Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

Depression is not necessarily a bad thing.  Depression and despair are companions.  It simply may be telling you it is time to reexamine your value system.  What else is there to life?  Maybe I need to make some changes in my life.  This process does not occur without some pain.  Psychic pain translated in depression (and despair) is trying to get your attention.  There is no easy way out.  It has to be worked through.  Your depression is not the “enemy.”  Everything God has created is there for a reason.  Now is the time to evaluate how you spend your time.  This is a transition period so learn from it.  Depression is not necessarily a bad thing.  Your mind and body are connected.  Listen to what it is telling you.  Life is a journey.  There is an endpoint.  And that is not a bad thing.  It lends urgency to your life.  And there will always be loose ends.  You just want to minimize them so listen to your mind and body.  Everything is connected.

Tags: created, depression, depression not the enemy, despair, endpoint, everything is connected, God, learn from it, life, life is a journey, listen, loose ends, make changes, mind and body connected, no easy way out, psychic pain, reexamine your value system, spend your time, transition period, worked through
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All I can do is just give it away.  It is my gift to you.  It is all I have.  Sometimes people I know read it.  Often it is strangers.  It is my gift.  My time.  I don’t know what else to do but give it away and hope someone out there benefits from it.  Life is full of treasures.  I only sample a few.  And share a few.  As I said, it is my gift to you.  Whoever, stumbles upon it.  It is all I have so enjoy it.  Mull it over if that is your pleasure or spit it out.  It comes from my core.  It is what I am.  And I don’t apologize.  It is me.  Maybe you will meet me halfway.  Maybe, not.  It is all I have.

Tags: blog, give it away, God, life, my gift, read, share, strangers, time, treasures, writing
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Every time I glance out the front window I await the entrance of the first hummingbird.  I just put out nectar the other day for it.  In the past, the first one of the season came by the end of April so I know it could come any day now.

Yesterday (or the day before) I saw three cottontails munching on the grass viewed from the back window.  I never saw three at one time so I was thrilled.  Now every time I look out into the backyard I am looking for those three bunnies.

Nature has a way of surprising you:  when you least expect it, there it is another surprise.  It may be a northern mockingbird (you have never seen before in the yard) or some totally other different sight like the large orange salamander that we spotted twice.  Somewhere in back near the creek lives a large box turtle.  You never know and all you can do is live and view life with an expectant attitude.

Tags: April, bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, box turtle, bunnies, cottontails, creek, expectant attitude, front window, grass, hummingbird, life, nature, nectar, northern mockingbird, orange salamander, rabbits, seasons, spring, surprise
Posted in animals, beauty, birds, knowledge&learning, life, local, nature, seasons, time, wisdom | No Comments »

Today I will greet with a spirit of gratitude.  It is so easy to be ungrateful.  To look at your life and see many things that are lacking.  I will change the focus of it and thank the Almighty for all his gifts.  He has given me so much.  And I have to thank Him for so much:  Every breath I possess is His.  All the material wealth I possess is, also, His.  It is only mine temporarily.  It is only on loan.  As well as the people He puts in my life.  All on loan.  As well as my wife and direct relatives–my two sisters and cousins.  All on loan.  I have to thank God for all of it.  As well as my friends.  I will thank God for all of it and continue to greet this day with a spirit of gratitude.  It is all His.

Tags: Almighty, cousin, cousins, everything is His, friends, God, life, my wife, on loan, relatives, sisters, spirit of gratitude, thank God, thank the Almighty, ungrateful, wealth
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It was a small discovery but it gave me some joy:  my rubber tree in the office started sprouting new leaves.  It responded to my giving it more water.  It is a warm room and I was tickled pink to see the new growth.  Each day now I check it and can see the discernible growth.  Life is composed of many small pleasures.  This was just one.

Tags: joy, life, new growth, new leaves, office, plants, rubber tree, small discovery, small pleasures, watering plants
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When you die, someone has to pick up some of the threads you left behind. It may be a project you started, a committee you are on, some ideas you have. It may be whatever.

How boring it would be if you did everything you wanted to do in your life. There would be no reason to continue.

Someone is always taking some one’s ideas and taking it a little further in this direction or that. We always leave this earth with unfinished business. And the time we have here is a gift.

Tags: God, leave this earth, life, time is a gift, unfinished business, when you die
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The Maker awaits us all.  Why do we act so surprised when He comes a knocking.  Yes, my kidney function is declining but we are all going to go.  Sometimes it comes suddenly and sometimes we have some time to think about it.

Life is indeed very precious.  And we can’t always choose our time.  In fact we never know for sure.  All we can do is wring every bit of life out of every day, every hour, minute given to us.  And praise the Lord in the process.  That is all we can do.  Praise The Lord for every minute, every day afforded to us.

