How About a Walk

Daily writing prompt
What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?
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Some days getting out of bed seems difficult. It’s too cold, too dark, too early and the demands of the day feel far too overwhelming. Who amongst us hasn’t contemplated burying themselves deeper under the blankets, pulling them over our head and wishing we could stay there forever or at least until the sun comes out. But we know the longer we stay hidden under the blankets the further we fall behind in our daily responsibilities…..ugh, responsibilities….those things that people count on you to do. If only there were less responsibilities and more time wrapped in blankets dozing in that early morning slumber.

One way to trick myself to get up and moving is to begin the day with a morning walk. I do this even though I realize that I’m getting up earlier than I need to and I’m robbing myself of extra sleep under a warm comforter, but I feel it’s worth it. Living in the mid-west can make these early morning walks difficult and far less appealing than in a warmer climate. Depending on the time of year it’s still dark and cold, and the moon still glows reminding me that perhaps I’m foolish to be out so early. But with my earbuds in my ears and a winter hat covering my head plus enough layers to stay warm I set out to begin my day.

I find it fascinating to see the my neighborhood at this unique time, night drifting away and morning slowly announcing her arrival. I’ve seen deer browsing through our apple trees eating the fallen apples off the ground and even standing on their hind legs plucking them off the trees. They graze uninterrupted until they sense my presence, they freeze and stare at me for a brief moment and then silently hurry away bounding at an astonishing speed. Other nocturnal creatures scurry away as morning approaches like vampires avoiding daylight.

The birds are the first thing I usually notice, especially in the warmer months chirping and singing a beautiful natural wake up to the world. The singing of the birds means that sunrise is not far behind. Frequently as night disappears into daylight the sky is streaked in a mosaic of colors so wonderful I usually stop and appreciate the beauty before me as if standing before a work of art hanging in a museum, but this is a work of art I’m part of as it surrounds me and with it a new day presenting opportunities and possibilities that are endless.

Could I have these same feelings while burrowed under my comforter dozing in a morning slumber….probably not, and I find that my morning walk gets me going and feeling a positive vibe. I’m more likely to accomplish more if I begin the day with a walk although I have discovered that the morning nap after the morning walk is quite a wonderful feeling too.

Peace and Love,

John

Gimme A Break

Daily writing prompt
Do you need a break? From what?
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If only it was so easy to just have a break. I think we could all use a break from something. Work would rank high on the list of what people would like a break from. Then there are other obligations and commitments that can be overwhelming at times. Taking care of a sick or elderly family member can be both physically and mentally draining. Other times it’s just the drudgery of everyday tasks that we long to escape from. As I sit here looking out my sunroom window I realize I just want a break from winter.

Most years I try to fully embrace winter. I always say there’s no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing choices. As someone who worked outside for most of my career I got used to all kinds of weather. The heat of summer, the damp rains of fall and yes even the snowy clutches of winter. I also enjoy winter activities like skiing or a winter hike on a crisp, raw day. But I’ve come to realize that I really only enjoy those activities if the the sun is shining. So perhaps it’s not winter I need a break from but the gray drabness of it that accompanies winter in the midwest.

I swear we can go a week without seeing the sun. We get up each day in darkness, soon the darkness fades to reveal an endless gray sky and a landscape covered in snow. Everything looks the same and only two colors dominate our vision, gray and the white of snow. I feel like I’m living in my own black and white film.

And because it’s only the beginning of February I know there are still weeks of this bleakness. On gray overcast days I just want to stay inside and hibernate with some soup simmering on the stove and a book that takes me away from my existence. I wouldn’t mind winter if only we had more sunshine.

So yes, I’ll gladly take a break from the depths of winters cold grip and gray drabness and as soon as a sunny day comes along I’ll be out there enjoying it no matter the temperature.

Peace and Love,

John

There’s a Smell….

As I logged on and quickly scanned the headline page I decided to veer off in another direction, like when your on a road trip and you take an unexpected side trip to some goofy attraction that you’ve seen billboards for.

