summer – Site Title

The Changing of the Guard

Just another morning in the grand scheme of things but it was a little different. Getting up early as usual, I found Chachi’s face almost plastered next to mine! The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes were his big expressive eyes staring back at me. Nothing new there. Just the norm in our world of being hooked on each other.

The thing that was different was how dark it looked outside compared to yesterday. The sun was a no show and everything was shrouded in a veil of darkness. A change of season approaching quietly but surely? Chachi walked up to the big window in the kitchen and let out a loud meow and went, “My TV is not working Mommy!” Oh well, he needs to be patient and it will fix itself.

My daily walk in the fields a short while later was more of the same. It was a little lighter but the sun was sure taking its time this morning. I walked knowing my path well, I could have done it with my eyes closed! A lone deer emerged from the forest line and stood there for a while before taking off to where it was familiar just as I was doing. The sky was a pearl grey and streaks of pink were starting to appear at the mountain tops. It is supposed to be cooler today but it will be sunny and warm.

My eyes scanned the horizon as I walked, my feet heavy as I trudged along the rock strewn path. No one and nothing was moving BUT there was much happening beneath my feet that my naked eyes could not see. The changing of the guard was taking place and the preparation was well under way or wherever “nature” holds its meeting to get things moving.

Turning back I noticed six bales of hay stacked on top of each other and just in front of them three deer grazing. A beautiful sight to behold. Soon, there will be more signs of another season approaching and it will be done like clockwork. A miracle? Absolutely.

“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” Mary Davis

Have an amazing day.

HEATWAVE!

We’re in the throes of one and it doesn’t look like it is going to let up anytime soon! Summer is on its way out but not without a last hurrah!

Summer break is over with and school starts on Monday. Hopefully everything else will be back on track as well. Time stands still when vacation starts and everything is run with a skeleton crew. I’m looking forward to calling for an appointment and NOT being told, “Doctor is on vacation. You can get an appointment in two week’s time!”

Anyway, I woke up this morning with my t-shirt plastered to my body drenched in sweat. My freshly washed hair of two days ago has decided to kow-tow to the heat and is not doing much better. The only place in the house that is cool is the living room with its stone floors, the rest are like being in a sauna!

I’m looking forward to the next season when I can go walking for miles on end and have the cool breeze accompany me. Hot weather is for the birds but they are taking cover as well! We’re all waiting for the beauty of fall to step in wearing its golden colors and with it some reprieve.

According to the weather forecast, we have another week of slightly lower temps and then the rain moves in to cool things off. Until then, Chachi, the cat, is sweating his a** off and I have to cool him off with a damp towel two or three times a day. It also seems that no matter how much water I drink, it takes but minutes for it to evaporate in sweat!

Yucks?!! Exactly right. I had my shower this morning but I feel sticky already. Oh well, time to bite the bullet and let the day have its way.

Have an amazing Sunday and I hope it’s cooler where you’re at.

The Staycation

I don’t do vacations anymore. Packing up and going somewhere only to unpack and do the “vacation thing” is for the birds but that’s how I feel.

I hate leaving what is comfortable and heading to places unknown. It is a thing of the past for me. This year, I decided to do it my way. I took a week off and decided to do a staycation the “recluse” way.

Walks in nature, getting up whenever and letting life take care of itself for a while was the plan. It started out well enough BUT on the first day, I woke up earlier than usual. Bah humbug! Tomorrow is another day, I told myself. I still had six more days to go.

At least, I had the facial appointment to look forward to. It went just fine and I came out glowing or rather a little oilier than expected. The cosmetician said it was a new method of getting your skin to look its optimal best. I was thinking, it should after all the different creams that were mixed and shot into my skin! “Don’t worry if it looks a little oily, it’ll calm down after a few days,” she said.

I nixed the breakfast alone at the cafe idea. I was looking like a pin cushion that had had more pins stuck in it than ever! My pores had been cleaned out, vacuumed out and smoothed out! Oh God! Exactly my thoughts. Anyway, this vacation thing did not start out with a bang but then again, it wasn’t supposed to. Let’s pick up the pace a little bit.

On Day 3, I decided to get myself out. I was supposed to meet a friend for coffee and breakfast and do some catching up. I showed up early and found a comfortable seat by the window. Sipping on a cup of coffee, I noticed the friend walk in. I smiled but it froze in place instantly. Next to him was a total stranger. He was about 6’2″ tall, slim with dark wavy hair, wore glasses which added to the distinguished look and a great smile to boot. It has been said that a recluse is someone who is anti-s0cial and loves doing things alone so “alone” time is good, once in a while meeting someone is good but adding to the equation is a NO! NO! Anyway, we got introduced and the conversation took off. Maybe, I was nervous or just P I S S E D, but the conversation was flowing non-stop. It was the same way with him and we were like two chickens cackling away! The fifth-wheel, my friend had a disgruntled look on his face but it was well-deserved for showing up with an unannounced stranger!

So, what happened? A future date perhaps? Nope, it doesn’t work that way with me. I’m a hard egg to crack. After two hours, I had had enough of socializing and got out of there fast. This vacation thing wasn’t working out the way I wanted it too.

Days 4, 5, & 6 were spent getting on Chachi, the cat’s nerves. I decided to do the cleaning bit and Little Einstein wanted to keep an eye on everything. He wore himself out. I took one walk in nature but the rest of the days were spent indoors because the rain had moved in and decided to keep me company.

Workouts, meditation, cheesecake and lots of coffee and tea kept my mood on an even keel. I don’t know about vacationing at home guys. It was okay but it is what I’m used to on a daily basis, nothing different. Still, I would rather do this than the other variety which involves packing, heading out, eating, eating, eating followed by lots of stress. What about Day 7? I was climbing walls by then and it was time to come back to reality.

