Watching the minutes turn into days, the days turn into weeks and the weeks turn into months made me realize that time waits for no one. It made me realize that all the things I want to accomplish are never going to happen as long as all I do is think about doing them. It was time for a call to action.
I know myself well enough that if I jump in with guns blazing and try to tackle too many things at once, I will find myself right back at square one.....lost in thought. So I made a decision to start with something simple such as rising earlier in the morning.
I don't know why, but getting up before the crack of dawn allows me to get ten times more things done. Yes, it does add more waking hours to my day but I think it has something to do with the serenity that time of the day has to offer. I can spend the first hour standing outside listening to the world as it wakes.
So, I rose early and then made a list. A written list of things to do has some magical essence in itself. Like my own personal billboard that beckons for my attention every time I walk past it. Plus, it is a proven fact that the brain will remember something much better if it is written down. This may be a lost art because I don't think tapping letters into a cell phone counts and besides, there is something very gratifying about scratching items off of a to-do list.
Next, I decided to add a bit of exercise....some yoga. The app on my phone shows how to do all the moves and has some relaxing ocean waves sound in the background. I followed along to the best of my ability. It may not have been pretty, but I can work on the form later.
Then there is the dog. Runtly. He could hear me doing yoga. Yoga is basically stretching, holding the stretch and breathing but in my case there is the need for the occasional grunt. That grunt let him know I was in close proximity and he started whining. Adding a whining dog to the ocean waves just doesn't have the same relaxing effect.
I'm trying to teach Runtly to stay in the yard, without a leash. Since he is afraid of anything that makes a strange or loud noise and it was still dark outside, I thought this would be a perfect time for a little training.....potty training and staying in the yard training.
We went out the front door but unfortunately the neighbor had their loud truck running. Runtly was able to accomplish the first part of the potty training but after that he headed straight back to the door. After being in the house for a few minutes, I thought it would be better to take him out the back door........
Then there is the cat. Tigger was still in the garage at this time of the morning but I had forgotten his recent gift to the family. The day before, I had been away from home for most of the day. When I arrived home I discovered Tigger had left a lovely dead starling on the door mat. Starlings must not be near the culinary delight the finches are because this bird was fully intact. It probably made a much better toy than a treat. Being in a hurry, I gingerly picked the feathery carcass up by one of its feet and laid it on the railing, thinking I would deal with it later.
So.....I opened the back door and Runtly bounded out. Sometime in the night, the wind must have been blowing.......it must have been blowing at a pretty good clip because above mentioned dead birdie was laying on the deck.....again.
Let me tell you, there is no better way to get the blood pumping through your veins than trying to chase down a four legged white bullet, traveling at break neck speed, with a dead bird in its mouth. I'm thinking if I can not retrieve the bird before Runtly goes into shake mode, it's going to look like a pillow fight gone bad. I finally gave up and Runtly headed for the back door, bird in tow. He knew I was not a happy camper and tried his best to dodge my lunges (more exercises) by scrambling under the deck chairs. Prying open the mouth of a Jack Russell Terrier also helps to strengthen the hand muscles.
I think I will get the wide tipped felt marker out to scratch through items 1 & 2.
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