Learning Curve

It seems that lately everywhere I read or listen to news, I am hearing things about memory loss as one ages.  Well, we are all aging of course, but as I will soon be 66, and am so "thoroughly" enjoying my retirement, my thoughts, which I can still remember, are to keeping that learning curve going so that my memory stays as in tack as it can.  So this retired rural Missouri woman does many a thing to keep her brain alert.

After I retired, I decided to make a list of many things I wanted to do the first few years of retirement.  I pulled out that "glamping" journal and saw that I had accomplished them over the winter months when I could not go glamper camping.  However, as the weather starts to warm, I still have more and more plans to challenge myself with the learning curve. 

Some of the items I planned to do this past winter season were: 

Quilting, did a large French colors tied and hand quilted blocked pieced quilt which I will use in my camper.  I also purchased several quilts at auctions and fixed them, for use at home or in the camper. 

Sewing, did some messages bags and also sewed several different storage, lunch bags with ties.

Embroidery, finished my two pairs of pillowcases for the bed at home, plus on more glamping pillow case for the camper.  I also purchased a project to work on this summer while camping, in red work, a wall quilt.

Knitting, several pairs of socks for myself and some friends, 30 or more newborn hats for the hospital, and now plans for hats for the Native American Elders, a few sweaters for Congo project, and then some mittens for myself and family and friends.

Writing, did lots of journals, letters, cards, and yes, started my blog.

And to top it all off, I did, yes, I am still doing my auditing of two college classes as Hannibal LaGrange University.  I have been in the American Drama class, enjoying reading and discussing plays.  Then the other class is History of Slavery.  The topic is very interesting and discussion and reading good.  However, I have found that the professor is so very smart that sometimes he just gets lost and does not stay on track.  Well, that is part of the learning curve also....to select and acknowlege what is working for me.

My husband and I also have been doing nightly games of Yahtzee.  It is good interaction and matching and math skills to help the brain. 

I have diagramed my veggie gardens and sorted heirloom seeds and planned to plant my hotbed soon.  Gardening is such a healthy activity for all ages.  Part of the fun in the winter is planning and plotting for the coming season, recalling all the wonderful produce that we used and shared.

Also, I stay active with family, church, community, my consignment booths, which also mean going to auctions, and now as weather permits soon, my dear foxhound, Daisy and I will head out to camp, or as we call it "glamping"....glamour camping.  I look forward to my teapots full of warm teas and sitting by the campfire, long walks with Daisy, and sitting and knitting, etc.  My Daisy just turned two this week, and she was so very excited when we moved the camper from its winter storage behind the shed to our side drive.  She knows what is ahead for us two friends.  I know many of my other family and friends will come out and have campfires with us.  Some may even spend a night with us. 

The college audit classes will end the end of April, and glamping will really start, plus my wonderful gardens will start also.  So this mind will continue to learn and be active.  And I will plan for more projects and classes to keep the "Learning Curve" for my old but not inactive mind working as well as it does....for many years LORD Willing.

SPRING LIKE Weather....yes, oh, yes

This winter seems to be coming to an end, and today was one nice day...almost 70 here in rural northeast Missouri.  I so enjoyed hearing the Redwing Blackbirds as Daisy Mae and I took, not just one, but two long walks.  And in between those two walks, I took my neighbor's dog home.  It seems Skip got away from them and they had not missed him yet.  My dogs were glad to see him, so they all played a bit, but then I leashed and walked him down the gravel road to his home.  Jonathon was just coming for him, so yelled "thanks" and I unleased Skip so he could head home.  Yes, here in my neck of the woods we even know our neighbor's dog's names.  I do feel for those that don't even know their neighbors.

Around the pond we saw a turtle sunning itself.  I know that even these hardshelled beasts must enjoy the warmth that was shining all over us today.  Our snow is gone accept in some of the ditches, but Daisy had to venture in those areas to see if she could sniff what had been there before we went that way.  She found rabbit, squirrel, deer and coyote tracks.  Of course, she also found Skip tracks, and looked longingly his way when we passed their house on our second walk. 

