Is It Just Me?

Is it just me or was there just a little tiny bit of autumn in the air this morning? I know I can smell it and feel it when nobody else can but I swear there was a little tinge of coolness in the air. I went out on the back step with my cup of coffee and watched many, many birds cavort at the feeders. My hair was almost rendered even shorter by two hummingbirds who came very, very close. I saw a warbler that has never been here before. My daughter Shannon says I am never satisfied with the weather. I think she is right. However, I am anxious for a little cool weather. So as far as I'm concerned, I think I felt a little autumn in the air this morning.

The Agreement

While I was working and before I retired, Janet and I had an agreement. I would find everything she lost and she would do all my ironing. Now that I'm not working, I don't need much to be ironed. And so the agreement has changed. I still find everything Janet loses but now she just bakes for me. These cookies are by far my favorite. They are oatmeal, Special K, date, nut, raisin, and dried cranberry cookies. She tells me they are very healthy which takes care of all my guilt. I have eaten three so far but the night is quite young.

Not Exactly Sanitary

Now we know that this is not exactly sanitary nor would it pass inspection in a commercial food kitchen. However, for Cocoa, this is just what needs to happen after Janet mixes and packs Cocoa's food for the week. You see, Cocoa is a dog that is fed the Raw Meaty Bone diet or RMB for short. That means that she eats raw chicken every day along with raw mince mixed by Janet. The mince is a mixture of either ground turkey or beef, alfalfa, pumpkin or carrots, probiotics, and various other ingredients. Yes, we know that Cocoa is spoiled. But she is also one of the healthiest dogs we have ever had and has never needed to have her teeth cleaned. But I digress. After Janet mixes and packs the mince, Cocoa gets to lick the bowl. As you can see, she is very enthusiastic about this task, even putting her front feet into it!! I was allowed to lick the bowl from cake and custard when I was a little girl. But my mother never, ever allowed me to put my feet into the bowl.

Saturday Morning

It is Saturday morning and already raining. We were awakened before 6am by the dog, who is afraid of thunder. It's a funny thing about rain. I really love it. However, I think I was trained at a very young age that one doesn't go out if its raining. I have always hesitated to leave the house on a rainy day and I find that, as I get older, rain is definitely a reason to postpone going out. Is that a Spanish tradition or something? To stay home in the rain?

Living in Florida, I could stay home all summer if I adopted this practice. It rains almost everyday here between July and the end of August. Such a habit would never work in the world of work. "Yes, I'm calling in sick because it's raining." Wonder how long I would have kept a job doing something like that? I have plans to go to Tampa today to visit my elderly aunt. I haven't seen her in two or three months so it's important that I go. And so, if it is still raining at departure time, I think I will be a big girl, get my umbrella, and go anyway. Good thing I don't live in Seattle.

Girls Rock and Rule

One of two new tags listed today on Etsy. Created from an original photograph and embellished with antique lace. Isn't she a cutie?

The Expenditure of Time

It has been interesting for the past month, to observe how I spend my time. Time is a funny thing to me because I always have felt the need to conserve it. But that was before; before I retired. Now I find that my attitude has changed and I am spending time rather profligately. I get up when I wake up and I go to sleep when I am tired. I am staying up much later than I ever did although I am still in bed by about eleven. My days don't feel rushed and I linger over my coffee much longer than I used to. If I don't get something done today that was on my list (yes, I still make a list), then I do it then next day or the day after that. Yesterday, I began my day with a Zumba session at the gym. Today, I went to yoga.

I have been lunching with friends and meeting for beer, which I will do again in about an hour this afternoon. I have a schedule but don't always keep it. And I don't feel the need to unless I have a time-bound project, a very rare thing these days. I am spending time doing my art--am almost finished with a mosaic that has really challenged me for the past week. I am making tags. I have had many more Etsy sales than normal but then, I am spending more time with my site than normal.

I go out and work in the yard when the sun decides to hide behind the clouds. When it comes back out, I come back into the house until its next game of hide and seek. Cocoa thinks that I am her permanent lap and that I am staying home for the express purpose of her comfort and pleasure. But that's as it should be for a dog who is such a good dog.

Janet and I are planning next month's Maiden Voyage of the travel trailer. We are excited. I will get to fish. I feel busier than I did when I was working, but in a different way. I have time to think. I don't feel stressed. I don't even know what day school starts. Now, that's something to celebrate!!

New Creations

This is a part of my new tag collection, created for sale on Etsy. I love using old photographs of people I don't know (or even some people I do know) and re-purposing the photographs for use in another way.
I embellish the tags with pieces of old lace, inscriptions from antique weather journals, vintage sheet music, or old stamps and postmarks.