Loving my backyard hangout spot, with my jean-clad butt plopped on a corner of the patio, not in a chair. My bare feet are in the grass and my toes are tapping and I am singing along to the Praise songs playing from my ipad mini. I’m posting this via mobile of course! My silver laptop, with letters long ago worn off the keys, awaits. The luxury of a full keyboard is a new one, after writing so much tapping via a tiny touch screen. That Birthday Dog is eating grass. Ugh. Best of all, the oven timer just went off, which means later today there will be a delectable chocolate cake. Maybe it seems silly to you to make all this fuss over a dog’s birthday, thinking, “Two years old, big whoop. He’s a dog.” It’s so much more than that though, as most things in life are. There are many layers and undertones. We bought Blue seven months into my husband’s two years and three month long cancer fight. That dog saved me. Blue got me out of the house and under the sky, at all hours of the day and night, walking, moving, and helped me take off the stress induced, comfort food eating, weight. A month ago my husband’s soul went to Heaven. He is no longer in pain. It was four weeks ago on Monday, but it is a calendar month today. Since I was a young girl being outside made it better. Whatever “it” was in my life, being outdoors soothed me from the inside out. I need the grass between my toes, the sun on my face and the breeze blowing my dark brown hair. Blue knows Outside Makes It Better too. He’s a really smart pup, my Blue. I love him more than I should, but that’s the beauty of love, you don’t divide it, you multiply it. A lesson from my mother. She’s really smart too!
~ Janean

September 26, 2013

9/26/13 at 8:30am
Today is Blue’s Birthday! My big, sweet pup is 2! Later I’ll be baking a chocolate cake for the people & icing it blue, in honor of the dog.

9/26/13 at 10:30am (photo above)
The Birthday Boy. Blue and I are enjoying backyard shade while the chocolate cake for the people bakes. Best part of baking a cake while the boys are at school is I get both beaters, the spatula AND the bowl. Mmmmmm

~ Janean

September 26, 2013

welcoming the dawn

Now the sky is brightening
As the darkest shade of navy gives way to a soothing, medium blue hue
The stars no longer visible
La lune still shines
Like a moon-ball in the sky
Even as the sun begins to ascend
Facing East there is a pale yellow glow along the horizon
Good morning
A new day is dawning

September 21, 2013
at 6:30am

a l’il lollygagging

I put on wake up clothes to walk Blue on our usual route through the park. Now the dog and I are home and my youngest son is awake early (because today is not a school day). I suspect my teenage boy stayed up late reading to finish the last 100 pages of his book. I’m going to put my pjs back on, add my cozy robe in the lightest shade of blue, and have breakfast next. Happy Saturday to you!

September 14, 2013

memories of Elizabethtown

I am watching the movie, “Elizabethtown.” We stayed there, in Kentucky, for several nights more than a few years ago now, on a family vacation. We went to the Patton Museum, Fort Duffield (an earthen fort…don’t ask) and toured a bunch of caves. My husband carried our youngest son through the whole tour of Mammoth Cave. That day we literally climbed 1,000 steps. We bookended the trip at the Children’s Museum and zoo in Indianapolis. After we returned home, the boys said that vacation was better than Disney World. It was A Good One. There are pictures too.

September 12, 2013

afternoon pastime

I just got caught daydreaming in the pen aisle of the office supply store while back to school shopping. It’s A Big Decision after all, with a lot of different types of pens to choose from. Either I really looked like I needed help, or the nice employee just wanted to tell me he liked my hula cat shirt with the front and back design, and chit chat about cats, dogs and pets for awhile. For now I’m calling it, “done enough” and heading home where my family, pets included, await. Aloha. =^.^=

August 15, 2013

  1. push yourself to get up before the rest of the world – start with 7am, then 6am, then 5:30am. go to the nearest hill with a big coat and a scarf and watch the sun rise.

    2. push yourself to fall asleep earlier – start with 11pm, then 10pm, then 9pm. wake up in the morning feeling re-energized and comfortable.

    3. erase processed food from your diet. start with no lollies, chips, biscuits, then erase pasta, rice, cereal, then bread. use the rule that if a child couldn’t identify what was in it, you don’t eat it.

    4. get into the habit of cooking yourself a beautiful breakfast. fry tomatoes and mushrooms in real butter and garlic, fry an egg, slice up a fresh avocado and squirt way too much lemon on it. sit and eat it and do nothing else.

    5. stretch. start by reaching for the sky as hard as you can, then trying to touch your toes. roll your head. stretch your fingers. stretch everything.

    6. buy a 1L water bottle. start with pushing yourself to drink the whole thing in a day, then try drinking it twice.

    7. buy a beautiful diary and a beautiful black pen. write down everything you do, including dinner dates, appointments, assignments, coffees, what you need to do that day. no detail is too small.

    8. strip your bed of your sheets and empty your underwear draw into the washing machine. put a massive scoop of scented fabric softener in there and wash. make your bed in full.

    9. organise your room. fold all your clothes (and bag what you don’t want), clean your mirror, your laptop, vacuum the floor. light a beautiful candle.

    10. have a luxurious shower with your favourite music playing. wash your hair, scrub your body, brush your teeth. lather your whole body in moisturiser, get familiar with the part between your toes, your inner thighs, the back of your neck.

    11. push yourself to go for a walk. take your headphones, go to the beach and walk. smile at strangers walking the other way and be surprised how many smile back. bring your dog and observe the dog’s behaviour. realise you can learn from your dog.

    12. message old friends with personal jokes. reminisce. suggest a catch up soon, even if you don’t follow through. push yourself to follow through.

    14. think long and hard about what interests you. crime? sex? boarding school? long-forgotten romance etiquette? find a book about it and read it. there is a book about literally everything.

    15. become the person you would ideally fall in love with. let cars merge into your lane when driving. pay double for parking tickets and leave a second one in the machine. stick your tongue out at babies. compliment people on their cute clothes. challenge yourself to not ridicule anyone for a whole day. then two. then a week. walk with a straight posture. look people in the eye. ask people about their story. talk to acquaintances so they become friends.

    16. lie in the sunshine. daydream about the life you would lead if failure wasn’t a thing. open your eyes. take small steps to make it happen for you.

Sixteen Small Steps to Happiness (via asdfghjkllove)

I just emailed this post to my sister with the subject line, “I loved this and think you will too.” Best of all, I am already doing some of these things, making it feel less daunting to do a few more. ~Janean

I just woke up Snuggles, the sleeping cat, because I need to relocate her to her safe spot on the top floor of the house before picking Blue up from boarding in 10 minutes and counting. It’s been fun having her on the main floor with us again since our return yesterday. If only the fuzzballs could get along… Since they can’t, my cat relocation program will somewhat reduce the commotion once Blue walks in the door. Then we’ll all be home. =^.^=

August 13, 2013