"Show Towels"

Are you on a fixed income?  Do you appreciate ways to spiff up your home without spending much cash?  After moving into our new home (111 years old),  I noticed that cleaning and painting weren't going to provide the make-over I wanted for the bathrooms.  My same old dingy towels didn't help either, so I bought new ones at the local big box store.  Feeling surprised at how inexpensive they actually were, I picked up a few extra.  Folded nicely for one room, rolled for another, I strategically placed the towels where they looked more like decorations than something to use.  Today, though, while sorting my laundry, I was disappointed to see how raggedy the new towels looked after just one washing.  You can probably see where this is going.  Yes, I did say to myself, "Well, I guess we will never use the new towels; they'll just be for show."  Thus, the title, and now, my bathrooms will always look pretty with accents of "show towels".

The colors in this photo, called "True Blue", are similar to the colors in one of my bathrooms.  I do like that sea glass theme!

The Unknown

Sometimes, you've gotta just roll with it.  We don't always know the reasons for things that happen; in fact, we rarely know.  Today, when the plumber left, the leaky faucet began leaking more than it had before the repairs.  My post wasn't started, and I was needed at church to clean up the rummage sale left-overs.  With tomorrow being a Saturday, I had no choice but to call the plumber back.  Why did this have to happen?  

Fast forward to now.  The leak was caused by a faulty new seal, and is a thing of the past.  I'm able to sit and write this post with a full 45 minutes until I have to leave.  The slight delay in my agenda takes me back to another time when I actually saw the reason for my departure being put on hold.  About seven years ago, I was in a hurry to get home from choir practice.  It had been a long day of teaching, then church, and it was getting dark outside.  As I was gathering up my things to leave the choir loft, a friend asked me to give her a ride home.  She had locked her keys in the car.  There was no way that I would have said no, so I took her home.  She thanked me, said her husband would take her back for her car, and I was off.  Not more than two minutes later, I saw the reason for God holding me back.  A car full of teenagers had crossed into the lane I would have been in, rolled over, and was upside down with broken glass everywhere.  I would never have seen them coming, as that spot is on a curve. The car was totaled, but the kids spent only a little time in the hospital. How much worse it would have been with more momentum coming their way!  Had they hit me, they might not have been pulled out safely.  I thanked God for the delay that night.  Perhaps, instead of being upset when we are forced to wait and be late, we should be grateful for protection from the unknown. 

Toes in the Sand

Rummage sale week is almost over.  Everything is priced and in its place.  The doors open at the First Congregational Church in South Haven, Michigan precisely at 9:00 am.  So why is the title of my post, "Toes in the Sand"?  If you are retired, but find yourself busier than before, you'll understand.  I was sorting through some blouses, to make sure they were all worthy of the designated rack and hanger area, when it hit me.  I desperately needed a 10 minute vacation.  The urge to touch the sand with my toes was strong, but I knew it would be a while before I could make it to the beach.  Pushing away thoughts of, "This may be the last warm day of fall" and "If I miss this chance, the sand won't be warm again until May", I concentrated on the job at hand, rummage prep. 

Finally finished, relief for my tired, aching feet was made possible by riding my bike just a couple of blocks west of the church.  Ahhhhhhhhhhh.  The sand is still warm.  Not only does it feel good, but burying your toes in the sand forces you to take a mini vacation, not moving, just relaxing.  So if you're having one of those weeks, where there is barely enough time to even sit down, I hope you'll be able to put your toes in the sand, or water, or someone's loving hands, and just smile.

 I haven't found nice pieces of beach glass like these in a long time, but the sand is always there:)

Robot Clickers?

Is there really such a thing as "robot clickers"?  So many e-mails, blogs, and just about anything online conclude with the request that we copy some squiggly letters or numbers to prove that we are not robots.  More than once, I've copied incorrectly though, and I still got through.  It makes me wonder if the 44 readers of my post today were real or statistically contrived.  So you can imagine how awesome it was for me to see two comments awaiting moderation.  Wow!  Real people.  Sure it's happened before, but not two in one day, so I guess you could say I'm feeling pretty good.  Even if robot clickers do account for some of my numbers, I'm thrilled that at least two were actual human beings.  If one of them was you, thank you.

You can always tell when I've stayed up too late to write my post; my picture titles don't match my posts as well as when I'm alert.  This photo is called, "Second South Haven Sea Glass".  The word, "Second" goes with the "two" people who wrote comments today.  I know, that is really stretching it.
Good night.  

