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The Agility Test
My neighbor, Mr. Mike, has backed his trucked into his garage for as long as I’ve known him. I wonder if it’s some kind of test for him personally, like the day he backs into the house is when he parks his truck for good, or maybe it’s just a guy thing because the flow…
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I Believe You
In Texas it seems that it has to be windy for the outdoor temp to drop quickly as I laid in bed one night recently and listened to it howl. Just the laying in bed part was huge progress for me because I used to be terrified of strong wind…especially during the night and you’d…
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That’s a Wrap
While living solo, especially during the holiday season, it helps to let go of expectations towards others. It’s not healthy to hold the bar too high for ourselves either, unless, of course, we want to feel disappointed during this season. Another of my favored childhood memories was watching presents appear underneath the tree wrapped in…
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Walking the Winter
It was cold, but no wind, so the air would feel crisp. Lacing up my runners, I smile in anticipation of my bright blue, wool runner’s wrapped in Christmas paper and laying under the tree, but no cheating and opening early. Layers, Fitbit, water bottle and a card written for a friend to drop in…
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Spark the Spirit of Christmas-While Living Solo
This is a difficult season for many and it’s been a struggle for me most of my life, but it seems I’ve gone back to my roots. Every Christmas, Mama moved a piece of furniture out of our den to make space for the tree and one of my older brothers was nominated to climb…
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An Audience of One
One of the keys in life, for me anyway, is to stay open to change. Otherwise, we live similar years and call it a life. My life changed when my daughter moved out to start her own life, but it took time to realize how much her absence would effect my everyday. She came to…
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Accept the Good
I haven’t always been a walking bucket of positivity. I certainty wasn’t taught the power of positive thinking as a child, or raised to accept the good, so by the time I was an adult, I had a negative slant on life. My parents spent a lot of time worrying. At the age of 20,…
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Rewrite Our Story
This morning I overslept and didn’t get out of bed until 8am, but it felt good. The day felt more like Sunday than Monday, but I knew in my soul what day it was. November 10, 1998 is the day I stopped drinking and started going to AA. The sobriety birthday comes quietly compared to…
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The $100 Hose
I’m of the opinion that plants don’t like to be alone. The two I have sitting on the rusted cart in my studio are so happy sitting side by side and even though they’re completely different, they enhance one another. They grow at a steady pace and I just finished repotting one of them for…
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A Place to Land
Julia Cameron says, “You don’t have to be in the ‘mood’ to write…just write.” I know there are words that want to be written, but they seem far away. Living solo it’s easy to slip into these quiet phases, but for a writer it can also be dangerous. There’s a stack of cards by Sacred…
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The Hard Things
There’s this crazy looking oil painting that I’ve had for a decade and up until today, it was sitting in the give away pile. I’ve heard this phrase most of my life and as I’ve aged these words are still needed, but in a softer way. It asks a question, but how the words are…
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For the Birds
I wonder if the birds are continually confused by my yard, or if they see it as a great adventure? This morning, I noted, “I enjoy rearranging things outside as much as inside”, but once you move a birdbath, it takes days for them trust the new location. The hummingbirds are as quick witted as…
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A Box of Thoughts
First thing in the morning, I feel a need to stay in my own little world for a while before connecting with people. I tend not to speak until after 9, or 10 am, but not from a lack of words. I let all of them fall to the page through the keys of my…
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Advice from a Dog
I saw this quote and kept it to share. Plants teach me about life, but these two dogs living with me are also good teachers. Similar to plants, a lot of times I think I’m doing all the giving when in reality they give so much more than they receive, but I’ll continue to watch…
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The Right Choice
One month later, I moved Rumi out of my bedroom because it was inconvenient sharing my space. I got tired of moving him to function and he didn’t look happy. Plants need to be around energy, so I moved him to the front of the house, which ironically is where he landed when I first…
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