Through the Eyes of a Child

I flew home last night. Yesterday was a busy day full of a mixture of emotions. I apologize I could not pull together a Tranquil Thursday post, but I give myself grace.

This past week I spent looking at the world through the eyes of a child. In this way, we realize the insignificance of so many things we adults choose to worry about.

There are so many things I wish to share, but today will not be that day. Today will be a day of much needed rest and recovery from the trip.

Tomorrow starts the A to Z challenge and I am not at all prepared! Looks like a month of pantser posts.

I hope you are all well.

 

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Comfort – Tranquil Thursday #8

Today I fly to Florida to spend a week with my family so I will make this simple.

I have been thinking about the things that bring us comfort. We draw comfort from various things whether it be an action, a person, a pet, a favorite food, or perhaps a piece of memorabilia.

I think comfort has taken a bad rap. Many people talk about stepping out of our ‘comfort zone’ as if it is a negative place to dwell. Comfort itself seems to have earned a negative connotation. I understand the sentiment, but I value comfort and comforting others.

Here are some questions to ponder.

• How would you define comfort?
• Under what circumstances do you seek and/or give comfort?
• The sound of my father’s voice always brought me comfort. Is there a voice that beings you comfort?
• Do you have a favorite comfort food?
• What person, animal, place, or thing makes you feel comforted?

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A place of comfort for me is a place where even in the midst of chaos, everything seems right with the world.

Being an introvert and a loner, I seldom seek comfort from others. My dad was always the person that comforted me. He could read me. He knew when things were off kilter. I often felt simply sharing the same space with him was comforting. He was a big man who could transform me with his hugs. No one has ever hugged me like my father although my son comes pretty close.

My dad’s voice was a deep bass voice and it amazed me how much gentle comfort he could deliver with that booming voice. I miss hearing it.

I have a few comfort foods.

• Hardboiled eggs chopped up with a little butter, eaten on toast
• Grilled cheese sandwiches
• A piece of warm buttered cornbread fresh from the oven
• A cup of hot cocoa

I draw great comfort from my husband. We can both read or work independent of each other but there is comfort in the knowledge he is close by.

A dog or a cat snuggled up close, warm against my body. I find petting an animal most comforting as well.

Of course my mountains bring me great comfort  too. They hold the echoes of my family and my ancestors. They are home to me.

I Have No Proof

Image by Sasimaporn Moonthep from Pixabay

The crowd yells “Show me the receipts!” Sorry, there are none.

Last night I made a quick trip to the pharmacy. In my haste I left without my phone.

Dusk was beginning to settle as I turned the corner and drove by the newly plowed tomato fields as four deer crossed the road ahead of me. I quickly searched for my phone. I was so intent on snapping a photo I almost missed the moment.

They were beautiful. I watched as the two adults moved into the field while the two yearling froze as if to stare me down. I had stopped the car to let them pass. In a flash they were moving out of sight.

I thought about my phone. After the moment of “what if I need to…” passed, I decided to forge ahead phoneless! Imagine that! Riding into the night untethered.

On the way home the sky was a beautiful violet color, barely lit by the last of the sun as it disappeared behind the mountains. It would have made a beautiful painting. I can’t prove that either. You will simply have to take my word for it.

I spent my life as the family photographer and I am thankful for the countless photographs I took over the years. Now that I am older, I find myself getting more and more content to be lost in the moment, fully immersed in my surroundings. There may be less photos but the trade off is fuller memories.

An acquaintance of mine is in France for a week. She is taking photos and posting them on FaceBook. Sadly, most of them are things she has found to be negative. Bags of trash, artificial flowers, things in disrepair. It is obvious by the backgrounds of the photos she is in a beautiful part of the world. I think she might be missing the moment.

Today my wish is that you experience beautiful things and I hope there are at least a handful you cannot prove.

Take a moment. Put down your phone. Soak in life. That’s my advice. 🦌

Monday Missive

I took a much needed day off yesterday. I managed to get my exercises in, but the cold and rainy weather is wreaking havoc on my knees. I decided self-care was just what the doctor ordered. I cooked chili Friday to get us through this latest cold snap and I was so glad I did.

• Thursday I am flying back to Florida for a week to attend the baby shower for our soon-to-be grandson. It will be nice to have some warmer temperatures although their temperatures have been cooler than normal, too.
• When I get back I plan to schedule my knee replacement surgery. There is a 2-3 month lead time for the schedule and this way I can plan it so as not to interfere with the baby’s arrival.
• I took a few photos yesterday. The early bloom and the recent cold snap are not a good combination for plants. Local nurseries are moving plants into the greenhouses to protect them. I really hope the apple orchards are not affected. This can be a tenuous time for them.
• Friday I made an appointment to get my hair cut without realizing there would be a St. Patrick’s parade. I had to cancel my appointment because there was absolutely no parking to be found. Dang!
• Today will be filled running errands in preparation for my trip and getting the last of the Easter basket goodies for my two youngest grandchildren. I also need to look at the baby registry and get our gift ordered. Much to do!

This is beginning to feel a lot like one of Linda’s “What Day is it Anyway” posts she ran during the pandemic.

Here’s wishing you all a good week. Enjoy the flowers!

 

Stick It – SoCS

Linda has presented us with a rather common four-letter word this week. Should be a piece of cake, right?  If you want to give it a shot then check out her post and join the party.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “tape.” Use it as a noun or a verb. Use it any way you like. Enjoy!

Somewhere along the route that we call progress, the art of pin curls went away. My mother could ‘set’ her hair in a flash – no mirror required. Every move of her fingers was precise, fastening every strand of hair into place. My sister was pretty good at pin curls, too. Me? Not so much.

Somewhere in the 60s, hairstyles got shorter (Thanks Twiggy). Even pin curls require enough hair to wrap into circles in order to pin with a bobby pin. Enter pink hair setting tape sold under the Scotch tape brand. Instead of pinning the hair into place, this low tack tape was used to tape hair in place. Little side curls would be taped to the side of the face securing it until the hair dried. Those pesky bangs could also be secured so they didn’t ‘flip’ while drying.

Sadly, fashion has moved on. Hair set tape is no longer sold. Never fear though, you can get used roll – dispenser and all – for about $30 on eBay (I think it sold for 69¢ back in the day). I knew I should have kept mine!