dailyprompt – The Hermits' Rest

Sleep, it’s a life skill

What’s the most underrated life skill?

I can vouch for this one, because I’m so good at it, and it’s helped me. Many people don’t find it all that important, but my ability to go to sleep wherever I am, if necessary, has saved me from a lot of grogginess. If I need sleep, I sleep, just like the dogs do.

Not me, I’m ever vigilant, waiting to see if Lee is gonna do something (untrue; he’s vigilantly watching for Lee’s lap to appear, so he can nap)

Since my recent mental challenges, I’ve been really sleepy. I figure my body’s telling me something, so I let myself sleep if I don’t have anything scheduled. If it’s during work, I just work later and it all works out. (I have used the word “work” too many times, perhaps.) I’m hoping sleepiness is not a symptom of anything more than stress.

Too much fight or flight going on in my brain, like this guy.

I can fall asleep sitting in a chair, riding in the car (not driving), on a plane, in bed, or anywhere my head can rest. I can nap at any time, too, occasionally before noon if bored or sick. I think it’s a good thing, because when I wake up I’m refreshed and alert. For me, anyway.

Fresh as a white dog chasing butterflies? He’s fascinated by them.

There’s not much else to report from the ranch, which is good. All surviving animals are happy (turkeys seem thrilled to be alone and in charge), and the horses are happy to have some grass and lots of new hay.

The plants that made it through summer are still pretty. I hope we can over-winter a few. At least it is finally a little cooler here!

That’s a pretty plant, even its rebellious offshoot.

Wait! One piece of good news from today is that I finally got my crown installed and I don’t have to see the dentist again for that issue. Ha. I still have to go back for a cleaning next week. Argh. That was scheduled long before this crown/bridge debacle. Another three hours of driving for a one-hour appointment. Why do I live so far from civilization?

My philosophy in one phrase

What’s a personal mantra or philosophy you live by?

There’s no doubt that I’ve said this many times before, but the guiding belief that has stuck with me since I first heard it is the Golden Rule, which is found in so many spiritual traditions.

Treat others how you would like to be treated.

Sure, someone could argue against this, but I’m sticking with it. It’s served me well through many adventures.

Ah, Queen butterflies. The blue mist flowers also serve well.

Things were pretty good today, and work went fine.

I did notice that my toes were still a bit sore from all that hill climbing last week. I took off the nail polish from when I was in Florida and discovered why. I probably should have brought my hiking boots to New Mexico, even though space was limited in the car.

That’s bruising, in addition to other stuff.

Hiker’s toe, it’s called. It’s caused by repeatedly banging your toes into your shoes going downhill. All that ugliness will grow out. And I’m going to treat for fungus, too. But yuck, this is what I get for painting my toenails—I didn’t catch it soon enough.

I knew you were wondering about the other foot. Cutting the nail too short did not fix the problem.

As Kathleen was telling me today, things could be worse. So I’ll treat those feet and remember to bring my good boots next time I go hill walking. At least I CAN climb hills!

Speaking of dogs…

Getting my exercise

What are five simple exercises to do at home?

Today’s prompt reminded me of what I like about autumn: I can walk around as much as I want to without sweating. That’s what I did today in between meetings, and though I’m not home now, walking around is a home exercise for me. It breaks up the time of concentration, and gets steps in, even if I’m just marching around the house and getting Harvey all confused. At the ranch, just getting the mail gets steps in. I guess I count exercise on your own property as “home” exercise.

Walking around gives you bonus nature sightings.

Going up and down the stairs is another home exercise. Today I climbed nine flights, though some of those may have been hills I climbed.

What about weight-bearing exercise, you ask? Lee thinks lifting my Le Crueset (sp) cast iron pots counts. For me, my weight lifting is feed bags for the horses and chickens. The 50-pounders are hard. Lifting saddles onto horses really used to keep my arms in shape. I’ll have to figure out another exercise now, but I do groom them, which can be aerobic exercise.

I enjoy swimming at home, since I’m lucky to have a pool. I haven’t done enough this year, but last year I had good swimming muscles. I hope I’m more mentally perky so I can motivate myself to swim.

My final home exercise is yarn winding. Don’t laugh. It can get the heart rate going pretty darned well. That’s why I often wind my yarn skeins by hand. It adds up. Try it.