My attention was piqued by a story about an rare plant that emits a foul odor. The plant known as the corpse flower or bunga bangkai is located in a greenhouse in Sydney Australia. The rare instances when it does bloom it emits a putrid smell described as either rotting flesh, garbage or smelly gym socks. Just typing those words causes me to conjure up those smells. If you’ve ever had a teenage boy then I’m sure you’ve experienced the awful smell of socks and shoes, and well who hasn’t gotten close to a dumpster in the middle of summer.

Despite the odor this plant has become a veritable rock star if you will. Thousands of people are lining up to witness or perhaps more likely to smell its presence. In anticipation of the crowds the greenhouse has rolled out the red carpet, no really there is a red carpet for visitors to walk on. The plant is now surrounded by a red velvet rope with a gentle mist and constant temperature enveloping it. Everyday is a spa day for this plant………we should all be so lucky to be occasionally surrounded by a velvet rope with a gentle mist cooling us. Fans visiting the greenhouse have affectionately named the plant Putricia and her followers call themselves Putricians.

Perhaps she deserves this fame as no corpse flower has bloomed at this greenhouse in 15 years. Fans are taking selfies (of course they are) and leaning in for a sniff, and if you can’t make it to Australia this weekend well don’t worry there’s a 24/7 live stream to witness the historic event. As one fan noted….. “I’m sickened and I’m awed”……kinda how I felt smelling my teenage sons gym shoes or when I scan the headlines.

Peace and Love

John

So Many to Read, So Little Time

Daily writing prompt
What books do you want to read?
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For the last few years I’ve been keeping track of the books I’ve read. Each year I try to read more than the previous year. This past year I read 17 books….. I believe that’s the most I’ve read in a year but I know it pales in comparison to some people, my wife is a voracious reader who can easily read 1 or even 2 books a week.

I like to to keep track of what I’ve read to see if I’m perhaps reading too much of a certain author or genre. I enjoy reading John Grisham books and each year I seem to read 1 or 2. Either he comes out with a new one or I find a title I haven’t read at my local library. I recently found one at the library that I hadn’t read. The story revolved around the theft of the F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscripts from the Princeton library. It got me thinking that I never read any other works by Fitzgerald except Gatsby. It took me multiple readings of Gatsby to truly appreciate it. I was always hung up on the idea that it was just a story of the rich and privileged doing awful things and not being held accountable. Even though Gatsby is hung up on his high school crush it’s still a story of love and loss. I read that Gatsby wasn’t even a big success when it was written and Fitzgerald was bankrupt and so desperate for money and recognition that he was writing screen plays in Hollywood when he died. I think I’ll read more Fitzgerald this year to see if his other story’s are as good as Gatsby.

I’ve always been fascinated with Hemingway. He himself cultivated an image of a man who could drink more, write better, out fight and out womanize anyone else. As with a lot of mythology some of this is true and some of it is pure fiction, but the man could write. Not everything he wrote stands the test of time and some of his subjects are just plain puzzling nowadays, his fascination with bullfighting and traveling around Europe as part of “the lost generation” seems odd. His personal life may have been as tragic as the characters in his books but some of those books are pure genius. The subjects of love, loss and death permeate his great works and I think I’ll continue to read as much of his work as I can.

Being a sports fan I could easily spend a whole year reading nothing but sports books especially baseball. I think of all the sports, baseball is the sport that has the most books about it, perhaps it’s the history and tradition of the game or maybe just the simple pace and day to day nature of it but I do enjoy a baseball book during the long, dark, cold winter months. Reading a baseball book in the winter gives me something to look forward to as the seasons eventually change.

I read somewhere that the best story’s are about baseball, running and horses. Maybe it’s the solitary nature of running, the lyrical day to day grind of baseball and the simple beauty of a horse but I have read great books about all 3 of those subjects. But there are great story’s everywhere…..go find a book and read it

Peace and Love,

John

Curled up in a Corner

Daily writing prompt
What is your favorite animal?
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I’ve always thought it was unfair to label someone a “dog person” or a “cat person.” If you love animals enough to provide a loving home to one, then you probably love all types of animals. Sometimes people have a preference, they grew up with a dog or a cat or perhaps a horse or goat and they have fond memories of that animal.

My wife and I have had a dog and a cat, and although they never did really get along we loved them both. They carved out a spot in our hearts much like they carved out an existence in our home while ignoring the other. We gave them love and they returned it. We played with them, took them on walks, the dog we took on walks, cuddled with them, shared the couch and bed with them and put up with their midnight ramblings and early morning wake-ups.

