After looking at several topics for this week’s BLOG, I finally decided to write about Susan. Susan has a business Forest for the Trees. Clients of her business want to have certain areas of their life organized – or, sometimes, re-organized. And, that what it was for me – re-organized. I have some sense of organization. The kind where you say, “Don’t move anything from my desk. I know where everything is – even if it looks like a never – ending mess.” Because, it is a never-ending mess. The kind where you just keep stacking things on top of things until you have layers and layers of paper.
Have you ever had a kindred spirit? Once, ever so long ago, I was blessed with a kindred spirit. How do you know you’ve met a kindred spirit? My husband’s family was from Missouri. They had attended a church close by their farm. The minister of that church was definitely a kindred spirit to me. The things we discussed (in person or on the phone) – the church, the quilters’ group, cooking of applesauce (all recorded in photographs by me), as well as conversations about religion. The Bible. Bible stories. Kids’ Sunday School. Family. Acquaintances. We were just always on the same page.
Individual cottonwood leaves sitting on the Hmong table cloth.
I know that the calendar says fall is here. I never quite believe that until my cottonwood starts giving me presents. Yellow leaves. Single yellow leaves. Twigs with yellow leaves. That’s when fall is really here!
“My bunnies” are causing my backyard grass to degrade. I’ve counted and seem to have at least five. This past week, two were chasing each other around the yard.
Do you ever think about the people in your life, and how they have helped you become who or what you are, today? At eighty-four years, there have been plenty of people who helped to shape me into the woman that I am today. Some women. Some men. My mom, of course. And, sister Clara. Larry, particularly. Claire Knox, the town’s head librarian in the town where I lived until I went to college. Henry Fukuhara, Pomona Hallenbeck, and Marie Ungemah – all mentors for my watercolor. Denise Vega, my writing coach. I think, however, that there is one person in my life whose presence definitely made me the competent student that I became and continued to be through high school and college.
From Larry’s collection of hollyhocks, a few remaining “red” blossoms. It is the end of the growing season.
Making an Apology
How does one go about apologizing for something that has been done that can’t be undone? How do you unhurt someone who has been hurt? When I think over the last eighty-four years, there has been plenty of that. Why is it that we seem to think that our families can take the brunt of this behavior easier that friends and acquaintances or work associates?
Every day – well, almost, every day – I make a list of what I need to do that day. Laundry. Feed the dog. Trim the dog’s nails. Vacuum the carpet. Water the grass. You know. If I’m lucky, I accomplish 1% of what is on the list. Or, if I’m really lucky, on a good day – 15%.
I go into the day with the best of intentions, but by five in the evening, the productive day is over. I’m left wondering where has the day gone – what have I accomplished, today? And, I’m also left with wondering what I will have for dinner. Meals are never on my “to do” list; so, I’m never really sure. Or, for lunch, either.
Two things you should know about me – you may already know them. I love “sayings.” Sayings that people tell me. Sayings that I glean from books. And, sayings that are in my favorite movies – on Hallmark, of course.
The second is the “fortunes” that I find in Chinese Fortune Cookies. Interestingly enough, they don’t all come with Chinese food. Sometimes, they come with Thai food; or, any other Asian food. My Asian food comes from Spicy Basil or The Erawan Cafe. Both have excellent food; Spicy Basil, however, is closer to my home and delivers, great during the pandemic!. In fact, I’ve used Spicy Basil so much that the delivery person just brings the bag of my lunch or dinner to my porch, rings the door bell, and scurries back to his car, knowing that I’ll be immediately at the door to bring my meal into the house.
You may want to be sitting down when you read this. Sister Clara says she was, but she still needed to pick herself up from the floor. It was the same for computer guru Roger. He, too, had to pick himself up from the floor. Both of these people have been in my house and know full well what it looks like.
I know – I know! I’ve promised not to talk about dogs all of the time, but this weekend was so much fun, I have to share. So, here goes!
Kate and Paisley wanted to be petted. Granddaughter #2 lovingly obliged.
Of course, you know that my miniature schnauzer Lady lives with me. She is white and, currently, desperately needs a haircut. She literally looks like a ragamuffin. I am looking for a new dog groomer.
Lady and Paisley waiting at the top of the stairs for me to be finished with laundry.
Paisley’s mom and dad are vacationing in Hawaii. She has been with Lady and me for more than a week. She is incredibly sweet and always does what she is asked. She and Lady get along well. Paisley sleeps on the bed with us because she is allowed to sleep on the bed, at home.
Katie’s mom and dad realized that they needed to be away for the weekend, so she came to be with all of us. Three dogs; I was really happy to have all of them at the same time for the weekend.
Of course, it meant altering eating and sleeping accommodations. Lady and Paisley are comfortable eating in the same room and the same time. Katie needs her own room for privacy. Sleeping took a little more arranging. The first night, we all started in the same room. Lady, Paisley, and I were on the bed; Katie on her bed on the floor. Paisley seemed a little nervous and paced the bed, even getting off of the bed once. That kept me awake, so my solution was to move Paisley into another room to sleep. Then, we all slept through the night. That arrangement didn’t hold for the next night, though. Katie had a room by herself, that night.
Katie, as you know, is a herder. Well, so is Paisley – an Australian shepherd. Katie wants to be the alpha, but she forgets that when she is here, she can’t be, because I am. Always. She, as well as Lady and Paisley are expected by me to do what I want them to do. The first few hours, there was a bit of unsureness on the part of Paisley and Katie, but it didn’t take long for each of them to find her place in this foursome of dogs and me. Having established the “pecking order,” the calmness was in place. Lady, of course, is not really part of this order because she seems oblivious to anything that is not about her, and she tends to pester both of them, equally.
Paisley and Kate settling down for a nap. Lady is already asleep on the couch – her safe place.
Katie’s mom was a bit concerned that she would try to be boss around Paisley, but by the evening, I took a photograph of them sleeping next to each other on the floor in the TV room (with Lady sleeping in her safe place on the couch).
They have taught me that they really like to go to bed at 9 pm; midnight (my bedtime) doesn’t work for them. So, they take their last trip out to the dog run, come in and get a drink of water, and go straight to bed. And, stay there all night long. It’s a little like having children who need to be in bed at a specified time.
One of the “games” they play is “who has the bone?” I have rawhide bones scattered throughout the house, depending on where a dog leaves a bone. It’s as though they play “musical bones,” because the bones move from dog to dog. For example, Kate will have a bone. Lady will have a bone, but Kate wants both bones. As soon as Lady leaves her bone unprotected, Kate takes it to her spot, so that she can chew on it a while. But, as soon as Kate leaves the bone for any reason, Lady gets down from her safe place and retrieves the bone for herself. This kind of musical bones is often played between all three dogs. When someone takes a bone away from someone else, there is never a quarrel. It just goes, and when the time is right, the dog from whom the bone was taken regains possession of it. It is really interesting to watch.
After the dogs are in bed, it gives me a little time for myself to do some things that I can’t do when they are up. By noontime on the day that Katie had to go home, I think they were well on their way to forming a pack.
I can’t remember many days when I’ve had more fun than these past few days.
It all started the day I woke with a pressure in my upper left arm. What do I know about heart attacks? Nothing. But, I do watch television, and the left arm always seems to be involved. So, after three hours of having my arm feel as though a blood pressure cuff was on it, pumped to an extreme degree that wouldn’t let go, I decided I’d ask my daughter to take me to the ER. Daughter #3 took me; not knowing how long I’d be there, and the fact that night driving is out, I would need a ride home, when I was released. If … I was released.
