I have been so busy trying to get ready to leave for for our Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) National Specialty in Bryan, Texas next week, that I can't seem to get anything done. I make a list every morning of what I need to accomplish that day, but I am constantly distracted…by spotting the beautiful pair of Pronghorn that often appear in the pasture behind my house and going out to watch them moving slowly and gracefully through the golden pasture grass; by watching through the window as the breeze carries away a bucket full of undercoat I brushed out of my three Aussies yesterday, and sends it floating towards my neighbors to the north (oops…I forgot to put a cover on the bucket); by going out to check under the cushion on my patio to see if the little lizard that sleeps there at night has left his cozy spot to do whatever lizards do during the day; by remembering I haven't vacuumed recently, and the dog hair, bits of dead weeds and dust are piling up in the carpet…GOT to dust and vacuum NOW….but wait! I haven't fed the cats and cleaned their litter box yet, and there is filing to do, bills to pay…and there are those packages from Zappos I have to return…got to print out the labels NOW!
Yes…I am a procrastinator. I have been one my whole life. But today, as I stood there dithering, my piano called to me. It said, "Sit down, Toni. Breathe deeply. Play a few of your favorites, and stop worrying about how your arthritic hands and lack of practice won't allow you to play as well as you used to. Just play, and let the music take you away for a while. You can do all the things you HAVE to do later."
So of course, I did. And my piano was right. For almost an hour I forgot everything I had to do, and was just so grateful that I can still play…thankful that I have this precious gift. And even if I never play for anyone again, I can still play for myself and my Aussies Smoky, Bebop and Lula!
But before I get back to tackling my To Do list, I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to write and comment on my new website and blog. I have been kind of "hiding in plain sight" here in Prescott for the past 8 years. Some of you know I have been going through major changes in my life. It has been a time filled with stress and anxiety as I chose a new course and set about making it happen. I have been on a journey that started in a kind of darkness, but has slowly evolved into a place of warmth and light. Many people have helped me along, and I am feeling much stronger and more capable now. And hearing from you, my readers, is part of the lovely light I find myself in now. Thank you SO much!
And today…a very special thanks to a very thoughtful reader…an administrator at Florida Atlantic University…who sent me the most WONDERFUL book! It is called THE COLLECTED WORKS OF BYRD SPILMAN DEWEY. Over 100 years ago Mrs. Dewey moved to "the wilds of Florida" from Kentucky with her husband and a great big mixed breed dog called Bruno. She wrote a novel about Bruno that became a best-seller, and it is included in this collection of her stories, magazine and newspaper articles, which are about the dogs and cats, birds and wildlife that she encountered while she lived there. I wrote a thank you note to the sender, and then realized I had tossed out the envelope it came in and no longer had her address! I hope she reads this, and knows how much I appreciate her thoughtful gesture. After I and my friends here in Prescott finish it, I will send it to my niece and sister who live in the "wilds of Florida" today!
Once again, thank you all for taking the time to visit my new site! It is off to Texas I go with my sister, Louisa and our four Australian Shepherds! I am hoping I'll be able to blog a bit while I am there. So until next time, remember to "Keep a Song of Joy Inside Your Heart!"