Easy Like Sunday Morning

 No words. Just listen ...

Waking Up to a Weekend

I woke up in our city home this morning and STILL felt the sense of "ahhh" I feel when I wake up in my little weekend oasis home. How lucky am I to feel so perfectly ahhh-some no matter where I wake up, as long as it is a weekend?

I am 61 years old and still living for the weekends. That doesn't feel right. But it does feel perfect for me.

Life can change in a New York Minute. We don't know what we have until it changes. Sometimes change is good. Sometimes? Not so much.

Today, I just want to let the day unfold in whatever manner feels best. Oh, how easy it would be to settle in and have a "cat day" - a day to sleep in sunbeams, watch dust particles in the air and perhaps catch a little catnap while watching TV.

I wish you a sense of ahh-someness wherever you may find it today. A small moment that matters. Sitting in a sunbeam moment, taking in the heat and holding onto it like a warm embrace. 

In Your Own Back Yard

I'm feeling a tad wordless this morning (thank goodness, you may be thinking as you read this),

so I have returned to a post I started last week.

As I headed out on my morning stroll, I admired the lilacs in bloom in our own back yard. This is the view from the catwalk beside our house:

Hidden out of view in this picture is a rabbit who I followed into a neighborhood I rarely, if ever, explore on my walks. I was focused on the rabbit and where it led rather than taking in the scenery all around me. It was an incredible journey.

When I returned home, my attention was once again focused on the lilac tree in full bloom right in our own back yard.

[yes, I see the tree is in need of some trimming to get rid of the dead branches]

As invigorating as it was to get out, walk and explore the neighborhood, returning home brought the sense of "ahhhh" I have come to know and love. 

I could hear the echoes of my daycare days when every nook and cranny of our back yard was put to use.

I envision each of our (past and present) cats enjoying our yard in their own unique ways.

I remember when Mom and I sat on the deck one cool Good Friday morning and she told me, as she had told me many times before, that Good Friday is often overcast and dreary. The sun usually comes out Easter Sunday.

I reminisce about the many visits I've had on our deck. Family gatherings, one-on-one visits, sharing a "cold beverage" after a hot day or a cup of coffee on a cool COVID-restricted-visiting day.

I think of the times I simply stopped and savored the present moment, listening to birds, watching the sky, letting my thoughts wander ...

Sometimes we only have to go as far as our own back yard to find exactly what we are looking for.

A Robin Family

My happy little Disney Princess life continues ...

I spend a lot of time sitting with my aunt on her deck and Mother Nature rarely fails to entertain us. My aunt is wiser than I, when it comes to birds so she is often identifying sparrows for me. I'm a pro on crows, magpies and robins - sparrows? Not so much.

Robins are frequent guests in the park-like area my aunt's deck faces. Every now and again I'll spot a small bird close to a robin and ask my aunt if that could possibly be a baby robin. She tells me time and time again, "No, it is a sparrow". The little bird (okay, sparrow) soon flies off leaving the robin on its own so I must believe what my aunt tells me is true.

This time, it was different. I spotted two adult robins and a little bird flitting back and forth between the adults with the odd flight into a low lying tree. Then it would go back to the adults. There was no sign of confrontation between them. There was a "parental" vibe going on. I asked my aunt once again, "Could that be a baby robin? The storyteller in my mind really wants this to be true." 

First off, she replied that it was a sparrow. As we continued to watch, the nature of the relationship between the birds appeared to be supportive and co-operative. Then another little bird joined the trio on the lawn. And a third. Bird #2 and #3 seemed to have honed the skill of flying more than the little one who kept going back and forth between the adults. 

By this time, even my aunt was convinced we were watching a family of robins. We watched the show they put on for at least ten minutes. When it was time for me to leave, I noticed another neighbor watching the Robin Show and she too, was talking herself out of believing the little bird was a sparrow. We marveled at the fact we may be watching a family of robins who were newly out of the nest and trying out their wings.

More time passed and this little robin family was still together and within sight. I walked to my car and I was fortunate enough to capture this: 

When I got home, I googled "baby robins" and from what I read and enlarging the video footage on my phone, I am 99% certain we were indeed watching a family of robins who had just left their nest.

Mother Nature, you are amazing me on a daily basis. I will be watching for baby geese and ducklings now. I can't wait!

What is amazing you when you stop and let Mother Nature entertain you? If it isn't coming to your own back yard, I highly suggest going for a leisurely stroll. It's good for the soul.

The Crow verses The Baby Rabbit

As promised, here is a frivolous post about my latest walking adventure.

I didn't spot a rabbit immediately upon setting out on my walk but about fifteen minutes into my morning stroll, I came upon this (note the crow on the sidewalk close to the house):

I was in the process of trying to snap a few pictures noting the way crows and rabbits peacefully co-exist in the same space with the instinctual knowledge that neither is a threat to the other, when suddenly there was a flurry of crow verses baby rabbit activity.

