I dream. I dream a lot. I dream while sleeping like most, but my favorite dreams are the ones I have while wide awake! Might I share a few?
I dream of a farmhouse surrounded by horses, goats, cats, dogs and a head of cattle or two. I dream of writing books on topics I’ve held close for many years. I dream of being a grandmother and continuing to make sweet memories with my husband, children, extended family and friends. I dream of helping others. I dream of tutoring students and advocating for them and the teachers that pour into them daily.
I dream of my side hustle “taking off” so I can contribute even more to our retirement budget. I dream of days loving on special needs adults in the Full Circle Program (YMCA) I dream of loving pre-schoolers as I begin to substitute wee little ones, while reuniting with friends and students when occasionally doing the same at my former school.
Clearly, these dreams float through my thoughts with ease and a smile…
I dream of my children finding their partners in life, working within their passions, and healthfully loving life on the good days and surviving the days that challenge us to the core.
I dream of holding the hands of my foster grand children as they bloom and journey this life-hugging and loving on their parents (my foster son and his wife) as they flourish, live, love and grow in parenthood and relationship with one another, family and friends.
I dream of traveling to places near and far. Mountains, beaches, forests, plains, desserts, and oceans unknown–ancient and historic lands, grand cities and small towns. I dream of fields speckled with wildflowers where horses gallop and play and savannas where the wild beasts roam. I dream of dancing and enjoying music until my legs are no longer strong enough to hold me and aged ears struggle to hear the notes.
I dream of lives untouched by cancer and war, and countries led with love, integrity and acceptance where every child is cherished and educated, lifted up and encouraged.
I dream of gardens, fields of green and growing old; my hair white with braids and face lined with wrinkles that tell a story. I dream of slow-paced mornings and lazy evening sunsets while holding the hands and hearts of my husband, children, family, and friends. Thank you God, for the freedom and hope of a dream.
This Saturday brings peace, reflection, chores, yard-work, an enneagram lesson, learning more about blog analytics, adding items to my link-tree shop, birdwatching, listening to new music, looking for our future home, college football, reading, solitaire mahjong—my brain is always listing but yet, here I sit in my real bungalow blogging while some of those things happen simultaneously with blogging the housework chores have not been touched. Lets go inside my adult ADD brain for a snippet.
My real bungalow, also known as a deck, ha! My best friend named it back in 2022. She needs a good bath but I’m waiting for cooler days. Thank you Natural Life for transforming an old piece of outdoor furniture and making it one of my favorites! https://www.naturallife.com
Reflection…I got scammed. DO NOT BUY ANY JEWELRY from the website Charlotte and Grace. Its lovely but i’ve spent hours trying filing a claim with my bank, sending emails to the hackers, and learning exactly what to look for now that AI can make a website look very legit and lovely. Be careful out there, ya’ll. Like social media, I share a love/hate relationship with AI. Both can be used for good and evil and the new knowledge that AI hurts the environment causes me pause and very limited use.
Peace…the birds and chipmunks that have made my bungalow their part-time home flood healthy endorphins to my body and soul on this day of a comfortable or tolerable temperature. While an oscillating fan provides a breeze in the shade of my covered deck, I type, listen to nature, have my 70’s music in the background and breath it all in.
Such simple treats…coffee and mornings.
Chores, not a one yet. The first will be the never ending task of laundry, putting a few stacks of stuff into their correct place (home, recycle, give away) and hopefully a few floors will get mopped. But for now, I sit and write.
A few of my favorite things. Look at my beautiful momma up there by my first year at Roo.
Yard work is on hold until we get a little cloud cover and cooler temps this afternoon. I love to mow and play with my flowers and garden beds, but NOT in this temperature. Mowing will have to wait until early evening, with a hat and less sun; I’m protecting a small cancer removal wound on my upper lip, number four in four years! Please, PLEASE wear hour sunscreen. My dermatologist says all four of my cancers came from sun damage in my teens, twenties and thirties. What were we thinking?
Surrounded by favorites in my BUNGALOW…where my heart plays and rests.
The enneagram you ask? I will it a whole post down the road; it deserves it. If you know of it I am a full-fledged 2; a poster child for a #2…the beautiful, the ugly and every characteristic in between, I have them. I’m “the helper.” I’ve spent the last several months studying it a bit deeper with lifelong friends. We’ve learned so much about ourselves and each other. Thank you to my lifelong friend, Deb, for guiding our thoughts, challenging us, answering our questions and helping us evolve to the best version of ourselves.
Most of the blog analytics challenge my non-mathematical side but I do understand data and statistics a bit better having analyzed years and years of of students’ and class data. Right now it looks like folks are staying on my blog an average of about a minute—and I have had someone click in from Zimbabwe and several other countries. Who knew?
The birdwatching, music listening and house hunting are ongoing as I sit in the bungalow either blogging, cleaning, planting, reading, praying, or practicing mindfulness. Yes, my attention deficit is alive and well at 61 years of age. It was on the growing list of reasons it was time for me to retire after 37 years of teaching. It was getting hard for me to keep up with all I needed to remember at any given moment on any given day. I never stopped teaching like I was 23, 33, 43…but my body starting whispering, then eventually shouting…its time. I didn’t know how to slow my pace in the classroom and allow my older self to teach. I wanted to leave as strong, confident, fun, engaging and effective as I’d always been or close to it. Again, that deserves a space of its own here; entirely too much for this post.
My raised garden box. Mint, flowers, basil…ahh. It was a gift from my hubs but can be found in my link-tree shop linked on the homepage of my blog.Can you stand the cuteness?
Football made today’s list because its the opening day of pre-season college ball and when I tell you my husband is at this happiest with his family and watching college ball just know it is true. It brings such happiness to me to see how he lights up during football season. He loves to watch it, analyze it, talk about it, shout at the tv, tell me about plays. In the early days of our marriage it caused a problem here and there, but as we’ve aged, its sweet and something that brings enjoyment beyond compare. He always says he’s a simple man, and he is. Just give him a Saturday of ball with the TV to himself or me sharing space as we watch the Vols or another high-stakes game. Life is good.
Reading one of my several books will happen after I mow, as it cools into the night and stars begin to shine and solitaire Mahjong…don’t get me started. It’s my new addiction, Mahjong; I even play alone when not playing with friends. I’ll get at least two practice hands in before this head hits the pillow.
Off to mow and plant a zinnia. It’s the simple things.
A practice hand. Look like a foreign language? It did to me too; but if I can learn it, you can too.
Last Sunday upon returning from worship, I adorned one of my momma’s dusters, took to the couch, felt sad all day and into the evening, and didn’t change out of my Mama’s pj’s until sometime Monday afternoon. It was a depressed and melancholy start to the week, indeed.
Fast forward to yesterday, one week later, things looked very different. I went to church, updated my calendars, signed up for a 5 week Mahjongg league, looked into part time jobs, gave my self tik-tok lessons, watched two episodes of Love is Blind with my daughter, harvested some lavender, and worked in my garden until after dark.
With sweat running down my back and brow,I ended my night of humid gardening cooling in my daughter’s SUNTAN TUB, still filled with water from earlier in the day.
It felt good to be productive, energetic, excited and looking forward to the future. There are still so many unknowns, but I know great things await. God has a plan for me and we’ll figure itnout together.
Peace and many blessings,
Becky
PS.Suntan TUB can be found below and in my link tree on the homepage and in my instagram, FB, and Tik-Tok bio.
beckroda1964 
