On this Independence Day, I reflect on how lucky I am to live in this country.
I detest politics. However, I am grateful that every American has the right to express their views, whether anyone agrees with them or not. I am also grateful that Americans have the right vote for those they wish to hold political office. We may bitch and complain about our government and those in office, but we can do so without the fear of being imprisoned or worse.
We are truly blessed that anyone may profess and practice whatever faith they believe in, even if they choose not to believe in anything. I often think many Americans take this freedom for granted. So many people around the globe are persecuted for their faith or lack of it.
This is truly a land of plenty. So many choices, so many opportunities. There are grocery stores everywhere, carrying a myriad of items. There are malls and stores a plenty....and that's not counting the vastness of the Internet. Imagine having to stand in line for food and hope that by the time you get to the front, they have anything left. We take certain things for granted: clean water, reliable electricity, garbage removal. We get frustrated when there's a brownout and we have to reset the clocks in the house. Imagine the electricity going out....for months.
And yet, with all the advantages we have, there are still many in this country that are disadvantaged in one way or another-hungry, homeless, sick and unable to receive care, straddling the poverty line. We must be grateful for all that we have and are able to achieve and mindful of those that struggle every day in our country. Do not take prosperity for granted.
This nation has its flaws; it's far from perfect. There is much to improve, some issues more important to others than to me or you. But we have the freedom to act, to dream, to travel, to stand up for what we believe in. Whenever I dare to pay attention to the news, to what goes on in some other countries, I am grateful to live in the United States.
Happy Birthday America.
Nobody likes pulling weeds. It's often a thankless task. One does it so the yard or garden doesn't turn into a jungle. Well, more often than not, my yard/garden looks like said jungle. Actually, I don't have a garden-more like aspirations of a garden. But today I was blessed with the perfect ratio of time and nice weather, so armed with my gloves, tools, repurposed toboggan which serves as a kneeler, and required Pandora app (set to the Styx station), I headed out to the jungle.
One of the reasons I like weeding is because it gives me time with my thoughts, which are many and all over the place. They can be as mundane as what to do about dinner or as abstract as spirituality. But they are usually uninterrupted because no one likes scaring the crap out of anyone with headphones on. It's also one of the few times I can listen to music uninterrupted too, sometimes realizing that I've had the lyrics to a song wrong for decades or finally understanding the meaning of a particular song.
When the weeds get really bad, as they are now, I am always amazed at what I find among them: a spade and a trowel I thought previously lost; a ridiculous amount of broken roof flaps (and we had our roof replaced two years ago!); a Pokemon toy which surprised me-my kids haven't played with Pokemon toys for a while and I'm not THAT neglectful of a gardener! (well, maybe a little bit......)
Some observations while weeding:
Baby praying mantises (?) are cute:
Baby crickets not so much, especially when they fly out in all directions.
I would much rather pull a hundred of huge weeds with spikey leaves than ten of those spreadable ones that cling to the ground. They suck.
Disturbing an ant nest is both fascinating and frustrating. I am sure I would freak out too if someone pulled the roof off my house and started rearranging everything. Then again, I don't have a million people living in my house, who would swarm the neighborhood. Once you disturb an ant colony, best to regroup and call it a day....which I did. I just thank God it wasn't a fire ant nest like the ones we dealt with in Georgia *shudder*
Two things: when working in the garden on a hot day, when you have sweat running down your face, there is nothing more blissful than a sudden, perfect cool breeze. Heaven.
And lastly, there is no more refreshing shower than the one you jump into after getting filthy and funky pulling weeds. Aaahhhh....
I foresee a weekend of this. Bring it on.
