Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

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Letter writing results

Back in February I decided I’d accept PJ’s challenge to write a letter a week until Memorial Day.  I am a letter writer at heart, having come from a long line of letter writers.   I concede that written letters sent with a stamp may have moved into the realms of dinosaurs but it was a challenge that touched my being.

I’m happy to say I made it, though it wasn’t always easy and the last couple of weeks I was scouring the address book looking for someone that I thought would appreciate a letter, someone that hadn’t already received a note from me.  And I’m less happy to report that after all those weeks and all those letters I got a total of two letters back.  Previously I had believed that letters begot letters…that surely people receiving a surprise letter would respond in kind.  Not necessarily so.  Both people that wrote back said they were happily surprised to get a letter these days, and both their letters were newsy and fun to read, and something I wouldn’t have received without my initial effort.  But still.  I calculate that I mailed at least 12 letters.  My response rate wasn’t much better than the expected response to a direct mail marketing campaign.  And I wasn’t even advertising anything nor asking for money!

Still I have to say it was an interesting experience; one that made me reach out to people I normally would only write to at Christmas.  And while some of the letters were fun to write, some felt more like a chore.  So going into the future I think I’ll still be writing letters, but not so much on a schedule.

Still I’m glad I did it, and I’ll imagine that everyone that got a letter smiled a bit even if they couldn’t find the time to let me know.  And if you didn’t get a letter – don’t feel slighted – it’s just that I know you read my blog and you already have the latest news!

 


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Empty nester …or…the architect

My baby robins flew the nest on Sunday.

Today we finally took down the Christmas wreath where Mom and Dad Robin built their little home.  We spent some time examining the construction of the nest. Look how perfectly round it is.

She built it right around one of the Christmas lights.  Do you see it?

And she built a landing pad!  How ingenious is that!  I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that before.  It was a place for her to stand while she fed them and cleaned the nest.

The landing pad was also used by the youngsters to take off into their future.  I watched the last one as he stood next to the nest, and had no idea she had built such a grand launching pad!

Parents.  They think of everything.


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Busy Sunday

The day started  rainy.  No surprise.  Early in the morning we noticed a visitor who was hoping to come inside and dry out.

Katie and I spent most of the day outside working in the garden.  Last fall we dug up a lot of overgrown perennials and now we have a lot of open garden.  The good news is we get to choose some new things to fill in the blanks.  The bad news is with all this rain weeds had already taken up residence.  After several days of weeding we’re almost ready to get to the fun part.

Katie supervised most of the work.

The tree peony is beginning to bloom…

…the viburnum is in bloom too.

Yet the pansy’s still look good.  I love this time of year!

This morning only one baby robin was still in the nest.

One of his siblings was over in the yard…he eventually flew, a little wobbly, into the shrubs by the flower garden.  If you click on the picture to make it bigger you’ll see the little adolescent spots on his back.

Late in the day we had tornado warnings and a lot of wind and rain.  By then all three baby birds had left the nest; I thought it was a bad time for them to take off on their own.  I hope they’re all right, wish they had stayed in the nest one more night, but I guess all parents, even foster bird parents, feel that way no matter when their little ones fly away.

So tomorrow maybe I’ll work on the vegetable garden which is, of course, a disaster.  Katie will do her usual supervising

It must be hard work, cause she’s sound asleep, upside down, pressed up against my leg as I sit in bed writing.

Silly dog.

 

 


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Remembering Deacon

When I woke this morning, long before the first robin began it’s incessant song, what instantly popped into my head was Deacon the Florida collie.  I’ve been thinking about him and his Dog-Dad since yesterday when I heard the sad news that he had unexpectedly and suddenly left this earth.

I’ve been reading Deacon and Essex’s blog for several years now, and though I can’t say I knew him well, I can say for sure that his Dad is hurting right now in a profound way that we can all understand.  Deacon wasn’t yet five years old and he left his family way too soon.  He was a fun loving boy, one who never met a face he didn’t want to lick.  He was patient too, as you can tell if you visit his blog.  His Dad put all sorts of goofy hats on him and Deacon wore them all with a kind of stoic elegance.