If I had to pick a favorite…. I would choose a cat. Growing up we had a cat in our family. She lived a long time and like any pet became part of the family. We lived out in the country and during warm summer nights she would stay out all night carousing around the neighborhood, at least that’s what I like to believe she was doing. Quite frequently she would be out hunting….usually at least once a week our lovable cat would leave the carcass of a small critter on the front porch in a proud display as if saying “look what I have brought you, now shower me with love and adulation.”

Mice, birds, rabbits all were left bloody and in some cases decapitated on the front porch. This required a thorough clean-up and scrubbing of the porch, usually by my irritated mother……how us kids got out of that I’ll never know. Mom would sometimes scold the cat as she was scrubbing the porch but the cat usually sat there with an imperious look on her face confused why the gift wasn’t lovingly received. Then she would disappear the rest of the day sleeping a restful slumber until the next night.

Cats have this amazing ability to show no remorse, guilt or even understand why you might be upset. They strut about ignoring everyone, demanding to be fed at odd hours and then curl up and sleep for most of the day indignant if awakened before they have achieved at least 20 consecutive hours of sleep.

I wish I had the confidence of a cat, but I’m frequently empathetic to others and often guilt stricken from doing or not doing something. I always say I have the personality of a cat…..I’ll probably ignore you most of the time, not because I don’t like you but I’d rather just be doing my own thing hidden away in a corner. If I need something I’ll let you know and if you need something from me I’ll always be there……now if only I could sleep as much as a cat, that would be glorious

Take care or your pets….

Peace

John

Play More

Daily writing prompt
Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?
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It’s not just me but I don’t think alot of people spend time “playing.”

I find it strange to drive around neighborhoods and see very few kids outside playing. I was fortunate that I grew up in a neighborhood where there was other kids my age to hang out with. We’d ride our bikes up and down the street seeing who else was outside and if there was enough of us we’d decide to do something. Sometimes there was enough of us to organize a game of some kind. We might play for hours or until one of us was called home, and when I mean called home it wasn’t our parents calling us on a cell phone it was usually Mom yelling down the street to get home or another Mom coming by and passing along a message from your Mom.

That’s how communication worked back then in neighborhoods, every Mom knew the other Mom’s and they all seemed to know each other’s phone number and even if my Mom didn’t know where I was it could be quickly determined where all the kids were hanging out by the Mom’s telephone network.

Sometimes the game we were playing devolved quickly due to arguing about the fairness of the teams or some rule interpretation but we’d do it all again the next day and the best thing was that it was all organized by us kids. There were no parents around to make every game an ultra-organized affair, in fact when a parent did get involved it was very awkward and I think most of us kids were thinking the same thing…..

“just leave us alone to figure it out”…….and usually we did

I’m not sure kids today have enough free time for play. Parents have over-scheduled organized activities for their kids that keep them busy all the time. We all know the parents who are constantly shuttling kids from soccer to dance to piano to karate to robotics to computer coding camp and on and on and on…….

As I grow older I find myself wanting to play more…..perhaps it’s just me trying to recall my youth or I realize that too much time is spent working or taking care of everyday life tasks like taking the car for an oil change or cleaning the leaves out of the gutters. Of course there are ways for adults to play……pickleball seems to be wildly popular and golf is always an activity that adults can enjoy as they age but I find myself wanting to walk more, ride my bike more, go on hikes.

A couple of years ago I bought a kite and on a perfectly windy spring day I flew my kite……I ran with it and launched it and watched as it caught the wind and climbed higher as I released more string. I watched the kite dance on the breeze dipping and swirling, often I had to pull quickly on the string to prevent a full nose dive….it was exhilarating in ways that are hard to describe……yes I felt like a kid again wanting the kite to stay aloft and hoping the string was strong enough and wouldn’t break in the spring breeze. Neighbors driving by were probably perplexed to see me standing there flying a kite but it was joyful and quite frankly I didn’t care what they thought….they might even have been jealous or not, it didn’t matter because as a kid it didn’t matter what other’s thought when you were playing, all that matter was that you were doing it and doing is much better than not doing and besides I’m not ready for pickleball

Peace and Love

John

Reflections

I woke up today to a new year, but as I look out my window it looks alot like the old one…..gray, cold and wet. The new year always causes me to reflect back on the previous 12 months and try to determine what the year meant.

