This summer at the middle of June is awful hot already. That’s in Michigan. It’s caused my arthritis and my accident break areas to be extremely painful. I have been inside many days already sadly.
I have a new cat – Luna. She’s black, or really Black smoke Tabby. She has an undercoat of thick white fur. Will try to put a picture up too.
Life is not good. Even when I try to move forward, take the chance, do all the things to help me succeed. I’ve ALSO tried to be a leader…I am too much of an ADHD person and have even failed at that too many times. Then what do I do? I spend without even thinking. That is what it’s like to be a failure in life for me.
Yet still people say to me, “You can still succeed!” IF you want to really do it!” Guess what? It DOESN’T happen. I have changed my career trajectory more times than anyone I know. And I no longer have that, “I am trying.” person inside me. I don’t want to care anymore. It doesn’t always happen. Don’t always believe that lie.
An Excellent post of a great group!
Writing this in my mobile phone because I can’t wait to go home for the computer. This is just after stopping by for a coffee after a fixie ride. Yes it is a beautiful day. And one of the reasons is after hearing Atlas again! They have a music video. Check it out. It has a lot of amazing things. If you remember, the music was taken from their album Affinity which was launched using a kickstarter campaign.
The track I am talking about is called Tontine. It has that classical and jazz feel. The string section adds warmth and the groove section of bass and drums make you want to snap your fingers and tap your feet(which I was doing while listening to the music).
Atlas are Cillian Doheny and Cillian King. I followed then since the beginning of this decade because if their exceptional talents in trad music.
How very cool!
Great things are happening to the band these days. They posted their music session online recently. It’s great stuff and they are breaking new (musical) grounds with their eclectic blend of folk, trad Irish and jazz. I like the elegance that they always present in their recordings and live shows.
The video above is called ‘Mr. & Mrs. Kaki’ released on 22/05/2018. I like the chilled quality of the track, for this will surely appeal to coffee shop aficionados as well as lovers of eclectic music. Can you imagine being part of the crew during the recording of this track? The acoustics of the place must be stunning and I can imagine myself speeding away with my bike later wearing a big smile on my face. Yes catch the sun, let the music soak your soul and be sanctified in the moment’s bliss.
This afternoon at 1PM I hopped in my son’s car and headed off to Muskegon to visit with my brother Scott. I go up almost every Sunday and this time I had a plan for a fun trip to places we use to go as kids. We picked up coffee and headed out of town taking US31 on our way to discoveries.
We got off at the North Muskegon exit and headed west through to some scenic roads looking for the fall colors. After a while we connected with Scenic Drive and headed North straight to Whitehall enjoying the colorful trees (though much of the brighter colors of orange and red were passed). The tunnel of trees over the road was beautiful. we turned around after reaching our first destination along White Lake and headed back till we came to where Duck Lake ran into Lake Michigan. There were a few people with cameras dressed in winter coats, and older “kids,” wading in the warmer waters that met the icy waters of the Big Lake.
We both stumbled along in the soft sand, and the we, “cliffs,” of the harder sand away from the water’s edge that the water had hardened it earlier in the day when the winds blew the water hard into the shore. Falling was giggle time when I fell in the sand. Scott and I slowly made our way back to the car I took pictures of my smiling brother.
We then drove south to the block house. When we were younger, my mom loved to wear us all there and we both have so many memories from that fort. We walked up the hill and tried to see the lake at the top like we use too, and spent a while wandering around the fort. We wandered back down after enjoying the windy hill to the car, and a warmer place. From there the car took us past the Veteran’s Memorial Park on the Causeway into Muskegon and saw all the work they are doing to rebuild the ponds around it. It has been a place to memorialize and honor those who have served from the area in all the branches of the services. It has been there as long as I can remember and it is so good to see that they are bringing it back to its former beauty.
It’s funny how much fun we had just walking in the sand and laughing and talking about what we remembered together. There are so many places that hold memories for both of us. When we do things like this I am thankful that I still have time to spend with my brother. He is one of my best friends. I am going to do this as many Sunday afternoons that I can before the snow flies, and continue to make wonderful memories for the 2 of us. It’s a great weekly sojourn for a brother and a sister to share.
Oh so true.
I live 2 roads up from Lake Mac and I have never heard the boats fly by like I have this summer! It’s wonderful because I can even smell the lake and I love it!
I guess I should say that summer, HOT summer is what I usually hide from but this weather but we’ve had a lovely June thus far. Some hot days but so many of the summer days I really love.70s to 80s and sun with wind too!! I actually love having the windows open. Even my cat loves it! I sure hope this last all summer with those occasional 90 degree days for those who love that weather. Then it will really be a fabulous summer for everyone! AWESOME!
The weather here has been unbearably hot for many, but with Wednesday’s entrance of our new season it gave all here a taste of cold. It’s nice for the kids who started school this week, but from the looks of it the weekend and on into the week we are returning to the heat.
I’m not complaining. It has been a good summer and I am ready for the cooler days of autumn. Things get busy and many who can are beginning the season of days that are full of washing and packing jars and getting them ready for winter. Try doing that with a full time job, something some of my friends and family do every year.
I love fall with it’s wisps of winter with frosts some days and warm Indian summer days for others. I also love the long walks through leaves that seem to do a jig with each gust of wind.
Fall and winter are my seasons. I revel in the way those seasons can actually slow us down a bit and find a change of pace in our busy lives. Not too much though and that’s good thing.
I am going to enjoy our last days of heat and revel in a few more moments of lazy fun. We’re lucky in Michigan to have the seasons. It gives us many ways of seeing beauty whether dressed in a twinkling snow cover, or the many shades and hues of fall.
When I’m home from cancelations for meetings, or just needing a way to refresh myself and regroup for the coming days I take a day to practice peace. I have no exact way to find my center but a few habits definitely help find my center again.
The first practice is always listening and taking in music. All kinds of music! It is a beautiful way to refill my emotional tanks. I have always wished that I could have been a musician but it wasn’t to be so I listen sometimes simply absorbing the tunes, and inhale them when I’m down. It is then I can begin to relax once more.
Another way is to do deep breathing and focusing to let go of the hurts of the days and weeks and the mindfulness can get below the surface and encase my heart in a peace. This is a new practice for me and I’m slowly getting better at it, but it has already given me joy and with it I can begin to step back into my life’s rhythm again.
The most tactile way to reach outside to calm that inner beast is by taking walks in nature whether through absorbing beautiful pictures on rainy days, or walking when I can. Exercise has never been fun for me, but walking is a meditation of its own in my life.
Finally, when I am calm and centered and mostly unflustered I can pray. I tend to only pray for people not their needs and often do a form of doodling to keep me focused and write first names along the lines and patterns I draw and sketch.
Life is not contentment in every step for me, but I still can find my joy. Its still there and a smile is seldom far from my face, or my thoughts with these practices.
I am really thankful for the late life career that found me. I began house sitting cats a few years ago and fell in love with both of my girlfriend’s cats and for a while they were my only pet friends. Since then I have slowly built my business.
The wonderful thing is I love my charges and love playing with them. I’ve never had a job that was so much fun to work at in my life.
Right now I am sitting for a 3 animal household only one is a cat. They sleep all around me in the night and love having me play with them. I really could do it every day of my days. Why do I love animals so much? They understand love and give it back unconditionally.
Life is so good!
Talk and Chatter 