Some places have a way of making you feel welcome, no matter who you are or what sort of space you’re in. Whether frazzled, down-in-the-dumps, or other, this Japanese tea garden has a look and feel that soothes the soul.
Archives for June 2012
Down-right-tired Dog
Lately, with TWO dogs in the house coupled with all the end of school year “stuff”, I feel a lot like sweet Ronin… a down-right-tired dog.
UPside DOWN
When you let yourself to release the fear, things happen. Sometimes good things. Other times, different from what we might call good. But we learn, and if we do so without judgement, the joy comes from simply having the experience.
I have recently set the wheels in motion for one of these turn-your-world-upside-down experiences. There is fear, and there is excitement. But I know that by allowing myself to see beyond the limits of my nearly perfect little world is exactly what I need to grow in the direction of my yearning.
You may ask, What NOW? What on earth is Julie up to?
Well, I’ll tell you….
go take a hike
Our Kings Canyon trip is just around the corner — which makes me a little nervous. I don’t have much time to get YaYa geared up and in shape for this challenging trek. Fortunately, we are both motivated to give it our best shot.
I’m know that it will be time to head out before we know it — and I don’t have a plan for if he isn’t ready to take on the trip. So I’m hoping we can pull it off. Besides, it can only benefit his football readiness as well so it’s a win-win as far as I see it.
boys will be boys
Boys have an interesting way about them. I’m talking about young boys, in particular. My YaYa has taken that uniqueness to a new level.
It was Saturday afternoon. I received a call from the young lad asking for ways he could earn a few dollars for his latest coveted item. Thinking about the recent experience with having to buy him a whole new outfit to be properly dressed for a volunteer assignment, I told him that we would need to sort through all his clothing to sort out those items no longer fitting him.
Well, YaYa was all over that. Almost immediately, he was volunteering to complete the task on his own.
An hour later, I returned home. I was met at the door by two dogs who were quite eager to see me – probably because they were hoping to be fed. The next thing that met me, was the smell of dog poop. Right by the back door was a nice large deposit from one of my furry friends.
Next, I turned my head to find my son’s creative way to tackle his new project. I guess YaYa was afraid he’d miss something important on TV if he didn’t catch his show live rather than using the DVR. Not only did he cart ALL of the clothes from his room to the downstairs living room, but he also managed to remove most of the items from their hangers.
Needless to say, the dogs got the bulk of my frustration. [Read more…]