tuesday truths - methods of madness

June 9, 2020 Arlene Giddings

Every time I cut the grass,
I imagine how it must look
to an observer….
and likely
how frustrating
it would be for someone
who is a perfectionist,
precise and logical
to watch me
cut the lawn.

Because I feel my methods
are neither precise nor
logical.

I start in the front yard
and refuse to shut the lawn mover off
once I have started
because I am afraid
that will be my signal
to give up
and go get ice cream.

Instead,
I run it as I take to the backyard
which would be fine
except there is not really
any grass
in the middle yard.

Just sticks and chestnuts
and branches and bamboo
and did I mention the chestnuts?
because that is important.
I got hit in the forehead the other day
by a flying chestnut that the lawnmower
spit out with impressive vengeance.

Which would not have happened,
if I had shut the lawn mower off
to take it to the back yard.

My technique for cutting the lawn
starts off with straight lines…
well…somewhat straight…
but then, sometimes I see a patch of grass
over there that maybe I should cut RIGHT now
and then I go halfway around a tree
but there are branches that I haven’t cut up yet
so I play chicken with them,
seeing how close I can get to them before the
lawnmower wire gets all wrapped up in a branch
or I hit a big one…

I also cut half the lawn with
my eyes partially closed
and a scrunched up scared look on my face
because
I have only partially raked
and I know there are still loose sticks
and…maybe some rocks…
so I never know what I might run over…
last time, I ran over a rope
AND a plastic bag that got snarled in the blades
and I had to cut it out with a knife.

I kept my eyes open for that part.
Oh. And I shut the lawn mover off.

And sometimes, there might be a little
random patch of forget me nots
or…sometimes…dandelions
that I don’t have the heart to cut down
so I mow around them….

And I picture someone
precise and logical
observing me cut the grass
(usually my dad comes to mind)
and it makes me laugh…
which probably makes me look even stranger…
giggling to myself as I randomly
zigzag and circle and wander about
being totally illogical and
intentionally imprecise.

And then…
I go get ice cream.

whatcha readin'? 2020 {book 12::goal 30}

June 8, 2020 Arlene Giddings

I am reading, I swear.

Just not as fast or as much as I normally do.
I am spending a lot of time in the yard,
cutting grass, planning a garden…
and the bulk of my reading right now
comes from a text book
about quantum computing and binary representation
and other stuff that
occasionally makes my brain feel like smushy-mush.

I read Waiting for Joe
in May…and made a note in my phone about it after
that actually just kind of caught me by surprise:

“It was…meh.
Sad & depressing like a cold rainy day
where the sun
never comes out.
A bleak existence.
A sad set of lives."

And then I gave it 2.5 hearts.

I’m not sure that it was the writing that bothered me
as much as it was the subject…
sad, hopeless, bleak, lonely.
And maybe that is just too much for me
right now.

Maybe, right now,
I just want sunshine and unicorns
and candy colored rainbows.

I’m a grown-up.
It’s my prerogative.
:)

(But…in the book’s defense,
normally, as soon as I finish a book
my brain seems to delete it from my memory bank.
But, the characters seemed to have
stayed with me for this one…
so I guess that says something.)

Also…I am starting something new…
I have decided I am not keeping as many books anymore.
So, for some of these, like this one,
if you want to read it
and have a book you would like to trade….
hit me up.
:)

2.5 ♥’s out of 5 ♥♥♥♥♥’s
NEXT UP:: HISTORY LESSON FOR GIRLS - AURELIE SHEEHAN

the world can also be sweet... (a sappy sunday post)

June 7, 2020 Arlene Giddings

i have been meaning
to write a blog post about this
all week
but time kept
getting away from me,
as it often does.

last weekend,
i got a fb message from a friend
telling me that she knew someone
who was selling some smurfs.

(Note: this is not an odd message
for me to get. Haha. I actually get
things like this pretty frequently
& love that people think of me
when they see this stuff, but I digress…)

normally, they are smurfs i have or
newer smurfs which is still pretty exciting
but this…
this was different.

i didn’t have these smurfs
AND THERE WERE
LITTLE TINY MUSHROOM HOUSES!
and…
YOU CAN OPEN THE DOORS
TO THE LITTLE TINY MUSHROOM HOUSES.

i will be honest.
i wanted them all.
but…i am a grown up
and sometimes grown ups have to
suck it up and settle for a little less
than what they really want
in the name of stupid bills and responsibility
and blah-dididy blah blah-blah.

so…
i said i would definitely take the houses
(cause…did i tell you? THE DOORS OPEN!)
and the baby smurf with the teddy bear.

then i went for a walk.

my friend said she had a friend
that was coming to summerside
& would drop the smurfs off in mailbox
(also not a strange occurrence…heehee)

later that day, i find that cute little red & blue
box in my mailbox…
WITH ALL THE SMURFS
and the HOUSES WITH THE DOORS THAT OPEN
in it.

i am not gonna lie…
i squealed out loud (and scared the dog)
and might have jumped up and down a little
and immediately texted my friend
to ask what she was doing!!
and to get her email address so I could etransfer…

and she just said…
pay it forward.

every day i am so incredibly grateful
for the people in my life.

whether it’s smurfs, tomato plants, lilacs,
a kind word, a hug, a borrowed book, a smile,
some teasing (which I take as a sign of affection),
an ice cream recommendation, a card order,
a blog comment, an offer to help,
a quick “just checking in” message,
a bit of advice, sweets left on my deck…
all of these little things make me feel…
happy.
and so frigging grateful. ♥

now….to plot how to pay this forward…heehee

Happy Sunday.

mooney's pond...

June 4, 2020 Arlene Giddings

this was not my first time here…
the last time i was here,
it was fall
and i was still married
although things
were starting to fall apart,
i just didn’t really know.

it’s funny how my life is
still divided into
before the separation/
after the separation.

i love this place though.
this spot totally being my favorite,
the sound of rushing water,
the stillness, the calm.
i could have stayed there for a long time.

it is such a beautiful walk through here…
and just the perfect length of time
AND I don’t get lost.
i just wish it wasn’t quite so far away

finding my way back to me....

May 24, 2020 Arlene Giddings

For the first time since this COVID 19 thing started,
I felt a little bit more like myself.
I actually got up early Friday morning
and did a real “Friday Adventure”….
tried Dromore trail for the first time….
I did the South Loop,
well, actually, it’s possible I did the South Loop
twice
because I got confused and might have gone
the wrong way.

It’s a wonder I can make it out of a roundabout really.

After Dromore, I found a great, winding
but very narrow dirt road
that seemed to go on forever.

Then I accidentally came across Mooney’s Pond,
which I absolutely love.
I took photos there, too
but will have to share them on a different day.

I had a quick nap in the parking lot
of the trail with the windows open
and a light breeze blowing in
the smell of fresh cut grass.

Then came back to Summerside
to meet up with a best friend
who I haven’t seen for far too long
and we video called another friend
who is too far away…

I came home exhausted and happy.

As soon as I set foot on that trail,
all I could think is
THIS is what I needed…
I realize I have to make a bigger effort
to get out of the house
now that I am working from home.
It is very easy to slide into a rut of
home and home…and home.

The rest of the weekend was
pretty great too….but I have
rambled long enough… :)

(oh. but the other thing I realized
I have missed…is my camera….
this also made me very happy all weekend…
kinda like reconnecting with an old friend)