Pic Post of Homeland

 

The rolling, prairie oceans of green are on the brink of morphing into the Amber Waves of Grain – 10 days estimated to the east of here – 2-3 weeks locally –

And, every day, when the western horizon turns dark with storm clouds, I pray –

“Please, Please – bring rain, not hail, this year’s crop fields so beautiful – please, let the beauty remain…”

I’m not a dryland farmer – so what do I know what last year’s snowfall, this cooler spring, actually did to ‘business yields’?  –

But to all my beloved Dryland Farmers, here in the heart of the Bread Basket of the World – Know that when skies darken, clouds swirl, hail is forecasted, You are in in my thoughts and an extra prayer is whispered for you  – 🙂

(and if you buy your flour at the store, in 5lb bags, you probably ought to get on Mother Nature’s good side, too….)

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Next up – The windmill perched upon the hill I passed everyday during my bus ride to school – and can still drive by and enjoy, any time I wish –

 

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An attempt to capture/share….

(and, yes, missed capturing all I saw and felt in one perfect picture  – I simply must carve out the time/funds to take some photography courses…)

Next in line-up comes the beauty of curing hay that will nourish stock through winter, flanked by a hill of Clover –

This has been the year for Clover – Doesn’t happen, all the time, and ya just got try to catch it, enjoy it and experience when it deigns to arrive…

(Except for those of you with allergies – sorry this heavy clover year makin’ ya miserable….)

It has also been the Year of Robins

An elder of the Robin clan has often joined me in the garden, since I moved here – this means, I must be doing something right, right?  Cuz this year, not only he, but his entire clan have flocked to my slice of heaven –

He, I’ve come to know; a limp accompanies him on every step – whether from advanced age or a long-ago injury, I know not and won’t claim to know…

He has gray/white tufts mixed in, here and there, amidst the black that borders his red breast.  But his presence and bearing is, really, what makes it easy for me to know he has come to visit.

His breast, even in springtime, doesn’t announce loud, scarlet insistence to be lauded and noticed, like the  some of younger of the clan, do –

(whadda I know? Really?  I ain’t a young Robin Female looking for a mate – I think the more muted red is classy…)

I’ve learned to await his visit, every spring –

He has become my companion, and when the day arrives, when he no longer does, I will sorely miss him.

He arrives early, stays long and seems to like it here as much as I do.

He doesn’t have much use for  noisy, power tools (even battery operated ones) but will always happily do his thing within a foot or less of where I sit, weeding or dreaming.  And though the camera flash in twilight took some gettin’ used too, he still hopped ever closer, to where I was – once I moved into the better light from the western sky – 🙂

And though, he has become The One I can pick out of the crowd –

I have to confess, I’ve completely personalized it and think these visits mean I’m doing something, somewhere, right -for not only me, but those who share this slice of Earth….

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He and I are comfortable with each other -and, I like to think, trust each other –

He accepts me in all my idiocy and I don’t try to coddle or make a pet of him –

He is one of my mentors –

If he is missing for too many days, I don’t worry – What could I possibly have that would be of help to a Robin?

I simply figure I need to re-think my life choices and once I have straightened up and am once more flying in tune with nature’s dance,  he will deign to grace me with a visit.

He is who I think out-loud to, while I negotiate the mind numbing task of getting every stinkin’ weed (even if just sprouted and needs to be pricked out using tweezers OR I got behind and don heavy duty leather work gloves to make sure the thorns/thistles on said weed don’t have me bleedin’ so bad, I wonder just why I chose this life project… )

He listens, cocks his head in wonder over what the heck I was thinking, when I came up with THAT plan….

He is the one I cheerfully shared the news with – two new, volunteer, Golden Currant seedlings, are thriving – yes, yes, I didn’t accidently weed them out, but wasn’t sure whether I should offer extra support or not and in the end, thought, “you’ve been getting along fine without my interference, why mess up what’s working?”

I  find myself, once he alights and hunts/eats ever closer to where I sit, asking him:

 “What do you think?  Another Amaranth perennial bed?  Of the Giant Gold and Burgundy varieties?  It is so pretty in the fall – gives you all feed for winter…Has some minerals and vitamins to supplement the ever morphing muffin recipe…Good Idea?

