Category: dreams

Animals, Creativity, dreams, Emotions, Exercise, Guitar, Learning, Life, Motorcycles, Nature, Photography, Riding, Thinking, Writing

Setting Goals

1972italy

The bird feeder is mighty busy this morning! Our latest group of visitors seem to be mourning doves. That is rather surprising to me. They are very visible this time of year one and two I don’t really like them (they were the ones that would hang out and poop on the cars and motorcycles before we got the garage built). Both myself and the dogs tend to chase the mourning doves off when they arrive. And they haven’t been around very much for the past few years.

As it turns out I have the day off. So here are my goals… Work on the novel, start my exercise routine, do some photography (this includes delving back into the Dummies Guide for the camera), do some housework and pull out one of my guitars and practice. I don’t know how much I will accomplish but I can get it all done today should I so chose without using up my whole day.

It is snowing again. I think that is big reason that all the birds are hanging out. So I guess I ought to add checking the bird feeder to the to do list. I filled it the other day…. and holy crap it’s almost empty! I looked at it from my window here and I can see a lot of trees through the windows. So fill the bird feeder….

I am also trying to mentally make plans for riding season. It will be here before I know it. And this year I need to kick my fear habit and just ride. Being close to work will help. It is a short jaunt and if I want to “go around the block” I can after work (I am already looking forward to more sun and warm weather). Regardless… I need to break through the mental block that is holding me back. I can’t justify doing track days if I’m not putting the time in on the road.

All that being said (or written as the case may be) I need to get started. I did get a bunch of cool photos yesterday so I will pick some to download from the camera and see what I took on the phone and add them to the post. I hope you all have a great day and thanks for reading! As always stay safe!

Animals, anxiety, Creativity, Dogs, dreams, Emotions, family, Life, Nature, Photography, Thinking, Writing

Feeling a Bit Anxious

1972italy

I am happy to say that I am writing this on my laptop. It is finally connecting to the internet and after a bit of finagling to the printer as well. I had a busy day yesterday between the novel and various things around the house. The novel work was mostly research reading but I did take a few notes. I was able to spend some good quality time with my family as well. Why then did I wake up at 6am with a panic attack?

It is very frustrating because no matter what I have done this morning my mind keeps rolling around everything that could go wrong in my life. Every possible bad what if scenario. The harder I try to change my mind the deeper it seems to dig in. But I don’t want to think those thoughts!

Yesterday’s snow turned to rain and mostly had disappeared by the time the sun went down. But this morning it is quite the winter wonderland as you will see. I wonder how busy we will be at work tonight. I can laze around this morning as I don’t work until 2pm. I am hoping to spend some of that time on my novel. This time I need to get atleast a page of prose written.

Even though I am in my office Essie is staying out in the living room. A lot of times she will just go back to bed if I am in here. Moose was the only one who would actually spend the morning in here with me on a regular basis. I miss my baby boy.

I think before I turn the laptop off this morning I will try to find and print a map of the area my novel is taking place. I was going to order one from Amazon but I don’t need to. If I can find a decent map online to print it will be just as good.

I think I need to just sit with Essie for a bit and watch the snow fall. Maybe that will help my mind ease up. I tried going back to sleep but I just tossed and turned for two hours before I gave up and finally got out of bed. I hope everyone has a great day! Thanks for reading (and the support) and stay safe!

Animals, Books, Creativity, Dogs, dreams, family, Life, Nature, Photography, Reading, Thinking, Writing

Trying a Little More

1972italy

The rain from yesterday turned to snow and we got enough to cover the ground and trees. Not a lot but is is a bit slushy. I’ve not seen or heard any traffic for a few hours. All is quiet. Definitely a stay at home day.

I am hoping to get more research done as well as get atleast a page written for the novel. I keep telling myself that even if I just write a page a day I will have a full length novel at the end of the year. And if I get multiple pages in a day then on those days when the writing just won’t come I still have my page for that day.

Everyone is up this morning including Chris and it has thrown me off. I am used to quiet and not really talking until atleast two hours after I get up. Speaking to another human before my normal time is off putting. But I think the big thing is that it snowed. The rain had melted most of what we had and it was actually warming up. We could see and feel Spring in the near future. Then this. I know it should be expected but that does not change how I feel about it.

