Day 3 - Today I am Thankful For My Community

So many things go on behind the scenes, and often in plain sight, to keep a community going.  You may see the trash trucks going around, maybe even are annoyed if they come early enough to wake you up.  Your mail appears day after day, you turn on the faucet and there is clean water, the waste water all goes off to be treated and sent safely back into the environment.  You have streets and maybe sidewalks to use, there are traffic signals so you can be safer on the road, there are public buildings (like your library!) that you can use, and if you have an emergency, you know you can count on help from firefighters, police officers and/or ambulance crews.
There are legions of people, some visible, some not so visible that make all these things we take for granted possible.  I am very grateful to all those who work so hard so that the rest of us can have a pleasant community to live in.
Equally important are the  people who keep the whole thing running by being responsible to make the decisions on how tax dollars are spent, by voting on behalf of us to determine the best way to keep the community going.  These people are our elected officials, and in some cases, government employees.  We often forget about our city council members, our mayor, our state representatives, even our federal representatives when elections are over.  (Or unless something happens that makes us angry)  I try to let my elected officials know that I appreciate the job they are doing.  Especially our Mayor, Council, and City manager here in Moore.  They have done a LOT for this community in the last few years.
So for today, let me say thanks to a few of them I know: 
From our City Council:  Kathy McMillan,  our city manager, Steve Eddy, Our Mayor Glen Lewis, Our Building Maintenance folks:  Greg, Mark and Callie.  Our sanitation workers- We seem to have a different crew all the time lately, but they all do a good job.
From our police department:  Ted, Jerry, and Daniel. 
Thanks to our postal carriers, both the regular route person out here, and our library route person.
 Thanks to the firefighters- guys, we will miss having you hang out next door at the community center now that they are building you your own gym...
Thanks to all the city crews who keep the sewers running, the water flowing, and the traffic signals working.  Thanks to the road crews who keep an eye on street problems.
And thanks to all the store clerks, newspaper carriers, UPS and FedEx drivers who contribute to the working of the community.
I feel very fortunate to live in a major metropolitan area that still feels like a small town.  This is due in part to the professionalism and attention to detail of our city government and its employees.   It is also due to the overall kindness and good nature of most folks around here. 

If you see me out around town, and think I look familiar, smile and say hi, you've probably seen me in the library!

Advent - Day 2 Thankful for my Co-workers

Today I have been baking cookies for a couple of my co-workers.  Last year, I gave everyone at the library a card good for a batch of homemade cookies of their choice.  Some are just now getting around to cashing theirs in.  I have enjoyed making cookies for a specific co-worker each time someone has asked.  It gives me a chance to think about them and about how much they contribute to the joy I have working at the library. 
Our staff is like an extended family.  We all have to put up with each other, day in and day out.  We are fortunate that our staff functions well together.  We are a fun group, we know how to have a good time.  We also know how to jump in and get the work done when the going gets hectic.  It doesn't matter what the job is, someone will do it, whether it's technically their job or not.  We will all take our turn doing the mundane things that need doing.  Nobody gripes about it, either, it's truly amazing.
I really appreciate the attitude of my co-workers,  all of them share a desire to do the absolute best we can to have the best library ever!  We care about our customers, especially our "regulars", and I think they know that.  We will do what it takes to get the information or the book or dvd or audiobook that our customer needs.  (Sometimes this can involve a search of the work area; customers may need a little patience.  Library materials are very good at hiding in plain sight back there!)
The two I am baking for today are technically "substitutes", but they are in the building pretty regularly.  They both work in the other two departments, not in Circulation, where I work.  Still, they have been known to help people check out, to make library cards, even to help empty an overflowing book drop.  They are often the ones searching for needed materials in the back.  We do our best to take time to help, especially if we think we remember seeing the item in question recently.
Reflecting on the eleven years I have been at this job, I can honestly  say that I look forward to seeing my co-workers every day when I go in.  The building itself feels welcoming, and I think that is because of the positive spirit of the people I work with.
As we prepare for the holiday season, the library is decorated by the staff for the occasion.  (I missed out this year because we had other obligations.)  It is amazing what that group of people can do in only a couple of hours.  Here at home, Christmas trickles in a few decorations at a time.  Yesterday, the Advent wreath, today some towels  and the wreath on the door. 
Step by step.  Day by day.  Just like we get through the work day in easy times and in busy ones. 

Thanks, my fellow staffers, for being such a wonderful bunch of positive, helpful and inspiring people.

Advent 2010 - Day One

On this first day of Advent, the season of preparation for the arrival of the Christ Child, we were unable to go and worship with our church family. Matthew was ill with a sinus problem that we are afraid might be contagious, and I don't know if I might also be contagious and just not have symptoms. SO, our Advent is not starting out on a very positive note.