Or Should I try some millet?  Does that self-seed/sow?  You’re right – I probably better re-research more before deciding…”

🙂

He never, ever! makes fun of me or gets impatient when I forget one of the 1,001 things I’ve tried to memorize these past few years… and have to run into the house to reference a bookmarked, highlighted page or online bookmark… 🙂

He simply shows up, and nods yay or nay and trusts me to figure out just why I got a Nay for some new brilliant idea ….

 

(If you are one of those bird specialist folks – Are you deemed Orinthologists?) Can YOU PLEASE not inform me of all the flaws in my Robin story?  

I LIKE the story I’m telling about Robin Mentor and I – I promise to protect  when I’m needed and pay attention – Just please, don’t ruin the joy in the adventure, that so far, doesn’t seem to be hurting anyone – (Promise, I find out it is hurting more than helping, I WILL RECTIFY My course, ASAP!)

And so – in a heavy year of new beginnings, true homecomings and triggers of childhood memories – alas – I am Happy –

Thus, I don’t write as much ( you are free to reference long ago post, “Writers Wanted – Peaceful Souls Need Not Apply” if you wish to know WHY?…)  –

I’m too busy wading through the experience of Life to have such time for such things, just now – I no longer have grand dreams of educating/informing through my written word – I ain’t up for double-checking all the research needed to make sure I ain’t putting out more wasted fluff that permeates our online world  – – LOL

But, I do think of you – when I see, and I want to share the beauty and grace of it all with you –  just as you’ve taken pictures and shared the beauty of your journey –

Cuz in the end, those are the ties that bind us all together – 🙂

 

Laughing – (Hurts) – Still Laughing – –

I healed up from knee-overdo just so I could promptly overdo (stretch, displace.., crack…? break!??) some ribs.

(Health, psychology and self-improvement gurus, in my circle – feel free to chime in with your take on why I keep doing such things to myself –  I do read and pay heed  to your advice when I whine –  even though I most likely linger in my self-imposed-delusional world for awhile longer than you see as necessarily necessary… )

Quite a bit of time has passed since the moment in time when I stopped, abruptly, gasped and thought,

“Uh-Oh! Self! this can’t be good…’

…And almost as much time has passed since giving myself the “Post-Uh-Oh/Oops”, pep-talk:

“Ya wimp! Just soft tissue damage! – Simply lighten up for a few days, re-arrange your ‘to-do’ lists and it will heal and be fine! Take it easier, cuz that attic really needs heavier insulation before end-o-July hits…)

I confess – I most likely tried to wade full-bore into the Field of “Get ‘er Done” action a tad earlier than I maybe should have after the Uh-Oh moment…

(They don’t call it “Balls to the Wall” just cuz it sounds cool, doncha ya know… only fools or desperate folks do such things, over and over to themselves, on purpose – 🙂 )

For last two days, I’ve been laying rather low, spending time on To-Do  tasks that require more mind than muscle or range of motion activities – when I get ambitious and eager to return to old habits, sharp stabs of pain drive home the point…

“Mission Accomplished On Jacking-Yourself-Up-But-Good!

Whoo-Woot! High Five!”

OUCH! (insert string of not-nice-words) Wait a minute….Let me catch my breath….

(Okay, New Plan! No High-Fives, for just a tad longer – catch me on the flip side, we’ll celebrate as soon as I’m healed up to do so…properly!)

THIS is NOT, quite, what was on  MY Envisioned “Get ‘Er Done”  list…

Ain’t I just efficient and productive in accomplishing things I hadn’t even planned, on purpose, to do?!?

(Yeah, Yeah, I can see the rolling eyes, and hear the tsk-tsk sighing from all the way over here –

Fine!  No gold star stickers for my latest extra credit homework assignment no one required I do…

Que sera, sera- If I don’t kill myself from stupidity, maybe someday I’ll learn better and quit entertaining you all with my silly escapades… 🙂  

Today, after long day in front of computer, accomplished while holding much better ramrod-straight posture than I probably have consistently practiced for ages – (if ever, other than the afternoon I tried wearing my grandma’s early 20th century corset…)

(AUGGHH!  How did women live like that?!?  EVERY DAY?!?!  How did they ever get anything done while breathing at the same time!?!? )

… Yes, late afternoon, I finally gave up – with not all hoped for crossed off  Ye Olde To-Do-List’ of light duty items…

Quite simply I couldn’t be a “Human Doing” in any shape, form or fashion, for another minute longer – no learning, no reading, researching, planning, hefting, exerting – no sorting, cleaning, organizing, to-do lists  –

NO! Anything! More!

