Situational Shock

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Every month, I receive email notices about routine payouts from my credit cards, PayPal account, and such, covering subscriptions to heaven knows how many online and streaming providers. My suppliers provide music, books, videos, newsletters, and who knows what else I might unwittingly have tapped into. The outputs seem small, like a dollar-fifty or a few bucks, but they add up.

I rarely bother to listen to music and books, ignore most of the online newsletters in my email, and only occasionally want to stream movies and documentaries. I see money regularly flying away; I can’t grasp the flow or control it.

Additional cloud storage space (always needed) is a recurring cost. Sometimes, I want to listen to or watch something, and unfortunately, accessing requires subscribing. I can’t discount other routine charges, say, for online safety monitoring and periodic odd purchases.

Although unsuccessful in wrapping my head around the “what all,” I’m certain monthly “little outputs” add up significantly. It’s high time I start making myself feel underwhelmed. That’ll require creating a spreadsheet and carefully tracking recurring online charges and details.

Maybe some charges are cancellable because I never or only rarely access their benefits. Maybe some charges aren’t very understandable, but are necessary for operating a computer optimally and being online safely.

Dear Friends: Another need to know and a to-do in our increasingly online era. Diana

Split Screen

A jet flies northbound as the nearly full moon rises over Washington. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

Saturday, March 23, 2024

The Worm Moon will be at its fullest while rising in a couple of days. Early today, its waxing fullness setting in the west and brightly through my bedroom window awakened me.

I enjoy photographing full moons and plan to try capturing this month’s. Additionally, the upcoming rising full moon will be exceptional. That event includes a solar eclipse.

While doing some pre-full-worm Moon-rising research, I discovered the photo that’s today’s header. I can’t stop wondering how it was possible to capture that jet crossing against the full moon so clearly. Maybe it came from using special equipment or from an instant of sheer luck.

One of my assumptions is that the photographer was near an airport, had previously seen similar crossings, and this time had special equipment and captured the image. Another assumption is that it’s simply from a good camera–a lucky shot, and likely software-enhanced. Whatever, it’s gobsmacking.

Assuming the image is from a professional photographer lengthens the distance between that person and me. It makes the outcome less about using special equipment and/or about general good luck. It’s more a result of having the wisdom of experience and the skill of anticipating accurately.

Dear Friends: Undaunted by the near-perfection, I will be out again trying my hand. Diana

Evening Delight

Friday, March 22, 2024

Last evening in the darkness, I arrived home from work and saw my puppy, Chase, sitting in the big standalone dog run, on its concrete pad and waiting for me. The other dogs were safely inside the separate fenced dog area. Everything, as planned, was okay.

Before leaving for work, I had imprisoned Chase in an isolated big dog run because he had been in trouble with me the previous evening. That’s when I found he had dug a dog escape hole under the fence, and my littlest dog had wiggled through and was running freely. Experience with Chase teaches that he’s a compulsive digger and is proving unstoppable. My best hope is that next year, when he turns three years old, he’ll be more mature and much easier to live with.

After releasing the totally delighted boy and seeing him bounce happily last night, I invited him to accompany me to the barn. He dashed in large circles around trees and tracked me down the hill; he busily sniffed at the ground trails of visiting critters while I fed horses and replenished goat hay. In that scenario, Chase stays nearby, responds quickly to my voice, and is excited, busy, and he’s fun.

I’ve had lifelong experiences with dogs. Chase has been with me since he was eight weeks old, and my experience makes him nearly a great puppy, except that he’s a phenomenal escape artist. Maybe eventually, everything will come together, proving we’ve achieved some key objectives, that Chase (and the littlest dog) have remained safely contained, and that Chase is maturing visibly.

Dear Friends: Never again, another puppy, neither on a bet nor a whim. Diana

Hell-O!

Thursday, March 21, 2023

I knew he’d start digging as soon as high temperatures warmed the earth enough.

Last night, after I had arrived home and entered the house, all my dogs suddenly sounded off noisily, warning distinctively of something significant and different occurring. I looked out a window for what was making them bark. Suddenly, I spotted little Mitzvah–outside the fence! She was running freely and teasing the other dogs.

I muttered, “Chase!” and hurried to grab a flashlight. He was still inside the fenced area, and it was imperative to find his dig before he enlarged it and could slip under the fence to freedom. Soon, outside in the darkness, I was running with a flashlight, searching the fence’s perimeter, accompanied by a now-hyper-Mitzvah and the chorus of barking dogs.

I spotted his dig in a distant spot that I’ve always assumed was too rocky, one he’d never manage to dig much into. Now, there was a hole nearly deep and wide enough for him to slip his fifty pounds of heft under. I tossed loose rocks from nearby into the dig, blocking it.

