Blitherings – Page 77 – Ink, Yarn & Beer

On the Road, Part I

I have no idea how many parts this little saga will contain. At least two based on the title.

Last year we started what was supposed to be a three week road trip, or maybe a two week road trip, through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, before returning to California. However, post-vaccination Covid caught up with us, and we were grounded until declared “safe.” I felt like a naughty child!

So, we are back on the road, and it is an odd experience. Travel actually requires a certain mindset, a patience with developing new routines while daily ones at home vanish. A road trip means sitting in a car for hours at a time. Josh the Esposo loves to drive, so I sit casually by, and observe the world flying by me. My camera is at hand, set to a fast exposure to catch things as they fly by on the roadside. Sometimes I get good ones. Sometimes I don’t get good ones. In between I am knitting mindlessly on a circular sweater that will be steeked upon my return.

What I do get are memories of places that are beautiful or unreal in my current reality. The big one is water on the ground! As our water vanishes in the Southwest, it just hangs out in places like Oregon and Wisconsin and Montana. Rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds. The luxury of a 10 minute shower as opposed to the Navy shower.

***The Goodman House B&B*** in Chico, CA

This trip is one to Wisconsin to visit my younger brother, Kevin, and his wife Suzi. We have driven about 2500 miles (4025 km) to go half way across the country along a northern route. We started in the Los Angeles area, where we live, and drove 8.5 hours to Chico in Northern California. Perhaps a last stay in our beloved Goodman House B&B as the owners plan to sell – time to retire from the business. Dinner at the Sierra Nevada Brewery.

You can look up all these places if you want, but suffice it to say that Chico is a beautiful town, with new sections and old, trees and such that make it a charming place to visit and a pleasant place to walk around.

I did walk around the morning we were to leave for Bend, Oregon, where one of my oldest friends lives.

Ain’t Tried One Yet

Modern conveniences . . . like hot pots, like microwaves, like prepackaged and prepared food. like TV dinners and Jiffy Pop, washing machines and dryers, frostless freezers, and electric cars. Dear me! What is the world coming to?

Well, here is a hint for the busy housewife who uses a manual can opener and milks her own cows . . .

I do enjoy these old movies – makes me think of my childhood! But, wow, this is in color! I don’t think I ever saw a color movie until I was in high school (that is, in school).

I still haven’t used one of these critters . . .

Enjoy!

What We Say to Ourselves

A long time ago I realized that, when trying to figure things out, I had a better and more honest sense of the problem if I asked myself “What?” Not “Why?” or “How come?” – those just elicited emotions, not thoughts, not a rational sequence that could handle emotions and thoughts. Often feelings of inadequacy and thoughts of being wrong or inferior came along with the “Why?” and “How come?”

“What?” does not produce emotional reactions and a need to defend. Instead, it is a moment to pause, to think, to follow things back to whatever the source. For example: I am angry. “What caused me to get angry?” After that comes and answer, and from that answer another “What?” can follow. It can be a long or short journey, but I find it brings about understanding of myself, a stepping into the world of another person or an event, and not feeling as if the world is collapsing around me because of my inadequacies, real or imagined.

Just the other day I read a study about reducing stress. I can’t remember where I found it,but it applied the same principle – word choice. Stats I recall showed that there was a 25% reduction in stress with people saying “Let it go” to themselves for three minutes. On the other hand, better results were from “Let it be.” Those stats showed a 45% reduction in stress.

Think about it. “Go” means action, decisions, choices, right and wrong. “Be” means to exist: It is.

Our mental life is how we see the world. “Mental” implies thought, but includes emotion. Emotions are all sorts of things, from paranoia to joy, and can be caused by experience as well as brain and body chemistry. We are very complex, and far more complex than we even know, although our knowledge grows.

Some famous person in 17th century England had mental problems – for the life of me I cannot recall who. However, I found the comments about him, perhaps even by him, mentioned the need to have a disciplined mind to cope with his problems. Was he bipolar? No idea. In those days, reasons for mental problems varied, from satanic possession to poor humors. But the life of the mind can rescue and help. I believe today we would call it “Rational Emotive” for therapy, or “Emotional Intelligence.”

Whatever it is, the internal dialogue can reward and punish. Learning how to listen and how to have meaningful internal conversations can color our viewpoints, our reactions, and our choices.

Tomato Season!

We can all agree that homegrown tomatoes are the best! I also have some lettuces.

Even with water restrictions in place, we are able to do some gardening. The drip system is working well in the front yard. This weekend we will install the emitters on the patio plants. Not all will get water as some are at the end of their lives. We also need to decide how much water to give each pot.

Yay! Tomatoes!

Knot for Judy

When I made the knot bag the other day, I had gone out to buy fabric. I bought enough material for two bags – one blue, one purple. The latter was chosen knowing full well someone I know named Judy might like one for her sock knitting. Well, Judy, here you are, as promised in my reply to your comment . . . see you soon!