There’s a yard on Grace Street I often pass on my way home. Over the years, the person who lives in the house has collected more and more yard art. I suspect people in the community have also contributed. Some unenlightened people might consider this an eyesore. I think it’s perfectly magnificent! Recently my friend was driving and offered to stop so I could take pictures. That’s when I discovered this was not just a collection of funky yard art. This is the Grace Street Prayer Garden! Who needs perfection when you can have Grace?
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This week’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “bowl.” Use it as a noun or a verb—use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!
I’ve never liked bowling. It’s noisy, and I’ve never been any good at it. Not interested in the Superbowl. I tried many years ago, but my x boyfriend informed me, “You don’t do yoga during the Superbowl!“
So, let’s go with the other bowl.
Life is a bowl of cherries. Some are sweet, some sour, some go bad. And they have seeds, which is okay. That’s how we get cherries. If you eat cherries and almonds at the same time, it tastes a little like coconut.
Life is like a bowl of cherries, or a box of chocolates, depending on who you ask. Before I started typing this, I got curious about where the bowl of cherries analogy comes from. Turns out it’s an old song. My parents probably knew that. Heck, my dad probably sang it since he liked to sing.
The song, “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries,” is about enjoying life and not being too serious. I’ve had a lot of practice being serious having been serious most of my life, most of the time, with some exceptions. The more we practice anything, the better we get at it, whether it’s being serious, making jokes, or dancing. Where did dancing come from? I don’t dance much. Maybe I should.
Life can be pretty serious, especially if you watch mainstream news. But there are alternatives for balance, like coming here on Tuesdays for Good News Tuesday. Yes, that’s a plug for my weekly post.
I think I’m going to practice enjoying and creating more little moments of joy in spite of the bad stuff going on. Or big moments of joy. But little moments of joy are easy, like seeing butterflies (I don’t care if it’s cliche), playing with the dog, or blowing those bubbles waiting patiently on my back deck.
This Saturday is a busy day for me, so I’m typing this on Friday which has been an easy, stay home day. Saturday, I have a thing at a church that involves coloring. Coloring brings me joy, so I’ll seek and savor those moments. Then, the farmer’s market and the annual Vegfest downtown. I hope they have some vegan food left by the time I get there. That’s more time away from home than I like. Being at home brings me joy. I think I’ll look for cherries.
Here’s the song done by Doris Day who was an animal activist later in life.
The chorus goes something like this:
Life is just a bowl of cherries. Don’t take it serious; it’s too mysterious. You work, you save, you worry so, But you can’t take your dough when you go, go, go. So keep repeating it’s the berries, The strongest oak must fall, (no, they mustn’t! says joannaoftheforest) The sweet things in life, to you were just loaned So how can you lose what you’ve never owned? Life is just a bowl of cherries, So live and laugh at it all.
Here are some pictures I’ve taken lately:
At the SanctuaryOn our walkParty at the Neighbor’sHanging out by the sidewalkThese didn’t make it.Dave and Marley
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is starts with “u.” Find a word that starts with the letter “u” and use it however you’d like. Bonus points if it’s the first word in your post. Enjoy!
“Use it or lose it,” was the first thing I thought about after reading the prompt. I believe this is true, up to a point. There’s a fine line between use and overuse. With osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, scoliosis, plantar fasciitis, and heel spurs, I have to be careful and look for the right kind of use (exercise) without overdoing it. All those ailments sound like a lot, but they’re not that serious if I find the right self-care balance.
I’ve figured out that if I do my foot exercises (mostly flexing), wear shoes with lots of cushioning (love my Oofos) and don’t walk on pavement much, my feet are able to take me on walks around the neighborhood and maybe a little hiking in the woods or walking on the beach. If I overdo (overuse) my feet, I have to ice them and rest some.
The back balance between use and overuse is a little trickier. Regular exercise is important, but it’s easy to strain a muscle, especially doing yard work which I really enjoy. My daughter just started selling essential oils and I’ve found I love the Deep Blue stick which is a roll on with gentle cool/warmth instead of the burn of some popular topical analgesics. But enough on that. I don’t want to do a commercial.
