The motivation for hot days is to get out early for anything active. Like moving hoses to wet down the lawn before the sun hits it.
Anybody else "old enough" to remember these sprinkler hoses?
Would you believe our local weather topped the century mark (100 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time since 2018, yesterday? We got to 102. Today they are predicting 104! So, here I was, 6:30 a.m. this morning, putting the hose in place, setting a timer for 20 minutes, heading back out and moving it. I'm going to be doing this until the sun moves around the trees and starts hitting the yard.
Why, some of you may ask, since I live in the suburbs, do I not have one of those automatic sprinkler systems? That's a bit of a story, but kind of boring. There is such a system... but it doesn't work. I broke it myself, many years ago, and didn't have the budget to fix it. I was trying to use a cord edger, going to spruce up the joint... and sliced through a control wire for the sprinklers! Since I am capable of setting and moving hoses, and since I am a "good citizen" when they tell us not to water... it just never got up to the top of my priority list! Over the years, more and more neglect has been deployed on it, disconnecting the water supply to it when the furnace was installed, for example. And, of course, it completely demoralized my wanting to try to spruce up the yard!
Don't we all have things of this nature? We put them on a "nice, but not now" list. How many of us have done this with self-care? Uh... not sure I can count all those hands! Have we let one level of neglect pile upon another?
Failing to maintain ourselves, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually leaves us functioning not at our peak, barely limping through life, giving all of ourselves to others... until, like that control wire... one more thing snaps us! After the snap, layers of additional neglect lead us into a deteriorated condition.
So, let that be our reminder to ourselves, as we face the heat of Summer, and the busy-ness of lives... to be of most use to our "mission" we have to first maintain ourselves! There are several elements of this, and we have to keep them all in balance:
- Accept that good nutrition supports us in all these ways, including supporting our immune systems.
- Engage in activity to encourage functional strength and endurance.
- Don't forget that sufficient and high-quality sleep or rest if a huge part of maintaining the human body.
- Stretch the mind and soul, look beyond ourselves, and appreciate things that inspire us.
- Express gratitude, so we don't forget how blessed we truly are!
- Remember to laugh, cry, shout... for having emotions is part of the human experience, and it's OK to have them, happy, sad or inbetween!
- And important for all, but especially the introverted among us: Take time to breathe (don't over-schedule, we all have a current capacity).
If you can't do it all (and who can?), take it in small bits. Do ONE thing to feel better today.
From my 'fridge, placed there during a time of struggle.
Life *is* GOOD, now let's go live it, in this one and only Thursday, June 17th, 2021 we'll ever get. We are worth it!💗😍🙋👍
Life IS good if we now how to view it, and if we keep in mind this is only a temporary home and time is fleeting.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Penny, amen!
DeleteI did see the temps hit triple digits in Nebraska yesterday and thought ... Oh my! Like you, sprinkling down the trees and shrubs that need it. Think it's going to top 80F before we hit 7:30am. Forecast says we're heading for 108F / 109F and it isn't at all unusual for us to actually top the forecasts. It's going to be warm.
DeleteEnjoyed going thru that list of self reminders. And, you know me ... love, love, loved the current capacity reference!
And, yes, Life *is* GOOD ... ~ JEANKNEE
We don't have an automatic system, either. It's good exercise for me to get the hose and sprinkler out. Though, right now, we're in a drought so shouldn't be watering anyhow, so I won't.
ReplyDeleteSelf-care. If we don't take care of ourselves, then we have nothing to offer anyone else! We need to be on our priority list!
You are a good citizen to respect the drought. We aren't in one right now here, but parts of the state are. And I would far rather the Farmers got the irrigation water than the grass!
DeleteHave a great today!
Just saying. Did you know that there is an inexpensive timer you can screw on your hose bib and then attach the hose? You can set it to water by day, time and duration.
ReplyDeleteDD has a condo and a dog. We set one up to water her pee patch on the patio for little buddy’s needs.
When the heat is over 100. I stay inside. I don’t sweat and overheating can get serious. I used to wear a wet tee shirt so I could garden or work outside but I’d still get red in the face.
Whoa... if you don't sweat, can't regulate body temperature, this kind of heat would be VERY dangerous to you. Stay safe.
DeleteNo, I didn't know about the timer for hose watering... I think that would only work if you could leave the hoses in place for the time period up to and including when you had it set for. Since I'm moving the hoses every 20 minutes to half an hour, might not work so well, except perhaps for starting watering before I wanted to get up in the morning, or before I got home from work, or something like that. I'd have to take over to make changes in the configuration.
Still, sounds slick for a condo and a small patch!
That whole "pileup" of neglect upon neglect . . .oh, how I relate to that!! Finally finally finally at a point in my life when I need not rush, when I'm able to take it slow: do what needs to be done in proportion to present capacity and stop before I'm exhausted. A little bit like eating until I'm ALMOST full and not stuffing myself . . . think there's a connection???
ReplyDeleteAstute observation, Ellen (and thanks for identifying yourself via e-mail). Once we actually internalize the whole concept of "enough" in all aspects of our lives, things get more peaceful!
DeleteOops... via Spark page comment... I'm so confused these days with multiple sources and threads... :D
DeleteHaving emotions… trying to feel them and trying REALLY hard to not “eat” them, right now.
ReplyDeleteYou have that right... it's that "feel them, they can't hurt you", and "name them" so you'll know them next time you see them.
DeleteThe trick is in not trying to stuff them down with an excess of food (which is easy for so many of us to do)...
I consider myself a smart woman ... but ya know ... maybe not so much.
ReplyDeleteI have given soooooo much to my loved ones ... isn't that what you are suppose to do ... that I find myself ... depleted. It's like bailing water from inside a sinking ship ... if I stop for a second ... I start to drown.
But it's my own fault.
Sparks is changing ... and I am, too.
I hope those changes are ones to make you aware of the strength within you, and your power to keep on. Let yourself take care of YOU for a while, and you'll be amazed at what comes back!
DeleteI really like the thoughts in this blog - even more than usual.
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping by, and thanks for saying so. Here's hoping we all find ways to "keep on Sparking" even outside of the Spark website!
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