Through the sound of the wind, the unmistakable voice of the small black and white bird captures my attention from across the yard. First to the feeder then flitting off to the nearby bush. Doing a little dance to break open the seed. Shattered shell drops to the ground and the tasty morsel is consumed. Back and forth, back and forth. Snack time over and off they fly.
0 Comments
While I sit sipping my coffee and looking out the window, I see the trees and shrubs doing their dance in the wind. Their outline silhouetted against a vibrant blue sky. What will the day bring on these winds?
Change, it is said, is as good as a rest. There are times you have work hard to embrace this thought. The mind conjures up all kinds of alternatives of the meaning of change or rest. It portrays itself as a new beginning or a life style alteration. The difference between what you did yesterday and what you are going to do today. A deviance from the normal routine. It may be a deep seeded dislike for something. Something that over time is moulded and manipulated to become what you now enjoy. It might mean turning right at the fork in the road. Taking a different route when you go for a walk. Find one thing that refreshes you, makes you take a deep breath and say, “YES! This is what I need.” The restlessness and need for change has taken a hold of me of late. As the cool winter months bloomed into vivacious spring days a need for change simmered. A time to mould a once drab existence. It was time to create. The work began. The result? A website with a warm, welcoming feeling united with a user friendly marketable environment. A place that invites you to get to know me as a writer and photographer. There is still much to do, but it is exciting to have taken this path. The change that is contributing to a feeling of rest. Please leave a comment and tell us what you thing about the new look of our website. “Whatcha doing?” “Can I help?” Two of the best opening lines to hear when getting the kids involved in the never ending saga of the Family Tree . Small children have short attention spans. Give them tasks that won’t overwhelm them. A chore they can walk away from when the attraction of getting to help, wanes. They will get frustrated, be disruptive and want to quit if the the task does not interest them. Have some fun and make a game out of their assignment. Start them with the box of photos that need sorting. The plan might be to sort by photos taken of individuals, group pictures and pets. From the first stack of twenty pictures, let the child choose the person they want to look for. They need to know that if they don’t recognize someone that it is all right. Be sure to tell them that whatever help they can give is appreciated, and, to thank them when they finish. Another task a younger child may be capable of doing is going through photo albums. They can bookmark the pages that have pictures of weddings or other chosen events. Colour coding book marks to specific topics will be helpful for quick reference in the future. The child can insert coloured paper markers on the appropriate pages of the albums. A job they can do without causing any damage to the pages or pictures. Children are never too young or too old to contribute in some way to the archives of the family. When they ask to help, let them. It may only be long enough to go through one stack of twenty pictures; and, they might not want to be of help every time. Yet, making it fun by giving them a job they can handle has planted a seed in a future keeper of the Family Tree. Are you hooked on genealogy and preserving your family history? Pandemonium (pan-duh-moh-nee-uh m) - The dictionaries define the word as “wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos”.
A word that illustrates the state of my thoughts when the brain won’t engage and focus on one subject. The result? Untouched notebook pages and blank stares directed to the computer screen. Unwritten words silenced by untidiness and lack of harmony. It is times like this that I need to regroup and find my balance again. I look to the things that bring me a sense of calm, a feeling of peace, a connection. A place where I am able to seek out the soul within. The passage form pandemonium to tranquility travels down a gravel road. Miles from the gyrating urban sounds. Eerie morning darkness gives way to a wakening world. Silence of the night comes alive with the sound of birds. Soothing babble of water moving over rocks interrupted by the occasional splashing of animals crossing its shallow depths. A breeze takes the consciousness soaring to impending heights of clarity while the sun rises slowly to bathe the land in gold. The day has begun and so has the return of the vision. Reticent thoughts start to clear of their hodgepodge state. The paper welcomes the company of the pencil. The words flow once more. The spirit of Mother Nature is strong and healing. Where do you go to reconnect with your inner self? The closet! A place to hang your coat, store the winter mittens and the keeper of garden pots. Well, not really pots, containers. These containers do not conform to the garden store variety. They have had a life. They have stories to tell. They make for good conversation when they are on display. And, you don't have it in your heart to get rid of them. So . . . When the urge takes you to do some spring cleaning, head for one of the smallest rooms in the house - the closet. It should take the least amount of time to clean, and you never know what kind of plant pots you have lurking there. Here are some basic guidelines to have some fun with your personalize planter. Tell us what you have used to kick your outdoor space up a notch. Though the winter we talked about Bee Houses and their possible construction of same for our yard.
