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

My wife spotted the plant from the bathroom window. I had to go outside to inspect it more closely. She brought it to my attention. The plant lay below the window and had delicate purple bells almost like another flower we had in another part of the yard except the other one was white and these purple flowers shaped in a bell were longer although about the same width. Another surprise that day. Life is full of little surprises and all you have to do is pay attention. How that flower got there I will never know. Serendipity!

Tags: flowers, life, life is full of little surprises, little surprises, my wife, pay attention, plants, serendipity
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The latest addition to my office was a budding cactus.  Today the first yellow bloom opened up entirely and I had to share this discovery with my Other.  It is rare for us to have any flowering cactus.  She has had a Christmas cactus over the kitchen window for years and it has never bloomed.  I considered this flower a gift.  Life is full of unexpected gifts.  You just have to pay attention.

Tags: a small discovery, budding cactus, cactus, Christmas cactus, flowering cactus, flowers, kitchen window, office, pay attention, plants, unexpected gifts, yellow bloom
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My latest discovery in my garden was a white hyacinth was blooming.  I always love their fragrance.  If you do not pay close attention to your garden, you will miss much.  Plants and flowers have their own timetable, so you have to take a quick sweeping glance every day or two.  You might be surprised at the discoveries you make.  You just have to pay closer attention.  There is a lot that is at our fingertips.  What other things do we miss for our attention is directed elsewhere?

Tags: flowers, fragrance, garden, latest discovery, pay attention, plants, white hyacinth
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Others can’t help revealing themselves:  all you have to do to understand this is to eavesdrop on peoples’ conversations.  What is occupying their minds, their present concerns comes out in their speech to other people.

Sometimes if you know the person, what is left out is revealing.  Other times you discover what is really on their minds when you listen.  Of course, some people are closed books and keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves.

Even then, you have some idea how they are doing:  ninety per cent of communication is non-verbal.  You have to look past the words they utter.

For others, you have to sense what they are saying jives with their body language.  In any case, most people can’t help revealing themselves one way or another.  You just have to pay attention.

Tags: body language, closed books, communication, conversations, eavesdrop, feelings, non-verbal, pay attention, reveal themselves, speech, thoughts, words
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“501 Must Visit Natural Wonders Of The World,” is a book I have that has extraordinary accompanying photos on glossy paper.  I think this book was a Christmas present to my wife.  I am sure I bought it in the discount bin of a big book store.

Every once in a while I open it up and view one amazingly beautiful photo after another.  Travelling is not an option for me.  It is not that I would not mind.

If you can’t view the beauty right in front of you, a trip to one of these spots would be a waste of time and money.  I do not feel impoverished.  I am still thrilled every spring when life awakens.

For that matter, winter has its own beauty.  The Susquehanna River viewed from the top of the valley still takes my breath away.  Snowfalls isolate the street I live on and all the trees that are covered with white.  This only happens a few times a year.

I still love watching the birds come to and fro my feeders I view out side our large living room window.  It was not that long ago that the slate covered juncos came back.  I have a friend that calls them ‘snow birds’.

I have no need to go far to see beauty.  You first have to see what is in front of you before you travel at great expense to see the foreign and the exotic.  I will leaf through this book but I will not lust after these places depicted in glossy photographs.

I know there is much to see in my own backyard so I don’t have to go far to see beauty.  I just have to open my eyes and pay closer attention.  Wonders are all around.

Tags: beautiful photo, beauty right in front of you, bird feeding, bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, Christmas present, foreign and exotic places, life awakens, my own backyard, my wife, natural wonders of the world, open my eyes, pay attention, see beauty, see what is in front of you, slate covered juncos, snow birds, snowfalls, spring, Susquehanna River, travelling, trees covered with white, winter, wonders are all around
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Why you should not count the days until…  You miss too much.  You can’t focus on the now.  You can but you have to be very careful you do not lose the moment, what is happening right in front of you.

Your best times are always now so look around, pay attention.  Enjoy your present situation.  It will only come once.  Then it is gone forever.

Don’t be like the ostrich whose neck is buried in the ground.  Soak in the present moment fully.  If you want to visualize a better future fine but don’t miss the present.  You may find out the future you have put off never comes.  So don’t count your days until…

The best time of your life is now.  Thank the Lord for today.  It is all you have.  You have to thank the Almighty for every breath He gives you and not take your days for granted.

Tags: best times, don't count the days, enjoy, every breath, focus on the now, future, God, look around, lose the moment, neck buried in the ground, ostrich, pay attention, right in front of you, take your days for granted, thank the Lord, The Almighty, the present, this moment, today is all you have, your life
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Familiarity breeds discontent.  Sometimes paradise is in your own backyard.  For example I had no idea a large patch of raspberries lay in the furthermost right corner of my yard.  I discovered that accidentally when a surveyor came in because we had to know the exact boundary of our property.

I considered driving twenty minutes to go to a state park to go fishing.  I looked around and realized I only had to drive a few minutes to be at the shore of the River, which usually was deserted.  Paradise is always somewhere else.

I decided to stay put.  I plan on watching the sun go down on the mountains of the nearby Susquehanna River.  I simply will bring my Coleman lantern for light.  I may even build a fire to enjoy the darkness which will descend on the River.

I also considered camping there.  There is even a closer area for me to camp only mere minutes from me–Lake Heron.  Sometimes you have to take a closer look at your surroundings to determine you do not have to go far to find paradise.

Toads of all sizes keep appearing in front of our garage attracted by the night light.  You never know when a box turtle will turn up at our footsteps.  We discovered that another bird built a nest only steps away from our door.  Today I saw a bird alight on it but was not able to identify it for it flew away too quickly.

There is so much beauty in our own backyard.  I simply have to open my eyes to see what is actually in front of me.  I really do not have to go far to land in paradise.  It is here.  Right in front of me all along.  I just have to pay attention.

Tags: backyard, beauty, bird nest, bird-watching, birds, box turtle, camping, Coleman lantern, familiarity breeds discontent, fishing, God, Lake Heron, open my eyes, paradise is in your own backyard, pay attention, raspberries, see what is in front of me, state park, surveyor, Susquehanna River, toads
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Your true inheritance is not your things:  it is the people you have touched in your lifetime.  It is the people who you have influenced who are here after you are gone.  It is your children (if you have been blessed with them), your friends.  Every person you have ever impacted in your life.

It can only happen if you invest time in others, if you are genuine, reached out to those in need.  And there are neighbors always in need in some way.  You just have to pay attention.  That is your true inheritance.

It is not your house, your expensive sound system, your car, your books.  You can not take any possession with you.  In fact, there is nothing you can take with you after you are gone.

The people you have influenced affect others in an ever widening circle.  That is your true inheritance.

Tags: can not take possessions with you, children, friends, God, helping, invest time in others, neighbors, not your things, pay attention, people you have touch, reach out to those in need, your inheritance
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