Yes, today is my birthday and I am seventy years old. In Psalm 90 the Bible references a life span as three score and ten (70). Based on the Bible reference, my Daddy told me years ago that anything past Seventy were bonus years. I made it to the bonus round.

I am overwhelmed with the text messages, calls, cards, gifts and Facebook posts with Birthday wishes. Thank you to family and friends who took time out of their day to think of me and send good thoughts.

I have had an amazing life. While in many ways quite ordinary, there have been many “Wows” and of course also sad times and confusing times. The compilation of all of the people I have known, places I have seen and things I have done up until this very moment have created the Linda of today.

I am a lifelong learner and still want to learn new things and be exposed to things I know nothing about. I want to embrace simple things like watching the hummingbirds at the feeder or doing the hokey pokey with my two and a half year old Grandson.

I need to be challenged, to work (whether that is physical like cleaning or cutting the grass) or mental like a new part time job I am currently pursuing. I want to be open to new ideas.

I asked my Mama several years back if she had any regrets and her answer surprised me. She said she regretted not having taken more time to play with my brother and I when we were children. She said she didn’t play until the work was done and there was always something else that needed to be done. I remember her reading to me, looking at art books, making doll clothes (I remember a Tiny Tears doll with a beautiful hand made layette that would have been suitable for Princess Charlotte) but I think what she meant was more of the type of play that was pure joy…like running in the sprinkler or catching lightening bugs. The kind of play that you laugh until your sides hurt and you can’t catch your breath.

I encourage you today to play. Be silly, play chase, make up dumb songs, watch cartoons, dance in the kitchen. Be joyful!

Be grateful. Count your blessings. Get out there and live!

Be kind to each other. Make today the best day of your life…and then do it again tomorrow.

Peace and Love

Linda

The National College Championship game on Monday night was disappointing. I would like to say something wise and gracious, but I am not sure there is anything I can say that would fit those two criteria.

I am an avid Alabama fan and have been for all of my adult life. My Son and Daughter in Law met while attending the University of Alabama and were married in Tuscaloosa. I now have two Granddaughters who are students there, so my personal interest is more than ever.

I think I first became acutely aware of Alabama football, when I lived in Huntsville, AL in 1970. We only lived there a year and when you think about what an influence it has had on my life, that is quite amazing.

I learned that when you moved to Alabama the question of “who ya’ for?” Is frequently asked. Yes, you have to choose a side. Alabama or Auburn? At that time, Bear coached Alabama so it seemed that ‘Bama was the obvious choice for me. We would watch the games, but most influential was watching the Bear Bryant show on Sunday morning. Bear would review the game and sell Golden Flake ‘Tater chips. Bear seemed like a Grandfather type, often forgetting the players names and just referring to a player as “our guy”. The show was folksy and a must see.

Since then I have read numerous books about Bear and football, including “Coach” and “The Junction Boys” and realize that maybe early on, I was more a Bear fan than a football fan.

When my son was a Freshman, we attended most of the Alabama home games and I had never experienced that much energy at a sports event. It was a few months in time that cemented my love of College Ball and the SEC. I can still close my eyes and feel the excitement of Bryant Denny Stadium. I wish I had seen a game when the Bear coached. Even though during that time ‘Bama did not win a National Title, it was still easy to cheer for them.

There have been seasons that were magical and also those that were disappointing, but every Fall I am ready to pull out my “lucky” Alabama shirts and be the fanatical fan.

This year was no different. Of course, my sons, their Dad, my Daughter in Law, my brother and my Daddy are Alabama Fans, so it is a family thing and we are all passionate about it. Maybe some more than others, but you can be sure, at game time, I have a lot of family cheering on the Tide.

The game Monday night was a heart breaker. I do not feel like Clemson won, but more like Alabama lost. They just could not seem to get their heads (and their feet) in the right place. There were a couple of times, I thought the refs missed pass interference calls that might have made a difference, but in the end probably not.

I was impressed by Nick Saban’s comments after the game “one game doesn’t define who you are. But I also told the players that sometimes we learn more when things don’t go well, when we lose. You have to learn how to lose as well as how you win. And there’s a lot of lessons for us to learn from the experience that we had in this game…”

When you look at ‘Bama’s season and what they accomplished, there are takeaways for all of us. And for loyal ‘Bama fans, it is just a bump in the road. Next fall it starts over. Second place is not the end of the world.

