Focused at Fifty

It marvels me at what lives in my yard and garden. Being on the edge of the woods, I do get a greater variety of animals, birds, and insects, but it really brings out the science geek in me every time I garden. I trimming back chives the other evening and disturbed a small nest of little white spiders. They weren't mites, but actual spiders. I also came across several nesting sets of earwigs in my flower beds, specifically in the hyacinths. They weren't in the chives or the daffodils. I guess the rent was too expensive. Very interesting. I am a true believer of "God's creatures" so I do not try and disturb as I go along. By the way, I am a bit hypocritical as I still will kill cockroaches, mosquitoes, and the random wasp which singles me out for the kill.  Note to myself, I really must clean my gardening gloves. They still smell of chives four days later. The odor, not that unpleasant, lends it self to a garlicky onion aroma but is hard to get off of me onc...

Well I am 40! I survived the evening and guess what? I am at peace and feel good. I have a sense of serenity about it all. It's all good.

Yes, I am buzzed. But ... not too buzzed to notice that I am on the edge of a new era/time in my life. I am TURNING 40!!!! I figured I could accept it philosophically or drunk. Well I am accepting it philosophically AND drunk. Do you know what made my day??? I have a robin's nest with babies right by my front door. That is just so cool. My life is becoming exactly what I want it to. I love my home and my garden. My rose bush is BLOOMING! I am so excited I didn't kill it! LOL. I have a great garden. The house is coming along! I am realizing that the key to succeeding in life is to decide on your dreams and THEN MAKE THEM HAPPEN. I want to be a writer and I am succeeding. I am effing writing my effing blog! LOVE IT. Even if two people read it, the difference is that I am writing it for myself. BUT .... I would love you to read it too! :) The cats are great. Max is a healthy bruiser. Miss little Moxie is not so little. She is on a diet, but we have lost a pound and are on our ...

I started my first job at age 15 at Wenonah Elementary School as a custodial assistant. Yes, I worked as a janitor for one summer and one summer only! I can't believe I would even admit to it now after such disastrous results, but I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I worked with one of my close friends that summer, Mike. He had actually gotten me the job. We were to help clean the school during summer recess:  painting fences and walls, scraping desks, fixing ceilings, mowing the lawn, polishing floors, well, you get the idea. We worked for a crusty old curmudgeon of a custodian named Mr. Brown. He was miserable, smelled like sweat, turpentine, and cigars, but was kind of nice when he let his " grumbly " guard down. He was constantly on us because the school council and administration were constantly on him about his "schedule" to get things done before the fall. Mike and I worked hard that summer, sweating everyday doing manual labor. ...