A Good Neighbor

Our neighbor to the east is older and sweet as can be. Her flowers, lawn, and porch decorations are always beautiful and well-kept. Her bushes are trimmed and her trees are pruned. The people who owned our home before us were like her. Unfortunately, yard care hasn't been a high priority for us.

A few days ago, my brother was visiting. We were laughing about the contrasting sides of this bush that straddles the two properties. The bush originated on her property, but has grown through the fence into our backyard. It's usually green, but turns red in fall. I actually prefer a natural-looking, wild bush, but half of it wild just looks silly.

While my brother and I were looking at the bush, our neighbor happened to be outside.

I made introductions then explained, "We were just laughing about the bush. I thought I'd take a picture of it. It looks so funny."

"Oh, you go ahead," she said.

"Does it bother you it looks like this?" I asked.

"Yes, a little bit," she said while she squinted and nodded, but she also smiled. "The man who trims our bushes said he couldn't trim your side without your permission."

 I felt a little bad. She'd never said a word. It had probably been bothering her for years.

"He has my permission, but I guess I should take care of it," I said cheerfully.

"That'd be nice," she said.

I forgive our lack of effort in the yard, but I did feel a little guilty about annoying our sweet neighbor. She's quiet, patient, and tolerant about her grievances. 

It was sprinkling, so I didn't trim the bush right then. The next day, I dragged a ladder out of the garage, grabbed our hand clippers, and went at it. The bush was really easy to trim. There aren't as many branches on our side. I kept it wild below the top of the fence. It took me less than fifteen minutes. I had overestimated the job.

Now the bush is trimmed, the broken stone on top of the brick part of the fence kind of bothers me. If it bothers me a little, it probably bothers my neighbor a lot. She won't say a word. I'll need more tools and time to remove it, but who knows, maybe it'll be an easy job too. I'll do it for my neighbor.

Update:

It was easy! Especially because I asked my husband to help. He found a chisel. I found my pink hammer. He found safety goggles. 

I told him what to do. He did it. We both cleaned up. The whole thing took maybe ten minutes. The top row of bricks came off a little, but we can probably cement them down later.

It looks so much better. 

The final picture:

Something Helped

Transitioning from a fabulous summer to a mellower fall has been a bit of a challenge this year. I miss warmer temperatures, flowers, and sunshine. 

I have managed to get outside at least once a week. I have documented those outings on Instagram. Here's a picture I took last week on a walk at Wheeler Farm that wouldn't fit there. 

I've felt more down and unmotivated than usual. Even so, I've been reading books and listening to talks that have encouraged me to think about plans and goals. Step by step, I've inched toward feeling like I'm making progress again. 

This morning, I remembered a technique that has helped in the past when I've needed to figure out what I want to do. I learned the basic idea a year or more ago from a podcast by Brooke Castillo. I don't remember which one; I listened to hundreds of them, but she repeats the concept a few times.

Castillo suggests writing a list of twenty-five things that you want. You begin with something you want that you already have. For instance, personally, I want to live in a comfortable home. That's something I already have that I want. Then for the next number on the list, you write down something you want that you don't yet have. One of the things I want is to have my front and back yards prepared for winter. You alternate between something you want that you have and something you want that you don't yet have, all the way to twenty-five things. I considered all types of things in my life: social, physical, spiritual, intellectual, experiences, and possessions.

Castillo says this is a way to want things from a place of gratitude and abundance rather than from a mentality of scarcity. I think it's also a helpful way to move away from self pity. I'm mostly content in my life, so sometimes it's hard for me to feel motivated to want more and to do more. Making the list this way helped me see that I can improve on some things I already enjoy.

I can't remember what Castillo says to do next; maybe it's to choose one or two of those things and focus on them. Maybe it's to think of obstacles to those things you want and then figure out solutions. I don't remember her suggestions.

What I did today was take a separate piece of paper and rewrite the things I want that I don't yet have. Then I went through and briefly wrote some basic, general ideas of things I could do to move toward achieving those things. I had no ideas for some of them, but I know they'll come eventually. I will try to remember to look at this list as I plan each day.

Then I took another piece of paper and put today's date at the top. I wrote down specific, simple things I knew I could do today toward achieving some of those goals. I didn't write down exactly when I'd do those things, but I knew I could fit all of them into today if I want. I've already done three of seven things. I'm now working on the fourth: writing something for thirty minutes.

