Tag: Fort Collins

Local Fires & Patio Solitude

On By Margie.MercIn Retirement7 Comments

Sitting on my patio in the early morning cool, immersed in the smell of smoke from wildfires located nearby, I am enjoying the quiet. Sad to say, the smoke from that fire and another that popped up last week have become part of the fabric of the city. This photo (below) was taken at 10 am on September 4.

Smoke filled sky from Cameron Peak wildfires, Sept 2020 Fort Collins, CO

The intensity of the smoke sometimes makes me want to seek out and wear a mask which reminds me of the other issues in our world right now. With orange-tinted skies, ash falling to the ground and the feeling of early evening when it is only 10am is not the world I want to live in. Of course, 2020 has handed me several items that were never on my agenda before.

This photo (below) was taken at 5:15 pm September 5, 2020. It looks like dusk but the smoke has obscured any light from the sun.

Smoke filled sky from Cameron Peak wildfires, Sept 2020 Fort Collins, CO

I’ve connected with my outdoor patio more this summer than any other before. Maybe because I am home more. Maybe because I want to avoid being around others. Maybe because I have an excuse to pull away and isolate. Maybe because I’ve turned it into a green sanctuary where black-capped chickadees feel welcome. Where hibiscus, spider, ivy and rubber tree plants create a green haven for them and a focal point for me.

This place is inviting, welcoming and in the mornings and late evenings, its’ my sweet spot. In the middle of the day, as temps rise to the high nineties, I stay inside. In the days before Covid-19, I’d visit the library to stay cool and stay engaged. Or maybe I’d volunteer at a local school, go see a movie or meet friends for lunch. Not so much now.

Now it’s me and my yard. Except with all the ash in the air, it’s me and my house.

This photo (below) probably explains itself. Ash-filled skies covered the landscape.

Ash on FedEx box from Cameron Peak wildfires, Sept 2020 Fort Collins, CO

Over the Labor Day weekend, I visited a friend in my old neighborhood. Every time I visit that area, I drive very slowly by my old house. This time, I got out and walked up and down the nearby green belt and looked into my yard. My rose-of-Sharon bush was healthy and happy. The tiny Christmas tree was growing taller. The lilac bush, aspen trees and perennials were all intact. As I was checking out my hard work, one of the homeowners came to the door and we chatted. I told her who I was and was delighted when she gave me a tour of my house and all the changes that were made.

I walked away with the biggest smile that my sweet little house was loved and in good hands. When I travel back to my childhood home, I do the same thing. I slowly drive by and take mental inventory of what still exists. The pump my dad put in the front yard. The rock wall loaded with rose moss and other perennial flowers. The elm tree is long gone due to a blight that wiped out all the trees on the street. The neighborhood is old, ignored and tired. It’s not the neighborhood of my youth.

Home is such an integral part of my health and wellness. Having a clean space that includes some of my identity – color, flowers, plants, smells and artifacts keeps me sane in a world where sanity is in question. Having a small patio and yard gives me a place to go, to tend, to improve and enjoy and I treasure this space in a way that never mattered before.

I am blessed. I know that beyond reason. I can list a million things that I don’t have and don’t want but I can tell you that the things that really matter can’t be purchased – a  positive attitude, friends, good health, laughter, love and a sense of purpose.

Now, let’s put these wildfires out, get some clean air and blue skies again real soon.

Smoke filled sky from Cameron Peak wildfires, Sept 2020 Fort Collins, CO

Here’s to a feeling of happiness and well-being wherever you may be!

Related:

 

 

 

 

Handwriting on the wall

On By Margie.MercIn Education, Retirement6 Comments

Are you happy with your handwriting?

My mom had pretty ugly handwriting (sorry Mom) but my dear friend Joan has beautiful writing. Her written words are like pieces of art.

Writing is something we learn early on or we don’t. My sons print. Cursive was not something they were taught. It was one of the teaching initiatives that came and went back in the day. Another fad the schools went through were ‘open classrooms’ as in classrooms with no walls. Just one big open family. That one was also left in the dust. And another initiative was ‘inventive spelling.’ Sometimes these pedagogical fads are introduced and fade away without making any kind of difference… except what was not taught, for example – cursive.

So, now I wonder how many of you actually use cursive when you write? So many people I know leave notes by printing (or texting  ☹) but rarely correspond using cursive.

Do you like your handwriting?

Write to me - displays my handwriting - retired in Fort Collins, CO
My handwriting – what does it say about my personality?

