Timely Thoughts

We all treasure our time,

But I've been thinking about how we mark time.

--Most of us, of course, turn the page every month and start over with a new calendar every year--beholding the 12 boxes of each month in front of us--mind-boggling!

--I find a new shoe box large enough for the year to store receipts, bills, bank statements, and yearly monetary information.

--I look back and look forward--what can/will I change this year?

--I think of my mom and how old I was when she was my age right now--am I doing more or less than she did?

--I look at my grandchildren and think of my own children at their age--how did I feel as a parent then and, what were they doing?

--I consider if I'm just sucking in air or contributing enough--(Thank you, Tammy S. for this measurement in regard to life!)

--I consider how many times I have done something and consider its worth--can I do something better?

--I mark the next Christmas by buying Christmas ornaments/cards on sale in January for next year.

--I prepare/eat lunch, thinking the best part of the day is gone, and it's downhill after this.

--I send birthday cards trying to figure out how old someone is and revel at their age.

--Christmas decorations come down, and red hearts fill my hooks, tables, and windows. (I personally think this is where the extra Christmas red dyes find an outlet, just like the Christmas green dyes find an outlet on St. Patrick's Day!)

--I receive information daily on Medicare since I am arriving at that young age of 65 this spring--Could this mail really be mine?!

--What will happen this year to change my life, the lives of others?

--I suppose this marking of time goes on and on every hour of every day, and we don't even think about it much. It might even add to the stress of the day. I guess it's human nature to keep track of and evaluate our time. How would living on a warm tropical island for weeks on end change our tracking and evaluation of time? For those of us who cannot enjoy the warmth of the southern hemisphere, sit down and imagine the life on a truly magnificent, warm island. I am. What thoughts would mark my time? I'm feeling warmer already!

One Little Word for 2012

--One Little Word has been on my mind a lot these last few weeks. I tried OLW last year, and it worked well, but I wanted to make sure my new OLW gave me plenty of open space for my life and my writing.

--On my list of possible OLWs this year were the words "laughter, patience, joy, celebrate, and positive." I wanted a word that would keep me close to the good in life despite all the negativity that bombards our lives in general and the personal hard parts of our lives that everyone faces because we are alive and things never remain the same whether it be good or bad.

--I need to laugh every day, have patience with others, experience joy in something around me, celebrate life, and remain positive most of the time. I looked up the definitions of each of these words, looking for something that would do it all for me. I came across "treasure" and thought of what I treasure in life. If I think of things that I treasure, won't "treasure" encompass all these words I've listed?

--"Treasure" can lead me from personal relationships to monetary values and from places to objects. I'm satisfied with my OLW and will begin to brainstorm a list of my "treasures" in my twelfth writers notebook of 2012! How full will my "treasure chest" be at the end of the year?

--Happy writing everyone!!!

Changing Over

It's the end of the year, and many people are changing over a lot of things--calendars, tax numbers, insurance deductibles, license plates, etc. But in your personal life, what are you changing over?

--I walked for the first time at the community center a couple of weeks ago, something I have been fighting over in my mind. I began walking this last summer with some neighbors--quite enjoyable, but now we have inclement weather. One suggested we do the laps at the community center. I wasn't ready for that change over! I just retired over a year ago, and I'm not that old! I just couldn't do that. Well, the day came when that one friendly neighbor, Mary, invited me and caught me at the right time saying, "You don't have to, you know."

--"Yes, I have to!" I said to myself. The night before I was walking from the restaurant to our car, and I realized I wasn't walking as confident as I was when I did walk every day for about a mile.

--During my first walk at the community center, I met some other neighbors who were younger than I was, and others I didn't know were saying, "Good morning" to me-- nice. The Christmas tree festival adorned the halls of the community center, and it was nice having to pass them, too. I noticed something new every time I passed them.

--The town library connects to the center and two of just said, "I love the library!" We stopped in to check on things since we usually go there anyway. I found that a whole slew of new audio CDs were on the shelves--have to check one out now!!! To say the least, this change over wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. By the way, I've signed up for T'ai Chi ("Meditation in Motion") in January and February at the center. It just took a little push to get over this hurdle of change. Where will this journey lead me?

--My next change over is big! I started with my 11th writers notebook in June of 2010, and I'm at the end of days--end of pages, I mean. I have maybe 5 more pages to go. I love this writers notebook--full of favorite things and events, and the way it's made. I use to start over every school year, but that is not the case now due to retirement. I have just run out of pages, something I've never done before this notebook. The new year will begin in over a week and that would be a good time to start anew. I've been collecting new notebooks and some have been gifts. It's just hard to start over. A clean slate is a good thing, but it's just that--untouched, blank, no feeling of ownership. Which notebook will I choose? What event will lead me to my first entry?

--The third change over will be my word for the year. I chose "glass" this year, and it did well for me with ideas for posts. I found my word by looking at ice last January while shoveling snow, and now the year ends with me reading a book about a Russian ballerina in the cold St. Petersburg of the 1800's. I am reminded again of my grandparents who were from Russia and how they had endured the frigid and icy life style of that country which even now gives me another idea for a post. Funny, how just one word can bring up so many ideas or thoughts . What will be my new word? And what by-gone events, feelings, or reflections will be surfacing on my posts?

--The last change over is taking its time. I've gone from a full time teacher of 22 years to a retired person. It's been a year and a half since leaving the classroom, but I'm still maintaining my teacher friends through reading and writing groups. I visit my old school less and less, however, and am losing touch with the "school talk" I use to feel comfortable with. I don't know the new terminology/methods or see any school kids I know anymore at my old school. I'm becoming someone new--again. I'm not sure who yet. Who will I become even at this stage of the game?