Stop and Smell the Toaster

There's a reason why people say, "Stop and smell the roses", and we all know what it is; we are just too darn busy.  Think about it.  If a garden of fully bloomed roses is along your path, but you, sadly, don't stop to take a sniff, you are in too much of a hurry.  Well, it's that time of year when the roses are done testing our priorities, but I failed a test of a different kind today.  As I rushed through my morning's list of things to do and places to go, I forgot one of my favorite sensory pleasures.  I forgot to smell the toaster.  Yes, I admit that sounds a bit strange, but I happen to get a little giddy when I close my eyes on a cold fall morning and stick my nose over my toaster just before the toast pops up.  It warms me, and the scent reminds me of the simpler times before microwaves and yogurt.  Back then, we could slather our golden brown carbs with real butter, and no one would think twice about it.  Remember how it was to eat without having to follow all kinds of rules?  Oh, those were the days!  So when I noticed that I had forgotten to do the one thing that takes me down that memory road, I knew I couldn't miss it tomorrow, and I won't. 

This is really stretching it, but here goes.  My photo is called, "Pop Bottom", and toast "pops" up.  (It's been a long day.)

Merritt Wever's Acceptance Speech

Did you see Merritt Wever's Emmy acceptance speech last night?  After saying, "Thank you" a few times, she simply uttered, "I gotta go.  Bye."

Well, this is "rummage sale week" at church, where I will be most of the time beginning each day at 9:00 am.
In case anyone out there is waiting for today's picture, I've got one for you, but as for the post........, "I gotta go.  Bye."

This one is called, "Clean Break", which is what I need to make right now.  I'm late!

Appreciate the Effort

It happened again; another person boldly declared that she would get tired of living so close to a football field.  So as I sat on the porch with my breakfast, I gave that remark some thought.  Then came the runner, the same one that runs every morning from 7:30-8:00.  Sure, others use the track around the field, as well, but this guy is faithful to his routine.  If my husband and I happen to be on the deck, he usually waves at us.  The thing is, he doesn't appear to be having an easy time; it looks as though there is a considerable amount of effort involved in his laps.  If you think about it, everything that goes on at that football field and track requires effort.  There are many words that we can associate with the activities occurring behind my backyard.  Most people would include, "competition", "sportsmanship", "teamwork", but I'm really liking the word, "effort".   In a world where I see adults going out for fast food in their pajamas, I appreciate having a daily view of effort.  Whether there's a team or a lone runner, their effort is refreshing to me, and I will never get tired of that.

After putting a little extra "effort" into making this one look solarized, I thought it would be a good choice for today.  It's called, "Green Chips, Solarized".

Sheer Confidence

Are you a portrayal of sheer confidence?  I'm not.  It seems that every opportunity that comes my way is attached to a struggle.  Nothing can be decided without second-guessing myself.  Will I be good enough?  Will others be okay with my words, my looks, my presence?  What if I do something "wrong"?  I almost made a decision today that would have kept me from all kinds of wonderful possibilities, but with the help of my husband, I'm moving forward.  Instead of making excuses for quitting, I am remembering why I should keep going.  If I mess up, well..........., the world will keep spinning, and probably the only one bothered would be me.  Besides, my lack of confidence actually shows a lack of faith, and since I've always had strong faith in my God, I'd better start showing it!

"Cool Blues" is the name of this sea glass picture.  Maybe we should all stop trying to be cool, and just be ourselves.

Not Too Sharp

Have you ever been scammed?  I just opened an e-mail from a good friend and was horrified to read that she had been mugged!  She was asking for financial help to pay the hotel bill so she could come home from the Philippines.  I'm embarrassed to admit that I was actually worried about her!  After praying for her, I called a mutual friend to see if she had received the same news.  Sure enough!  There it was!  Thankfully, she had just spoken to our friend the day before, with no mention of vacation plans, so we knew it was a scam.  If this ever happens to you, check with the person involved, or anyone else who would know what is really going on, and do not send money.  It's a shame that we have to be on the look-out for crooks using our feelings, for people we care about, to make a buck.

This photo's title is, "Too Sharp"; that is exactly what I was not, when I first read today's scam.

Wake Me Up!

It's been at least 20 minutes of indecision over what I should write about today.  Normally, I truly enjoy sitting down to begin my blog.  My runny nose problem of yesterday is, thankfully, gone, and I've had plenty of sleep.  I've said prayers, played a brain-awakening game of Spider Solitaire, and enjoyed my small daily allotment of caffeine.  Sure, I could have had a little more protein than what I just finished, but it's not like I'm still hungry.  No, it's something else.  I've got it!  Click.  There, I've turned off my fake fireplace.  That should do it!  You see, it's only 46 degrees outside, and 61 inside, so instead of watching dollars fly away by running the furnace, I was using a space-heater.  The problem is, the heater has a soothing fan sound that apparently makes me very tired.  With that figured out, I'll do better tomorrow.  In the meantime, I'm pretty sure I just saw a squirrel fall past my second-story window onto the deck!  That doesn't sound pleasant.  I hope I was dreaming...................

Not feeling quite awake, you can understand why I chose this one, "Lost in Space".  
By the way, I did hear the kerplunk of something landing on our deck, followed by a skitter-scatter sound, but there was no squirrel to be found.  Whew!

