Child-Like

There's a child-like quality that people tend to lose as they get older and more deliberate about life.  But growing up doesn't mean you have to grow old.  You can still be young at heart even when life gets complicated.  Take time to enjoy whatever you're doing, even when it's serious.  Keeping a young, child-like attitude, expecting the best and enjoying every moment, keeps you happy, balanced, and sane.

Brad Wilcox discusses these six childlike traits that we should try not to lose in LDS Living:
1. A Desire to Do Right
2. A Sense of Worth
3. An Ability to be Happy
4. A Capacity to Love
5. A Sense of Wisdom
6. Trusting Faith






We have all heard of childlike - faith, wonder, trust, enthusiasm, directness, innocence, spontaneity, and uninhibited behavior.  But how do we keep or regain these qualities?  Think of Buddy in the movie Elf.  Or watch a dog or kitten.  They are very good at having child-like enthusiasm, and they remind us of that and model it for us.

Saturday I was quick to post last week's blog and then got out to continue work in the yard.  This photo of Maggie watching me work, shows her looking quite a bit like a Pit Bull.









I made another good dent in weeding this large mulched area, but had to quit sooner than I wanted so I could get to work on time.  Oh, I also started picking up acorns to divvy out later this winter.

The sun was hot and the water cold but refreshing at the pool.  I had to kick folks out for thunder and then it poured -  but there was no rain in the forecast.  This is the third recent afternoon at the pool that this has happened.  I wish the weather would make up its mind.

Joe and I went to Reds to unwind, relax, and just enjoy life while having some fun.  And yes, there was a little drinking and dancing.  I had to send this photo of Pat and I to Michele, for old times sake. 

Sunday morning I was up way too early.  The sun came up 90 minutes later, and I watched the dawn of another pretty day.  I also enjoyed watching the cats.  In this (video) Monita was sound asleep on the chair.  Stevie jumped up and started grooming her like a mother cat would.  The kitten woke up and soon a wrestling match started.  I guess this was bonding time.

I can't believe the amount of time I spend waste here at the computer.  At least I did shut it down and go to Church.

Another upside down photo I can't get to flip.

After Church, I quickly changed and grabbed a PBJ for the road, and went to the barn.  I took my time getting tacked up.  I switched to a snaffle bit because this is what I need for the clinic mid October.  I rode around the barn, but the bit (a full cheek snaffle) was a little large in Amiga's mouth, so I got off, and put the smaller bit on my bridle/rein set (seen in left photo) and tried again.

Amiga did not respond to the bit at first and we had to do a lot of practice stops.  The turning worked well though.  Eventually I rode her to the small field where the girls had set up barrels and weaving poles and I practiced with Amiga, going around all these obstacles.  I kept her at a walk until she seemed reliable and then we picked it up to a slow gait.  At this point she wanted to run through the bit.  This is going to need a lot of work. 





After probably 20 minutes, we got bored with this, so then hit the trail.  I only rode part of the new trail before heading back.  We met up with a trail ride so I went ahead of the group, since Amiga has a faster pace.  We did more work out in the field, but Amiga was wound up - I think because she heard the group in the woods. When they emerged, her head went way up and she got real antsy.

We watched the trail ride pass by and then I decided to work with Amiga some more, around the barrels, trying to get her to slow down and calm down.  I didn't get total relaxation, but after improvement, we hit the trail to the barn.  At this point, she then fully relaxed.  There is something about open fields that gets her wound up.

When un-tacking, I noticed a raw spot by her right cheek where the bit had been rubbing.  Shoot.




Once home, I had to refuel with food and water.  I really wanted to be productive in the yard or go to the gym, but just couldn't muster up the energy.  So I read and napped.  Isn't that what Sunday afternoons are for?  Of course while out on the back porch, the kitties joined me, and I had to take several photos of them.

My Stevie

My Monita

Finally, for mine and the dog's sake, I took Maggie on a long walk.  We found an old trail through the woods that a neighbor a half mile down the road had made.

It is not an official hiking trail, but is well done and actually was quite long.  There were a few benches, several bridges, and tons of these gnomes and figurines in the woods.  Seen above, when I asked Maggie, "Where's the squirrel?" She had no idea where to look.  Seen below, she figured out to look up for this gnome hanging over head.






Where's the frog?  Again, Maggie had no idea.









We got to this huge over hanging cliff that was probably 40 yards long.  It was actually kind of cave like.  There are so many hidden treasures in the woods of Fairfield Glade.

It was another quiet evening at home, me reading my book and Joe in his mancave watching poker on TV and playing poker on his computer. 



Monday, mid-morning, I went to the gym for the Ballroom Aerobics class (which never is very aerobic for me, but challenging with the foot and arm patterns and a lot of fun).  After class, I lifted weights and then showered.







I walked Maggie, doing my Library Trail monitoring, but got rather hot out in the sun on the road home.  So I sat and read to cool off and then got ready for a night out.  Oh, and I also watched, played with, and took more photos of my child-like pets.






Can you feel the love?







Then Stevie had to get in on the action.



To end the day, Joe and I picked up Shirley and headed to Nashville where we met Courtney for dinner and then went to the Country Music Hall of Fame theater for a Home Free concert.







We girls waited while Joe parked the car.







We had third balcony seats but a great view of the stage.



As usual, there were no instruments, just the blend of acapella voices, which was beautiful.





The guys did a lot of fun stuff that was entertaining for the crowd as well.







This is a photo posted on Facebook, taken by their photographer from back stage.  We are in the front row, right where I drew the yellow circle.
We didn't get home until after midnight.  By then, from all the sitting, my body was very sore and achy.


 I woke Tuesday morning actually feeling quite well.  No aches and pain and somewhat energized.
 










