In Which I Play Well With Others & Create A List Of What I Learned Last Month

July 2, 2013July 2, 2013 / Ally Bean / 27 Comments

Relyn at Come Sit by My Fire is doing this:

“On the last day of each month I plan to post a list of things I learned paired [with] my own favorite photo from that month…. I hope you’ll play along.”

I’ve decided to play along this month. Here’s my What I Learned In June list.

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• Hanging pictures is my kryptonite. I use the 60″ rule as a guideline, but it doesn’t always hold true when working with an eclectic collection of art. I love having artwork on the walls, but admit that the process of getting it there makes me cross-eyed and anxious.

• Being stuck inside because of wet Summer weather is every bit as annoying as being stuck inside because of wet Spring weather. You’d think that just because it was Summer, it’d be better; but it’s not. Stuck is stuck. And I’m tired of it. Where are my weeks of sunshine?

• 52 Acts is a project based on the idea that: “one small act of kindness can change a life forever.” Cheri at Naples Girl Blog sent me a 52 Acts bracelet + booklet. Cool, huh? Now that I know about 52 Acts, I’m happy to be a part of it. Thanks, Cheri.

• When putting a casserole dish with a Pyrex glass lid on top of it into the microwave, it is easy to knock the lid off the casserole dish causing the lid to bounce off the granite counter and onto the kitchen floor. This creates a five foot radius of broken glass and shards, leading me to ponder the wisdom of cooking in bare feet.

• Planning a vacation seems like a good idea until you actually begin to price it. Then visiting the local zoo, followed by an afternoon at a German brew house, suddenly sounds like a grand idea. An adventure. Something with the exotic elements of a vacation, but without the inconvenience and cost.

Christmas In June

June 25, 2013June 25, 2013 / Ally Bean / 28 Comments

Years ago I met an Australian woman whose husband’s company had transferred them to the U.S.A. for one year. It wasn’t until after she got talking about how much she had disliked experiencing Christmas in the wintertime here, that I got thinking about how people in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate Christmas. For them, Christmas is a summertime, outdoorsy holiday.

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I think of this woman every June 25th– and pause in her honor to reflect upon how much more I, too, would enjoy Christmas if today’s weather was our typical Christmas Day.

~ ~ • ~ ~

Sunny skies. Warm temperatures. Colorful flowers. Green grass. Games on the lawn. Easy outside living.

~ ~ • ~ ~

So today, just for the heck of it, I have decided to put this red poinsettia* in the middle of the dining table on the deck. Sure, the calendar may not say that it is Christmas Day, but I think that I’m going to go ahead and pretend that it is. Care to join me?

“Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la”

~ ~ • ~ ~

* Yes, this is the same poinsettia, previously featured here & here & here, that I’ve had growing inside the house since November of 2011. Best. Christmas decoration. Ever.

So What Ticked Me Off Yesterday?

June 20, 2013June 20, 2013 / Ally Bean / 19 Comments

I am a kind person so most of the time I overlook bad manners + rude behavior. But not every time.

There are limits. There are moments.

# # #

People occasionally misinterpret my mellow attitude, thinking that I’ll put up with anything. That they can continue to misbehave + to complain ad nauseam.

This surprises me. Every lousy time.

# # #

However, if someone continues to behave in a way that I deem inappropriate + selfish, I will detach myself from said person. Never to help him or her again.

And I will remember.

# # #

So you see, that is what yesterday was all about. Me. Being clear + decisive about my expectations. Me. Drawing a digital line in the sand.

Me. Embracing my own authentic self.

# # #

I’m Beginning To Think That I Like Pink

June 18, 2013February 3, 2015 / Ally Bean / 21 Comments

If you were to ask me if I liked pink, I’d tell you that I did not.

However, the other day when Greg, the landscaper, was here chatting with me about our next big project, he started talking about color. He was taking notes about my vague ideas about what I wanted him to do next in the flower beds out front along the sidewalk leading up to the front door.

• • •

He asked me what colors I wanted to see along there. I told him no pink.

Being the polite sort of man that he is, he merely raised one eyebrow and tilted his head in about five different directions. My eyes followed where he was subtly pointing.

And what did I see? Oh pots & pots of pink flowers and many pink rose bushes. All over the property. Uh huh.

• • •

After I stopped laughing at myself, I looked over at him. He said nothing but held up his pad of paper on which he’d written one word. In very large letters. And the word was: PINK. The color that we’ll be seeing along the front sidewalk.

The color that, apparently, I like.