Chinese Watercolor Part Two

Awhile back, I started trying Chinese Watercolor...from a book that I have had for years, maybe decades.  I diligently read, followed directions and used black ink for my first foray into the art.

Today, was the day to recreate the above.  What I have discovered in this "Trying Things" project is that I am not very patient and that I would rather create than recreate.  I know there are techniques I am "supposed" to follow, but I never really have been good at doing what I am "supposed" to do.

So, I started off following directions, but quickly decided to just play with paint.  I get the idea of learning how to do something by copying something else.  I also think there is as much value (or more) in learning by doing.  In something like art especially the joy, for me, is in the creation.  Does it look anything like what it originally was "supposed" to look like?  No.  But did it engage me in creating something and having fun while I was doing it?  Yes.  I just needed to let go and be.  Is it worthy of praise, likely not...but at this stage of the process, I am just trying and playing... kind of like little kids play at school, house, life... until before long, they are just doing it as a natural part of their day.  I think it is a good way to learn, and it used up some "shelter in place" time.  I have had enough for now, of the strict structure associated with this book.  I recognize it could be fun, and did sign up for an online watercolor class... 

Apologizing to Billy and Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning is one of those things that I never really believed in.  In the midst of world pandemic, I am deciding it is just the ticket:  pretty mindless, yet accomplishing things that would otherwise go untended.  

In our backroom, I have a bookshelf.  The top half is books, the bottom half is shelving with baskets with "supplies."  - things we use, but not too often.  The idea, eventually, is to have drawers above the baskets, but those are yet to be built.  The baskets had become a catch all for anything that didn't have an assigned spot.  As they were overflowing, new pup Billy decided it was a good place to grab his newest "toy" from.  This "toy"  could be a bottle of glue, yes eaten and now all over the yard (guess it doesn't harden quickly enough in the intestines to glue him shut - whew) but not a pretty picture anyway.  Or, a second "toy" bottles of alcohol ink, chewed on the carpet.  As luck would happen, this playtime was interrupted quickly enough that while many were punctured, no ink had gotten on the rug.  Dog toys...

In our enclosed porch off the back room, I have planters with items I am trying to winter over (primarily geraniums).  It was a mess, with dirt everywhere- new pup Bill again- digging up bulbs, knocking over planters- actually climbing on shelves.  What the HECK???!!!

Anywho, about three weeks ago, we came home from somewhere and Bill was standing in the middle of the backyard with something in his mouth.  He had that proud look.  Ken said stick, I said no... something else.  It ended up he had a mouse tail sticking out of his mouth...the rest of the mouse was inside his mouth.  Ken took care of that, and praised him.  Within an hour, he jumped up in Kens lap with another.  this time, the head was in his mouth, with the rest of the mouse hanging out.  Once again he got praised.

It was at that time that I thought the mess on the enclosed patio and his mouse hunting success may be connected.  I cleaned the room really well, and did find a few signs that mice had been there, but not a lot.

Fast forward to last week...and I started hearing noises in the backroom.  and then, discovered two little holes in the dogfood bag...and set traps...and caught two more mice in a day.  After two more days of nothing and no sounds, we think the issue is resolved.  So, I thoroughly cleaned and disinfected all the shelving etc in the back room.  All is now well (except maybe not for the mice)

So, as I was cleaning and found more evidence... I decided this may be why Billy was aggressively gathering "toys" from the baskets: his attempts to rid us of mice.

He would bring us mice and we (Ken) would praise him.  He would get into stuff and we would chastise him.  I am sure it was quite confusing.  I hearby apologize for calling him William the Terrible in a facebook post.  However, that said, the mice appear to be gone, and he is still digging in the flower pots.  He has not gotten into the baskets again.  Progress... and really, what the title refers to as spring cleaning was really just my attempt to make sure the mice were not moving in.  However, it has motivated me to continue the purge projects... the downstairs bathroom is next!

Sheltering in Place, Social Distancing

Sheltering in Place and Social Distancing:  where these even terms two or three months ago?  Well, out of necessity they are things we are trying that we haven't tried before.  My thoughts, I am sure, are not different from most.  I have tried to keep up to date and have gone from going about business as usual to not doing anything except essentials with others.  This has happened over a two week period.  My mind and emotions are both reeling.  trying to make sense, but failing.  Some things are not to be made sense of.

I don't know any answers.  I do know I do not want to be responsible for any unintended exposures among my friends and family, so while I do not like it I am doing things differently.  I am not hugging, and I miss it.  Growing up, our family was not huggers, or I guess I should say my mom was not a hugger, and I took my cues from her until I was well into adulthood and friends taught me the value to the human spirit of physical contact.  Anyhow, when Mom was dying and could not fight back, her sister and I gave her hugs and told her there was nothing she could do.  In a croaky voice her response, "It's ok, I like hugs." This has little to do with sheltering in place and social distancing, but does speak to human needs that are sometimes masked by whatever social norms we grow up with.  I was lucky enough to have friends and family work me through the hugs issue...Mom never had that opportunity.

So, back to sheltering in Place and Social Distancing.  I miss hugging.  I am still walking with friends and have a coffee date (which we have moved to home rather than coffee shop) weekly.  I stress  about whether this is ok or not, and then move on.

