Rediscovering the Broom

A while back I was cleaning house at the B&B only to discover that I was out of vacuum cleaner bags. Now, this is a problem because the vacuum is ancient and bags can only be purchased on the Internet.

As I kicked the vacuum cleaner  into the closet, I happened to notice a broom and dustpan leaning against the back wall. Childhood memories rushed back to me...days when my mother actually swept the floor. Humm. It was an unpreposing broom, just the simple kind made with broomstraw and the dustpan was one of those copper colored things with dents and odd stains.

So just for laughs, I decided to see if the old broom had what it takes to clean up as well as the vacuum. And, much to my surprise it did and a whole lot more to boot.  First, I found that it was easy to use...much easier than wrestling the vacuum cleaner around and fighting with the cord and bumping into walls.  The broom was 100% portable and did just what I wanted it to do instead of having a mind of it's own.  Plus, it went places the vacuum cleaner would never reach..under radiators, behind the refrigerator, along the wood mouldings...even along the ceiling.

Than it was light weight..not hard on my back, or arms. It worked fabulously on rugs as I could turn it so that it fluffed up the rug and got out all sorts of crumbs, etc. If there was something stuck to the floor, the broom scratched it off. What an amazing invention.

Last but not least, it was insanely quiet. No whirring, no screeching. It made it's on little rhythmic noise, swish, swish, swish, tap tap. I could hear the radio while I worked. I could hear the phone ring. I could hear the birds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was easy exercise while I worked. And, it didn't make a lot of dust or belch out odd smells or hot air.

So I have gone green with my broom and dust pan. I am saving money on electricity and vacuum bags. I'm not sneezing and my cleaning stress level is down. I actually have time to think and problem solve while I am sweeping with MY BROOM.

Now all I need is one of those dust pans with the long handle so I don't have to bend down to scoop up the fruits of my labor!

I'm Positive..Maybe

Negativity is all around..It is coming at us from every direction. Bad things are happening. Extraordinarily bad things are happening.
Really?
Faced with all this input of dire predictions and bad news, I see two options:
A. Run around waving my hands over my head, shrieking in panic
B. Finding some logical way to cope with what may or may not be real.

As humans, we have one huge thing working against us..our brains, our imaginative brains, where we can conjure up huge anxieties, misunderstandings, dire anticipations and all sorts of creepy crawly scary scenarios.  Why do we do this to ourselves?  Is this some cruel joke of nature to give us this brain which can create works of art and brilliance as well as anger and misunderstanding?  OK..relax, I'm not going all philosophical.

I do think though, that we should give ourselves a break and try to calm down and realize that most of the information we get, we filter through our less than perfect brain and it never occurs to us that we can chose to see good as well as bad. Admittedly, being scared gives an adrenalin rush, but being happy and positive gives  a much better endorphine party.

The weather is hot...crops and animals are dying and people are really suffering. This is a truth. But it is also a fact of life on this planet that can be dealt with and overcome. It is not a signal of the end of the world...it probably is a signal of global warming...also something that can be dealt with. It is difficult and uncomfortable and economically troubling...but again, it is survivable and can or might just end up in the long run, being a benefit if we chose to learn from it and cope.

Look at your dog, cat, goat, whatever. He lives in the moment. He doesn't torture himself with "what ifs". His only anxiety surfaces when he realizes he is on his way to the vet's office and that even disappears if another dog is there. Animals don't get up in the morning and say,"oh gosh, I hope I don't have a stroke and die today", or "It looks like it's going to rain today and my hair will be ruined and all that money I spent on a great haircut will be wasted and everyone will look at me and laugh at me and think I am ugly and then I won't get the job I need and I will STARVE AND DIE and no one will care or come to my funeral and my greedy relative will steal the inheritance that I wanted to save for my son, if I ever got married, which I never will because I'm ugly and no guy will ever want to marry me".

See what I mean here?

