Silence is Golden

How true that is.  I love the peace and silence so I can think.  When my husband is here he always has to have noise, whether it’s the radio, TV or internet videos.  He’s in Oregon right now with his family and the house is so quiet and still.  I’m enjoying all the time I have to write on my book, read, eat and sleep when I want to.  This kind of situation doesn’t happen often.

When my husband’s father ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, he had no choice but to go there for support and to help out if he can.  His dad is better now, but weak and can’t get around well by himself.  But he’s done pretty well for being 96.

This whole circumstance makes me think about getting old and how to deal with the situation when I can’t care for myself.  Naturally, seniors want to stay in their own home and would rather not go to assisted living.  Who can blame them for that?  I know I will be the same way if things ever get to that point for me.  People are always more comfortable in familiar surroundings.

I think right now they at least need a live-in housekeeper who can help with meals and cleaning.  I’m not sure how well this idea will go over, but time will tell.  They have to make the decision that seems right for them.  My husband thinks they should downsize, but a move at their age would be a killer.  The house is big enough that a housekeeper could use one of the bedrooms downstairs and everyone would still have their privacy.

My husband always wants to downsize.  I enjoy all my space, but I’m sure we’ll be downsizing when we sell the house.  I think the reason why I like so much room is that we had such little space growing up.

This trip couldn’t have come at a better time for me because I’m working on my book (or books) I should say.  So this is giving me a lot of time that I wouldn’t ordinarily have to spend in this area.  I’ve been burning the midnight oil writing and rewriting.  I can’t seem to satisfy myself so far.  This book is constantly on my mind.  I’m always trying to work out the issues in my head all day, and at night or early morning when I finally get to bed.

Something is going to come together soon, I hope.

The cats can sense I’m busy, so they haven’t wanted a lot of my attention lately.  I’m glad they have each other to play with because when I’m exhausted, I’m not ready to chase them through the house for thirty minutes.  They love that game.

Sad but true

Everyone is a lot more relaxed around the house right now.  It’s quiet here without the constant TV and computer video noise, among other things.  I think the cats also notice this peace as they can stand to be in the same room with each other and not fight over something.

I know I’m ecstatic there are no politics I have to listen to all day long.  I can actually hear myself think around here and enjoy my meals a lot more without having to eat on a TV tray in front of the TV.  I wish I could bottle these quiet times.

Raven

 Raven has started coming to bed with me.  I love this except he’s cutting his teeth using my arm.  In that respect, he’s like a dog with a bone.  I wish he’d stop chewing on me.  The vet says that kittens get a new set of teeth at four months old and they are teething like a child.  This should last two-three months or so.  He should be over it soon.  Right now, he chews on everything.

My arm - a bone substitute

 I’ve had cats all my life and I never knew this.  It’s nice to be able to learn new things as you go through life.

Tootie - Can I take this off now?

 Raven and Tootie are even getting along.  I think he must torment Tootie just for my husband’s benefit.  He always is squirted with a water bottle when he’s in attack mode.  I think this is his way of getting more attention.  He’s been a perfect angel except for using my arm as a teething ring.  Even Koki is tolerating him this week.

 Koki

And Tootie’s eye is almost back to normal finally.  Poor dear, it’s been a long time for her.

Q is for Quiet

Life on the farm was never quiet in our house, not with seven kids.  There was always a commotion going on over something, unless it was the middle of the night and we were sleeping.

I think that fact is what made up my mind not to have any kids of my own when I grew up.  I was the oldest in this group and ended up doing many chores from about the age of six onward.  I changed diapers for my siblings, fed them bottles, and rocked them to sleep.  I also stood on a chair to wash dishes because I was too short to reach the sink in the kitchen.

All the noise usually came from our excitement over something, but there were times when we fought with each other too, but soon resolved our conflicts.  The only ones who could never wave a white flag and settle on peace were my two bothers.  They were never close and aren’t to this day.

Once we moved to town, we all had to watch it, if they were at each other about something, because shoes would fly over your head sometimes.  They hurled things at each other a lot in those days.  I’m surprised they never had any fistfights, but if they did, I never knew about it.  They were eight and eleven when I moved out of the house, so this could’ve happened.

 Sunset in the Desert - Sunni's Pics

I do know one thing, Mama loved kids and started taking in kids to babysit once we started growing up.  This shocked me and I hated it because I was glad for the quieter times.  I don’t know how she could put up with all the racket, but it didn’t seem to bother her a bit.  She would have made a good little old lady in the shoe with all the kids.

My new baby likes the limelight

Raven

He poses when I get the camera and tries to look cute.  Raven really likes me to take his picture.  I’m going to post a few here.

I’ve had him a week today and my girls are still upset over his presence.  The older one is coming around a little, but the younger one hisses and hits him.  He can’t understand her behavior and is doing his best to make friends with her.  I think she realizes she isn’t the baby any more and is upset over it.  Usually she hangs out upstairs.  The last couple of days she finally started to come back down for part of the day, if the sun is out so she can sit in the sunny windows.  I hope she comes around in the next couple of weeks because my husband said he’ll take Raven back so he can have peace in his house.  He really hates the fact they aren’t used to each other and won’t get along.  I know these things take time.

 Koki

Right now, I’m splitting my time between Raven and my upset girl, Koki.  I hope this strategy works.

This little guy is so mellow and good-natured.  He purrs all the time and will start up even when you get close to him and haven’t touched him yet.  I can even hear him with my ears, which aren’t the best in the hearing department.

Raven

 The other morning, I woke up and he was sleeping with his head on my shoulder and his arm around my neck.  OMG!  He is just so dear.  I hated to move and disturb him by getting up.

