Quotes for Success at Living

The life which men praise and regard as successful is but one kind.

Why should we exaggerate any one kind at the expense of the others?

- Henry David Thoreau from Walden

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends,

the old and the new.

The task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Blessings are never given solely for the benefit of the one who receives them.

- Dr. Myles Munroe from Maximizing Your Potential
(My condolences go out to the new ministers of the late Myles Munroe.
He was a wonderful speaker and intellectual talent beyond compare
and he will be sorely missed. )

The true task of education is to draw out the uniqueness in each person

instead of trying to pour into their lives what someone else believes

should be put into a student. If we discover someone's dissimilarity

don't rush to judgment because the other is not like us.

Listen to their thoughts and grow and change through the encounter.

I believe in being rigidly flexible. That strange statement means that

I believe in setting goals for myself and once I have decided what they are

then I can hang loose and be very flexible in trying many ways to reach those goals.

If I encounter obstacles and barriers, then I have the opportunity to use them

as a honing stone. These make me sharper to be more flexible in overcoming the barriers.

I can fail but I am not a failure.

- Dr. Ken Olson from 

The Art of Hanging Loose in an Uptight World

Successfully being

The Castle Lady

Singing in the Rain

For more than a week Denver has experienced continual downpours accompanied by brief periods of sunny weather. Yesterday I looked outside after a ten minute cloudburst and as I basked in the sun for about ten minutes I noticed that heavy steam was coming off every rooftop in my neighborhood. This monsoon may be the only one Denver has ever had because I certainly don't remember any and I've lived here most of my life!

     When I lived in San Diego I remember one monsoon which lasted about a week but those are constant downpours which never quit. It's pouring when you run to your car in the morning. You go to lunch and it's still raining cats and dogs. Back to work you get drenched and then on the way home you hydroplane on the highway and swim from your car to your apartment or house. By then you're just glad to be in a place where it's dry and you can stay there for awhile.

    Since Denver always must be contrary, the rain has been ten minutes pouring then a little bit of sunshine for another ten. Today it has been overcast without any sunshine with dry spells accompanied by brief downpours. This has gone on all day long and when I've looked out didn't know what I was going to see but with the knowledge that it's only going to change again whether standing outside or inside. Every time I look out now I stand there and sigh for five minutes. I've never seen such schizophrenic weather in my life ! Anywhere. Sheesh.

     

     My lawn is now up to my knees and I can't have it mowed because it's too wet even when it's sunny. You should see the weeds ! They're twice as high and look abominable. I am literally going to have to take a machete to it before I even attempt to mow. I'm not making this up. I'll take photos to prove it if I have to and then you'll know this is for real. I always thought that people living in Seattle had a great deal with a mostly drizzling climate but in retrospect I'm glad I decided against moving there about a decade ago and I'm now checking properties in Arizona and certain parts of New Mexico.

     Isn't it funny that it really doesn't affect my mood ? Everyone else seems to find this kind of weather depressing but mostly I enjoy rain in Denver because moisture is so rare and unusual. After living in San Diego I took to keeping an umbrella in my car but the one I have in my twenty-five year old car usually has to have the dust brushed off of it before use ! That's how dry it normally is here in Denver. Well, one has to take the good with the bad so I'll sign off by saying that Denver has never looked so green and lush in May. There. (Sigh !)

 and dancing...

The Castle Lady

April's Flowers, et al

     It is simply amazing how beautiful April has turned out to be this year! It's been at least a decade since I've seen Spring arrive so early. Denver, ordinarily, is either sparse, cold and overcast or, at best, blooming- albeit accompanied with torrential snowfall  or rain that threatens to destroy every blooming thing in sight ! (Pun intended.) It may be too early to tell but I think this is going to be an exceptional second season for Denver this year just like the old days. Ah! Even when I'm inside I can feel it. The air has literally changed to fresh and even if it is cool there's a sense of renewal and change all around me.