I was reminded of the Andy Griffith comedy routine “What is was was football”. My Daddy has the original 45 rpm record which he has had as long as I can remember. It was always a family favorite and I found it on You Tube and listened to it last night. I still laugh out loud. And it puts football games in perspective.

If you have never heard it, I encourage you to listen to it.

And my final thoughts on the game (to paraphrase Andy Griffith) football is where a bunch of men take a little pumpkin and try to run from one end of that cow pasture to the other without getting knocked down or stepping in something.

Well, Bama, maybe you “got knocked down and stepped in something” Monday night, but wipe off your shoes, I will be there with the ‘Bama loyal fans to cheer you on next season.

Love and Peace…

And Roll Tide!!

Linda

The question comes every year, starting right after Thanksgiving. It asks – Are you through shopping? Are gifts wrapped and mailed? Are your decorations up? Are Christmas parties and gatherings planned? Are grocery lists made?…and the things that need to be “ready” go on and on.

As I have gotten older, I have done better on being ready. I have started buying gifts when I see them throughout the year, although when birthdays come along, I sometimes send the gifts I have bought for Christmas for birthdays. I haven’t put up a Christmas tree in about twenty years. As the years have passed, I have moved around. I don’t usually have family visit at Christmas and most friends are with their families, so decorating seemed like a lot of work just for me. I stopped decorating when I travelled for Christmas and it seemed like putting up a tree and then leaving it was a lot of effort for a few days. I now have some small decorations that we put out just for Patrick and me and I am doing better at getting things wrapped and mailed in a timely manner.

As the season starts, I think about the nearly seventy Christmases I have been alive. My first memories are of Christmas Eve at Grandma’s with all of the Parish clan. Always lively, lots of laughter and food and love. Then home with Mama and Daddy for Santa. There is a quieter Christmas dinner with the Dean clan at Grandma Dean’s house. For a long time Pat and I were the only children at that gathering and the center of attention. Again lots of love.

After I was married, the family gatherings doubled and Christmas was sometimes a mad rush from one gathering to another. At times, being everywhere that was expected was stressful and I wish I had chilled out a little and enjoyed the gatherings rather than stressing over where we had to be next.

After I was a Mom, we stayed home on Christmas Day and for many years, Grandparents and others came for Christmas dinner. During those times, I was never “ready” and Christmas Eve I was sometimes up most of the night cooking, wrapping gifts, cleaning and getting everything in order.

During the years in Kennesaw, I would say it is not Christmas until I hear Susan Pitner sing “O Holy Night” at Acworth Church. We would stop the preparations to attend Christmas Eve service. I have missed that.

There are many special Christmas memories…

The year I worked at Sears and worked Christmas Eve. I worked at Town Center Mall, because parking was so bad, Bill drove me and dropped me off. I waited for almost an hour on the curb in the cold and rain, when Bill and Beau finally arrived to pick me up, they claimed they had been watching “The Brady Bunch” and became hypnotized. Their excuse was so lame and yet so inventive, it became a family joke for decades.

Another favorite memory is the year Brian wanted the “Magic Hat” it was highly advertised on TV and the commercials made it look like it was really magic. Well Santa obliged and the Magic Hat was under the tree. Brian couldn’t wait to use it. He got the magic wand, waved it over the hat and said abracadabra and looked in the hat. He said “this is broken, it didn’t work”…how do you explain that you have to make the magic?

After we moved to Roswell, we often travelled to Georgia for Christmas. When Bill and I were both working, it was sometimes Christmas Eve before we could leave. It was a two day trip. I remember the year we stopped for the night somewhere in Texas and started out Christmas Morning for the second day of driving. In planning this trip, we somehow failed to realize that there were very few restaurants open on Christmas Day. We were hungry and all we could find open was a Waffle House in Jackson, Mississippi. Beau pointed out the clientele looked like they were out of “Deliverance”; Beau was very young and very observant!

The year Mama and I made white choir robes for the Hollydale Methodist Children’s choir Christmas program, so Brian and the others in the choir would look like angels.

