Eight things I wouldn’t want to be:
I. A big fish in a small pond.
II. Just another brick in the wall.
III. The lone fire hydrant in a dog park.
IV. A sitting duck.
V. On a train to nowhere.
VI. A thorn in someone’s side.
VII. Moss on a rolling stone.
VIII. Caught with my back — or butt — against the wall.
The Daily Post Discover Challenge: The Poetry of List-Making
If we were having coffee, I’d invite you to the back deck where we could enjoy the cool shade before the temperature soars later today. I’d tell you that things have been a bit slow around here lately.
After my fall from Grace (Grace being the name of my ladder, of course), I’ve been nursing a sore shoulder and haven’t been able to resume my outdoor landscaping/painting/general mayhem projects. So I’ve been taking on some more mundane tasks: sorting through stacks of paperwork that need to be filed away, organizing old photos, tearing my kitchen apart (with the notion of painting every single flat surface in the near future).
In the evenings I go out on the deck, and whittle away at my “wood sculpture,” a couple of tree branches that grew together in a permanent knot. At first I was just going to skin the bark off and maybe use it to hold and display a small stained glass piece or a framed photo, but now it’s kind of taken on a life of its own.
I’m working to see just how smooth I can make the surfaces using only my utility knife. The branches have multiple layers with differing densities, and the inner wood hardens as it “seasons” over time. I’m kind of doing this “being one with the wood” thing and letting the wood guide its own shaping. (In other words, if I slice more deeply into the wood than I intended to, I pretend the wood is telling me its true shape lies deeper within).
I think by the time I’m done with it, its “true shape” is going to be that of a toothpick. We’ll see what it tells me.
The air is starting to heat up now, so I would suggest we take our coffees inside. My dog has already retreated indoors to lay on the cool tiles by the front door. With no air conditioning except a heat pump/air cooling unit that isn’t worth a darn, I may be joining him soon.
Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you whittled some time out of your day to join me.
#WeekendCoffeeShare is hosted by Diana at parttimemonsterblog.com.
a biting remark gives one something to chew on best done with mouth closed
Warning: Bird Crossing Facing skyward is highly inadvisable
The Daily Post weekly photo challenge: Look Up
layer with layers a flight of fancy feathers bestowed Best of Brood
The Daily Post one-word prompt: Layers
If we were having coffee, I’d warn you again about the obstacle course that is my living/dining area. My stuff seems to have a life of its own, ebbing and flowing; here a conflux of clutter, there a sedimentary slew of who-knows-what; a veritable river of rummage.
The “stuff” isn’t your run-of-the-mill clutter and kitsch. There are tools, paint cans, various wood restoration products… It’s kind of like “Home Improvement” meets “The Perfect Storm.” So instead of saying that my house is messy, I just say it’s “in progress.”
Someone told me the other day that I am very good at tearing things apart. There was no mention of my skill level for putting things back together.
If I drew two columns to depict my Do-It-Yourself projects and titled one “Construction,” and the other “Destruction,” the latter list would likely be much longer than the first. I’m going to try to turn that around this week.
If we were having coffee, I would postulate that my caffeine consumption will surely help me be super productive today. And on that note, I’d best get off my bottom, grab a hammer and get productively constructive.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy the week ahead.
Thanks to Diana at Part-time Monster Blog for hosting the #WeekendCoffeeShare.
my head in the clouds cats and dogs swirl around me soon to be raining
The Daily Post one-word prompt: Clouds
fortune rolls off me like water off a duck’s back slips through my fingers
The Daily Post one-word prompt: Water
If we were having coffee, I would tell you to watch your step as we made our way through the house to the back deck. I’ve got a dozen different projects going and it’s an obstacle course in here right now.
One new endeavor – which has the kitchen looking like a disaster area – is that I’m trying out home cooking for my dog Chules. After his illness, he absolutely refused to go back on his regular kibble when I tried to wean him off the special diet the vet had recommended. Since I rarely even cook for myself, this experiment may not last long. We’ll see.
I’ve also been “helping” my daughter with figuring out how to get my two-year-old granddaughter to stop turning nap- and bedtimes into a battle of the wills. The great thing about grandparenting is that I can toss out all sorts of advice/ideas/wisdom without having to face any consequences if my suggestions don’t work.
Last night, my daughter (let’s call her “D” and my granddaughter “G” for privacy’s sake) and I were texting back and forth about the situation. Our conversation went something like this:
D: Did you have problems like this?!
Me: It’s not a problem. It’s a challenge 😀
D (tries to reach through the phone to smack me for my flippancy)
Me: G has a good imagination. Use it to your advantage. Make it fun to take a nap. If you give her imagination something to chew on she’ll forget about thinking up excuses for getting out of bed. Pretend to zip her into an imaginary sleep bubble or something…
******* [Long time passes.] *******
D: Just tried that. She’s been up three times since. I “put her in a bubble” to have dreams of us snuggling her. She gave me the bubble back, wanted to put it in her play teepee, and wanted to pop it.
Okay, so maybe that one wasn’t a great idea. Apparently G has an even greater imagination than I gave her credit for. I suggested my daughter put G in an imaginary pair of cement shoes, but it’s hard telling what G would do with that one.
Anyway, I had a good night’s sleep. I’m kind of afraid to call my daughter to see how the rest of her evening panned out. Maybe I should be serving her the coffee this morning. She might benefit from a “caffeine bubble” today.
I hope your weekend goes well. And don’t let anyone burst your bubble.
Thank you to Diana at Part-time Monster Blog for hosting the #WeekendCoffeeShare.
June 21st is the United Nations-sanctioned International Day of Yoga (International Yoga Day). United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his Message on the 2016 International Day of Yoga, tells us, “Yoga balances body and soul, physical health and mental well-being.”
Pertinent to this year’s observance of #YogaDay, Ban Ki-moon states:
“Practicing yoga can also help raise awareness of our role as consumers of the planet’s resources and as individuals with a duty to respect and live in peace with our neighbours. All these elements are essential to building a sustainable future of dignity and opportunity for all.”
Here are some poses that have definitely improved my mental well-being:
legs up the wall pose (Viparita Karani)
downward-facing dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana.)
cow pose (bitilasana)
corpse pose (Shavasana)
child pose (Balasana)
treed pose (Squirrelasana)
How will you observe International Yoga Day?
What Rhymes with Stanza? 