I want to: Keep living.  Keep being grateful.  Recognize that this too shall pass.  Continue to find Joy in each day.  I have done these things subconsciously for a long time.  Our altered reality made me bring them back up to a place where I focus on them daily...to offset the unsettling news I do read.  To offset the uncertainty.  To offset the fear and to live in faith and the peace that brings.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2Timothy 1:7

-Sending you all a virtual hug ❤

Nineteen Years Ago Today, I tried something.

People who know me at just about any level know I am an alcoholic in recovery.  If you are just now finding this out, well, I guess it never came up in our conversations; I am certainly willing to visit about it.  I belong to a program that values anonymity among its members and respect that.  I also realize that if we only share our experience strength and hope within the rooms, then people have to make it to the rooms to get a glimpse of hope, a glimpse that there is a different way.  I try and share when and what is necessary at an individual level.  Today is special, so this one time, I am going to do it a bit differently.

I am putting this out there- to thank the people that have helped along the way, and to encourage anyone who may be struggling.  I am celebrating 19 years of sobriety today.  When I was new, I heard that if I would dream my biggest dreams, they would be too small for what my life would become.  19 years later, this is true.  I have life that is full:  relationships, fun, family, joy, peace.  You name it.  I have it.  I don't have it all, all the time, but I have something all the time, and I can say at the end of each day I am grateful.

Contrast that to 20 years ago...when my life was quite limited.  Limited by my addiction.  Limited by my flawed thinking.  Limited by my lack of hope.  Limited by my lack of joy.  Limited by my self doubt.  Limited by my certainty that life would not change.  All limits set by alcohol's hold on me.

Thank you to all the people that helped along the way.  Thank you to those who loved me when I did not love myself.  Thank you to those that had hope in there eyes that I could see, even though I had none of my own.  Thank you to the people who hugged me when I did not want to be hugged.

And, if there is anyone out there who struggles with alcohol or any other addiction or mental health issue- reach out to someone.  It doesn't need to be me.  What I did not think, that I do now, is that life is not meant to be each of us individually trying to live our best life independently.  It is meant to be spent in relationship- helping others be their best selves, while they help us be our best selves.   Try it. (see, once again, I make it fit the title of the blog...)

The Title is somewhat of a Misnomer...

Trying Things, well if one keeps trying things and finds too many things to like doing, it can be just as overwhelming as not having enough to do.  Retirement is a balance.  Maybe the title should have been finding the balance.  oh well.

I have not gotten back to the Chinese Watercolor yet.  I really WANT to, and it is about making some time for the things I really want to do, soo I am going to make it a priority this week.

One of the issues is that the weather has been really nice here in Boise, so I have been in the yard...doing a bunch of stuff.  Fun, but nothing too exciting - weeding, planting new vege seeds, spring stuff.  Some seeds are in the ground, and the garden is rearranged.

I am clearing out an area to plant bushel gourds. https://www.ufseeds.com/product/bushel-gourd-seeds/

A friend uses a Dremel tool and makes cool decorative gourds (lampshades, light holders, etc)  Check out google images for gourd art.  It looks very cool.  I want to try it.  Grow the gourds, let them dry, and then try it.  I see this as a multi year project.  I have begun by planting seeds indoors and getting the new ground ready for them.  Grow this summer (fingers crossed) then at least 6 months to dry.

Guess that qualifies the post as a "Trying Things" post 😀.  

Another thing I am trying is to not overreact or underreact to the Coronavirus... I get not wanting to overwhelm the system and I get not wanting to spread it unknowingly to more at risk groups,  I don't get the panic buying.  That said, I seem to always have enough food/tp etc for a month or so at least, so there is that. (I am my mother's daughter).  It too is about balance.  Life is good.  Times like this make me reflective, and grateful for my life.  I intend to keep living it in the midst of struggles and the unknown: personal, world and everything in between.  Finding the joy in everyday life is important.

Trying Things Failure

One of the reasons for blogging to increase my willngness to try new things AND to be ok with less than 100% success or, yes, even failure.  It has been really nice out the last few days, and I have spent time prepping garden areas. The remnants of a recent failure reminded me.

I am a gardener.  I am not necessarily good at it, but I like dirt on my hands and over the years, have come to realize some things will grow and some things won't and those things change from year to year.  I have come to accept this, and along the way, learned some tips that make a garden more successful.

I have never tried a fall garden...or succession planting.  Until last year.  My second crop of beans was so successful (succession planting), I decided it was time to plant a fall garden: frost hardy plants- bok choy, broccoli, and both red and green cabbage for a late October/ early November harvest.  I was still working at the time and busy playing solitaire on my time off 😜, so my fall garden (seedlings bought from a local nursery) did not get in the ground until mid September. I was pushing it, but with row cover might get a good harvest.  I have a generally protected area and kale winters over regularly.

It was not two weeks later that a VERY hard frost hit for a few days in a row.  I did have the row cover on, but figured the season was over: dismal failure.

Now, 5 months later, the new pup has pulled the row crop cover through the cyclone fence in spots, so I decided it was time for a bit of garden cleanup.  And, we have crops...bok choy about ready to pick, broccoli with new growth and cabbage... well iffy, but still cabbaging.

Patience is not my strong suit, and I nearly pulled all the plants last November.  Note to self:  Sometimes the difference between utter failure and some level of success is just time.  And patience.