Soaking up the Environment

Any activity becomes romantic when you haul your love interest along with you. The weather finally cleared and my honey accompanied me for the bog walk. Bogs are amazing biomes; wet all the time and teeming with life. Unfortunately for the bog that day the life included us.

I took one step off the path; my boot sank into whatever spongy earth lived under the moss. When I started to fall I shared the pleasure by clutching my honey’s belt loop. Arms flailing my honey still managed to maneuver me onto the bottom for cushioning.

Shhhthwap! Aah! The bog welcomed us.

I lay very still arms and legs outstretched pretending we’d landed on a waterbed. The day was perfect at 82 degrees Fahrenheit and 56% humidity. What wasn’t wet before soon soaked up murky water. When the six, eight, three-thousand-legged creature slithered across my neck, I was done dreaming and went straight to screaming. My honey smothered a few of my favorite words. “Holy Sugar and Flying Buttress.”

My elbow sank when I tried to rise and I fought for control like a sailor on a capsizing raft. My honey flailed in the opposite directions and we banged head then used them for leverage along with a rotting log for support we maneuvered like a limping crab back onto the path.

We stared at each other. Awed and turned on because of the exertion. We’d shot past wet t-shirt contests and mud wrestling. We were covered in bog guts and wrapped together sloppy kissing when we heard the “Ahem.” Shouldn’t clichéd throat clearing be banned?

The naturalist gave us the stern principal look. “We must stay on the marked trail to preserve the bog.”

I know he was more offended by the display of affection and his affectation of authority brought out my sass. “Looks like the bog proved it knows how to defend itself.

THE END

Fight Productively

Fight Productively

I’ve heard some couples say, “We never fight.” I’d be surprised if two people always agree and I wonder if one person doesn’t just give in to avoid conflict. My honey ad I fight on occasion, when emotions run high and we both feel like our lives depend on the outcome. I’m stubborn and I like to win. My honey considers a problem and becomes enamored with a single solution. It’s is a surprise we don’t fight more often.

I wanted to go on an informative bog walk and my honey wasn’t as interested and probably performed a rain dance on the front lawn because it rained all week and was raining that morning.

I don’t mind playing in the rain; my honey prefers to huddle indoors during a storm. I dressed and got read to leave. My honey hung back. “We might catch a cold.” Scientists do have evidence that getting wet and cold makes us susceptible to illness.

“I can make my grandmother’s ginger, honey and lemon tea to get better quicker.”

My honey ripped into my jugular. “If you had the good sense to stay inside, you wouldn’t need a remedy. The bog will still be there when the sun comes out.”

I’m stubborn, but I’m not stupid. I heard the perhaps accidental concession. My honey would go on the bog walk on a nice day. “You’re on, the very next nice day.” So far it’s rained for at least two weeks. HMMMM.

THE END

Getting Involved in the Community

Most of our ‘romantic dates’ are spontaneous. My honey suggested a day, when we would make a commitment to a specific time and destination. My honey pays attention to our local government and knew a zoning change was proposed for our neighborhood and thought I might like to attend.

We had a real date, a real time. The purpose though seemed more civic than romantic. The public hearing portion allowed us to state our support for the zoning change. After discussion, the council voted to pass the change.

While my honey and I relaxed and shared a yogurt, our discussion prompted my thoughts on why our date was romantic. All the elements necessary for a solid relationship played out in moments. State the issue, get input, discuss the issued and make a decision. The most important element is for one person has the floor to state his/her position.

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Pawnshop Experiment

Looking to get rid of some things and make a few dollars? Pawnshops purchase items, but don’t expect a reasonable price for what an item is worth. The dealer looks the item up at an online auction site to see 1) how the item is selling and 2) the lowest price no matter what the brand. Their offer – approximately one-third to one-half of the lowest price found. Advantages to seller – quick money and to get rid of an item immediately.

My honey and I took my violin to pawn shops as an experiment. We weren’t really intending to sell the violin just use it for research. First stop – violin appraisal and was quoted a value of $300. At the music store specializing in the purchase of used instruments the owner refused the instrument due to lack of interest except at the beginning of a school year. At the pawnshops we visited I was offered $25, $15, and $10. At these same shops we checked prices for digital cameras and discovered selling prices approximately 10% below retail.

Final thought – as a way to receive a few dollars, the pawnshop would work. Donations to non-profits are a potential source of tax credits if a person itemizes taxes. If you’d just like to keep the item from becoming trash, give it to someone who will appreciate it by using Freecycle.com in your area.

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Cruisin’ through Town

Since Henry Ford produced the opportunity for everyone to travel with the Model T Americans have associated freedom with driving. My honey comes fro a small town where the vehicle is a status symbol. In the early evening a common habit was cruising’ through town to be seen and to see who was out. They would stop in the parking lot at one end of town and gals might hop from car to car to gossip. The guys would say hello and talk about being the best defined by speed, horsepower and class.

Every graduating class of seniors gathered at that same parking lot on the last day of school and cruise to the high school at the other end of town. The community supports the rite of passage, a police escort leads the way, horns honk, flags fly. People line up along the way to cheer for them; a small-town send off into the world. Even my honey’s hometown has changed. We’ve cruised through town a couple of times, but only to run errands. Cruisin’ exists in memory. The price of gasoline makes people conserve. The latest fad is fitness and now we meet people on the exercise paths and trails. We still talk about speed and power, but it relates to marathon training and muscles.

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Violin Lesson from My Playmate

My honey’s a musician, a gift inherited from a self-taught organ-violin-guitar-accordion playing father. My music teacher in college accused me of being tone-deaf and requested I not sing. My honey says, “thankfully I don’t have to hear your voice very often.” On occasion the mood strikes and I try to sing, mostly very old advertising jingles. My honey’s beautiful voice drowns my ‘cat clawing a lady’s eyes out squeak.

I have longed to play the violin and my honey finally agreed to listen, coach and teach me to play. For Sunday afternoon pleasure I received a request. “Play me a song.”

Fair enough. I’d learned all the notes, learned proper finger (I love music lexicon!) and relied on the already mastered skill of reading sheet music. With thirty minutes practice I managed a passable ‘Frere Jacques’. I have a future of many hours of practice before we will harmonize, as long as I don’t sing we are in accord.

THE END