Communication

Paper Christmas Cards--a dying breed

While working on our annual Christmas letter recently, I started to think about how the way we communicate has changed.  The number of people who send Christmas cards and letters is definitely decreasing. Even though I send out the same number every year, I am receiving fewer and fewer. I think part of this is because people just don't snail mail things much any more, and there's no need for an annual catch up because people keep in touch throughout the year with Facebook and other social media venues. And although there's a lot more to be explored in this area, this is not really what has gotten me thinking recently.

I was dropping off my car at the shop and John (the mechanic) was taking down numbers where we could be reached. As I gave several numbers between Ward and me, depending on the time of the day and who was where, John related this information. He said if his customer is younger, what he has to do is call them, let it ring once, and then hang up. They answer texts or will check who called and maybe call them back. However, rarely do they answer a ringing phone. He said when the customer gets along about 35 or 40 or older, he can talk to them directly first try. I was surprised by this. Granted, I am far behind in the smart device/phone world, but I would have never dreamed that this was common operating procedure. I, of course, use caller ID, but I do expect to answer some calls.

I not sure what all of this means in the grand scheme of the way communication is evolving, but I do know one thing for sure. That yes, indeed, I am well over 35 years old. I will answer a call from my mechanic.

A Second Look--December 9, 2015

Frost now greets me every morning, but no snow yet. Yeah! There will be plenty of time for that in January and February. The landscape is filled with mostly browns and grays with occasional splashes of color from the pansies that are still blooming. That's one reason I like them so much. Here it is December with frequent frosts and they're still blooming.

The squirrels are very active with a lot of scampering about often with a walnut in their mouth. I saw a squirrel burying a nut one day, but when I checked later it was gone. I'm not sure if he decided that wasn't a good spot or someone watching in the wings had a good snack.

Mushrooms and other kinds of fungus popping up here and there. That probably has something to do with the abundant rain we've been having recently.

Here are a few things I saw this week 

during a Second Look.

Wellness Challenges

Last week, I described a wellness program I am participating in at work and how it is motivating me. As part of the program, we can challenge our friends to do something that will contribute to overall well being. Sometimes the challenge lasts a month and sometimes only a week. They don't always last long enough to establish a habit, but they do keep things interesting and bring certain behaviors (or lack thereof) to the forefront. Here are the present challenges, I'm working on if you want to play along.

Smile at least once a day. Extra points if you make someone laugh.
This one is pretty easy, because I hope most of us smile at least once a day. However, I can't mark this one off yet this morning because mornings for me are just not a smile time. I'll smile extra after I get awake.

Use reusable shopping bags.
This one is pretty much a habit for me, but being in the challenge got me to go back out in the cold to the car one day where we had forgotten the bags. Seeing as how I don't like cold, I'm not sure I would have done that without the challenge.

Do ten minutes of stretching and strengthening exercises a day. 
This challenge was from me because I have gotten very lax in this area. Even though, it's only for ten minutes, I'm still having a problem doing this. I need to work this into part of my routine and just not when I remember to do them.

Pay someone a genuine compliment every day.
Fortunately, this is one I don't have to work on.

Stay away from the candy jar at work.
So far, so good. But it's hard because it sits on my desk. I'm the one who originated the candy jar--mostly to have a peppermint for a dry throat or a little sugar pick me up until I could eat. Overtime, everyone has become part of it and as of late, has been bringing in good candy--meaning chocolate. One more day to go on this one and I think I can do it.

For dinner (supper), don't go out or bring in take out.
As you can guess, this is a difficult one for me because we are not a family who likes to spend time in the kitchen.  But I've been working hard on it and we are doing well so far. As everyone knows, the key to this is planning. And except for fresh salad fixings, our meals have all come from ingredients in the freezer, so I do plan sometimes. It's the follow through that's the problem.


Challenges are coming and going all of the time, and I'm going to update them for you time to time if you want to play along.

Thankful Sunday--December 6, 2015

I am thankful for a strong husband 

(with good tools).

Last week, a delivery truck backed into our mailbox and knocked it over. However, Ward was able to dig a new hole with his handy post hole diggers and get our mailbox upright and secure again. I would have been able to do this, but let's just say that I lack upper body strength. So a job that might have taken me most of the day, my husband did lickety-split. And for that, I am thankful.

A Second Look--December 2, 2015

We are into early winter weather with many cold, rainy days, and I have not been encouraged to do a lot of looking around the yard. It's also deer season which has limited my exploration in the woods. Nevertheless, the view from the window has been good. The bird activity has picked up  as well as the deer activity in the upper yard.

Here are a few things I saw this week (and last) during a Second Look.

We recently had a full moon which was bright enough to wake me up at night.

We don't see many bucks in the deer herds that come into our yard, but there was one this day.

Downy woodpecker

I've been seeing some bluebirds over the last couple of weeks. Some of them migrate south and some stay for the winter which I guess these are doing.

This pair of bluebirds have been going in and out of the birdhouse almost like it is spring and they're building a nest. However, they are probably just establishing a roosting place for the winter.

House finch and goldfinch. They are blending pretty well into their background.

The leaves are pretty much down from the trees now except for the oaks which won't lose all of this years leaves until the new spring growth pushes them off.