I’ll take “staycation” anyday!

HEATWAVE!

“Dear weather, stop showing off….we know you’re HOT!!!”

The news reads, “Europe swelters under severe heatwave as temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius” No kidding! It is HOT and there is no reprieve.

According to a 2024 report by the EU’s Corpernicus Climate Change Service, “Europe is the continent with the fastest-rising temperatures on Earth, having warmed twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s.” This is alarming folks.

Some love it hot and some don’t. My friend, the diver and diving instructor, loves it. I complained that it was too hot yesterday and he said, “At least, it’s not humid.” Hmm…..”humidity” was wearing bells and singing Hallelujah in my bedroom! Just goes to show that some like it HOT and some don’t.

I have a beautiful garden but not because I put a lot of work into it. I had a Polish gardener who did a fantastic job of keeping the weeds at bay and the flowers in bloom. Last year, he had a back problem and went back to Poland. Now, I have a Chilean guy who helps out now and then. I had him scheduled for today but decided it was too hot to be sweltering it out in the garden so called to cancel. His response, “No problem, I LOVE HOT WEATHER!” Like I said, some like it HOT and some don’t.

Chachi, the cat, is like his mom. He hates hot weather. The fur coat doesn’t make it any better either. He walked up to me looking absolutely miserable.

“Mom, we need to talk about this fur coat. Can I go skimpier?”

ME: “Sorry love, you’re stuck with it. Mommy will make it better.”

So, I’ve been wetting a towel in cold water and running it over his fur and that seems to help for now.

Today, the temps will be reaching new highs.

“My skin is sticking, my brain is frying, and I haven’t stopped sweating since I got out of bed.” Unknown

AND

“The heat index is between OMG and WTF!” Unknown

You get the picture.

Have an amazing day.

The Lazy Hazy Days of Summer!

It has been HOT, it has been sticky and the heat has been unbearable. Sweating it out is not a pleasurable experience and going without air-conditioning is not my kind of a nice summer day either!

Europeans do not believe in air-conditioning. “Less than 20% of European homes have air-conditioning, compared to 90% in the US.” This is due to environmental concerns such as energy consumption and green house gas emissions. Add “no deo” to that, and you’ve got a hot sweltering mess!

My energy levels have tanked and I’ve been doing what Chachi, the cat, has been doing. Staying quiet in a cool spot indoors. Add lots of hydration and it is bearable. Walking is out of the question for now and that hasn’t set too well either. It’s just too humid and the “stickiness” that ensues from being out there has kept me indoors for the time-being. I’m like a grumpy bear looking for some relief!

I’ve upped showers to twice a day and some days I want to stay there for a while. A friend told me, “Do what Europeans do when it’s hot.” It seems they go naked and let it all hang out! Not a pretty picture considering most of the people in this village are older people and going without clothes, well, you get the picture! I recall the first time I saw my in-laws in their “bare nothings!” It was a traumatic experience, well not quite, one I don’t want repeated again!

Summer is here and it plans to stay for a while. I’ll just have to put up with it and do the best I can.

One good thing about summer is this:

“Some of the best memories are made in FLIP-FLOPS!” Unknown

I’ve got them on and my feet are smiling even if the rest of me isn’t!

Have an amazing day.

My Sacred Place

It has been almost two weeks since I set foot in my sacred space. My daily walks in nature had come to a screeching halt. The rains along with the gusty winds had moved in and walking was the last thing on my mind.

However, I had missed my forays in nature and today that want was back in full force. I needed the freedom of being out in nature. This feeling of being caged in had to go so I found myself back on the familiar pathway again. It somehow felt different. The rapeseed plants were still there and they had grown a lot taller blocking visibility in every direction. The golden blooms were no longer there and now the plants stood swaying and dancing with the wind. I could feel claustrophobia taking hold. I wasn’t liking this one little bit.

The farmers around here are well-regimented and they’ve got crop-rotation down to a science but for some reason, they’ve let the plant life get out of control this time around. Could it be the rain? Whatever it was, I kept to the graveled pathway and decided to cut my walk short, unrest seeping in. I like open spaces but today I felt fenced in. I don’t know why and that bugged me to no end.

Making my way back I notice that the sun is slowly making a showing but the winds are still in full force. It’s as if nature can’t make up its mind but I know that this too shall pass and summer will come traipsing back in. I just hope that the farmers will get back to work making the fields visible so that my soul can fly again.

Have an amazing day.

Stalks of Gold

It was an early morning walk. The days are getting warmer and walking later in the mornings is getting uncomfortable. I am not a fan of hot weather so a friend suggested I should try walking when the dewdrops are still on the ground. I took his advice.

The fields looked different as I approached it today. They were wearing a gleeful look, the rapeseed plants were in full bloom and mesmerizing fields of gold greeted my eyes as I stepped onto familiar ground. I was dwarfed by the long stalks of gold on both sides as I took my steps feeling a little out of place somehow. Since I have a mild case of claustrophobia, the uneasiness grew as I ventured further in. Suddenly I decided to cut it short as my mind started playing havoc and started coming up with horror scenarios! It was doing one better than Stephen King but only this time instead of cornfields I was caught in a maze of gold!

It was time to make my way home, however, there was no denying the beauty surrounding me. The bright yellow showcased against a bright blue sky was gorgeous and picture postcard perfect but the quiet was all-consuming. Something was off but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Perhaps, I’ve been watching too many horror movies, the kind where nature hides the paranormal!

Time to head back, sit down to a nice hot cup of coffee and meditate to quiet the uneasiness running through me. Intuition is a good thing and it only has your best interest at heart so pay attention when it screams danger or as in my case, it could have just been my overactive mind doing hoops to get attention!. It did.

Have an amazing day.