     As a result, I am enjoying this wonderful sudden transition- fully sprung- by taking clear advantage and finding excuses to be outdoors as much as possible. There were times in the past when I would read and write outdoors, especially in summer. It really will be like old times if our weather continues on this new trend and I'll be welcoming it with all the watering, walking, baskets and general outdoors activities I can think up to do. This has been an excellent time to restore my mother's old salon sign and it really looks beautiful. It appears to be a brand new sign but I'm going to add est. 1966 underneath it. Ordinarily, on summer's hottest days I avail myself of a shaded porch which is enclosed with flowering bushes and that is my place to hide out and read, write, keep up on collections, eat lunch and snacks or maybe daydream a bit. It has been two and a half years of mourning best put in the past. I know someone who would prefer I do just that and I'll be happy to oblige.

     My latest gross encounter of the household kind involved my refrigerator which I thought I couldn't budge. It's wide enough to be the equivalent of three tubas. Try to get your arms around that and pull back ! I had to get the help of my neighbor across the street and at first I thought he was going to have a tough time. We heard a crack and then he had it out of its tight corner. Come to find out it was literally stuck to the floor with dried soda (or something sticky- yuck!) and the whole area was in bad need of cleaning which I had to take another hour of time to take care of and get my newly released refrigerator back in place. Phew ! It's always something ~ ugh!

     I have found several similar messes like that ever since I took on the house and I've taken to holding my breath in areas where I've never ventured. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to find in any of them and definitely abhor nasty surprises. My constitution wasn't made to handle these types of vicissitudes. Hard work doesn't phase me but dealing with a mess or neglect that is totally unexpected drives me up a wall. If it happens to stink it's even worse. I never would've been able to change diapers so it's a good thing I never had kids! 

     Now, I have flowers to look forward to such as irises I planted three years ago. My lilac bushes really blossomed this year and I've taken to putting a bouquet of them in every room in the house. Lilacs are the best natural air freshener in world! The iris blades are coming out of the ground so it's a matter of time for them and my roses will be next which are a chore but a labor of love, nonetheless. My daffodils have come and are just now starting to wane. They don't last very long, unfortunately.

     Well, that's all I have to report for now. Earth Day has become a regular fete for me and I can't think of a better way to celebrate it than to just get outside and enjoy it. As a matter of fact it may be our duty as members of this planet. Tell your boss you're sick (of work) and go for it. Maybe he'll give you an Earth Day bonus and knock off early himself.

The Castle Lady     

It's Springtime in the Rockies !

Just like these bears here I have finally had my fill of winter. Even though this has been a longer and colder winter than I have ever experienced in Denver, it hasn't been without its drama and tenacity. I'm a native so the changeable weather is a norm for me which I have always appreciated. Even our weather can get tiresome, however, and winter is not an exception. Let's face it, does anyone really like shoveling snow, bundling up like an Eskimo just to go to the store or knocking icicles off one's nose? Verily, I say 'no' to all three. It's a blast for about three seconds, at best and then you just want to go back inside, drink some hot cocoa (or herbal tea) and curl up with a book!

     Happily, this month has changed into something more along the lines of Spring with rain instead of snow and the outdoors is growing and blooming ! I can hardly believe it. Yesterday's morning weather however, started out with a good rain soak, followed by freezing sleet then by 10:30 a.m. it looked like we were in for a blizzard. When I walked at 10:20 a.m. the sidewalks were just wet and I got by wearing a Mack. It was actually invigorating. By noon the sun was coming out and the snow, sleet and most of the rain had evaporated. It looked to be a nice day. Now you can't even tell it did anything at all but the lawn looks greener and the air is bone chilling cold. I walked outside to put out the garbage and almost froze in the process. That's just a one day sampling of Denver weather this time of year. We're really different.

