Sharon's Blurb

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Honey Bee, Honey Do!

The Honey Bees moved into the horse paddock awhile back. Two large man-made hives that were constructed and placed behind a little fence, so the horses wouldn't get too close. The bee keepers come every day, tending to their little charges, wearing their white suits with the netted hoods. They tell me the Honey Bees fly up and out of their hives every day (except for rainy days when they prefer to stay at home), finding flowers, and bringing back pollen and nectar to the hive. And it seems that bee-keeping is becoming the new hobby. The new "in" thing to do. To save the planet. To save us humans. Because bees in the wild are becoming extinct. We are inundating them with so many chemicals, as we try to kill other insects that are eating our crops, that we are inadvertently killing them as well. And as we now know, without bees, we have no plants, and no food. And bees are an inspiration that we humans could learn from. Their socie

A Senior Moment

"Would you like to use your discount today?" asked the young fellow behind the drugstore checkout counter. I gazed at him blankly. What discount? I thought. Was there a special on today that I didn't know about? Had I somehow missed a promotional sign in the store? Was I having a senior moment? A bout of sometimer's disease? And then the penny dropped. I should say the two quarters and a nickel. The 55 Special. Oh, yes. The SENIOR discount. I laughed and asked if it was that obvious. He said not to worry, I looked fabulous! How's that for back treading! And what the heck. Those senior discounts add up. They are one small compensation for the generally unpleasant experience of getting older. And many of those discounts start at the ripe young age of 55. For example, if I stop in at a certain chicken restaurant on a Monday, I can get a senior discount. When I turned 60, I attained deep discounts at many recreation programs

Does Chaos Beget Chaos

The gnats were flying over the kitchen sink. There was garbage everywhere. And the police officers were visibly shaken and disturbed at the mess. Yes, it was another episode of COPS, and yes, they were attending yet another domestic dispute. A house full of mess. A house full of chaos. Is there a connection? There is an ancient Chinese belief about the flow of energy. They call it feng shui. The premise is that the easier and more symmetrical the flow of energy, the better fortune it allows. Angles and edges are bad energy. Circles and curves are good energy. Clean and clear is good energy. Clutter and dirt is bad energy. I have visited many homes in my day and I am shocked and surprised at the number of them that are cluttered with chaos. Socks on the floor. Dirty dishes in the sink. Clothes lying around. Laundry baskets full. And perhaps it is no coincidence that those homes are full of drama. Yelling. Fighting. Disagreements. Unhappiness.

Y.C.T.I.W.Y.

You. Can't. Take. It. With. You. A phrase I hear often these days. Mostly from a friend who is getting close to his ninth decade here on earth. And he is right. You can't take it with you. Whatever "it" may be - money - possessions - more money. It is unfortunate that we will all end up with the same fate - our earthly remains cremated and stashed in a small container or preserved and sealed in a casket to be buried or entombed. And all of our earthly prized possessions will not be coming with us. Oh no. We won't need them where we are going. Instead, they will be distributed among the living; friends, family, charities, and the like. Their joy of use to be continued - just not with us. Whatever we have taken such pride in amassing will be dispersed. However much we have in our savings accounts will also be dispersed. And it is important, perhaps, that we get to decide, to pick and choose, who will be on the receiving end. Th

The Purge

I love garbage day. I mean I really, really love garbage day. Perhaps more than a person should. It would be fair to say I am obsessed with garbage day. I count down the days until it arrives. Looking forward to its ultimate arrival. Every other Thursday. I would say this obsession started when we moved to a municipality where garbage pickup is every other week. What?! Who can go two weeks without their garbage being picked up? It seemed inhumane. To expect us to hang on to our waste for two very long weeks. Granted, recycling and compost is picked up every week. And I guess the thought is that most waste is recyclable or compostable. But it is amazing how that garbage can gets filled up so quickly. By the time garbage day arrives, it is brimming. Two large garbage bags or one can is the rule. And it can't weigh more than 45 pounds. There was a time when our garbage man refused to take our can because it was too heavy. He slapped a

A Season Of Austerity

The parking lots are unusually empty. It's a Saturday afternoon - a time when you would think many people would be out and about doing their weekend errands. But they are not. Even the roads seem unusually quiet. Un-busy. At the grocery store, a pleasant surprise to find it not too crowded. Again, a Saturday afternoon - a time when you would think many people would be out getting their weekly groceries. But no. Something has changed. There is something tangible in the air. A palpable sense of quietness. Of holding back. Of austerity. People are hunkering down and making do with what they have. They are cocooning themselves, withdrawing into the safety of their cozy homes and condos, waiting out the storm. The storm of inflation. Of high prices. Of empty store shelves. There are whispers that we are on the verge of a recession. Shhhhhhh! Don't even utter that word. For we may then manifest it, and it may become so. I am not even sur