Another motivational quote I’m reminded of is “What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.” That may be true up to a point. Stress can kill over time. Stress can cause stomach and other gastrointestinal problems, all kinds of physical problems over time. Cortisol…. you can look it up. A little stress is good. A little stress here and there does make us stronger if we learn how to cope. That applies to both physical and mental stress, but too much can kill us. Being in an unhealthy relationship or toxic job can take years off our lives. In 2016 I had been saying for years, “I’m not going to let this job kill me.” Thankfully I got out in 2017. Now, I’m healing, reclaiming those years.
The “motivational” quote I really hate is, “Go big or go home.” Maybe I’m hearing that wrong, but maybe I did good to just show up. Have you seen this on a T shirt? I want one.
Sorry I’m late.
I didn’t want to come.
So far, I’ve never actually said this out loud, but I must want to, because it’s so funny. It’s an introvert thing.
I no longer have to make A’s on my report card. Thank God I don’t have job evaluations anymore.
It’s okay if some people want to go big and excel at a sport, or job, or talent, but we don’t need to make ourselves sick or crazy. Sometimes, I’m on time. Sometimes I’m late. Sometimes I leave early. Sometimes I don’t go. Sometimes, I do.
Instead of “Go big or go home,” how about,
Be nice or go home.
Be nice or apologize.
Okay, you don’t have to be nice, just don’t be mean.
Play fair or take a time out.
I like time outs. I can carry a blanket in my car for time outs. Or I’ll go play with the dog. Any dog. Or the goats and chickens….
Here’s a video of me at Blueberry Lane Farm Animal Sanctuary with Delilah and Amos who I keep calling Simon, but doesn’t care. I showed up and brought him lunch.
There are 2 pigs, 3 sheep, 9 goats, 11 roosters and one hen at the sanctuary. The chickens have various levels of rehabilitation and housing. Amos has a foot handicap and currently lives with matriarchal goats, Delilah and Esther. He can see and crow with the other roosters.
Photos from my walks with Marley:
Our Neighborhood Parkpine seedling in stumpMarley Hydrangea
For more on Stream of Consciousness Saturday, visit out host, Linda G. Hill by clicking HERE.
Our prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “wash/awash.” Use one, use both, use ’em any way you like. Bonus points for using both. Enjoy!
Wash is one of those words that sounds funny if you say it over and over. It’s fun to say…. washhhhh… extending the sh sound.
Washing machines are good. Can you imagine life without them? Banging clothes on a rock, using soaproot, maybe going naked would be easier, or at least keeping it simple.
When I was about four years old, maybe five, we were staying with my grandmother in Washington, DC. In the basement was a wringer washing machine with two rollers above my head that squeezed the water out of the clothes after they were agitated below. My mom got her thumb caught in the wringers once, feeding the clothes through the wringer, and it was never quite the same. Another time, I tried to help and put a whole box of powdered detergent in the washer. The soapsuds came to the basement steps. It was beautiful and amazing to my young eyes. That’s how I remember it, anyway.
The prompt also took me to this song: “I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair.” It’s from the musical, South Pacific, which I’m embarrassed to say, I have never seen even though I like musicals. It’s one of those odd gaps that I never saw it.
Wouldn’t it be nice if washing your hair got rid of unwanted thoughts, unwanted addictions, and uncomfortable feelings? They could all just go down the drain. Hopefully they would not get clogged up along the way down.
That could be a guided imagery thing while washing your hair, taking a shower, dancing in the rain, swimming in the ocean, or floating along the stream of consciousness, and letting the water wash away what we don’t want. Get out of my hair, you thoughts and feelings who shall not be named! I will let go of the negative thoughts and feelings, but the lessons learned from experience will remain. Everything will be all clean and fresh – at least for a few minutes, anyway – opening a path to something better.
Clean and open to possibilities
So, I went and looked at videos of the song about washing the man out and thought I might want to watch this movie some time with Glenn Close. Well, not with her unless she’s interested, but the movie starring Glen Close. After reading the synopsis, it sounds like the story contains layers of depth. Do you have a favorite version of South Pacific or a favorite song from a musical? “Singing in the Rain” comes to mind.
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For more on SoCS, visit out host, Linda G. Hill by clicking HERE.