     All told, I just want to get on with spring. A little bit more of soft rains and we'll be good for the junction into a rip-roaring hot summer by July. By then I'll have accomplished an incredible amount of writing and other work and I'll be able to enjoy a summer with a bit more reading than I accomplished last year and perhaps head for England by the time my birthday rolls around. Sounds like a plan doesn't it ? Well, keep your fingers crossed for me and say a little prayer.

     I could use the good words about now.

  

    

Could You Rephrase That ?

 Try, try again...

 

The Castle Lady

Fabulous February

Who would've thought that February could sparkle with busy-ness and excitement ? If Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow this year then he might want to take another look! This entire past week has been a whirlwind of work, new contracts, party planning for Valentine's and a general feeling of newness that I haven't felt for decades. If you actually look at the calendar it will give you a little bit of an idea of what we're in store for and why we feel this way, despite age or difficulties.

     Firstly, it's a perfectly symmetrical month with four of each day of the week ! I wonder when is the last time that happened since it's the only month with the fewest amount of days- leap year or no. Did I just write that ? Whoa ! We also have four major holidays in the same week ! Rest up for President's Day, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday and Chinese New Year, one right after the other in the third week and that's right after celebrating Valentine's Day the previous Saturday. Be sure to eat your Cheerios with raisins. You'll need the stamina.

     It's really warmed up this week as well. I never thought January would end but usually enjoy the quiet and freshness of January because it's a new start and almost a blank page. Goals will be set, slates will be cleared, cleaned and ready to be wrote upon. Most of my goals have not changed over the years because I took on the mindset of reaching my first decade of the 21st century with making aspirations come true no matter what it takes. I have not resigned myself otherwise but I have taken on a new perspective which will help me achieve more in the long run and remove some stalemates that I have encountered for far too long.

     Resolutions were never a tradition with me but I do appreciate the chance to begin again anew and this year, somehow, feels like a genuine chance to seize my goals and hold on with a renewed passion for my love of castles and forge ahead. All my life I have always achieved what I really wanted and have only failed when I have let someone come in and take over. Rugged individualism has always been my strongest ally and I'm sure it will always be this way.

     Well, I'm off to conquer some more words somewhere else. This might come to a shock for some people but I actually prefer to write in longhand and most of my ideas for writing usually start with pen and blank book or paper. So many castles, so little time.

Enjoy the month !

The Castle Lady

Animal Olympics

      Since the first of this year I've been keeping an eye on and feeding my neighbors cats which are tiger and black tabbies, respectively. They are as typical as cats can be but upon finding some extraordinary abilities in both felines I started thinking about why we don't encourage professional sports for our pets. I know it sounds crazy but hear me out because I believe that we may need a fitness revolution for pets. It's true that cats usually are the least likely to need an exercise regimen but even they could benefit and maybe even lead the way for dogs, hamsters, snakes, mice and even birds given the right circumstances. 

    

Take Po'ele'ele for instance. Tabbies are generally known as almost a run-of-the-mill breed and yet I saw this elegant black cat leap off a table vertically at least five feet to tackle Laulau, the tiger cat, like they were playing football. It was an awesome sight. I checked both cats for injuries but apparently they were fine and I may have ruined a score or something. Po (for short) also likes to eat tremendous amounts of food but I'm certain it's to maintain that great physique. Believe me, I checked for fatness and Po is pretty fit for a cat who does not need a mouse for sustenance.

     

Laulau is just a little love mostly but she has made her physical feats as well. She can make jumping high look like a magic trick. She makes no hesitations and always lands in or on her favorite spots. She has an extraordinary ability to hit a ball strategically to land right in an appropriate spot. She'd make a great shortstop. They both try to play some very strange form of tackle basketball with a tennis ball. I'm sure I've spent more than an hour of time just watching them play this fantastic secret game which beats my snow basketball by a mile. I'm not sure what the move of hugging the ball while trying to scratch the heck out of it with their hind feet signifies but it may be some sort of a high five, look-at-me victory dance maneuver. Whatever it is I highly recommend buying your cat a tennis ball to play with because he/she could become a millionaire and lift us out of this slow economy.