There were alot of changes, big and small. Some good some bad. Thinking back to other years I could probably say the same at the conclusion of each year….changes……good….bad…..typically the good ones we think fondly of and the bad ones really weren’t as bad as we thought.

The year was highlighted, or perhaps low-lighted, by a job change. For some reason the universe decided to put a little bump in the road as my career winds down. Certainly new opportunities await me, but in what direction ? Is it now time to get off the corporate treadmill and chase a passion ?

There were other events happening in the past year, most of them enjoyable. Time spent with family and friends laughing and sharing experience’s, time spent traveling and exploring, new places visited and some old favorites gone back to.

I hope the new year brings new opportunities that are rewarding, more time spent with loved ones, more adventures to be found.

The universe works in mysterious ways….as I was completing my last workout of 2024 I was placing a pair of dumb-bells back on my basement floor when I felt a slight twinge in my back……yup one last reminder of the year that was, a pulled back muscle to end the year…..I hope 2025 is just a little bit better

Peace and Love,

John

Changes Happen

Daily writing prompt
Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?
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No…..most definitely not. There’s been a big change from a year ago. I call this new phase semi-retirement or Act 2. Back in September the large multi-national global conglomerate of a company I toiled for over 25 years announced they were consolidating operations and closing the location I worked at, and although I was offered another position at a different location I thought it was best to move on.

My routine of getting up and rushing off to work and working 8 or more hours has been replaced by lazy mornings sitting in my sun-room, laptop open scrolling through news and contemplating blog posts. The birds are getting breakfast at the feeder and in the field behind our house the deer roam languidly searching for any last beans that didn’t get harvested. All the projects that get talked about and never started have been started and some have been completed to be replaced by more projects. To be honest not everything has been started, that book I keep contemplating has not been started….that might be a commitment I’m not ready for.

I spend more time researching travel destinations…..did you know the best time to go to Machu Picchu is in the spring or fall to avoid the rainy season and avoid the crowds of the summer season. If you desire to hike the Inca Trail it’s a four day hike to Machu Picchu but there’s also a train that can take you to the top. So far my semi-retirement travel has been limited to the continental U.S. but perhaps with more free time I’ll expand my destinations.

Also this has been the first year in forever that I sent out Christmas cards. I always had the excuse that December was actually my busiest month so I had no time for cards, but this year cards are mailed, decorations are hung and most of the shopping is complete with still a week before Christmas.

Much to my wife’s chagrin there are times during the week I don’t even know what day it is, and as the weather has turned colder here in the mid-west my lazy mornings are stretching into lazy afternoons. I find myself sitting around more and watching stuff instead of doing stuff. These are not habits that I want to continue so Act 2 is evolving and I recently accepted a part-time position at our local community college. I love the idea of working part-time at this point of my life. I’ll still have the flexibility of time but with the incentive and purpose that only a job can provide, and lets face it my allowance around here wasn’t increasing.

As I sit here and think about the changes of the past couple of months I realize that life can throw you some unexpected curve balls and it’s important to be willing to accept change and look ahead, perhaps even if you think your taking a step back it’s really just a precursor to a new situation….Act 2…..the mornings are better, it hardly matters what day of the week it is and finding a new purpose is a revelation to be embraced…….

So look ahead and enjoy the journey, don’t sit around and if possible start planning your next adventure…..and avoid the rainy season

Peace and Love

John

Saturday Mornings

Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite cartoon?
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When I was a kid cartoons were a Saturday morning ritual. Get up early, grab some cereal and plop down in front of the TV. Especially if the weather was cold or rainy and mom wasn’t yelling at me to turn off the TV and get outside. I loved cartoons so much that I never had a problem getting up to watch them unlike the misery of getting up for school 5 days a week. Perhaps because cartoons only came on once a week that it seemed so enjoyable.

