Apparently it was a Long Intermission

Breakfast Table Political Argument by Norman Rockwell
Sorry, kid, it won't end with the election...

Tonight, I logged into my Blogger account believing it had been two weeks since my last post. Not exactly great, but well within this year's blogging habits. I assumed that I had only slipped up a little. Only upon seeing the date of my last entry (September 29th), did I realize my short slip had turned into a long slide of four straight weeks. Nowhere near as bad as my fourteen-week-long sabbatical at the beginning of this year. Yet, it feels a lot like I have given up on this project. A part of me wants to stop completely. However, another part clings desperately to a hope that whatever blogging I do will bear fruit someday. Since I am sitting here at my desk typing away, that optimistic part of my brain has won out.

Meandering Thoughts (#23)

I explain this image towards the end of this post.

“Sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”

― Jake the Dog, Adventure Time

The End of Act 2

If you're interested, here is "The End of Act 1" post.

“Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve. But I am the opposite of a

stage magician. He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you truth in

the pleasant disguise of illusion.”

― Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie

Meandering Thoughts (#22)

I need to start heeding these fortune cookies.
(And, now, I want Chinese food...)

Today is the first of September. Tomorrow, Labor Day. Later in the week, my children begin a new academic year. And, on this day, a decade ago, after thirteen straight years of teaching, I experienced my first September not having to think about school. I have not entered a classroom since.

Apologies for the Short Silence (Again)...

For me, writing cursive is like riding a bike. I'm not referring to the skill aspect.
There are deep-rooted childhood memories locked up in both practices.
I should write about them. Not today, though.

Slips, not slides. That is my new mantra. Whenever I come up short, I say this phrase to myself. Spent a day without exercising, or going for a walk? No worries, it's just a slip. Ate a pint of Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie?  Again, a slip up. Consumed twelve Ferrero Rocher Hazelnut chocolates, in addition to the ice cream? Okay, that's more like sliding. Missed a week of blogging? We're back to a s slip. We can recover quickly from slipping, but stopping and recouping from a sliding can be debilitating. 

On Dreaming (#23)

All three fortunes came from Friday's order; the bottom two from the same fortune cookie. Since I opened the first one on August 2nd, I guess I will have to wait until September for this "deep sense of fulfillment. Also, not sure what I should do with sincerity, in order to gain the "greatest reward". Finally, as you will soon find out, if opportunities showed up this past Saturday, then I missed out on them, because I was distracted most of the day. Or, since yesterday's events inspired today's blog post--which I was tempted to skip--, perhaps that is the opportunity mentioned in the last fortune...

Apologies for (Another) Short Silence...

For two years straight, I tried to grow sunflowers, only to fail both times. Deer ate my first attempt, before they could even flower. Poor planning and environmental conditions undermined last year's effort. For this year, I was determined to succeed. And, I did it. Now I have a beautiful barrel of blooming sunflowers. (There is an updated photo at the end of this post.)

Confessions (#24)

The first pickles of this season, and the first in a few years.
There were four large jars, but I gave one to a friend.
They should be ready for eating in about a week.

Tonight, I would rather be sharing my garden exploits, and some of the rewards of my efforts. However, someone has decided, for reasons unknown right now, to force the election conversation into a new direction. And everyone feels the need to opine online about it, much to the delight of social media profiteers and our nation's enemies. Well, I am only human. Here are my three paragraphs (and a quote).

Apologies for the Short Silence...

My daughter and I built those trellises in a hot afternoon.
The one on the left is for the pole beans;
the two tall ones on the right, for the cucumbers.

Sorry for my brief absence. I am back, with a farmer's tan (pun intended). And, just in time to see my cukes, beans, and summer squashes thriving. Hopefully, witnessing all this hard work bear fruit will inspire me to focus on my other "gardens".  Okay, I will stop with the metaphor.

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. 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.