     Po'ele'ele for president ! (ahem!) and Laulau as running mate !

Never stop meowing...er, that is- moving...

The Castle Lady  

How About That Grumpy Cat ?

     One of the most darling Christmas television movies I've ever seen has to be Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever. It premiered back at the beginning of this month on the Lifetime Channel and was shown quite a few times. I don't know about you but I've about had my fill of animated shows for Christmas no matter whether the message is humanist, animist, cubist, Buddhist, nonesuch or just plain old commercial. Charlie Brown keeps buying that same Christmas tree, the Grinch keeps trying to steal Christmas and gets thwarted and every year it's always Rudolph that comes through with his nose oh-so-bright.

     It was time for something new and something real. Grumpy Cat can talk so that gets the Christmas miracle out of the way but beyond the obvious this first movie is a cute romp for Grumpy and her new owner, Crystal (humanity's last hope on a dying planet according to Grumpy). Apparently, Grumpy doesn't have any church affiliation but she sure has a lot of opinions and they're about as honest as any cat can be given the circumstances which keep changing in this adventurous romp. Grumpy's talk is mostly along the lines of what Garfield would say but the viewpoint is definitely feminist. Are you surprised? Cute brunette Aubrey Plaza gets to be the voice of Grumpy and the feminine sound along with dry humor is absolutely refreshing.

     The plot ( and we're given various possible plot twists, one being incredibly short and sweet with Grumpy narrating the versions!) unravels rather slowly but once it gains momentum you really start to enjoy the cat quips from Grumpy which run throughout the two hour long show centering around a pet store in rent arrears and an animal cast of characters. The dastardly robbers aren't nefarious-looking which hooks the teenage viewing factor. If you watch every bit of this show you could wind up being young again. Ahem!

 

     Definitely check it out if it's still running on the Lifetime channel- kick back, drink some egg nog and try to bone up on all the new merchandise surrounding the Grumpy phenomenon. She's definitely irresistible and there may even be an Easter Grumpy special. Can you stand the wait ? I didn't think so. If you can take extreme cuteness, it's worth taking two hours to lounge around stretching, eating and enjoying being happy and not grumpy. Just don't fall asleep or you might miss something. Raowr !

 I wonder if Friskies would let me have Grumpy's BMW X5 since
it's been determined that she has not been properly licensed to own it ?
I can deal with the cat hair-
have dirt devil will travel, I always say !

Priorities

I believe you are your work.

Don't trade the stuff of your life and time for nothing more than dollars.

That's a rotten bargain.

- Rita Mae Brown

     Thinking back to days when I could take income for granted, I marvel at how well I did in personal commerce without becoming overly ambitious or greedy. Enjoyment of what I was doing was every bit as important to me as the revenue. As a strong consumer I don't look back on any regrets in spending money, either. I'm more thrifty now than I've ever been but the amount of books, music, recordings and collections I own speaks of what I've treasured most through the years. It's money well spent in my estimation, particularly considering the content of those books. My non-fiction outnumbers the fiction three to one! Learning and teaching is a way of life for me even in the professional realm of nail technology. My mission was to educate consumers in my profession- not to keep aspects of my trade a secret as if that was my only stock in trade. To me, an educated client is happier by being well-informed and unlikely to fall for the pitches of unlicensed, uneducated upstarts. 

     Meanwhile, everyone is caught up in the money, money, money game no matter what they do or where they work. I once heard someone say that money is a great servant but a bad taskmaster yet it is the favorite subject for most of the world. I'd like to make it less important or even irrelevant, perhaps. The richness of life is in the quality of it, not the quantity of money to be made or even the specific content of our days. Peace of mind trumps a piece of silver. A good conversation beats a gambling table by miles. A sunset cannot be purchased but one must take the time to savor the changing landscape of its beauty to understand its value. Enjoying life is a core value for me and it is the priceless aspects of life  which I center on most of the time.

