SoCS: Balancing Growth and Rest

Today’s Stream of Consciousness prompt was: to use the word, “growth” any way we liked, and to have fun!

Personal growth was a big deal once upon a time. I’m still growing, but I want to enjoy life, too. If you’re enjoying yourself are you wasting time? I don’t think so.

My energy level fluctuates a lot. The only thing even close to predictable is that I tend to have more energy at night. David is a morning person. He gets sleepy at about 10 pm. That was a good thing when we had the five pack of dogs. I could let them out at night and he could let them out and feed them in the morning.

When I was a mom, I had to get up early. Same with work. But now, I’m RETIRED. I can do what I want, mostly. Naps are a wonderful treat. I’ve earned them. Paid my dues. Left to my own devices, I’d probably keep vampire hours. But I do my best to get up and have breakfast with David.

Lately, there are times in the afternoon that I can barely keep my eyes open. Maybe 7 hours of sleep is not enough. Fatigue seems to come from nowhere. My bloodwork is “normal.” I guess I could just go with the flow and be grateful. I am SO VERY GRATEFUL I don’t have to go to a job at a scheduled time. However, I do need a schedule to get me to write and do art, so I don’t watch too much TV. Usually the TV stays off until after noon. I have a yoga class at the senior center plus silver sneakers exercise classes at the gym about twice a week. There are times when I get really into yard work and overdo it.

I like doing yard work – clearing the pathways through my urban forest where things grow lush and thick in the summer. Actually, they’re pretty thick right now. Not a lot of flowers, though. The amaryllis that gets the most sun is done blooming. The others haven’t bloomed yet. The Hydrangea has more blooms coming than usual on the way and the lantana is just starting. I guess that’s what happens when you let the trees do their thing in the urban forest and make shade. The good thing about tree shade is that it keeps the house cooler.

I guess I’m missing the Thursday Tree Love post. Unless I got the day wrong. It’s normally on the the second and fourth Thursday, but I didn’t see it. I hope our host Parul is okay. She lives in India. Feel free to join me in sending good thoughts and prayers to Parul Thakur and India.

Hydrangea Blooming

My urban forest is only on about one quarter acre.

From my kitchen window

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Some of the wildlife visitors to my urban forest include hawks, geckos, squirrels, and an abundance of birds. Yesterday I saw a rabbit which surprised me because I don’t know how it got through the fence. I think the neighbor’s dog motivated it to find a way. Anyway, it was too fast for me to get more than a glimpse. Here are some old photos of backyard wildlife:

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  This hawk caught a morsel.

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  Watching Me Watching You

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  Moving on

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  Fortunately nobody got hurt.

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  Just chillin’

Challenges help us grow, but we need rest and relaxation, too.

~~~

Stream of Consciousness Saturday is brought to us by Linda Hill. For more streams and rules, visit Linda’s blog:

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS May 15, 2021 | (lindaghill.com)

Thursday Tree Love: Fringes for Earth Day and a Poem of Glad Awakening

Fringe Tree

Meet “Grancy Graybeard” also known as grandfather graybeard, granddaddy’s beard, old-man’s beard, snow flower tree or flowering ash, and Chionanthus virginicus. Botanists call it a fringe tree, and while I’m not technically a botanist, I’m going with that for now.

I discovered this tree with it’s delicate fringes and fragrance at Greenfield Lake Park on Saturday. What a delight to discover something new! The earth is always showing us new and wonderful things!

This poem was nearby in the fragrance garden:

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Please join me in sending prayers to Parul’s home of India where the second pandemic wave is hitting hard.

For more Tree Love, visit:

#ThursdayTreeLove – 108 – happiness and food

Thursday Tree Love: Tulip Tree

The tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) is another early bloomer in the eastern US. The blossoms can be pink, white with pink, purple, or yellow. They are sometimes called “Ann Magnolia” or “Ann Star Magnolia.” I took these photos a couple of weeks ago on a gray day at the same park where the cypress live by the lake.

With many branches still bare,
the tulip tree blossoms offered a welcome splash of color.

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

For more Tree Love, visit:

#ThursdayTreeLove – 107 – happiness and food

Thursday Tree Love: Early Bloomer (Bradford Pear)

“Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.” Sarah Ban Breathnach (Brainy Quotes)

Bradford Pear Blossoms with Bumblebee

The Bradford Pear is considered an ornamental tree. Some people say they are invasive. I say they are prolific and lovely. The bees like them, too. With cross pollination, these trees can produce small berry-like fruit that is reportedly not good to eat raw. I hadn’t noticed the fruit before, but I’ll be looking for it. Bradford Pear Trees are occasionally mistaken for dogwoods that will blossom later with broader, more individualized flowers.

I took these first photos at my church. Hopefully we’ll be back in there soon. Do you see the evergreen mistletoe among the white blossoms?

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  This tree has been here for many years.

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  Bradford Pear Tree with Mistletoe

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  See the bees?

The next photos were taken in my neighborhood. The Bradford Pear Trees are relatively small compared the the pine trees and oaks.

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  This evening, a storm was forecast but never materialized.

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Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of every month. For more tree love, visit: #ThursdayTreeLove – 106 – happiness and food

Thursday Tree Love: At the Dentist

“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.

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  Pine trees behind the building

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  pine trees and magnolia

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  Magnolia leaves

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  Camellia next to the building

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  Camellia close up

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  Something with buds in the parking area

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Thursday tree love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and forth Thursday of each month. For more tree love, visit:

#ThursdayTreeLove – 105 – happiness and food

Thursday Tree Love: Waiting for Spring

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

― Albert Camus

This tree caught my attention on a recent walk to the little park near our home. I think this is an oak tree. In the summertime, I don’t think I would be as likely to notice her interesting trunk features or the clumps of mistletoe in the upper branches.

Waiting for Spring

~

Thursday Tree Love is hosted on the second and fourth Thursday of each month by Parul Thakur.

For more tree love, visit:

#ThursdayTreeLove – 104 – happiness and food

Thursday Tree Love: Hemlock?

My husband David identified this tree as a hemlock. We pass by it often on our walks in the neighborhood, and it stands out as different from the live oaks, pines, dogwoods, magnolias, and other trees common to the area.

In my search, I have not found a photo of a hemlock with such spikey looking leaves. What I have learned is that there are many different kinds of hemlock trees and plants. Some are poisonous and some are not, but it’s always good to be careful.

Thursday Tree Love is hosted by Parul Thakur on the second and fourth Thursday of every month. For more tree love visit: #ThursdayTreeLove – 103 – happiness and food