Does it seem to anyone else that rats and mice are everywhere now? In our sheds, garages, under car hoods, inside our vehicles, and yes—in our house. I suppose it’s not that surprising considering we live out in the country. A while back I started to move a bird house fastened to the top of a 4×4 beam. Upon tipping it I let out a shriek even though I’m far less squeamish than most. A tumble of young hairless rats fell out onto my chest and grossed me out, more than a little. Not what I was expecting at all. 

            Cute little mice often join us when we watch Netflix in the evenings. They scurry over the mantle and around the rock hearth, sometimes pausing to stare at us. “What?” I ask. I feel bad, but occasionally we do catch them in traps. However, mostly they just keep outsmarting us. After all, we are a relatively young species compared to them.

            I remember many decades ago, when my sister still lived in the canyon. She’d set live traps and then release the rats down at the end of the dirt road on her way to work. Later, when I drove out to take kids to school, I’d often see them running back up the road—heading to home sweet home. Those ridiculous, yet hilarious sightings happened multiple times.

            Some people keep rats for pets. We had an albino one when we were kids. And a guinea pig, chickens, ducks, finches, a goose, rabbits, donkeys, pigs, a cow, goats, horses… Our family consisted of a menagerie of species. I suppose it was part of our training to be more inclusive.

            Kent just came back inside after digging trenches along the side of our dirt road in the pouring rain. He looks like a drowned rat. Zelda helped, but the wet dog is out on the porch—for now. I’m sure all the rats and mice are finding nice cozy places to hunker down, chew wires, and make messes in what we’d like to claim as our own. So much for that concept.

            But there’s another kind of rat. A very dirty one indeed. This one is a neighbor who is actually a pack rat. His entire yard is filled with stuff—a total junkyard. The once beautiful piece of property has become a complete eyesore and environmental disaster. I think y’all could definitely smell a rat there. How do you rat on someone like that? Some things really can make my blood boil. But enough on that.

And then there are those desert rats who come up with some interesting shenanigans to pass the time. Like shining a laser beam at the mountain behind the campground or designing weird experiments in the sand behind buildings or— At least they’ve managed to remove themselves from the rat race, both mentally and physically. A real win for them.

            Pitter patter, what’s the matter? Is it Town Mouse or Country Mouse? I’m pretty sure ours are country mice. But if they fall out of the car when I’m in town—well…?  

Rats, I almost forgot. Spring is almost here! I know, even with the spring equinox, the weather can still be wet and chilly. But on this special day the sun shines directly on Earth’s equator, creating nearly equal amounts of daylight and darkness. Now that’s something to celebrate. Bring out the drums! Have a dance party and live it up good. I think that’s what we ought to do. Enough belly aching about the rats in our lives!

Chi Varnado has published six books including fiction, nonfiction and children’s books. They are available on www.amazon.com. Her collection of essays, Quail Mutterings, can be found on www.chivarnado.com or www.dancecentrepresents.com. 

           We’re probably not often able to get away for an extended period of time, but fortunately I was able to jump at an opportunity. Of course, I had to create this “opportunity” myself and I am ever so grateful that I both could and would. At this juncture in life when there are fewer days in the future than ones already lived, I feel the pressure to try to make certain things into priorities. It would be a lot easier to just keep trudging forward, day after day, same old, same old. But, lucky for me, that’s not a strong personality trait. Time to shake things up.

             Being a Southern California wimp, I get mighty cold here in the dead of winter. Warm tropical breezes beckoned me. After much deliberation, and mental wrestling and planning, I leaped. Part of the family joined us for the first week, then my husband stayed on for the next eight days. After he left, I had a short time on my own before being joined by my sister and a friend. I came to feel rather at home on the big island of Hawaii.

            Besides escaping the cold weather for a respite, the getaway served another very important part of my total wellbeing. I somehow felt the need to escape my life (my usual responsibilities). I doubt I’m alone in sometimes feeling that everything seems to be too much. But in order to get ready for the trip, I had to be proactive with all those responsibilities, on top of all the normal ones of the day. And, yes, I did have to deal with some of those while gone. Once home, I hit the ground running. Unpacking had to come later. It’s just the nature of it. One can only take a vacation away from normal day-to-day living for so long—until our inevitable end.     

