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Around Here

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Around here CALM is the name of the game. Scout has been really sick, a malady I’m certain is brought on by anxiety. He went back to the vet yesterday for more tests and I continue to force him to take pills twice a day. Have you ever tried to give a cat pills by yourself? It’s a life skill I seem to have mastered with my boy, at least. Sadly, when we are done, he turns to me (his tormenter) for comfort.

Otherwise, I’ve been trying hard to keep his little world calm and somewhat predictable. By extension, my world has been calmer as well. In fact, I’m home again today. I’ve been home a lot lately with time to do some cleaning and organizing, reading, and kitty cuddling.

I’ll also be listening to authors talk about their books this weekend through something called Roswell Reads Rewind. Basically Roswell, Georgia has a city wide reading project that involves bringing in major fiction authors to speak about their books and to sometimes speak about their writing process. Once a year they post all those videos of past events online for a single weekend. It’s wonderful to go at your own pace and have a front row seat to all these smart people who have given the world books truly worth reading.

Last night I listened to Lisa See talk about her “overnight success” after spending twenty years writing books. Today I’ll revisit some favorites that I watched last year including Ron Rash, Ann Patchett, and Rick Bragg.

Around here, books and reading matter. Not only does reading entertain, it broadens horizons, educates and increases empathy in a world where these things I value seem to have gone out of vogue.

That’s part of the reason it irritates me to say there’s a good chance I’m going to DNF a book today. It sounded great but it has taken the author a full third of nearly 600 pages to get to the actual story of the book and I find that I’m just not that interested.

Do I care what happens next or if the main character is ok? Not especially.

Around here, we call that a bad sign. I’ll give it fifty more pages before deciding that this may just not be the book for me.

Around here, we understand that all things are not for all people and we move on.

I do wish I could be out doing something fun today. There’s probably a car show or a museum exhibit I would like to see. October is my favorite month for activities and time in nature. I know I’m missing out by not being on the hiking trails but there’s an event happening at Lake Hope today so that wouldn’t be peaceful and the Hocking Hills parks will be as busy as Times Square by noon.

Around here, we recognize that lots of people have FOMO or the Fear Of Missing Out but we believe in JOMO.

That’s the Joy of Missing Out.

At this moment, I’m in comfy pjs, still lounging with my little cat who adores me even when I make him take medicine and leave him at the vet to be poked and prodded. It’s a beautiful fall day and I have a quick errand to run so maybe I’ll stop for a few pictures on the way. Otherwise, around here is where I will stay and be glad for the calm of a quiet day mostly at home.

Whether you’re staying in or headed out on adventure, I hope where you are is as happy as this.

Paw Patrol

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I’m on vacation this week. In fact, I’m supposed to be out day tripping a few days but that seems to not be in the cards.

Scout is still sick and continues to be a worry. Honestly, I never thought I would be so intimately familiar with the bathroom habits of a cat but here we are.

I celebrate any time he is able to go potty and worry when hours pass and he won’t go near his litter box.

Since I’m home, I’m trying to clean the house and hope to carve out some hours to do yard work that has been delayed by a summer of prolonged rain/ intense humidity/ heat stroke inducing temps/ a tricky knee/ and the fact that I’m usually at work anytime the weather is decent.

But Scout is especially clingy right now and I have spent a lot of time packing him around while I try to do indoor chores a or just sitting quietly next to him while he sleeps with two paws wrapped around my leg.

It’s hard to see our pets be sick. He can’t tell me what’s going on and I can’t explain why I’m torturing him with all this medicine when he already feels bad. But his issues can be life threatening if allowed to persist so we carry on as best we can and muddle through.

He’s pictured above, cuddled under a blanket and trying hard to understand why I’m taking his picture when he clearly needs a break.

I’ll get back to telling you about my September adventures and live happily through my memories of those good experiences. Maybe one of these days I’ll get to leave home and do some sightseeing or find something interesting to tell you about.

Meanwhile, I’m on paw patrol and grateful to be on vacay when I can take care of my boy.

My Bathroom Project Is Done!

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This summer has been almost completely void of adventure and there’s a good reason for that. You see, I have been staying home because of a remodeling project in my master bathroom.

