In the now…

There was a man party at our place last night.  I did all the outdoor-indoor prep and food making, including delicious blow your mind homemade caramel corn (thank you Mombie for the recipe!).  I got up early, did some mowing with my red gas lawn mower (I love that thing), and made everything look pretty pretty.  My dad gave me the new lawn mower two summers ago.  And, I tell ya, I feel empowered.  Being able to tackle weeds and things on a whim makes me so happy.  Funny, shopping for shoes used to be my passion.  Now it's having a full gas can so I can refuel my lawn mower whenever I feel like it.  Go figure…

After everything was all nice and lovely for the man get together last night, I ran and hid out in my part of the house.

The furry boys went with me and we shared my sandwich and watched Larry Crowne.  It was great!  I loved knowing Mister Lovee and his Monday night get together guys were having a super time.  It really made me so very happy.

Miles went out to be social towards the end of the evening.

He was a huge hit, that soft fur boy.

Little Matty had to stay with me, as he is too scary mean.

The real hit of the evening?

Not the cottage, not the garden, not the twinkly lights.

Can you guess?

Yep, the homemade caramel corn.

Haha!

Gotta love that.

I awoke to find my little tomato seedlings, which I started indoors a few weeks ago, all wilted.  I think they are so ready to be planted.  I put them in the sun and watered them, as I do everyday, but planting time is here, no question about it.

Thank goodness they recovered with some love this morning.  I can't figure out what happened to them last night?  Weird.

I'll be sad to see my tomato babies go out into the world.

Not on my dresser or in my studio everyday.

🙂

Time for outside days + nights, and planting this week.

A couple of days ago the most heartening thing happened (is that a word?).

I was out back in the vegetable garden.  All the flowers and gypsy garden things are in the front, veggies in back.  So, I was out back as the sun was going down, and in the way distance, through trees and space, I saw someone.

You see, way in the back corner of our property, there is a stream/wash, lots of trees and bushes, and then you can sort of faintly see two homes in a 55+ enclave of homes.  Most of the folks I see from time to time look well into their 80's and 90's.

The neighborhood is old school and very charming.

Anyhow, I can really only slightly see two of the homes through all the trees and brush, and it is in the distance.

But, every so often, I faintly see a little old man through the trees.

He is completed folded over, and walks very slowly.

So, a couple of evenings ago, I was out there watering and weeding my veggie garden around 5:30/6:00 p.m. –

I was in this zen mood, watering all the vegetable beds, when I felt like someone was watching me.

So, I slowly turned around without being obvious.

I saw that the little old man with his walker that also has a seat, had come outside, and was sitting watching me tend my garden in the distance.

I felt so many emotions at once.

The first thing that came to mind was that, I felt sad for him that he couldn't run and skip about.  Bend over and weed, and tend a garden.  But, that he could only watch from afar.  Barely able to lift his head even.

Then I thought, maybe he feels content just to watch, since he is so old, maybe he has no desire to weed and run and work hard.  Maybe watching is just as enjoyable as doing?

And then, the most curious thing happened.

I felt this surge of inspiration hit me like a lightning bolt.

I felt inspired to really live.  To really appreciate the minutia of life.  I felt like, this amazing exchange happened when I looked at the little old man.  Almost like, he had given me a gift.  I felt like he said, "enjoy the heck out of it kid, because it passes so quickly – in the blink of an eye really."

I heard the message loud and clear.

Whether I invented in my head, who knows, but it was good.

Then, I saw him slowly inch to get up, and turn himself around, and shuffle down the little path with his handy dandy lil' walker.

That feeling has stayed with me.

I have found myself often standing under the great big apricot tree, my face in blossoms, blossoms surrounding me, breathing it all in.  Just being and feeling.

I had Mister Lovee get underneath the apricot tree with me today, blossoms by the thousands, as we both savored each petal.

When I looked over at him, he had his arms outstreched, and his face tilted towards the sky with his hands open.

He totally got it.

Then again, he is a huge reason my life is so changed for the better.  He helped me change so many of my perceptions about living and life.  Just by being himself, I learned.  He didn't actively teach me, I just watched and got the hang of it.  Like, don't stress about this or that.  Like, just enjoy the moment and let go, etc etc.

I put a blossom in the palm of each of his hands.

And that was that.

Tonight, I went out back to see if I could spot the little old man.

Maybe I should have waved?

Maybe I should bring him a basket of treats?

Maybe not.

But, I could see his little light in the distance, and that was so comforting.

It's funny, the little things that can comfort us in the places where we live, isn't it?

Do you have the same people you see, the same places you look at, the same trees you say hello to everyday?  All the little things that remind you that that is your neighborhood?

Your little nook in the world?

I love my tiny street.

I especially love all the furry kids on my street.

There is Turtle and Lacey, and Harley and Annabelle and Jaxon.  There is Miles and Matty in our house, and Penny and Ella down the way.

There is a little boy on a bike from time to time.  I am not sure who he is.

Down the street and to the left, on my way to the post, I pass a green front yard with cows and pigs, and dogs and ducks.

Then, two stop signs away, there is a backyard full of chickens and ducks and geese.

I pass a man every time I go out, who is walking his tiny dog while on his little motor powered wheelchair.

Oh, I could go on and on….

The house with the citrus grove and mile high evergreens, with a lawn you want to just roll in.

It is endless, what I love about here.

But, it's those little things, that make it so special.

What are some of the sights and sounds that are part of where you live?

Oh oh, I will tell you one more.

Every morning, way in the distance at about 5:30 I hear the same motorcycle with the radio very loud.

Someone going to work.

But it always makes me smile, and I think, there he goes off to work.

Oh and, I mustn't forget the coyotes by night and the roosters early early every morning.

I love those roosters.

I do.

Well, that's my babble for today.

I best be off.

I put the finishing brush strokes on a piece today, and hope to share it tomorrow.

Time for some ghost stories or something wonderful like that.

 

Love, V