What I Learned in July: 2014

1. Many people seem to get more cynical with age, but I find myself becoming less and less so. It has nothing to do with seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. I am firmly in touch with reality. I also firmly believe that we choose our attitude and color our lives with that choice. I seek good. I find joy. I embrace gratitude. It troubles me when I see what should be something happy or funny or joyous being mocked by the jaded cynics of social media. I won't allow it to drag me down though. I'll maintain my cheerfulness...and I will shed the bitter, the jaded, and the destructive attitudes, one cynic at a time, when they become too toxic.

2. My homemade tartar sauce was missing two key ingredients: a splash of pickle juice and some fresh dill. *So* tasty!

3. Summer colds don't just feel worse than winter colds, they actually *are* worse! As I was perusing one of my magazines (darned if I remember which now), I read that summer colds are actually more intense than winter colds. They're caused by a different variation of the cold virus that survives better in summer weather, and this particular mutation has more intense symptoms!

4. Names and faces of some of our neighbors. We've been living in our house now for right around two and a half years, and we knew the names of just a handful of houses directly surrounding ours. One of the other families in the neighborhood organized a little neighborhood meet-and-greet, among some other ideas for promoting "good community." It's nice to actually be able to put houses and faces together, and give them names!

5. My hot button complaints. Traffic. Weather. Inconsiderate behavior. Poor communication. Political ads.

Every month, Chatting at the Sky shares what she learned. Big things and little things. Life lessons from the serious to the silly. I've decided I want to participate. Just another means of capturing who am I along this broken little road called life.