Outdoors to Refresh!

I am going outdoors this morning to work with plants, mow some grass, feed the birds and water.

Bonnie S. gave me three large houseplants yesterday. Today we get acquainted and they join my "flock."

It will be very hot in a few hours so my hours outdoors are calculated and briefer than preferred.

I read where spending time outdoors is good for the mind, the soul, and the body!!

All the reasons below are my goals as I need to be refreshed, rejuvenated and realigned.

My thoughts have put me in a bit of a doldrums lately so ready or not,  God, here I come.....

From www.mmhealth.org:

1. Improved mental health. Exposure to natural environments has been linked to reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress.
2. Better physical health. People who spend time outdoors tend to be more active. Regular exposure to sunlight also helps your body produce vitamin D.
3. Better sleep. Natural light exposure during the day helps regulate the body’s internal clock, promoting better sleep patterns.
4. Increased attention span. Nature has a restorative effect on attention span and focus.
5. Social connection. From family cookouts to community 5Ks, outdoor activities often involve social interaction which contributes to greater life satisfaction.
6. Environmental awareness. Spending time outdoors can foster a deeper appreciation for the environment.

What are you waiting for? 

Make time today to enjoy the Great Outdoors and all it has to offer.

Especially #3 for me lately. Sleeping has not been the relaxation process I have always possessed. 

                                            *                *                 *               *                * 

(Unrelated to the above topic but I am ready to review another book for Story Circle Network. I just received a positive email from an author. I will tell you all about the book reviewing process and my "shelf" of books I have reviewed in my next blog. Stay tuned and always, stay reading!)

Too Much!

It has been two months since I have blogged.

Much has happened.

                  So much that I cannot, don't want to elaborate except - 

                                        I shall make a list. 

                         Lists help me prioritize, sort, simplify, select.

1) End of May - took our tiny Casita to Sedalia, MO for a ragtime festival, an annual event that we try to attend every May/June. Gone for one week.

2) Returned home and had a couple weeks to prepare for what we thought would be a six-week trek.

2) Journeyed to Western N. Carolina and classes at John C. Campbell Folkschool. Dave learned to steam bend and I learned to use my new mirrorless camera. My class was disappointing. The classes were for the week and we lived in the rv park. 

3) Spent the July 4th weekend in the Murphy, NC KOA and hunkered down exhausted.

4) Traveled from Murphy to Cheyenne Wyoming - four long hard days of driving across the U.S. Used Harvest Hosts and much gasoline.

5) Arrived in Cheyenne and attended son's assignment ceremony. He is now the General in charge of Warren Air Force base, the big guy. It was an experience of a lifetime, an opportunity to mingle with my children, those who attended. We spent two nights and $350 in the Little America hotel around the corner from Warren AFB.

6) Left Cheyenne and traveled a short distance to Estes Park where we spent five days in a local rv park. Each day was a delight and we celebrated my brother's 87th birthday. His two daughters are local and seeing my beautiful nieces was a most welcomed experience. We visited Rocky Mountain National Park several times.

7) The news came the morning we were to depart for Salmon, Idaho. We were flooded....again. 

                                   July 16, 2026.

8) We cancelled our remaining two weeks of Idaho adventures and traveled two days home to Ingram, Texas.

9) We needed to be home. Damage to walls, floors, garage and more but no loss of personal items in the house as during the previous July 4, 2025 flood.

10) I am still reeling from these past events as listed. This is why I haven't blogged. Still reeling, still trying to organize the chaos created by wonderful folks who re sheet rocked the bottom 12" of our walls.

11) New garage door ordered. Cleaning floors and living on cement which isn't all bad. We have a lovely kitchen and comfortable furniture. Now that I have listed the events, I am ready to return to sharing thoughts and meditations, goals and ambitions. This is all behind me. I am ready to live in the present. Amen!

12) Going outside now to water and feed the birds. They are coming back.

I choose to never leave my bird feeders again for such a length of time. They missed our full yummy feeders and I missed their visits. Can one have too many bird feeders?

Thanks for reading!

joan💕

Summer + Sturmfrei

I once created a Peppermint Patty dollhouse, all pink with pink furniture. I was an adult mother of five.

Crazy stuff! We entertain ourselves as adults thinking we are making the best choices. Was I?

                                    I wish I would have spent more hours with my children. 

                                    I wish I could relive my mothering days. 

                                    I wish I would have been more attentive and appreciative. 

                                    I wish I would have journaled those days.

As with everything I now think oh well, that journal would have been lost in the flood just like every other piece of paper, photo, journal and more!