It is interesting to me how animals can become pals and enjoy each other.  It also makes me wonder why we cannot be more like animals in this area.  It seems that people like to complain, gripe, and be frustrated at their life and others lifes instead of enjoying each other.  I know on facebook that so many are negative about things.  But you are never going to have a positive day if all you are is negative.  I do believe it all starts with you.  My grandmother used to say, "You can get up and say , Thank  GOD for another day, or you can say, Oh, no, another day to work, etc."   These days we should be happy if we have a job and work.  Being retired, I still fill my days and work on my "to do" list.  By the way, my husband has one also which he works hard at finishing.  I am always there to add more, and he just laughs.  See, being positive can even make you laugh some. 

Tonight my dogs and I sat and watched our beautiful sunset.  There is so much to enjoy and one thing for sure to enjoy is that Spring is just around the corner.  I am ready....glamping will soon follow, and who cannot feel happy and positive about that.  I know Daisy Mae is and I am imagining that she will meet some other dog friends when she is glamping this season. 

February Ending

Originally I am from Wisconsin, with long and cold winters.  Since 1989, I have lived in Missouri, considering it a southern state.  After all, the history tells of civil war, both sides here in Missouri, of slavery in my county being 20% of the population before the civil war.  Yes, to me that means south.  The people speak southern to my thinking.  However, weather wise, this year has been nothing about southern. It has been frigid many, too many, days, and it has been snowy, for long days, with snow staying on for weeks.  Does it remind me of Wisconsin.  Never.  But, the winter, with its needed moisture, has been a brutal one this year.  I saw tree branches crashing to the ground due to ice build up.  One thing we certainly have here in Missouri...ice storms....icky!.  I personally was in one blizzard that came on in the short time of ten minutes from my home, driving down Hwy. 61, in blinding snow, to get to the hospital for blood work.  So I kept going, very slowly and made it safe, only to find that on my way out of the hospital, there were about four inches of snow.  Yes, four inches.  I was NOT in there that long, maybe 30 minutes at the most.  So does that remind me of Wisconsin....NO. 

Wisconsin is a beautiful state in so many ways.  It is my home state.  However, I have lived in so many other states that I won't list them here.  And in those "other" states, I have lived in many different areas.  I tried to enjoy the journey and find something good about each place I lived.  It was, truelly hard for me, to find something good about Indiana, accept that I only lived there for 1 1/2 years.  I have to consider that when moving to gray skied Indiana, I had moved from 90% sunny days beautiful state of Colorado.  Now that is hard to beat.

But each state, each place, taught me things about the place and about myself.  I am thankful for each adventure, and I really mean that....as some were really adventures.  Like the time I lived in a truck camper with two dogs and three children, and homeschooled, while camping in the Rocky Mountains.  Wonderful time.   Good memories.  Another time for that story for sure. 

I have come to the conclusion that none of these states, even Missouri, will compare to Wisconsin.  I was born there.  I was raised there.  I lived there until I was 21, then the moving started.  I did move back two different times, once for nine years and once for only two years in my adult life with children.....and dogs, of course.  I have lots of memories, and bonds to Wisconsin.  But let's get real.  I have lived in Missouri since 1989, in good and bad times, but 1989 is a long time now that it is 2014.  So, is Missouri home.  Yes, in many ways and I will most likely live here the rest of my life, in rural Missouri hopefully, in this home, with my dogs and my yard and my garden and my camping as long as I can, and my painting, and my knitting, and my baking, and my quilting, etc. etc. etc.  Oh, those etc's make me sound like "The King and I".  At least I am not that far away from home.  but what is home?

Home is where you are, where you make your life.  Therefore, I have been blessed so much to have many homes in many places, and currently, and for many years now, I have lived here in rural northeast Missouri.  No, it is not Wisconsin, and No, it never will be Wisconsin.  But it does not have to be.  I will let it be Missouri, or as my husband says...Missourah.  I am in the south....with snow and cold at least this winter.

And to close.....please, oh, please, spring, please come soon.  But it will be the same time.  March 20th.  Happy Spring to all.

Winter Wonderland/Inside Creativity

Winter in Missouri this year has been extremely cold, with ice and snow that stays and stays.  It does give me fond memories of living/growing up in Wisconsin northland.  I would ice skate, ski, sled, snow shoe, and just have plain fun in the snow with snow forts and snowmen and snow horses.  But as an older adult, I am not sure I am appreciating the cold weather for any of those reasons.  I must admit I enjoy walking my Daisy Mae, bundling up of course, but being out in the falling snow and slidding along on the ice patchs in the yard and driveway.  I like crunching the thin ice on puddles of water and have even been able to walk on our pond this year.  I only recall being able to do that one other time in the twenty some years I have lived in rural northern Missouri.