That blocking is temporary. Clearly, he’ll again dig through in this spot or another. I don’t know how to prevent digging into the inviting damp soil and escaping. Ahead, it’ll help that I’ll soon start working fewer hours away from home. (The managers at my workplace recognize that I’ve had too many working hours and will reduce them.)

Meanwhile, starting today, and whenever I’m away for long periods, Chase will wait for me in solitary confinement–still outdoors, but in a large standalone kennel. It’s surrounded by six-foot fencing, has a covering over its top, and guess what: its flooring is all concrete.

Dear Friends: I won’t toss a towel on continuing to try managing the Puppy from Hell! Diana

Mega-Stuff

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

A fun pastime is ordering from Amazon–super easy, without needing to enter address and payment data. A click on “send” starts my wants to move. The big fun is arriving home and finding boxes beside the front door. They’re stamped with Amazon’s “smiley face” logo, but otherwise nondescript, their contents are mysteries. I forgot my earlier wishes while clicking “send.” Now, carrying packages inside and imagining their contents grips me with excitement. The receiving, opening, and anticipating repeat pleasing childhood Christmas moments.

Amazon has mastered connecting online commerce to human weaknesses. Oddly, some of our “weaknesses” suggest our strength. Shopping online, while fun, is expensive. The ease of clicking challenges the need to control one’s purchases and expenses; it’s a weakness. On the other hand, recalling sweetness in the past is good.

Sweetness arises in recapturing the joy, wonder, and good times of family bonds. Looking back and re-experiencing may reinforce an appreciation of what we have in the present. On the other hand, looking back can be disappointing by reviving unrealistic expectations.

I recognize the need to control my purchasing and spending, but don’t want to lose the fun of re-experiencing. A way to work this out will be to get my head in the right place. I must focus on recreating feelings without having to repeat exact experiences. It will help greatly to start embracing my own new traditions. Instead of buying and spending, I want to celebrate my mature wisdom, insights, and optimism for the future.

Perhaps the key is to learn to remain present in each moment better. An important goal is to gain the ability to reminisce without becoming caught up in the past. Being fully in the moment would increase awareness of present joys and capture more pleasure in real-time experiences.

Dear Friends: Coping in a highly sophisticated world has pros and cons. Diana

Eggs ‘n Ideas

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

I have takers for the many fresh eggs coming from my laying hens. In this early spring, they’ve just begun laying and already are producing too many eggs for my needs. Good girls!

After exploring with several coworkers and finding that most would enjoy having fresh eggs, I’ll start taking the extras to work. Today, to initiate the process, I’ll take eggs and a little jug for donations of a buck or two to help with the ever-rising costs of chicken feed.

Yesterday, at work, I was assigned to Intimates and met a visiting representative from a major bra label. I cornered her and spoke of my recent learning from women customers, about attitudes toward their breasts and their dissatisfactions with bra-hunting and -fitting.

The representative said she’s worked in the intimate apparel industry for a long time and often hears the same. She responded to my questions kindly and clearly, seemed very bright, and moreover, she’s a subject matter expert. I upped my courage and asked if she’d consider collaborating to create an essay that addresses some of those issues.

I can make a decent argument for a major newspaper’s interest in such an essay. She listened and agreed to consider a possibility. Today, if we revisit the idea and it seems doable, we could start planning the early steps.

A collaboration sounds fun. And tackles a subject of interest to a very wide audience.

Dear Friends: Another day of happenings at work, and maybe today also. Diana

Gerald Re-Do

Monday, March 18, 2024

My puppy, Chase, is turning two years old and is still a handful. I adopted the then adorable eight-week-old in a whimsical moment that, on reflection, was more like craziness. After a few first weeks of purely cute ‘n cuddly, Chase began to evolve into what became a nearly unending handful.

He soon started to Boing (remember Gerald?), easily making high leaps that hoisted him upward and onto any fencing. There, his toes found grips, and Chase simply climbed and escaped. I spent many weeks adjusting my six-foot fence into anti-escape corralling.

The ever-growing Chase (Rottweiler/Shephard mix) became heavier, remained very muscular, and continued his boinging. So far, my corralling has reduced his successes. Once foiled, Chase turned to digging. With the high energy and determination letting him leap, Chase up-earths spots throughout a fenced half-acre. I cautiously tread there to avoid holes.

These days, Chase escapes through holes under the fencing. In sudden freedoms, the one place Chase knows to go is to our neighbor’s. There, so far, and luckily, Frank leashes and brings Chase home. After each escape, I haul as many rocks and heavy junk as possible to set alongside the fence, anti-escaping material.