I believe that I am still reeling from the July 4th flood, 2025 here in the Hill Country of Texas.

It was bad! The emotional adjustments are hidden behind the persona of "I've got this!"

The first six months we lived in an rv and spent days sitting outside our home as it was being rebuilt, almost miraculously. My eldest daughter took charge. She was in daily phone contact with Somebody Cares, the umbrella volunteer organization that spent thousands of dollars to get us back into our home. There were other groups that assisted in the rebuild, Samaritan's Purse, for example.

The home is beautiful and nicer than before the flood. It is completely furnished and the exterior has been repainted and wood replaced also. We are truly blessed.

It is difficult to "just move on." There are days I feel rudderless, doing simple tasks and wondering what I could/should be accomplishing.

My volunteer tasks are often questioned by me, not in a bad way, just as in  "why did you take this on?" I want to volunteer. I desire to give back what was so generously given to us. Then I regret committing to more than a few hours weekly. I regret having a "full calendar."

The rest of the days are spent maintaining the house, the yard, practicing my music, weaving (several looms still to be touched) and sitting with my husband.

I don't want to regret these years. 

                            *                   *                 *                 *                 *                     *

I seek guidance from my Higher Power, my Lord, my God.

There is power in prayer and I believe that my life would be more meaningful if I spent the early morning praying instead of writing, praying instead of practicing, praying instead of reading, praying instead of ........

And so this prayer life begins.

The value of prayer makes the dollhouse era seem superfluous.

And with prayer will come a Bible verse or two, seeking understandings and how I still can, at eighty-two, grow with God.

                             *                  *                 *                   *                  *                   * 

The word of the day today is sturmfrei with a very rich history.  

There is a particular feeling that arrives when you realise you finally have the house to yourself.

The rooms seem to widen. The moment opens. The usual routines loosen their grip and, for a little while, the hours belong entirely to you.

The Germans have a word for this feeling: sturmfrei.

 https://thecuriouswordemporium.substack.com/p/sturmfrei

I often feel as though I have the house to myself. Often hours belong entirely to me.

I share my home with my 99-year old husband. Sometimes I feel like the activity director. 

That is not all bad, is it? I will relish these hours spent with him if I outlive him. I learned that from raising my children as we go full circle. I learned that time with loved ones is the best investment of oneself.

Do you agree?

Inspired and Motivated

Returning from another marvelous and intense three days on almost non-stop ragtime music. The above song, previously unfamiliar to me, was the shirt decor this year to celebrate our 250 years of being the United States. I came home, played the song and honored Joplin's patriotism. 

My Joplin ragtime book is open on the piano.

Always exhausted, always ready to say, "Maybe we should skip a year," yet the music is so inspiring Once again I am motivated to play piano daily.

I lost all music in the flood....every last piece....not one sheet was retrievable. 

I have replaced a few favorite ragtime books and bought a Trebor Tichenor slim book on this trip for $20. 

I also replaced my CD box of Joplin songs by Richard Dowling.

Again, I drove us straight through which was approximately seventeen hours from Sedalia, MO to Hunt, TX.

Again I said, "We shouldn't do that."

However, I have recovered and look forward to our next road trip which is to North Carolina later this June month.

We attended a paid concert every day, supporting the festival.  My favorite concert was the Joplin Back-to-Back. One performer played a selection as written and then another performer followed with the same selection improvised. No clapping between the two performances was finally heeded after the first few presentations. It's hard not to cheer and clap following any ragtime soloist!

We also spent time under the big tent and at the railroad station listening to one performer after another which is all free.

The fairground campground was familiar and we stay in the same area year after year. It is a huge rv campground where large rallies are held, like the Airstream rally. I can't imagine an rv in every spot at the fairgrounds.  "Give me land lots of land...." between trailers!

SOLACE is my favorite Joplin tune and yes, it was played on the Back-to-Back concert in a splendid manner.  My piano teacher of many years, Carl Gibbs, selected this piece for me to study when I requested a rag tune. It is stunningly beautiful.

See you next year, Sedalia, MO. in 2027, I hope!

Preparing for a Journey

 

Frederick Hodges

Zeke Backus

Gavin Rice

Sonny Leyland

Andrew Oliver

Josh Duffee

Tyler Thomson

William McNally

John Reed-Torres

Clinton Davis

Davey Jo

Our plans are to leave tomorrow, Sunday, May 24th for the Ragtime Festival in Sedalia, Missouri.

https://www.scottjoplin.org/

We will drive to East Texas tomorrow, spend the night in our small Casita and continue into Arkansas. No reservations have been made. We don't anticipate a full house at the state parks this coming week.