Nose River

Have you ever had a scent get stuck in your nose?  The smell of varnish seems to be coating my nostrils, and I just don't know what else to do!  You would think the constant dripping and consequent blowing of my nose would get rid of anything lingering in there.  Twice, I've rinsed with saline spray; that usually does the trick, but not this time.  So, here I sit trying to write today's post, but with this river running out of my head (Oops, emergency tissue break), keeping my fingers on the keyboard is a challenge that I am not going to win.  I guess I should have worn a mask.  Well, these shelves aren't going to repurpose themselves; I'm heading back outside for a second coat.

It's funny how there is always a photo in my file that goes with my post.  Today's is called, "Wet Ones".

End Zone

It's high school football night, and our new home overlooks the end zone of the field.  It's funny how there are such opposite schools of thought about that.  When my husband and I tell people how great it is to see the games for free, they either wholeheartedly agree, or not so subtly, say how they could never live amongst such commotion.  That makes me tilt my head and wonder why it is that I do enjoy it.  I think it may stem from the comfort of feeling involved. When the crowd cheers, we cheer.  When the band plays, we can see it and hear it just as well as anyone in the stands.  There's also the anticipation.  It's in the air; you can feel it, and it takes you back to younger days.  Remember how you didn't have to think about what to wear, because you knew it would be all about the school jersey?  And the dinners..........in my family, it was chili, goulash, or sloppy joes.   So tonight, we're having goulash.  Even though my husband doesn't like it, he's being a really good sport about my choice and the reasons behind it.  After all, there are only five home games, and we love our end zone home.

 
  As this photo is called, "Pig Rock", I thought it fit in with the game that uses a pigskin ball!

Fickleness

Human beings are fickle creatures, aren't we?  Is the degree to which we are fickle dependent upon environment, genes, hormones?  How about social class, birth order, gender, or age?  Does fickleness change as we age?  It seems the older I've gotten, the more fickle I've become; this is contrary to the term, "set in my ways".  Huh!  So then, if you think about it, what's so bad about changing your mind?  Isn't it better to like something one day and like something else better the next day, than to not like anything at all?  I suppose it could almost make me sound easily dissatisfied, but on the other hand, very open-minded to new things.  At this moment, all I know for sure is that this whole idea has sprung from my brain like the sweat from my pores.  It is simply too hot out, and my most favorite season has become my least favorite.  If that makes me fickle, well, at least I have a reason.   

Here are two different versions of, "Another Sea Glass Heart".  The top one has been repeatedly flipped and merged.  The second is a tiny portion of the same picture with a photo-shopped dry brush filter.  I couldn't decide which one to use.

The List Game

Thank God, yesterday's situations are looking better, and I can now begin to work on my list of 17 items.  None of these are typical everyday things to do, so naturally, if I were to include tasks from my daily routine, the list would be a mile longer.  That's okay.  The very act of having a list, on an actual piece of paper, written with a pen and not a keyboard, clears my head.  The list becomes a game.  If you are someone who keeps such a list, then you know that to win "the game", you have to have as many items crossed off, by the end of the day, as possible.   More likely than not, though, unexpected interruptions will occur.  I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.  These jobs are usually a product of answering your phone or of a sudden memory burst regarding something you had forgotten to put on your calendar, so you add them to your list.  Now, here is where the everyday tasks come in.  After all, the list is a game of percentages, and even though this may sound a tad OCD, try doing what I do.  On long list days, whenever you finish something, no matter how small, add it to your list, and draw a box next to it; fill that box with a great big "X".  If you're like me, it wasn't originally on the list, because it's part of your routine, and you didn't need to be reminded, but the feeling of having more things done will be reached a whole lot sooner if you include them all.  Oh, and on really big jobs, why not give them two or three X's?

This photo is called, "Lost in Sea Glass".  It's the closest I could come to for today's post, in that I hope you don't get "lost" in your list.

Peace

Yesterday was a day of company and calls; some were good, and some were quite bad.  Add to that mix some commitments that I just could not get out of, and time slipped by with no chance to write a new post.  Sorry.  Thankfully, through it all, God never left my side, and He never will.  I've learned that when it seems as though God is ignoring me, it's actually because I'm ignoring Him by frantically trying to figure everything out on my own.  The saying, "Let go, and let God" couldn't be more true.  God loves us and wants us to be joyful.  Gloomy Christians aren't good examples.  I know that God will take care of the people who are on my heart in His own way and in His perfect timing.  So, I will do what He tells me to do in Philippians 4:6,7;  "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand."  In Jesus' name, Amen

Angel

It's amazing what a coat of paint will do (and another, and another, and another).  I don't know how my husband did it.  He's a painting dynamo.  Our new home looks wonderful with all of the fresh, clean walls and plank board floors.  Then, tonight, my angelman began working on the basement walls.  If he's reading this, I want him to know how much I admire and appreciate him.  Together, we've been giving this 111 year-old house the love and attention that it has needed, but I actually had a fun job today!  Shopping!!!  And I still dropped before my husband did.  Great job, Honey.