--Change is never over, so I'll just keep riding the wave.

Hope

Holiday cheer abounds,

Or does it?

Commercials are cheery,

Stores are waiting for you,

Channels show holiday fare, but

I just wrote a check out for the hungry,

Phoned different people who I knew needed a phone call,

And checked the news on Google!!

"Climate Change Could Shrink Chocolate Production."

I didn't want to think about a creature comfort being liquidated.

As I read on, the author thankfully stated

"Climate change brings not only bad news

But also a lot of potential opportunities."

"The winners will be those who are prepared for change and

Know how to adapt."

I call this HOPE.

Along with peace for the season,

I wish you hope.

The Unknown Soldier

Born unknown into the world,

Humbly, obscurely,

Unheard of.

Slept sheltered in his cradle,

Openly, feebly,

Hushed.

Died unknown for the world,

Humbly, obscurely,

Unheard of.

Sleeps guarded in his chamber,

Secretly, strongly,

Muted.

Left unknown as to fiber and face,

Only a symbol to the human race.

If he, this soldier, only knew,

That he, unknown, was famous, too.

(May 8, 1965)

Windmills vs. Koi

Last Wednesday was a field/road trip day for my husband Steve and myself. We were due to get out on the road! My husband has always had a hankering for windmills, so to the Mid-America Windmill Museum we went!

I myself have always just considered windmills just as decorative objects, not really considering their use--something to do with water?? Being a woman with no sisters, married to a man who had 6 brothers and no sisters, being a mother of 3 boys and no daughters, and being a grandmother to 3 boys and only 1 grandaughter (totally a new experience for me!), it was time once again to find out what the fascination was about these windmills, or was I thinking, "Okay, we're both retired, and we need to find some common interests that both of us can share in our days together."

Now that we're both retired, it's a whole new world for us this year. Think about it. Never in our lives were we both without jobs at the same time!!! My mother-in-law told me this would not be a good idea--did she know something I didn't know? After all, she had a husband and still has 7 sons!!! I felt that if we had the opportunity to be retired and be in good health, that's what we should do! Why wait until you get sick before you head off for the sunset.

Our retirement, I'm finding out, is quite an adjustment. We're not travelers per se, and we don't pick up and go very easily--something we'll have to learn! We're lucky to have our own varied interests, but there needs to be some common ground to further promote the days spent together in our perfect state of marital bliss we have experienced our whole married lives! You got it right--I'm joking! Why should retirement be any easier than working and raising 3 sons! The work is just beginning, my friends, so thus the windmill museum!!! At the same, I feared going to the museum because Steve has always threatened to build his own windmill in front of our house!!!

Reflecting now, I learned a lot about windmills, about my husband, and about myself.

Windmills are not only used to bring water up from wells, but can be used for as a grist mill to grind grain into flour. They've been around for hundreds of years and the concept continues with wind turbines. Sorry, I can't really say this trip has made me anymore interested in windmills, but I did enjoy learning more about my husband.

I knew a little about some of these things, but reminded myself of one of the reasons I married this man--he has always had an easy way about him. "They" say why you marry your husband will drive you crazy and later, and it has (another story)!!! But that is part of Steve's charm--easy-going and pensive. Because he is a man, you won't find out everything you want to know unless a magical moment presents itself. The windmills did present the magical moment. I found out the fascination of windmills for him has always been in the wind that can drive this machine to supply water and flour. It also reminded him of his paternal grandfather's farm.

A windmill was a source of play for him and his 6 brothers when they visited Grandpa's farm. The windmill was definitely a form of play. When the boys continued to pump water to fill the overflowing bucket, Grandma would always complain they were wasting water--if Grandma could only see what goes on today!!!! If they weren't pumping the handle, the boys were climbing the cross members on the side of the windmill frame.

Just below the windmill veins was the mechanical platform that was used to help grease the gear box. This was a great place for boys to sit and dangle their feet until Mom screamed you down before you fell to your death!! If the windmill caught a sudden gust, the whole windmill could turn and off would come some little boys!!

For myself, I have learned that while my husband traveled all the paths of the outdoor windmill museum, I was following my own path--so usually like our interests. I was fascinated by the koi pond located at the beginning of the path and talking to the caretaker who noticed my fascination with the koi. I also noticed a frog on the shore of the pond and took pictures of him, too! Then I was reminded of the windmills when I looked up. Okay, where will I be lead to now? I never was really fascinated by windmills other than to notice their beauty in a farm scene. I saw my husband on his own path, as usual, following the windmills.

I sat down on one of the few benches on this utterly beautiful, fall day and took some pictures of the windmills and the colorful trees behind them. I noticed only two windmills were actually turning on this very calm day. One windmill was making a rusty, grinding sound, and another was doing a better job of rotating in the soft breeze, making a creaking sound. Both windmills said to me, "Look at me. Look at me. I'm still as good as I was 'in the day,' and I'm proud." That's me though at the windmill museum!

I heard my husband comment later, "I traveled through the whole path of windmills, and there she was mesmerized by koi!"

This is why I'm working so hard on our retirement!

Cherish

Cherish

Watering the gardens,
Hoping the flowers will last as long as the frost keeps its bite.

Clipping the flowers,
Arranging them in a clear vase which will soon be empty.

Walking the path,
Reminiscing the warmth that enveloped sandaled feet.

Feeling the sun,
Remembering it in early morning and late at night.

Watching the campfire,
Burning bright as the moon.

Tasting the garden,
Relishing tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins.

Rustling the leaves,
Changing with color to yellow and red.

Boating the lake,
Feeling the coolness more than ever.

Entering the night,
Opening the window to sleep.

Awaiting the crisp air,
Leaving the cherished warmth behind.