“Happiness is not a goal – it’s a by-product of a life well lived.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
Month: September 2022
Monday Missive
I have been so caught up in my life I have not been a good blogger these last few weeks. I am back now, though, anxious to catch up with everyone.
- Hubby has been gone for the last week and a half. He has been in Maine attending a workshop at the Wooden Boat School. He is traveling with our good friend as his assistant in the class as they build a kayak. They start their drive home today and should be back home tomorrow.
- I spent a day with my friend Molly working in her workshop making jewelry. I got discouraged trying to work at home because my torch was not big enough to solder the size of pieces I was making. Hopefully I will get back in the groove now. We had a beautifully sunny day and enjoyed lunch out on her deck.
- This is my fourth week in a class on how to write an op-ed. I chose the topic of gun violence. The research has been interesting but so discouraging to realize how polarized we have become. I submitted my draft last night and this week will be the last week of the class.
- Our bear came back last week while the bird feeders were outside. It was around 4:00 pm which is a bit unusual. The airhorn did not phase him much as he returned three times. We have huge heavy wooden doors so after repeatedly slamming them open and shut, he got spooked and left. I have not put the bird feeders out since.
- It has been mostly rainy and a bit dreary since hubby has been gone. The air has been a bit cooler although still humid. I am not complaining one bit as I have seen how challenging the weather has been in other parts of the country and the world. I am looking forward to a day or two of sunshine, though.
- I am still going to the gym, although I am only going every other day now. I have found my knee does better when there is a day of rest in between.
That’s about it for me. I look forward to getting back to my blogging routine and connecting with you all.
Lest We Forget
It is September 11th. 21 years have passed since the horrific events of that day. I was quite surprised to see how far down in the news feed mentions of 9/11 have fallen.
Years ago I quit watching the footage of people jumping from the towers, of the planes flying into the buildings, or the towers falling. I did not need to rewatch the horror. It will forever be etched in my memory. That does not mean I will ever forget.
21 years have passed. I am sure there is some number at which we start to switch off historic (and tragic) events, especially if one was a child when the events happened. But remember we must.
Today I bow my head in reverence for the lives that were lost, for the families forever impacted, and for our country who lost so much that day. It is a profound reminder that life can change in an instant.
SoCS – Shhhhhhh
Linda, Listen! You can’t keep this crew silent!
What? Ohhhhh! Just silent letters in a word? Now I get it! Stroll over to Linda’s and listen to what she has to say.
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “a word that contains a silent letter.”Choose a word that contains a silent letter and use it in your post, or write about words with silent letters in general. Enjoy!
I love words. I always have. I think my teachers were very good at their jobs, because I never struggled with words that have silent letters in them. Let’s face it though, the English language doesn’t make it easy. It does make me wonder how my teachers kept the flow year after year so that my understanding of vocabulary remained consistent.
I am trying to think of some words that might be confusing. Pterodactyl is an odd one. That silent P at the front of the word is useless!
As kids, my sisters and I would drink 7-Up and pretend it was champagne. We all knew how to pronounce it, but we would laugh and say “Please, more cham’pag’nay, dahlink!”
Our local grocery store does not sell many high end products. We like Emeril’s Homestyle Marinara sauce. One day, the shelves were empty. A gentleman stocking the shelves turned and said to us, “Oh, that’s a GorMET item and only gets stocked on Tuesday.” We still laugh about it and always check ourselves if we plan to shop for any GorMET items on any day other than Tuesday or Wednesday.
Throwback Thursday #55 – Times of Chaos and Crisis
Welcome back to Throwback Thursday. “Oh, my fur and whiskers! I’m late.” Lauren has us thinking about our reactions in times of crisis and chaos. Head over to her blog to see what she has in store for us.
This week’s prompt is: Dealing With a Crisis
I have had a very busy week, so I’m going to answer the questions Lauren posed.
How well did you deal with a crisis in your youth or as a young adult?
Our little community was filled with multigenerational families. As a result, I experienced a lot of death as a child. My brother and I found our own grandfather lying peacefully on the hillside where he died from a heart attack. I don’t remember any specific effort to explain or comfort my brother and I. I did, however have two very vivid dreams where my grandfather came to me and explained what it was like to be dead. I was only 10 years old and I still remember every detail of those dreams.
Were you involved with a sudden disruption to your normal life that resulted in stress?
We had two moves as a family. One from Virginia to Florida, and one from Virginia to Ohio. I think because I had a brother and two sisters, I didn’t feel alone. We were all raised to roll with the punches I suppose. The adjustment to Ohio was a little more challenging since I was older. I don’t think I felt it was stressful, though.
Were you the worry wart or did you let things roll off our sleeves?
We were all taught to let things roll off our back. But I was a bit of a worrier. Not about everyday things, but more about big things like contemplating the expanse of the universe, and dying. I think I grew up with an unusual fear of death.
Did you follow the example of your parents?
Not sure how to answer this other than to say I think our coping skills were what we learned by watching our parents cope. I parented much differently – my children probably got tired of me urging them to talk.
Were you able to discuss your fears and worries openly, or did you keep your concerns to yourself?
I never told anyone about the deep and intense thoughts I had. I remember one night I was overwhelmed thinking about the idea of infinity. I went downstairs crying and told my grandmother my throat hurt. I did not want to be alone. I think she was a worrier, too. She thought sure I had scarlet fever although I had no symptoms whatsoever.
Did you have a good support system to deal with your worries?
I kept most to myself.
Do you, as an adult, still respond the same ways?
I can worry, but I have learned better coping skills as an adult.
fromcavewalls.wordpress.com 