So this Sunday morning on a holiday weekend as Katie got me up before the birds I quelled my irritation a bit and let her lick my face even though I wanted to roll over and go back to sleep.  Because of Deacon.   I know how lucky I am to have her and that our time with our dogs is always going to be too short.   But really.  Four years?  That’s way too short.

If you have a moment go on over to Deacon’s blog and leave a message for Dog-Dad. He’s got a long road ahead of him without his buddy and he could use a hug.  And while you’re at it, hug the fuzzy one near you, the one that’s looking at you with the big eyes while you’re on the computer, hoping for a walk or a ball toss.

I’m glad I got to meet you Deacon.  Run free big fella.


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When I grow up

I think that I want to be a little old lady living in a little house in the woods when I grow up.

I met one once; she was a wiry little thing who had come to volunteer at a community garden I regularly worked, and over weeding we got to talking.   She started describing a large garden down in a more urban setting where people paid a nominal fee to have a plot of land available to them to grow whatever they wished.  I asked to visit it, and the next week I met her over there.

The garden reminded me of a giant patchwork quilt, as every square was different.  Some were full of flowers but most were full of a variety of vegetables.  My new friend told me almost everything she ate for the entire year was grown on her little patch of leased land.  She had mastered compact gardening long before it became a fad and was growing potatoes in a bottomless five gallon bucket.  She had all sorts of things jammed in her lot, and she gave me one, most beautiful, beet to take home for supper.  It was amazingly good.

Anyway, she’s one person I think of when I long to live a more simple life, one where I grow what I eat, spend days working in the garden, sitting on my porch (my little house in the woods has to have a porch), watching my birds, reading good books, taking naps.  Though I highly doubt the lady I met ever takes a nap.

Another role model I have, someone I’d like to grow up to be ‘just like,’ is a runner friend of mine who is approaching her 70’s and still running marathons.  We call her our “energizer Betty” because she just keeps going and going.  Those of us younger all want to grow up just like her.   She has thirteen grandchildren and she keeps up with them all.  Though sometimes I know after they go home she does take a nap.

I’ve been lucky to have met women who live their lives in a manner I covet; healthy, active, peaceful, content.  In my hectic world it’s good to see that life in the slow lane has it’s benefits, that it’s OK to aspire to something slower, calmer and more centered.

Here’s to all the wiry little old ladies out there living in little (or not so little) houses in the woods (or not in the woods) who are enjoying their lives to the fullest.

When I grow up I’m going to be just like you.


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Sad reminder

Last night we watched the news about more tornadoes across the Midwest.   Today the death toll mounts.   I was sad as I drove into work; sad that these things happen, sad that I’ve been grumpy about my work when I should be glad I have work, sad that so many people across the country have such horrible things to struggle through.

And when I got to work the sadness deepened; I learned that one of my coworker’s Dad had died unexpectedly this past weekend.

The coworker is about my age and a couple weeks ago she decided she felt like going ‘home’ to Florida – to take a break from work and to visit with her folks.  So she up and made the reservations and went.  It was a spur of the moment trip and she had a great time. Last week she was back to work, content and relaxed.  Today’s she’s back in Florida helping her Mom cope, trying to cope herself.

I understand because the same thing happened to me with my Mom.  Sudden death is just so difficult to comprehend.  You just saw them.  Now they’re gone.  Unfathomable.

So my heart goes out to all the families who lost loved ones this weekend.  It wasn’t the end of the entire world, but it was the end of the world as they knew it.

Such sudden and tragic change should remind us all that today is all we have.  Make the most of it with those you love.  I’m sure my friend is glad she made the trip two weeks ago.

If you haven’t seen someone you love in awhile and if you can – well – go book that flight, make that hotel reservation tonight.  Hugs are waiting for you and you wouldn’t want to miss them.


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History at home

Scott over at his blog Views Infinitum has challenged us to find out a bit about the local history in our own towns. This assignment isn’t due till Wednesday so you still have time to find some history near you and participate!  I’d love to learn more about the towns you all live in!