Then there is the famous “blizzard” trip. My friend Linda Shaw and I and Muttley J Dawg, drove Cross country from Colorado to spend Christmas with family. I dropped her off in Little Rock and continued to Georgia. The return trip was planned and snow was predicted, but there were no smart phones and GPS was in it’s infancy. I left early and picked her up in Little Rock. The plan was to drive to Amarillo and spend the night and then back to Colorado Springs the next day.

We got to Amarillo and it was cold and snowing and we spent the night. We awoke the next morning to cold, snow and blizzard predictions. We headed out. For the next four days, we were in the blizzard, roads were closed. We spent the night in a shelter, then were rescued by the Oklahoma State Patrol, who lead us East to heat, food and gasoline. Spent the next night in a motel in Liberal, Kansas. Started out again the third morning and made it to Larkin, KS where we spent the night with Corvette people who graciously opened their home and fed us. Fortunately, the next day we were able to get through to Colorado Springs and Home. With limited cell service and internet, we had friends and family tracking us whenever we could call or email and they were advising routes and stops. We managed to turn a two day trip into five.

When Mama and Daddy brought Grandma Dean to New Mexico for Christmas. Grandma was in her late 90’s and she was such a joy. She had never eaten taco’s and Beau showed her how!

Then there is the time I had to write a Christmas Poem for English Lit class (about the 9th Grade I think). I was sitting at the kitchen table and Mama was busy in the kitchen, I asked her to help and together we wrote a poem entitled “Christmas is Remembering”. I still remember it and we have reminisced about it many times through the years. Although we have laughed about it many times, Mama and I still say “Christmas is Remembering” many times during the holidays.

There are many more memories the majority of them fun, exciting, adventurous and happy. I am grateful for family and friends with whom I have had the joy of celebrating. I hope your memories are joyous and if Christmas truly is remembering…I encourage you to take some time to remember the blessings and the humor and family and friends.

Yes I am ready.

“Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be for all people, For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”

Peace and Love…

And Merry Christmas!

Linda

About a week ago, the TV was on and I walked thru and noticed “Hombre” had just started. As a long time fan of “cowboy” movies this is one of my favorites. Yes, I remember the trivia…Paul Newman’s character is John Russell and my favorite line is “how are you going to get down that hill?”

I have always been a fan of westerns, particularly those like “Hombre” that are character studies.

I did some reading on the film which helped me understand why it will always be one of my favorites. Another of my favorites “3:10 to Yuma” was written by the same person, Elmore Leonard. I didn’t know that until recently.

It was released in 1967, that was an eventful year for me; I turned 18, graduated High School and got married. (Elvis and Priscilla married that year as well.). Being a teenager in the 60’s and being born in the South are two events over which I had no control, but have certainly been influential my entire life.

It seems that “Hombre” is recognized as a “revisionist” western, where the lines of good and bad are blurred and the film addresses the moral grey areas. I understand that to mean that it causes you to evaluate your beliefs and think.

I have often contemplated that at some point in time (and probably multiple times) we are called upon not only to say what we believe but to take a stand and act accordingly. When those times come, will I have the courage to stand for what I believe and what I deem is right?

“Hombre” also examines prejudice, power, racism and exploitation. Anything that causes us to question who we are and how we feel about people who are different from us, is a worthwhile endeavor.

I would encourage you to watch “Hombre” particularly if you haven’t seen it before. Think about the world in 1967 and what this movie tried to convey or just enjoy a classic well made film.

I am still dreaming of a world where men and women are judged “not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” The more we think and study and learn from the past, the closer we can come to that being a reality. The only person I can change is me…here’s to a work in progress!

Peace and Love,

Linda

I liked Aretha Franklin.

One of my favorite movie scene’s is “Blues Brothers” where Aretha and Matt “Guitar” Murphy are in the diner…it always makes me smile and “think”.

Even in a grease stained waitress uniform, Aretha was beautiful, talented, powerful, memorable…just plain awesome.

Aretha’s rendition of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” at Obama’s inauguration was amazing.  Her gospel roots shown through in this performance as well as many others.  I enjoyed her sense of fashion and I appreciate her willingness to express herself in her choice of wardrobe whether or not it was well received by the Fashion Police.

She was an original and always identifiable.