The girls have been very busy that past few nights after I got home. I have played with them as much as I could. We have also decided that they girls will start getting chicken or beef in their kibble at night. Breakfast will still be canned and kibble (with broth). Hopefully that will help keep them healthy.

I might try to get outside (ooo! A car just drove by!) and take some photos. I should actually. I’ve not done much lately. I am looking at taking a class though. Maybe with some more tools at my disposal (knowing more about how to take photographs) I can get back into my groove. It is a nice companion piece to my writing, it gives me another creative outlet.

Speaking of creative outlets I need to wrap this up so I can start digging back into my research. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Ed. Note: We are having internet issues so I will try to upload some photos later today. 🙄😳

Animals, Creativity, Dogs, dreams, Emotions, family, Learning, Life, Nature, Photography, Reading, Thinking, Writing

Good Research 🧐

1972italy

We slept in a bit this morning. Essie is gently snoring beside me on the love seat. Stella has gone back to bed with her Daddy. The sky is a powder grey. Winds wax and wane. What snow we had is almost gone. Just in time for the “storm” we might get starting tonight or tomorrow. A wapping 1-2 inches each day. 🙄

Yesterday it was hard to go to work because I had gotten knee deep in research for my novel. I was finding out that my random choices for topic (werewolves) and location (Italy) did indeed go together very very well! I am so very excited! Further research is also lending itself to a lovely plot twist. (Sorry to be so vague. Part of it is I am still working out details and the other part is I don’t like to share too much what I am involved in a story. It’s like picking up the lid to peek in when you are trying to cook something. You let the heat out and there’s not much to look at.)

I went to bed happy and content but I seem to have woken up feeling lost and alone. I’m not sure what I was dreaming about last but I think that has something to do with it. I am hoping to get some more work done on the novel once I get home tonight. It feels like Friday but it also feels like it shouldn’t be Friday. I had to go check my work schedule. I work an hour later than I thought. (Later as in longer not that I go in later.)

I did get a few photos taken that I’ll share. Looking at the clock I’d better get moving. Time has gotten away from me again. Thanks for reading and all your wonderful support! And as always stay safe! ❤️

Animals, Books, Creativity, Dogs, dreams, Emotions, family, Holiday, Life, Photography, retail, Thinking, Writing

Early Morning Blah

1972italy

Here I am again composing this on my phone. The internet seems to going in and out like waves on a beach. I finally got it to load the blogs I am following but it is hit and miss as to whether or not it will load the full post. So I am sorry if I have missed reading your posts this morning!

Yesterday I got some head way going in my novel. I had to order a research book because what I was finding online and in my own personal research books wasn’t enough information. The frustrating thing is most of this is background for the novel. It may or may not make it in the actual story. But I can’t tell the story without having the background. So I do the research.

Today is going to be a long one. Sleep was evasive last night. I slept for about two hours then awake an hour. Then I’d sleep an hour or so and be up for another hour. This went on all night. I feel like I’ve gotten no sleep at all. Then fighting with the internet… oh well.

I received a beautiful bracelet from my Mother-in-law for Christmas! The purchase of the bracelet went to support the rescue and tracking of elephants. I have even been given the name of one that I adopted via the bracelet! ❤️

I will wrap this up so I can get ready for work. I didn’t do much with the camera but I got some fun shots of the kids. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Animals, Creativity, dreams, Emotions, family, Friends, Holiday, Life, Music, Nature, Photography, the World, Thinking, Writing

Holiday Cheer

1972italy

It has been snowing since yesterday morning and we have about 4 inches (10 cm) of snow so far. It hasn’t let up much so we’ll see how much we end up with. Today is Christmas. That means I don’t have to hear Christmas music when I got to work on Sunday! Whoo hoo! It will be nice to get back to “normal” around here. Looks like the wind is going pretty good. The snow is blowing across the window instead of falling from the sky to the ground. I also need to go out and check the bird feeder. It should be ok but I may need to replace the suet on one side.

The other night I kept dreaming about trying to find one of my best friends from school. We lost touch when Chris and I still lived in Louisville, Kentucky. The last I heard from her she was going to have to go home and face her family because she wasn’t able to make it in Chicago. At one point she asked me to come and live with her there but I couldn’t. There was so much wrong with the way her family treated her and for her to have to come back to them…. I honestly wonder if she is alive. I put out the word to fellow classmates that I am still in touch with and no one has heard anything from her but me. A few times I have been tempted to send a letter to their address but I’m sure they have moved since then. I still might. I would really like to get back in touch with her. Short of hiring a private investigator I’ve tried everything else.

