Musings

Orange you a Cutie!

/ Jodi / 14 Comments

Orange you a Cutie

Hey – remember a few days ago when I challenged you (I use that terminology loosely) with “If you are what you eat, then eat something cute?”

Well – this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is ORANGE –  and guess what we call Clementines around here?

CUTIES!  (a brilliant marketing campaign established to target kids and their parents).  Are you familiar?

So you really can eat something cute!  And these little buggers are so sweet and delish right now!

Orange you going to try one?!  (Couldn’t resist…)

I actually have some more orange to post, but I’m going to save it for tomorrow.

I made some luscious roasted carrots for dinner last night.   Look for the recipe tomorrow.  They are seriously like veggie candy – caramelized with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, cracked black pepper, thyme….  Ooooh La La!

And while we are talking about sunshine….  We were – weren’t we?

Oranges come from Florida, the Sunshine State, so yes – you see my logic – right?

I declared yesterday “50 Shades of SUNSHINE Day.”

Mikey and I got two wonderful walks in – one at lunch time and one after work – and no coat needed at 50 degrees and sunshine!  WOOHOO!

Spring is in the air!

Enjoy your day – whatever it brings.  Find the sunshine!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Spring Ahead

/ Jodi / 32 Comments

snowie

Yesterday was Spring Ahead day for the annual Daylight Savings Time (DST) change ritual.  For those clocks that don’t adjust automatically, we advanced them ahead one hour when we went to bed Saturday night (or Sunday morning for those we forgot).

So now for days, people will be saying, “It’s 5:00, but it really feels like 4:00.”  People (including me) will have a harder time getting out of bed for work in the morning all week.  Some (including me) will stay up later, because our bodies don’t feel like it is 11:00 pm like is was last week.  Babies will be all off schedule.  People will be late for work, sleepy during early meetings, and maybe a little grumpy…   But the same ones will be delighted to drive home in daylight and have what feels like a longer day.

Basically, we will all be screwed up for a while.

But we will eventually adjust.

The BEST part about yesterday’s Spring Ahead day (at least here in Mars) was it really felt like Spring!  On my morning walk with Mikey, the birds were chirping, the air had a fresh smell to it, joggers were out, everyone had a new “spring” in their step, and the day reached near 50 degrees F!  That’s about 50 degrees higher than it has been in the past few weeks!

I put all my snowie winter decorations away, and brought out some Springy decor.

And after dinner, in my BARE feet on the sun-warmed deck, I found a little bit of snow in the corner and made an itty bitty snowman and placed it on the railing.  He had black jelly bean eyes and a mini carrot nose.  He didn’t last long…

I think this may be the end of the snow for this season.  It is melting fast!  You can hear the water rushing through the downspouts and the driveway that was a sheet of ice when I headed out on my walk, had muddy puddles on my way back an hour later.

Spring is on it’s way!

Do you have a hard time adjusting to Daylight Savings Time?  Do we even need to be changing the clocks ahead and back any more?

Whatever the case, I hope you are enjoying whatever season you are in right now – of weather – and of life.

Reporting in from lifeinbetween…

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Seeking Sole Mates

/ Jodi / 31 Comments

department_of_missing_socks_vinyl_lettering_home_wall_decal_art_quote__2a183b7e

Most chores around the home are enjoyable (baking)…  or at least tolerable (vacuuming because it gives me more steps on my Fitbit) …  or there’s a way to make it more fun or interesting (trying new recipes for dinner, taking photos and blogging about it)… or you can hire someone to do it (bless you Karen and Lori for spit shining my house to perfection once a month!).

Then there is laundry…  and it’s not even about the throwing it in the washer and flipping it to the dryer dealio… it’s the FOLDING.

Oh the drudgery of it!

And most especially the whites… underwear, inside-out t-shirts (that sometimes go back that way just because), handkerchief after handkerchief (especially this time of year).

But most of all – I dread the socks.

I’ve tried various sock strategies throughout the years – like buying all the same kind so I don’t have to look for matches, color coding for the individual (son, hubby), rolling in a ball, folding, the one-two top fold over… Just haven’t found the joy in any of it….

And why oh why is there always one spare single in nine out of ten loads of laundry seeking a “sole mate?”