“Chain of Fools” is also a favorite of mine.  I have been known to dance in the kitchen, sometimes with my dog, to “Chain of Fools” until my mood lightens.  It was a favorite of Muttley J Dawg.  I am not making light of Muttley J or the music.  On cold Colorado days and nights, when we were alone and needed a boost, I would put on the music and Muttley J and I would sing and dance.  When I play it now, it brings back fond memories and a little sadness of things that are forever lost.

Aretha Franklin, will forever have my respect for what she accomplished.

The death and funeral of Aretha Franklin will always be linked with the death and funeral of John McCain.  Now that I am by choice an Arizonan, John McCain’s life and death are certainly influential in my thoughts, particularly this last week.

It has been pointed out to me that the word “hero” is often overused and perhaps its meaning has been diluted, I believe that everyone that has served in the military and especially those who served in time of war are heroes and deserve our thanks and gratitude.  Having been young in the 60’s and seen men my age go to Viet Nam and die or come back forever changed, I am sympathetic to what McCain endured as a POW.  For me it is not necessary to question his qualifications for military service or what happened during that time.  He survived.  I have no desire to debate his military career or his personal life.

Thank you John McCain and all of the others who have served in the Miliary.

I also have great respect for the office of Senator.  Even though politically I did not always agree with McCain, I am hopeful that his actions were from what he believed to be right and that he was sincere.  Of course, no one knows that but him.

I was in downtown Phoenix Thursday, when the Air Force 2 took off and actually saw it gain altitude and leave Phoenix.

Of all the things McCain was and wasn’t, I think he appears to have been a good Dad.  He admitted he had made a lot of mistakes in his life and he did seem to accept his cancer diagnosis and live out the last year of his life as he had lived the other 81 years.  I admire his courage.

RIP John McCain.

My sincere sympathy to his wife and children, as they have lost a husband and a Dad, whom they loved.

Now that the week has ended and we start a new one, those of us in Arizona will follow with interest the appointee to finish out McCain’s term.  This is an interesting time in Arizona politics.

As a child growing up in the South, funerals were mournful, and when I was a young child they were frightening.  Sometime in the last forty years funerals changed to “Celebrations of Life” and they became joyful as family and friends remember the deceased person’s life, rather than their death.

Now, it seems, funerals have become a place to play politics.  That to me is very distasteful.  It makes no difference whether I agree with someone’s politics.  If this is truly a time for a celebration, I would wish for a time we can lose our pettiness and agenda and celebrate what is good and what was in someone’s heart.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8)

Patrick and I bought this house in Phoenix in March of 2015.  It is a tract house, but the story is that the original builder in our community built models (one of which is our house) and then only sold a few and we are told the original builder went broke.  Later Lennar homes took over and there were apparently two other phases of houses build here.

We were attracted to this particular house, because of it’s unique design and the fact there isn’t another one like in the 100+ homes in our neighborhood.  It only has two bedrooms, which works for us, and a great yard, kitchen, patio and a double garage.

When we bought it, there were some updates and it was clean and livable until we could make changes.  Or as they say on HGTV “make it our own” “put our stamp on it.”

Since we have been here we have done some major remodel/upgrades and we are averaging one or two a year.  We have done something major at the end of summer every year and so far are happy with the changes and upgrades we have done.

Last week we were updating our Project List and planning what was next.  We had discussed new windows, finishing the outside shed, painting the outside of the house and other smaller projects.

We have been dealing with a slow draining tub in the Master Bath since we moved in.  We were able to determine, it wasn’t the drain itself but the tub drain plug (one of the pop up kinds) that was causing the issue.  We decided to remove the drain plug, but the large screw that held it in place was terribly corroded.  We removed the rubber seal and it was draining better.  Last week we soaked the drain plug assembly in “crude” remover and tried again to remove it, only to discover the whole assembly was corroded.  In removing the drain the plastic parts just disintegrated.  Good news — tub drains great;  Bad news — there is a big black hole and no way to plug the drain to take a bath.  Of course we could replace the drain and the faucet, shower head and control which were 30 years old and worn out, but that would leave an ugly outdated marble surround and tub/shower fixtures.