I'll bet you know what this sea glass photo is called.  Yup!  "Angel".

Play First

It's not typical for me to follow my own advise, but today I actually did.  In yesterday's post, my day had been made 100% better by doing something I had been longing to do before beginning my dreaded chores.  This was absolutely contrary to being rewarded for good behavior after the behavior!  What?  How could this be?  So today, I tried it again.  Since moving into our new home, I've had ants in my pants regarding my old records, the 45 rpm kind.  I've dreamed of having a few moments to open the big bin of oldies that has been in storage and, pretty much, untouchable.  Now, though, I have more space for things like that.  All I have to do is open the box, choose a title (and let's face it, back in my younger days, they were all good), put the record on the record player, the needle on the record, and turn it on.  Oh, I can't think of a better way to step back into time..............., and guess what?  Again, I was able to approach my long day of work with a smile on my face, because I didn't view the chores as the hindrance to a desire of my heart.

Easy choice!  This one is called, "Clear Heart".

Plans

Isn't it funny how the plans we make for ourselves, while well-intentioned, don't always end up being the best plans?  Working, again, until I drop, was the plan for getting our old house ready for the new owners.  Instead, a dear friend stopped by on her way home, and I began the process of removing the urgency from my day.  Something about moving into an old farm-style house and sitting on the porch with someone I care about had changed my perspective on my priorities.  At least for today, the goal of rushing to do this and rushing to do that was put on a back burner.  Way back.  After showing her through the house, my friend and I took our time exploring decorating ideas, sharing a snack, then touring the neighborhood on foot.  By 11:30, I was alone and ready to get to work, but with a huge difference from yesterday.  Today, I was refreshed; I was singing a tune.  With new energy, I was able to get more done in a few hours than I had planned for the entire day.

If anyone out there is working themselves into a frazzle, try changing your agenda.  In the morning, do whatever it is that you have been wishing you could do, if you just had the time to do it.  Yes, do that first.   Then, carry on with your plans, and smile. 

This photo is called, "Holiday Sea Glass".   Take a holiday today, even if it is just for a couple of hours.

The Dreaded Cleaning

The seemingly never-ending saga of moving continues, and in three more days, the house we have moved from will no longer belong to us.  Too exhausted to produce a post, I shall at least tell you how I got that way.  It comes down to one word, "cleaning".   First, there's the refrigerator with its fragile glass and plastic pieces that slide apart, and as such, getting the crumbs and gunk out of the countless crevices took me an embarrassingly long time.  To not get bored, I switched rooms for a while and attacked the bathtub.  It's amazing how what first looked clean took on a whole different appearance when I put on my reading glasses.  Ugh!  Sometimes, I wish I could just let go and not adhere so strongly to the Golden Rule, but I must, I must, I must do unto others as I would have them do unto me.  I appreciate moving into a home that is ready to live in.  Period.  So after cleaning only the refrigerator, tub, and later, the stove-top, I am now "looking forward" to finishing the rest of the house.  My fingers are telling me that it might be a good idea to wear gloves tomorrow, and could we please stop typing and just go to bed? 
Good night.

"Emeralds and Lemon Drops" is the name of this group of beach glass.  There were no emeralds in our fridge, but there were a couple of lemons.   Close enough.

Dancing Bowl

Our eight over-night guests are gone.  The boxes that have been moved from our old house to the new one are folded and ready for recycling.  Most of the commotion of Labor Day week-end is over.  So why wouldn't our Golden Retriever eat her dinner?  For five days in a row, Zella refused to eat anything out of her bowl.  I wrote this unsettling behavior off to our change of address compounded with more people than she could handle in her new surroundings.  Add to that, the endless amount of crumbs on the floor as we ate our way through the holiday, I figured the canine vacuum was probably too full to eat her boring dogfood.  Today should have been different, though, and it wasn't.  Even when my husband added a few bits of microwaved hotdog to her bowl, Zella acted like she was afraid to go near it.  That fearful look was the clue we needed to figure out the mystery.  You see, at the old house, her bowl of food had its place on a rug in the mudroom.  Her new eating area is on ceramic tile; we didn't realize that her bowl was doing a little dance every time she touched it.  Sure, the movement was slight, but it bothered Zella enough to keep her from eating!  Well, I dumped her food onto a paper plate, and it was gone in an instant. That's good, because had that not worked, the next step would have been a trip to the veterinarian, and we really all just need some rest.................

This beach glass picture is called, "Good Day", and now that our dear dog is eating again, it definitely has been a good day.