Diary from the path least traveled..

Hello Diary,

Have the days activities done for the most part, thought I would pop in and share a few thoughts…. have been working outdoors preparing for winter while keeping an eye on the calendar as one day ole Jack Frost will be making his presence known… 🙂 nature has the same thoughts as with creatures heading south or finding places to hibernate for the winter, it has grown quiet in the backyard and gardens… mainly just the little sparrows hanging around at the moment…

But the little sparrows like it because there are no large birds to bully them around, just have to keep a eye out for an occasional hawk… also bird seed goes a long ways these days… 🙂 have been doing some preparing for myself…with changing everything around in the house, there is no real room for a tall, large Christmas tree…and the old artificial tree was getting a bit worn after years of use…so came up with the idea of using parts of the old tree and putting on the dining room table…

When ready to decorate, will disassemble and put together with decorations… also instead of blogging this weekend, did some errands and got a flu shot..picked up supplies and then Monday decided to do some cooking for putting in the freezer…bacon and smoked sausage here..

Had an assortment of other items and also prepared the weeks dinners to put in freezer and take out as needed..had a bit of a mess multi-tasking.. 🙂

So that has been pretty much the story for the week, mostly ready for winter here…now going to chat a minute about the to paths, one most traveled and the one least traveled..

When my wife passed away a couple years ago, I found myself with a decision to make, which path to take…of course, one would assume the path most taken, BUT..while there are good things on that path, the path is also rife with greed, cynicism, hate, anger, extremism, etc in both religious, economic and social ideology…slowly becoming all that the Founding Fathers of this country came to North America to get away from… a path where it is becoming increasingly difficult for one to realize their dreams, to be themselves, different…

The path least traveled is the opposite.. No social pressures, one can be oneself, to be recognized and respected for who they are and what they feel, being different without fear of being ridiculed, follow ones dreams…while originally not intended to be a philosophical poem, the poem by Robert Frost “The Road Least Traveled” is used as such;

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost

There are no crowds, no societies, no ideologies to be shackled to…as my daughter would say “it is what it is”, but like Robert Frost, I chose the path least traveled and it has made all the difference… the to paths may cross from time to time and occasionally I will browse the other path, but I stay on the one least traveled and follow the horizon…as Louisa May Alcott said;

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them. “

And speaking of the path, believe I had better close and finish the day, more rainbows to chase and flowers to check out… 🙂 but I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

Here are some thoughts from the Seekers…

folow

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Mosquitoes, flowers and doing it my way on the path least traveled….

Diary from the path least traveled..

Hello Diary,

Having a laid-back relaxing Sunday resting up a but in preparing for chores, etc next week.. thought I would pop in briefly and share a few thoughts before closing and settling down to read a bit with the Kindle… puttered around the house and gardens for a bit, checked the mosquito cups…

Have to put screen wire around the cup to keep critters from drinking out of the cup… 🙂 the cups are for collecting mosquito eggs…I made them using Ziploc containers, a plastic Solo cup and brown coffee filters… I have four of them and collect the filters every Monday, let dry and then using the USB microscope, I check to see if there are any eggs… here is a picture from last week…

If there are any eggs, I count them, log that in and then seal the filter in a Ziploc bag and send it to the USDA in Kansas and they will attempt to hatch the eggs to determine the type of mosquito present…that finished, I decided to get the flowers ready for the cemeteries on Christmas… easier and cheaper to “roll my own”… 🙂

After that and other chores, I spent the rest of the morning stocking up on fingernails, again, cheaper to “roll my own“… 🙂

So, finished all that, had a bite of lunch and now sharing a few thoughts before venturing on down the path least traveled… had a tragedy the past few days out in Vegas.. people dying for no justifiable reason..dying because someone would rather see a innocent creature die than give up part of his/her right to go on a N.R.A. ego trip….so sad.. 😦 don’t have any guns I my world any more, there is no place for guns on the path least traveled…

Leaving the dark side, sharing some thoughts from others about moving on, starting over, about living a life…

Seeds of encouragement..

Making a new start
Is like planting a garden…
It starts out slow at first
but with work, a little sunshine
and some rain now and then,
It can blossom into something beautiful
(Author unknown)

Do not quit..