It happened so fast. A little rabbit darted out of the scenery above with the crow in hot pursuit. I followed the action scene, prepared to fend off the crow and come to the little one's rescue. 

The crow was perched upon the fence beside a vehicle and was glancing downward. I followed the crow's line of sight and found this baby rabbit hiding under the vehicle the crow was guarding:

I neared the fence where the crow was perched and gave the crow a stern warning. "You leave that little rabbit alone!" It is said crows are very intelligent so I expected the crow to understand my body language and tone. The crow flew up to the rooftop of the garage beside the fence and I added further warnings to my previous one, all the while standing guard beside this baby's hiding spot.

Eventually the crow flew off. The tiny little rabbit came out of hiding and hopped into the alley. I have had very little experience with baby rabbits but from my few recent encounters, they seem to act far more skittish and cagey than their adult kin. I fully expected this little guy to dart out of sight before I could focus and snap a picture. I was wrong:

This traumatized baby rabbit stayed still long enough for me to stop and admire its bravery. I left it alone in the alley, hopeful this furry little ball of rabbit recognized I was not a threat as I walked the other way (even though I would have been happy to sit and watch it all day).

What did that crow want to do with that little baby? Mean crow!! Shame on you! 

P.S. I just googled "Do crows hunt baby rabbits?" and they DO!! I may have saved a life today.

Budgeting verses Increasing Costs of Living

So, have you heard the price of gas went up again? This is becoming the newest well worn phrase, replacing talk about the weather.

Would you rather talk about gas prices or weather? I'm not a fan of either topic. My go-to response is "How are you coping with [insert gas costs or current weather issue]?"

My strategy is (and always has been) struggling to ensure my expenses do not exceed my income. Either cut down spending or increase income. Is there anything to be sold? Is there a more economical way to manage what we have? Using power, water and heating frugally. What spending can be slashed? 

When gas prices started inching up, I played the game well. I utilized Air Miles incentives at their sponsored gas station. All I had to do was fill up three times within a month to receive 100 bonus Air Miles. Then one can redeem 95 of those Air Miles for $10.00 off any Air Miles purchase at their affiliated stores. I have cashed in $50.00 of those miles since January and I'm one gas fill up away from my next $10.00 bonanza.

My credit cards accumulate points which can either go towards payment of the credit card balance or a purchase at the store which is associated with the card. I have recently added a new card which has offered a savings of 25 cents per litre for the first 10 fill ups using the card. I have loyalty cards where I shop the most. 

It is a game and I play it (fairly) well. At the moment, I have about $100.00 worth of points I can utilize to subsidize the increasing costs of living.

Groceries have always been my go-to budget slashing item. I have gotten lazy over the course of time and have defaulted to buying whatever I please. I shop at the most economical store I know of to ensure overall, I'm paying as low a price as possible (not always true but it tends to work out to saving $5.00 to $6.00 per $50.00 spent). Granted, due to the knowledge I'm saving money, I have a tendency to over-spend at this very store so I'm still spending more than I should.

The benefit of online grocery shopping is you can play around with the items in your cart and ensure you don't exceed your budgeted amount. The ability to add, remove, change and alter your order without physically walking up and down the aisles with a calculator in hand is a huge benefit. Something I haven't utilized. Yet. But the day is coming (or already has come and gone and I missed the memo). It may take more time but this could save money each and every time I shop.

So far, the only grocery budgeting strategy I have managed to date is due to my "intentional eating" mandate. I have stopped allowing myself to grab a bag of chips and eat in front of the TV so I can stay awake longer. No eating while watching TV is my rule. I have not limited what I can eat or how much I can eat. I simply altered HOW I eat. I must eat without distraction. I am three weeks into this resetting of my mindset and I can tell you one thing. Eating chips without watching TV is the furthest thing from my mind. I am easily saving a three-bag-a-week chip habit. Plus, I have stopped drinking my favorite diet cola beverage in lieu of water (flavored water using drink crystals which we already have, but I'm trying). I used to drink a one litre bottle of pop every other day or so. So add my pop savings to my chip savings and it equals a weekly savings of $12.36 according to today's bargain store pricing. 

My take-out food habit has been reined in by driving out to my weekend oasis location. Recent take-out spending has amounted to less than $50 per month. When I spend weekends in the city it is almost guaranteed we will order take-out food at least once, easily doubling that amount. My old spending habits easily averaged $100.00 per month or more.

Current monthly spending habits equal cashing in on $10.00 worth of Air Miles by playing by the rules of current promotions + almost $50.00 in chips & pop + $50.00 take-out reduction = $110.00 per month. 

And this ... is how I justify the gas it costs to drive an extra 250 km per week to spend time at my weekend rejuvenation destination. Unfortunately the cost to fill my gas tank (compared to last year's prices) has increased by approximately $33.00 per fill up X 4 times per month = a cost increase of  $132.00 per month so I still need to find a way to slash $22.00 monthly spending. 