     Call me a romantic or a dreamer but my opinion is that this is the way life ought to be. When we focus on such things as acquisition, competitiveness or how much money we have in the bank we impoverish all the areas of our life that make it worth living. You'll never see me off to the races trying to get ahead of everybody else. If I ever did that I certainly don't now and it's best behind me. That's the way it should be for everyone. Most of the world suffers from the greedy mentality to one degree or another, however. It manifests itself in a myriad of ailments- passing or serious- which the drug ads on T.V. expound on with a repetitiveness that will jangle your nerves before an hour has passed. If you actually take any of that crud you can bet that you might find yet another side effect that they didn't mention. It's called futility.

     The best of life resides in our priorities and true desires. When the day is done what do you do ? A lot of single people will head to the pubs, bars or hangouts but if they were honest with themselves they probably just want someone to come home to and relax. Married people get comfortable at home or they get ambitious and the priorities they pursue outside the home either unite the couple or drive them apart. The modern mentality is nearly always in the future. I've personally spent a lot of time constructing a life that most people envy. I have achieved many of the goals I've set for myself and I continue to do so. To be honest, however, no one can do it all. Most recently I've wondered when it was that I stopped trying to do all the things in a day that would normally require ten people to accomplish. This year I pushed myself way past my limits and paid for it, believe me ! I've learned to really focus on being one person and it keeps me humble and happy. I'm one woman doing her best and that's enough for me.

     I have written in the past about becoming a millionaire but that is not one of my priorities- just one of my ideas of embracing possibilities. They are endless you know. Prioritizing requires discipline, however, and being realistic. Also, it's easier than you might think if you are true to yourself. Doesn't everybody know the difference between their needs and their desires? If they don't then prioritizing in their life will be a challenge and they are most often one of the victims of the money, money, money mentality that is epidemic in our country. Money won't bring back your health. It won't mend a marriage or stop divorce. Although many people think otherwise, money won't give you peace of mind. You'll never hear George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or Andrew Jackson saying "I love you" from your wallet ! 

     Living the life you want will be more attainable if you stop looking over the fence at what is going on (or what is sitting) in your neighbor's yard and simply focus on what you really want out of life. My goals always center around prioritizing and simplifying. It's best to set goals that are attainable and then if you decide you want to challenge yourself and go a bit higher you'll have the confidence to continue up another level. Small successes always lead to bigger and better things even if it's only coming home to a suitable atmosphere or spending time with the people you love the most. Priorities center on you and no one else. Take stock and then plan- you'll get there.
     By the way, if you don't hear from me again before- have a wonderful Christmas, okay ?  

    

    

Three Months in a Time Warp

     I really cannot tell you how three months zinged past me while I was trying to finish Sudeley Castle's entry. It's almost like I woke up two weeks ago and remembered that I've been nearly done with Sudeley for more than three months. Did I get caught in a time warp? I cannot really say. All I can convey at this point is that it's good to be back in the chair with the P.C. in front of me and surrounded by my books in what is now my office and not my bedroom. I'm not done with all my changes and moving yet but all the pertinent books needed for my castle projects are close at hand and there'll be no more running all the way down to my nearly empty underground studio ( bka the catacombs) to look up something in a book. I suppose it would all be worth it if I was actually finished with this constant state of flux called 2014. By the way, 2015 will probably bring more surprises than I can handle but at least it won't be boring. (Not that my life ever is but it sounded like the right word to lay down.)       http://thecastlelady.wordpress.com/2014/11/15/sonorous-sudeley-castle/ 

     To explain this big time gap, I can tell you exactly what I've been doing but I can't explain why it amounts to so much time loss. There are so many things to do in a day it almost seems impossible to get to time for writing. I know that's usually just an excuse but I'm not one for sitting around and making excuses for the reason why something didn't get done or executed in a timely fashion. I have one piece of advice before I really get into this: Don't ever hire or recruit a volunteer who is known to procrastinate as a regular profession. Mr. Tom Orrow never knows what day or time it is or how he ended up in the current predicament he believes he's stumbled in on. He's full of stories but not an ounce of energy and he'll waste your time like no other. You save time when you do it yourself unless you happen to be me. I get caught up in details.