My wonderful cousin did the work for me but he mostly could only work on Saturdays so all my day trip days were spent at home. Also, all my day trip money was spent on this project so that worked out nicely! Ha!

Normally by this time I would have at least five or six really good day trips under my belt and maybe some hikes. Instead, I have been doing household chores and reading while Nathan worked.

Now the work is done and I’m thrilled to have things put together and looking nice. He did a great job!

The project started because there was a leak at the shower. Repairing that leak was a good excuse to replace the flooring because carpet in a bathroom is an awful idea. As long as we were doing that, it made sense to replace the 23 year old toilet and stand alone tub and then there was the matter of the sink….

You get the idea.

It was a pyramid scheme, this bathroom of mine.

But it’s all done with fixtures and colors that I find timeless and calming. This wall is the focal point. There’s still some work to be done with rearranging things. I like the variety of old and new, farmhouse and polish, gold next to black metal and white fixtures.

I value the small details like this hook for my pjs. The swan reminds me of my stay at the Broadmoor where there are nods to the swans around the property.

The shower is a pure delight in the morning with vintage style knobs and a great shower head. I especially lIke the pretty doors but decided to frame them with some sheer curtains just to soften the room a bit. Unfortunately the glass is so shiny and nice that it’s impossible to get decent picture without lots of reflections with the lights on – and it looks really terrible with the lights out. But you get the idea.

And I’m really happy with the new sink and faucet too! I have always liked this style of sink. The pump style faucet is very low flow but it suits my needs just fine.

And, of course, the house panther has already chewed on the new house plant so much that I had no choice but to move it from this corner already. It was nice while it lasted!

By the way, the flower pot is McCoy and the little stand is an old smoking stand. Both pieces came from the Logan Antique Mall, one of my favorite places to find hidden treasure.

In all, it turned out well and I’m pleased to have a space that feels special even on a regular old workday. It’s comfortable and feels a little like it has always been this way. I am not a fancy person but do appreciate the quiet luxury of pretty pictures on the wall, a great soaker tub after a long day, and powerful shower heads to wake me up in the morning!

Friends, while we may enjoy our adventures, it’s important to have a happy place to come home to. While I’m sad for what I’ve missed out on the world this summer, I’m so grateful to have this sanctuary to call my own.

Shifting Gears

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I took today off work. The rhythm of my year is different than most people’s and this week saw the completion of a cycle that allows me to let go of some stress.

I realized this week that I’ve been holding myself together with caffeine and worry and I’m not sure I remember what it’s like to not feel that way. This is a commentary on me rather than my job or volunteer work because this is just how I handle life. And how I handle things mostly involves abusing my own nervous system.

Today I revisit what feels like a fruitless effort to calm the inflammation in my body and find a better way of living.

Scout, the kind little soul that he is, recognized my exhaustion and stayed close last night. He didn’t wake me when he was hungry this morning and napped next to me while I awoke on my own terms – no alarm and no stress dream jolting me awake. He usually is up before the alarm, banging the bell on his collar against his food dish in case I didn’t know his bowl is empty. He kindly let me sleep this morning and awakening to soft sunlight streaming through the curtains was gentle. He had his head on the pillow next to me and was snoring.

Was it 7 a.m.? Was it noon? I had no idea and didn’t really care.

When your life is dictated by schedules and alarms to keep you on track, it feels like privilege to not know the time of day and to do as you please. Most days I set alarms to keep me on track or to remind me to just stand and move. What a joy to put down your phone and walk away without worry.

So I fed Scout and fluffed the pillows before lying down again. Scout came back after his breakfast and we laid beneath the ceiling fan while I read.

This book has been slow going and I have struggled to get through it this week. The writing is beautiful. The antagonist, a snake handling false prophet who uses his pulpit to warp minds and get his way, hit way too close to home given the state of the world. “A Land More Kind Than Home” by Wiley Cash is southern gothic literature at its best but it was still a rough ride.

Despite that, I was glad to luxuriate in my soft sheets beneath the fan and let the author paint a picture for me. This author hosts a podcast about North Carolina literature that I enjoy. He’s a good host but a great writer who makes you feel like you’re standing right next to his characters in every scene.

