Wasting Time?

Posted on June 13, 2011 by

Wilf, used with permission.

 

As I lift Wilf into the back of the car he has a look on his face that says “Time that you enjoy wasting, was not wasted .”
—Angus, Wilf the PONS Discovers France: Life With A Blind Dog

 
tammy told me about Angus and Wilf last week. It’s a charming, heart-warming site. Wilf is blind and has cancer and Angus is making sure they both continue to celebrate the little pleasures in life while they still can. If you read nothing else please read the About Me section, on the right below the Blog Archive.

Angus does raise an interesting question: What does it mean to waste time? In a comment at Rummuser’s Ursula touched on the same subject:

…just to prove that I am the queen of wasting time, I will waste even more time on the subject…. Have fallen quite in love with the idea. WASTING time; rolls off your tongue; dreamy.

It seems to me to say we’re wasting time means we think there’s something more important we should be doing with it. And I’m fairly certain some of the things that are most important to me would seem like a waste of time to others. For me I’m wasting time if I’m not

  1. Enjoying myself, and/or
  2. Doing something constructive

As long as I can answer the question, “Is this a good use of my time” with a resounding “Yes!”, I’m not wasting my time and my life.

What do you think? What does “wasting time” mean to you?

Thanks to Rummuser, tammy, Ursula, Cathy, nick and wendy for commenting on last week’s post.
Posted in Happiness, Living Fully | 26 Comments

Exuberance

Posted on June 6, 2011 by

When Kaitlin and Torben remodeled their house they wisely included a mud/dog room. The dog in the picture is their new puppy, Montana, with the fruits of her efforts. The white fluffy stuff is the inside of her bed, which she has cheerfully been tearing up. On the left-hand side of the picture you can see the hand shower they had installed. They sometimes manage to give her a shower after she has been playing outside in the mud. But there’s no doubt about it, the rest of the downstairs is a bit muddier than it was a month or so ago.

She is definitely worth a bit of mess. She’s good natured, loves her family, is easy to teach and has no trouble amusing herself when appropriate.

It’s interesting to see the difference between her and Sammy when they’re in the backyard.
 

 
Sammy loves the new brickwork and stepping stones because he hates to get his feet wet. Montana doesn’t care as long as she can run and play. (Click image below for video.)


 
I’m afraid Andy and I are about as physically lively as Sammy is now, but it was great fun to see Montana’s exuberance. Just thinking of it makes my spirit soar. What about you? Do you have any exuberance in your life?

Thanks to Mike, Siona Karen, Looney, Evan, Ursula, Rummuser, Florence, Cathy and tammy for commenting on last week’s post.
Posted in Living Fully | 12 Comments

Keeping Out of Ruts

Posted on June 4, 2011 by


 
Evan recently mentioned that the important thing is to keep out of ruts. For me that’s easy…I play with electronics and the technology keeps changing. Before when I went on a trip I packed my audio cassette and/or CD players and a lot of cassettes/CDs to listen to. This time we took the train and I didn’t have room. So I figured out how to convert my tapes and CDs to MP3 files. (I’ll spare you the details.) I learned a lot and got hooked on the MP3 format, especially since The Economist lets me download audio versions of each issue for no extra cost. Anyway, it took some new learning and a reasonable amount of time on my part, but the payoff was worth it.

I also had to make some changes the past couple of days because of my blog. My source of comics has moved and isn’t as convenient to use now, and my web hosting service has changed the way I do backups before upgrading to the latest version of WordPress. Both of those changes have been a nuisance with no obvious benefit for me, except for keeping me from becoming complacent and stuck in a rut.

What about you? Does life keep kicking you out of ruts or does it take more initiative on your part?

Thanks to Evan, Cathy, Mike, Ursula, Looney and Rummuser for commenting on last week’s post.
Posted in Humor, Lifelong Learning | 10 Comments

Saying Goodbye

Posted on May 30, 2011 by

Ben
I wouldn’t make a good Buddhist because like Ben in the cartoon I do get attached to things. I still remember when I was little and my grandmother modernized her bathroom and replaced the old claw-footed bathtub with a newer model. Everyone except me was thrilled with the new look. I was out in the yard talking to the old bathtub, trying to make it feel better even though it had been discarded without a thank you or a kiss goodbye.

I’m afraid I’m not much better now. We’re planning a train trip to see Kaitlin, Torben and the granddogs and grandcats. We want to travel as light as possible, and I decided it was time to replace my 20-year-old hard-sided, sturdy but heavy, Samsonite suitcases with some lighter soft-sided ones. 🙁 The old ones and I have been through a lot together, but it didn’t make sense to keep them. So I summoned up my courage, kissed one of them goodbye and gave it away. The other one will follow in the fullness of time, but I didn’t have the heart to do it yet. Mourning takes time.

