What Will Tomorrow Bring?

The endless hostile campaigning is over.
The combative debates are over.
The election is over.
The inauguration is over.
What will tomorrow bring?


Most of the people I know held their breath and wondered what tomorrow would bring?  It wouldn't take long before we found out. Executive Orders flying out of the White House with speed of lightening.  Everyday brought something new and concerning. Alienating Mexico regarding building of "The Wall".  Then on Friday, the most distressing so far. A ban on immigrants from several countries effectively immediately. Some people were in airports waiting to board planes for the United States, some people were in mid-air on their way already, some had landed and were being detained and held for hours. But another day has passed and we know that it is only the beginning. Citizens have flocked to the streets, parks and airports demonstrating in opposition to policies and appointments. Attorneys have given pro bono help to immigrants who have been detained. Senators and Representatives joined demonstrators in protesting this Executive Order. People are being fired leaving holes in important agencies. Protests keep happening. George Orwell's 1984 is the most requested book on Amazon and in fact has sold out; library copies area all checked out. 

Why are some Congressmen afraid to speak out if they think it is wrong? Aren't they supposed to represent us, "We the People"? Confirmation hearings are continuing tomorrow, but it's difficult to halt a speeding out of control train. There seems to be so much chaos that my head is spinning trying to keep up and stay informed. This is just my opinion and I am not an expert by any sense of the word, but I am a voter. 

"If you can't convince them; confuse them."  Harry S. Truman

TEARS

OK! I Admit It, I Have a Problem!

On February 9, 2015 I wrote a blog page entitled "Is There Such Thing as Too Many Books" . At the top of the page was this quote: "It is impossible to read all the books on my to-read shelf but I keep adding books anyway". This is exactly what I do! I have added and added and added every chance I got. I somehow convinced myself that I would be able to read all these books and I would keep buying and buying and buying!

 Recently my oldest Granddaughter moved to an apartment while attending her last semester of college, leaving her bedroom and adjoining bathroom without an occupant. While I will always think of it as her room, I didn't hesitate long to take over. There is a bed in the room to accommodate guests should there be any, but my intent was to build a sanctuary library. I bought three 30 inch wide bookcases just like the two I have in my bedroom downstairs. It is when I began filling those shelves with books that I truly realized the scope of my problem!! I have a shelf of Christmas books and one or two shelves of some of my favorite books (books that I have already read, but love the gentle stories that I almost feel I could live in), most of the books are unread by me. Once I started adding unread books from one room to the other and from boxes in the basement, I admit that I have problem. If I keep going the way I have been I will have to remove the bed and line every wall with bookcases. I seem to be spending more time buying books than reading them!

A Real Treasure Right in My Own Backyard

I started this post several months ago but never finished it or posted it. Sometimes I start posts and decide that they are not really meaningful or blog worthy. This was not the case with this post, I was simply trying to decide how to tell the story.  In addition I was unsure how to include pictures since I had a new computer that I didn't totally know how to use. 


A Warm Fall Day

Today I spent part of the day walking and exploring Majestic View Nature Center and Community Park with a friend. We started out to walk in a pleasant outdoor setting since the weather was well above average and it was a beautiful day. We ended up being amazed at what we found. This reserve sits just off busy streets surrounded by housing. If you enter the park from 72nd Street you park in a parking lot that faces west and offers a spectacular view of several acres of prairie grasslands, Oberon Lake and foothills in the distance.

 Normally at this time of the year the air would be crisp and there might even be snow on the tops of the foothills, but not this day. The temperature was in the low 80's. First we walked down to a little lake that is home to water fowl and birds of all sorts. We stopped on a little observation platform and looked out across the little lake (we later learned it was Oberon Lake) where we enjoyed the peaceful surroundings. We listened to the birds as they flew into the trees that circled the lake and we felt like we could just stand there all day, but instead we decided we needed to see as much as we could of the surrounding Nature Center. We walked up the hill passing several different demonstration gardens that contain various plants and trees found in various natural environments and topography of Colorado; prairie grasslands, mountain tundra, riparian (which I found out means wetlands along a river or stream, semi-desert Shrubland, Montane Forest among others. Outside the building containing classrooms, kids activity area and meeting rooms,  it was quiet and peaceful. A bench provided seating and I felt as if I could just sit there for a long time soaking up the stillness and serenity. Instead we entered the building where a truly educational experience awaited us. There are several docents who will gladly tell you everything that the center has to offer. There are interactive exhibits, books, hands on displays ,examples of wildlife of the area, public classes, demonstrations and classes for school age children. There are several meeting rooms that are available to rent for events or groups.  My daughter, Baby Bird, is an elementary school teacher and each year her class visits the center for part of day. She relates that the students love the experience and all the volunteers and docents are enthusiastic and informative. It is incredible and impressive that within a few miles of home this remarkable place exists.

View to the West

The City of Arvada provides funding for Majestic View in additional donations from the public which make it possible. 

Several miles away from Majestic View you can also visit Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge. It covers 72.2 acres which includes 63.2 acres of uplands, 9 acres of wetlands and three small ponds. The reserve also sits just off a busy urban street and when suburban expansion threatened the space in 1990 concerned citizens worked to save it from development. In 1992 the Reserve was established to protect various animals and high plants. Two Ponds is the smallest urban unit in the National Wildlife Refuge system. The east side of the refuge is open May-September, the west side is accessible all year long.

Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge









Both of these wonderful places are within 3 miles of my home, right in  my own backyard!

What Would It Be Like?

January 16, 2017
                                   


Could I do it? What would it be like to get rid of things that still have some sentimental attachment for me--"things" that were given to me by friends, grandchildren, other family members? How could I just place them in the box marked "donations"? What about all those hundreds of pictures of my Grand Baby Birds in various stages of their lives? I still smile when I look at them, how can I just place all but the best in the trash? From time to time I thin out recipes that I have collected, but what would it be like to just take the whole pile and get rid of it? Would I feel better, lighter, more free, less unencumbered? What about all those items I have collected because they made me smile, warmed my heart or reminded me of someone or some place?

I have a wall of bookcases filled naturally with books, but also with those collected items. From time to time, season to season, I rotate those collections. Some are always there and some go away in a box for a while but I know that they are still mine. I tell myself that I am going to read all those books although I am beginning to wonder if at my age it is possible. I bought them because "they sounded interesting" and I hope that most of them are, but so far I haven't read many of them.

A friend wrote a blog about two Minimalists (see spongefullofthoughts.blogspot.com) who quit their jobs, sold most of their possessions and started living a "minimalist" life in a Montana cabin. In reading more about these two I discovered that they were at first motivated by certain events in their lives to make these changes. They write in their books about how much these actions improved their lives. 

I have no such events to motivate me to take these actions, just a sometimes a vague sense of too much clutter surrounding me. Can I apply some of their actions to my life to declutter? The big question for me is: Do I Want To? Do I want to look at bookshelves with some books on them and only one or two carefully placed items? I think as long as those items make me smile or give me a comfortable feeling, I won't be able to get rid of much!

TIPS FOR DECLUTTERING SHOULD YOU CHOOSE IT

1. Give yourself 5 solid minutes. ...
2. Give away one item each day. ...
3. Fill one trash bag. ...
4. Make a list. ...
5. Take the 12-12-12 Challenge. ...
6. Change your perspective. ...
7. Experiment with numbers. ...
8. Use your imagination.

More items...

10 Creative Ways to Declutter Your Home - Becoming Minimalist

www.becomingminimalist.com/creative-ways-to-declutter/