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What's bugging you?

Here in Florida we experience a twice a year "invasion" of 'love bugs'. The bugs are really here year-round, but their presence is especially noticeable in May and September.

There are numerous ways to remove what's left of them after they collide with your vehicle, but it's almost impossible to avoid them.

When you come upon an especially heavy swarm of the bugs, it sort of looks like a black snow flurry - until the impact. Then you end up with a windshield covered with what's left of them.

If you ever try to clean the mess with windshield wipers, you quickly realize you've got a much bigger problem - instead of the clear view you hoped for, you are now looking through a haze of bug remains. Using washer fluid only compounds the smeared goo streaked across your field of vision. A quick stop at a car wash or gas station may be your only recourse.

How many times do you come across situations and people that bug you? How do you deal with it? Do you try to avoid them, only to find yourself covered in the spatter of a bad experience?

Take some time to see if there's a pattern to the things that bug you. A small change on your part could take the sting out of the things that bug you.

I did what you told me not to do . . .

. . . Can you help me get out of this mess?

How many times have doctors, lawyers, and (especially this time of year) CPAs heard someone say this? How many times have you said this?

What drives someone to pay for advice which is ignored? It's embarrassing (and expensive!) to have to go back to someone for help resolving the issues created by disregarding their advice, yet we continue to carefully listen, and then spurn, the counsel of experts.

We all seem to possess a drive to, at least occasionally, ignore wisdom and merrily skip along a foolish path. It's all fun and games until the consequences of the poor decisions arise.

When you think about it, humans have been ignoring the best way to do things since the Garden of Eden.

While we still have to bear the outcome of our actions, it is comforting to know that God is never surprised by our missteps and is waiting for us to say, "I did what you told me not to do. Can you help me get out of this mess?"

Put down the mouse and step away from the computer

I am stuck - held captive by the doldrums of indecision, the lethargy of apathy, the blue funk of the blahs.

It's not that I'm bored or looking for something to do. To the contrary, I have more "to-dos" than I could possibly finish in several lifetimes. So, I have chosen . . . to do nothing.

Well, not exactly nothing. I'm collecting more and more ideas, information and books, and list after list of possiblities. My favorite place to run away from life is my computer. So, instead of gradually working my way through possible projects, paring down and selecting the top candidates for completion, I'm adding to the stacks of the undone.

Today I've decided (with not a little prompting from a person who shall not be named) that I have to put my foot down and step away from the computer and back into my life. Please excuse me while I pull out the shredder, the trash bin and my to-do list. I'm stepping away from the computer and back into my life.

What would you have done if you were in my shoes?

Several of us went to a fabric dyeing class taught by Mark Sherman last month. We were warned to wear old clothes in case of wayward dye.

This sounded like an opportunity to us, so we bought white tennis shoes in hopes of having shoes to match our t-shirts.

Fabric must be prepped for dyeing, and we had not done that. So, I arrived home with undyed white shoes. What to do?

With Sharpie® in hand, I created a pair of personalized shoes, of course. What would you have done if you were in my shoes?

"Element" of surprise

As I drove to work on the Monday after Easter, much to my dismay, I verified a statistic. In a survey conducted by Progressive Insurance, it was found that "There is a higher likelihood of an accident when you are 1 mile from home vis-à-vis 20 miles from home. Accidents were found to be twice as likely to occur."

This is what my Honda Element looked like before I crossed the intersection:



And this is what it looked like after someone drove east across my southbound lane:





Thanks to a good set of brakes and a vehicle designed to protect me, I was able to walk away from the collision and only have a few bruises and aches as a result. One of the people who witnessed what happened said she was amazed when I got out of my Element. Frankly, I was too.

Unfortunately, the Element did not fare as well. The insurance company declared it a total loss. I will certainly miss my Element. It has seen me through hurricanes, day trips and a multitude of errands. It was always available to carry just about anything anywhere.

It has been two weeks since this happened and I am still navigating the maze of paperwork and phone calls that dealing with insurance companies requires. When everything is finally in place, I know what I'm getting to replace my faithful Element - another one! I can't imagine driving a more versatile, reliable and safe vehicle. "Every piece has its purpose."

In Memory of Bentley

Bentley died in February. I think of him often, especially when I explore our yard. When he was healthy, Bentley would go outside with me and scout out all "points of interest".

I his honor, today I went on a tour of our yard and took photos of the critters Bentley might have discovered.

He loved to hunt lizards. . .



. . and he spent lots of time on the back porch checking out the visitors to our pond.


I found this beautiful black snake . . .



when I walked over to look at this tree because I saw insects flying around it.



Upon closer examination, I discovered it is a honey tree - look at the bees!



And finally, I convinced this butterfly to stop long enough for a photo op.



I thought that was a fitting end to today's exploration since it is Easter Day and the butterfly is a symbol of rebirth and resurrection.

Although it seems far too short, I'm grateful for the time Bentley was in my life and the pleasant memories I have of him.

Goodbye, little buddy. You are missed and fondly remembered.