The US bombed Iran, and as I type this at 1:00 AM, I’m not sure how I’ll get up to hear the briefing at the Pentagon by 8:00 AM this morning. Even after listening to Trump yesterday evening, we (the general public) are privy only to the information shared with us.
Here are three things I DO know:
No matter what Trump does, there will be calls for impeachment… or a lawsuit… or insults (I’ve even read posts from people that say the new flags at the White House are ugly — seriously?)
Regular people voicing their opinions from behind a keyboard doesn’t change anything, but we can pray for peace.
The Internet has changed everything.
I can’t speculate on what China might do at this point — or what UN will do. If you’re reading this, you probably can’t either with any accuracy. That’s because we only know what we know.
But if you want to know how to own 3 dogs and keep a slice of sanity — I’m your gal.
There’s already a call for nationwide emergency protests on Sunday. Graphics have been created and shared encouraging support because, “Trump is a war criminal.”
So much chaos and the world is connected in real-time to witness it all. Scary, isn’t it?
Now you know: Douglas Bader was a British WWII ace who lost both legs before the war. He flew with prosthetics, scored 22 kills, and became one of Britain’s top pilots. After being captured, the RAF air-dropped him a new prosthetic leg behind enemy lines.
It rained off and on all day yesterday, but I still trudged out to do a back-flush of the pool filter and add more chlorine to get the water clear. It’s looking better and I’ve learned a few things that will make it easier to open next year. Seriously… it wasn’t nearly this challenging at the earlier house on this same county road; however, that pool wasn’t surrounded by trees. It’s a good thing I have a couple helpers.
Boris now dive-bombs humans.
Boris, the mean woodpecker has not only bullied all the hummingbirds away from the feeder, he will now dive-bomb dogs and humans. He’s such an angry little bird.
I still love it here.
Living here I can’t take a stroll and end up at Starbucks. I won’t be walking to any sidewalk cafe or park. Nothing like that is nearby the barndo. But I can sit in a chair (when it’s not raining) with a book and listen to birds sing, hear wind chimes make music, and take in nature.
There’s still plenty to keep me busy even though I’m semi-retired. So far, I’m great with working fewer hours even though I’m no longer making as much money as I did previously. Not feeling the daily pressure is worth the cost.
Now you know: Over 80% of the people in the world have never taken a flight.
For breakfast, I had eggs, bacon, toast with peanut butter, and mass amounts of coffee. My FB friend had cheese, honey, rosemary, and violas with a cup of tea. Her meal was eaten from a beautiful wooden cutting board decorated with flowers. My meal was on a paper plate and probably had a dog hair or two in it.
She says that before noon she had also forest bathed, cold plunged in the St. Lawrence, grounded on the beach (whatever that means), prayed, journaled, and painted. By noon I had eaten (at least outside) and took care of the needs of 3 dogs while listening to an audio book. I also watered my flowers and smiled when I saw peonies (finally!).
We are not the same.
While I admire her lifestyle, I can’t imagine it for me. I’m a walk to the mailbox girl — and she’s a yoga on the beach one. Honey, cheese, berries, and some flowers to eat would leave me wondering when the real food would arrive. I wouldn’t take a daily cold plunge if it added 10 years to my life.
And while I’ve always said the Ouraring is amazing, I’m even mad at it right now. The “new more accurate step counting” is awful in my opinion. It was better before the upgrade. For example, it now recognizes I’m “working out” when push mowing, but I get no step credit for doing it because my arms aren’t swinging. There’s a reason Oura says not to compare the ring’s results with other wearables — it’s because their data is now wildly off in comparison.
Are you motivated to consistently make healthy choices?
I figure I’m about a 5 on the wellness lifestyle scale of 10. Where do you currently fall — and what could you do to improve it?
Now you know: In the early 2000s, schools in Perth, Australia gave teenage girls infant simulator dolls that cried and fussed like real babies. The goal was to show how hard motherhood is and reduce teen pregnancy. Surprisingly, girls who got the dolls had higher pregnancy rates than those who didn’t.
From a corporate exec friend on Facebook calling Trump Jr. “classless” while saying how great it would be for a building to fall on his head (that’s classy?) — to others calling for Jill Biden to be arrested for elder abuse — I’ve read more than enough. I’m sure you have too. The stupidity comes from both the left and the right.
I like Heath candy bars. Maybe you’re not a fan although I offer you a taste every time we’re together. You say no, you prefer Cookies and Cream bars and offer me a bite. We’re still friends and neither has had a change of heart. Then we talk about the weather or our kids or grandkids.
We don’t keep harping about the darned candy bars. Right? We don’t call each other ignorant or take sides over milk chocolate vs. white chocolate. It’s too bad that our choice of political party isn’t viewed in a similar fashion as our choice of a candy bar.
And the fake news?
That article that said my peony would bloom in 8-48 hours once put in water? That was a lie!
The other stems I picked for the arrangement are now dead but the darned peony still hasn’t bloomed. 😠
And then I ate the cucumbers!
I love cucumbers in salad — and on poke bowls. Gimme cucumbers with french dressing and there doesn’t even have to be lettuce to make me happy. I like them so much that I ate them twice yesterday. Of course, that was BEFORE I got my email from Walmart telling me they were recalled because of salmonella. ARG!
Could that be considered elder abuse? Asking for a friend.
Now you know: Few species are known to go through menopause, with humans and chimpanzees being the only documented primates. Scientists aren’t sure why.
I have a friend on FB that I’m 99.9% sure he’s not on your friend’s list. I’m sharing this because I love it, and want you to read it too.
Here’s where it starts…
Every few years I post this story again. It happened in 2012, when our daughter, Jess, was 10 years old. I love the lesson that I learned from their experience.
11:30.
Sunday afternoon my 10 year old daughter, Jessica, asked me if she and her best friend, Emma, could set up a lemonade stand in our yard. It was a very drizzly, wet, cool day. But I thought a lesson could be learned about disappointment and realistic expectations, so I said “Sure.” They painted a sign (50 Cents a Cup – All Proceeds to Benefit Animal Shelter”) made the lemonade, set up their table in the yard, and stood in the drizzle. I sighed the sigh that a wise parent sighs as his child is about to face disappointment.
Finally, a lone, soggy jogger stopped. Then a car. Then neighbors started coming over. THEN the Grey Line Tour bus comes to a screeching halt right in front of our house. (I‘m in Nashville. A music star lives in my neighborhood. Not unusual.) The tour bus driver opened his door, ordered a cup of lemonade, then invited the girls to bring their pitcher onto the bus and almost every passenger bought a cup.
After two hours the girls had made almost $60 for the animal shelter.
A valuable lesson was learned. Not by them. By me. The lesson was that sometimes, even when everything seems stacked against you, you just go. It’s just your time. Because you make it your time.
Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live once said, “We don’t start the show because we’re ready. We start the show because it’s 11:30.“
