Icewind's Ramblings

A friendly cup of coffee . . . Today it is raining and I cannot work on the outside things I wanted and I really don’t feel like doing some of the inside things I need to get done so I am sitting here with a cup of coffee watching the many birds hit the feeders on the deck and in the yard.  There are golden finches, cardinals, blue birds, squirrels and many others flying all around.  The weather is just a good soaking easy rain not like the several lightning and thunder storms around lately.  The rain has a chance to penetrate the Georgia red clay ground and this rain is good for the plants, trees, and grass which has all transformed this area into a lush green haven for everything.   Sitting here and watching the birds going about their business of foraging food, flying around seeking shelter from the rain I pleasantly enjoy my cups of coffee and am once again reminded about how stressful life is for many of us.   I remember a story from a semin...

I had to make a quick trip to Lowe’s this morning for some needed materials for a project I’m working on and decided at the last minute to not make the turn leading back to the house and drove on instead to the grocery store for something I remembered I needed.  I had gotten a couple items but for some reason was drawn to something where I grabbed two items I may not normally get, yogurt. Now I normally do not eat this and go in spurts eating these little tasty morsels but trying to be healthier thought I would give it a try.  I opened up a container of Strawberry yogurt, and under the lid it said, "Please Try Again". Since this is not a normal thing for me to eat my first thought was I might have opened the yogurt container wrong . . . or maybe Yoplait was trying to inspire and encourage me. 'C'mon, Ice, don't give up, “Please try again”. It was there probably because they were having a contest I was unaware of. But I kind of like the idea . ...

Life Observation # 185 Will this Matter?             I’ve been on the road now for over a year discovering things about myself, friends and family along the way.   My popup reminder on FB today reminded me that a year ago I was leaving my friend, Russ home in Canada after spending a couple weeks talking about life and exploring the beautiful area where he lives. We discussed many things both past and present that we had encountered over the many years we had known each other starting as an online friendship and once we met in person it developed into a real life best friend relationship even though we had lived several thousand miles apart.  Like the saying goes, true friends’ miles and time do not matter as it will remain strong through it all. I used to get really worked up about many things, traffic especially when I lived in Atlanta and as I dealt with business and family matters I was probably pretty intense at ...

Have a great day! Enjoy your day. Hey, what a good day it is! You've heard and probably used these expressions many times.  It is something we do or say automatically.  Have a nice day!  It's a common courtesy.  But what really makes a good day for us? If you've read this far, then I suspect you're already involved in the fight for making it a great day. It’s a choice one makes each and every morning if you are a lucky one and wake up this morning.  Did you know it's awfully easy to NOT have a good day?  Seems like we are always trying to push water uphill or teach a pig to sing (we don’t rent pigs).  People get bogged down in the everyday mundaneness that we sometimes fall into.  The choice is made to just exist some days. A bad day is one that ends in leaving most of us depressed.  But the fact is we do have some really good days.  Waking up just before sunrise to witness the color changes as our new day begins wit...

Traveling Life’s Highway – Recalculating 2.0 - One Year on the Road “. . . For this time in my life I am “Recalculating”.  I’m on a journey to maybe go back and find that other road; the one “not taken” so long ago.  In this search to adjust attitudes, latitudes, and balance, finding possibilities I will open my arms to what’s in store for me. ” (Recalculating - Icewind’sRamblings blog post 4/2/2016) I’m turning 65 today and my mama 88.  She is in Florida having surgery on her hand and I am in the mountains, laptop trying to write occasionally and power tools building things with my hands once again. Judy, Mama, and I It’s been a year now since I have been on the road traveling life’s highways in search of myself and the things I hold dear to my heart.   When I left Alaska I was not sure what I would find and only a proposed mini-map of where I was going.   The road had been long, winding and with several bumps that I had not anticipated when...

It’s funny how the simple things in life can make your day.  Being from a southern family food has always been a major part of our existence.  I think it is that way for most families especially those from the south where you cannot finish one meal without talking about the next one or something going on later in the week.  It is in our DNA where we share recipes on social media, swap them when over at family members or others home after a meal together.   A real Southern girl should own an iced-tea pitcher and a deviled-egg plate. My love of food came early but one of my fondest memories growing up was my mama and my aunt Doris making me waffles and crispy bacon for breakfast.  I could eat it early in the day or at times that was our dinner meal.  The smell of bacon on the stove with the waffle iron sitting on the counter with a large bowl of batter next to it was always a welcoming sign that it would not be long before sitting down to the table ...

Last night I had the pleasure of watching and listening to a thunderstorm move across my area.  It started with flashes of light followed by the sound of distant thunder and built to a crescendo with heavy rain, lightening, and winds blowing the wind chimes just outside.  It was almost magical seeing the light flashes brightening up the trees like some ghostly forms in the yard.  Alaska doesn’t get many thunderstorms and I have missed those the years I lived there.  Slowly I made my way into a nice sound sleep as the rain hit the metal roof giving me a symphony to nod off into dreamland. I awoke up this morning and had  this pop up on my FB page from this date in 2013 so I thought I would re-post it again for all my friends and family to remind us to slow things down a bit and enjoy life and all the gifts it gives us.  I hope you enjoy. From March 28, 2013: Several months ago I watched the movie, “Moneyball” with Brad Pitt.  It is a b...

Life Observation # 184 Smiles  Found on a small walk today bringing a smile to my face.  The lines on my face are from a lifetime of smiles.    Life’s a journey . . . measured in smiles! Ice

Life Observation # 183 Life is what it is Life is what it is . . . and you have the immense good fortune of being here, right now, to live it. Ice

Over the past forty years, I've developed a deep love for mountains.  No matter the season or the location, there's something about towering peaks and deep valleys that (although terrifying with their steep cliff faces and inclement weather) inspire me.  It started off simply enough.  After the Army and a time in Atlanta working in law enforcement and as a paramedic, I started teaching myself to hang glide.  This started on small training hills in the Atlanta area then moved to nearby mountains in north Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.  Many hours were spent flying over Lookout Mountain, Tut’s Hang Glider Heaven in north Georgia, Grandfather Mountain and playing on the sand dunes at Kitty Hawk, both in North Carolina.  Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina Eventually, I started flying in competitions first in the southeast but quickly started flying the professional circuits all over the world.  There were many times the weather turned un...