In the grand and glorious scheme of things, your old Aunt Donna is hardly a key player.

Rather than make myself and everybody around me miserable while the world continues on its merry way totally oblivious to my preferences, I’ve learned to appreciate small victories and cherish little joys when they come my way.

Two small victories:

Changing a light bulb in the dryer all by my little self.

It wasn’t until I went to retrieve a dryer load one day and was met with a gaping maw of darkness that I realized clothes dryers do indeed have light bulbs, which do indeed burn out. This one turned out to be tiny, in a tight, godawful location. For once my itty-bitty hands were an asset. Small victory? For a career klutz like me, you betcha!

Learning to love canes/walking sticks

(Click on images to enlarge.)

Madame Butterfly. A long time ago I found a neat cane in a thrift shop. While I didn’t need a cane at the time, I couldn’t resist the flowers/leaves/butterflies pattern covering its shaft. So it joined my ever-growing collection of eccentricities. Fast-forward to 2020: a knee injury quickly followed by my first bout with sciatica left me in dire and immediate need of a cane. There was Madame Butterfly, bright, sassy and ready to be of service.

The Snake Goddess. I came across this one while killing time at the drugstore waiting for a prescription. The shaft was covered with a slightly raised pattern of black-and-silver scales. My deeply-hidden inner Goth was instantly captivated, and The Snake Goddess came home with me to share duties with Madame Butterfly.

Rustica. This outdoor walking stick was hand-crafted for me from a fallen tree branch by my husband Judd, which immediately renders it sacred as well as eminently sensible. (Hey, the man’s a Capricorn!) It’s perfect for my height, grip carefully sanded smooth, and I feel loved every time I grab it to work in the yard. (Side benefit: I also pretend I’m the village wise woman out in search of healing plants for tonics and elixirs, but that’s just between us…)

Two Little Joys

Feeding the birds (and other assorted wildlife).

This is my favorite trek with Rustica. Once again I’m the village wise woman, this time dispensing food while talking to the feathered and furry life forms who consider our back yard their favorite diner. Sunflower seeds go in a hanging feeder as well as on a big plastic plate for the ground feeders. Mixed seed goes in another hanging feeder, with leftovers scattered on a nearby tree stump and the surrounding ground. Suet is hung in a cage dangling from a shepherd’s hook close to the oregano patch. I can feel all these little eyes peering at me as I go about my routine. (They’re probably thinking, “Good grief, could this old biddy move any slower? Shift it, sister!”)

In addition to all kinds of birds, we also have quite a few squirrels (some gray, some black). One particularly ornery little dude I call Slug has mastered the art of draping himself head-down across the sunflower seed feeder in order to gobble from the tray. He looks just like a furry slug–hence the name. I tried to get a picture of him for this post but he wouldn’t cooperate.

One of my favorite visitors is Trundle, the woodchuck (so named because of the way he walks). He likes the sunflower seed plate, happily munching away along with the doves and cardinals. I wish I could get a picture of him for you, but he’s really timid and would have trundled away before I got close enough because I am very scary.

Having fun at the grocery store.

One busy Saturday morning all the open checkout lines at our local grocery store were backed up halfway to the dairy section. Shoppers were far from pleased, with many of them not bothering to hide their frustration. I felt sorry for the poor cashiers who were sure to catch the brunt of it.

Then “Karma Chameleon” by Boy George came over the PA system.

By the first chorus, people were singing along. Others caught the rhythm and swayed with it. A few began to dance in place, quickly followed by others. People were smiling, laughing, and actually talking to each other. I’m sure I wasn’t the only person whose day was brightened by this unexpected festival.

So be on the lookout for your own small victories and little joys. There are lots of ’em, and they help keep us sane.

Take care, all!

PS–Dance like everybody is watching, because you are that good!