What I am enjoying most is the inside time.  I enjoy the slow mornings, not getting dressed and out the door.  I enjoy the time to sit and knit, whatever project I am working at that time, and watching the early morning news programs.  By the way, right now I am working up some baby hats for charity gifts for the hospital.  They go fast and are a nice change from larger projects.  And, of course, I always have a small basket with a pair of socks I am working on.  My antique dressers right side top drawer is filled with about 20 pair of homemade knit socks I wear, but I continue to make them for myself and family.  I believe it is my knitting passion (socks). 

I also am enjoying quilting my large French colored block quilt by hand.  My dear dog Daisy likes this quilt also.  Whenever I get it out on the bed to look at it, she jumps up and lays on it, looking up at me, with a smile I believe.  I place it on the dining room table to quilt, while listening to books on CD from my library.  Daisy again jumps up on the table and lays on the quilt, as if it is where she belongs.  I had to tell her that I really will finish this quilting project, which is a big one, but when I do, we will use the quilt on the home bed and also the camper (glamper) bed.  I think I saw another smile on my dear foxhounds face.  Maybe she is not an English foxhound after all and is French, because she sure does like the colors in this quilt.

Of course other things I spend time doing are crafting (homemade Valentines made with my 11 year old granddaughter, Alorah), and reading....lots of it, from my Bible, to books on CD, to magazines such as Orion and MaryJaneFarms, and knitting, quilting magazines, plus plays.  Yes, plays.  You see, I am taking some audit classes at Hannibal LaGrange University.  It is lots of fun, all learning but no papers to write or tests to take, and much cheaper then for the credits.  I was reading in the AARP magazine that many "baby boomers" are auditing classes for the fun and continued learning while they work their brains, and meet new people.  So, I applied that bit of reading to action of doing. 

Cold weather can be hard on us, but we need to bundle up and go out when we can.  Fresh air helps our health.  Inside time is also something we need to use wisely.  You see, I have so many projects planned, that I am hoping that spring does not come "to" soon.  This lady has a list she is working hard on to complete.  Well, I can keep the list for next winter if I don't get it all done. 

Adventures in Dog Walks

As many times as I take my Daisy Mae for walks in our rural area, most often in the same three directions, she is always so excited.  She seems to find a new adventure each and every time.  She smells new things, and what does that tell her?  I can imagie as I walk the same areas, appreciating the nicer weather, and liking my rural life, she is smelling who or what was in that area since she was there, and who or what passed this or that way.  Today as we walked on the far end of the pond bank, Daisy just went this way and that way.  She alerted me to large tracks at the pond edge and then into the woods.  Oh, it was exciting to see that I was right in my thinking last night.  Late into the night, with the quiet of our area, I was awakened to many howling coyotes, close, I thought, very close.  Yes they were.  My Daisy Dog pointed that out to me in our daily walk today.  She is the investigator, noise to the ground, sticking it in each little snow hole that a squirrel or rabbit makes.  It is fun to watch her discover her world anew each walk.  Now, I also, must take things anew every walk and every day.  Life has so much to offer us all.  Life is given to us new everyday.  I feel blessed to be retired, and have the health, the energy, and the desire to go out into nature.  Enjoying the great outdoors helps me think clearer and feel better also. It gives me time away from household or other pressing issues of things that need to be done.  Also enjoying my dog who is enjoying her walks, helps make for new discoveries, and also some ackowledgement that I do understand some of nature...even that coyotes are closer then usual. 

Rain in Janurary

This late morning as my husband and I were sitting in our living room talking and visiting about my two college classes I have started to audit at Hannibal LaGrange University, where I graduated some years ago, wow, the wonderful sound of thunder and then a downpour.  It took away lots of the snow, and of course, the weather is warmer, and it freshened up our outdoors some.  I was able to go clean off the back patio and stand back and see how fresh a good rain, even in Janurary works for us.  However, like everything else, people like to complain.  So when I opened up on facebook today, my church page, I was just disappointed at so many people just not appreciated what we are given from GOD, nature, or what/whoever, you wantto credit.  I credit GOD.  But many just like complaints, not seeing that it makes their days sad and long and tiring.  Maybe that is why at age "almost 66" (in April), I still feel happy and rejoice in new days and what new things there will be in that day.  It is all about attitude.  Frankly, I feel sad for those with those "stinking" attitudes.

