California Wildflowers

This is where I ate lunch today.

Just enjoy the view. Don't be envious.

Because things are not always as perfect

as they seem. This was the opposite view:

Life Lesson #1:

Take what you can use and let the rest go.

If the wildflowers appear with wild abandon

right next to screaming Interstate 5, then take

your picnic there and enjoy the flowers.

Photo credits to Mr. Last

Careful. That's what got you into this mess...

There is lots of love at Baby Bee's house:

When they do stuff like this it warms the cockles of

my heart, and I don't even know what cockles are.

'Tis the Season

I dunno how you feel about chores, but I like to get past them as quickly as possible. Sometimes it's fun to do everything together on Saturday, but sometimes there is too much to be done and chores threaten to suck the fun right out of the day. To avoid sucked-dry Saturdays we have become pretty good at what I like to call "Divide & Conquer".

I was starting slow this morning when Mr. Last suggested he could pick up our CSA (community-sponsored-agriculture) box while I ran to Home Depot. See how we do that, he goes one way while I go the other and we meet back home in half the time it would take if we did all our errands together. Divide & Conquer.

He also volunteered to fetch our weekend treat of a one half-gallon of Diet Pepsi from the AMPM for $.89. We don't get the half-gallon every Saturday, but many Saturdays it is a guilty pleasure that we like to share.

What? What??

Diet Pepsi helps ease the pain of weekend chores, and it increases the pleasure of a warm spring Saturday. But you know what really increases the pleasure of a warm spring Saturday?

I'll tell ya what.

When you jump in the truck to head to Home Depot and the radio is pretuned to a semi loud AM station that is not airing an obnoxious call-in talk show, but it is airing...

wait for it...



wait for it...



Dodgers vs. Nationals!! Yes, folks, Major League Baseball is what springtime is really all about.

The commentators complained about the 57 degree raw weather in Washington while I was driving around with the windows rolled down enjoying the game with plenty of sun shining down on me!

I am not a thorough sports fanatic, but I do love a little MLB whenever I can get some. 

So Mr. Last gets points for helping divide & conquer, and for fetching the Diet Pepsi, but he really scored by having the truck pretuned to the ballgame! I'll have to figure out a way to sweeten his Saturday.

Your MOM thinks these guys are Superheroes

Yep. SuperFunny, SuperVision, SuperStrong, and SuperSmart.

They save my day on a regular basis.

Disoriented? Why would I be disoriented?

I'm sure it has nothing to do with driving 1000 miles and back (yup, that's at least 2000 miles, folks) over an extended weekend through four states, two time zones, varying weather and climate, to deliver my young adult son to the very place I ran to as a young adult to separate from my childhood. Nah. That probably has nothing to do with my emotionality and exhaustion today.

Hit-and-run visits with beloveds. Longing to linger but I can't stay. I'm just passing through.

A solitary journey over Cedar Mountain and through Zion National Park to celebrate the beginning of my 50th year on the planet is a good time to review so many memories and to savor for a few hours the life experiences gathered in all the places I touched so briefly during this whirlwind weekend. Apparently I was just passing through all those years ago, too.

Arriving home I find lots of little messes I left behind. Piles of things to be put away. Projects in progress to be resumed upon my return. Notes to myself listing "sprinkling can" "baby goat". Sprinkling can? baby goat?

Early onset dementia is always a possibility, but I think maybe this is a condition that will respond well to a warm bath and a nap. I'll be in my office.

Wanna be inspired?

Try TEDtalks. Here's a sample:

I could look in his eyes for hours...

...and I would will cross high mountains and drive all day across a desert to hold him and kiss him.

Look at those two little teeth.

And the dimples on his hands.

They say little boys are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails, but I'm pretty sure this one is spun from pure sugar.

Almost 4 weeks ago she changed our world

Sweet GrandGril

drinking fortified milk so she will grow big and strong:

dreaming happy dreams:

So glad you are home, baby Bee!

Sequoia National Park

Put on the cute purple boots & visit Kaweah River:

Get close to the water at Hospital Rock:

Look up at Moro Rock:

Say hello to General Sherman:

and hug a tree before you leave:

Experiment With Your Life: Part Two

Danny Gregory credits drawing with changing his life and the world around him. He began keeping an illustrated journal following a serious accident many years ago that left his wife permanently injured. The story is chronicled in his book Every Day Matters, and it grew into a website: http://www.dannygregory.com/.

Patti Digh cared for her stepfather following the time he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died 37 days after receiving the diagnosis. 37 Days is cram-packed with inspiration for intentional living.
 
Gretchen Rubin (quite rightly) says: "The days are long, but the years are short."

I am passing this stuff on because some of it has been useful to me. Take what you can use and let the rest go.

Let's Start With a Simple Equation

Seeds + dirt + water + sunshine + time =

purple Pansies!

and Sweet Peas galore!

Mr. Last brings fragrant bouquets into the house

or sometimes we sit outdoors and breathe deeply, trying not to disturb the Dove family:

A hanging pot in which the dead plant was never replaced makes an excellent nest (apparently). About two weeks ago Mr. & Mrs. Dove set up housekeeping right outside our back door. They take turns incubating two little white eggs: he during the day, she at night. Babies should appear any day now. They do not seem to be bothered much by our coming and going or by the presence of the white dog:

Citrus is blooming wildly right now, adding it's sweet fragrance to the air.

Yes.

Living in Eden suits me quite nicely, I think.