The world and life have always been tough. Really tough. There are no guarantees of happiness, wealth, success, long life, steady job, a roof over your head, the love of your life, fair weather everyday. Life isn't fair to anyone. It is full of crazies, war, nasty relatives, unfaithful friends and lovers, rain, wind snow, accidents and generally things that are nonsensical and unreasonable.

So experts tell us to destress and give all manner of destressing suggestions..few of which really work well if you are stressed, but instead intensify the stress because you feel guilty that you are unable to destress.  Instead, next time you find yourself holding your breath while watching FOX or any nightly news, or hear someone telling you the latest horrible news over your first cup of coffee, take a deep breath and ask yourself - is what you are hearing REAL or is it entertainment, is it something that you can do anything about or change in any way? If not, let it go. Just let it go. Then go and do something positive for someone or something else. Give your dog a pat, or a treat. Call your mom and listen patiently while she tells you it is the end of the world and then comfort her. Bake some cookies to take to work and just hand out for the heck of it. Do something creative...doodle, sing, cook. Extend yourself out into the world instead of retreating from the scary stuff. This doesn't require any bravery, just calmness when everyone else is panicking. 

Pretty soon you'll find out that all the scary stuff really is quite manageable. That being focused and calm gives you an incredible amount of strength and resilience to cope with all the gritty things in life.

Mr. Franklin's Journey

Mr. Franklin is driving me crazy.

No,not Ben Franklin....Mr. Franklin, the goat, our goat. One of our seven Pygoras.

Mr. Franklin has been having "issues" since January.

On New Year's Day, I went out to feed the gang and Frank was limping slightly on his right rear leg. OK..I'll watch it for a couple of days and see how he does.

Next day, no problem.

The day after...BIG problem. Frank could hardly walk.. Indeed he wobbles and yet his appetite is good. He can stand and lie down, but his hind end is "disconnected". He stands hunched up with his head pressed against the shed wall. He is miserable as am I.

Then begins the mysterious journey that all goat owners take at one time or other. It starts with eliminating all the possible causes...disease, no(although Ed suspects Lyme disease), poisoning, probably not, moldy hay or food reaction, not likely or he would be dead, injury, probably. Feel for broken bones, look for injured foot, no no. Then a dive into the goat owner's bag of tricks...probiotics,nutrition supplement, aspirin, electrolytes, benamine and watchful, watchful waiting. A kiss on the nose for Mr. Franklin at night, presuming he would not be with us the next morning...a kiss on the nose for Mr. Franklin in morning to celebrate his survival.

He has stopped coming to breakfast with the other goats and shuns all grain...but will eat a pretzel and apple and orange peels and hay.

Thus it continues..one day good, one day bad and Mr. Franklin looks so unhappy and he is losing weight because the other goats intimidate him and he is in pain, obviously and does not want to do anything but stick close to the hay bin.

April..shearing time and vet visit. Goody, the Vet will answer this mystery. Blood samples taken and the Vet pokes and peeks and says hmmmmmm. Blood tests come back...Frank is healthy. Hmmmmmm. And still he limps along. I am thinking dislocated hip at some point, from a fall or from being snagged by another's horns. Or maybe back injury.

Twice I have picked up the phone to call the Vet to euthanize Frank...only to see him rise up and take a brief stroll.

And then two days ago, Mr. Franklin trotted up to his breakfast bowl and waited expectantly for me to hand out some grain and sunflower seeds, just as if nothing ever happened. He was bright eyed and happy...a little unsteady on the fast turns, but he actually even joined the herd for a meadow snack excursion and cantered home with them! He is healed??!!!

Not! Yesterday he was immobilized again and had to spend the day "in bed". His buddy, Tillie spent the day with him and she nuzzled him now and then.

Today, he is up and walking, but limping and moving slowly. He was interested in breakfast, but had to have it brought to him and he is spending more time lying down than up and moving.

Did I mention that Mr. Franklin was driving me crazy?