Roxy and Ringo are not required to keep 6 feet from each other. No, they’re allowed to sit side by side and get right into each others faces.
What has captured their attention?
Inside Looking Out
Darn!
I sent this photo to my friend to thank her again for my favorite socks. “Rhonda,” I tapped, “I love these socks you gave me so much I’m darning the holes in the heels & toes to get a few more miles out of them.”
“DARN!” she came back, “Your mom would be so proud of you darning socks!!!! Do your grandkids know you do that?”
When my husband noticed me sitting on the couch with this basket in my lap threading a needle he said, “Are you crazy?!” He used to toss his holy socks in the trash until I found out. Now they get laundered and go straight to my studio. Can’t have enough studio rags.
The truth is, I find mending a soothing activity. It goes back to when my children were young. It was calming to sit on the sofa in the evening after they’d been tucked in. Just me and my basket of thread in this quiet space sewing up holes in socks and jeans.
These days I mend my dogs’ toys, over and over again – stuffing the fluff back in and using the strongest thread I can get through the eye of a needle. Very satisfying.
It Does Not Take Much
I was frustrated and stressed when I left the studio to exercise Roxy & Ringo. Work was not going well; too many interruptions, not enough flow. Some days are like that.
Slowly but surely after a couple of miles I calmed down. My blood pressure went back to a good level. That is when I remembered what I’d put in my pocket the day before!
I’d received a lovely gift of lavender soap and lip balm to match. I have lots of chapsticks around the house, in my purse and car, but I never thought to carry one in my walking jacket. This is the coat that can be thrown in the wash; the one that has lots of pockets for poop bags, tissues, my phone, and gloves. I decided to tuck my new lip balm into one and then forgot about it.
As we hiked along, the wind caused my lips to feel dry… Ah-hah!!! I dug in my pocket for the balm. What a pleasant experience to be walking in quiet nature, nobody but me, Roxy and Ringo with moistened lips and the scent of lavender – mmmm…
I returned home with a much better frame of mind. Look at me holding up my lavender lip balm with a big smile 🙂
No, it does not take much to make me happy.