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

Pi In Yr Eye

Thursday, March 14, 2024

This is Pi Day, an annual celebration of π. As a logical association, it’s also A. Einstein’s birthday.

Pi Day is a recurring reminder of my attempts over many years to grasp mathematics beyond its fundamental elements. I’ve studied (it feels like in classrooms ad infinitum) to learn higher math. What’s weird is that while learning, I “get it.” For example, I survived Statistics and earned an A. But weeks later, couldn’t recall about stats enough to continue working with them.

After attempting to learn in various mathematical areas, I discovered that my math problems aren’t from “not learning.” They’re from “not retaining.” That’s odd, for my memory is generally good.

I’ve appreciated and, while learning, enjoyed math. I wonder what’s driven me to remain challenged by a subject area too difficult while ignoring areas of learning easier for me to grasp. I’ve decided it might be from an element in human nature that’s maybe related to survival mechanisms. Perhaps some of “what comes easy” gets set aside by an essential need to overcome “what’s more difficult.”

Anyway, have a happy π Day.

Dear Friends: Always this day re-invites thoughts of learning vs. non-learning. Diana

A Moon Mood

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Yesterday evening, after driving up my driveway and reaching its top, I saw the moon, a mere sliver of its fullest self and crystal clear among many dark clouds. I felt instantly attracted to that sliver, sensed it as free-floating, and wanted a photo. I hurried into the house to become organized, get equipped with a camera, and hurry outside again. By then, the sky was full of dark clouds obscuring the light sliver.

I walked around while looking skyward to glimpse even a tiny bit of light. It was a no-dice situation that denied any possible hint of a moon presence. I couldn’t just give up, and so wondered why I’d been compellingly drawn to that sliver.

As a personal baseline, I love full moons. From earliest human history, they have affected all beings’ senses of emotion, intuition, and growth. Humans have latched onto the times of full moons to conduct rituals, release energies, and renew beginnings. The sliver moons might influence humans more subtly. Last night’s sliver seemed to encourage me toward introspection, internal growth, and maybe seed-planting for future endeavors.

There’s evidence that the moon’s phases influence all living beings. In humans, full moon periods align with our physical activities and emotions—external and internal. We are also influenced by slivers, constantly changing by waxing and waning.

Waxing crescent moons (sliver growing) encourage beings into modes of excitement and anticipation; waning crescent moons (sliver shrinking) encourage beings into modes of internalization and reflection.

I’ll add that any perceived powers of moon phases aren’t scientific. There are common perceptions (including mine) that draw from long-time observations of cultures and traditions.

Dear Friends: Today’s header photo is from the internet. Diana

Enlightenment

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Yesterday was rainy, and this morning is foggy. The afternoon drizzle began when I was in Costco’s parking area, transferring a month’s worth of supplies from my shopping cart into the Jeep. I shielded several of the more vulnerable items against that misty air and cool dampness but got everything loaded, slammed the trunk shut, and headed home. I unloaded there, thankful for having completed the shopping and getting everything home, mostly dry.

The current changes, both to daylight savings time and the visible start of spring, are mood-boosters–and also a little disorienting. I’m surprised to sense that some “routine things” are slightly out of whack. For example, yesterday evening, I found myself adjusting as the sun dipped low, but daylight still lingered. It seemed forever since I had fed horses without needing a headlamp or flashlight. I can become accustomed to longer, lighter days and routine chores becoming more effortless. Welcome changes!

I try to understand better the ways routine light and time changes affect us. I’ve learned that decreasing daylight encourages our bodies to produce more melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleepiness. That makes us feel more sluggish during shorter winter days. In contrast, longer spring daylights decrease our melatonin production and make us feel more energetic.

It’s a cold and gloomy spring day outside. I must get ready to go to work.

Dear Friends: Enjoy this welcome transition, ahead of all bright and warm. Diana