Kicking It

Retirement has caused me to lose focus. Now it seems my thoughts ramble throughout the day.

Here is what usually happens. I’ll head out to add nectar to the hummingbird feeder and the next thing ya know, before I even get to the task at hand, I’m reminding myself when I come back in the house to send a birthday card to my girlfriend.

But.

Quite often by the time I walk back into my office after retracing my steps to find my cup of coffee, I have forgotten what I was supposed to remember. So, instead of selecting a card, I’ll walk back for a refill only to look out the window, spot the hummingbird feeder, and instantly remember to address the card. This routine repeats itself all day.

This morning, I awoke to the delicious smells of bacon frying. Gotta love that man!

Ideas seem to slip in and out of my consciousness as I try to remember what I was thinking about before I walked back toward my desk. It would seem my mind flits from topic to topic every time I get up and exit the office.

Like I wonder why I have closets full of clothes and nothing to wear?

Now this one really bugs me. Why must I routinely do the thinking for other people?

I find it is exhausting to renegotiate with big tech to keep my monthly bill to the agreed contract price for television and internet services.

I even think I remember the internet was supposed to be free?

I’m always bummed when “American Idol” is pushed off the schedule. For any reason.

And who are all of these strangers being lauded for Oscars? I haven’t been to a movie since Brad Pitt disrobed on the roof in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”

Is it cocktail time? And where did I leave my phone?

It’s like rain coming after washing the car. Naturally after VJ blew the concrete off yesterday, today’s blustery wind blew all of the debris back.

One of my favorite things is the synonym Thesaurus in Microsoft Word.

Since today is garbage pick-up day on our street, I’ll trek to the blue bin before the dump truck backs up the hill. Heading across the driveway to the recycle bin, I skirted past masses of happy, bouncy California golden poppies bobbing in the breeze.

While walking across the driveway, it comes to mind how in the fall my husband and granddaughter Kate will harvest all of those tiny poppy seeds. They only need touch the pods to get them to canon their teeny seeds into the air. And in less than a wink, the seeds float down into the bark to ensure next year’s crop in time for the Easter bunny.

Which reminds me, I’m not sending Easter cards this year. Instead, I’m gonna text dancing bunny emojis.

Wonder what time it is?

The canister of wild flower seeds left in last year’s Christmas stocking are scattered amongst the poppies on the back hillside. No doubt, their blooms will be coaxed out with warmer weather. When that happens, it will look like Shakespeare’s enchanted-fairy forest.

While the rain is good for the flowers, it’s not very good for making electricity with the solar panels.

It looks like we have been adopted by a crow. We named him Fred. For the past few days, VJ whistles out the back slider around 4 p.m. before leaving a leftover morsel from dinner on his white plate at the bird feeder. Have to wonder who is training whom?

I had no sooner reset the kitchen clock to daylight savings time when I happened to glance out the bay window and saw this season’s first male Hooded Oriole having breakfast. As luck would have it, the new glass hummingbird feeders arrived just minutes before he showed up.

At our house, nothing but nothing heralds the arrival of spring like their return. According to my records, these two guys came 11 days earlier this year than last. Apparently, they like our oak trees.

Finally, it’s cocktail time.

Cheers!

Happy Easter Bunny!

Elizabeth can be reached at [email protected].