Monday Rain

It is Monday and it is raining. Monday is the day I wash the bed linens and hang them out to dry. On Monday mornings before the sheets even lose the warmth from our bodies I pull them off the bed and toss them in the washer. It takes longer for the bedspread to dry so it goes in the washer first. But today it is raining. I almost want to call this post "Ode to Rain" because it seems like ages since we had the kind of gentle soaking rain that has been falling since this morning.

The birds don't seem to mind the rain, in fact it invites them to search the yard for worms. And the dogs have been alternating between digging small holes in the wet dirt and running up on the porch to roll on the rug to wipe the excess moisture off their fur before going back to turning up the soft soil.  Sadie and Shamus the cats have taken refuge under the leyland cyprus and the Dodge Ram respectively.

The overcast day and gentle patter of the rain have caused me to slow down and sit longer between chores of the day than I normally would.  I am contemplating a nap this afternoon on the bed with fresh sheets.

Potential: The anticipation of something that might be.

I took this picture yesterday. Every time I looked at this picture I kept thinking of the word potential. Webster defines this word as "existing in possibility, not actuality." Another way of saying this is "anything that may be possible." Some related words I liked were unmanifested, small hope.  Southerners like to say "might could." It has been pointed out to me that I actually use that phrase. I know, don't cringe.

What I see in this picture is a sitting area that needs to be raked, containers that need to be planted, and what is undefined and cluttered be made welcoming. I don't see work to be done I see possibilities with an end result in mind.  Potential seems to have a positive application. Potential is the anticipation of something that might be.

When my oldest son was in school I received several calls over the years from concerned teachers who spoke to me of his "potential" that he was not tapping into. His grades were not up to his potential (unmanifested). And that seemed to be a sad thing to his teachers (and to me). When we don't realize our potential it is like we are not all of who we could possibly be but just a part of our whole self.  By not reaching into our potential we are short changing ourselves. But our potential is always there.

My children recently lost their father to cancer. What a terrible loss they experienced. My youngest son never really had what I would call a full relationship with his father, but when his Dad was alive there was always that potential (small hope) of a better relationship. I think my son mourns not only the loss of the person but the loss of a potentially closer relationship.

I am looking forward to working on all the potential projects around my home, and tapping into my potential creativity and unrealized abilities to get them done. Potentially we all have potential, and I might could do something about that.

Working without an income

Ah, first day of "retirement" - but not really retirement because I am not drawing any money - I'm just not working. Ah, first day of not "working" at a job - outside of the home because I "work" at home. Ah, first day of working without bringing in any income! Regardless, I am looking forward to actually catching up on outstanding projects, and starting projects that have been staring me in the face for the last few years. I definitely need to start making a list. I definitely need to be organized. And disciplined because I am already ready to plop on the couch and watch a movie on Netflix! And I definitely need to stay focused! Focus on disciplining myself to start organizing my projects and making a list - yes, that's the ticket.

Goal number one is to go room to room and start a working list of what needs to be done on the inside, and to go in the yard to start a list of what needs to be done on the outside. Goal number two is to organize that list. Goal number three is to start working the list.  Working the list being as frugal as possible because I am now working without bringing in any money!

Okay, I'm on my way to basic inspirational organizing list making fundamentals.  Check back to see my progress. Hopefully I will not be drawn to rewatching Downton Abbey on Netflix!

A New Start

No this is not an April fools joke - I am restarting my blogging.  Who will read this - I have no idea. But it seems like a good idea to start posting again after a hesitant start a couple years ago.  Rereading my few posts I will have to update the reader that my beloved Bella Rose died a little over a year ago. My ever thoughtful husband thought I needed a new love so he bought a new corgi into my life - Poppy Sunshine. She is now four months old. Isn't she lovely?

 

The adventures of Princess Poppy Sunshine will be one of the interests I will be writing about. Another love of mine is gardening. I intend to share what is happening in my yard as I start a new phase of my life I call "quasi- retirement." With Wednesday being the last day of my job where I actually get paid to garden I will be staying home and working/gardening on our quaint farm complete with dogs, cats, rabbits and chickens.  Here are a few pictures of what is happening in my front yard this April 1st.

As you can tell there is a fair amount of growth going on for April. South Carolina had an extremely mild winter this year and things are really taking off earlier than normal.  Many of our trees are leafing out even our pecan trees.

Living in a house that was built in the 1920's you can imagine we also have inside projects to start and/or complete. Things like building closets and remodeling or updating a bathroom and kitchen. I intend to blog about the inside as well as the outside projects.  This is fast becoming rather ambitious of me.  Time will tell if I am up to this task or if this first post really is an Aprils Fools day prank.