I am excited to give Chris his stuff when he gets up. I am grateful that Mom and I could go in together to get it for him. It is something that he really wants but could not get for himself. I like it when I can do things like that for him. He usually just gets stuff himself. Once he gets up the kids can get their gifts as well. Chris got them 2 toys each at the store the other day. I’m pretty sure that some of them squeak so I’ll wait to give them out.

I have a whole day in front of me. What shall I do? I know that I will be on the phone a lot but I would like to spend some time writing, even if it is just putting some of my short stories into WordPerfect. I have already used the program to do my word count for the paper. That was amazing to not have to count article by hand! Almost as good as not having to brush all this snow coming down off my car the next time I go to work!

I think I will wrap this up as I need some more coffee and I see that the holiday messages are coming fast and furious on my phone… oh and Chris is awake! Merry Christmas!

Animals, Creativity, Dogs, dreams, Emotions, family, Friends, Holiday, Life, Love, Nature, retail, the World, Thinking, Writing

Looking Through the Fog

1972italy

Another dark morning. It is warm enough outside that the snow is melting and we are getting a thick fog. This morning is a rather blah morning. I got sleep but it was not a good sleep. Essie did not eat anything until late last night but Moose did eat both his meals. He wouldn’t eat this morning and I wonder if he doesn’t like the canned food. I didn’t put any thing but egg in the kibble for breakfast and then chicken broth for dinner. This morning I used canned and nothing doing. Sooooo… I guess I will try to find a different type of canned dog food for him.

I decided that I need a new routine. My morning routine is all well and good but that is my only routine. I need to incorporate one that I do my writing. If I don’t specifically say I am writing at this time (like I do for my blog) it will never get done. I will plan to do it at one point over the course of the day but I will never get to it (like yesterday). Since I have to wait an hour after Moose gets his first dose medicine before I can give him his second one I decided that in that hour of waiting I will work on my writing. Not journaling but I will pull out one of the novels and write. Even if I only get through a page of writing it will be something. I will give myself a break when I have a meeting to cover for the paper (if I need it).

Everyone seems to be getting into the holiday spirit here. I’m not necessarily bah humbug (atleast not all the time) but I really just want it over with. After working at Younker’s for so long I can’t shake the stressed out feeling that we got every year. Constant Christmas music doesn’t help but the stresses are definitely not there to sell, sell, sell. Christmas just doesn’t mean much to people anymore. I suppose things might be a little different this year with the pandemic and all. And I am not talking religious beliefs either (I am trying to stay off my soap box when it comes to that). I am talking just spending time with family and friends. The gifts don’t matter but spending time with loved ones does. Sure I like the excuse to get things for my loved ones but it shouldn’t be necessary.

I read all the other blogs and they write about things to help others and I sit here and essentially whine and talk about myself. Am I helping others? I don’t know. Maybe. Even if it is as simple as someone reading this and knowing that they aren’t alone in how they feel.

Looking at the clock (and the amount of in and out from the pups) I should wrap this up. Thanks for reading and stay safe.

Aging, Animals, Creativity, Dogs, dreams, Emotions, family, Holiday, Life, Photography, Thinking, Writing

Putting It Together Piece By Piece

1972italy

How does one go to bed with a wonderful attitude and looking forward to the day wake up grumpy? I went to bed happy and excited and this morning…. Last night I did a big thing for myself. I purchased a current copy of WordPerfect. I have wanted to replace my old copy for years now but not had the money. This time I had the money and the price was waaay too good to pass up. Less than $100. The program has gone for around $250. The purchase of WordPerfect is a further step for me down my writing path. I don’t have to count each word in my articles for the paper anymore. The program will do it for me. AND I got the professional version because it has an e-book section. So the plan is to start putting my two finished novels into the laptop (saving on a memory stick as I go) and once I finish editing see if I can epublish them. I might even try to put together something from all my photos. So I really did fall asleep with visions of sugar plums in my head!