And enjoyed a nice movie, fell asleep thinking how wonderful humans can be, and am now awake, cuz I managed to wake myself up (ya think I stretched or tried breathing deeply while sleeping?  Who knows….)

For Weeks (or has it been Months?) Now…

My brain has been saying,

“AUCK!  NO MORE ugly/ugly portions of humankind history to remember well, lest I forget!  No more learny/learny of new stuff to move forward into brave new horizons! Just break out the coloring book and crayons, you’ll feel better….Honest!”

My body has been muttering with ever increasing volume,

“Yup, I double-dawg dare ya to keep pushing me this way –  just wait and see how much I can make you pay…” (insert evil laugh)

My spirit has quietly begged,

“PUHLEASE!  STOP! STOP DOING!  Ya Lovable-But-Ludicrous-Nitwit!”

And so, as all three were feeling abused and ignored, they chose to combine forces  to stage an intervention for me –

And since I stopped to muse upon which unknown committee member I HAD been listening to, all these weeks, I was willing to sit still and listen to their messages delivered through unexpected channels –

Unlike the Proverbial Village Mob carrying Torches and Pitchforks…

…My committee members tend to deliver unexpected gifts, when getting ready to burn me at the stake for my blatant heresy against all that is right and good in their world –

“Awesome! A Kevin Kline & Joan Cusack film, circa 1997 has been added to boob-tube offerings for free viewing!  That’ll be good, surely!” – chortled my mind as I  managed to surf the light-hearted offerings available via remote while not stretching myself outside pain-free comfort zone to peruse the fine print of description….

(how this ‘lil miracle came about when everyone who is alive and kickin’ knows the DNA strand responsible for competent remote control & ‘surfing the options’ is not contained within my inherited repertoire of talents…)

“IT hurts to Laugh, but what else can I do, for this is too good too wait to watch the rest later!?!”, cried my ribs in both complaint and enjoyment….

“Are you paying attention?” whispered my spirit, as I simply got caught up in the 1997 movie titled “In and Out”, a more recent twist on the benefits of age old lessons we all should have down pat, by now…

Compassion, Empathy & Community…

(even when you must be reminded to practice the virtues upon yourself and your own committee members hold ya hostage until ya do….)

I chose the  Dance Scene clip to share with you – …

For, in one way or another, we all long to dance – in our own fashion –

For a multitude of reasons, we (as a species) often forget to do the sacred dance of Life, fully – with every cell in our being … and we destroy ourselves and/or others, through forgetfulness of what’s really important

I was gifted the experience of dancing around my living room, with Kevin Kline, even while laid up in pain –

THIS, right here, to my mind, is The Gift of Creative Folks  –  through their Art, they transport the rest of us to the worlds we wish to live in, even when surrounding reality tells us,

“Dancing, right now, is Impossible and not Recommended”

The Worst-Best Class – Time and Again…

Too good to not re-blog!  🙂

For all those times, you believe what you are trying to accomplish, is hopeless and you, yourself, will fall/be destroyed – well – humans continually surprise you with kindness and compassion – over and over again – and stand by you when you thought all was lost – 🙂

Enjoy! 🙂

The class in question had the reputation of being the worst class in the school. They were rowdy, rude, repugnant, never interested in any lesson and every teacher cringed at the thought of taking the class last lesson on a Friday. It was the lot of the beginning teacher to be given a class such […]

via SoCS June 18/16 – “Class” — Morpethroad

Let’s See if pics really are worth 1,000 words –

Editing piece with the 1,448 words – BUT – early/long day, again, tomorrow – and seriously, I just can’t wait to share with you the beauty of the Monday, I spent!

So Here’s some pics – from how I spent a portion of today’s work-time:

Lupine in Blossom

 

 

Nutshell…

I try to meet my man-child units where they are at – AND manage to go WAY beyond what they think appropriate for the momma/son status quo – thingee –

To both my sons, Because I Love your Spirit  –

Best thing about Teeny-Boppers?  In the World?

They remind you of all the fun you forgot you could have – 🙂

P.S. – Frankie – this is a Momma Personage talking – take it for what it’s worth to ya – BUT!  Whatever concert you did in the denim jacket – well?  You were worn out and needed to just sleep and eat some hearty beef stew or homemade chickn’-n-noodles – Just saying – and tell your video editors to pick out scenes that don’t have half the country’s worth of Momma’s worrying that you aren’t taking care of yourself – 🙂