Smell the Roses

If it isn’t one thing, it’s another keeping me from writing in this journal about life in Tucson, especially intergenerational life. First it was the remodeling of the Bee House that kept me occupied and then it was almost three weeks of visitors. Dinners for eight kept us hopping in the kitchen. Dennis became an accomplished tour guide. Everyone had a good time.

and...

But now we’re back to a less intense time, and I’m ready for some solitude so I can spend time sitting in the shade, watching the garden slowly grow.

Also, I can spend some time with Josephine, our resident lizard. Jo lives in the kitchen light fixture, her features obscured by a frosted panel. All we see is her silhouette.

Having a lizard in your home is said to be good luck. One practical benefit is that the lizard eats insects and spiders. Yum! Maybe more important is the sheer whimsy of having a small, harmless, reclusive reptile sharing our abode.

It’s important to have and nurture social connections, but it’s also important to observe and appreciate the beauty and charm all around us. Just to be in the world, to smell the roses.

Copyright 2017 by Shirley Domer