Are any of you cursed with the same misguided sense of loyalty and love? Do you know anyone else who is?икони

Posted in Humor | 16 Comments

In Style

Posted on May 23, 2011 by

 

 

I was tickled last week by an article in the Wall Street Journal: Stylish Guys Steal Short Sleeves From Nerds.

When I showed it to my husband, he said. “So, after all these years I’m back in style! Maybe it will happen again in another 30 years.” Ever since we were married he’s worn white short-sleeved shirts and navy slacks. If people want him to be stylish they have to make that outfit the fashion. 😀

What about you? How stylish are you? Do you care one way or another?

Thanks to bikehikebabe, Ursula, rummuser, blackwatertown and Cathy for commenting on last week’s post.
Posted in Humor | 14 Comments

Home Alone

Posted on May 20, 2011 by

Dog eat Doug
 
I spend most of my time home alone, immersed in my projects. At the moment it’s my ideal life, but I would no doubt feel differently if Andy didn’t come home every afternoon. What about you? Do you enjoy being home alone? Do you get enough of it? What would your ideal life look like?

Thanks to bikehikebabe, Ursula, rummuser and Looney for commenting on last week’s post.
Posted in Humor, Living Fully | 13 Comments

Last Words

Posted on May 16, 2011 by

Frank & Ernest
 
This cartoon inspired me to look up some famous last words. My favorite was Alex the parrot’s:

You be good. See you tomorrow. I love you.

Now I wouldn’t say “You be good.” When I hear the term “be good” I laugh and think of Henry David Thoreau’s:

The greater part of what my neighbors call good I believe in my soul to be bad, and if I repent of anything, it is very likely to be my good behavior. What demon possessed me that I behaved so well?

And if I were aware that they were my last words I wouldn’t say the “See you tomorrow.” But I would say “I love you” to my daughter. We’ve said that enough over the years that nothing more would need to be said. My husband doesn’t feel comfortable with the “L” word, so I would say, “I want you to know how much I appreciate you. Thank you.”

And just in case they’re not around when I shuffle off, I tell them often now so they might think of those words anyway.

What about you? Which last words would you choose?

Thanks to bikehikebabe, Evan, Ursula, rummuser, wisewebwoman, Cathy and tikno for commenting on last week’s post.
Posted in Humor, Living Fully | 12 Comments

Words of Wisdom

Posted on May 9, 2011 by

Pickles
 
How much time do you spend learning from the past? Preparing for the future? Living in the present? I don’t spend much time thinking about the past, but I do like making plans, so there is an element of the future in that. But even there I tend/try to enjoy the process right now. What about you?

Also, do you have any favorite words of wisdom?

Thanks to bikehikebabe, Evan, Ursula, rummuser and Cathy for commenting on last week’s post.
Posted in Humor, Living Fully | 20 Comments

Having Fun While Doing Good

Posted on May 2, 2011 by

Anna Kroylova.

Our local Friends of the Shelter not only manage to find homes for the dogs and cats coming through our local shelter, they provide medical care for needy animals in Northern New Mexico. They also actively support spay/neutering of pets because in general there are more needy dogs and cats than homes for them. It’s one of the most effective ways of reducing animal suffering.

As part of this outreach they from time to time give out vouchers so people can spay/neuter their animals for free. In a recent campaign they’ve added more incentive: the promise of a $20 gift card for people who actually use the vouchers.


 
They passed out the above handouts in front of the Espanola Walmart a few weeks ago. The yellow dog in the first picture was part of the publicity.

Walmart had given permission for them to use its parking lot, but to make sure its customers weren’t disturbed it posted a couple of security guards. Apparently the guards thought the event needed a bit more livening up, because one of them phoned Animal Control, saying a big yellow dog was loose. The Animal Control officer was not upset by the joke:


Anna Kroylova.

Anna Kroylova.

 
Have you ever had fun while doing good?

Thanks to bikehikebabe, Evan, rummuser, tikno and Cathy for commenting on last week’s post.
Posted in Humor, Living Fully | 12 Comments

Expectations

Posted on April 29, 2011 by

Wizard of Id
 
Have your expectations ever led to disappointment? Have they ever led to delightful surprise? I’ve been a lot more pleasantly surprised in life than disappointed. That’s the great advantage of being a pessimist. 🙂

What about you?

Thanks to Ursula, rummuser and Cathy for commenting on last week’s post.
Posted in Humor, Life as a Shared Adventure | 6 Comments