RSS

Category Archives: Uncategorized

Garbage Night

It’s Sunday night, well, to some it might be Monday morning. Until I go to bed for the day, it’s night. Sunday makes it garbage night.

Preparing for garbage night is usually on my list of least favorite things. It means the most thorough cleaning of the kitty litter all week, emptying the trash bins all around the house, and checking the fridge for miscellaneous icky things. Yet, there’s one part of the evening that is delightful.

After taking the garbage can to the street, I enjoy the walk back to the house. (Marketing: Garbage can is the term Best Way Disposal uses. As I appreciate them, they are my authority on all things garbage & recycling.)

That walk back to the house is a time to tilt my head back, look up into the sky, and see what I can see. Tonight, it was seeing the light clouds in the dark night, along with a few stars. Sometimes it’s stars galore, and other times it is an amazing moon of any shape or size. Every time, it reminds me of my childhood when my dad and I would walk to the house from the dairy barn.

My dad was a hard-working dairy farmer, as are all farmers. He was up before the crack of dawn (which I now refer to as the crack of stupid, thanks to Betsie’s intellectual remark). My mom figured that for many years he lifted 2,000 pounds each day, not including the extra weight from bailing hay in the summer. He milked 30 plus bossy’s twice daily. He often ended up repairing equipment, enduring salesmen, or being distracted by nagging children. Yet, at the end of the long, hard day’s work, he would still take a slow walk with me to the house and point out all of the constellations. It was a treasured time as he explained about a science he respected. He would share stories about weather, about the meaning of the stars, or about how light pollution reduces our vision into the night sky.

Therefore, the end result of taking the trash to the street is a good and joyful time.

Morale of the Story: Most things in life have a benefit, no matter how disgusting the activity.

IMG_3826 Sign

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 13, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Standing Out

Does anything stand out in this photo to you?

Have you ever looked at someone, and something about them just stood out from the rest?

Hands, nose, lips, eye brows? Smile, voice, hugs, spirit?

There are many beings in my life for which something stands out.

  • Humor in any situation which disarms the most aggressive being.
  • Eyes that look into my soul and see me for who I really am.
  • Hands that touch my shoulder or the back of my hand in support.
  • A voice that calms my spirit.
  • Eye brows that express it all.
  • A nose that wiggles when the person laughs.
  • The head tilt of intensive listening.

I am blessed with beings who have something that stands out in my life. What stands out for you?

2013_01_19_4034 Gray Green SIGN

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 12, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Sisters, Sometimes

These girls are sisters, most of the time. Or is that some of the time?

Any which way, we have adopted these two kitties. I call them sisters. They were not born sisters by blood, but in our eyes, in our home, they are now sisters. I believe most pet adopters feel this way.

Yet in the world, as a human, I have a half-sister and a half-brother. My mom is their step-mom. My brother calls me his sister and he calls my mom his mom. My sister calls me her half-sister and she calls my mom her step-mom. I have always called them my sister and brother.

Then again, I am significantly younger, and they have always been here from my perspective. My mom did not pass away from this earth, and I did not witness my father date and then marry another woman. I figured that was why my one sister referred to me as her half and my mom her step. No matter, they are all I’ve got in the way of siblings, and I call them my sister and my brother – the extra step and half of that doesn’t matter to me. I love them.

On another note, my eldest sister was still alive when her ex-husband remarried. That new woman wanted my eldest sister’s children to call her mom. She was not only their step-mom, but their real mom was merely a couple of miles away. This confused the kids. My mom, who was the only living mother of my siblings never expected her step-children to call her mom. She did not want to dishonor the memory of their mother.

My mom, when referring to my great, great grandpa says that we are his family. However, his brother is only a “distant relation”. I don’t quite understand this since they were brothers; equal in relation. Yes, one is my great, great-grandfather, and the other is my great, great, great-uncle. But both are part of my history. Both share a genetic make-up of my being. Both to me are family, end of discussion.

Oh, the trials of family! I prefer to say sister, brother, mother, cousin, niece, nephew, etc., and I tend to find it more respectful of the relationship. Yet, there are times when it is disrespectful. Thank goodness our cats don’t argue with me. They are sisters to each other, and I love them all as children. Adopted or otherwise.

Morale of the Story: Treat all with love, no matter how you are related, if at all possible. The benefit is greater than the effort.

2013_01_07_4018 Sign

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 12, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

High as a Kite

There’s one sure way in our home to get the kitties into the cat carrier. Rub it down with catnip.

However, it was still quite potent when we returned from the vet. The deary who was transported seemed to understand our scheme.

The others did not. Our sweeties are high as a kite here, admiring their large, new cat toy, encased in one of their favorite scents.

If only pure bliss were so very simple to achieve for the rest of us. Yet seeing their pleasure, made us all smile … and laugh a wee bit. They were a delight to be around all evening long. (Yes, more so than usual.)

2013_02_25_4140 Sign

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 10, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Sometimes, You Just Have to Sit Down … On The Job

The Humane Society held it’s annual Kalamazoo Dog Walk at the Prairie View Park in Kalamazoo County on Saturday, May 4th. A few of the dogs in the rescue, seeking forever homes, came to the event to show off their awesomeness.

At the end of the day, sometimes, you just have to sit down on the cooler to rest your wary bones. This young gent needed a break after being a great sport all day long. Praying he finds his forever home soon!

IMG_4076 Sign

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 9, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Adventures of Dog, Part 1

Spring is nearly over, and the heat is coming on. Is your brush ready?

IMG_1254 Sign

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 8, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Fresh Mowed Lawn

On my top five list of favorite scents, I include a fresh mowed lawn.

Granted, it comes at the slaying of dark green blades of grass, hacked off by a lawn mower’s sharp blade.

Nonetheless, I enjoy the smell with each and every slice.

IMG_0206 Sign

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 7, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Hard vs. Soft

I am a tea drinker. I enjoy all kinds of teas, especially herbal and oolong.

At work, I desire to drink tea to avoid the pop and coffee options. However, the tea at work tastes lousy! I usually have to use two bags, and even then there’s hardly any flavor. I even use the hot water spigot to make it, and THEN microwave it for another two minutes. Still, the flavor remains flat and blah.

I hathe found the reason! Hard vs. soft.

At work, it is city water which is softened. At home, it is hard water, which has only some basic filters, but not softened for drinking. (For washing dishes and all bathroom water, it is softened – no lime build up here!)

Now I bring bottles of water from home into the office to make my tea and to enjoy straight.

The tea is so very much better! With only one bag, the flavor is divine! It’s just like the hot tea my mom and I enjoy all winter long by the pot. (I mean tea-pot, and not with marijuana pot.)

Morale of the Story: When it’s dreadful at the office, bring in a bit of home to cheer it up.

100_0435 SIGN

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 6, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Color

Sometimes some colors shine more brightly than other colors.

Sometimes other colors are glad to enhance some of their friends in the rainbow.

Morale of the Story: Color is an amazing gift of nature.

2012_04_11_0932 SIGNED

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 5, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Sunset

Sunset.

Rest.

Closing out the day.

Preparing for a new tomorrow.

Gathering my thoughts.

Relax.

Twilight.

2012_04_11_0937 Signed

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 4, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Tags: , , , , ,

 
The Republic Post Informer

YOU are the news now...

Write With Joy

Freelance writer, editor, hobby photographer, and administrative assistant

Ex-Mana Book Group

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." Groucho Marx

The Accidental Minister

A spiritual but religious WordPress.com site