“Allow nature’s peace to flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.” John Muir
At the dentist
As yesterday’s dental appointment approached, I became more apprehensive. I’ve always had a fear of needles and knew I’d have to be numbed for the work I needed on my tooth. Dr. Plage’s reassurance helped. He told me exactly what he was going to do and honored my request to talk about his waterfall photo as a distraction during the numbing shot. It wasn’t that bad. The view through the window also helped ease my tension.
I’ve been going to this dental office for many years and have always appreciated the natural setting of pines and young magnolia trees. Any urban office or business park that keeps lots of trees around gets extra points in my book. Medical and dental offices especially need trees nearby.
During the extensive drilling into my tooth, I constantly reminded myself to relax the tightness in my neck, jaw and shoulders. When we got to take a break, the trees were still there, ever green, life-giving, and lovely, waiting on the other side of the window. After my procedure I walked around the building (discreetly and with permission) to take more photos of the trees and landscaping. Here’s some of what I saw around the dentist’s office building located within the city. The trees have been there for years. I hope they remain. You can click on any picture to see it enlarged.
Pine trees behind the building
pine trees and magnolia
Magnolia leaves
Camellia next to the building
Camellia close up
Something with buds in the parking area
…
Thursday tree love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and forth Thursday of each month. For more tree love, visit:
The first thing that came to mind about coins, is my father’s coin collection. He has coins in books with little slots the coins fit in to. I’ve never been all that interested in collecting coins, but my son liked looking at them with his Papa. On the other hand, I do have a bottle of pennies, a large wine bottle, that I’ve had for at least twenty years and maybe one of those pennies will be worth more than a penny some day.
Pennies. From heaven. I don’t think money comes from heaven. But if you have a garden, rain could turn in to pennies earned or saved from your garden’s produce. I love old songs like “Pennies from Heaven.” I think I will be seeing a lot of rain today, from Hurricane Matthew. I’m sorry so many people have lost their lives and homes in Haiti and other places from this storm. I wish they could have some pennies from heaven, that are more than pennies. Pennies of peace and comfort. We take so much for granted here. And I am thankful.
Sometimes we need a break from all the bad news. Since the mainstream media doesn’t seem to want to give us enough balance of good news, songs can help.
So, I looked for a video of “Pennies from Heaven.” There were some strange ones from the movie with Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters. I consider going to Youtube for videos like getting up and letting the dog out, or taking something off the stove. It interrupts the Stream of Consciousness, but I couldn’t just have any old weird video on here. So now I’m back in the SOC with one of my favorite movies: Elf. Yes, I know it’s too early for Christmas, but I love it anyway. So here is is:
The Stream of Consciousness is brought to you like pennies from heaven by Linda Hill at
1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.
4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.
5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.
6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!
7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.
…its haunting melodies often spark the remembrance of a vague “water” memory, perhaps a nebulous recollection of my wet beginning that lingers somewhere in memory’s oldest and deepest recesses.
The euphoric effect of swimming or floating in water has often made me wonder about that “vague water memory.” I always miss being weightless in that element when winter comes. But living in the present of summer, I realize how gloriously addictive swimming can be.
When weather permits, I swim in the ocean. Her waves dance with me and caress my skin. Every now and then, she can get a little rough in her play, just to show me who’s boss, and I laugh at her and myself when she puts me in my place. I have to respect her power.
Sometimes I swim with a friend who has a pool at her apartment complex. We talk to catch up for the first thirty minutes or so, and then we get more into moving in the water. With each laid back breast stroke, I watch the soft ripples billow out before me. I glide through cool liquid that washes away every worry. I am free.
You’d think with my love for water, I’d be a water sign. But I was born in mid December, so my sign is Sagittarius, a fire sign. I can only guess that water keeps the fire from overwhelming me. Water soothes my soul. No wonder blue is my favorite color. Except when my favorite color is green.
I missed the pool and the ocean last week as I’ve been dealing with a rare head cold and heeding my body’s message to rest. I’m drinking as much water as I can, and I am ready to be well.
Water heals us,
Cleanses us.
We are made mostly of water.
Our continents are joined by water.
Let healing waters flow
Through our bodies
Reviving our spirits.
(I’m posting a little earlier than usual this week, because I’ve got some busy days ahead. Have a great week, everyone!)
Anything is Possible! 