Wow, so much for the whole “I’m determined to post more often regardless of how I feel” declaration, eh? Well, I suppose a girl’s gotta have a goal… :)
I’ve decided the person who coined the phrase “Mind over Matter” was obviously in good health, because either I have a small mind or the kind of “matter” makes a big difference! I have a few things stacked against me at the moment, but I keep reminding myself that no matter how long this lasts, every day is one day closer to it being over, right?!?!? :)
Regardless, I’m here now so let’s get started with another round of:
What season is your favorite? Spending your days inside, do you have a different take on the seasons passing?
This was a really interesting question. In my “previous life” the only season I didn’t enjoy very much was Winter. I didn’t love being cold, slipping on the ice, driving in blizzards, etc. I loved a beautiful, sparkly snowfall, but didn’t enjoy the dirty looking snow after the snowplows did their job. If winter just consisted of a lovely snowfall while curled up by the fireplace with a good book and some hot cocoa, then it would be great… but that’s just a small portion of it when you live in Iowa. :)
The other seasons pretty much tied for me. I loved the feeling of Spring when everything started blooming … to me, it feels like the “season of potential.” I loved Summer because we’d go to the lake on Sundays and ski, although I don’t miss the part of summer that consisted of walking beans for Dad. :) And then there’s Fall… it probably beat out the other two by a small measure. I loved it when the air turned crisp and I’d have to wear a sweatshirt to go to a football game. I loved buying school supplies and writing my name on the cover of new notebooks. I loved taking a snack to Dad and riding in the combine with him when he harvested corn. I loved the colors of the season, taking a walk in crunchy leaves, having bonfires and roasting s’mores. There’s just a kind of cozy, hometown feeling to Fall.
Now, in all honesty, it’s more about the memories than it is the moment. My view from the condo is mostly of garages, so I don’t see the changing leaves, or see the fireworks on the 4th in the summer. When I look out I think of those things and appreciate the memories, but they aren’t something I feel like I take part in at the moment. I probably enjoy Spring the most now because it’s hopeful to look out and see green grass instead of piles of snow… again, that “season of potential” feeling. Ironically, I am looking forward to Winter more than ever because of the periods of time when the weather hits zero or below and it’s cold enough for me to crack my door open and breathe in the outside air. I found last year that it had to be that cold/frozen to not have any reactions, and it was totally worth having to bundle up under blankets and freeze my tush off to have that fresh air in the house.
So, to answer your question: Yes. Being homebound really has changed my view of the seasons. Thanks for asking, because it’s not something I had really thought about before now. :)
Have you been able to follow the Northern Iowa Panthers football team this year? They are looking good with only a one point loss to Iowa.
Why yes, Ed. As a matter of fact I HAVE been following my brilliant Panther football team. And thank you for taking the time to type out my alma mater’s fight song in your comment as well! :)
We currently only have one loss, and that would be the game you referred to against the Iowa Hawkeyes. We are in different conferences, and I think they came into that game underestimating us. Truth be told, we outplayed them and lost by one point because they blocked two consecutive field goals [they blocked the 1st one, had a penalty, and then managed to block the re-kick]. I can only chock that up to a bizarre fluke, and anticipate us beating them in the future. :)
UNI fight! UNI fight!
What do you find joy in, no matter what, without fail?
Oh my gosh, so many things that I’m sure I’m going to leave important ones off the list. Anything having to do with my nieces and nephews, whether it be talking to them on the phone or hearing about their sporting events [and sometimes even getting to watch video of it], getting to hear stories about the funny things they’ve said or getting drawings they’ve made for me in the mail.
[This is the most recent one I received from Avery…
and yes, that’s me with the curly hair.]
I find joy in almost all of Riley’s antics, except for his propensity to mark in my house. There is joy in talking with friends, sharing in the lives of their kids, getting a card in the mail, reading a good book, watching a fun movie, soaking in a hot bath, savoring music, eating Mom’s fried pork chops with mashed potatoes and milk gravy, hearing from a friend after a long period of time, being able to breathe without difficulty, sitting in the dark by the light of a Christmas tree, looking through photos and putting the history of them together in a scrapbook, writing to all of you and reading your comments, when the wrens take up resident in the bird house on my patio and serenade me in the mornings.
So many things…
How about you? What brings you joy without fail?
