Herding Cats and Harnessing Distractions
Plus, what I've been up to over the past month.
Wow! Is it the end of June already?
If you’re a regular subscriber, you might remember I’ve been taking a break but promised to be back by the end of the month. So, here I am!
And what a month it has been! My husband and I took a bucket-list trip to Alaska which was nothing short of incredible! God really shows off his handiwork in this vast and beautiful state! I’ve got some stories related to our travels brewing in my head, so stay tuned for those in the weeks to come.
On our trip, we had many wildlife sightings including whales, otters, sea stars (a.k.a. starfish), moose, and more. Then, when we arrived home last Sunday, we had even more wildlife surprises. While we were gone, a hungry forest friend (I’m assuming deer) had feasted on the leaves of many hostas in my garden. 😥 I immediately got out my “Deer Away” spray and started squirting any leaves that remained. I sprayed through the backyard, then to the side beds, and finally around to the front.
It was in the front yard that I got my next surprise. From somewhere between my hostas and pachysandra a little furball scurried out and startled me. Then another! Two kittens ran toward the house and through a hole in the mesh screen under our front porch.
Over the next week, my life was taken over with catching and socializing three stray kittens and attempts to “TNR” (Trap-Neuter-Return) their mama. Did I mention this was the ONE week I had at home in which to squeeze several appointments, a musical my daughter was in, and a visit with my grandbabies, before returning to our Minnesota cabin for my first long summer stay? It was a busy, busy week already, to which I added…herding cats! Literally. 🙀 😹
I hope to share more of the cat story in the future too, but as I’m still settling in at the cabin and taking several deep breaths after the last few weeks of excitement, today I’ll just share a garden story I wrote this spring. It was published last week at TheBanner.org (a publication of the Christian Reformed Church).
Earlier, I mentioned the pachysandra in my garden. For us shade-dwellers, we rely on this rich, lush ground cover to green up our yard. But, it has one major drawback. Like many things in life, if I don’t keep it in check, it can quickly get out of hand.
If, like me, you struggle with habits, distractions, or vices that creep into your life like an invasive species, this story is for you! Here’s a little teaser to get you started…
I sink my blade into the ground and feel the satisfying crunch as I slice the roots. Yanking on the green tops of the pachysandra plants, I mercilessly toss them on the mound that’s forming on the grass nearby. My yearly battle with the invasive species that beautifully covers much of our shady front yard has begun.
Pachysandra and I have a love-hate relationship… (Read more)
Thanks for checking it out! I’ll be back soon with more on Alaska and kittens…stay tuned!
The gardening article was fabulous. I have been learning how to plant seeds of trust in my mind when the worry seeds begin to sprout. It’s a wonderful phenomenon to feel my whole mindset shift. Thank you for what you do!