There’s always yarn to wind at my house.

I admit that walking gets me most of my exercise. It’s my favorite.

Of course nature interrupts me. Common Checkered Skimmer.

Today was a nice contrast to yesterday, though the wind was pretty fierce. It felt quite autumnal, which prompted Mike and me to probably walk too briskly at times. We had to catch our breath in the mountain air!

Lee and I went on a shorter walk later, and the hills were a bit much for him, too. I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow, so I can get more walking in.

We had a nice dinner tonight, our last one with Martha’s sister and brother-in-law. We all were silly together and had good conversation. I’m off for the rest of our trip to Ruidoso, which means more fun is in store.

Out of the business business

If you could start a new business right now, what would it be?

Folks, the only way I’d ever participate in starting a new business would be if I were magically surrounded by competent people who are equally as invested as I am with the fantastic business concept who will contribute their special skills in exchange for sharing the profits. That’s not going to happen.

My happy, hypothetical team analyzing my great business idea. Photo from Pexels.

I’d want to come up with ideas, motivate and lead teams, network, and share my passion for the concept. Others would do taxes, finances, budgets, do advertising, and all those other aspects of business I suck at.

Truth is, I really don’t want to start a new business in such uncertain times. I would rather learn and share my learning with others without getting all capitalistic about it. So sorry, Suna’s Bird of the Week Embroidery Collection will not launch.

Sorry, Polly, the masses will not be buying your kits. Photo from Pexels, which actually had a free image of what I wanted!

You got this fascinating insight into my current business mood because there are no adventures, walks, or beautiful sights to report on today.

Thus, I worked like a good worker, and trained a lot of people in software. Then I read a lot and talked to the folks in our Ruidoso cabin. That confinement wasn’t all bad. There was lots of laughter and storytelling. Martha’s sister, Terri, and her husband Dave fit right in with our quirky gang!

After trying to do some sightseeing with her family, Martha came back and made spaghetti while Terri contributed a good salad. We had a cozy evening in, followed by sitting around reading about flooding from the huge system parked over Arizona and New Mexico.

Mike in his work setup, which he had to rebuild after dinner

I hope it moves on over and gives the ranch some rain. At least there’s a good chance.

Who wants to read this?

How do you write what people actually want to read?

What a good question! If I had set my sights on being a professional content creator or influencer, I’d probably think about this question more. I blog because I have a compulsion to write, and I enjoy connecting with others and getting feedback. I don’t feel authentic if I tailor everything I say to get people interested. On the other hand, I don’t want to alienate my friends and family who read my messages to them, so I don’t want to come off as rude or confrontational.

That doesn’t mean I don’t. I have heard enough feedback that I come through as condescending or think I’m better than others to know I can irritate folks. I’m grateful that my work in being okay with not being everyone’s cup of tea has paid off, and that I’m comfortable not pleasing people whose beliefs I disagree with. We do t all have to agree.

That being said, I enjoy sharing sweet snippets of rural life and quirky thoughts that might bring a smile to some readers’ faces. That works for me!

Cuteness did occur today, as some clever horse opened a gate and let everyone out to seek green grass. I think I saw it happen, just by luck, as I looked out the window.

I let them find the few places that are still green (near the septic field and where we water a tree), and they had quite a fun day. I really enjoy watching the horses having fun.

I’m taking a bit of a work break while some things get figured out, so I got to hang out with the birds and my garden spider friend for a while this morning.

I’m always surprised at how many plants are just fine in dry periods. The dove weed and snake weed keep going no matter what, which pleases the pollinators.

Much of the day was spent getting ready for a trip, so everything got watered, fed, and prepped for my absence. It should all be fine, since we have folks watching over the plants and animals. Of course the horses had to get their food. They were very good and all came back into the pens when I asked them to, except one.

Spice really wanted to help me dole out their rations. She tried to come in the feed shed, but didn’t like the step. Whew. She did a good job of cheering me up!

This also cheered me up. My son got this great shot of the Barred Owl he’s been seeing at his work site!

Oh, the spontaining!

What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

Today my friend Martha, with whom I will be traveling soon, told our lunch group that she’s a planner. She has a long list of activities to do on the trip.

