Creative Outlets?
Most times, I just wanna walk out my back door with coffee in hand, grab a plastic lawn chair, and plop myself down in the wooded area occupying the back side of our small country home. We don't actually have that home... yet.
I love the hush of woodland and rocks at night. I breathe deeply when a breeze ruffles the leaves or offers the smell of damp forest floor after a good rain. I embrace woods, rivers, and caves. I've enjoyed them since I was a small child.
Ohio has its fill of temperate forests. Well-defined seasons and a distinct winter characterize our neck of the woods.
Appalachian Ohio is a bioregion and political unit in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio, characterized by the western foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and the Appalachian Plateau. The Appalachian Regional Commission defines the region as consisting of thirty-two counties.
Visiting nature is the best therapy. This is how I renew my spirit. This is how I force my mind to shut the hell up. I capture interesting things with my camera and do my best to not get shot by idiot poachers.
I'm currently regulated to walks with Hershey, and I haven't been able to do that this year.
Gardening is therapy. It allows me to cope with my mental health issues. I plan over the winter and set things in motion in the early spring. I am free to express my creativity in an otherwise "controlled" environment. I enjoy watching the beds bloom, and all the creatures that come to dance with my flowers.
This year it's an empty yard sans any annuals. No pollinating creatures visit for very long. The garden the year before held a rainbow of color. Two years ago, the bed was still maturing:
USB screwed us over. I couldn't do any gardening this year. No
bed exploding with flowers. Empty and weed-filled beds that should have
been covered in tarp and bark by April. I planned to fix the empty beds
at Mom's house in May, once we had moved into our new home. I spent the
spring planning for the new house's flowerbeds and fence. Yet I latched onto every penny - we had to save! We needed funds for the new house!
There's a distant light on the horizon: Autumn approaches.
It isn't crisp outside, currently. Walks, yard work, and breathing are cancelled because of the heat and humidity. It drives us all indoors. I'm eager for the leaves to change.
I'm still left without a creative outlet. I would like to venture into content creation on YouTube. I also want to finish my book. Sadly, the former is a pipe dream. The latter won't happen because my mind is too cluttered by bullshit and poor health. I can't remember how to spell words, and never mind trying to weave an interesting tale.
I just remembered that Jeff and I had a radio program! That's an actual LOL. We had so much fun doing it. It's been 13 years since our last episode. The video no longer runs. Plus...
WOAH! Who are these young people???!!!
I suppose we could always fire up Tinker's again.
Once upon a time, I also loved the way the Pacific Ocean's waves
caressed the salty sand. I roamed the beaches and found all sorts of
shells. I capered after Dad when he went out to play in those waves.
That craving went away after Dad died. I will always associate the beach
and sea with him. Wading into the water, which was my favorite thing to
do with Dad when I was a kid, will likely dredge up entirely too much
grief.
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