However, my thoughts are not always correct. We'll see how far we get each day.

Today is getting the Casita ready. It is only 17' - not much can be packed within it. We're not hooking up the propane so will use an ice chest for our refrigerator contents.

It's a camping trip with the delight of very professional ragtime music all and day and into the evening with well planned concerts.

We will return to Texas June 1 or June 2. I am not taking the computer and do not plan to be online much.

My phone will transport me to the internet as needed.

Bon Voyage Casita style!

Who Can Resist?

Who can resist hanging over the "picket fence" with Snoopy?

Who can resist allowing a butterfly to land on one's head? 

(I wish it were true.)

Who can resist admiring daisies stretching forth in surprise? 🌻

Who can resist opening one's heart to Snoopy's smile and soft paws?

"Comfort your worries" is my favorite phrase this Sunday morning.

No intensive worries but always those "what ifs" and "should we dos?"

I shall pray! 

            I shall listen for His message. 

                                            I shall lean on His Wisdom.

Thank you, Jesus, for supporting and allowing me to wander and wish,

muse and make mistakes, seek and solve as time moves through our lives.

Not very poetic this morning am I. Just a few simple words with a few simple

thoughts that I am sure everyone ponders. I am learning that my uniqueness carries with it similarities to many older women, retired, searching for the next activity and/or

trying to fit into the days and weeks commitments already on the calendar.

Have a wonderful Sunday. 💟

Today We trek to a new farmers market with the bookmobile.

This Land

 

This Land is My Land

I place the new herbs

into respective pots

no plan yet for their

designated spots

no more flowering 

plants from the store

plenty to water now

as I walk out the door

this morning the bird

feeders need fresh food

this morning the geranium

isn’t looking too good

I’m not sure this gardening

occupies my need

to be outdoors feel the dirt

I’d rather have a good read

but I feel content

and reassured

the physical labor 

‘tis good to be lured

outdoors fresh air

movement abounds

I go I do listening

for nature’s sounds

rewarding my ears

rewarding my plans

I’m blessed to have

this backyard - my land.

This Land Was Made For You and Me

              *           *         * 

(Woody Guthrie, 1940)

jconnor 05/14/2026

             

Mother's Day 2026

(stock photo of larger Casita - our Freedom is single axle)

We finally took the little Casita for its first camp-out this past weekend. It has been waiting patiently under the carport for months.

I celebrated Mother's Day with one son, one daughter, one granddaughter, one son-in-law at the campsite and had a delightful time.

Inks Lake State Park here in Texas is about two hours from our home. It is a large park with many sites and quite a variety.  We drove around the park picking out several favorite spots for another visit. Of course planning ahead many weeks will help getting a preferred site on the water.

This was a shake-down trip for our 17' Freedom Casita. It is small, neat, tidy and, yes, sometimes a tight fit for two of us plus one lovely dog. I don't regret buying it, but there will be times when we pull into a motel for an evening or two. This I predict as we travel along America's backroads.

Gifts were given to me and I felt honored. I have not heard from all my children and this has me nervous and sad this morning. I wonder if I ever forgot to wish my mother "Happy Mother's Day" in all the frenzy of raising children, trying to be everything for everyone. 

As you can surmise, I am reflecting this morning on how one Hallmark holiday can create such emotions in one mother. I am quite sure there are others who have been "put on the back burner" for various reasons. 

I will be fine. I hope you will be too.

Thanks for listening,

A Mom💔

Tapestry Weaving Challenge

                                     The Weave Every Day in June Challenge

Weaving is Meditation. 

"It has the capability to calm you, to focus your energy, to feel the power of making something beautiful. 

Developing a regular weaving practice, whether you're brand new to weaving or have been doing it for years, can be deeply beneficial in so many ways."

"For the month of June, we are challenging you to weave every single day. Maybe you only have five minutes a day, maybe you have an hour or two, but the goal is simply to find time to weave. Learn more and sign up here:" 

https://mirrixlooms.com/.../mirri.../weave-every-day-in-june

* * *

I signed up and am contemplating ordering the gorgeous thread package being offered for 20% discount - around $46 + the shipping.

I thought that tapestry was not my go-to for weaving, but I want to implement the techniques in my Saori. Since we're traveling in June I can take my small loom and weave every day somewhere for a period of time. I have a Saffron loom pictured below:

I think it successfully survived the flood and has all its parts. It is a nice loom and will serve the purpose. I also reordered Rebecca Mezoff's book and will use it consistently.