I thought to myself, that’s not me. I’m more of a “spontainer” when traveling. That’s Lee’s and my term for just picking a point and going. We often embark on trips with no concrete plans of our route or what we will do when we arrive. Thus, I’m having a hard time picking the most spontaneous thing I’ve ever done.

I’ll admit this. My current mental state is making it hard to dredge up memories—I have become comfortably numb, like in the old song. It will get better; I’m fairly sure I’m not suffering from cognitive decline more than the average person my age. I’m just having a surge in anxiety, which I’m working to understand (both intellectually and psychically).

Good thing I have these guys to soothe my symptoms.

Back to being spontaneous (which I know is not right for every occasion and which often benefits from a bit of planning to succeed). It occurs to me that I am not spontaneous about big things, just day-to-day choices with few consequences. That fits with my self image of not being a big risk taker. I’m now laughing at myself. The cautious spontainer, that’s me, always trying to be everything at once (I’m an extroverted introvert, too).

So, I didn’t get a good answer to the prompt, but I figured out something about myself. I’m definitely comfortable with having conflicting traits. I’m hoping this helps with flexibility and the cognitive dissonance required to feel comfortable at times like these. Maybe it will help me get over this mental struggle.

I forgot to wish you kind readers a happy equinox or Mabon yesterday. It’s still very hot here. To welcome the season I’m wearing a shirt that says, “My favorite season is the fall…of fascism.”

PS: maybe my most spontaneous act was walking into a salon and declaring I wanted to bleach my hair white and cut it very short. That wasn’t the plan that morning!

Self care everywhere

How do you make time for self-care?

I hadn’t planned to answer this, but seeing as it’s vital to me right now, I can share my seemingly endless supply of self care practices. Do I practice a lot of self care? Indeed I do. Do I feel bad about it? Nope. Right now it’s very important to care for our tender hearts. To balance the negativity around us with positive energy, we need to protect our energy so we can share some. Not all!

So, what do I do? Here is an incomplete list:

Every morning I sit with Lee on the porch drinking coffee and looking at birds. It’s a gentle start to a day.
I also do my Finch self-care birb app before I start working. I do deep breathing, list some positive thoughts, reach out to others and have gentle fun with friends on the app.
During work days I try to get out and walk at least twice, to get the mail, feed the fish, etc. Mail and fish both are fun and (usually) relaxing.
I limit exposure to the political news. I find positive news to read about.
I do my nails weird colors and patterns. It forces me to take a break and do something just for me every week. Like my knitting and crocheting, the process is more important for my self care than the product.
I make sure to spend time with friends and family. I have two online meetings per week with friends, plus my monthly tarot group. And I have lunch every Wednesday with a group of women who support each other and make me laugh. I often meet friends for breakfast or dinner, and I try to have good conversations with my local family as much as possible. They are positive and care for us.
The horses, dogs, and poultry are part of my self care. Sure, feeding and caring for animals can be a chore, but it makes me feel good to interact with them. And it gets me out of the house.
Blogging is also self care. I work things out in my mind when I write, and I enjoy the conversations with others than blog entries can start. It’s part of community building, and since my audience is small, I don’t have to deal with unkind comments. Thank you, readers.

Whew. That’s a lot. In today’s self care, my tarot group met tonight, and I got the most sad and negative bunch of cards ever. It just confirms that I’m going through a challenging phase. The good news is that it pointed to Lee as someone to help guide me past this and return to equilibrium. There’s always going to be positive and negative “stuff” floating around, after all.

And as for stuff, all our “stuff” is now flowing through new pipes as it heads toward the septic tank.

The pad will be centered around the window in the photo

Now that hurdle is passed, the prep for all our future concrete paths and the massive pad for the water tank can continue. It’s quite a project!

Penney found a used piece of pipe and really enjoyed it. Yuck!

An unrealistic wish

What’s one thing you wish you had started doing earlier in life?

Being honest with myself, I wish I had taken horseback riding lessons when I was younger and more able to learn. It would have been so much fun to work with horses and learn to ride well. Also I would just like to have had the opportunity to take care of horses and learn how to keep them healthy from a young age. It was my dream.

My sweet Apache, who really isn’t fond of being ridden.