It was close to lunch when I turned the last page so I fixed myself a plate and a tall glass of ice water and took a different book to the back porch. It has been hot and humid here this week but that humidity finally broke and the outdoors are pleasant again. There was even a nice breeze and more birds in my yard than I could begin to count.

They were beautifully vocal while I sat quietly, thankful for their song.

I’m writing to you from the porch. The birds are still singing and there’s a slight breeze. The smell of honeysuckle permeates the air. Honeysuckle is invasive and an all around pain to have around but I almost don’t mind when it smells this good.

I have a nice sitting area out here with vintage motel style chairs and an old carpenter’s tool chest for a coffee table. There’s a hammock as well as some junk in the corner that I need to deal with someday. There’s also the table where I sit now. It’s a perfect spot for outdoor meals and for cold drinks on hot days but I rarely have time to dwell here.

The rest of the day stretches out before me. My current state isn’t so pretty: still in pajamas with messy hair and bare feet. I’m tempted to go walk in the grass like this but memories of stepping on a bee when I was about five are keeping me on the porch at the moment.

Wouldn’t soft grass between toes feel good right now?

There’s work to be done here. Projects and cleaning call my name but I will likely ignore them today. They’ve waited this long. Maybe I’ll do something later but at this moment I think I’ll just concentrate on being human.

Humans weren’t designed to work all the time, to rely on caffeine for survival, and to jump at every ping, ding, buzz and ring of the devices that have a hold on our society.

To NOT stay busy all day, standing till I can hard walk or, even worse, sitting till I can hardly stand, is positively un-American.

Why must we always be busy anyway?

To choose un-busy and to resist the allure of tvs and devices is a form of gentle resistance.

What would happen if I spent this entire day reading and listening to birds while sipping cold water? What would happen if I took a nap or an extra long shower in the middle of the day?

What would happen if I just sat in the quiet with nothing but my own thoughts and the gentle rhythm of my breathing for company? My chiropractor tells me I hold my breath. Maybe I need to practice breathing.

What if breathing and rest, movement and quiet, bird song and ideas and good food and cold water are all I really need to soothe my angry body?

Today I have a chance to find out and I’ll try not to blow it. Tomorrow I have a fun day planned and have been looking forward to it. For now, though, maybe I’ll go stand in the grass and see if that helps any. Unless I step on another bee, it probably can’t hurt.

Butterfly Visitor

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Google image search tells me this is a Great Spangled Fritillary. It was perched on some clover in the jungle that is my back yard when I came home yesterday. Seriously people. Rain plus heat plus no time to weed when it’s not raining is caused the weeds to take over.

Nonetheless, isn’t it beautiful?

I tend to see more moths than butterflies at my home for some reason so I was thrilled to find this visitor. Here’s hoping she brings friends and they hang around!

The Smallest Of Joys

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Does food have to look pretty to taste good or be good for you? No, but I do think it helps and is one of life’s great small joys.

I’m having brunch this morning because not setting an alarm led to a very late wake up call from Scout. He was patient until his food bowl was empty and then, clearly, enough was enough.

Some of the smallest joys can be found right where you sit.

Just in this picture are freshly washed berries so fragrant they make their presence known from across the room. The pretty floral plates were a Christmas gift from my parents and the table cloth is the one I used for Easter but liked so well I washed it and put it back in the table after our meal. The glasses were an online purchase because they looked vintage and vintage touches are always a good idea if you ask me. The way even a cloudy sky casts light onto this table is a small joy too.

This is a holiday so I’m home, puttering and enjoying the quiet of my home. I hope to finish reading the book that’s pictured – maybe before I even leave this seat. This set of essays was written by a vintage living, kind hearted woman who took social media by storm for the quiet but purposeful life she lives. Her name is Diane Shiffer and I highly recommend that you find a copy or at least look for her on social media.

This book is a boost of enthusiasm and grace that most of us need. My copy is filled with post-it notes and is sure to be one I revisit time and again. It’s called “The Smallest of Joys: How to create your own magic, let your best be enough and find contentment exactly as you are.”

She’s a breath of fresh air in this fake, ultra processed, disposable world.

Where are you sitting, friend? What are the small joys you can see from where you are at this moment? I bet there are more than you think if you take stock!