All that aside, my thought for the weeks leading up to Christmas was to write about something every day, if I can, that I am grateful for.
Today I am grateful for the characters in my life. These are the people who have left a big impression with their humor, their willingness to just be themselves, and their unique view of life.
The first real character that comes to mind is Nellie Holmes. This great lady was in her 90s and could still shoot a gopher across her back garden with a .22 pistol! (She NEVER missed!) She could quilt, can and cook with the best of them, but she really knew how to have fun. When I got to stay with her and her sister Maude when my folks wanted an evening out, Nellie used to make popcorn on the stovetop, and Maude would make orangeade. We would then either watch an old movie on tv, or we'd work on knitting or sewing projects and watch an old movie on tv. Nellie lived to be almost 100 years old, and stayed pretty spry almost to the end. She had many funny stories about her life, and how she learned to be such a good shot. (Her husband's job took them out of the country a lot, and into areas that were not particularly friendly to Americans.)
The second character that comes to mind is Miss Hunter, my sixth grade teacher. This lady had rheumatoid arthritis, and was often in pain. She still managed to be an excellent teacher. She had great dignity, and commanded our respect. (NOT an easy thing to get from 12 year olds!) She also had a great sense of humor and fun, and often made our lessons a great deal of fun for us. When some of us proved to be a bit slow at our basic addition facts, she came up with a sneaky way to encourage us to add faster. She told us she was going to Vegas on vacation and needed to practice her Blackjack. She taught us to play, and if you consider the game, being able to add quickly and make decisions based on what you see showing is the main skill in the game. She got us going and kept saying, "You have to add faster, girls, or you won't ever win!" Only later did my friend and I realize what she was really up to. She taught the whole class about statistics during the World Series. She brought her radio, and we listened to parts of the games, and she taught us to keep a score sheet, and she showed us how to find the scores and stats in the sports section of the newspaper to get the stats we missed because we couldn't listen to the whole game. (We could also check our work) She encouraged us to read the newspaper and to bring in stories that interested us to share. We discussed all kinds of news and sports and entertainment stories in that class. We also learned to be critical thinkers, to evaluate what we read and to compare information between news sources. (A skill sadly not taught, but even more important in this information-soaked age.)
The last character I'd like to talk about is someone I just finished writing a Christmas card to. Molly Manchester, a neighbor of ours when we were first married and lived in San Bernardino, CA. (DOWNTOWN San Bernardino!) Molly was living across the street from us where she cared for her grandma who had dementia. (Grandma used to get upset about all those people on the tv. "We don't have enough food in the house to feed all those people" she'd say, and want to take off for the store.) Molly had cats, and we had cats, and we used to sit on the front stoop and talk once in a while. Molly always got excited about the UPS truck coming up the street, and in jest, would say "Darn you, why didn't you stop here?!" when he went by without stopping. To this day, I think of Molly when the truck zooms up the street to someone else's house. Now, next door to us lived a couple that often had rather spectacular and LOUD arguments. They often "shared" them with the whole neighborhood. (Meaning you'd have to be stone deaf not to hear them!) Far as I know, they only ever hollered at each other, but they would bring it out into the front yard now and again. Molly used to pop popcorn and sit on the stoop to watch. When she thought perhaps they should be reminded that they were in public, she'd holler "Hey, you used that argument already. Think up something new!" They'd usually look surprised to realize they were outside, and would both stomp back in the house.
I am glad to report that last I heard, Molly was doing fine, living in a new neighborhood, and driving a school bus. (Grandma passed away peacefully several years ago.) She still has cats, and so do we, so Christmas card notes are often an exchange of cat hijinks.
At any rate, as we prepare for the coming of Christmas, I have lighted the first Advent candle, and I give thanks for all the characters who have enriched my life. I meet new ones all the time!

Where Is All the Time Going?

Ever have a day when you feel as old as Methuselah, and wonder how you got that way? I've been having several of those lately.
Kids who were just babies the last time I saw them are now grown adults. Doesn't feel like it was that long ago that I was watching them toddle around testing out their new mobility skills. Soon they'll be having their own babies.
My folks always told me to appreciate time while I had it, all too soon it will start slipping away, days passing so quickly that you scarcely remember them. At the time, I was just impatient for Christmas to hurry up and get here already, or for school to be out so I could sleep in and play late.
It is always hard to admit that your parents were right. These days, whole years fly by, and I wonder where they went. I still feel pretty much the same as always. but the face in the mirror looks like an old lady. (Let's not even talk about the spider veins in my legs and the skin on my arms where I have had too many farmer tans and too many mosquito bites.)
Also, I feel like I never get anything done anymore. There are always other demands on my time that keep me from getting my projects done. I never get to knit, or sew, or crochet, or do any craft projects anymore. I get to bake, but usually there is an urgent purpose behind it, and it isn't relaxing anymore. It's just one more demand on my time. I never even get to clean the house as often as I would LIKE to because I have other things I have to do. I do take time to read, but then feel guilty because things like the cleaning, or journal writing, or voice practice, or my poetry workbook are not getting done.
I have no aha! moment to share from this realization that my life is slipping away while I'm busy doing "other things". The only wisdom I can glean from it is that priorities must be set on how time is spent. My work for church is important, my job is important, because it is a vocation as much as it is a part-time job, my husband and our pets are important, perhaps most important, because they are my immediate family. My time on social media is not entirely wasted, because that is where I catch up with some of those toddlers who have grown up while I was busy elsewhere. It is also where I keep up with cherished friends near and far. Just about everyone on my "friends" list is someone I have met face to face. Exceptions are the email list friends that I have had for YEARS, and I have met a few of them in person, also.
There are also days when one just needs a little "puttering" time, time to do nothing much, time to ponder the mysteries of life and see if any new insight may be gleaned. That is what I try to do at least once in awhile. Unfortunately, today doesn't seem to have yielded anything profound, and now that my husband is up and stirring, I have to go do my Saturday chores.