I admit I don’t know very much about my own town.  I’m not even sure it qualifies as a real town given there’s only a party store, a lawyers office, a garage… and…The Candle Factory!

What?  You don’t have a Candle Factory in your town?  You wonder what one would look like?  Well let’s go visit!

The Candle Factory has been housed since 1960 in a building that was built in the 1830’s as a general store.  It is characteristic of many buildings in Midwestern towns that were founded in the mid-19th century.  You may even have grown up in a town with buildings just like it.  Notice this wall where the bricks don’t quite match the bricks on the front of the building?

That’s evidence of the staying power of history.  A few years ago we had a tornado come through town; it stripped all the bricks from this side of the building.  I talked with the owner of the business today and she said the tornado flew in a side window and out the front, but thankfully didn’t damage the equipment inside.

Want to meet Phoebe and see her candle-making equipment?  Well come on in!

Phoebe and her two daughters have owned the business since 2000.  The automated dipping equipment is made out of lumber, bicycle gears and roller skate wheels.

It runs the whole length of the building, moving the wicks high above the main floor, gradually bringing them down to the big pot of hot wax into which they are dipped and then moving them through a hole in the floor into the basement to give them extra cooling time, eventually bringing them around full circle and back up to the ceiling again for another trip to the hot wax.  It looks somewhat medieval, but it’s a marvel that any engineer would find engaging.  Today they were hanging wicks on the equipment getting ready to dip long tapers.

I really enjoyed my visit. I’ve lived here almost twenty years and I’ve never stopped at The Candle Factory.  I promised I’d be back, hopefully to see the equipment in action!

If you like candles and want something truly special, handmade with with love, check out their website. They ship all over the country.  They do special one of a kind candles, hand decorated with whatever you need.  In some families a Candle Factory Christmas candle is an annual holiday tradition.

Think I’ll have to start a tradition too.  Support your local artists, you know?  And if you don’t have a Candle Factory in your town, well come on…support mine!

Thanks Phoebe for showing me your business, sharing it’s history and spending time with me, some stranger with a camera and a need for a story.

It was nice meeting you!

 


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This is how you can help

I’ll try to make this short because I know not everyone is into the whole truck safety thing.  But some of you have wondered how you can help move safety issues along.  Here’s an easy way.  There is now a House and a Senate version of the SHIPA bill.  SHIPA stands for Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act.  It seeks to freeze the size and weight of commercial trucks where they are now as they travel on the national highway system.  Size and weight are already frozen on the interstate system, but larger trucks are allowed on many highways.  SHIPA would eliminate that loophole.

You can go to your Senator’s and Representative’s websites and ask them to cosponsor these bills.  The more bi-partisan support we can get the better the chance that we can get the bill to pass.   The Senate version of the bill is S. 876,  and the House version is H. R. 1574.

The House version already has over 30 cosponsors so your person might have already signed on.  Here’s how you can tell.  Go to this site.  Click the bill # option under the search summary.  Then type in H.R. 1574. (you can also type hr 1574)  That will take you to a spot where you can click on “cosponsors” and see if your Representative has already signed on.  If not, email them and ask them to cosponsor.

The Senate version doesn’t have any cosponsors yet.  It was just introduced at the beginning of May, by a Democratic Senator.  It would be great to get more Senators to cosponsor.

If you’ve never written to a Member of Congress before, don’t be intimidated.  You are important and they want to hear from you.  You can find their websites by just googling their name, or you can go to this site to find out who your Representative is and this site to find out who your Senators are.

Each one has a comment section on their individual websites.  You have to fill out your name and address so they know you are actually one of their own, then there’s a big box where you can type.  We don’t want all the messages to sound canned, so just ask them to cosponsor either H.R. 1574 (if they are a House of Representative Member) or S. 876 (if they are a Senator).  Tell them that bigger, heavier trucks are more dangerous, will kill more people and cause more damage to our bridges and roads.  Tell them you want their support to make our roads safer.

That’s all you have to do…ask them to help us make the roads safer.  Try it, it’s easy and it will empower you.

And the victims and their families will thank you.