Rebecca also offers a short tapestry class that I may sign up for again. I am not sure regarding that experience. I don't need both and most certainly do not need spending any more money until I get a grip on my activities and expenditures.

Tapestry weaving is difficult. However, I don't need to create such masterful art works. I can begin simply and review the basics. I don't recall if I have blogged about my experiences with the American Tapestry Alliance classes. My teacher was wonderful and patient. My weaving not so wonderful. That was when I decided to punt the tapestry, but now that I have finished several Saori weavings I want to incorporate more needle techniques, so this experience with Mirrix will be good. And who knows? I may be a winner of the grand $200 prize so yes, I will keep a log.

I will blog about my progress. 😊

Musical Autobiography I

 

Journal Reflection #2

A Musical Autobiography Part One

Beginning my journey into harp therapy includes reflective journaling which is a delight for me to do. 

I have never written a musical autobiography, yet music has been a contribution to my sanity I believe. It never crossed my mind to write about my musical experiences other than one essay about Mrs. Barnes.

I shall use the questions that Bedside Harp provided in their introductory packet.

This reflection will be several entries.

1. What is my first musical memory? My mother played piano and sang with a beautiful alto voice. I have a very distinct memory being in Grandpa Hoffner’s church pretending I could read the hymnbook and “singing” along with the congregation. Or perhaps I was humming and wishing I could read the words. 

I wonder if I made up words and was “sshhhed” for disturbing the sanctity. 

Nowadays in church I sing loudly and am surprised when I can still hit the high E.

Love those old hymns.

2. Did you get to play an instrument, take dance lessons, etc.? Yes, I was able to take piano lessons from the age of seven or eight onward. I walked down the block to Mrs. Barnes’ home weekly for a thirty minute lesson with change totaling less than a dollar.

I took my lesson in her sunroom on her small Wurlitzer piano that had a Solovox attached. The machine intrigued me and I got to try it just a few times.

When recitals loomed we were allowed to rehearse on her baby grand in the living room where the eventual recital would be held. She also had a large floor-standing marimba in the sunroom. I believe her daughter played that instrument. I never knew the daughter as she was probably a teenager or older. For many years I had my original spiral notebooks with her flowery writing and specific assignments. My curriculum was John W Schaum and I progressed through every book. My lessons with Mrs. Barnes ended at some point in junior high when I tried Mrs. Aschenbrenner’s methodology. There were also some organ lessons from Mrs. A as she was our church organist. 

3. What feedback did I receive from teachers and family members? I do not recall receiving feedback although I am quite certain my parents enjoyed my piano practicing, thirty minutes daily. Later I wondered why I never majored in piano performance in college. I was never led to pursue that path probably because I did not have the fortitude nor the abilities required for such a commitment. I just wasn’t at the top of the game, so to speak. However, I have advanced and continued lessons in my adult life for many years. 

   
   

   (to be continued)

Bookmobile Day!

It's Bookmobile Day! JamaJoan's Bookmobile to be exact. We travel five plus miles to downtown Kerrville for the Hill Country Farmer's Market and give away children's books. It is a Little Free Library on wheels. My original plan was to travel to rural areas but alas, that has not occurred yet.

My inspiration was The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Richardson. I have yet to read The Giver of Stars.

From the internet: The most popular books about the Kentucky horseback librarians ("Pack Horse Library Project" of the 1930s) are The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson and The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. These historical fiction novels highlight women delivering books to remote Appalachian areas during the Great Depression. 

Several years ago we brought a vintage travel trailer back to Texas from Spokane, Washington. 

Hubby cleverly created a bookmobile interior with shelving, a very pleasant paint job and new laminate flooring.

It has served us well and photos will be posted as soon as I can figure out where they are on the computer or if they still exist. Then the chore of uploading, etc. has to be relearned. 

It seems so much of my life is learning, relearning and remembering. Is that aging or just too much on the brain from being a lifelong learner?

Back to the bookmobile:

We have a surplus of books in the garage taking up quite a bit of space. Donations came flowing in following the flood and loss of all previous book donations plus the special ones I had shelved in my home.

But the trailer survived after a miraculous cleaning by volunteer women from a Houston church. 

We are blessed continually as we relive the gifts of time and physical effort the volunteers gave us.

When we go to the market we set baskets of books outside the trailer and on pleasant days we sit outside. Folks are invited to go inside and also are invited to take several books. We enjoy the social several hours and then journey back home, happily exhausted. 

Today the weather is going to be lovely and as soon as it warms up, we'll be settled in chairs outdoors.

Come and visit!