I worked at the pool from 8:45-1:00.


The sun was over 80 degrees warm and the water was at 75 and felt great.  I even got in the pool to scrub the tile.










On the way home, I drove to the (Eden Ridge) open house to check out this missionary retreat center. We get a lot of their guests.  I stayed for nearly an hour, chatting with several folks I have met walking or working in the Glade.

It was a little nerve racking driving home because my 'need gas' light had come on just before I got to Eden Ridge and then my last bar (showing tank level) went out on the 15 minute drive home.









Again too tired and not motivated to do yard work, I sat on the back porch and read the rest of the afternoon, finishing my first Amish mystery novel, and watching my kitties, and taking photos and a (video).

These two feline get along well.  But when they play, it sure gets rough most of the time.  I guess like two brothers wrestling, one (usually Monita) ends up crying.

Once Joe was home from golf, he filled my car with gas, got a few groceries, and brought home dinner from the Food City salad bar.  He is a great guy.














I took Maggie on a long walk, watching the sun set as we navigated the back nine of Druid.  I saw lots of bats over the fairways but didn't have much luck capturing them with my cell phone camera.  There is one in these two photos.

Ambrie and Kayla on Lightening

Wednesday morning I was up at my usual 5:30 waking time.  Like Monday, I did the ballroom aerobics and then lifted weights.  But I came straight home, switched into barn clothes, grabbed a quick lunch, and went to Wildwood Stables.









I had the whole afternoon to horse around.  After paying October board, I sat in the office and chatted with the wranglers.  Jan stopped in to give me her house key and then we fetched and saddled up our horses.

Jan came with us out to the bean field, so she rode Kayla's horse (CJ) and Kayla hitched a ride on the back of Lightening (video).  Once at the field, we horsed around with the barrels and weaving poles.  We even tried a little friendly competition, with Jan being our judge and timer.








Amiga did well, except she was real bouncy on the course, wanting to go too fast.  At the end of each 'run' when we cantered to the finish line, she really moved out and was very smooth.  I need to work on her getting into a smooth gait while maneuvering through the obstacles.

Amiga was hot and sweaty, so I rode her to the creek and back, on the new trail, walking in the shade of the woods to let her cool down.

I got home from the barn at 3:30, made another quick wardrobe change and left with Maggie to walk (hike) the back roads of Dorchester, where we ride.  I was scouting out possible dogwood trees to transplant later this fall.  I marked three and hoped I'd remember where they were.

Maggie really enjoys running off leash but is good about sticking near by, unless she takes off after a deer, which happened twice.

Once she was gone for nearly ten minutes.  Worrisome, but she always returns.  Of course I yell for her while she is missing.

We got home for a late dinner.  I have been watering Brian's tomato plants, and helped myself to these cherry tomatoes, which were great on my salad.  It was poker night for Joe, so I watched Fixer Upper and read before bed.

Thursday, after dawdling here at my computer, I did some household chores like laundry, litter boxes, dishes, and neatening up around the house.  I only had 90 minutes to work out in the yard, but made another dent in the weedy bed in back.  I am almost done with it.

I also gathered more acorns.  This time, I set them to dry in the sun, up where the chipmunks couldn't steal them.  They had taken over half of the previous tray I had setting out on the side deck a few days earlier.

I  worked my last afternoon (1-5) pool shift.  The sun was hot and the water refreshing.  I couldn't believe that we only had 12 customers all day long.

Seen right, one of the aster mums I planted two years ago.  I should have trimmed it back and fertilized it more, but it looks good for the minimal amount of care it got.






I cared for the mums by the sidewalk, trimming and fertilizing them three times this summer.  The yellow and orange ones (which you can hardly see) did not do well at all, compared to the brick red colored ones.

After cooking dinner and eating with Joe out on the porch, we went for an evening walk.  He cut out early and it was dark by the time Maggie and I got home.  Our evening ended watching the season openers of Survivor and Designated Survivor. 

Friday was a little cooler, but nice and sunny.  After my usual two hours here, I did some cleaning and then took Monita to the vet.  He has a walk in clinic and only does appointments for surgery's.  I forgot Friday morning was one of his surgery days.  He had four scheduled and would be busy all morning, so I brought the meowing, feisty kitty back home.

Next I was off to the gym for a good workout, to the Conference Center for the Health Fair, and then home for a late lunch.  I decided to wait on the vet till next week, so took the dog for a brisk walk.


I drove to Patty's house, parked in her driveway, walked around her house and yard to check on things, and then the dog and I walked her neighborhood.



Maggie was quick to plop down in the sun when we got home and Monita promptly joined her.









The kitten took a thorough tongue bath and then settled in for a nap.














I took a bunch of photos and couldn't decide which were cutest, so have posted several.  I just can't help myself.

I threw on a swimsuit and went back to the CC to sit in the sun, swim to cool off, and relax in the hot tub.  I didn't get much of my book read because I was chatting with Buddy, the resident regular who is a joy to talk to.









I showered at the CC, ran to Jan's to care for her cats, went to Food City to buy a bunch of fruit, and came home to get ready for a night out.

Gail (a regular pool customer) came at 5:00.  After a quick tour of the house we went into Crossville.  We had dinner at a Cuban restaurant (quite tasty) and then walked across the street to the Palace Theater where we enjoyed the show Crossville Has Talent.  Judy had bought the tickets to take me, to watch Shirley perform with the Sweet T's, but she couldn't go.  So I had invited Gail.  There were some really good acts, and a few not so good ones.  The Sweet T's did a great job, but did not place in the top three.  It was a fun night out.

 Joe got home from poker, well after I was sound asleep.

I had to include another photo of baby Camila (Monita) that Britney sent me.  So precious.  I pray she is playing in Heaven.