To go from not really wanting to do anything today, but read and eat, to accomplishing several things that will lead toward bigger and better things that I want feels amazing. It's empowering and satisfying. I feel happier. I just thought I'd share.

Now, it's time for lunch and reading! After the break, I'm sure I'll finish the rest of my list.

Red Butte Garden Walk

This is the first of several posts about places I went this past week. 

The other day, I posted some pictures on Instagram. I wanted to post more of Red Butte Garden's Halloween decorations, a couple of bonsai from this weekend's bonsai show, as well as some pictures from the Six Bridges Trail that they recently opened.

I'll start with the bonsai. The show was held in the Visitor Center this year. We were there a day early when they were setting up.

Then in garden planters, I really like the look of the cabbages and how they contrast with the flowers.

The praying mantis was cute.

I love how the jellyfish and seaweed they have hanging by the pond were blowing in the wind.

The tentacle is new for this year. There are many more Halloween decorations throughout the garden.

I was particularly happy they finally opened the Six Bridges Trail. I'm sad they destroyed our favorite secret picnic spot to build it, but glad this expands accessibility and trails in the garden. Here are some pictures:

If you walk all the way to the end of the trail and then climb the stairs, you can follow the more natural trail through the oaks back to the meadow.

We love Red Butte Garden.

Driven to Art

This artwork is by Franz Johansen. It's hanging at the Church History Museum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in downtown Salt Lake City.

I wrote about it and why I felt very driven to see it in person on my Instagram, but I'm going to post more pictures of it here as well as more about the visit.

We went straight to the information desk when we arrived at the museum. I told them, "I'm here to see a work of art. It's called 'The Rod and the Veil.' Do you know where it is?" 

The two little old ladies behind the desk looked at me blankly.

"I can show you a picture of it," I said.

"That would help," said one of them.

So I showed them a picture I'd found when doing an Internet search.

"Oh! That one. It's by the bathrooms here on the ground floor."

We found out it's now called "The Iron Rod." When we asked another worker at the museum, we found out the artist changed the name to fit the theme of an art contest.

I felt it deserved a better spot; but indeed, there it was in a narrow hallway right outside the bathrooms. 

It was a little difficult to take good pictures. People stared as they walked in and out of the restrooms. Some wondered if we were waiting in a line. We received some interesting looks. I imagine they wondered why I was so entranced and taking so many pictures. My husband used my phone to take the one of the young boy's face since I'm a bit short and couldn't even really see it. Here are more pictures:

After the highlight of our visit, we walked around the rest of the museum. The exhibit on Suffrage was interesting. I liked the embroidery on this dress.

And this quote, though my youngest daughter was a little bothered and said, "That implies some women don't think."

Knudsen Park Walk

There's a park and a trail not far from our home. I've lived in this area of Utah for about seventeen years (with a five year break in New York after living in a different house for seven years), but I'd never visited or walked here until Wednesday.

How is that possible? I guess it's easier to revisit all the same, known places.

This bridge is in so many local prom pictures. My youngest daughter was with me on the walk. This bridge brought back memories full of mixed feelings for her. It was a fun walk anyway.
 

Evening Light at Wheeler Farm

My husband, daughter, and I went for a walk at Wheeler Farm last evening. Near the end of our time there, the setting sun lit up some grass fronds. I was magnetized.

As I took pictures from different angles, and got closer and closer, 

I was enchanted by an upside down grasshopper.

Today, I've been thinking about light. Why is it so appealing just before sunset and just after sunrise?

I did a quick search and learned that the color of light changes at different times of the day. The temperature of the light is lower (2800 to 3400 kelvin) at sunrise and sunset. Scientists call it "scattering." I like it.

Wheeler Farm is decorated for fall, including orange lights on one of the bridges and purple and green lights in part of the wild area. Light is wonderful.

Johnson's Canyon Hike

 Our last hike at Snow Canyon was at Johnson's Canyon. This was an easy hike, but it was definitely another favorite. This first picture doesn't really show that the area to the right is much lower than the trail. It looks like when it rains there's a stream down there. I'd love to come back when it's been rainy. I'd love to see waterfalls at Gunlock State Park if they ever come back. The St. George area has a lot to see.

Here's a photo dump from our Johnson's Canyon Hike: