Thirty Days of Mr. Rogers ... Day Ten

Mr. Rogers said, "My own friend and companion, when I was little and didn't yet have a sister, was Mitzi, a brown, wire-haired mongrel.  We played and had long 'conversations' during which she heard many of my secrets and shared my joys and sadnesses.  We ran in the fields and huddled together through thunderstorms.

Ruby is almost always nearby ... her favorite place to be is with her people.

"I gave a great deal of myself to Mitzi, and she faithfully reflected that self back to me, helping me learn more about who I was and, in those early days, what I was feeling.  When she died, she went on teaching me -- about loss and grief ... and about the renewal of hope and joy."

Our grandson stayed with us over the weekend.

Me:  When I was nine, we got a cat ... a Siamese cat that my mother named Willie.  Until that time, I was too allergic to cats for my parents to even think about having one.  I could have limited contact with Willie, as long as I didn't put him anywhere near my face, washed my hands a LOT, and never, ever, touched my eyes.  When Willie died of heart failure at the tender age of three or four, we got another Siamese cat ... Wendy.  Wendy was tiny, generally weighing in just under six pounds, but she was fierce.  Loving to those that she considered family, she would threaten and bite anyone else.  (Her bad behavior at the vet's office was legendary.)  She lived to be 19 ... everyone in our family and all of our friends at the time have stories of specific instances about how Wendy ruled the household with her iron, velvet paws (and teeth!)

My children never had a day of their lives here without either a cat or a dog in the family.  My husband grew up without pets, but he quickly adapted to my need for them and it didn't take long for him to become almost as much of an animal lover as I am.  Pets teach so much ... they give us someone play with, to talk to, to share our secrets, to cry with, and so much more.  

Believe it or not, I am still allergic to cats to a degree.  I still have to be careful about washing my hands after handling any of the cats, and I try to never touch my eyes.  It's a small price to pay for the love and companionship that my critters give to me every day.

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During the month of November, I plan to share wisdom from Mr. Rogers with you each day (from the book "The World According to Mr. Rogers") ... Mr. Rogers's words accompanied by everyday images from life here at Hartwood Manor ... this place that I am blessed to call HOME.

Thirty Days of Mr. Rogers ... Day Nine

Mr. Rogers said, "When I think of Robert Frost's poems, like "The Road Not Taken," I feel the support of someone who is on my side, who understands what life's choices are like, someone who says, "I've been there, and it's okay to go on."

Ever hopeful, Ruby and Winnie wait patiently as my husband is making his lunch, prepared to act if their services as floor cleaners become necessary.

"I've often hesitated in beginning a project because I've thought, "It'll never turn out to be even remotely like the good idea I have as I start,"  I could just 'feel' how good it could be.  But I decided that, for the present, I would create the best way I know how and accept the ambiguities."

When our cleaning lady arrived the other day, Winnie and Ruby were barking (mostly Winnie, of course) and Maggie, Dorothy, and Alice were upstairs in our bedroom away from the chaos.

Me:  If you have been visiting here for any length of time, you already know that my brain is a spinning muddle of current and past projects mixed with a whole lot of 'awesome things that I can't wait to get started on'.  This is not a good way to be for any length of time, if one wants to be efficient and productive.  Because of this, I live in a world full of half-finished 'great ideas', clogged with materials and supplies for projects that I may never live to start.  

The bright side of this is that the situation isn't hopeless.  I fully understand that there are things that I must make the time to finish, materials that I will never use and I should sell or donate, and projects that I can scale back enough for them to actually be realistic and achievable.  I felt as if I was standing at Robert Frost's road-not-taken crossroads earlier this year ... and it feels good to be starting on a new road, working toward having less stuff and fewer things going on at once.  It's a process, but I think I'm at least off to a good start.

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During the month of November, I plan to share wisdom from Mr. Rogers with you each day (from the book "The World According to Mr. Rogers") ... Mr. Rogers's words accompanied by everyday images from life here at Hartwood Manor ... this place that I am blessed to call HOME.

Thirty Days of Mr. Rogers ... Day Eight

Mr. Rogers said, "You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you need to make choices.  And hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are."

The pink dog bed in the dining room is supposed to be Winnie's, but I find other animals in it from time to time.  Ruby has to wad herself up really tight to fit into it.

"Solitude is different from loneliness, and it doesn't have to be a lonely kind of thing."

It's okay that other critters use Winnie's pink bed, because she has other snuggly spots to use.

Me:  Alone time is essential to my well being.  I find that I get a bit nuts when I've had too much 'togetherness'.  Don't misunderstand ... I adore my husband, but he works from home and we are together almost 24/7, so it's important that each of us make time for ourselves.  I garden or work on my latest project-du-jour ... he paints.   Maintaining our individual interests is part of why we have been together so happily for over thirty years.  (click the "My Husband's Art" link below to see some of his work from blog posts or click HERE to go to his web site.)

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During the month of November, I plan to share wisdom from Mr. Rogers with you each day (from the book "The World According to Mr. Rogers") ... Mr. Rogers's words accompanied by everyday images from life here at Hartwood Manor ... this place that I am blessed to call HOME.

Thirty Days of Mr. Rogers ... Day Seven

Mr. Rogers said, "There is no 'should' or 'should not' when it comes to having feelings.  They're part of who we are and their origins are beyond our control.  When we believe that, we may find it easier to make constructive choices about what to do with those feelings."

We never have to worry about someone being near our house without us knowing about it.

Nothing gets past Winnie (and Ruby, too).

"Whatever we choose to imagine can be as private as we want it to be.  Nobody knows what you're thinking or feeling unless you share it."

As soon as a car pulls into the driveway, or someone walks onto our porch, the barking starts.

"How many times have you noticed that it's the little quiet moments in the midst of life that seem to give the rest extra-special meaning?"

In Winnie's case, we think that sometimes she forgets what she's barking about and keeps at it WAY longer than appears to be necessary.

Me:  Little things and quiet moments.  I strive to notice and appreciate these every day, instead of rushing through and missing something that could turn out to be special.  This series of Winnie photos is a good example.  Dog barking ... a multiple-times-per-day occurrence at this house, easily ignored.  Taking time to really watch and document the process?  Just another one of the little things, something that could easily have gone unnoticed, that gave a boost to my day.  I hope this makes you smile, too.

(The pattern for Winnie's knitted sweater is HERE.)

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During the month of November, I plan to share wisdom from Mr. Rogers with you each day (from the book "The World According to Mr. Rogers") ... Mr. Rogers's words accompanied by everyday images from life here at Hartwood Manor ... this place that I am blessed to call HOME.

Thirty Days of Mr. Rogers ... Day Six

Mr. Rogers says, "Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime's work, but it's worth the effort.

Our view of sunrises is limited, and it is a rare morning when I can capture images like this.  The horizon is blocked by the trees that line the east side of our road.

"Who you are inside is what helps you make and do everything in life"

We have more of a chance to see beautiful sunsets.  There is an open view from the back of our house westward over the winery, with woods beyond in the distance.  I love to sit on evenings like this one and watch the colors develop and fade as the sun sets.

Me:  We all evolve as we get older.  I have always thought that the insides of people don't ever really change ... instead, the extraneous parts of ourselves fall away and the true essence gets distilled and grows into a more major part of what we see in our older-self personality.  If you've always been a good, positive person, that goodness becomes even stronger and the positive energy that results is infectious and magnetic.  If you tend toward being a negative, judgmental person, chances are that you have aged into a someone that is surrounded by negativity and discontent.  If this negative nature sounds like you or someone you know, I don't think the situation is hopeless.  I also believe that there is always time to make a conscious change in life, and set off onto a healthier, more positive path.

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During the month of November, I plan to share wisdom from Mr. Rogers with you each day (from the book "The World According to Mr. Rogers") ... Mr. Rogers's words accompanied by everyday images from life here at Hartwood Manor ... this place that I am blessed to call HOME.

Thirty Days of Mr. Rogers ... Day Five

Mr. Rogers said, "Development comes from within.  Nature does not hurry but advances slowly."  

I often find Alice and Dorothy like this, cuddled up together in some snuggly spot.   

"When I was young (about eight or ten years old), I was trying to learn so many things all at once, things like the piano and organ and algebra and cooking and typing, and I even started to take clarinet lessons.  But I just didn't practice the clarinet, so I didn't learn.  I think I wanted to learn by magic.  I think that I had the idea that if I got the clarinet I would somehow know how to play it.  But magic doesn't work with learning, not with anything really worthwhile."

Nothing much better than having a sunny spot and a human to share it with at naptime, says Ruby.

Me:  I really relate to these quotes.  There are times when I want so badly to be able to do everything ... either everything at the same time or instantly being proficient at something, no matter if I've done it before or not.  Things take time, and they almost always require learning and practice.  Instant gratification is a tempting idea, but it rarely comes about in real life.  Most of the time I have to remember that it's best to take things at their natural pace and go with it.

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During the month of November, I plan to share wisdom from Mr. Rogers with you each day (from the book "The World According to Mr. Rogers") ... Mr. Rogers's words accompanied by everyday images from life here at Hartwood Manor ... this place that I am blessed to call HOME.

Thirty Days of Mr. Rogers ... Day Four

Mr. Rogers says, "Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person.  There have been so many stories about the lack of courtesy, the impatience of today's world, road rage and even restaurant rage.  Sometimes all it takes is one kind word to nourish another person.  Think of the ripple effect that can be created when we nourish someone.  One kind empathetic word has a wonderful way of turning into many."

Ruby and Winnie joined me on the glider on our messy back porch while the weather was warm one afternoon last week.

Me:  I have an exercise that I do with myself this time of year, as Christmas decor appears in the stores.  I do whatever I can do to be the nicest customer of the day to any store employees that I encounter.  Whether it's a compliment or a particularly sincere Thank You (with eye contact), I believe that little things like this make a difference.  I know it makes a difference in how I feel.

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During the month of November, I plan to share wisdom from Mr. Rogers with you each day (from the book "The World According to Mr. Rogers") ... Mr. Rogers's words accompanied by everyday images from life here at Hartwood Manor ... this place that I am blessed to call HOME.