It’s true for me.
Category: Happiness
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: ends with “grate/great.” Use one or bonus points if you use them both. Enjoy!
Isn’t it weird that the word that starts that whole, deep emotion of grateful has to do with open screen to hold logs for the fireplace or something to grate cheese?
And yet the even larger word makes me think of Tony the Tiger
Spelled so differently, meaning thankful or largely wonderful. Words!
The stream goes sideways here.
When my oldest was a toddler, we had to walk up the block to pick up a few groceries. That five minute walk took nearly an hour. Toddlers can be infuriatingly curious.
Anyway, he saw these grates at the bottom of buildings. They looked like windows for small people. He would peek in. Then turn around and tell me about it. It took all my will-power to not roll on the sidewalk laughing. His forehead had the rusty crisscross of the grate from leaning his face on it.
I’m so grateful for this great memory.
Per Linda:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “express.” Use it as a noun, verb, adverb, or adjective. Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!
Express yourself, they say. But there are rules. Proper etiquette, grammar, clothing, hair. Now it must fit with the current trend or political leaning. Religion, or not. What you eat, or don’t.
Express yourself, in the moment, the you, you are then. Be kind but be you. Not who you think others want you to be. And be kind to you, too.
The original prompts for this month can be found here: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
But I find the page and process a bit much this year. So I’ve gone rogue. A renegade of the blogosphere.
But the beauty at the end of the last false spring day brings near tears to my eyes. See those dark clouds on the horizon? That’s the beginning of a few more days of blizzardy, blustery cold. We might even get snow. If so I may try to go out and throw a ball or two. But I’ll be dreaming about scenes like this.
Bringing beach images begets being at the beach. Bottom line.
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “plain/plane.” Use one, use ’em both, bonus points if you get ’em both in your post. Have fun!
Well, I sat on this all day. All I could think of was flying to Wisconsin to see my daughter and her new family. I love flying in planes. Lately the news makes it scary. But letting go of the fear, I love a window seat. I love watching the world get tiny. Tiny cars, then tiny buildings, tiny mountains.
Where I was raised hay was made into rectangular cubes. But as we flew over plains and fields we saw huge cylinders. The first time I saw that I was flying with my dad to see my Aunt and Uncle. When we landed we asked about the cylinders. They told us it was how ranchers fixed their hay.
Now I live where those cylinders gather in fields at the end of the block.
It isn’t just from a plane that the world seems small.
I wanted to fit in getting a cup of plain Greek yogurt but it’s too late for that.
My husband got a new guitar yesterday. Is it wrong of me to be excited that we might jam one of these days?🎸🪈🎵🎶
Just when thought I wouldn’t be writing about my latest knitting project, the prompt is ‘Wool‘
Here ‘wool’ comes from sheep or Alpaca or the like. Elsewhere ‘wool’ is the word for yarn. Yarn can be organic or synthetic.
Many people, like me, used to be miserable and itchy when our moms made us wear anything of wool. Some maintain that allergic reaction. My allergies have changed as I aged. Best of all wool, like superwashed wool is so soft and cozy. So I suggest finding some and trying. Wool is strong and stretchy especially when nylon is added. It is wonderful for socks.
My latest examples.
Now without calling too much attention to Finishing Friday or the like. But heck, so as to not pull the wool over your eyes, I’ll check in with the nearly finished Peacock:
Still, I’m streaming on Saturday. Consciousness leads me to mention two shows we’ve streamed today:
And I think I’m a Swifty!
I share my little accomplishments because I have been discouraged in the past feeling less than or that I couldn’t learn or my blurry eyes or hurtie fingers messed with my feelings of success of any kind.
What I’m learning seems insignificant, even to me. But when I look at tiny new things I can do, the little things add up to something huge. I’m so grateful for these lessons and processes.
I can now spend 40 minutes on the stationary bike, 10-20 reps door push-ups, floor/ceiling touches.
My fingers stretch more for the tenor recorder, almost full range now.
I dreamed of playing When the Saints Go Marching In as the chord changes are becoming smoother. And it doesn’t hurt anymore. Can you believe it?
People, including me, believe a person can’t learn and grow in their 70s and older but I’m learning to see it differently. I don’t think I ever had the freedom to learn this way. To play, enjoy all the little things.
Much looks the same as last time. But you want to know what I’m learning as I go? All attempts get me closer to not. Not a baby beginner. Not a total loser. And if I take a moment and look back I find more proficiency. Faster, not so lost. Progress. And it’s not linear. There are times I pick up the recorder and find that somehow God put holes in my fingers. Air is escaping, somewhere.
Sometimes I get the chord progression of these simple songs. But if I don’t, I only have to remember a month ago. I could tune my uke. Now I can sing little songs and not look as I move from F to G7 to C to C7 and more, and I know without looking at my hand that I did it.
I can remember being 12 and learning to crochet and knit. How I got so frustrated when I had to rip it out.
Now I look forward to trying again. The thing that makes these hobbies frustrating is placing time constraints or perfection goals.
I may not be producing the way society deems worthy, but I’m 74 and enjoying my life. Learning is my fun. Seeing changes in abilities, even as I’m told growth can’t happen anymore, THAT is the fun.
I am keeping my goal on the stationary bike and other exercises. And I see tiny improvements.
My only disappointment in me is trying to find my way to the reading aloud/editing goal. But I’ll figure it out.
Here’s the pics of progress.
I feel good about developing discipline. Why is it only now growing?
As many directions as my mind wanted to go with the prompt, this is what I thought of. How many years of putting on mascara only to have it clump or smear. I haven’t worn makeup for at least a decade. Between eyes that are smaller than they were before, not to mention the crop of wrinkles begetting wrinkles, I don’t have a mirror situation to work with my old eyes and inability to stand that long. Not too mention so many other things calling me to get busy. All more fun than makeup. Though, I do enjoy nail polish, a pluck or lotion. But yarn! Diamond painting! The newest binge or book. All far more fun than standing in front of a mirror attempting facial improvement.
I used to have a vanity I inherited from my grandmother. It smelled of her perfume and powders.
“Yesterday…”
Darswords 
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