“Luckily, I stopped under this pavilion. It rained and I patiently watched and waited,” Sir Thomas on becoming patient … age may have something to do with it. He is 8-years-old.
My friend and I were nearing the end of our moderate rated (on scale of difficulty), 4-mile trail, on a nice cool day. These rock steps were the last hike. Climbing against gravity to conclude our trail was a heavily weighted challenge. Here, my friend is reaching the end. Keep going friend, few more to go … you can do it! (She did do it.)
When I crossed our main street to get to the sidewalk, Thomas, my beagle, pulled me to the left, a path we rarely take, as I, automatically, turned to the right, a path we usually take. I decided to follow his lead. He seemed happy. His tail wagging, he took his time walking.
Nice cool breeze on a warm wintry day kept embracing us. And, the mostly cloudy day felt more like spring, not winter. I felt my mind happily hopping. I heard a complex symphony of sounds in the background – The chirping of the birds flying over us; the humming of the cars whizzing by us; the soft bark of a dog coming from nearby distance; the rustling of leaves on trees around us.
As Thomas and I sauntered, I couldn’t help but chuckle remembering an encounter with an acquaintance – I had asked her about why she preferred walking alone. She had blatantly answered, “Sweetie, because I can fart freely!”
I, too, realize walking by myself is immensely satisfying! An accurate definition of myself would be – me and my dog! These walks are exclusive – My conversations with myself remain private; my quiet times remain absolutely and phenomenally soothing; my silly but unavoidable burps, spits, and farts become one with the nature :). Thomas and I walk completely immersed in our own worlds. I walk leisurely at my own pace. Actually, leisurely at Thomas’ pace :). But, both walking, joyfully.
“Folks, have a great year. Make 2016 a year to nap! The best year to dream! Dream big! And, may all your dreams come true in 2016,” Sir Thomas wishing you the best in his best way – set to take his first 2016 nap😀.
“You just ate. You go sleep on the couch now, and let me eat my breakfast in peace,” I pleaded with Sir Thomas. Instead of leaving me alone, he kept his constant hopeful-gaze stuck on me; hoping I’d share my food with him 🙂 STUBBORN – can be his middle name! 🙂 🙂
On my walk this morning, I saw an oil spill, likely from an ordinary vehicle. I got interested because it looked so beautiful. It had artistically spread in the standing water, collected from last night’s rain. And this morning, the same oil spill shimmered, emitting rainbow-like colors, under clear skies and pure sun rays. I thought how (extra)ordinary is this!
When bananas start to have brown spots like the ones you see in the picture below, you are left with two options:1) Eat them as soon as possible, or 2) Freeze them. Many people never think of freezing bananas, but I do it all the time. Frozen bananas make the best smoothies. Better freeze than throw away a good-looking banana:)
1. I peel the banana and cut them into 8 slices. I, then, arrange them flat side up in a single layer on the cutting board. You can use a cookie sheet also.
2. I place them in the freezer for about 45 minutes. They freeze nicely.
3. Next, I place each individually frozen banana slices into a sandwich bag. Freezing them individually, and then storing them in a bag keep these slices from sticking to each other.
4. Then I place the sandwich bag with frozen banana slices into another bag, a storage bag or freezer bag. Just for extra protection! I do this so that these banana slices won’t get freezer burn.
5. And, that’s it! I just throw in 2 to 3 frozen banana slices into the blender when I’m making my delicious smoothie. Yum!
“Hi you know what? I feel lazy and I’d like to rest now. You know why? You did not give me a snack this afternoon!” Thomas being a Sir Thomas.
It’s true, I did not give him a snack this afternoon. Guilty as charged! But did he tell you what happened during today’s mid morning walk? He did! Hope he told you the truth.
Here’s my side of what really happened: I had no idea what was about to happen, until it was too late – Thomas had already grabbed a full size Snicker’s Chocolate Candy Bar in his mouth. And, before I could finish screaming my words, “NO, THOMAS,” he had already inhaled the entire bar in one swallow! It all happened so fast! And, that’s the truth. (“I still love you Thomas.”)
“I’m so happy…I’m where I see FOOD…you are where you see me…now give me what I want, you big DUDE!” Sir Thomas’ thought – loud and clear. He lives for food:)
Quietness surrounds me; concentration pulls my thoughts together; vision focuses to my notes and my laptop. My body sits still on the bar stool, while my fingers do a tireless dance on the keyboard spewing words on the screen. And, the next thing I know, I’ve written something. I read, re-read, edit, edit again, and once I enjoy my writing, I post!
Before I post: I grab my space in time to write, because time keeps fleeting fast . I write in between my responsibilities. A habit that’s becoming addictive. I miss it if I don’t do it.
My iPhone is always with me, wherever I go. (I might as well embed it into my skin.) In the house, I keep my laptop right on the kitchen counter-top, few steps away from the stove. I have a drawer near the stove-top that carries my hand-writing supplies. Paper, pen, pencils, and Sharpies. I frequently jot down ideas on paper. Later when I type, I refer to my paper notes. A good system for me.
When I sit down to write, I shift my mental gear. I close all other thoughts and get focused on my notes, and start to elaborate on each point as I type on my blog.
Enjoy your writing!
…thank you for visiting my blog…until next time…keep smiling:)
The Unstoppable Optimist! 