How gardens get overgrown

When the first warm breath of Spring air hits, I, like many others, am drawn back into the garden to clean up, to plant and to dream of a bloom and fruit or vegetable filled summer.
All too often, the best laid plans of home gardeners go awry.
This happens for a number of reasons. Some people truly do not realize the workload they are setting themselves up for, and their enthusiasm overcomes good judgment as far as how much to plant.
Others are just too easily distracted, especially since gardening can be serious physical labor.

Myself, the heat is what gets to me here in Oklahoma. I have no problem doing the weeding and deadheading necessary to keep a garden happy if only I had time to do it when the average temperature was below 90 and the humidity at less than jungle strength. I try to break the weeding down into smaller bits, but this is our busy time at work, and I come home too worn out to want to work out in the hot, oppressive air. (And it usually works out that I have other obligations when the temperature might be less daunting.)

This year, so far, I am doing better. I remind myself that slaving away in the flower beds and vegetable beds counts as exercise on my NutriMirror diet/exercise/weightloss tracking website.
Right now, I do have a list of things that need to be done sometime in the next few days. There are the dianthus that need to be dead-headed, there are numerous weeds in the front flower beds that need to be evicted, the vegetables and roses will need to be fed and insect-sprayed again on Monday or Tuesday. There's a branch on the Pin Oak that hangs too low, it needs to be removed.
I do have some nice plants going so far.

The photo shows my metal bunny statue in the herb bed. He has parsley and thyme and oregano and a volunteer pansy to keep him company.
The best part of gardening is being able to enjoy the beauty (and the fresh veggies and herbs!) that your work creates. I often dread the work, but it is surely worth it.

Of Winter and Weight Gain

I have discovered that there is no way I will reach even my amended weight goal by my birthday. I have managed to keep at least 10 pounds off from what I was when I started.
The problem comes in that winter makes me hungry and keeps me from exercising. There have been several days already this year that we have been snowed in, and I couldn't do much of anything but sit around and eat. I also bake and cook and eat. Too icy to walk outside with the dog, and the treadmill gets really old after awhile.
Then I do things like make this fabulous chocolate cake I have in the works tonight just because I feel like it. At least I did my workout this morning!
The gray skies and unending precipitation are really getting me down . I could do with a little less ice and snow, thank you. At least dog and I can walk even if it's cold, IF the sidewalks are clear!

A Good Project for Someone, Not Me.

Since watching Julie and Julia, I have wondered if anyone ever tackled The Joy of Cooking in the same way Julie tackled Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It would be a pretty big task, to cook your way through that one. I have two editions of it, and I know there are likely a couple before and a couple between the two I have. It is a project I wouldn't have the patience for. These days my mind wanders off in search of new amusements more quickly than it used to. Some things get picked up again later, others not so much.
There is the knitting project I have been working on for more than two years now. It is a shawl, but I just can't seem to finish it. It goes on, and on, and on.
There is a cross-stitch project that is partway done, and I have taken it off the frame because it was getting dusty sitting there. There are nine or ten finished projects on the walls of the house. I CAN finish things, I just don't get there as easily the older I get.
So, cooking my way through an 849 page cookbook doesn't sound like something I could keep up with. Anybody else trying it? I'll have to Google search and find out. On the other hand, there is an entire section on cocktails. THAT might be interesting! (Most of the time the only alcohol I use for drinking is wine and the occasional dram of Scotch. The rest is for cooking with!)

If anyone reads this and has tried the challenge, let me know. I'd love to hear about it.
On other topics: I am currently reading My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor. It is fascinating to read her own observations of what happened, how people treated her, how she determined the best way to work her way back, and the insight she gained in the process. I am still less than halfway through the book. The other reading project I have undertaken is Secret Ingredients, a collection of writings on food from the New Yorker. Only barely started on that one.
As always, other obligations are calling me away from this blog. Hope to be a more consistent blogger in the future.