Having the luxury to spend a full week to wash my windows made this necessary chore actually very pleasant. Removing a build up of dirt and grime always makes me feel better. However, with time to contemplate as I made the glass squeaky clean, I found myself very appreciative of new window construction. Not only are they much better insulated these days, but also the design of having whole sections fold down for cleaning on both sides made my task so much easier. Likewise, as much as I’ve always liked the old fashioned look of windows with lots of small panes, I hated to clean each individual piece of glass. With the mullions now placed between the two sheets of insulated glass, I have the old fashioned look with the modern convenience of easy clean.
In this age when so much of life can evolve into a hassle over the smallest detail, it’s good every once in a while to take inventory of those small, often overlooked, but frequently used items which make living so much easier these days.
•Following my fondness for mullions enclosed in glass comes pre-grated cheese, all flavors. No more scrapped knuckles. I think improved packaging also added to the success of this popular delicacy.
•Likewise, I appreciate the addition of expiration dates on perishable foods.
•And, who can function without Post-It notes these days?
•Routines make daily life easier.
•So does that first cup of piping hot coffee to start the morning.
•However, a break in routine always gives us new perspective.
•I have so enjoyed watching the ebb and flood of the tide. Even in its very predictability, it is never the same. Spring tides and rains or lack of rains make it different daily.
•Those seemingly gentle hummingbirds are very aggressive when it comes to the protection of their territory. The other day, I witnessed three yellow throated hummingbirds body slam one another in an attempt to keep the feeder each to itself. They seemed to ignore the fact that this gift from a dear friend has four feeding stations.
•A mother fox leads her young across our yard from den to hunting ground.
•It’s been a long time since I’ve had the time to be so observant of life around me.
•There’s nothing quite like a cool breeze off the ocean.
•Or ceiling fans.
•Or air conditioning on a sweltering day.
•How about a hot shower at the end of any long day?
•And a good book anytime.
•But it’s not just things that make living better; people add new dimensions to our way of thinking.
•A stranger offers a helping hand at the most opportune time.
•An acquaintance asks for the kind of help we can give.
•A colleague, who not only encourages his students to create super logos on the computer, but also who transfers the class favorite onto shirts for members of an organization to wear, validates the ability to create that lies dormant in all of us, even the very young.
•Of course, friends, expected or unexpected, dropping by can make our day.
•A greeting by mail or phone reminds us that we’re not forgotten.
•Just knowing that someone prays for us brings comfort.
•And that sense of appreciation for those who inspire us to achieve what once seemed impossible makes our hearts glad. It is good to give thanks.
•Washing windows always gives me a clearer view.
(Written during the first summer after I retired from teaching 2002.)
Comments