The Eagle Has Landed

 

My middle grandson loves all things superhero. Over the last year he has been amassing a collection of superhero Golden Books. After reviewing his collection he realized that he did not have a Miles Morales book. Now for those of you who don’t know Miles is the second Spider-Man. Who knew that there were two? 

I told him that I would order it on Amazon along with another book in the Scaredy Squirrel series. ( If you haven’t had an opportunity to check out the Scaredy Squirrel series, I highly recommend it.)

According to Amazon both books would be arriving in two days. So when I pulled up to the mailbox and saw a box there I assumed that both books had arrived. I immediately called my grandson and announced that “The eagle has landed.” Now for a moment he was unsure what that meant, but when I asked him if he knew what i was talking about it didn’t take him long to figure out that his books had arrived. 

Later he confided that when he heard the word eagle he wondered if a book about the villain “The Vulture” had arrived instead. He reasoned that eagles and vultures were both birds. I thought that was pretty clever on his part. 

A few minutes later when I opened the box I was disappointed to find that only one of the books had arrived, and that the coveted Miles Morales book was missing. According to Amazon it was running late, and might possibly be there in two days if at all. 

I had to break the news to my grandson, but consoled him with the fact that our Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping book had arrived. (And it was just as cute as the first book.) When I arrived at his house the next day we came up with a Plan B where we would order the book off of the Target website if it didn’t arrive from Amazon. 

Two days later I was out running errands, and I called my daughter to ask her to check the Amazon website to see if the book would be arriving that day. A few hours later as I was turning onto my county road I got a phone call from my grandson. 

He spoke only five words, “Mimi, the eagle has landed!” Needless to say “the eagle” was perched precariously inside my mailbox, and I was able to deliver it the next day. 

I’ve found with this little guy it’s fun to introduce him to words, and phrases he does not know. He’s like a little sponge, and definitely has an aptitude for language. On the flip side I got a real kick out of his message, and realized how blessed I was to have him in my life. 

Wild Flowers

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these?”

Luke 12:27

Comfort Revisited

 

I’ve recently come across two different books that address the idea of physical discomfort. In both The Comfort Crisis by Michal Easter, and What Doesn’t Kill Us by Scott Carney both authors put themselves in situations that result in physical discomfort. 

They compare all our modern technology to days of old when things like air conditioning, and power tools were nonexistent. Somehow people survived and thrived even with the physical, discomfort in their life. 

This got me to thinking about physical discomfort in my own life, or perhaps I should say the lack of discomfort in my pretty cushy life. Most of us take advantage of hot showers, climate controlled rooms, and a comfy bed at night. 

Why would we want to do anything different? How could hanging outside in the sweltering heat actually make us a better person? Well I’m not actually sure it would, but the mindset of always having to be comfortable might get in the way of doing something that might benefit you in the long haul. 

I know that I go out of my way to avoid discomfort. While on the other hand my husband seems more tolerant of it. He does not shy from hard, physical labor, and somehow seems to work through the discomfort to achieve his goals. I’ve always admired this about him. 

My excuse has always been that I’m cerebral, and don’t like physical labor. Now this may be true, but it also has held me back from trying new things which might be physically taxing. Somethings like exercise, which is actually quite beneficial for me, is something I have to force myself to do. 

I’d much rather lie on the couch, i pad in hand, searching the net. My brain gets a workout each day gathering new bits of information. I don’t find that the least bit uncomfortable.

After reading that there actually is some science to back the idea of the benefits of discomfort I’ve lingered a little bit longer outside in the cold. There’s some connection between stronger immunity and cold weather. Maybe that’s why my mom used to bundle me up, and take me outside for fresh air during the cold winter months in Boston when I was a baby. 

As I help Chuck clear limbs from our land I push myself to work a little bit longer than I might want to. My habit has been to quit as soon as it becomes uncomfortable, which technically doesn’t take too long. 

After working on strength training at the gym coupled with lifting my youngest grandson quite regularly over the last year and a half I’m stronger than I want to give myself credit for. I’ve learned that sitting around being comfortable is probably the worst thing you can do as you age. 

Physical activity forces the body to rebuild, and not just break down. Now I have learned over the years to listen to my body, and not to over do and cause injury. I thinks it’s a fine line between pushing yourself a little harder, and not going too far. 

How do you handle discomfort?

Throwback Thursday- Settling

 

There is a really clever series of commercials about the "Settlers." Rather than upgrade to a better television service they settle for an inferior viewing experience. Do you ever find yourself settling? 

I remember one of the first times I settled. As a senior in high school I had fallen in love with the 1974 Cutlass Supreme. My friend's sister owned the car, and I just assumed that after I graduated from college so would I. Unfortunately for me they changed the body style of my dream car right before I graduated. 

But in reality it didn't matter much because I made so little money as a beginning teacher that I settled for a used, brown Chevette. The reality of economics hit me hard when I realized that there were many things I probably wouldn't be owning on my salary. I had given up pretty easily on my dream. In fact, I think that experience was the start of a series of decisions that were basically settling. 

Vlad Zachary in his book, The Excellence Habit, states, "We settle one step at a time." When we are children we never question whether our dreams will come true. We confidently declare that we will be a ballerina, a doctor and a mom when we grow up. We seem to have a blind faith that we can achieve it all. 

However, as we enter adulthood we may find ourselves beginning to settle on our dreams or forgetting them all together. The question as to whether we have settled might be one to ponder, and reconsider in planning for the future. 

Culinary Challenge

 

Oh the culinary challenge of feeding a five year old- yes the struggle is real. Thank goodness for peanut butter and jelly, and also bacon. 

The other day I was asking my middle grandson what foods he actually liked because based on past experiences he disliked most everything I had ever offered him. 

Here is his list:

My good cheese-“You know the one where the white is mixed up with the yellow.” (Colby Jack)

Carrots

Pepperoni

Pickles

Sunflower seeds- “You know the ones you spit out.” (Which I’m pretty sure at his age he basically sucks the salt off them and spits them out, but according to him he really loves them. Lol!)

Peanut Butter and Jelly

The next morning he had bacon for breakfast, and since he likes to eat bacon by the handful I’d say we can safely assume it belongs on the list too!

I was discussing this with my daughter, and said his list was kind of like a capsule wardrobe where you limit the number of pieces in your closet. 

I’m not sure exactly what you can make with carrots, in the shell sunflower seeds and pickles, but if you know please share your recipe.