Wanderings Of An Aging Mind

Also Known As ~ Life Is A Crap Shoot

As many already have guessed, I am not among the clearest of thinkers and confess openly to being of the Senior Generation.

Most of this week after Easter has been a blur. Do in part to my battle with a Spring Flu-Bug. Add into this mix an aging (rapidly) mind and other, “out side influences”, it is often a surprise that I am thinking at all. But then my wanderings here could be proof positive that I am not and should be or could be helped by being placed in a, “home.”

As you may have guessed by the name of my blog, I do have a tendency not to always hit the bulls-eye in my ramblings. I am literally “just off center.”

Even AJ HoosierHugPug seems to have rolled a “snake-eye”, in his attempt to beat the house odds. Perhaps he needs to hang out with some one graced with more luck than I?

Now, where was I again? Right, Spring Flu and wanderings of my fevered aged mind.

Easter Sunday was a bright, sun filled day, with just a slight chilly hint that Winter wanted to linger a bit longer. Monday and Tuesday. found Winter’s bad boy, chilly rain, drenching any post holiday plans. It was during a fitful rainy-day nap on Tuesday that this Spring Bug caught me in his grip and is refusing to let go.

Wednesday & most of Thursday were total losses to wild bouts of stomach-tossing and fevered sleep. The haze of days where dotted with futile attempts from Tom, the hubby, trying to force Pepto Bismo, Alka-Seltzer and food into me.

Like most animals, excluding human males, I just wanted to die alone, with hopes anyone coming upon my remains would respect my last wishes.

Not only to my surprise but those of the hubs, I seem to have survived the worse of this bugs attack and will recover to pre-Spring-flu condition.

Not right on center, just off Senter a bit. But then, like most of us, this could be your “normal” too.

Spring Returns Home

Spring is known as the time of re-birth. Renewal of the promise of life.

It is also a reminder of home, family and hope.

Some families keep close and seemingly tight ties from one unit to the next. Daily contact and weekly gatherings are their norm.

Some families have a looser bond. A monthly phone call or even the once a year card for the big holiday or maybe if lucky a birthday.

Which ever the situation there is the ties to a firm corner stone called family that in times of need, trouble, doubt and hopeful expectation we turn to for the strokes and hugs of the familiar.

More important is knowing, no matter what, no matter how far, no matter how long since one has left there is always a road home.

There will always be a hug to greet and a warm plate of food. A bed to rest and a shoulder to snuggle into for comfort.

Home may not have the answers to your questions or woes, but home hold no judgment and allows you to grow. Home is where we seek refreshing time and to know that the roots are still supporting us when we feel alone.

A personal rule I strive to live by is this; There are no strangers here, only family we have yet to meet.

As long as there is a Sun, Moon and the heavenly stars, there will be a Spring. A reminder of life, past, present, and the promise of what is to be.

Yes, thankfully, like the Seasons, we all can find our way home. Again and again and again.

Lining the Bird Cage

Personally, I am not a technophobe.
Over the weekend I even graduated to an iPhone.
So I could feel connected to my virtual community of the ehterworld no matter where I presently am at, with FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace and every form of instant messaging, for fear my noisy want to be informed life will miss out on something BIG.

I am also one who feels totally lost with out my newspaper. On the days my Trib is not in the yard I am disoriented and lament how I will ever be able to fall asleep with out the late night reading of my paper. When customer service tells me our account will be credited for the missed paper, through gritting teeth I explain, "I just want my paper, now!"

Sadly, rough times and "economic instability" hits everywhere and everyone. It was announced today, March 24, 2009, that another newspaper will abandon it's print edition and be an online only news source. http://tinyurl.com/chuwrx

I love my online news and as stated am not afraid of entering, living and functioning in the new age of technology. I rejoice daily that we no longer have to rub two sticks together in order to cook our food or warm our dwellings.

I love our Rain Forests and lose my breath at the grandeur of a Giant Redwood. I cry for the Polar bears and the disappearing of any species of life. That is why it is so sad to see even one aspect of the news media being tossed to the wind so to speak.

Where and with what will be fashion our paper airplanes or those tiny sailing ships that float in the basin in Central Park?

What will those who are or will be sleeping under bridges use to cover and warm themselves with? I personally can not envision them wrapping a laptop or iPod around their feet to keep warm.

Rover will soon need to be "laptop" trained in the quest of being "housebroken", and Tweetie's bird cage will be lined with an Apple Nano!

And Civilization as we know it will never be again!

Brushing Up The Brush Strokes

A humble attempt to capture the character and personality of my pug~love, AJ. Besides being my second best buddy, he is my muse and true confidant.

Wisdom of the Dynasties

At last the brushes seem to be willing to follow my commands. This is not usual for me and watercolors. I have found that most of the time I end up with a "gray like" blob that I try to explain was to have been either a country escape landscape or reflections of a vase of Summer flowers.

Here is my attempt at "loose" use of watercolors that I have called Spring Gold.

Thank goodness as I was working on this my husband at least knew he was looking at "yellow flowers."

It has been too long since I had even looked at my paint box much less picked up a brush, but that goodness the paints were not dried out and the brushes still we soft.

The Michigan City Art League and a great friend, Mary Bolinger has given me hope that I may still be able to enjoy brushing up my brush strokes! Thank you so much for being just who you are!

---

This photo was my inspiration
for AJ's portrait.

I still want to do this in oils/acrylics

l

When I Am Old

How many times during the procession from "childhood" to "adulthood" did I declare in bold voice, "Well, when I grow up...", ending as often with what I would not do as with what I would do.

Not so oddly there is a poem about "When I Am Old I Will Wear Purple" by Jenny Joseph.

Never at any stage have I feared wearing purple. I even had a bright orange leather coat along with a bright yellow one for Spring-wear. As I have grown older my color range has broaden to include wacky patterns and Zebra glamor galore. From jewelry, shoes, purses, wraps, dresses and yes pant suites. Breaking with the expected and the norm is just my way.

So Purple smurple.... who knows what I will wear when I grow old. Like Ms. Joseph, I still have a rebel soul that is unwilling to bend to conventional forms just because someone says this is what should be.

As I face what some would say are the later years in this procession of life, I continue to explore just what it is I really want to do when I grow up. Which is my way of saying growing up and/or older is one in the same.

To never loose the wonderment of a child at a new discovery is something to hold on to dearly. To have dreams for a tomorrow that can fill your todays is something to strive for. Keep a rebel spirit and you can not go wrong.

Ask questions. Do not be satisfied with "pat answers". Continue to seek your truth!

Follow you gut! Go with what you know in your heart is right. Don't look back... keep a forward stance and know that somewhere someone will look and say, "There is someone who is living life their way!"

When I am old I will not only wear purple and zebra prints but I will be young enough to wonder who it is that determines who is old.