Hey. I lived in working-class towns and was part of a one-income family with large medical bills. There was no money for extras, nor was there any way to get to a horse other than rare visits. So I set other, more manageable goals and was very appreciative of the help I got to do other things I loved, like singing and writing. (I also wish I could have had voice lessons.) I’m absolutely fine with my life. No complaints.

I did get to spend over a decade learning about horses and I still get to care for my beautiful equine friends. Having space at the ranch and funds to care for horses has been a dream come true.

Now Apache gets to hang out with Spice and walk around with me.

An aside: I never thought I’d have any income that covers more than food and housing. I know I’m privileged. Knowing there are people who don’t even have that is sobering. Basic life expenses should be within everyone’s reach.

This was a nice diversion from thinking about having to go for more dental work tomorrow. I know it won’t be as bad as last time, but it’s on my mind. Other diversions have been watching football (Cowboys won) and jumping in the car to locate a grass fire and make sure firefighters were on the way. They were!

Now I’m at an inexpensive hotel luxuriating and feeling grateful I don’t have to drive in from the ranch for the 8 am appointment.

I have football, Ritz crackers, and guacamole. Ahh.

Many of you dear readers are in my thoughts. So much pain in the world, physical and mental! Your empath friend feels it.

Super Suna strikes again

If you had to switch lives with a fictional character for a week, who would you choose?

I just had to respond, even if I’ve answered this before. I’d be Supergirl. Yep. Kara Zor-El of Argo City. I don’t think I’d be the one from any recent movies. I’d be Legion of Superheroes Kara from 1970s and 1980s DC Comics. I like that she’s smart but imperfect.

It was hard to find an image without a stupid “modern” costume.

She was always my favorite. My next-door neighbor Sandra Purvis and I spent hours and hours of our childhood running around in our neighborhood wearing towels as capes, pretending to be Supergirl and Phantom Girl. It was a great way to escape from our daily lives and pretend we were dating dashing teen boy Superheroes. She and I both spent a LOT of time in our imaginations.

Later on Anita and I were just as enamored of our Legion friends, though there was more script writing and less pretend play.

Here in the modern world I escape by hanging out in the outdoors, surrounding myself with dogs, as well as playing with pens and nail polish. Hmm. I also did that as a teen.

I’m feeling better, a bit, so after birding a bit, I did some cleanup around the porches of our house and threw some stuff away. I felt so powerful just making myself do something useful. There’s so much more to do, but I can tell I did something. The big cleanup will wait until it cools off. Besides, there were mosquitoes after me.

It may look like a mess, but it’s better.

I also made a happy discovery. Lee had bought some boxes to store old photos in. Meanwhile, I had been searching for better Color Street nail polish strip storage but finding nothing. I brought a polish package upstairs just to check, and lo and behold, it fit in the box. I didn’t need the little individual storage boxes, I thought. Then I realized I could use them to store the smaller packages that bonus sets come in. I felt like Super Suna for figuring that out. I’d been dissatisfied with my storage a long time.

There are probably two readers who find this interesting. Enjoy!

I guess it doesn’t take much to force a little self esteem back. I shall keep on trying!

PS: Wood Storks flew over the house last night. My yearly migration sighting!

What does Cameron need?

What’s one thing that would instantly improve your city?

The town I live closest to is Cameron, Texas, with between 5,000-6,000 people. It could use many things, though it’s improving over the past few years. There’s just one thing I wish we still had, a hospital.

Cameron has had one in the past. This was on Crockett Ave.

Like oh so many small towns in Texas, Cameron had a hospital not all that long ago, the replacement for the one shown above. There were questionable management practices and it failed in 2018. The other hospital in the county, which was owned by the same company, bit the dust not long afterward.

The Cameron Hospital is now where most of the county government offices are. The Rockdale one is now being renovated as an educational facility.

All these other uses are great, but that leaves the entire county with no place to go for emergencies. It’s 45 minutes to the closest hospital in Temple, where our family spends a lot of time. I’d go to College Station and hope the extra ten minutes to get there wouldn’t kill me.

We do have two clinics, and I really like the local one I go to, where I know the people. But these aren’t for urgent care or emergency care. And there are no hospital beds in this county.

You’ve probably heard of the rural health care crisis. It’s real! Of course it’s just one piece of the healthcare problems in the US. What a mess.