Practicing Patience

I know I'm short on patience. I want to get on with It, whatever It is. Things that tax my patience most are small frustrations, like opening plastic packages that make one feel incompetent.

You know these - the little flip-lid to allow air into a gas can that doesn't flip, and when not opened, the gas goes "gush - whoop - gush - whoop" instead of flowing freely. Cellophane on a new cd or dvd, with the red 'pull here' ripper darn near concealed. Tearing open a catsup packet. Cereal and cake mix inner plastic: like, once you're in the box, you probably aren't tampering anymore and want access to the food, but it either tears down the middle or you need a cutting implement such as a sharp knife to slash it open - growl. These nuisances irritate me, as I expect they do any rational person.

That list goes on. We can all see I could use a little Patience Improvement Practice (PIP).

Wanting to better myself, I decided I should begin immediately. I need a lot of practice, so I found the ideal, personally-frustrating, small item - miniature Easter chocolate in the ##@! crunched foil. It was in my daughter's drawer, but I knew she'd want me to PIP.

I took out a good-sized handful, in that I do need a lot of practice; took a deep, calming breath, zenned with the Now, and tackled the first one. My usual method is to just tear and scrape the foil off with a small growl, but this time I wiggled the ends, gently sought the edge with a fingernail, slowly worked the foil off.

A sense of accomplishment followed, but I knew I could do better!

So I practiced and practiced, until I was finally able to unwrap five in a row without tearing the foil. Quite the crowning moment.

To reward myself for my efforts, I ate them.

Rejuvenation in Pictures

This was April snow, when Jim lucked out and we got the blast here. It was combined with below-zero temps.

Had to clear our short road to the main road and get Sera out for work -- it was payday, and she needed to deposit it before the check she wrote the night before for groceries was processed.

Would have waited for the plow, but the day before he came by around 4:30 p.m. Uphill most the way with the little snow blower. This is why I don't feel a need for an exercise program!

From this to digging dirt. I prefer dirt, and have been busily rearranging it around here.


Three days... from 'hugely ugly' with the old deck cut off, concrete bricks showing, debris to "rocks and green"! The triple-stacker on the right is my rock chair.

These windows are actually glass doors built in sideways. The right-side one was where the old, shoddy glass doors were, the ones that frosted up inside all winter. The 'wall spot' is a hole for a light to be wired one day... Jim, this is a simple wiring project; there's an outlet inside I'll loop off of for a switch and light.

The 'green' is just what I chopped off the top of the 10-foot hole. If it survives dogs, kids, shade and lack of watering, then it's the ideal 'green' for me! I did feel some pressure to hurry up and get this done though, before the plants died. The shelf boards used to be in Pete's garage, donated a few years ago. They provide an area for potted plants to be placed. The old cedar pole Pete donated too, something he'd been saving since the '70's? The left double-bar maintains an opening for an air vent.

These are rocks I hauled home last summer. The same lady offered rocks again, and I'll be loading my little car with more at noon today (front of the house, pond, rebuild steps with concrete...).

Ye-up. SOMEBODY played with the hose, filling 'the dig,' and trashed her shoes - which she didn't have this morning as she got ready for school. They're soaked in the mud-hole. Said Child believes she is now a Young Adult (age 12).

And this blog may take a twist - class in Alternative Healing this semester, with a blog required.

We know odds not likely I will suddenly become sane... :)

Long as I remember not to get too serious, I should be okay. These snow-aliens appeared during the last heavy round of snow here. It greeted the snowplow and garbage man, and how else does one chuckle through late-winter cold?

THANK GOD it's greening up and I can be busy with dirt and rocks - even if half the time I'm planning for 'next winter'. Part of banking the house with styrofoam and dirt is in consideration for the next round of freezing. (Gag me.)

Now go hug a tree!