden season will be in full swing, trees will be budding, and we'll all be getting out more.  Until then, if Blah Season or the Winter Blues are getting you down, try the tips above for some strong offense.  And remember, March Madness is just around the corner!  Go Shox!

I like these cold, gray winter days. Days like these let you savor a bad mood. ~ Bill Watterson

Green, Green, It's Green They Say

Okay, it's part of an old, old song, but it popped into my mind as I drove down our street on an errand run and saw all the green grass in the yards. The Bradford Pear trees that have been blooming for the past couple of weeks are now half and half--half white flowers, half green leaves. It's as if the world is waking up all at once. Too bad that also includes the dandelions. There was way too much yellow in the green yards already. The greening of spring is one of the good things about the season.

Add the weather to the spring list, except it's more on the maybe good and maybe bad list. A week ago, we set new records with 80 degree temps that changed to 40 degrees the next day. Then a warming trend, of course, which again went south. And by south, I don't mean the direction. I mean the temps. The temp is slowly climbing into the 70s again, but with spring, it's a toss up as to how to dress in the morning, and usually means a change by midday.

And then there are the storms. My heart goes out to those in the southeast part of the country who dealt with tornadoes early this week. Having grown up keeping an eye to the sky and a clear path to the basement, I know the devastation they wreak. L. Frank Baum knew what he was doing when he chose Kansas for the setting of the beginning of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. But it seems the big baddies are spreading their badness around more. I think Tornado Alley has grown over the years and encompasses an even broader area than it did back then.

With the violent weather getting in full swing this spring, let's hope it's only the grass that's getting green, and not the sky. Be careful out there. And that means everyone!

Spring Break

This year the one-week break for kids and teachers has netted me a driver's side window that won't roll up, a driver's seat that won't move back, and laryngitis. It could be worse, and because it isn't over yet, I'm not holding my breath that it won't get worse. I believe in the old saying, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

We've had some beautiful days this year to kick off spring, but it's Kansas, so the weathermen are predicting a little snow to greet those kids and teachers as they go back to school on Monday. If nothing else, the weather here isn't boring, and it's that time of year to have winter clothes for cold days, while dragging out some of the more summery things for other days. It keeps life interesting. ☺

I wish I could say I've accomplished something over this past week, but so far that hasn't happened. The book proposal I should be working on is sitting silently next to the keyboard on which I'm typing, still not done, but beginning to call very loudly. (Yes, it's true. Inanimate objects do have a voice!) I'm ignoring it, but will have to do something about it later. There's always the weekend, I tell myself, but I know that's nothing more than a procrastination tool. I am so-o-o-o-o good at those. Too bad I'm not good at doing the things that need to be done.

So Happy Spring Break to those who are lucky enough to be able to enjoy it! And for the rest of us? Life will get back to normal in just a few days, so hang in there!

Happy First Day of Spring

Ahhhhh, Spring! Yes, it's the Spring Equinox on this side of the world. Autumn Equinox downunder. Winter, here in Kansas, where overnight, after a beautiful 60+ degree day yesterday, a storm dumped 2 or more inches over much of the state. Typical.

Today is cold. It's 30 degrees at mid-afternoon, but the forecast says the temp will be in the 40's tomorrow and quickly climbing back into the 60's the rest of the week. I can accept that, but I'm really, really hoping this was the final blast of winter until much, much later this year. We've had more snow days than I can remember, and that's a long time.

I know there are a lot of people out there who pooh-pooh Global Warming and Climate Change, but I've been saying for the past 20 years that the weather as part of the climate has been changing. It's been slow, but it's been happening. I don't want to debate GW or CC. I'm not a scientist. But I have experienced the weather for many decades and have a fairly good memory of, at least, the past.

When I was a young girl, we had seasons. I remember Spring, especially in high school, and experienced many days of Spring Fever. I loved Fall and still do. It's my favorite of all the seasons. But the change in seasons, at least where I live and have always lived, has been slowly changing. Now the coming of Spring means a slow back and forth between days and days of bitter cold, interrupted by a day of warming. That back and forth continues as the bitter cold warms a few degrees for less days and the warming lasts for more days, until cold runs out, and it's hot summer. The opposite is true between summer and winter. Disagree, if you will, but I'll stick by my experiences. And I just don't like losing my 4 seasons.

So I'll stay inside today and avoid the snow as much as possible. At least the roads are clear, but wet, and driving isn't dangerous. There's plenty to keep me busy, and by the time I'm done with all that, the temps will be hovering 80 degrees. Deadline hell has arrived.