Blog Archives - A Cottage by the Sea

Love those wild turkeys~

10/30/2014

If you live in my town or in the surrounding area, a picture of wild turkeys won’t be new to you. In fact, you may have disparaging remarks to make about ‘those ugly birds’. But maybe you see their beauty as one of God’s creatures, maybe you defend their right to wander where they will, which includes people’s yards, and maybe you think they are beautiful.

However, the main complaint that I hear voiced about wild turkeys is that they are ugly. But really, what a silly thing to concern me; what an unnecessary judgment even to mention. Why even announce that I have placed them in the undesirable category? Although my disparaging remarks seem harmless, they really are a form of gossip. I try to keep such thoughts about other people to myself, so why not do the same for these creatures who are just going about living their lives as nature has told them?

This mode of thinking has led me to add my name to the group that likes wild turkeys, to the group that gives them the benefit of the doubt, to the group that follows that old adage, “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.” I love seeing those wild turkeys milling about.

Mailing letters as a spiritual practice~

10/27/2014

I’d forgotten that mailing things isn’t simple. I just don’t do it anymore, but this morning I had three items to get ready to post. Email just wasn’t going to work. There was the check to the man from whom I rent the cottage. That was fairly straightforward; I wrote a note and check and popped the envelop into my mailbox; it’s already on its way.

The other two are pamphlets (The Upper Room: Where the World Meets to Pray--November-December 2014) that I send to a cousin and a friend. These will need a trip to the post office because they are larger and heavier than the standard letter. Just getting them ready was time consuming: finding a large envelope, locating the addresses, writing a note. No click of the send button.

I don’t want to get rid of the need to buy pretty stamps; I don’t want to refrain from writing notes to friends who have experienced loss or joy. I hope those will remain part of my standard routine. Maybe I can consider this morning’s preparation and the trip to the Post Office as a spiritual practice? It’s my choice.

The Arnold Arboretum

10/25/2014

A simply gorgeous day at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.

Mental simplicity~

10/23/2014

     My new plan to deal with stuff and dust is going along extremely well. I’ve only cleaned out one shelf, so in terms of volume I’m winning no simplicity award. However, my mind is clear of fretting and perseverating about the what, when, how, and where of it all. That is mental simplicity.

     As far as writing ‘Very Grateful’ is concerned, I doing a fair amount of thinking, which in the education field is called pre-writing. My plan is to open up the file and delve in when I return to the cottage on November 16th.
    For now I’m gathering grateful stories. My mom’s message lives on. The other day the 96 year old mother of a friend told me that since hearing of my mother’s final words, she has taken on naming gratitudes instead of worries when she wakes up in the middle of the night. How is that for mental simplicity?

Simplicity of thought leads to simplicity of things~

10/21/2014

Again I’m dealing with all the stuff (and dust) in this house. I like to say that I want simplicity in my life to be represented by a very few things—two sets of dishes, three changes of clothing, the books I really will read-- which may be why I love being at the cottage. As you might imagine, the owner from whom I rent has things all over the place, but they aren’t mine to care for, consider, or even dust. Here at home, however, the responsibility is mine and my husband’s.

     It has come to me that I am dealing with a two-pronged concern. The first, and real one, is all the stuff. The second is all the thinking I do about the stuff, all the thoughts that consume my mind. Thoughts about too much stuff, the time it takes to deal with it, how and where to get rid of it, how to even begin….and on and on. The bottom line is that I just want all the excess stuff to go away.

     As I sit her writing, I realize that what is more important to me than simplicity of things is simplicity of thought about them. This morning, before 9AM, I organized the mud room. Summer towels to the attic, a mess of extension cords out to my husband’s work bench for him to deal with, books and white elephants bagged for the church fair. I did all this purging and organizing without preplanning or thinking. It was simple.

     My plan, after I post this on my cottagebythesea.net and lettingofstuff.blogspot.com blogs, is NOT to think about dealing with stuff until tomorrow morning, when I’ll take on some other area, perhaps just one shelf or drawer. Can simplicity of thought lead me to simplicity of things?

