Morning Ramble

Its been humid here in North Texas, and warm, warm enough that it feels hot and sticky. Slept with the fans on.
This morning the grass was wet with dew, cool on my bare feet. No matter how many times I walk outside barefoot in the early morning I think about the old wisdom of doing that for blood pressure problems. For a time I had high blood pressure so I know many old remedies for the problem. Now my numbers are normal, without the help of anything. Took hard work, changing my eating habits, working out diligently and looking at life spherically, yes I still love that line from the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun".
I watched a male cardinal feed his young one, it was tender. The nest must be near by where they were feeding on the ground but the foliage is thick, too thick for me to spot a nest quickly.
There were some mushrooms growing by the house. I would love to see one of those red with white spots, toadstools sometime in my life. So many things to see in do in the world. Places to visit, places to sit and think about things never thought before. For example, in Israel, sitting on a mountain top I am prompted to think such different thoughts than what I can think here at home, but at home I am prompted to think about so many things that don't come to mind in Israel. When Emery and I hike, we often sit for moments in complete silence, each of us caught up in our own thoughts about the place, the view, the things that may have happened in the area long ago. I believe there is great merit in broadening your horizons. So many people exist in a limited world, by choice. Work, home, shopping, out to eat, then the same thing day after day. Replace shopping with walking sometimes, or go on a drive through the countryside. Replace going out to eat with going on a picnic, blanket, basket, bread, cheese, wine or sparkling apple juice if wine is not your thing. Embrace something out of the ordinary. Stroll through a state park. Breath deeply air that is clean. Sit and look, think. Lounge in the great outdoors. Avoid the cell phone for an hour or so.
Think about who you are, how you are thought of. You are the first impression you give someone else, and what is that impression.
In this world of total busy-ness we spend more time doing than thinking. We spend time existing and not contemplating. We speak quickly without wondering what our own words sound like to another. Myself included in that one.
We rate ourselves pretty high on the scale of self importance, not in the way of being self assured, but in the way of being indulgent. We use terms like, "I NEED this". "I DESERVE this" when what we really mean is " I WANT this".
Walking around in silence, or sitting in silence, just looking around, prompted by what we see, makes us real with ourselves. There is an element of having a reality check in such moments.
When we stop in this fast paced world and take time to be alone with our thoughts we are forced to think about who we are, what will our legacy be, and what is our purpose. We can think about our spiritual walk, whatever it is or isn't. We can question things, look for answers to things. But only when we jump off the fast lane. You can't really think about life when the cell phone rings every 5 minutes, or you are in a room filled with noise and people.
I still don't have a cell phone. Sometimes I borrow one and I like it. Comes in handy. I think they are great, but hate how they rob you of alone time or a meal uninterrupted. Or how they make people in your company feel if you have to answer it every 5 minutes. You see your friends, looking away, waiting once again for your attention.
I resent people talking loudly on them in restaurants while their companions are sitting across from them, looking around, feeling neglected, wondering why they bothered to go out to eat with someone who is spending all that time with another person on the phone.
Everyone who knows me well, knows my computer is a thief of my time. Oh, if I had a lap top, I would not leave home without it and be every bit as obnoxious as a person that is constantly on the cell phone. I would have to sign up for Laptops anonymous.
I love my computer, love it too much. But not so much that it takes me away from my morning walks, or my times of thinking in silence.
This is a 100% ramble this morning. Thoughts pouring out of my brain, being translated into written word by way of the keyboard. Words going some place then no place . A conversation of sorts, one sided for now. Your comments make it a bit of a real conversation. Its time to get breakfast, walk in the practical aspects of life, like laundry, dishes and such.

Our baby duck, a bit dirty but very happy with that

A mushroom, same colors as the duck

A daddy cardinal feeding his young one