Once You're Over 21

 Remember, growing old is a privilege denied many.

 

 

Nobody needs to know your age once you’re over 21.

 

I had an impulse a few days ago to start an Instagram account with a #picture a day with pithy sayings about aging. If a photo a day is too much pressure, I will post regularly in whatever time frame I choose.  I thought I would begin it on my #birthday that would come in a couple of days.

 

But it’s #February, I thought. Many places look dreary. But not all places. I decided to drive a short distance from my house to a #field of sheep. It's lambing season, so I figured I would see #lambs frolicking on a green field. Upon arriving, it tickled me to see a lamb with her nose close to the ground following a little bird who didn’t fly away but just kept hopping, with her nose in tune with his hops. That’s the reason I wanted a picture a day, to look for the simple joys that make our/my #heart sing.

 

I caught these two guys practicing being grown up Rams.

 

 

 

A bumper year for lambs, Many came in two's this year, and many black ones. What does that mean?

And I always wondered how the lambs found their mothers out of a sea of sheep. And how a newborn baby survived when it was born in January, and fell on cold wet ground.

 

 

I am following my mother-in-law’s practice to never tell her age. Instead, she would have un-birthdays, and I think it demoralized her when she had an eightieth birthday party, for then people knew the truth. Truth? Phooey. Go for #fun. Nobody needs to know your age.

 

I have an Instagram account already. (joycedavis747) However, I thought a new one would focus on aging, which everybody does, and everybody doesn’t know how to do it—it’s something that happens to us, yet, I wonder, how much is under conscious control?

 

Instead of taking photos and beginning a new Instagram account, I took myself on vacation to a hotel in Portland, where my niece joined me, and we had a ball. I didn’t use my computer, a daily event at home. However, here I am now. I had to stop myself from spending the day cleaning up emails, for I had a pile, but not good ones—like from you.

 

Before checking out of the hotel the morning after my niece left, I thought of the photos I said I would take. I suggested to the universe (fill in your own name for that force) that she provide something pretty for me to photograph on my way home. My eyes immediately fell on the flowers my niece and her kids gave me. So, I snapped this picture.

 

 Keep your paws warm:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1487832074270613505

 

P.S. about sheep:

 

I'll be darned. I didn't think sheep were high on the intelligence scale. I was wrong. :Look at this:

• Sheep have very good memories. They can remember at least 50 individual sheep and humans for years. They do this by using a similar neural process and part of the brain that humans use to remember.
• Sheep have been shown to display emotions, some of which can be studied by observing the position of their ears.
• Contrary to popular misconception, sheep are extremely intelligent animals capable of problem solving. They are considered to have a similar IQ level to cattle and are nearly as clever as pigs.
• Like various other species including humans, sheep make different vocalizations to communicate different emotions. They also display and recognize emotion by facial expressions.
• Sheep are known to self-medicate when they have some illnesses. They will eat specific plants when ill that can cure them.
• Sheep are precocial (highly independent from birth) and gregarious (like to be in a group).
• Female sheep (ewes) are very caring mothers and form deep bonds with their lambs that can recognize them by their call (bleat) when they wander too far away
  

You Rock

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right-doing, there is a field. I'll meet you there.

– "The Essential Rumi"

 

 

While walking down a street in Huntington, Long Island, Billy Joel stumbled upon an old piano set out on the street to be thrown away.

 

Ever "The Piano Man," Joel stands at the piano and pounds out a rag-time tune. 

 

 Man, you ROCK! That was one swinging piano.

 

To the untrained eye, that instrument was useless.

 

But "The Piano Man" knew better.

 

He said it was perfectly good—just needed a new finish and a tuning to come back to life.

 

 

I wrote that into my blog, The Best Damn Writer's Blog on the Block, a couple of days ago.). I used Joel's philosophy for a couple of my books, taking old worn-out content and giving them new life.

 

https://www.bestdamnwritersblog.com

 

And now I'm here on this Tuesday, determined to meet my deadline—a self-imposed deadline, nobody has my feet to the fire. And although I want to post positive content, I'm not feeling positive today.

 

I woke up this morning at 4 A.M. What time did I go to bed? 11:30, that's not much sleep. No wonder I'm loopy. I suppose everyone hits a slump once in a while. (Abraham says, "Pet your cat. Take a nap.”) The cat is right beside me. I just gave him a stroke which made me feel better. My little dog is at my feet. Bless her heart. They get up when I do. 

 

I'm still slogging through my Real Estate Training—going through Oregon Real Estate Laws is enough to fry the brain. As I add hours onto my already completed, 111.18 out of 150, I feel that the early information is slipping away. But hey, they taught me about the foundation footing, sill plate, floor joists, framing, roof joists, ridge board, interior and exterior sheathing, siding,—I thought I was going to sell houses, not build them, but really, I like building houses, planning them, not carpentry—that's my daughter's forte'. (See, we're going to be a team—two Real Estate Agents for the price of one.)

 

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon at the DMV office getting my driver's license renewed. I was concerned about the vision test, although it was a breeze. See, I have test anxiety already. When I took vision training years ago, they said taking the DMV vision test without glasses declared us with 20/20 vision. I don't know if that's true, for the test has gotten simpler. My concern was that I've had cataract surgery between DMV tests. I highly recommend Interocular lens replacements. My vision is great! With my new lens the world became clear, sharp, and beautiful. Bless those researchers, doctors, inventors. 

 

When I woke up this morning, I was trying to remember how many years I had gone away for my birthday. It's coming up this weekend. Maybe that's adding to my melancholy—like what have I not accomplished so far? Isn't that a shame that we use those milestones to set ourselves up for disapproval? My daughter just said (yes, she got up too) that she feels like a kid inside, but others are treating her as older, and now she's feeling it. Hey stop it, I'm 32 years older than you.

 

A trip will clear my brain. My darling niece will be visiting me. I will come home enlightened. (Lighter?)

 

I'm out of here.

 

Love to you,

Jo