I went for my morning walk last Wednesday morning and contemplated if it was wise to spend money to repair an old worn out ugly tub with 80’s style marble surround or just replace it and tile the surround to match the hall bath that we had remodeled in 2016.  When I got back, I asked Patrick if he wanted to just replace the tub and upgrade everything and he agreed.  He had checked into resurfacing the tub sometime back and it was expensive and was still an outdated tub and surround.

And so the tub replacement project moved to the top of the list and we had our late summer remodel project.

I contacted our “guy” who had done the hall bathroom and he said he could start on Monday, so Thursday we had to buy tub and tile and have it here by Monday for planning purposes.

On Sunday we moved essentials from the bathroom and bedroom and put away decorative items.  Monday morning we covered the bed in plastic and were ready to go.  The carpet in the bedroom was covered in plastic and taped down, a “drape” of plastic hung over the doorway and countertop covered.  The countertop and sinks need to be replaced but that is for later.  The tile floor is fairly new, I think replaced not too long before we bought the house, so we are not replacing it now either.

Demolition on Monday was easy and fairly quick.  The rest of the process has gone well, but slow.  We are now halfway through day five and the tub is in, plumbing reconnected and all but decorative tile part of surround is complete.  It looks great and should be finished by Sunday.

We have done OK, but for two old people to share one pedestal sink, one toilet and one shower when we are accustomed to having three sinks, storage closet and vanity and a tub/shower combo, shower and two toilets, it has been interesting.

Patrick has moved to the guest room, because of the dust and having to walk on plastic in the bedroom, but I am uncovering the bed every night and sleeping in the construction zone.   I have opted for the comfort of the King Size bed over the trouble of uncovering and covering it.  I am not running the ceiling fan at night because it just seems to stir up the dust.

We both have necessary toiletries in boxes and it is amazing how little I need in the way of makeup and drug items when I don’t have access to the big bathroom.  I must have been dillusional when planning this project as I thought since only the tub was being replaced that access to sinks and vanity and storage cabinet in big bathroom would be accessible after work was completed for the day.  However, that involves uncovering and recovering everything, so it is easier to just camp out and wait until the bathroom is habitable again.  I don’t like to share a bathroom.  It is one of my rules.  “There are three things I do not want to share…a bathroom, computer or car”

It is certainly a lesson in humility and flexibility to share a small bathroom for a week.  I am trying to look at it as a learning experience and I will certainly appreciate it when we can go back to our old routine.

Surprisingly we haven’t yelled too much at each other and most of the frustrations have been more comical than serious.

We have both had one day when we “escaped” the construction zone, Patrick to work the Polls for the Primary Election and me to babysit.

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel and of course there will have to be a thorough house cleaning after the bathroom is finished.  Winston has adapted well and spends the day sitting at my feet (or Patrick’s when I am not here).

I am sure in a month or so, we will just be happy with what a nice tub area we have and forget about the construction week and the inconvenience.

I am grateful to have a nice house to live in and the means to upgrade and improve it.

For an old curmudgeon and an old geek, we are doing OK.  This house will definitely “have our stamp on it”….

Afterthought

Patrick read this before I published it and said “Am I the geek?”  I guess the terms could be interchangeable  sometimes I am an old curmudgeon.

 

 

I am a geek, always have been.  I retired from the IT “game”  in 2014 after over 20 years.  I now primarily use an iPad for email, social media and playing games.  Don’t use a PC unless it is something I can’t do on an iPad and that isn’t much these days.

During my time as an IT Professional I went from DOS to Windows 10 and supported Linux, Unix, iPhones, Mac’s and Mac Servers and even Cloud apps

I gave up on having a Land Line phone when I moved to Phoenix in early 2011.  Until today, I was using an iPhone 5C.  The ringer and speaker quit working consistently about a year ago and I had to have the battery replaced about 18 months ago.  Before that I had an iPhone 4 which was my first smart phone.

This past week with a lot going on, I decided that my one person protest on the price of phones was just hurting me so I decided to consider purchasing a new iPhone 8.  I researched on line and chatted with TMobile and Verizon.

On the TMobile WebSite it said get an iPhone X today for $279.  When I asked about this promotion, I was told the “down payment” on the phone was $279 and then you made payments for the balance.  When I said that was misleading, the person I was chatting with disconnected from me.