I think part of the whole thing is Moose. I don’t like having to squirt the medicine down his throat any more than he likes having me do it. But he refuses to take it in milk of any kind (I even tried a new brand to see if that would help) and he is eating less and less. After I finish writing this I am going to run to the vet to get the pink medicine for him. Since he was actually eating on a regular basis when he was taking both medicines this tells us that he has stomach ulcers. I am going to be getting further instructions from the vet when I pick up the meds.

Another part is Mom is freaking out about things she is doing as she gets older. When we first moved here we told her she was welcome to stay with us. We have 5 acres and she can build her a small house on the property. Well she wants to take us up on the offer. And that is fine. But there is a lot of work to be done to figure out where and when and if we can build. That whole situation is becoming overwhelming. But once the New Year rolls over I need to start making phone calls to get someone out here to mark our property lines then start calling around to find out what we need to do to get things started.

I am looking at the clock and I need to get going so I can make it to the vet’s office and back before Chris leaves for work. I don’t have to be to work until 2pm so I have some time yet. I will try to add some more photos from the other day and not duplicate. When I upload things it doesn’t tell me what I already have on here and I can’t do it and see what I have on my laptop so I apologize for any duplicates. Thanks for reading and all your support! Stay safe!

Animals, Creativity, Dogs, dreams, Emotions, family, Learning, Life, Nature, Photography, Reading, Thinking, Writing

Finding the Way

1972italy

I need to figure out what I am doing. With everything. Because I’ve not been feeling well I’ve not been pushing myself as much. Not on here nor pursuing other stories I could write (both fiction and non). What I have been doing in focusing more on the home and family. Which is good but I need to do more. I have ideas…. but will I follow through? Not feeling like I do.

Yesterday was not a total disaster. I got quite a bit done around the house. Trimmed the kids toe nails, repotted the mums (I lost one of my aloe plants and it was in a big pot), did laundry, did dishes, vacuumed…. you get the idea. I tried to pace myself over the course of the day. I have been trying to make myself do that so I don’t overwhelm myself.

I talked to Moose’s vet yesterday. I will go and pick up more of the pink medicine for him tomorrow morning. The medicine is to help possible stomach ulcers heal. We think that is why he has been doing the “juicy urps” and not wanting to eat. He won’t take his other medicine now either. I have to squirt it down his throat and hope for the best. He gets the juicy urps and that sometimes results in him bringing up whatever he just ate. He did eat dinner last night but he refused more than a few mouthfuls this morning of breakfast. I am at a loss. I had to switch back to the other special kibble we had for him because they are out of stock of what we are currently using. I got a small bag. Is it that he doesn’t like the food? Is it because he can’t eat? I just don’t know what to do.

I played with both my cameras yesterday. We had some moments of sunshine and I tried to see if I could get some with it reflecting off of ice and snow. I also tried (to no avail) to get a photo of snow falling. Or a drip from a melting icicle. I even tried a few new settings but no joy. So I guess back to the book. I will share what I have (the bird feeder was busy) with photos. Let me know what you think. Suggestions are also welcome. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Aging, Dogs, dreams, Emotions, family, Friends, History, Learning, Life, Nature, the World, Thinking

What We Can Learn

1972italy

This morning is the opposite of yesterday. As bright as it was the shadows today are darker. The sky looks cold and about to cry. Essie doesn’t feel well this morning. She didn’t eat breakfast and has been outside several times. Moose and Stella are curled up in the pile of blankets on the couch. I need to pull out two of those blankets to go in my car, Angus, soon. Moose needs to go to the vet this morning to get further tests on his kidney disease. His medicine should arrive today as well. Lol. I just let Essie back in and she made a beeline for the couch and is currently looking for a spot to lay with her siblings.

As I was watching and chatting with customers it struck me that all the “old” people were once young and all the young people will (possibly) become old. I listen to the stories of the older folks and laugh with them at the antics they got away with when they were younger. Then there are the older ones that flirt shamelessly cheeky monkeys that they are. They all have stories to tell. They have lived adventures we never can, survived things that we can’t understand. To ignore them is a shame on us. No matter how old they still have things to teach us.

And the young do too. They can teach us how to live life instead of worry about every little thing (although the pandemic is making a lot of them grow up and worry too soon). Thy remind us that we have imaginations that can take us anywhere, we just need to follow our hearts.

I guess the point is that we can still learn from each other. If we make the effort. Stay safe and thanks for reading.