Tags: can't choose our time, death, God, life, life is very precious, praise the Lord, the Maker
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The red Gerbera daisy was completely unfurled in the pot situated on the corner of our driveway.  I thanked God for it.  And enjoyed its beauty.  It was the first one we ever had who kept shooting out new flowers and did not die after I bought it home.  I have no explanation for the new flowers.  I wish I was that wise but I appreciated the new flowers it kept growing.  Life is composed of many simple pleasures and this was one.

Tags: enjoyed its beauty, flowers, Gerbera Daisy, life, red daisy, simple pleasures, thanked God
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Life is full of the tedious but get past it.  Get past the mundane and other worlds you barely imagined will appear.  It is always a waiting game.  A game that entails patience.  Door after door will open but first you need to open them–one by one.  Do not be afraid.  Each new day is a challenge and each day is an eternity waiting to be opened and plucked by you.  The universe is always there just beyond so work through the mundane.  It is always a waiting game.  Watch for your opportunities.  And be patient.  Another universe is always in front of you.  Patience is always the key.  Pounce on the opportunities presented to you.  Reality is like an onion to be peeled away layer by layer.  And there is always another layer even when you believe you have peeled and exposed the last, final one.  Never give up.  And always take care of yourself.  There are no end of worlds to explore but first you have to extend yourself, go beyond the ordinary, go further until there is no more to be seen, felt.  And another door will open.  And another.  The doors are endless but you have to get beyond the ordinary, the usual, the bland.  Only then will you be surprised.

Tags: bland, challenge, do not be afraid, doors will open, each day is an eternity, extend yourself, get past the mundane, get past the tedious, go beyond the ordinary, God, life, never give up, new day, other worlds appear, patience, peel away layers, pounce on opportunities, reality is like an onion, surprise, take care of yourself, the universe, waiting game, worlds to explore
Posted in art, balance, beauty, God, knowledge&learning, life, time, wisdom, your job/mission/profession | 2 Comments »

All I wanted to do was watch the birds and listen to music with the volume pumped up but not unbearably so.  My wife would be gone several hours.  I had just come back from shopping.

I had a dinner planned–a new recipe-macaroni and broccoli but I would not have to start it for several hours.  I was tickled pink to see a house sparrow briefly.  I had not seen one in awhile.

The snow birds (slate-covered juncos) were feeding on the ground around our large white pine tree in flocks.  I glanced out the back window:  the bare patches were getting bigger.  It was in the forties.

It felt great to be alive.  I just wanted to be, sit back, stand it does not matter.  It was my time.  I was listening to a fine anthology I put together by the Hollies.  It was much played over the years which is a good sign I did my job of mixing the tunes well.

Another anthology by Steeleye Span (an old British folk-rock band) was next.  I do not play that tape too often but I still like it.  And an old (all my music is old) Thin Lizzy album “Jailbreak” was next.

I had no concerns and will rest a little better when my wife get back from her appointments.  Meanwhile I will occasionally glance out my large living room window and see what birds come along.  Maybe even smoke a stogy while life passes me by.

Tags: "Jailbreak", bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, British folk-rock band, felt great to be alive, house sparrow, life, listen to music, music, music anthology, my time, my wife, record album, slate covered juncos, smoke a stogy, snow birds, Steeleye Span, the Hollies, Thin Lizzy, white pine tree
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I never waited for any future magical moment to be happy. When I had less money I still enjoyed myself–even when I did not have enough.

Although I dreamed of a normal existence–more normal that is (an existence like one day being married and have a family, children), I still did not bemoan my fate.

And it did happen. And when it did, the period was no utopia: other problems presented themselves and had to be solved. And not all of them had a solution.

Each period of my life when I had less and when I had more I still was determined to find joy in life.

I did not keep postponing my life even when there were dreams not fulfilled. Every moment I had some joy (and sometimes sorrow) in it.

And the remainder of my life I do not dread. Death will be another joy, mystery. After all, it is another part of living. And every part is to be enjoyed.

Tags: children, death another joy, death another mystery, did not keep postponing my life, dreams, enjoy life, enjoyed myself, find joy in life, happiness, joy and sorrow, life, living, marriage, problems
Posted in beauty, children, death, God, health, knowledge&learning, life, love, marriage, mental health, money, relationships, seasons, time, wisdom | No Comments »

Spring was less than five weeks away.  I started my countdown.  It was close enough to it.  I do this every year.  It is a little game I play.  I am waiting for the warmer weather.  The spring.  The blackberries and raspberries I pick.  My annual camping trip I take in May with my buddy.  The explosion of life.  The first flowers — daffodils.  Everything.  Every year I have a countdown.  The winter that passes me and I endure just makes spring that much sweeter.  Right now there is quite a bit of snow on the ground.  I know in less than six weeks it will be all gone and the daily temperatures will gradually rise.  My countdown is my anticipation of spring and what follows.

Tags: annual countdown to Spring, anticipate Spring, beauty, blackberries, camping trip, daffodils, daily temperatures, explosion of life in spring, flowers, life, May, my buddy, nature, raspberries, seasons, snow, snow on the ground, spring, warm weather, winter
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