Author: Wiwohka

I am a work in progress, disclaimers out the wazoo, and few that I can truly call ones who love me for me. Don't know why and I am done trying to figure it out or care...I am flawed, loud, a force of nature, but underneath there is a soul...I hope you take the time to see her.

Adapted???

Wiwohka5 Comments
Daily writing prompt
How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?
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Gone…
Gone…
Gone…
Gone…

House gone, cars were lost, abandoned by our government when we needed them most…Adapted is hardly the word to use when you fall through the cracks…lost, angry, frightened, without hope, we are now simply among the many wounded, devestated, homeless, and hungry souls simply trying to recover from something we do not understand and cannot control. I gave up asking why along time ago…now I simply choose to get up each day and go on.

I find it a bit comical, if not sad, how those that stayed above water, seem to feel a bit impatient with those trying to recover, as if we should be able to jump back on our feet over night. I think it is pretty apparent, from all of the homeless rv cities growing around this nation, that if we did not get in this mess overnight, then it will certainly not get all better with the snap of a finger. Forget healthcare, or even car, auto or life insurance…if its gonna break, then nothing will stop it.

We were within a year of buying out our rent to own home when the shut down happened, and, as we never saw a dime of any unemployment for over a year, we were evicted. Yep, in a time when the Government said, that that was not allowed…they lied! My husbands company decided that this was a great time to deny their people benefits, saying they were fired. It took over a year just for my husband to get any one to help…we never did see even half of what we were owed. We had to cash in his pension just to eat, and they took over 60% in penalties, leaving us with next to nothing. Resources depleted, no one answering their phones, unemployment sites down or simply non functioning. Business offices locked their doors. No help came…

We still reside in an old Rv that Grace provided us, and my husband is trying still to find some way to start over…There is no recovery…its all gone…

Sooooo…Adapt is a tough word to use, but if all of the above is what that word is supposed to mean, then, well, I guess we have adapted!

Wandering…

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Daily writing prompt
What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?
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As I was born on farm, raised by the streets, and akin more to the wild things than I am to people, being near any city tends to be overwhelming. Wandering has become my best self care ever!

I try to go every morning if I can, barring bad weather, travel, or illness…you know, the usual things that get in the way for most. I believe that if I did not get out every day and burn off all of the things that build up all of my tension, I might just explode, like a watermelon will after you wrap a bunch of rubber bands around it.

My first hour looks something like this,

Get up and brew my JO…If you ever find that I deviated from this first step, please hit me in the back of the head, and send me back to bed for a do over…

Turn my work computer on, check my messages, and publish my daily blog…I try to prep it the night before so that no editing will be needed…

Now, I prepare the layering, as it is friggin cold and wet right now, making me look to most as an abominable snowman. Usually, you cannot see more than my eyes…lol…

Music selected and ear phones in, house key in pocket, my hands holding a very large tumbler of coffee with my favorite creamer, and tissues in my pocket for a cold nose…

I am free……….I usually do about 6 miles, but I am counting on my wrist watch thingie, so, 13,000 steps give or take…

The only way to describe what I get out of wandering, is to share the example of a power cord…it can actually get hot from all the energy flowing through it…that’s why we invented power strips and surge protectors and such. Please forgive me, as I am not an electrician…I just know that some times you gotta unplug things to let them cool off, so they don’t melt or burn anything down…

The Tree…

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Just the other day as I was on one of my walks, my eyes were drawn to this tree along the side of my path.  I had been reflecting on being a branch just days before.  When I saw the fresh cuts on this tree, I was taken aback!  In my earlier musings, I hadn’t really thought far enough to imagine what would happen if I was taken from my tree.  Selfishly, I thought, I don’t want to be either of those branches.

  When I pondered it further, I wondered why the branches were even gone from the tree.  Were they sick, or maybe damaged by weather.  What if they were just old, dry and shriveled up, pulling nutrients from all the other healthy branches.  I am not sure of the cause, but I felt bad for the tree. 

Whoever tends this tree had to cut away those branches, and in order to do that, they had to cut into the living part of the tree to cut away the offending branches.  I know just enough about gardening and plant growth to be dangerous, but my logic seems to make some sense, to me anyways. 

If we look at the size of the tree, we can assume it has been growing here for some time.  It has a straight trunk and has grown strong and somewhat tall with many branches.  I believe that gardeners prune away, damaged, dead, and sometimes crowded areas on a tree, in order to strengthen the remaining branches.  Sometimes, I think, the gardener has to cut into the living part of the tree in order to cut out all of the damaged or dead material.  Otherwise, I guess that the tree would begin to weaken from the effort it put forth to repair the part that was already dead, as the tree cannot help but try to save every branch connected.  The gardener knows, that once the wound heals, the tree and all the other branches will be better for the growing. 

So, I still think I want to be a branch, but I am hoping that I can become one of the branches that stays together with the others, and help strengthen the whole of the tree.  When weather comes against the tree, we all simply hold to our tree and each other.  I do not wish to be a branch that grows so fast and far from the others that I become too heavy on my own.  I do not wish to become a selfish branch, striving only to gain the sun and rain for myself.  My desire is to be a part of the life of the tree, working together with all of the other branches to help the tree reach its full height.  I want to help the tree give shade to those who pass underneath, or shelter to the woodland creatures. 

As long as I am a part of that tree, I will be so grateful to the Gardener, even when it hurts!

