Tag Archives: home

Around Here: Back Home Edition

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Around here, I am freshly back from vacation and barely acclimating. I’m not one to rest well when I travel nor do I allow myself a lot of time to just breathe. If I’m going to the trouble of traveling someplace, I want to enjoy that place and see as much as possible. Then I was in hurry up and wait mode as air travel felt like more like a chore than a luxury this time.

So I came home tired, jet lagged and possibly fighting off a cold or something worse.

I slept about fifteen hours last night. While I regret missing so much of this day, I am glad to wake up feeling much better and less like knocking on death’s door.

Around here, the colors are muted, the sky is dull and it is chilly. It’s the perfect day to lollygag with a book and cat and to piddle around the house, putting things back in order. Dishes are done, the bedsheets are drying, and the bed is airing out while it waits to be made up.

It’s also a good day for soup. I found a recipe to try but I’m going to Brandify it so wish me luck. This could go well or be terrible.

Around here, I broke down and turned on the heat today. Overnight temperatures outside have been in the thirties since I got home. I play this game to see how long I can hold out before turning on the furnace. My goal is November 1. It’s October 25 and was 50 degrees inside when I got up.

I’m choosing comfort over valor this year.

Around here, I am five books behind on my annual reading goal with little hope of catching up by December 31. Thats ok. The reading goal is really designed to keep me pushing forward rather than to make me feel bad for missing the mark. In the end, I will still have read a ton of truly good books this year.

Around here I am contemplating what travel stories to tell you in the coming weeks. This trip to Cody was exactly what I needed – some museums, some outdoors, some shopping and some time with my friend who I miss very much.

There wasn’t any hiking though as my knee continues to be an issue. Instead, we did some sightseeing and even some off-roading in her Jeep. Cody isn’t especially friendly to those of us who don’t eat meat so I came home excited for vegetables and with few restaurant recommendations to share.

And much of what we learned in museums wasn’t especially cheerful. The most meaningful place we went was Heart Mountain, the site of an internment camp where Japanese Americans were held during World War II. Their interpretive center is a place I believe every American should experience at least once. Yet, I notice that people I have tried to talk to about it completely check out of the conversation because they don’t want to hear it.

Because ignoring it will certainly make it go away, right?

Around here I’m thinking a lot about the stories we tell ourselves, the ones we choose to hear, and how our ability to only be exposed to what we like or agree with is killing our nation.

Around here, I have a lot on my mind. But for now, I’ll cuddle my kitty cat who is desperately glad to have me here and I’ll make my soup and read my book and be glad to be back home.

Like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, around here is a pretty cool place to be.

Incredible Water

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Something truly amazing happened here yesterday.

I ran water while the electricity was off.

You see, the electric company had to turn off my power while they replaced a pole in front of my house and it was off longer than I would have liked.

But I was able to run water.

For those of you who have never relied on a well, you’re probably wondering what the big deal is. You turn on your faucet and water comes flowing from some municipal water source just as it should.

The thing is, until this summer, I lived my entire life reliant on a well for water. Since well pumps require electricity to work, there was no water access during an outage.

I do live in a forest after all and dense woods can lead to trees on power lines at any time.

It’s inconvenient but you learn to manage. I have always kept plastic jugs filled with water for flushing. Gallon jugs of water from the store could be used for washing or drinking. If we knew a winter storm was on the way, I would fill pans of water of water too. Just in case.

But all that changed this summer when county water finally found its way up my road. It came part way several years ago and the end of the line was a hydrant less than a mile from my home. Now there’s a shiny new water tower on the hill behind my house and lines going on to several more households beyond my own.

My dad recalls a petition to bring water here back in the seventies so it had been a long time coming. I was the first on my road to sign up for a new tap this summer and have been enjoying the delights of county water since July.

I am grateful every day that I turn on a faucet and clean water comes out. It is plentiful. It tastes ok. It isn’t hard like my well water which the health department told us wasn’t even safe to drink. In fact, I now understand the lifetime of dental problems that have haunted me. There is no water filtration system that would make my well water healthy to drink.

