Finding a way

One of three chicory flowers I saw while walking this afternoon in suburban Allentown.  It's been mown down in the past, but that didn't stop it from putting out flowers below the mowing line.

Sept. 24, 1995: Kelly Cat Adopts Us

On the road

I usually take a walk around the neighborhood in late afternoon, when traffic in the area has thinned out, but today's mid-afternoon forecast was calling for rain in the near future.  A quick look at the radar showed the leading edge of the rain far enough to the west that I thought I'd be OK, so I put on my walking shoes and went outside.

  

I took one of my usual routes around the neighborhood, which led me into a nearby park.  The road into the park also contained a small lane facing traffic for pedestrians, and that's where I was when a car approached me.  

Instead of passing, it slowed to a stop next to me and the passenger-side window went down.  A young woman leaned across the seat, and with a smile, she stretched a hand toward me.  In it was a small clover.  "Four leaves?  How about that?" I said, and she nodded.  I took the clover and thanked her, we wished each other luck, and she drove on.  

I've had some unexpected experiences on these almost-daily walks: finding several coins, seeing a deer, a fox, even a coyote; and one evening, in someone's front yard I counted seven cottontail rabbits.  But until this afternoon, never a human stopping to hand me a four-leaf clover.  

My guess is that she was having a good day and wanted to share it with someone else.  At least I hope so.  

For what it's worth, less than a minute after she gave me the clover, it began to rain lightly, and it continued the remaining half-mile back to the house.

Another kind of bee (Life in our back yard)

Anthidium manicatum, or European wool carder bee, on a sedum leaf.  As usual with things I see these days, this insect is considered an invasive species that is out-competing native bees.  

Uncharted territory

What is it they say about being rich, that it reveals who a person really is?  Well, I can't speak for the part about being rich, but after years of being on-the-edge poor, I'm still thinking like someone without a dollar to spare.  I go into a supermarket and look not only for the sale items, but also the clearance and markdown products.  

I'll also admit that if I see a coin on the ground, I'll bend over and pick it up, even if it's only a penny.  Before Tabby's Place, I'd save any money I found throughout the year, and then at Christmas, put the entire sum in a Salvation Army kettle.  Of course, now everything goes into (you'll pardon the expression) the kitty.

But recently, this has led me down a road I never thought I'd travel.  To explain:  my loose plan for retirement involved (1) the cats at Tabby's Place, visiting them, socializing them, photographing them, and writing about them; (2) continuing to read French and understand the spoken language; and (3) music lessons, learning about drumming.  All three are time-tested, satisfactory ways to keep a person's mind active and keeping rust from forming.  

It was about a week ago that the online drum lesson group sent a request for me to complete a survey.  I think the questions had to do with how I feel I'm doing and whether these lessons are helping me meet whatever goals I set at the beginning.  But right after completing the survey, I got another note from the group, telling me I was now entitled to choose a free set of lessons from another part of the music education company's offerings.  Those consisted of piano, guitar, and voice.  None of them jumped out at me as something I'd always wanted to try and the chance to fulfill a lifetime goal.  

But gee whiz, it's free!  

I dismissed piano and guitar because I didn't want to buy an instrument.  That left (drum roll) "Sing Better in 30 Days!" (exclamation point included in the title)  At once the doubts began making themselves known -- you're going to sound like a fool!  You've gone so long without singing that your voice, which was never high-level in the first place, is rust-covered and hopeless!  At least I know that PG won't ridicule me, but doing something as an absolute beginner and doing it out loud where anyone else can hear it?  I'm a capital-I Introvert who would always rather learn a skill behind locked doors in a soundproof room, emerging only when I feel ready to perform at a high level.

But, but, y'know, it's free!  And hey, maybe I'll learn something.  Maybe it'll even be fun.  It's so unlike me, and so unexpected, so sudden, that I have no expectations.  

And today, I completed day 5 of the course.  The lessons are only 10 minutes long, so I watch them once and then repeat them with what I've learned.  I've shared one of the lessons with PG, so she understands why I'm making noises that don't appear to have anything to do with singing, and that has helped me relax and move away from the defenses of an Introvert.  This isn't going to turn me into Pavarotti, it'll just help me sound better than I did at the beginning.

But don't ask me to record myself singing alone!  Anything but that!

Today's walk in the park

Still growing

 Nasturtium has literally blossomed since being transplanted from the planter box to the soil of the small flower garden.  Three in full bloom, with one more at left about ready to join them.