Emu

Emus live in most habitats across Australia. They are not the most beautiful bird in the world. Related to the ostrich. They are flightless birds and can run 30 mph. The male is an interesting creature. He becomes broody after his mate starts laying, and begins to incubate the eggs before the laying period is complete. From this time on, he does not eat, drink or defecate, and stands only to turn the eggs, which he does about 10 times a day. Over eight weeks of incubation, he will lose a third of his weight and will survive only on stored body-fat and on any morning dew that he can reach from the nest. Wish I had his endurance! Gives a whole new meaning to weight loss. By now I am sure you are thinking this is the only "e" word I could come up with but actually one of my favorite homemade soaps has emu oil. We bought a small bottle at a craft show so that LaVern could make soap with it. I think alot of people are raising them commercially now. They are raised for their meat, leather and oil. Another favorite "e" word........elope. Which is what we are going to do this weekend. The definition of elope from Merriam Webster's Collegiate dictionary is: to slip away; escape. Hope you do the same!

Daydreaming

Sometimes rather than empty my mind of all thoughts, I like to daydream. I especially like to daydream while riding in the car on a long trip or while listening to music. I think daydreaming is important when you live in a society like ours that stresses that you always have to be realistic. I mean, get real! Dreams help me know who I am because anything is possible in a dream. Just imagine yourself in a different place. What do you see? Feel? Smell? Recently I daydreamed about a small log cabin, somewhere remote, where LaVern and I could live out our dream to be self sufficient. Living "green" and giving back to the earth. Imagine. Dream.

Clowning Around, Depends

People have become so serious---about making money, being in shape, what they are eating, raising the perfect children. None of that is very funny. When I think about all the things I have tried to do to be perfect--well, let me say, "now that's funny". I try to look for humor in everyday life. People want to be around you, and you want to be around yourself when you're humorous. It's contagious. I could share with you several funny life experiences, most of them have happened in the last few years. And most of them ended up with my being thankful for Depends. What's the funniest thing you've ever done? My answer, now that is a Depends!

Catalogs

Yes, another "c" word. I think there are lots of things beginning with the letter "c" that would be great to talk about. Carolyn, for instance! But today I want to talk about catalogs. We get tons of them. I recently cleaned out a big old wainscoting cupboard that was full of magazines and catalogs. I have the bad habit of keeping catalogs just for the ideas in them. Furniture that LaVern could make! I like flipping through catalogs. It relaxes me because it is mindless. Catalogs are mostly pictures so how much thought do you need, right? Usually I throw the catalog away after looking at it. I never buy a thing. It is like when you were a kid and the Sears or Montgomery Ward Christmas catalog came in the mail. I'm guessing my siblings and I probably fought over them many a time. The "wish" book as it was known. So I guess the catalogs I get today are the adult version of the Christmas ones. Catalogs are always around. Just one of those whimsical activities I enjoy simply because it doesn't take brain power.

Camping

There is nothing more enjoyable than setting up camp. We have so many terrific items now that it is like home when it is all set up. We have a 1946 Teardrop trailer, original and factory built. If you are not familiar with them, there is a door on the side that opens up to the bed and you just jump in. At the rear is a hatchback that lifts and that is the kitchen galley. We did not want to disturb the original galley however I found that is just was not very user friendly. On one of our travels we found this wonderful camp kitchen at a Sam's Club for $80. It all folds up right into the case and easily stores in the rear of the trailer. There is a sink, counter area, place for coolers and much more. I am the envy of our teardrop club that we belong to. I get a kick out of setting up all this. I try to remember each time how I liked it so I can do it again but the ground determines whether or not I can have it that way. I also love to cook in dutch ovens over hot coals but that is another story. A good friend recently started a blog but stated he didn't know how often he would change his blog as he didn't know what to talk about. As you can see, I don't have that problem! In case you haven't noticed, I have decided to go through every letter of the alphabet in my titles. Surely I can find a topic for each one!! I may even have several topics for a letter. We will see. In the meantime, go camping. Enjoy the excitement and change a new location brings.

Bubble bath

I love taking a bubble bath. Don't ask me why it's special taking a bath in bubbles. It just is. Maybe it is a reward for being an adult. We have an old clawfoot tub that slants in the back so I can lay back and rest. I also use essential oils and have a variety of scents, but eucalyptus is the best. If I don't have bubbles, I put shampoo in the water. I especially like taking a bubble bath at night. I turn off the lights and "turn on" the candles. Sometimes I even pull the shower curtain all the way around the tub. It's like my secret hideaway. Soothing. Pampered. Quiet.

