Small Joys

Flowers bloom
Moon wanes
Sun rises
Birds wake
Breeze blows
Legs work
Faucet runs
Coffee brews
Scales steady
Face clean


Teeth brushed
Eyebrows straight
Milk pours
Banannas not too ripe
Fruit flies absent
Dishes clean
Counters wiped
Gates shut
Stool flushes
Mail ready
Animals fed
Floor swept
Alarm clock perfection
Clothes ironed
Phone charged
Hair clean
Lotion soothes
Makeup perfect
Earrings secure
Perfume sprays
Dishwasher empty
Keys found
Lunch packed
Bread fresh
Kids content
Dryer not needed
Enough ice
Shoes shined
Closet organized
Toaster unplugged
Drug free
Purse organized
Plants watered
Supper planned
Hugs shared
Full tank
Account balanced
Freezer stocked
Good nights sleep
Electricity hums
Pets trained
Kids call
Truck starts
Sunglasses smudge free
Seat uncluttered
No bugs windshield
Doors locked
On time
Radio greets
Lesson plan completed
No flats
Boss appreciates
Friends joke
Friday the 13th!

Happy and Healthy Rural Living

Progress always involves risk.

Start the day being grateful. Place a note by the bed or on the bathroom mirror to remind yourself.

The sun does come up every day. Get up early and watch the beauty.

Kindness matters even if no one else is practicing it. Spread the goodness.

Declutter.

Find experts. Read articles on healthy rural living for more tips.

Lighten your load - quickly check the daily headlines online rather than watching the depressing news on TV.

Smile even if it hurts.

Save rather than spend. Most likely you'll need and appreciate the money later.

Conserve water. Someone else will need it.

Satellite radio is worth every penny out here. Listen online at home or work.

Worrying? Work it off. Mow the lawn, vacuum the car, bake items for the freezer or neighbors, ride your bike, scrub the floors, weed the garden, play with the grandkids, plan an outing.

Appreciate your rural mail man/woman. They still deliver six days a week.

Add music to your daily routine.

Take a class just for fun on the internet. Learn French, make your own pasta, add hours for continuing education.

Eat fresh produce. Visit a farmers market. Don't have one? Get it started.

Find a daily blog that inspires you!

Summer Lovin'

Fireflies twinkling
Groom sweating
Sparklers delighting
Bride smiling
Grass mowing
Flags flying
Grill sizzling
Sunburn stinging
Campfire singing
Baby crawling
Fly buzzing
Swimmin' hole busy
Clothes drying
Little one crying
Ice cream cranking
Salsa making
New kittens playing
Rain dance praying
Screen door swinging
Fly swatter missing
Hearts brimming.

Are you ready for Hot, Hot, Hot?

Flowers wilting
Sweet corn filling
Squash bugs multiplying
Mosquitoes biting
Weeds growing
Dogs panting
Crab grass spreading
Chiggers itching
Tomatoes need picking
Cold ice tea refreshing.

Are you ready for the heat index of 110 degrees today? Check out Kat's Rural Remedies to beat the heat:

1. I get up extra early to water plants and fill animal waterers as the sun rises. I get my daily dose of meditation while giving everything on the farm a refreshing splash of water.
2. The only product I use from the Avon company is something called "skin so soft". Pour a little in the grandkids bathwater to keep the chiggers and mosquitoes away. Give yourself a little splash in the shower; much nicer than chemical bug spray.
3. While the hose is running on the flowers in the morning, quickly pick the days harvest from your garden.
4. Got weeds? A little rock salt mixed with water in your sprayer can handle weeds better than chemicals. Just be careful where you spray it, plus mix and strain first to avoid clogging up the sprayer.
5. Recycle an old window air conditioners (a working one) by installing a small one in a garage window to keep the pets cool during the hottest part of the day. While this costs me a little in the pocket book on the electric bill, it saves me worrying about the Australian Shepherd overheating. I start it around noon and let 'Lady' rest for the afternoon in the garage. I turn it off as the evening cools off. Since my garage is attached, it cools the house a bit.
6. Fast ice tea. The Lipton family size Cold Brew bags are fast, fast, fast in a pitcher of cold water. I add two single green tea bags to up the antioxidants.
7. Drop a little vegetable oil on the silks of the growing sweet corn ears to keep worms away.
8. Recycle used aluminum foil by placing flat pieces around the squash plants: the bugs don't like the light reflection.
9. Time to watch those favorite movies and clean out the closets. During the heat of the day or those tremendously uncomfortable humid evenings, clean out the closets while listening to a favorite movie or your ipod music selections. You can take everything to the thrift store when its cooler this fall.
10. Stay away from the computer and work on your summer reading list instead. (Why stress yourself by reading about how hot it is across America?)