I am currently a Verizon customer and looked at all the promotions and free deals and after considering everything, decided to stay with Verizon and combine mine and Patrick’s accounts and purchase the phone.

By combining the accounts, I could save each of us about $20 monthly which would go a long way toward covering the monthly cost of the phone.

I decided it would be easier to go to the Verizon store and update the plan and get the phone face to face.  I called the store and was told they were not very busy and it was a good time to come.

When we got there we only waited about five minutes for someone to help us.  When I told them what I wanted to do, the woman waiting on me said the first step was to update and combine the accounts.  I said “OK” and they led me over to a counter with a phone and said “call this number and tell them you want to combine accounts.”  Because we were combining Patrick’s account (also Verizon) with mine, he had to confirm that it was OK with him.  I said can’t you do this for me and was told “no” that had to be done by me over the phone.

Then she walked off and left us to call.  I called the number and got the person on the phone and told them what I wanted to do and confirmed that the costs was what I had discussed with the On-Line and in store rep.  Then Patrick had to get on the phone and confirm his identity and that it was OK for me to add his number to my account and cancel his account.

Then the rep on the phone had to text me verification codes so I could prove who I was.  He texted two codes and then had to email me the agreement and I had to confirm.  I said couldn’t the store rep just verify who I was since I was standing in the store and was told “no” that’s not the way we do it.

I received the email and was trying to verify and it was just spinning, so he said I needed to get on the instore WiFi which I did.  Then he said it wasn’t working because my old iPhone needed updates.  I tried to explain to him that it was a 5C and it was updated but did not support an update to IOS 11.  He said until you update the IOS on your phone, it will not work.  He didn’t seem to grasp that I couldn’t update the IOS on the iPhone 5C.  At that point, I asked Patrick to find a Verizon person to help us.  A person came up and when I explained the problem, he just shrugged and said it won’t work on this phone.  He offered no solution and I was about 30 seconds from hanging up the phone and going somewhere else, but decided it really wouldn’t be any easier and I was already into this, so I suggested he send the verification email to  Patrick’s iPhone (which is newer) and I would respond from there.

In sending the email to Patrick, the person on the phone evidently didn’t know what he was doing and instead of the verification email, he sent Patrick an email saying that I had denied accepting his number being merged into my account.  When I questioned that, he said that he had made a mistake and he then sent the correct email (about email #7 by this time) and I was able to confirm.

We finally had that part done and then the Sales Person came back and got the new iPhone 8.  She suggested I buy a case and screen cover and I agreed.  Then she asked if I wanted her to put the cover on, I said “yes” and she did.  Then she tried to sell me the protection insurance on the phone at $13 a month, which is $149 deductible.  I declined and then she rang up the “extras” which I was going to pay for and it was $119 plus the monthly fee for the new phone.

I paid the $119 and got the receipt.  I said so will you set the new phone up and she said “no, you just take it home and restore the backup from your old phone.”  At that point I was so disgusted, I said “fine” and we left.

The phone is all set up, account changed and I have verified everything is correct.  So here are my thoughts on the process…

If the Verizon store reps can’t help you with changes to your account, what happens if you are not able to figure out what you need and how to verify your account?

Why was I charged a standard $30 upgrade fee, when all they did was hand me a phone in box?  (I found out this is a fee that covers the fact that you no longer have to have a two year contract.)

When I asked if there were any charges for changing the account, I was told “no” but there are $10 in charges for AZ Transfer Private Service.  It seems this is some kind of State Tax.

I am tech savvy, so for me jumping thru the hoops wasn’t that bad…just irritating.  And now that it is done, I have accomplished what needed to be done.

And tonight after everything was completed my final thought is—

Are we really living better?

I thought of the days before cell phones and smart phones when we called the local telephone company (like Southern Bell) and a nice man in phone company truck came out with a phone in a box and connected it up for you.

Yes, smart phones give us instant access to a lot and yes it has value, so what is it that we have lost?

The personal touch, someone being helpful, dealing with professionals who know the product and service, honesty.

And I am sad for all of you who don’t remember when there actually was customer service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Spring of 1970, I planted my first flower garden in Huntsville, Alabama.  I planted snapdragons, “old maids”, begonias and petunias.  This was the beginning of my love of gardening and digging in the dirt.