I belong to some frugal living and nonconsumer groups on Facebook and am always shocked by the arrogance of people who announce to the world the easiest and smartest way to save money is to stop buying bottled water. “It’s wasteful,” they say. “There’s no excuse for it,” they say.

It’s just their lack of experience talking but they sound so tone deaf and so out of touch when they continue to argue with people like me who have essentially no choice. There are places in this country including on my own road where there is no water to be had. People have to haul in water by the truck full if they’re lucky or by the jug if they don’t have a way to haul large amounts. I once saw a news story about an Indian Reservation in this country where the government helped fund new house trailers for seniors but they’re on land without water. The kitchen faucet may be pretty but it’s useless for those folks who have to carry in gallon jugs and heat their water in a pan on the stove.

While I had running water, we lived in fear of a drought or that the pump might go bad. These things never happened at two in the afternoon either. It was always late at night or on the coldest or hottest day of the year and parts aren’t always easy to come by. The local well drilling company is wonderful but they can’t always come at a moment’s notice.

I still keep water on hand because a line break is always possible and I’ve experienced a few days of pressure issues as they’ve been extending the new lines. So I still have to be prepared but not at the level I did this time last year.

Again, I am grateful.

I hope the novelty of running water on a day without electricity is never lost on me because it sparked true and powerful joy when I could wash my hands and fill a water bottle without thought or labor!

Sunday Regrets

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In my world, weekdays are for work, weeknights are for home, Saturdays are for adventure and Sunday is for home. I find this a nice balance and one where I get a powerful mix of rest and chores at home with something fun to do on the weekend.

That has not been the mix lately. Last week left me so busy and sick of the world that I actually took a nap on Friday after work. A nap!

This is not who I am.

So yesterday, after lecturing all do you dear readers about the importance of getting out in the world for adventures, I did the unexpected.

I stayed home.

It was nice to sleep in, rest the knee, fix a good dinner, do a few chores, and finish the book I was reading. I even had two meals on the porch! All the same, I was super annoyed to squander what was a great road trip day.

Oh, the fun I could have had!

I’ve been jonesing for a trip to the big antique mall at Springfield and a morning roaming around Yellow Springs. A day roaming downtown Marietta is always fun and a boxed lunch on the Valley Gem would be delightful. I’ve been wanting to visit Hawthorne Hill in Dayton. That was the home of Orville Wright and it’s open for tours. It was a little warm for a hike but I could have managed.

I’m still babying the knee a little so rest is good but a gal can dream.

Sigh.

The good news is that I got some rest and saved my money for adventures ahead. There’s fun on the calendar next weekend and I have plans for my annual October vacation. I’ll need my energy and money for all of that!

How did you spend your Saturday?

Revenge Is Best Served At 6 a.m.

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I was relaxing on the couch with a book the other day while Scout napped at my feet. I shifted one foot just a fraction of an inch, thus disrupting his sleep and causing him to stir.

Who knew you could ruin someone’s day so easily?

He yawned big, gave me a look and jumped off the couch and onto the floor where he could stare at me pitifully. All was lost and the nap was ruined.

What was he to do?

Notice that in this picture he can hardly stand to look at me. His disappointment is clear.

Fast forward to about 4 a.m. the next morning when we both were awakened by a noisy car going by. As I attempted to drift off to sleep, he was digging through the bathroom trash can to locate a discarded q-tip which he brought to bed for some raucous play time.

I never did make it back to sleep. And you know something? When the alarm went off and I was headed to the shower, he was curling up with his head on my pillow and his tail wrapped under his nose.

When you’re a cat, revenge is a dish best served on your human’s pillow at 6 a.m.

Around Here

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Around here, mindfulness is the word as I try to slow things down, soften the edges of my own life, and remove myself from places where I do not belong. 

Around here, I’m holding onto my post vacation haze as best as I can and am working to follow through on my promises to eat better and enjoy more quiet time doing what pleases me.  Reading a book in bed has never been a bad idea.

It feels like fall right now and I’m loving every minute of it even though the forecast is for upper eighties next week. I’ll live in this moment and take my meals on the back porch. This weekend I made a hearty soup and began planning for more new-to-me soup recipes. Any dish that starts with onion, celery and carrots in a big pot is fine by me. 

