Meandering Thoughts (#21)

To read a set of words presented such that they arouse my emotions, inspire reflection, and set my sights on new horizons? I know of only three things that could rival such an experience. (And I could find all three explained in books--though reading could never replace any of them.) 

Apologies for the Long Silence...

I built that! And I am proud of it. Hopefully, it keeps out
all those bunnies and that one groundhog.

This morning, while making coffee for my wife, she asked me to make pancakes. For some reason, I thought it was Father's Day, and told her so. She responded, "Happy Father's Day! Now, what about some pancakes?" After making breakfast, I texted two people, my father and a friend, wishing them the best on what I thought was a holiday. Their replies arrived simultaneously, "Thank you! But, you're a week early." What a way to start a Sunday morning. At least it was an opportunity to catch up with a friend. 

On Dreaming (#22)

This was from about a little over a week ago.

I almost skipped tonight's post. However, something compelled me to write something. Perhaps missing last week motivated me. After all, when struggling to meet a goal, something is better than nothing. Maybe the emotional, and at times humorous, discussion my two daughters and I just had about life and change, inspired me. Or, a little bit of both.

Meandering Thoughts (#20)

On the flight down, there was a debacle with my row,
and I ended up losing my spot by the window.
To prevent further delay, I did not argue, and got stuck with a broken tray.
I guess "no good deed goes unpunished".

Good to know.

Well, half that statement is true.
I am working on the other half.

Last weekend, I did not blog. My eldest daughter had a dance competition in Orlando, Florida. Although there was plenty of downtime, I was traveling solo. While I did spend four hours on Sunday walking around Disney Springs and riding the boat between it and a resort, there is only so much to do when you are alone. I could have blogged, or written some fiction, but I was not in the mood. Instead, I read a book on my Kindle. It would have been a good opportunity to start a new novel or work of non-fiction. However, I was looking for comfort, so I resorted to my trusty standby: The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It did not disappoint, though, I must confess, with each retreading, I find it losing some of its original luster. 

A (Sort of) Book Review (#2)

The cover of a book that I am reading. 

Tonight's post will be a review of two recent books, but only sort of, because I am going to focus on my experience of reading more than the books themselves. My apologies. However, if you have been reading this blog, you know that I struggle to consume fiction on a regular basis, despite my love for it. Therefore, that I finished a book in three days, and working on a second one, is more important.

Meandering Thoughts (#19)

Yes, all my life, I have associated myself
with the goofy guy on the right. In my defense,
he does say and do some cool things.
It just takes some time for him to get there.  

I almost began tonight's post announcing a leave of absence, for some unspecified amount of time, from blogging. However, after writing what follows, I have decided to stick with this project. How long, and in what form? That remains to be seen. For now, I present some raw, unfiltered thoughts. 

On Dreaming (#21)

My two kittens, sleeping soundly together, on my daughter's bed.
Do other animals, besides humans, dream?
(I am assuming the bottom one is comfortable.)

Sigh. I do not have anything worthwhile to share with you tonight. Nothing like I promised in last week's post. However, instead of skipping a week of blogging, I decided to go my standard Plan B: I am going to share a dream with you. After a two-week drought in late December, I have recorded several since the new year. Sorry if I disappointed. But to those who enjoy these diversion into my messy unconscious, here you go.

(In my defense, I had not shared one since July 9, 2023. That one was a good one. And still relevant today.)

Revelations (Part 7)

The first time I took an electric saw to my Christmas tree.
It made removing it so much easier.
There is an analogy here. Possibly several.
But I am not ready to think about it.   

First resolution of the new year? Stop blogging on a bloated stomach. In fact, quit eating so much at one time--it is just another form of procrastination, and my middle-aged body has begun protesting against this habit. Drafting these posts a week in advance would help, too. Otherwise, you, dear reader, end up with posts like tonight's: short, rushed, disjointed, and unedited.

Short is better than long, I guess. Rushed is par the course here. Disjointed? That accurately reflects the state of my mind on most days. As for unedited, that will not change until I stop procrastinating.

What I want to change, immediately. is this blog's content. 

Brief Interlude (#25)

I made this! It is a candy cane column.
I made a pair for the the three wide doorways on my first floor.
It is a piece of dimensional lumber, sanded, shaped, and
painted white, with red ribbon wrapped around it.
I am proud of it.

Tonight's post will be brief. Christmas is arriving fast. For the third straight year, I have not had to deal with stage managing a Nutcracker season. It has helped to relieve some of the stress, not having all those obligations. Yet, it has been sad as well. At some point, I need to write more about these mixed feelings. However, not today. Nor next week. But, some day down the road.

In the meantime...

Meandering Thoughts (#18)

Along the section of wall, from the wooden door on the left,
to the third bike hanging up on the right,
took an entire day to clear out and organize.
It may not look like much, and I wish I had a "before" picture,
but I promise you it constituted a huge step in the right direction.
Finishing it became motivation for starting the next project. 

I almost skipped tonight's post. This introduction may sound familiar. That's how I began it last week. But tonight's excuse would have been different. While today's event involved my daughter's dance team, unlike last week, it began at 10:30 am, and ended around 4 pm. The whole time spent entirely on my feet. And surrounded by hundreds of people. With only two hours of sleep. My body is aching, and my social battery is drained. Currently, my mind keeps telling me to fall asleep right here on the couch. Yet, a little voice in my heart whispers, "Write what you're feeling at this very moment, even if it is only one or two paragraphs long. At least one person will read it and enjoy. Also, you keep that one habit going." So, that's what I am doing.