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road your trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and its turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When they might have won, had they stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victors cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when your hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit!
(Wade Watts)

That being said, going to leave now and enjoy the rest of the day, toes up and reading a book… 🙂 but I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

Yes, starting a new beginning, a new life and it being my life I am the only one who can live it, so with a little help from Andre Rieu, I am going to do it My Way… 🙂

Hot, Cold and when it rains on the path least traveled…

Diary from the path least traveled..

Hello Diary,

Thought I would pop in and share a few thoughts before bringing the day to an end… have some good reading downloaded on the Kindle so going to prop the feet up and relax while listening to some easy-listening music… may not even turn the TV on… 🙂

Woke up to a cool ( 46 degrees) fall morning on the path least traveled this morning, with clear blue skies…

Was not that way the first part of the week with temperatures still in the 90 degree range and high humidity.. definitely had an affect on all the creatures that were preparing for fall and winter… got so warm for this particular squirrel that it had to take time for a breather and cool off…

While it were too warm to do much outside, prepared for the coming winter indoors…didn’t want to be setting all the time so will be using some of the hobbies/projects standing… will do some painting standing up….

Also decided to work on the puzzle from time to time standing up, so put it on the dining room table as I rarely use it an will not have to dismantle the puzzle…

Were outside for a time working on weather instruments this morning and found the backyard unusually quiet.. ventured indoors briefly to get some batteries and looked out the kitchen window and saw the reason for the quiet… a Cooper’s hawk had decided to stop in and pay the path a visit…

It eventually moved on and the backyard became a bustling community of creatures getting ready for winter… will leave shortly but before I go, shall leave some words about destiny;

Destiny sits upon the morning horizon
Always in site, but never clear
And as I travel along the road I have chosen
Destiny remains forever in place
Sitting upon the morning horizon

But as the years pass
And the road spans the distance
Between yesterday and tomorrow
I know my destiny will arrive

For time alone will close the gap
So yesterday becomes dust filled memories
And the horizon of tomorrow
Will be the road of today

For then, there will be no yesterday or tomorrow, only today
And when that day arrives
I will find peace and be complete
For I will be one with my destiny
(Favi F)

And speaking of horizons, can see mine clear with the sunny, cloudless skies… so better venture on down the path least traveled and follow that horizon, while enjoying all the path contains, but I shall return one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

And on rainy days, a good time to reflect and contemplate while listening to Secret Garden…

A little of this and a little of that on the path least traveled…

Diary from the path least traveled..

Hello Diary,

It has been awhile since I shared a few thoughts, don’t have a great deal to share today, a little of this and a little of that, but have a few moments before getting on with the day…..have been preparing for fall and winter outdoors, taking advantage of the weather…time is moving on and soon ole Jack Frost will be putting in an appearance…
Worked on getting the leaf netting over the pond with the fish….

It will keep debris and leaves out of the pond and when winter arrives with freezing temps, will put some clear plastic sheeting over the netting and that will help prevent the pond from freezing solid…the fish stay in year around… also got the netting ready for the deck to keep leaves from gathering, and can set out there without leaves falling on me…

Yesterday, Friday the 22nd, was the first day of fall and with the leaves on the ground, it was looking like fall…

However, as the phrase goes; “looks can be deceiving” 🙂 …. woke up yesterday to a warm and muggy, foggy morning…

The high temperature for the first day of fall was 93 degrees with humidity to match, much the same for the rest of last week, and for the next three days… instead of feeling like a fall day on the prairies of Illinois, it felt more like summer in the land of gators and big snakes… 🙂 so much so the even a squirrel had to stop for a break in its busy day…

Well, believe I will stop for now and finish the day before the heat of the day… before I go, will leave some thoughts in the form of a poem….

I set here with my tea
And watch the leaves a fallin’
It’s becoming clear that one day soon
Jack Frost will come a callin’

Most of my bird friends have went south
In the southern warmth they’ll stay
But I’ll not shed a tear in sorrow
For they’ll be back again some day

All us creatures that are staying behind
To deal with the cold and snow
Are getting our house in order
And waiting for winter’s blow

The squirrels are gathering leaves and such
To insulate their winters nest
The possum is checking every nook and cranny
To find a place for his winters rest

The bee’s are picking up the pace
Gathering nectar with the morning sun
Storing winter food for the hive
Before their work on earth is done

A spider spinning it’s web of silk
I watched as it grew and grew
Soon to become natures work of art
With tomorrow’s early morning dew

This poem could go on and on and on
But alas, I have things to do
For, like it or not, don’t you see
I need to get ready for winter too.
(Larry “Dutch” Woller, 10/14/2007)

That being said, it is on down the path least traveled I will go, but I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

And speaking of autumn, a song by Nat King Cole that was a favorite to dance to…

Hawks, sparrows and noodles on the path least traveled….