 Raven

 Raven

Raven

He has such a good life – eating, playing, and sleeping.  I really think he’ll be a good addition to the family if Koki will break down and play with him.  She always wants somebody to play with and Tootie’s too old for much of that.

 Tootie

On another note, our house is still not ready to put on the market, so this is upsetting.  We’ve had problems with contractors who make appointments to come and do things we can’t do and then never show up or even bother to call and cancel.  I don’t know if this is a reflection of this next generation, or if it’s just this state.  These people aren’t very responsible at all and not customer friendly.  I don’t know how they expect to stay in business, but I guess they don’t care if they get your business or not.  I know when I was working, the customer always came first and my generation at least had the courtesy to call and change appointments if something came up.

Now I can only guess when we’ll get out of here.

I had a great respite week

Flowers - public domain

Sometimes it is nice to have peace and quiet and to be alone with your thoughts. My husband was out of town last week, which doesn’t happen often. I enjoyed myself a lot, despite having to spend my birthday by myself this year. I got a lot of writing done and was able to keep my own schedule. I really like doing this occasionally. It makes a lot of difference when I don’t have to watch the clock, cook and clean, eat and sleep on a certain schedule.


Of course, this can be good and bad because I don’t keep a normal routine, if left to my own devices. I eat little, preferring to “graze” when I get hungry. It is too hot to eat much of anyway this time of year. I also tend to burn the candle at both ends, so I get little sleep. Usually by the time he’s back, I’m ready for a good rest. Like anything, the time always goes by excessively fast and there’s always more I’d like to accomplish in the way of my projects.

No Schedules for eating - that speaks to me

Besides write, I did do some visiting with my girlfriends, picture taking, watching the wildlife in my backyard, reading, and catching up on some recorded TV, but for the most part, it was quiet with no TV or radio blaring away. The best part is, besides being able to stay up half the night, not having to listen to any politics. Yeah! I can clear my mind and focus on my book when that isn’t on. As an added bonus, I didn’t have to cook and wash dishes. Double yeah! I can survive on salad, especially in the summer.

But life is back to normal now with having to watch the clock, cooking, cleaning, sweating, daily politics, and constant noise. The cats and I have company again and it’s nice to have him home, but I cannot say that I missed any of this normal routine stuff. I hope that doesn’t sound horrible to you guys because I feel more refreshed.

Ten Things that make me Happy

Free Clipart



My Cats

Warm Weather

Sunshine

Peace and Quiet

My Own space

Having enough Time and Money for everything

Writing

Reading

Playing in my Craft and Sewing room

Chocolate

All these things and not necessarily in this order

A Moment in my Day

I took this picture from my backyard.

Sunni's Photo's

I like to sit on a garden bench out here and listen to the calls of nature before sunset. It is very quiet in my neighborhood, no road noise, no people noises, just nature as the birds chirp out songs in a beautiful symphony of chatter. The quail call for their families in mournful voices and the ravens play in the wind, lifting and drifting in pairs on the currents as night falls on the desert.

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Remembering John Lennon

Photo Courtesy Wikipedia



An open-minded, peaceful soul and great songwriter met his premature demise when Mark David Chapman shot him to death on the day on 1980. I hope this lunatic and deeply troubled human being rots in jail.


All John wanted is a peaceful world as we all do, but unfortunately, that is too much to hope for on this planet. The world is a place in turmoil. There have always been wars and always will be because we have never learned to settle things in a peaceful manner.

Here is his song "Imagine" if you care to listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xB4dbdNSXY

The Quiet of the Desert Speaks

Desert Behind my House - Sunni's Photos



How nice it is to sit outside in the quiet as night settles on the desert. The bluff behind me is quiet and yet undisturbed by man, the red rocks glisten in the setting sun – all aglow with golden-red. Away from the noise of the TV and internet and other workings, just quiet to reflect and watch the wind gently stir the leaves in the trees we planted years ago. They almost touch each other now – a gentle quiet caress branch to branch – the idea to bring shade in the hot summer months.


The mournful calls of the quail make me realize how much of a lonely place the desert is. Other animals call to their families, the rattling of the chipmunks, the cooing of the doves as everyone reunites for the night before the day ends and the sun once again sets over the bluffs. I can’t help but think of the Crystal Gayle song, the melody in my head.

I sit on the park bench on my patio and I enjoy the gentle breeze because I know it won’t be long and cold will be here and I hope the trees are rooted to their foundations to fight for life when the cold threatens their very existence.

No, I don’t complain it is hot –and it is – because in the blinking of an eye it will be too cold for me – my body succumbing to the dreariness of nature and the cold season settling in all around us. The winter killing my very soul and I’ll be screaming within to let me out – PLEASE – and wishing it were summer once more. I can never get warm in winter –no matter how hard I try. That’s how I am I can’t change that.

Desert Behind my House - Sunni's Photos

As people, we are here to suffer while we enjoy the beauty all around us. We live in the time that is for us, a time we’re supposed to learn what we need to know right now. So I desperately try to find something good about winter I can rejoice in. After all these years I still don’t know what that is, but I know it is a time of rest for the plants so they can rejuvenate themselves to put on the display they do for us every spring and summer. That is the only joy I can find in winter, other than it makes us appreciate not having to shiver once spring arrives once more. If we were never cold, I suppose we could never really truly appreciate the warmth of a summer day. Although I question that thinking as I write this, knowing how thankful I am for every nice day, when it is warm enough to walk once again in the desert and enjoy the amazing nature untouched by human hands.

Desert Behind my House - Sunni's Photos