My handwriting seems to go back and forth between printing and writing. It’s as if I speak a foreign language but keep adding English words as well. When I am focused on writing and take my time, my handwriting is ok. Unlike Joan and Loretta and Barbara and Johnny. Their writing is beautiful. When I am writing a card, I want to get it pretty the first time so I have to slow down and pay attention. Using ‘white-out’ to remove my mistakes on a sympathy card is sort of tacky.

What really amazes me is that my handwriting from high school is the same I have now. Almost everything about me has changed over time and yet, my handwriting is almost the same.

Graphology is the study of handwriting. This science is a way to learn about the personality, character and abilities of the writer. So, that journal writing I did in high school (which is pretty much the same as today) can offer insights into my personality. The way I add spacing to words, whether I add loops to letters, and even how I cross my ‘’T’s’ speaks volumes about me according to graphology.

So, what about the population of people who never learned to write? Can studies be done on them as well? (Please let me know if you have this answer…)

I have a guest book filled with messages from people from across the globe who wrote notes after staying in my Airbnb. They are all unique, expressive and special. What makes me want to go back and explore their notes is the idea that within their words are clues to their hidden selves.

What impresses me is that I can detect whose handwriting is in front of me. I can pick out documents written by my sons, siblings, friends and relatives and get them right almost every time. Looking at a letter written my mom or dad makes me nostalgic for them. The written word it truly a link to our past – for better or worse.Just me... blogging away (example of my handwriting) Retired in Fort Collins, CO

I know this is silly, but during the holidays when cards arrive in the mail for me, I turn them over without looking at the writing or return address. I want to be surprised when I open it. Sort of like opening an unexpected gift for my birthday… I want to be surprised. Yes, I know – goofy, right?

So, now put your fingers to work and WRITE ON below in the comment section and leave some words behind!

What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?

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The holidays are over! Amen!

On By Margie.MercIn Retirement6 Comments

AMEN AND HALLELUJAH! The holidays are over!

Can I be honest here?

I waited for the ‘holidays’ to be over before I put words to paper. The holidays are really hard for me. Unlike many of you surrounded by family and friends, mine were on the ‘please let’s hurry and get these over with’ side.

The most wonderful time of the year … not.

When I was a kid, Christmas was a dream come true. Presents, Christmas music, apple pie, mashed potatoes with turkey, parents, siblings, cousins, and Gramps. Laughter, banter, and good food made for the best memories.

Those days, those gatherings, those sounds are not in my world these days. I just wish I could go to sleep on November 30 and wake up on December 30. And, for a bonus, I get an extra month of my choosing!

HELLO JANUARY!

Hello to more walks and lectures and seminars and movies and get togethers. Living in a college town I have the great opportunity to listen to amazing speakers and attend inspiring events. One biggie on my calendar is MESMERICA 360 FORT COLLINS: A VISUAL MUSIC JOURNEY. My friend bragged about how amazing it was when she saw it in Boulder. Now it’s coming to my town. Just for me!

Hello to more theater. Carole King? Coming to town but it’s pretty pricey. The Book of Morman? I heard it was wonderful. What other good ones are out there?

Hello to more good books and to putting down sub-par ones. Currently I am reading and ADORING a book titled This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. Delightful in a million ways! I only want to sit and read it and yet I know that to read too fast is to finish it… see my dilemma?

Hello to more connecting with my friends. I have some friends who I see only once or twice a year and they live within an hour drive. Shame on both of us for not making the time.

Hello to more road trips. Right about now I either want to go to a cozy warm cabin and snowshoe or to a warm climate and just soak up the sun. Of course, every day I think of new road trips to take. This would be a great time to ‘know’ the right people who have mountain cabins or sunny houses they want to be occupied. I will gladly do that for you. (smile)

Hello to more blogging. And to more interaction with you. Who are you?  Are you snowbirds and gone all winter long in your warm communities? Are you taking classes? Are you knitting or learning to play the guitar? Swimming? Dancing? Painting? Returning to school? I so want to know how you occupy your days.

Here’s to an amazing month of January 2020 and to connection, interaction, harmony and love. Truly,

Marge

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horsetooth Reservoir, Fort Collins, CO

The Delight of Being Retired

On By Margie.MercIn Baby boomer, Retirement4 Comments

I recently read a book titled The Delight of Being Ordinary by Roland Merullo. It was a story about the Pope and the Dali Lama hiding out for a few days in the garb of ordinary people. They wanted to be unseen by others so they could see the world again.