Diary from the path least traveled..

Hello Diary,

Unlike other parts of the world, it is a quiet Sunday morning with sun and blue skies here on the path least traveled… a relaxing day to be had before preparing for winter and other projects starting next week…will take advantage of the pleasant weather next week and work outdoors.. So thought I would pop in briefly and share a few thoughts before venturing on down the path least traveled…

Had a yearning for tips and noodles so purchased a small pork loin roast yesterday to be cup up into “pork tips…first thing to get rid of as much fat as possible…

Once done, I cut up into about 1” squares, added a bit of pepper, garlic, poultry seasoning, sprayed with butter and put in the fridge to marinate a bit…

After a time, put them on a tray to broil in the roaster oven…

Once done, put most on cookie sheets to put in the freezer so the tips will not stick together (once frozen, will put in zip-lock bags) but saved a handful for diner…added some buttered egg noodles, buttered mashed potatoes covered with bacon bits and parsley, cheesy cauliflower and one has dinner…. 🙂

While waiting for the pork to cook, I glanced out the utility room window and saw a disgruntled Red-tail hawk setting on the fence by the feeder…

There were about 20 sparrows hiding in the brush pile and the hawk was trying to figure out a method to get to the little sparrows but after a time, decided to move on… 🙂

Well, the washing machine just buzzed at me so I had better close and get on with the day, leisurely… 🙂 before I do, I will leave some thoughts by others….;

“Standing up for oneself is not always easy but it is often the only way to walk our true life path. The beaten path only gets you where most people go. Be original and explore new roads.”
― Nanette Mathews

“Becoming free is learning about yourself; the scared and the insecure, the brilliant and the bold. Embrace both and the journey is yours and yours alone. No longer are you following another’s directions and your path and purpose will present themselves. Only then might you find another wandering soul doing the same thing, who can walk with you but on their own journey. All of a sudden you might find a shared passion and a wrinkled map on the trail that makes sense.”
― Riitta Klint

“The one who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone, is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been.”
Albert Einstein

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Robert Frost

So, it is HI HO HI HO and on down the path least traveled I go…but I shall return one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise……

And speaking of rising creeks, there are, and will be, a lot of folks south of the Mason/Dixon line today that are asking the same question as Johnny Cash…

Ham and beans and earrings on the path least traveled…

Diary from the path least traveled..

Hello Diary,

Relaxing for awhile on a Saturday of a holiday weekend listening to some bossa nova… 🙂 and thought I would pop in and share a few thoughts before getting on with the weekend…. have been busy making some changes in the ole routine.. for beginners; changing the meal times around and will have the heavier meal at lunch time and a lighter meal at evening dinner..they say it is better that way and sounds good to me… so will give it a go… 🙂

Also some programs on TV that I would not mind watching is on after I have retired for the night, many on PBS…so being as how I am a sustaining donor to the local college PBS station, I can get online and watch video streaming of those programs.. Sooooooooooooooo, setting up a spare laptop that I rarely use…

I can now use it as a TV and watch those programs at my leisure, clever, eh?.. 🙂 also had a rainy day last week and all under control, decided to make some earrings out of broken necklaces…also had some lose parts from broken earrings, etc to add…one style…

And another style…

And pulled out all the stops on this pair..didn’t have much supplies to work with at the time but used parts of two plastic spoons, some paint and a brush and some imagination and I have a pair of earrings with a rainbow on one side and blue skies, clouds and a bit of sun on the other..

Decided to prepare a meal for Labor Day… in history’s past and when my family were into camping, Labor Day usually were the last holiday weekend to go camping and it became tradition to have ham and beans and Brats… I had a tripod for a campfire and would cook the ham and beans for several hours over a wood fire using a cast iron pot…the only way to cook ham and beans is with a cast iron pot no matter what the source of heat is… these days I use a energy efficient hot plate/burner with the cast iron pot and simmer for several hours…

I usually purchase a ham, bone in, a de-bone the ham leaving some meat and skin attached and put the bone in the pot with beans, pepper and onion… sometimes I will grille the bratwurst or sometimes I will put thawed out brats in with the ham and beans a couple of hours or so before the beans are finished… and in the end add some buttered, cheesy zucchini and I have Labor Day dinner.. 🙂

Believe I shall close for now and get on with the day and weekend…it is about choices on the path least traveled and here are a few words from others about life’s choices..

“Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain… To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to male mistakes and choices – today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it.”
Kevyn Aucoin

Life’s Choices

Life is full of choices
Make sure you pick the right one,
Don’t listen to the voices
Hear only yours and you have won.

Many people will tell you
You need to change your looks,
Don’t take to heart their view
Fabulous bods are found only in books.

There is only one voice
That you should listen to,
It will help make the right choice
That is perfect just for you.

Your looks are your own
Someone will always love you,
You will never be alone
Look in the mirror and you’ll see who.
by Rose

That being said, it is on down the path I go leaving no stone unturned..but I shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise… and here on the path, we agree with Mr. Armstrong.. 🙂

Waking up on the green side of the grass on the path least traveled…

Diary from the path least traveled…

Hello Diary,

A lovely Saturday ( I woke up on the green side of the grass… 🙂 ), don’t have all that much to say today but thought I would pop in and share a few thoughts before venture on down the path of life, otherwise known as the path least traveled… 🙂 have pleasant weather today, unlike other parts of the world, a good day to relax with a spot of tea and contemplate the tomorrows…. one thing sure, fall is on the horizon…. picked the last of the greenbeans and cucumbers as I believe the plants have run their course…

Due to the weather and climate, the tomatoes are having a rough season but have started to harvest some…

Have Roma’s and Edith Purple Ball heirloom tomatoes and they are the right size for putting in the freezer…just clean the tomato, put in a zip lock bag and in the freezer… cannot slice the tomato but will thaw out like a stewed or canned tomato, the skins fall off and they are good for eating, soups, stews, salsa, etc…

Had a wisdom tooth pulled earlier this week so have been taking it a bit easy while it heals.. So what can one do while nursing a pulled tooth, one would ask?… snap and clean green beans for the freezer, of course… 🙂

Well, that is about it for today I believe… instead of putting a damper on today’s thoughts, instead of the news, will just leave some poetry about change and moving on…

CHOICE
I’ll be what I must be, in spite of me
as life won’t always give the things I choose
and so I have to make what has to be
into the things my life and I can use.

All roads don’t lead to Rome, as it’s been said,
but some to Paris, and a little fun,
so I will change the path where I would dread
to go to where I choose, when I am done.

I’ll not be forced into a better scheme
if I can’t see the end result my way
if it’s not part of what my heart can dream
it never will come to the light of day.

All things can change, if I have any voice
in what they are, and I will make the choice.
(Vee Bdosa 2014)

Winds of Change…

I watched that heavy door begin to close,
all the while the winds above me rose.
The years whisper and whistle back into my ear,
the memories haunted by sorrows and fear.

With a new day it finally dawned on me,
the past needed locking and I had the key.
Leave it behind, leap and fly away free,
let the winds of change blow and carry me.

Feel them lifting my wings now able to soar,
up to an open sky and caged no more.
Flying so fast to where no hurt can find,
a place of peace now inhabits my mind.

This heart full of courage never ceases to beat,
knowing my history is not destined to repeat.
Clear paths now lead me to a new destination,
for my life, my future and the next generation.
(Kelly Deschler 3/26/2016)

The calm that comes with morning light.
Lying here… from an untroubled night.
Alone, awake after restful sleep.
No tears left, no tears to weep.

Dreaming where dreams were never seen.
Free from all that might have been.
By myself with a pristine heart,
to begin again; a brand new start.

No more fear as I arise.
No sadness here to burn my eyes.
Only peace to guide my way.
No more guilt to mar the day.

My spirit rises in the sun,
as life again has just begun.
(Francis J Grasso 1/20/2017)

So, will take my leave now, on down the path least traveled I shall venture, eagerly awaiting to see what is around the next bend….but shall return again one day, Fate be willin’ and the creeks don’t rise…

Oh, by the way, Diary, do you have a secret garden?… I do, a place where lovers and dreamers go, where one can be who they are, what they believe, can be different and fit right in…a place to meditate and contemplate all the tomorrows and Fate..

It’s my yen garden, and like life and the universe, always evolving and changing… 🙂 and if you do not have a secret garden, Diary, perhaps the group Secret Garden can help you…