My Jane Austen project continued~

10/19/2014

My Jane Austen project is coming along, although more slowly than I had anticipated. I have finished reading Sense and Sensibility, listened to the audio on CD and watched the 1995 movie on DVD. The movie component of this project adds nothing as far as plot is concerned; in fact, it could detract if I choose to be upset that it isn’t true the story. I do, however, appreciate the scenery, architecture and costumes.

Now to take a deep breath. Since I’m not quite ready to immerse myself in Pride and Prejudice, for my reading pleasure I am returning to my love of all things Italian, particularly Florentine. My reading choice is Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered, by Dianne Hales, copyright 2014.

Writing in solitude~

10/16/2014

I’m finally snatching some chunks of solitude. Not days on end, but that will come in a month when I return to my routine of weekdays at the cottage and weekends at home. It will be my sixth season with such a routine, same and yet always different, and of course I never know what life will put on my plate on a given day.

My plan is to return to work on my book when I arrive up there on November 16th. For the moment, I’ve put the manuscript aside until I have extended, uninterrupted time every day and for consecutive days. Need I tell you that takes an enormous physical and emotional commitment to write? That’s especially true for me in writing about my mother.

Amazing Chicago~

10/13/2014

We’re back from an amazing wedding weekend in Chicago. The highlight of course was Tim and Jill’s wedding ceremony and reception. Family time, was often accompanied by eating at some of the Chicago gourmet hot spots. Breakfast: Eggsperience; Lunch: Portillos; Dinner: Grand Lux Café.

      The twelve of us who took the Architecture River Tour the Navy Pier, give it a thumbs up.

     Sunday morning, while waiting for a Starbucks latte at the hotel, we saw the elite Chicago Marathon runners buzz by.

     As you can tell, the weekend was not silent, nor was there any time for solitude. The wedding, however, was simply wonderful.

The Path to Publication~

10/9/2014

Last evening at the library I attended, “The Path to Publication: Five Authors Talk about Books.” Anjali Mitter Duva, Kate Flora, Michael Ponsor, Henriette Lazaridis Powers and Meg Wison shared their experiences in becoming a published novelist. (Check out their websites.) Here’s what I learned:

• Keep writing every day, even when you don’t feel like it.

• Be prepared for rejection.
• Have others read your manuscript before you send it out or publish it yourself.
• Indie publishing is another term for self-publishing.
• The publishing world is changing daily. Publishing with one the big six (now five) companies is not the only way to go.
• These big publishing ‘houses’ only publish books that will make a great deal of money—to support staff, advertising and big offices in New York City.
• Numerous smaller companies are being created.
• Print books are still important but e-books are the biggest sellers.
• I repeat, Keep writing every day, even when you don’t feel like it.

Texting, not talking~

10/6/2014

This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned some of the annoying noises that I encounter on my walks around the neighborhood. The top two are the leaf blowers and mowers that I pass, and the enormous garbage and transport trucks that pass me.

     On the other hand, there are sounds that I love to hear, specifically people enjoying each other: families chatting while on a bike ride, friends walking and talking. The other day I wished for just such a conversation, but unfortunately, there was only silence. A little boy and his mom were leaving their house and on the way to the car. The toddler was doing just what a two year old should be doing; he was slowly and carefully walking along the little stone border that separated the lawn from the walkway. The mom, on the other hand, was doing just what a young mom should not be doing; she was texting.

    I wanted to be hearing a conversation between the two of them. What an opportunity for the mom to affirm what her son was doing, to extend language, to model how human beings interact with each other in a positive way. I won’t go into all the negatives that were happening; you can fill in the blanks.

      When my children were toddlers, there was no texting. I am aware that it’s a different world today, but I also know that everyone, not just little kids, wants the full attention of another. That will never change, nor will the opportunities, nor will the option to put the cell phone away.