I love the title and when I took a kayak ride (yes, it was glorious) I kept repeating the words over and over. The Delight of Kayaking. The Delight of Hiking. But when I said “The Delight of Being Retired” in my mind, I giggled out loud.

Enjoying my green kayak on Horsetooth Reservoir, Fort Collins, CO

It is a delight to be retired. And to be able to get up and out of the house because you want to, not because you have to be at a job. It’s a delight to make plans and change them at will … just because.

The Delight of Being a Blogger.
The Delight of Being a Writer.
The Delight of Being in my Sixties.
The Delight of Having a June Birthday.
The Delight of Making Pancakes.
The Delight of Growing Tomatoes.
The Delight of Growing Older

As you can only imagine, I’m having a great time with these words.

Horsetooth Reservoir, Fort Collins, CO

This past week I went camping with friends. It was the 5th year in a row that we made the effort, reserved the sites (the previous February), decided on the menu and made it happen. We’ve had rainy afternoons, super-hot days, windy nights and cloudy mornings over the years and they have rolled into a sweet and treasured tradition.

Horsetooth Reservoir, Fort Collins, CO

I moved to this area only six years ago so I feel so lucky to have made friends and created traditions and found a sense of belonging.

The Delight of Camping.
The Delight of Star-Gazing.
The Delight of Morning Walks.
The Delight of Engagement.

Retirement is what you make it. You can overload and over schedule your world or you can enjoy the people and events that make you smile. Now is the time to pick and choose where to go and with whom. I keep asking you to join me and maybe someday you will. In the meantime, I’ll keep sharing my sunrises and moon rises with you. And you will be sharing with me in your own delightful way. Of that I have no doubt!

Your thoughts are always welcome here!

SENDING FATHER’S DAY WISHES TO YOU TODAY!

Resources:

The Delight of Being Ordinary by Roland Merullo
Breathe in the Stars 
Something Wonderful
Day 13 – Out Hiking
Sunset at Low Tide

Day 23 – Make A Difference Day 2015

On By Margie.MercIn Write 31 Days Challenge1 Comment

Today started off really busy. I signed up to volunteer my services on Make A Difference Day. Members of several Fort Collins Rotary clubs gathered together with rakes and gloves and warm clothing to clean up leaves, branches and trash at Catholic Charities. This facility offers food and shelter to homeless men and women in the area.

What happened was little subsets of workers gathered to rake, hold open bags, cut branches, haul trash and as each task was completed, new subsets were created. What I loved most was meeting people in other clubs, spouses, teens and learning more about the members in my club.

Make A Difference Day is celebrating it’s 24th year. It’s the largest national day of community service. In my community it’s Make A Difference Week with volunteer opportunities of all kinds.  Projects included helping landscape a yard, swapping out incandescent lights for LED bulbs, building vertical garden beds for wheel-chair patients, winterizing community gardens, sprucing up the Ecology Center, helping Adult Day Center with window cleaning, landscaping, yard and branch cleanup. Lots and lots of opportunities to work together to help others. It’s a win-win for the agencies, the volunteers and the community.

While we worked the sun came out and we all warmed up. The amount of work was reduced by half due to the amount of workers. Finished by 10:30 am with the whole day ahead of me. What to do? Well, go home and rake leaves of course!

So, that’s all for now. Sleep tight and see you tomorrow!

Margekatherine

Related Posts:

Make a Difference Day  – tweets

Make a Difference Day

Day 11 – Showers of Gold

On By Margie.MercIn Write 31 Days Challenge1 Comment

red aspens
I had a strange bike ride this morning. I rode about 3 miles and then came to a detour on the bike path. I decided to turn around and head west. I rode for about 2 miles and came upon LOTS of people running. It wasn’t a race – just a running club. There must have been over 70 people, young and old. Some were jogging, some walking, some running very hard. They were on the path for another 2 miles. I realized the Universe had a different plan for me.

I hauled my bike off the path and onto the road. Bike riding in my area is easy to do because we have bike lanes everywhere. And riding on a Sunday made it all the easier. I rode until I happened upon a garage sale. There wasn’t anything I wanted to buy but the seller and I talked for about a half hour about family, children, grandchildren, jobs and the area. It was the reason I was detoured twice on my initial route – just so I could end up talking to her.

After I rode away, the wind started to blow and the trees just let loose with their leaves. I got ofSept aspens in Coloradof my bike and let the leaves wash over me. It was a surreal moment – it looked like it was something from a Hallmark movie. The only thing missing was the puppy dog looking on with love.