Around here, I am suffering the consequences of reinjuring a knee that had been healing. This time, though, I’m taking it more seriously since the doctor has been more plain and scary with his language. I turned down a hike this weekend because a trip to the grocery store Friday night had left it too inflamed and angry to be out in the woods. 

Although, natural ground is quite pleasing as opposed to the harsh concrete and pavement that covers so much of our “civilized” world. What does that impulse to build and pave over everything that is natural say about our choices as humans? 

Around here, I’m making a conscious effort to leave the tv off and the smartphone out of reach. I watch very little tv but tend to turn it on for noise. I have been listening to more podcasts and music lately and have been reading more books. I have been better able to focus on what’s in front of me which is no small accomplishment in a world of constant distraction.

Around here, I’m enjoying more porch meals which are always accompanied by a show. An orchestra comprised of all the best things found in nature make an amazing sound track for even the simplest meal. I wish more people understood the beauty in being quiet in nature. The buzz of a hummingbird’s wings as it hovers over a flower, the constant thrum of locusts, chirps of crickets, the occasional tree frog, and coo of the Mourning Dove are just a few of my favorite sounds. Even the rustle of breeze through changing leaves sounds remarkable when you allow yourself to enjoy such small pleasures. 

Around here, it’s the start of another week. More busy days, more dr appointments, more meals to cook, and more meetings are the sort of toil sure to keep the week moving forward. I hope to squeeze in plenty of porch meals, reading time and other things that bring joy to my days. 

Around here, I recognize that this won’t just happen. I have to make it all happen so that around here is a place I really want to be. 

Routine Versus Ritual

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My last few months have been occupied by thoughts of routines and rituals.

Why?

Well, it occurs to me that we spend a lot of time doing things we have to do – cook, wash dishes, brush teeth, make the bed, and mountains of other chores. We tend to build routines around these chores so we remember to do them and to simply make them more efficient.

After a while, it starts to feel like work. Depending on the routine, it can range from boring to drudgery. Why would we want to spend our lives like that when there are ways to make those routines something special?

After painting my bedroom earlier this year, I began focusing on bedtime rituals. This was easy because the new paint color and decor made me long to spend more time in my room, enjoying its new vibe. You can read about the new bedroom here but note the winter bedding has been swapped out for blue and white floral sheets and a fluffy white comforter. The curtains are now flowy and white too! It’s much prettier now!

I turn on some music – typically a classical selection of soft music accompanied by the sounds of nature. Frogs, rustling leaves, and flowing water are understated and relaxing. I flip on the nightstand light and turn down the bed before stepping into the bathroom. There I brush and floss before washing my face and moisturizing.

This step is vital because I visualize literally washing away the day and letting it all go.

Sometimes I journal or read in bed. Sometimes I scroll Pinterest but try to avoid stressful places like the news or Facebook. No need to junk up my brain with social media nonsense when I have worked so hard to clean away the grime from the outside world.

I often start to drift off while reading, sometimes outlasting the music and sometimes out like a light.

This is the only time of my day when I’m able to do exactly what my body says it needs.

This is my evening ritual and it has mostly served me well.

This summer I began turning the ceiling fan on low and that has added a whole other level of relaxation to the evening. Soft sheets, the fan breeze, and waning summer light create a delightful space to simply exist without external demands.

Scout has embraced this ritual as well. If I don’t collect him on time, he will follow me around, silently asking with those big, beautiful eyes why we aren’t resting yet.

Why not romanticize these chores a bit and transform them into a ritual I can enjoy?

I’ve been doing this for months and occasionally wonder what other ways I can incorporate rituals into my day. The bedtime routine has worked great because I do it every day around the same time.

The rest of my day tends to be incredibly unpredictable and often rushed. I have thought about working on a morning ritual, inspired by blogger tips about waking with the sun or sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee. I don’t know what those people do for a living but I tend to drag my sleepy-eyed self out of bed before the sun is up and race to make it to work at 7:30.

There’s not much time for porch mornings!

Perhaps ritualizing meal prep would help me make tastier, healthier dishes to nourish my body. That sounds reasonable.

Do you have rituals? I would love to hear about them!