What can be slashed? Do we need Netflix ($18.30) AND Amazon Prime ($11.09)? No. Do I NEED the extra channel package on my cable TV ($8.88)? Not without the ability to stay awake without eating chips, I don't. I just "found" another $20.00 I could save. 

I have slashed "going out for coffee with a friend" from my expenses. Holidays? I have one possible destination in mind but I have been saving $100 per month for just such an occasion so IF I make a decision, it has already been factored in. Thanks to previous COVID restrictions, I have lost my desire to go to see a movie, attend live theatre, a weekend day trip to meet up with someone halfway between our homes or any of my previous ideas of a fun outing. I'm saving all kinds of money by holding onto those restrictions on an ongoing basis.

The question is: Am I still living a memorable life while slashing "all of the above"? 

My answer is: Thanks to my little home away from home on the weekends, I have added value to my weekends where I am restored by spending time in my little oasis where my recreational vices are spending time/walking with my sister; cooking/cleaning/puttering around our little home; and the joy of having a cousin move in six houses from my little weekend retreat. I have found a way to justify the cost of gas and it doesn't feel like I've sacrificed a thing. 

I stepped away from this post in progress to make myself a smoothie. With each and every cupboard, fridge and freezer door I opened I marveled at the privilege I have. A fully stocked kitchen with back up supplies. The ability to replenish what we have. The precarious notion of a guaranteed income. An income stream which could change in a New York Minute.

I am trying so very hard to be vigilant with spending as I know the fine line between life-as-I-know-it and how life-could-be should circumstances change.

What are your coping strategies? Have rising costs of living stilted your way of life or have you been fortunate enough to add value to your life by cutting corners in a way where you don't feel the burden of filling up your gas tank? Have you managed to find small ways to make a difference? Or has this added fuel to the fire of a budget already stretched beyond its limitations?

Enough said. Tomorrow, I'd like to write about rabbits again. Okay?

Could this be a sign that ever goes by the wayside?

After the Clock Strikes Twelve

After a Cinderella kind of day and an ideal weekend at "The Oasis" at my little home away from home, I hear the clock striking twelve. The spell is running out of magic. Soon I will have to race back home to resume life as I know it.

Friday was the culmination of two weeks of intentional living. Prior to those two weeks, I wrote down a list of what I missed about my daycaring days. Routine, being outdoors, a state of perpetual motion, a menu of relatively balanced meals, quiet time and looking at the world through the eyes of a child are just a few that pop to mind. Then there are the "heaven on earth" moments as I watched children contentedly playing amongst themselves with no awareness of my presence.

Taking in the wonders of the world around me still brings back a sense of awe within my regularly scheduled life. My newly developed habit of going for a morning walk has reawakened a part of myself I have missed. 

After walking with the rabbits first thing in the morning, coming upon an industrious little ant on my way out the door, spotting a family of geese on my way to my boss' home (they were still in the same spot when I drove home) and some yellow-headed blackbirds perched atop the cattails in the slough beside the geese I felt intoxicated with wonder and let myself feel the ahh-someness of each and every moment.

I arrived at my little oasis on the prairie which is surrounded by trees and birds that night. I was still in a Disney Princess mode when I woke up the next morning. I puttered through the morning under the spell that had been cast upon me when I noticed one of Mother Nature's creatures perched atop my car outside, peeking in the window watching ME:

 

There are a lot of mourning doves in the area and I wistfully hoped it was a mourning dove peeking in on me because it seemed there could be an other worldly significance to that idea. My son brought me down to earth with a crash when he asked if it may have been a prairie chicken which according to Google images is more likely.

What kind of bird it was doesn't really matter. The idea of Mother Nature's creatures watching me watch them held more significance. The rabbits I followed were well aware of my presence as they watched my every move. The Canada geese on the side of the rode froze in their tracks the moment I stopped the car to take a picture. 

I love waking up in this forested little oasis on the prairie. Robins are my alarm clock; Canada geese have joined in with the robins on occasion; mourning doves are the snooze button; followed up by the sounds of grackles if I stay in bed too long.

Yes, I feel like a Disney Princess. I feel like I'm living a scene right out of Cinderella.

The clock is striking twelve as I type and I feel these heaven-on-earth moments slipping through my fingertips as I type. Back to the real word of work and deadlines is looming. 

By holding onto the wonder filled moments as I walk back into life as I know it, maybe I can remain grounded as I face the workload of the days ahead. I'll hold onto the one remaining glass slipper to remind me the sense of "ahhh" is still within me. I just have to keep living with intention and remind myself to stop, look and listen to the world outside my doors. 

Welcome to Monday. The day when many of us must step back into our regular work schedule after a period of rejuvenation. May you seek for and find small moments of ahhh-someness within your day.