How do you get from the subject of housework to Bald Eagles? I'm going to try.
Last night the housecleaners came to give us an estimate on cleaning our house for the holidays. My goal is always "better homes and gardens", but since we both work full time, and volunteer for church, and have hobbies like knitting and flying, which take up so much time, our goal of a perfectly clean and organized house is not going to happen. Last night, after the husband and wife housecleaning team left, I felt bad. It wasn't the money. I thought their estimate was very fair, and we plan on having them come Saturday and then every other week after that. I had to sit down for awhile and really think about what was making me feel bad. I realized it was that somehow, having to hire them, made me feel as if I had failed in some way.
I know, I know, that's silly, but...that is what I felt. I have realized over the years that it helps when I don't feel right, or I'm unnecessarily worried or just out of sorts, to sit down and really think about what I am feeling. Shut off the TV, turn off the noise of life, and just sit with myself and see what happens.
Something else I realized when I was in my hour of self reflection, was that I am all wound up in doing a good job at work, doing a good job at church, and doing a good job of being the hostess for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was bogged down in the details. I need to get out more!
So, in the next few weeks, I am going to concentrate on getting out into nature and seeing the sights right here in Massachusetts. I would like to take George and Michael on a walk in the Breakheart forest preserve near our home, or to see the ocean birds at Plum Island, or to enjoy the quiet flats of the salt marsh by George's flying field. I need to get out into the bigger picture.
There was an article in the New York Times today about Bald Eagles. The picture above by the way is taken by Stewart Bowman/The Courier-Journal, via Associated Press. I have seen bald eagles in my life. I saw several eagles in Wisconsin, soaring along the banks of the Mississippi River when we used to travel to Minnesota to see relatives for holidays. George and I saw a bald eagle at the cabin up in New Hampshire one year. It was a source of great excitement for everyone who lives up there. In the wild, they are majestic birds, and seeing them is unforgettable. At Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, they take injured bald eagles and nurse then back to health to release again in the wild. I have been there twice, and I give Dolly Parton a lot of credit for making nature conservation a big part of her entertainment empire. I am a huge fan of Dollywood, but that is another story.
So, this holiday season, I'm going to make a special effort to get out more to see what is around me in nature. I may not see a bald eagle, but there are a lot of interesting birds and animals living right here. I just haven't taken the time lately to go look for them.
I felt better immediately when I realized that what I needed was a long walk on the wild side!