Perspective…

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Daily writing prompt
Which aspects do you think makes a person unique?
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If we remove all of the things that make us the same, like eating, working, sinning, making babies, and the like…we are really looking at what is reflected that is unique from all others. What we see, what we say, and what we do…

Perspective…it makes us do things, say things and see things, in a way no one else can…

Do You Remember

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“Your little one sure is a stinker”, were the words that came from the mouth of our Hostess. We stayed for a week at their families ranch. She continued on, saying “She was missing for over an hour today while you were on the trail ride. I thought that I was going to have to tell you that I lost your child”.

Apparently, right after we left on our horseback ride, our youngest child went missing. The family had every available ranch hand searching frantically for a tiny three year old. Though they searched high and low, through all the barns and rooms, the child was no where to be found. The hostess told us that just as she was leaving her second sweep of one of the cabins, she heard a wee little giggle coming from underneath one of the beds. As she peeked under the bed, she discovered a delighted little three year old, along with one of the kittens discovered in the barn, staring out at her with an impish grin.

My child fell in love with that kitten, calling it Buttercup for some reason, even though its name was Gus, I think. Our little clown had been under that bed, watching the whole search party event along with her co conspirator, with great pleasure.

Relief is always a great diffuser of anger, I believe. Everyone was so happy to find the little escape artist, that they couldn’t be angry. They chose to laugh about it instead of dealing with panicked parents, had we gotten back before they found our child.

Live Wire…

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I wonder,

if the water can flux and shift,

if the trees and grass can grow and spread,

does the rock move? 

Maybe it does move, but just so slowly, that nobody sees it enough to notice anything different…

Your Welcome

The Branch…

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Do you notice how, when the blooms are all out, you can barely see the branch from which they grew? I have decided that I want to be that branch! You know why? The branch does not have to worry about the tree from which it grows, nor whether the sun or rain nourishes the roots…it just trusts the tree to feed it what it needs. All of those beautiful blooms…they are not there forever, but instead live out their purpose and then fall away on the wind.

But the branch, well, the branch just needs to make sure it stays connected to the tree that it grew out of. If the branch falls away from the tree, it will wither and die without the trees protection. If the branch stays connected, and focuses only on becoming a better branch, then, the next year, it produces even more of those beautiful blooms. The branch is still there, but all you can really see and smell are the blooms that were created from the tree itself. Hmmmm….

I want to be a Branch!

Hey Bob

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So, here is a funny story!  I love the outdoors and if I can help it, I am out there as much as possible.  I make an effort to take a walk nearly every day, and I have a route that I have used for some time now.  I do a good amount of thinking on these morning jaunts, as I call them.  Sometimes it can be very productive, but at other times, I let my mind just wander to relax.  On one of these such relaxing mornings, I hatched a plan, that in my mind, would be very funny to any that were involved.  I have a great many squirrels that I encounter on a regular basis, and I was going to recruit them for this idea.

I came up with a plan to simply begin saying hello, out loud, to every squirrel I encountered and give each a random name, as if I actually know them.  I thought that if I did this, eventually, the passersby that frequently saw me, would begin to think that maybe I knew the squirrels.  I could simply wait for the time when someone would stop me to ask how I knew all of the squirrels names, and I could then say, “Oh no, I have no idea, I just thought it would be funny”. I didn’t say that it WOULD be funny, I just imagined it would be funny.

The next morning, I headed out onto the trail, thoroughly tickled with myself, for what I thought would be an extremely funny idea.  Honestly, I giggled to myself all the way down the block as I began looking for my first unwitting participant (a squirrel, that is).  I got about a half hour into my trek, playing over and over in my head how it would play out, and then I spotted a squirrel.

I learned two things that morning.  Number one, I discovered that, apparently, a lot of squirrels share the name Bob.  Number two, Peanuts!  I should have brought peanuts.  My recommendation is that we not engage in conversation with wildlife, unless we bring some sort of food offering.  I think someone else may have been conditioning these guys way before I ever thought up my ridiculous idea!

Here is how it went down…I saw the squirrel, I approached confidently, thinking how funny this was gonna be, I called out, “Hey Bob”, and before I knew it I was being chased down the trail by three hungry squirrels.  I felt like it happened in slow motion…lol…I spoke, our eyes connected, they looked hungry, I had nothing but a coffee tumbler and a tissue, Coffee over Heathens I say!   I did not care how absolutely ridiculous I must have appeared to onlookers.  I actually think I may have laughed out loud at myself, but I did not care!  I walked a different route for two days after that to let them forget me hopefully.

I still see the same three squirrels on the trail regularly, and the accusation is still there on those furry little faces… Where Are OUR Peanuts!!!!

Space Travel, Here We Come!

Wiwohka4 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What’s a secret skill or ability you have or wish you had?
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The Big T! Teleportation! I hate to sit in an airplane, next to the door with the writing, “Occupied” above the handle. I want to travel, and see my loved ones, but between the cost of the flight, whether I want to pay to take my toothbrush, or if I want to drink anything better than water and a biscuit, I get discouraged.

Not even reserving my spot in 1st class, premier, or anything other than, hurry get on or we will leave you here, it is no longer easy, nor is it fun for me to travel. If it were not for the blip in a movie where the object arrived inside out, I would have pursued building and trying to use my own. For now, I will leave it to Hollywood, but once a large number of more daring volunteers successfully make it, I am for sure, all in!