Merely Day By Day

It was a mistake from the minute it began.  I'll just go through these shirts that are hanging today, I told myself. I pulled them out of the closet and placed each in one of three piles: love it (very small pile), meh (it fits and it's okay, but I don't love it), buh-bye. Once the shirts were piled on the bed, I realized I should go through all of my clothes that were hanging in our tiny closet as well as the pile of shoes which desperately needed sorted and returned to their organizer. The closet is small and to do these tasks in parts, on different days, really didn't make much sense. Pulling items out of a closet is quick and usually where the trouble begins. It wasn't long until my dress pants were in sorted piles, dresses were pulled out, and shoes were out of the closet and strewn across the floor. As I looked around the room, I realized what had begun as a thirty-minute clutter clearing task for the day was now a project. There was no turning back. Quickly I...

The sound is incessant as the cicadas fly from tree to tree. I knew they were coming, but I guess I had forgotten what it was like. Maybe it's the first time I've had enough time to really pay attention - or maybe it's that they've interrupted my patio time. Maybe I just chose to wipe the memory from my mind. This is the fourth time I have been around for their visit. The first time I was much too small to remember, the next I was probably living the life, the last time I was quite busy with the day to day life of raising a family, and this time I'm well aware of their arrival and look forward to their quick departure.  I try to remind myself how exciting it must be to be out and about after growing and sleeping for 17 years ( learn more here ). I mean, we're all pretty excited to be out and about after being home for most of the last year due to COVID. Just multiply that joy by 17. A lot has happened since they arrived last. Facebook was just beginning in 2004 ...