I’ve tried making it interesting…

  • Folding in front of the television
  • Folding while on the phone with a friend
  • Folding with music in my ears
  • Marching in place (for more Fitbit steps of course!)
  • Singing while folding (to the horror of my family or anyone nearby)
  • Drinking red wine while folding …

So yesterday morning, in an attempt to entertain myself while folding, I found myself making up words to the Meghan Trainor song, “I’m All About that Bass.”  It started out like this:

I’m all about that fold
About that fold
About that fold
No wrinkles

I’m all about that fold
About that fold
About that fold
No wrinkles

Yeah it’s pretty clear
I’ve got no crease groove
but I can fold it fold it
like I’m supposed to do

Cause I got the bend and tuck
that all the clothes chase
All the right folds
in all the right places

Oh I could go on – but I think that’s enough – eh?!

So sock it to me friends!  I desperately NEED your tips for finding the joy in the fold.

And until then, I’ll be boom boomin’ to the lavado.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Iridescent Ice Bubbles

/ Jodi / 40 Comments

icicle droplets

I was talking with a friend yesterday who asked how I was doing.   You know… just the usual small talk.

She commented, “I’ll bet you wish you were back in Florida with your friend in the warmth.”

And yes – I do wish I was back there, especially with my dear friend.  And especially because our high temperatures have barely reached double digits for the past two weeks let alone get above freezing….

Yet, as I explained to my friend, if it weren’t for these bone-chilling temps, I’m not sure I would appreciate the warmth of Spring and Summer or trips to Florida as much….

I truly love the beauty of the four distinct seasons we are fortunate to experience in my part of the world –  life here in Mars.  It always amazes me that our yard can look so differently in the different seasons, and the snow and ice I tromp through in the Winter to get to the mailbox is the same yard I lay in and walk through in bare feet in the Summer and pile leaves on in Autumn and watch life burst through in Spring.

And though the temperature was a mere 9 degrees F yesterday, the sky was a deep azure blue and the sun was shining so brightly and reflecting on the snow that I needed sunglasses.

It was melting the icicles on the back of our house, and they were glistening and sparkling like bright diamond shards against the clear sky.  And the crystal droplets created a beautiful sheet of frozen iridescent ice bubbles on the deck beneath.

Through the lens of my camera, there is so much beauty to be found.

Thanks for the reminder, Lori, and your continued support and friendship.    🙂

ice bubbles on deck from icicles dripping

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS  My top photo is another entry for the WordPress Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge Rule of Thirds with Bokeh

Discovering Sanibel Island

/ Jodi / 23 Comments

sanibel lighthouse beach bikes

Another highlight of my trip to Florida last week was a day spent with my dear friend Janet on Sanibel Island.  We started the day with a walk and some lounging at Lighthouse Beach.

sanibel lighthouse

The 120 year old lighthouse sits on a wildlife refuge and is at the southern most point of Sanibel Island.  It was a great opportunity to capture some more pictures of the beautiful birds and wildlife that make their home here.

sanibel bird

sanibel bird 5

sanibel bird 4 sea gull

sanibel bird 3

sanibel bird 2

The beaches of Sanibel Island are known for being great places for sea shell gathering, and I loved the natural flora and fauna of this particular beach.  The driftwood created natural sculptures along the shoreline.

sanibel driftwood

sanibel driftwood 2

and of course – palm trees!

sanibel palm tree

Fishing is also a past time that is enjoyed here whether on the fishing pier or right in the water.

sanibel lighthouse beach pier

sanibel fisherman

People of all ages enjoy the beach.

sanibel little girl

sanibel sand castle

sanibel jogger

sanibel baby beach

including us crazy 52 year-old BF beach bums. 🙂

sanibel jodi and janet

After a warm and sunny morning and afternoon at the beach, we found a cute little restaurant, the Island Cow, where we sipped on White Mango Sangria while dining alfresco where I enjoyed an amazing paella and Janet a crab-stuffed grouper.

sanibel island cow white mango sangria

It was a great place to hang out with colorful adirondaks…

sanibel island cow adirondaks

And even beach-themed corn hole.

sanibel island cow corn hole

Today is Janet’s birthday.  We celebrated for an entire week.  The trip was a birthday gift for me from Marty and a celebration of a lifelong friendship.  Happy Birthday my dear friend Janet!

I love you, and I sure am missing you and that beautiful 70+ F degree weather!

Our high was 0 (yep – that is ZERO) degrees F yesterday in Mars, and most of the day was in the negative category!

