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How Does Your Garden Grow?

4/26/2021

I came across this little poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. There’s no point for me to add anything when his words say it all.

“Kind hearts are the gardens,
kind thoughts are the roots,
kind words are the flowers,
kind deeds are the fruits.

Take care of your garden.
And keep out the weeds.
Fill it with sunshine,
kind words, and kind deeds.”

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What About Lunch?

4/19/2021

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“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?”

Winnie the Pooh definitely had it going on. The other day I walked into this lovely little bistro which is affectionately called My Kitchen. I stood there pondering the big question of the day - what about lunch? I began to chuckle querying is this my life now? Lunch has become the highlight of each day. Not that breakfast and dinner don’t matter, but it’s all about lunch. A big contributing factor is that’s when I have my daily cup of Java, a most exhilarating elixir.

Talking with some of my friends, I learned that they are in similar boats with what has turned into their highlights. Things that once were necessary chores or errands are now big adventures. Who would have thought that buying and hoarding Lysol wipes, hand sanitizer, etc. was so much fun? Meeting up with a masked friend, walking 6 feet apart is even better. After all, doing that constitutes aversion of important social connection. There are so many little things that have evolved into the big things in our pandemic lives. The upside is that we may become more grateful. Gratitude plays a major part in maintaining well being. In fact, those who study well being and flourishing have noted that when there is gratitude in your heart, it is not possible to be depressed at the same time.

All that being said, truth be told, this pandemic with the yoyoing lock-downs and stay at home orders is wearing thin. Is the fat lady ever going to sing? I reckon, to paraphrase Churchill, when we are going through hell, all we can do is keep going. Now, what about lunch?

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Looking For Nonsense

4/12/2021

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“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities.” Dr. Seuss

I am and have been so on board with viewing life through the wrong end of a telescope like Dr. Seuss. However, over the past several months I haven’t been able to find my telescope. Nor have I found my kaleidoscope which provides another perspective with all the colors and pieces moving, changing, creating a myriad of patterns. It feels like the nourishment for my right brain (which is the part that dreams, designs, imagines) has been absent. What is one to do? As I pondered the situation, it occurred to me that nonsense and whimsy are distant cousins. Looking for inspiration, I dived into the archives to find what I had written about nonsense or whimsy in the past. Here’s an excerpt that caught my fancy.

“What is the color of whimsy? Outrageous orange? Razzle Dazzle Rose? Fuzzy Wuzzy Brown? Bippity Boppity Blue? What is the sound of whimsy? Household appliances talking amongst themselves? Elves tap dancing on the roof? Stars tinkling like bells in the night sky? What does whimsy look like? A unicorn farm? A wizard living in your spare room? A secret stash of pixie dust?

When I opened a window whimsy blew in. The tea kettle, usually quiet and unobtrusive, began whistling Zippity Do Dah. Then some of the neighborhood fairies gathered in my dining room for tea and Petit Fours and gossip.”

Hmmm. It’s a lovely day with a gentle breeze. I opened the window to see if whimsy might blow in. I was delightfully surprised to see the neighborhood fairies return for a visit. I was also surprised to see they were observing Covid protocols. They were all wearing masks and kept distanced. I was not prepared to offer tea and petit fours as before. They were okay with that as they were not inclined to have to remove their masks to eat. So the visit was limited to gossip. Fairy gossip is quite intriguing. To share would take a lot of ‘splaining. More than I care to write about. Just know that I rediscovered some of that nonsense I was searching for. I hope whimsy blows into your abode to bring fun and good cheer to your day.

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Pandemic Time Capsule

4/5/2021

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In the midst of a stream of consciousness and a myriad of random thoughts, the idea of a pandemic time capsule popped into my head. Hmmm. How about that? When one is dug up in 100 years, what might be found inside? Here are just a few items for my capsule. What would you select for yours?

Of course, there would be a selection of my most fashionable masks. Continuing with the pandemic uniform and gear, there would be a pair of disposable gloves, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and perhaps a face shield.
A take out menu with no contact delivery
An email with links to Zoom meetings
A photo of the last hair cut before lock-down and 6 months later
A print out of some on line shopping lists for delivery or curb pick up.

Books: Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume, Happy For No Reason by Marci Shimoff, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Empty bag from my favorite Indonesian Flores coffee beans (Hmmm. Maybe I should leave a few beans in the bag.)
A DVD of Midnight in Paris

My manual of “Protocols, Policies And Procedures For Surviving A Lock-down: or How To Hold Onto Your Sanity While Everyone Around You Is Losing Theirs.”

FYI - This manual was number one on the New York Times best seller list for a really long time. It was also translated into 37 languages. If you’d like to get a copy, I’m sorry, but it is no longer being printed. Maybe it will turn up on social media one day. Everything else does.

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How Does Your Garden Grow?

What About Lunch?

Looking For Nonsense

Pandemic Time Capsule

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