Thanks for the fish

Yes, it’s that lazy time of the year when I want to lay around read Harry Potter all day… But I’m trying to stay focused, even if I have lost interest/faith in my goals. My main problem is lack of faith. But I will persevere.

1. Write book. Another thing I’ve lost faith in. Need to keep pushing forward. Will write tonight! Even if it’s silly and dumb!

2. Keep in better touch with family and friends, and make more friends. I ignore everyone and wonder why nobody loves me. Need to stop doing that! Will be a better friend, family member, member of general society…starting tomorrow!

3. Save $6,000 for Africa; 15% in 401K. Gave up on the first part (haven’t saved anything… I’ll just go to California instead…it’s sort of like Africa… ….. …. warm.) Check on the second part. Almost have paid off my credit card bill.. will one day have my finances in order.

4. Lose 15 pounds,, cut back on drinking, reduce stress. Have not lost an ounce, but 6 months to go! I think I’ve cut back on drinking but as I conveniently didn’t give myself a baseline, I guess it’s up to my judgement. Check! I would say my stress is definitely way less than it was on January 1.

5. Consume less. I don’t consume much, and as I switched over to green power, I think I’ve done my civic duty for the year.  Check!

6. Get good review at work. This is coming up soon. I think I’ll be ok, though I do need to start being more proactive and productive. The environment is sort of toxic, in a purely physical sense. But I’m still 80% satisfied.

7.  Learn to kayak. July.

8. Make garden beautiful. Coming along!

9. Build patio and raised beds. I think I’ll do the patio but may forego the raised beds. Unfortunately the patio requires 1) organizing the basement (big task), 2) moving 2 huge piles of lumber to the basement (big task), buying rocks, building patio (manageable tasks). I’m dreaming of a hammock, so I have to make this one happen!

That’s all… nothing major. In control. To recap: write daily, lose weight, be nice, build patio.

Time for a walk…no better time to work on those 15 pounds then now. 

Read this today… cheesy perhaps,, but I like it.

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the
mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly
picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if
the jar was full.
They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar
lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was
full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He

asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.” The professor then produced two
cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between

the sand. The students laughed. “Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this
jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things — your god, your family, your children, your health, your

friends and your favorite passions — and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else — the
small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The

same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that

are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time

to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house
and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just

sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled, “I’m glad you
asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of
coffee with a friend.”
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the
mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

Just saw a raccoon in the garden… getting freaked out by nature! But it was GORGEOUS!  

I had a kitten and I didn’t want to leave it home alone. So I took it to my first day of work at the commissary. My mom worked there too. I was going to leave it in the car. Then when I pulled up I realized that if I left it in the car it would be too hot, and where would it go to the bathroom? I realized I should have left it at home, but too late.  I’m not sure what I did with it. I walked into an administrative type building. I met with some people there. Can’t remember what else happened, but I’m pretty sure the kitten was ok. He was really cute.

Just gorged on yan yans and chocolate digestives. Now I feel ill.

the saga of the bird (hopefully.)

So last night J and I went out to the local fine dining establishment for some Italians. We were depressed and sullen because a bird had taken over our lives. Then J got an idea…we could cage the bird while we were outside and then let it go when we went inside. So I had an old ferret cage..white mesh (I dreamed about this a few weeks ago), and you can attach it in different ways to form different sized boxes. We were outside putting the window boxes up, and the bird kept lunging at us, making its cooing nice and fluttering its wings. I’m easily intimidated. Got the box, put it over the bird (easy!) and went about our business. I felt better immediately. Then J took the box off and the bird was pissed. Started flying after us, not scared, just mad. Silly bird brain.

So, this morning, I come downstairs for breakfast… get faced with this in my dining room window.

Holy hell. Now the bird isn’t content with 14 acres and my garden, but he wants the f-ing house too! Ugh. So we cage him again… this time for 4 hours or so as we go about our garden duties. Finished the window boxes….

Arent’ they pretty? here’s the bird in the cage. Do you think I’m cruel?

We didn’t hurt it. We just wanted our lives back. No one understands how belligerant the bird really was. We just wanted it to realize that we weren’t backing down. I think it thought we were going to move out of our house. So anyway, J took the cage off and it flew away. Haven’t seen it since. I feel a little bad for it, but that’s just the way it is.

Supposed to be a frost so I have to bring all my window boxes in, hopefully for the last time.

Planted some seeds… california poppies in the dogwood bed. Dogwood still not completely leafed out. No flowers.

Zinnias where the english daisy didn’t come up.

Cosmos behind the mountain laurels.

Forget me nots around the bird feeder

Foxglove on the corner of the shade garden.

Weekend went by fast. Did nothing. Don’t seem to have much to do, but enjoying it. Taking naps. Rereading Harry Potter 5 in anticipation of the movie… hoping to get some writing inspiration. Have done no writing and no plans to tongiht. Bad habits have taken over. Why am I dreading work?