In the past couple of months, Chase has had to cope with frozen earth, slowing his digging. Now warmer days make me start looking again for what he’ll do next.

As he approached turning a year old, I seriously planned to rehome Chase. He seemed very adoptable–was lovely in temperament, super-smart, and a devoted buddy. Interrupting my intention was knowing the great efforts needed to contain him. I doubted others would have enough patience and resources to ensure his safety.

So, he’s still here, and I’m more hopeful. FB postings and my readings in general teach that there’s a “magic time.” It’s when a dog turns three years old and settles, finally, into maturity. I keep reminding myself that Chase’s maturity is only one year away. If I remain patient, all signs point to him being a perfect companion by then.

Dear Friends: He’s an anomaly; otherwise, none of us would do any puppy-raising. Diana

Tipping The Scales

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!

Yesterday, I was assigned to the fancy dress area in the large department store where I work part-time. We stayed busy helping folks and checking out dressy items for those with big plans on this day. Typically, we in retail assist many who wait until the “last minute” before rushing out to find special-event clothing. Yesterday, many of our customers tried on lots of clothing. We were hurrying back and forth, doing lots of rehanging.

One customer surprised me by pointing to a dress and saying, “Isn’t that a snake print?” I turned and looked at the dress’s mottled pattern, which I liked but confused me. We moved closer and examined the fabric. She was correct, and the pattern was “snake.” The woman suddenly pointed to my blouse and said, “You’re wearing a snake pattern!” I looked down, shocked to see my blouse closely matching the snake dress.

This blouse! For a long time, I had wondered about its mottled pattern, which I liked and didn’t. As usual, I was reminded that discoveries mostly come from living and learning. Now understanding the fabric, I suddenly felt a genuine affection for my snake blouse and pride in wearing it. At that moment, too, my customer, loving that snake dress decided to take it home.

Later, while checking out another customer’s selections of very expensive clothing, I asked if she was preparing for an occasion. She said she’s soon going to Indonesia to attend a conference on wildlife biology; she is a career biologist and studies amphibians. I told her about seeing a partially albino Robin and wondering why it steadily followed a normal-colored and unusually fat Robin. My customer’s take made more sense than my assumption yesterday that the albino was a fledging.

She pointed out that, in fact, it’s now the spring mating season. Maybe that’s why the albino was following the bigger bird. It also suggests that the fat Robin was full of eggs.

Dear Friends: Mundane workdays may offer learning opportunities. Diana

What’s That!

Saturday, March 16, 2024

The other day, I spotted a partially albino Robin standing quietly on the ground near a fat Robin I’d seen the previous day and had paused, wondering why that Robin was so fat. When Fat Robin spotted me on this day, it didn’t fly but started hopping away. To my surprise and curiosity, the albino immediately followed the bigger bird, tenaciously. The two hopped away in ever-larger curves into the distance. Maybe that albino was a fledgling, still somewhat dependent on its mom or pop.

I love birds and enjoy watching Robins, which I consider the “Border Collies of birds,” stalking and rounding up worms. Thousands of Robins thrive here annually, with more in the summertime and fewer in the wintertime. I’ve never seen an albino Robin before.

This year, to my surprise, area bird photographers had mentioned albino Robins in my FB feed and even posted a photo or two. So, fortunately, I was slightly informed, but nonetheless, a bit shocked to see the albino Robin.

Since then, I have waited, hopefully, for a reappearance of the fat bird and/or its companion, but so far, no dice. That instant in time confirmed my recent learning, that it’s true. Albino Robins do exist, and are active in this area, at least for now.

Some research informs me that an albino’s unusual coloration is due to a lack of pigments. Ornithologists call the albino condition “leucistic” and say the key, most lacking pigment is melanin.

Dear Friends: We might think we know it all until we learn (again!) that we don’t. Diana

Transforming

Friday, March 15, 2024

I am watching the rising sun, my eyesight protected by several big trees that splinter and diffuse the brightness. Yesterday was a warm, light-jacket day. Predictions are that today will become even warmer with tomorrow bringing more of the same. This spring’s early weeks of heavy snows and freezing rains have us primed to greet warmer weather joyously.

Spring’s arrival is powerful for sure. I am sensing these brighter and warmer days increasing my optimism and making my outlook more positive. The changes are heightening my mood and energy levels; I’m eager to go outdoors and play, to go enjoying the changing scenery.

The changes influence even more by heightening a common sense of community. Sure, we’re still in pre-spring, but many folks have begun speaking about new excitement and expressing hope for a future that’s less confounding. It’s doubtful that these changing spring attitudes arise from any physical phenomenon, but for sure, they do exist–culturally and psychologically–and are very welcome.

Dear Friends: By now, the sun fully is up, and a bright world invites us outside. Diana