I had many favorites……who amongst us could resist the adventures of Scooby Doo and the gang rolling around in the Mystery Machine, poking their noses into odd situations and then solving a strange occurrence that usually involved an adult in some kind of costume or mask which led to the great reveal at the end where the bad guy, and it was almost always guys, would be unmasked. The great reveal was soon followed by the line that has become synonymous with the show as the criminal exclaimed that he…..

“would have gotten away with it if it hadn’t been for those meddling kids”

I’m glad I watched it as a kid because as an adult I would have so many questions, the two obvious ones would be……..what exactly was in those Scooby Snacks they were constantly munching on, and can someone explain the exact relationship between Freddy, Daphne and Velma ?

Scooby and the gang held my attention for a few years, they even had a season where it seemed like every show had a special guest. I remember Hollywood stars like Phyllis Diller, Don Knotts, Sandy Duncan and even the Harlem Globetrotters joining the gang for an episode of hi-jinks and hilarity. Eventually they found it necessary to add characters and with the addition of Scooby’s nephew Scrappy Doo the entire show seemed to change, and although it remains a fond memory it isn’t my favorite……that distinction without a doubt belongs to the Looney Tunes gang especially Bugs Bunny.

I think the reason Bugs became my favorite cartoon is that he could find himself in any situation and he was clever enough to get out of it. In fact he was far more more clever than the humans he encountered, whether it was Elmer Fudd or some other human, Bugs had the unique ability to devise a scheme that made the antagonist seem silly. The show was unique and daring to put Bugs in situations no other cartoon would attempt….what other cartoon would put their main character in woman’s clothes and make-up and poke fun of the other characters for not recognizing him.

It was through Bugs that I was introduced to opera and although I continue to have no interest nor do I see any opera in my future, I am aware that there is an opera called the Barber of Seville, but I prefer the Bugs parody the Rabbit of Seville.

Whether Bugs was playing baseball and seemingly playing each position as pitcher, catcher and fielder and then smacking home runs to win the game or wrestling behemoths like “The Crusher,” Bugs constantly found himself out-manned, outgunned but not out-smarted. Perhaps it’s because Bugs was usually in an underdog position that he becomes so identifiable. Most of the time life puts us in positions where we feel out-manned, outgunned and on the defensive, but by being clever and using our brains instead of just brawn there is a way to prosper……and let’s face it, Bugs Bunny in a dress with outrageous amounts of make-up seductively walking around and being flirtatious is the most daring and clever thing you would see on a Saturday morning. Long live Bugs and the Looney Tunes gang……

Peace and love

John

Early Bird or Night Owl

Daily writing prompt
Are you more of a night or morning person?
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Ah, the dance between the morning person who’s up with the sun or the late night soul who’s productivity peaks when most people are asleep. I’ve been both of these people at different times of my life.

The college years was probably the peak of my late night adventures. Staying up late studying, watching TV or just hanging out with friends life at that age was all about late nights. I did occasionally have an early morning class that I’m proud to say I rarely missed but after my first year I learned how to schedule my classes to avoid that situation. The hard part was adjusting my late nights to my parents routine when I came home for holidays or summer vacation. My parents were headed to bed as I was headed out the door. This routine kept going after college for a few years when I could stay out late and still get to work on time.

Unless a job situation requires working the afternoon or midnight shift most people seem to adjust their habits. This mainly happens when you get married and start having kids. Kids have this amazing ability to not comprehend schedules, clocks and the need for consistent sleep. My son was up early, ready to go when all my wife and I wanted to do was sleep just a little bit more. There were also times when he would be up late refusing to go to sleep as if he might be missing out on some great thing we were doing. I tried explaining to him that nothing is happening in this house after he goes to sleep but he really didn’t understand….of course he was only a toddler so any moment he wasn’t awake he probably felt he was missing something.

Now though I’m up early….. I like to get a morning walk and sometimes I get to see the sunrise. I’m most productive in the morning…..working out, planning the day and yes the occasional blog post. I enjoy the idea of being up when others are still in a deep slumber. It helps to have a reason to get up each day, even if my days aren’t as busy as they used to be. Kids grow up and they become the ones staying up late……..sure if I start watching a show I might stay up and watch a couple of episodes but I generally reach a time when I know my day is done and that’s alot earlier than it used to be but I know I’ll be up for the sunrise tomorrow

Peace and Love

John