In the next almost fifty years, I have lived in ten other places in four other states and have always had some type of plants or flowers, including a large vegetable garden in New Mexico.  At times when I did not have a yard, I always had house plants and pot plants on the patio.

In the 80’s, I lived in a house in Kennesaw, Georgia and had barrels and hanging baskets, in addition to a large grass yard.  Cobb County instituted watering restrictions and I had already planted my summer annuals.  I somehow became aware of how to capture the water generated from the Air Conditioner running in a high humity climate.  The Georgia summers are so hot and humid, the AC generated at least five gallons a day, which was enough to water my flowers.

We devised a system by using a PVC pipe to extend the AC drain and using the slope of the yard I was able to park the boys Radio Flyer Wagon at the end of the run and there was enough slope for it to drip into a five gallon bucket.  Thus began the “water reclamation project.”  In the evenings, I pulled the wagon around to the planted barrels and baskets and dipped the water out.  Brian would help me pull the wagon (I need to ask him if he remembers) and I was able to keep all of my plants alive during the water restrictions.

I moved from Kennesaw to New Mexico and then on to Colorado.  The summers in New Mexico and Colorado did not yield the high output of moisture from the AC so the reclamation method was put on hold.  I continued to love plants and flowers and anything growing.

The rites of spring, included the cleaning of the yard and planting of summer flowers and potted plants on the patio.  It was a reclamation of the joy of gardening, digging in the dirt and watching things grow.

When Patrick and I moved into our current home, I noticed the “drip” from the AC came out on the side of the house near the gate.  The normally dry hot Phoenix summers started to produce some water dripping out and as monsoon season approached and the humidity increased there was enough moisture to catch in a bucket.  Just a couple of gallons a day, but enough to supplemental water the potted plants and house plants which move to the patio during the summer months.

So some thirty plus years later, the reclamation project is back.  I “reclaim” enough water on a daily basis to save two to four gallons a day and my plants have enough to drink.  I only have a few pot plants now, so every day one of the shrubs or the roses gets an extra drink!

Although it is small, it is doing something positive to conserve natural resources.

This morning I went to yoga class, as we started with meditation and relaxation, I thought about reclamation and how the yoga class that I have been doing for several months is an effort to reclaim some of the flexibility and range of motion I have lost.

And that my friends, made me realize that my focus for this season is reclamation…

I will reclaim my peace

I will reclaim my spirituality

I will reclaim my health

I will reclaim my joy

And I will reclaim buckets of water!

Peace and Love

Linda

Thanks for joining me!

 

 

It is Frida Kahlo’s birthday (July 6, 1907) What an appropriate day for my first “musing”.  (Although Frida gave her birthday as July 7, 1910, the year the Mexican Revolution began.)

I am not sure when I first became aware of Frida Kahlo’s work and of her.  The flower crowns that she wore and that are in her paintings seem like they have been familiar to me for years.

While watching Project Runway Season 14, I was fascinated when Ashley Nell Tipton said her final collection was inspired by Mexico City in the 50’s.  I must admit I was disappointed in the clothes that she presented in the finale, the pale colors did not appeal to me.  My thoughts of Mexico City fashion are vibrant colors, florals, full skirts, peasant blouses.  To me the flower crowns were the heart of the collection and what connected it to Mexico City.

Ashley Nell reignited my interest in Frida Kahlo, not only as an artist but as a person who so well defined personal style.

After I became aware of Frida again, it seemed references to her popped up in my everyday life.  I was participating in reading with some elementary students at a language immersion school and the story we were assigned to read was about Frida.  I became more aware of fashion references and the art of Mexico.  I watched the movie about Frida’s life.  I talked with people who had visited the Blue House.

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Mexico City.  A trip to La Casa Azul was a must do for me.  It is a beautiful place.  Seeing Frida’s studio and the house where she lived, her bedroom, the kitchen, the garden…all gave me a new appreciation of who she was and her art and her style.

A lot of Frida’s life was sad and there was so much physical pain.  She died young but she accomplished so much.  I find very few parallels in her life and mine.  What am I learning from being aware of Frida and her life and her work?

Perseverance

Passion

Self awareness

Acceptance