     If you've been tapping your toes and drumming your fingers wondering when my next installment on Gloucestershire is going to arrive online you have been sated for now. I'm always working on the castles but my time per day on the work has been greatly reduced due to the 1,001 things I have to do in a day just to keep life and limb going in a healthy manner. Did I say details?    

     Most of this year I have been planning and organizing a Garage/Moving/Estate Sale and on nearly every weekend in September I finally ran it. I did make some money on the sale but all the key beauty salon items remain which is a shame because those are the true bargain items. It did occur to me that I needed to alert the beauty shop stylists and/or beauty school students but somehow I didn't reach my target demographic for the bulk of the items for sale. I'm going to have to get strategic with this particular liquidation and I have a few ideas which I hope won't encroach on all my other duties on a daily or imperative basis. Determination didn't win this round so I'm going to have to work smarter on this particular problem. Know anyone that is planning to start a hair salon ? I've got a great deal for them !

     All through the month of October and clear into November I have been dealing with the grape harvest in my backyard which produced about 300 lbs of grapes this year and I picked nearly all of it by myself. Where is a migrant farm worker when you need one ? I have two gallons of grape juice in my refrigerator. Before I started reaping, the insidious invasion of inexplicable trees, little to medium, all over my property took my full attention and in October, on the 4th I managed to find someone to take most of the medium-size trees out. It was a relief to have that done. Now it looks like someone owns the property once again. All summer long and into Indian Summer and autumn I had yard work problems. Grass knee high to a giant, trees growing everywhere I wouldn't want them, beautiful rose bushes that were starting to look like wild roses and an unprecedented problem involving the butchering of my Russian Olive tree in my front yard...sigh. The list is endless and I don't think I ever want to carry another tree limb anywhere.  

     I saved the grapes too, Ma ! I gave a lot of grapes away to friends in my neighborhood but I suppose I really should start finding some winemakers and make money off these bumper crop harvests. I do sell some but not nearly as much as I could to say nothing of the fact that I could use the money! I lost about 100 lbs of grapes due to overripe fallout, insect and bee robberies (!) and underripe grapes because of paltry irrigation even though we had quite a few rainstorms this past summer. If I had gotten all the grapes and sold them I would have made about $400 to $500!

     All year long, all the way back from March, I have been dealing with moving a great deal of my possessions into other areas of my house. I turned what used to be my bedroom into a library/office/media room. My living room is now more like an entertainment/ rumpus room. I moved my entire bedroom into the room across the hall and my former studio that once housed all my worldly possessions will be turned into a spare bedroom shortly. The beauty salon is very, very slowly being turned into a nail salon. Except for moving heavy furniture I have been doing this all by myself. The reorganization alone is a really tough job. You must understand that I own about 10,000 books which I tried to weed out and it may be around 9,500 now. Don't laugh. I have tried to move them from a 12 X 12 foot space into a room that is more like 10 X 10. The entire project would have been better put into the hands of an interior decorator but I'm pleased with the results thus far.

     I'm sure other things suffered besides my writing this year. Mostly it was me. You have to understand that suffering doesn't come easy for me. I'm basically a happy person and I do well with what I have. I'm grateful for many things but mostly I'm just grateful to be alive and have something to work with and I'm content when I have done my best without complaining. To be completely honest, however, I hit my lowest exhaustion level since the beginning of the second half of this year and I'm only recently starting to feel like my normal self. Without entirely knowing what 2015 will bring I'll try to bring you the  rest of England's castles in a more timely fashion- as is possible. If it's any consolation, I'm always working at it- no matter the pace or stride and I'll always love writing about and finding new castles whether they be intact or just a motte covered with trees. Bulldozer anyone ?

This slope will do nicely,