I eventually got my hour of movement but it was nothing like I had planned. It was a bike ride, detour, detour, conversation, shower and bike ride.

And, it was all so good!

Other great posts to read:

Day 8 – Mindful Walking

On By Margie.MercIn Write 31 Days Challenge1 Comment

SAM_0421Walking on nearby trails is a fun way to get in my daily exercise. I’m able to move fast, enjoy the scenery and avoid traffic. Sometimes I have to avoid bikes and strollers and dogs but that’s ok because sometimes I am on the bike and scooting around the walkers.

Sometimes I enjoy walking alone so I can get my thoughts in order, plan my day or my entire life. Planning my entire life while walking is a bit of a task since I can barely remember what I’m making for dinner tonight. It’s an interesting goal, though.Spring Creek Trail in Fort Collins

I have noticed that sometimes I do forgetful things – like putting the trash out on the curb on a Thursday instead of a Friday and not realizing until noon when none of it is picked up. Or messing up dates on a calendar – agreeing to attend a meeting on a certain day only to realize that day doesn’t jive with the calendar. The same calendar that I looked at to schedule the meeting. Did I mention forgetting? I had to pick up 3 things at the grocery store yesterday and I WROTE THEM DOWN, then left the list at home. I remembered 2 of the things. IMG_6763When I was in the store a nice manager asked me if I found everything I needed. “Well, actually I wrote 3 things on my list but forgot the third one, will you tell me what it was?” That lead to a 5 minute conversation about forgetting, memories and what could the item possibly be…

IMG_6760So, it’s a new blog post which I remembered to write. Hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

Related Posts:

I went walking …
Morning Walk: Snow, Breathe, Smile
Why I take morning walks …
If you need a reason to walk … listen up!

Fort Collins, Colorado neighborhood - house

Day 7 – Walking the Beat

On By Margie.MercIn Write 31 Days Challenge1 Comment

Fort Collins, Colorado neighborhood - house sidewalkWalking new neighborhoods in my city is something I enjoy doing. This neighborhood is a popular one because of the beautiful trees that line the streets, the islands that separate one side from the other (a trolley car used to run down this street and the trolley rails are still in place), and the unique flavor of each and every one of them.Fort Collins, Colorado neighborhood - house

This neighborhood, like many others that have been around for a while do not really have a view. The trees have grown tall and offered shade and in return, blocked the view of the mountains. Luckily, each house can look out their window and see another lovely house. That’s not the case in some neighborhoods where your view is of broken cars, unkempt lawns or just plain neglect. These Fort Collins houses are lovely.

 

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November mixup

On By Margie.MercIn No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge3 Comments

horsetooth res3For me, November is about mixing things up. It’s about the road less traveled, discovering new trails, meeting new people, joining, moving, painting, and connecting. I am doing all of the above.

One of the items on my November list was to hike a new trail. I did that this week and it was stunning. The air was crisp, cool and clean. The sky was the bluest of blues. The clouds added dimension and character to the photos. Lunch was consumed on a rock. It was delightful.

marge on rock
Enjoying lunch, looking at Horsetooth Reservoir in Lory State Park., Fort Collins, CO

On my list for next week is to paint the bathroom. This one is more work and one I’m not thrilled to do. And there are several steps involved so I just need to take them one at a time. I know you’re on the edge of your seat so I will keep you informed as I move along.

I am busy reading 4 books which is the kind of goal I aim for (not painting the bathroom). And I am in the process of raking my leaves and cleaning my garden. It’s work but it feels good when it’s done.

Infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen… yourself, right now, right down here on Earth. –Bradley Whitford

What are you doing to make grace happen?

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Hail to Spring!

On By Margie.MercIn Write 31 Days Challenge3 Comments

I finally took the snow tires off my car yesterday because I was certain we were finished with winter weather. And then, the most aggressive hail storm hit the area – at least it hit my area and turned everything white.

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The baby leaves were torn off trees, flowers were knocked down, and sewers were clogged with the vast amount that fell.

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The green lawn was sprinkled with white balls giving it a texture and turning it into a canvas with unlimited possibilities.

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There were no high winds or tornadoes in the area unlike those in Platteville (Colorado) but it was quite a shocker to see the sky open up and sprinkle dime/nickel sized hail on us.

Then, Mother Nature decided to move on, turn the sun back on and take the hail storm to Kansas.

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