Seasons for All

Shifting Gears, Re-ordering Priorities

I've been blogging since the summer of 2005 and every single day for over a year.  And I've loved it.  Over the past couple of weeks, connecting with old friends and distant family members on Facebook has hijacked some of my energy for blogging in that it has called upon me to merge the virtual world I've enjoyed for a few years with real life.  And that recalibrating is taking place inside of me rather than in words I publish in the blogosphere. 

Simultaneous to this adjustment, I've made a commitment that will occupy much of my time over the next year.  The commitment is my choice and I'll write about it when the timing is right.  For now, I am releasing my self-imposed obligation to post something on this blog every single day.  Rather than referencing that adage about quality over quantity, I'll state that I'm certain shifting gears and re-ordering priorities is the best decision I can make.  And I'll continue to be here, just not every single day.  I look forward to your continued company in the months ahead.  

And on we go.  

    

Facebook . . .

continues to amaze me. 

That is all.

Vacation, Day 1

It sometimes takes me a day or two to completely disconnect from work at the beginning of a vacation.  Today was no exception.  Even after working only 2 days that followed a 3-day weekend, I needed a good night's sleep and most of the morning to re-group. 

Since those were the factors to consider and I had only a few things I absolutely had to accomplish today, I decided to spend most of my time at home.  I want to thoroughly enjoy this vacation, so today was a day of preparation.  I'm preparing to relax and to switch gears to be productive in ways other than those patterns found in my usual routine.  

I've never before taken a long vacation in June, and I'm looking forward to the mild but sunny weather and lots of planned and unplanned time. 

 

A Schedule Interrupted

As I was leaving work last evening, I noticed the front right tire of my car appeared to be low.  Since I have not had luck with local service stations where I work, I decided to drive the 50-mile commute home and have my tires checked in my home town.  When I arrived home, all the service stations were closed, so I drove directly to one this morning before driving to work.  I was advised there is a slow leak in my right front tire because there is a nail in it, and it was recommended to me that I have the tire repaired today.

Before I even began to address the logistics involved in altering my plans for the day, I began to wonder how a nail got into my tire.  I drive only on paved roads in towns and on freeways.  I didn't spend much time on this enigma because I knew no answer would come to me.  Instead, I began to address the logistics of my day.

I called my favorite local tire center and was told the wait time was long this morning, so I needed to come in right after lunch.  I then spoke with my assistant at work and, with her help, covered my commitments for the day.  I then spent time this morning getting caught up on email and a few tasks that I want to have completed before the long weekend.  I'll be heading to the tire center soon, and will then return home to telecommute for another few hours.

I feel tremendously lucky that today's schedule, albeit interrupted, did not involve any other types of commitments.  And I have welcomed the quiet in which I can accomplish so much inside my home-sweet-home.  

 

A Cottage-Cotton Kind of Day

The sun was bright and cheerful outdoors, and it streamed into the rooms of my home all day.  I lounged in a full length cotton robe as I stared at dozens of quilts.  Some were in photographs, most were in my closet.  Fabrics of crisp solid white, miniature florals in pinks and yellows, and demure stripes in blues and greens surrounded me all day.  They smelled clean, as though they'd been lined-dried in a spring breeze. 

The bouquet of flowers I received from my son on Mother's Day is in full bloom.  The flowers are beautiful and nearly look as though they came from our yard.  A faint scent of roses lingers in my dining room.

The day felt very cottage-y.  Cotton quilts and fresh cut flowers, quaint and sweet.  I wasn't feeling well enough to go to work yesterday, so I stayed home to rest.  I loved being surrounded by so much simple beauty.

  

To see examples of how quilts are used in home decorating, visit Seasons for All at Home by clicking here.

Credit: Photo from Country Living.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

As I headed to work one morning last week, there on the street around the corner from my home was a rafter* of turkeys.  The tail feathers on two of them were in full spread.  I was charmed by this sight and was amused at the notion of their surviving several Thanksgivings.

This is the time of year for lizards to appear in walkways in my neighborhood, too.  I've seen more of them in the past couple of weeks than I saw in the last couple of years.  One looks rather wide and I'm wondering if this little creature is female and with child(ren).  They continue to scurry whenever homo sapiens are near.

And earlier today as I walked into my front yard, I caught sight of something swooping down onto the hillside opposite my house.  It was an egret.  Large and lean and graceful, it landed between two heritage oak trees.  I watched for a moment, then looked away.  When I looked back again the egret was gone.

Small birds continue to chirp outside my windows, so much so that I'd rather listen to them than to anything else, including music.  

Turkeys, lizards, egrets, small birds, hillsides, and heritage oak trees.  It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

     

* Rafter is the correct term for a group of turkeys just as gaggle is used for a group or geese.  But I had to look it up to learn that fact.

Cinco de Mayo?

My mother's parents were born in Ireland.  I studied French in school for 8 years.  My married name is of Spanish origin.  My children, whose last name is of Spanish origin too, are more Irish than Spanish. 

I was born and raised in California and live there now.  I have seen more of France than Mexico.  I have never been to Ireland.   

There is nothing I like about corned beef and cabbage.  French foods are delicacies.  There is much I love about quesadillas and burritos. 

I know not a single word of Gaelic.  I used to be able to speak, read, and understand French.  Besides the menu at Taco Bell and being able to count to 10, I know only about a dozen Spanish words.  I wasn't even sure if I was spelling "Cinco de Mayo" correctly until I found this clip art.  

I know there is much history associated with this special day and if there was an upside down question mark on my keyboard, I would have used it at the beginning of the title for this post.  

To all who celebrate this day, enjoy!