A Google search for DYI projects resulted in copious amounts of information. Most of which are geared to someone with a selection of electric hand tools. A few of the instructions used recycled materials which is more to our liking. In the interim the verdict is still out on this project until we find plans and likeable instructions. We continue to gather, what we think, is natural “housing” material. Preparation for the eventful day when we find the abode plan that will make us, the builder happy, and the bees. If anyone has built a Bee House, we would love to hear from you? Sour Dough Buttermilk Biscuits would have paired nicely with the coffee this morning. Unfortunately, it is only a thought and not a reality. They are, however, easy to make once you have the ‘starter’ ready to use.
Early settlers would often spend long periods of time away from civilization. A lack of grain leavening products such as fresh eggs, yeast and milk resulted in the making of Sourdough. Try as I might, I have yet to duplicate the flavour that my Grandmother and my Dad produced when they made their batch of Sourdough Starter for future use. Then again, maybe I have and it's just my memory telling me they made it tasted better. At any rate, here are the recipes I use if you would like to give it a try. Sourdough Starter 2 cups of warm milk 2 cups of all-purpose flour 2 1/2 teaspoons of yeast Large crock or bowl with tight fitting lid. Read more . . . Sourdough Buttermilk Buscuits 2 cups of all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon of salt 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder 1 teaspoon of baking powder Read more . . . Try your hand at making these time honoured recipes and let us know how you made out. With coffee in hand, it was time for a wander around the yard this morning. The overcast sky is breaking up. The sun is trying hard to push through in an attempt to increase thermometer's reading of +6 C. The air is fresh. The birds are chattering. A perfect time to out.
Signs of spring are everywhere. Red knobs of rhubarb are pushing up through the thawing soil. There are small shoots visible at the base of the Goats Beard and Rue. The Flax, Tulips, and Grape Hyacinth have been showing off for a few weeks. Their growth is already several inches tall. Today, I noticed the Honeysuckle, Gooseberry and Rose bushes have tiny green leaves opening. The lilacs have purple clusters visible on the bushes that are next to the buildings. Thoughts of playing in the dirt filter through the brain. Starting seeds and preparing the soil are only a few of the spring activities to contemplate. It’s early to be doing anything major. There is always a good chance for a hard frost and more white rain (snow). We need the moisture. The precipitation of any kind would be welcome. The frost, is just something we have to deal with in this part of the country. It has been known to freeze in every month of the year. Of late, there is much talk about growing your own food and more and more people are starting to garden. There are those that don’t have the benefit of elders to help the process along. Someone with the knowledge of what it takes to grow a garden. Someone to explain the why and how of the dirt, seed, plant, water and nurturing that equals food for the table. For the rookie gardeners, I found this article on beginning gardening may be of some use. And companion planting might help to make your green thumb adventures a success. Seasoned gardeners, what tips would you like to share to the first time gardening enthusiast? Typically, when a deadline looms, we get in a dither. This morning the clock told me that I did not have much time if I was going to post this by the end of the a.m. Remembering that it is still morning somewhere made it easier to watch the noon hour come and go.
Truth be known, I was watching the House Finch couples having their meal at our feeders while I sipped on a coffee and did some reading. In my opinion, reading is a free learning experience. The genres you choose enhance life, vocabulary and experiences that we may not encounter if we didn't read. Books, magazines, newspapers and comic books all have literary value. Sharon Christie belongs to a book club and has shared a list of books she had encountered over the years. Have you read any of these titles? Send us your reviews. Deciding to launch Morning Muse on any other date than April 1 was not a hard one since being taken seriously on April Fools Day is something that looms large on any horizon. And, there is always the thought that one does not have to start something at the beginning of a month or a specific date in time, for that matter. We also liked the do as you want attitude that contributed to the decision.
Since we never know what each waking will bring us, we depend on life and sometimes the unexpected to kick start the day. Of course, there are alway the days that the forward motion may not exist until the urge motivates, if at all. If you have thoughts or tidbits on varying topics you would like to contribute in one of our Morning Muse posts, please contact us. Growth of Morning Muse will be nourished by sharing a little of this and a little of that. As time goes by, we will get things smoothed out . . . maybe. Let us know what you think. What you would like to see here. Your feedback is important to us. Follow on Facebook or Twitter. |
October 2023
The fine printSome links on our website may be affiliate links. This means if you follow the link, and take the steps to purchase or download the product, I will receive a small referral fee or commission.
I only recommend items I have tried &/or own. Thank you for considering your purchases and downloads through my website. Do you have something you would like included in one of our Morning Muse posts?
Contact us with your thoughts. Categories
All
Guest Contributors |