Antiquing

I love to go antiquing. It's like a weeklong vacation. It calms me down. I don't even have to spend any money. For some reason, all that old stuff speaks to me. I know there is a story behind each item or I may be attracted to it because of its uniqueness. I especially love primitives. Those one of a kind items crafted by someone for a specific use. Good conversation is listening to other people's stories about their treasures. One item I have is the Lone Wolf picture. It did not belong to my grandparents. My brother has that one. But I bought a print exactly like it. Every time I look at it I am reminded of special memories. Their big stucco house in Mason City, Iowa, going to the candy store with a nickel in hand, grandpa magically withdrawing a piece of JuicyFruit gum from my ear! What items bring back special memories for you?

Sunflowers

“I don't think there's anything on this planet that more trumpets life than the sunflower. For me that's because of the reason behind its name. Not because it looks like the sun but because it follows the sun. During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky. A satellite dish for sunshine. Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it. And that's such an admirable thing. And such a lesson in life." - From the movie, Calendar Girls.
This is a picture of our grandson Reid and his sunflowers. Every year for the past 3 years he comes down and plants sunflowers in alittle garden area near our house. It's "his area" and he loves doing this. He can hardly wait to see them all in bloom. LaVern orders the seed from Park Seeds and he gets some really unusual sunflowers. Tall, short, red, orange and yellow. A couple of the plants are taller than the privacy fence so I can enjoy them out the kitchen window. I always think of the movie quote when I see them. So many lessons in life in simple things.

God's Problem Now

When the graveside service had no more than terminated, there was a tremendous burst of thunder accompanied by a distant lightning bolt and more rumbling thunder.
The little old man (LaVern) looked at the pastor and calmly said, "Well, she's there."

This one is for laughter if you haven't had any today and I thought I would test my blog and see how many comments I get! (lololol----laughing out loud!!) This would definitely be my scenerio at the grave! I intend to slide in yelling, "Wa Hoo, what a ride"!! It is fair week here and since our little carnival is all home owned and run by volunteers this week is always busy. I'll post some pictures alittle later. Blessings.

National Simplify Your Life Week

The first week in August is National Simplify Your Life Week. What does it really mean to SIMPLIFY? Do you have to give up all of your worldly possessions and move to a bark hut in the woods? Not hardly! Simplifying is all about having enough without having too much -- cutting back on unnecessary spending, slowing down, and FOCUSING on your true priorities. LaVern and I have been practicing this for quite some time now so if any of you need pointers, just let us know! We have learned to say "no", are able to identify if it is a "need" or a "want" when it comes to buying, organized clutter, find one thing to be thankful for each and every day. These are just a few of the things that we practice. We both have said we could easily sell all we own, jump into the little Hobbyline travel trailer and just go. I think each individual has to come to the point of .....stuff is, just stuff ,in their own time. And some never do. Simple joys have a whole new meaning for us. You don't have to go to extremes to unwind or de-stress. Laugh. Be silly. Silly. Now that is a word most people miss. Simplify.

VOTE

Change begins at the ballot box so be sure to make the effort to vote. The taxes we pay, the quality of our children’s education, the safety of our neighborhoods, the quality of our medical care, our rights as consumers, are all decided by the people we elect to represent us. Exercise the power of your vote. Remember, your vote is your voice!!

Weeding

One of my favorite things is pulling weeds. Weeding puts my mind someplace else. Let's face it, it's a task that requires little thinking, it doesn't cost anything, and chances are pretty good it is always there. I like to go barefoot when weeding. I just have to watch out for those nasty little sandburs. Owyn, my Corgi likes weeding too. He follows and promptly digs up what I've missed (sometimes it includes the flower). Digging in the dirt and weeding is therapeutic. Stressed and need to vent? Take it out on those weeds! Most of our flowers are in full bloom now and I love wandering along the path enjoying the fruit of my weeding. What's right outside your front door, waiting for you to enjoy?

It's Your Turn

LaVern has been gone all week to his nephew's in Nebraska. He is remodeling a bathroom for them. He is staying at his sister's house while she is gone. Even though we miss each other I think we both recognize that spending time alone erases stress also. Wandering, daydreaming and thinking of nothing at all doesn't cost anything, isn't complicated nor consuming. If today you made a list of everything you've given to your family, spouse, friends, boss, pets, whatever and whoever, I would imagine your list would be long. Now make a list of what you did for yourself today? Would it equal what you gave to everyone else? Make time for yourself today, one simple indulgence. My older sister emailed me a recipe for a mocha frappachino this morning. I can't wait to get home tonight, put the dogs outside, light a favorite candle and curl up in my favorite chair with a cup. Savor the silence. You are probably thinking it is 103 degrees outside why something hot to drink? I'll just turn the AC down to 68 and enjoy!!