My day in rural Missouri has been mostly indoors, which is something I don't do often, but with the cold we have had and the rain today,it is time to reflect plus do things that need to be done inside.  I took to doing a little cleaning and then went on to do some book searching.  With my new college classes comes a renewed enjoyment of all the old old books we have from my husband's grandfather, who was a  lawyer and judge in our state years ago. He had such a wonderful collection of books, sets of leather bond Edgar Allen Poe and the Spectator, Addison papers, plus a set of Theodore Roosevelt's about the west, and on of Mark Twain's writings.  What I was looking for were some old plays which I did not find, not the ones I wanted, but I found other exciting things.  Some old autograph books....years ago people used to get autographs, well wishes and prose/poetry in little bound books from classmates.  I even found a prose/poetry book and an old McGuffey reader with wonderful prose/poetry in it.  A little red/black covered prayer book was fun to leaf through also.  All are in delicate shape and I felt special just being able to touch and turn some of the pages and do some special reading in them today.

The rainy day gave me a blessing of searching treasures from the past that are located right in my own home.  Yes, we also have the hugh walnut bookcase / secretary that used to stand in Rueben Roy's law office so many years ago.  In it I found a lovely little book that I have seen before but never paid the attention I should have to it.  It was not just my husband's grandfathers.  It was that grandfather's grandfathers...wow, Roy's great great grandfathers book.....date 1803.  Now that is something to just hold and cherish.  I cannot help but feel some of the past in just holding these items.

Cold rainy Janurary days and being interested in life, no complaining but rejoicing in each day we have make for a wonder of gifts....we just have to look for them.  So enjoy the rest of the winter months, rain, shine, snow or sleet....we will get through them.  It is just a matter of how your days and my days compare.  As for me, I know I will be on a treasure hunt of life well lived.

COUNTRY NEW YEAR'S DAY

The New Year rings in the same I suppose, country and city, depending on the people.  I can only speak for what we seem to experience and do here in rural Missouri.  Most of us seem to stay home, or just get together with some neighbors and play cards, table games and eat all the great foods people brought together...which people call potluck or pitch in.  Either way, it is always lots and always yummy.  There are those that may have saves some fireworks from the 4th of July, and those with a gun or two to fire off at midnight.  Of course, that happening depends if you are with a crowd that stays up that long.

Years ago we had to drive to Indiana and have our Christmas and New Year's time with my son and family.  They could not get away due to him being a pastor and having little children, it just seemed easier for us to go that way.  After a number of years, they decided to move this way, and now live only miles from us.  We get together on Christmas but they are busy with church stuff on New Year's usually.

We and the group we did things with have all gotten older and some now do things with their married children, so we usually just spend our New Year's eve at home.  We may see the fireworks from Austrailia as it happens during our morning hours , but we seldom see the happenings here in New York, etc, until New Year's Day news reports.  We just don't stay up that long.

As Roy and I are into playing Yahtzee lately, we just continued to play our games on New Year's Eve, but we upped the time and instead of six games (which is the amount on a sheet to score the games), we actually splurged and did two sheet.  Wow, six games.  The funny things is that when we play which we seem to be doing every night for a bit (six games), I will win three and Roy wins three.  When we played twelve games, Roy won six and I won six.  I suppose we are just consistant people!

Then to start the year out right, we planned to go to the special New Year's Day auction at Fall Creek, Illinois.  It is called the Green Parrot Auction because it is in a building that used to house the Green Parrot Louge, with drinks and dancing.  Never went then.  But I would say it is a "hopping place" as an auction house.  This special auction had more deluxe items and collection items.  I came home with prizes of a nice handmade quilt for only $30.00 and also an antique cameo necklace (metal is brass), and paid $45.00 for it.  Of course they had some Fiesta ware and I bid and bought a nice pitcher in a blue that is a retired color and paid only $20.00 instead of so much more when new or in a discontinued stock online.  My New Year's bargains were great.  My bigger bargain was spending time with auction "groupie" friends, including my next door neighbors who we ended up sitting next to us.  The amazing thing is that they live just down the country road from us, but she knew I would be at the auction and she brought my Christmas gift (homemade) to me at the auction.  It is just how things seem to  happen with us country people. 

Happy New Year to everyone.  Don't rush around so much that you miss the good things in life.