Only makes me appreciate it all more.  I am smiling while snuggling in with my hoodie and sweats sitting by a warm fire fondly missing and reminiscing…

at Life in Between.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Discover – Reaching for a Better View

/ Jodi / 22 Comments

https://dailyrecord365.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/p1110678.jpg

As some of you may recall, my “One Little Word” this year is Discover.

This is the year for me to Discover… more about myself… and more about the world around me.

I am honored and privileged to share a very special piece of artwork with you today from my friend Jo Freehand at Daily Record 365. 

Jo created #Two Hundred Two: Discover just for me and my word!

I have been slowly taking it in since Jo kindly created and posted it several weeks ago; and every time I look it, I discover something new.

Here is how I first saw it:

The microscope is mammoth and massive and complex (like life), and it is examining the hole in the record (the “in between” part – the part where we have the freedom to do and be what we want). The lady is REACHING – almost as if for the stars and then embraces and takes in that light. And the microscope reminds me of the Discovery Satellite too – exploring the universe – and that is what the lady is seeing and feeling and it is filling her heart, and she is happy and excited and fascinated. And it is saying that what you see with your eyes (or at least on the surface or at first glance), might not be the “be all /end all.” You have to look closer, you have to feel it, you have to let it fill you, and it will bring you joy. There is a better view if you reach, stretch to look closer or look at a different way, and you need to look “in between.”

Jo elaborated:

Discovery is an individual experience. However this image speaks to you is right for you.  For me, the microscope is focused on a watch, an everyday object. Or perhaps it represents time or a moment.  She’s “reaching for a better view.”  Does she realize the view right there beneath her skin? The entire universe right there? (Or has she been focused outwardly, watching hands move around the clock.) Can anyone else interpret her universe?

Deep stuff – eh??!!  🙂

What do you see when you look at it?  What does it say to you?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

And I urge you to discover Jo’s blog.  It is always fun to see each Daily Record and interpret what it speaks to you.  Comments are usually as diverse as the people sharing them, which make it that much more fun and interesting.

I hope you are discovering more about yourself and the world around you – every day – because there is a lot of “good stuff” in and out there!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

The Little Log Cabin

/ Jodi / 14 Comments

little log cabin

Oh Little Log Cabin on the edge of the woods, what is your story?

What tales would you tell if you could

of life now and life then?

Are we doing it right?

You stand so solid and sturdy and beautiful.

You remind me to slow down, breathe deeply, gaze intently.

You do speak…

to my soul.

 

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Our Children

/ Jodi / 25 Comments

winter front yard bush 020115

My copy of “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran arrived a few days ago.

And what a treasure it is.

It is a book to be savored in small bits and pieces,

with words to be read over and over.

Several people told me about the section on Children, so it was the first place I went…

On Children by Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

I love this.
I hope to think I have raised my boys this way…
respecting that they have their own thoughts…
not forcing mine on them.

It was the greatest privilege of my life to house their bodies,
but I will never own their souls.

I’m so proud of the men they have become.
Sometimes we have different opinions, sometimes we disagree, but I have, do, and will always respect them immensely…
and love them all the same.

This was not necessarily the way I was raised, but that only makes me feel all the more convicted about it.
I am honored to bend my bow with gladness, and shoot two blazing, sharp, strong arrows into the world.

May all of our children be as unique and individual as they desire, like each snowflake that falls and blows in the wind and catches on thistly bushes.  And may we love them all and cherish their beauty.

With much love and pride to my Jake and Nick,
Your Mom

On Joy and Sorrow

/ Jodi / 30 Comments

joy and sorrow winter pine snow icicle

A dear friend shared this amazing piece with me yesterday, and I had to share it.  It was in response to yesterday’s post,  Untold Story.

And this photo I took on a brief walk yesterday afternoon seemed to perfectly align with the message in the poem.

On Joy and Sorrow
Kahlil Gibran

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits, alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Express Yourself

/ Jodi / 21 Comments

express yourself

Sometimes we blossom and bloom and exude radiant brilliance.
Other times our thistles and thorns protect us and guard us and hide us.

Reach, stretch, discover, grow.
Bloom where you are planted.
Evolve with your seasons.

Never be afraid to express yourself.

This week’s Weekly Photo Challenge asked us to post a photo to “Express Yourself.”
As I contemplated the subject, this photo I took a few months ago on a walk spoke to me.  It inspired me to express myself – as this thistle – in all of its ages and stages does.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi