Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
The new ‘garden’ in the form of three letters cut into the turf of the side lawn. In dirt brown against the green grass, ‘U’, ‘n’ & ‘a’ spells, Una, of course
It’s Saturday when I type (the beginning of) this post. It may very well be Sunday when you read it. This is, of course, the Ten Things of Thankful bloghop. Originated by Lizzi Lewis, (still not admitting that CS is her great-uncle), now curated by Josie Two Shoes, it is a ‘place’ in the virtual world where people of (similar) mind and good intent gather each week for an exercise (in the cultivation) of gratitude, (both the attitude, outlook and emotion). If you’re new to the TToT, allow me of say, this is a serious effort for many, however, rarely is the word ‘serious’ intended as ponderous and humorless, which is so not the case. Sure there are rules, but they’re Secret! (lol the best kind!) The Book of Secret Rules (aka the Secret Book of Rules) has more blank pages than full, the ideal ratio. (BoSR/SBoR’s motto: “…in a jam? not sure if you can use an event or situation, stuck for items to make the Ten, not feeling overly grateful? There’s a Secret Rule for that! and if you can’t find it, make it up! just try to stick some op. cits., paragraphs and such, and if you can, whats really cool are [t]hose really odd [p]arentheticals.“)
Anyway.
1) the photo above is this year’s garden, pre-plants. Will be vegetables such as tomatoes and possibly celery, (clearly a great deal of thought has gone into what it is to be grown in this here garden here. but then, the fun was in the digging.)
2) the next photo is also yard related. we had a large tree fall in the woods this winter* Unfortunately it fell across one of the path/trails that Phyllis and Una like to walk. And so, chainsaw in hand, I’ve been cutting up limbs in order to clear the area and return the path to walkability.
a large, apparently (because we are told, not that we can see) double-trunked pine tree, lying in the grown in a woods of much smaller and thinner pine trees. most of the branches of the fallen tree have been cut and, towards the end the trunk is a pile of cut limbs, showing green of the pine needles against the mostly brown of the trunks and old needles carpeting the ground.
3) As should be clear by now, the dog and the human are kinda central to my world. Phyllis and Una always merit mention.
4) At the end of the afternoon of dragging tree limbs, sweating and such, I offer as Grat Item #4: “I’m grateful for not being confined to a hospital bed.” (Though kind of obvious, being the clark that I am, I’m better able to experience the emotion of gratitude when it’s couched in simple and somewhat un-sophisticated terms, i.e. I’ve been confined a hospital bed in my past. Physically working well past my comfort range and sweating and all is way, way better.)
5) the Gravity Challenge. It’s good to have something relatively uncomplicated to do every morning (except Sundays). And what it is I do to fulfill that need is post the readouts of all the Graviteers that (have) sent in their photos. It’s fun and encouraging (to each of us, in a very specific, but different way) and I’m inviting you to join us. Questions can be directed to any of the Graviteers: val, kristi, lisa, may, sarah or joy.
6) Working on Chapter 6 of ‘Home and Heart‘ (a Sister Margaret Ryan novel). Come join in the adventure. I say, ‘adventure’ in that my approach is ‘seat-of-the-pants’ writing, applied to a serial format. As a result, I don’t know where the story is going, until we get there. Which adds a certain, shared excitement among those of us following the story.
7) The Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers) if for no other reason than, if I know the other person’s predominant worldview, I have sense of how they are experiencing the current situation. By being aware of the perspective of the other person, my range of responses not only increases, it likely includes the one that will produce the reaction I am after.
8) You know whose TToT post are really kinda excellent? Pat’s over at ‘A season and a Time‘ I write often about how I admire those who can write a TToT thats organized and direct and all. Pat does that, but she adds something extra, a sense of narrative; you totally get the feeling of being there. this is cool, as she most often writes of adventures and occurrences in the week prior. Very much glimpse into a life, which, if there is one thing that this virtual world provides better than any other medium, it’s the privilege of being invited, for a brief time, to share the world as another person has experienced it. Plus, she’s on the opposite coast. I totally identify with the Pacific Northwest, myself being on the Atlantic Ocean.
9) (left open for the chance Sunday Odd and/or Profound.)
10) Secret Rule 1.3
* yes, it is my favorite joke that, by definition, I treat myself to, on the occasion when I’m within hearing distance when one of the tree falls to the ground. I always jump up and say, (to no one), “I heard that!”