            Getting away allows me to experience something different which can bring other perspectives into my life. Like putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Even if it’s the minor shift of not assuming that we’re the only one having a bad day. Or deciding not to get impatient with the slow car in front of us since they might have carsick passengers in the back seat or a baby who just fell asleep… Let’s not make assumptions that we are in the right. As Pema Chodron says, “Engage the next moment without an agenda.”

            Part of our adventure was staying at a Hawaiian farm. The night sounds are quite different from here. The coqui frogs sounded to me like very loud exotic birds, providing an eerie chorus which took a while to get used to, especially since we had the windows open 24/7. Geckos were welcome housemates who entertained us with their presence. Spiders and their webs are abundant everywhere. We learned to walk under or between foliage while waving our arm ahead. Just different things to get used to and appreciate.  

              Hikes along cliffs above the rocky shorelines provide breathtaking views. Gentle tropical breezes caress the skin and keep it naturally lubricated. Farm stands and farmers markets provide year-round fresh produce. Warmer ocean waters to wade in than we have around here.  The fragrance of plumeria blossoms reward the olfactory system and put a smile on my face. These are certainly highlights of the place.

            Let’s get outside of our own lives once in a while. Go ahead, pick-up that rock and look underneath it. And while we’re at it, perhaps peel away our own hard, crusty outer layer and peer beneath the surface. What we thought of as our protective layer might indeed be what’s keeping us trapped.   

Chi Varnado has published six books including fiction, nonfiction and children’s books. They are available on www.amazon.com. Her collection of essays, Quail Mutterings, can be found on www.chivarnado.com or www.dancecentrepresents.com. 

           These days it can feel more difficult, it seems, to maintain happiness. Between the news, cold weather, Santa Ana winds and power shutoffs, lack of rain, the holiday fun behind us, short days— we crave more glimmers of hope to buoy us. Am I alone in this? We probably all have at least a touch of seasonal affective disorder whether we realize it or not. Pessimistic? Yeah, yeah, sorry. But let’s try to look on the bright side, or at least try to find one.

            February has a couple of holidays sprinkled in. That’s something. Sometimes just a break in routine can give us renewed enthusiasm. Even if it only provides a chance to catch up on our ‘To Do’ list, that can feel rewarding too. And just pausing to reflect on the reason for the holiday might be enough.

            On these cold, windy days I’ll sometimes wander into the hills and find a sunny, protected spot to soak up some warmth. I like to discover a break in the bushes and sit down in the dirt to get below the wind level. This can work pretty well.

            I’ve been fantasizing about another road trip—perhaps in April. Again, waiting for decent weather. Maybe just over to Arizona for the Tucson Folk Festival and then visit some of the beautiful protected lands in the Southeast. Anyway—something to look forward to.

I’ve heard that we’re supposed to grow wiser and happier with age. There’s a lot of truth to it, but as more time passes, we all go through more challenging times. (And good ones as well.) Perhaps we just get a little better at letting the small irritations go, not get too uptight when we realize we can’t change something, and recognize the importance of joy to our health and well-being. Also, these adjustments can make it easier for our friends and acquaintances to be around us. And since ‘community’ positively influences health and longevity, it’s in our best interest to keep that a consistent part of our lives. At least that’s how I look at it.

            I remember when the kids were little, ages ago. When they were fussy, I’d usually take them outside. That alone often turned things around. Fresh air (cold, hot, or whatever) and being outside where one can take in a more expansive view, rather than inside air and inside stuff, can help to set things right. Outside it’s easier to recognize a bigger picture and hints that it’s not “all about me”. I love the simplicity of this.

            As parents, I think it’s important to let kids get bored. Not be so quick to entertain them with some diversion or treat. Give them the time and space to figure out how to entertain themselves. It’s a valuable lifetime skill that can contribute to a creative, intelligent, fulfilled lifestyle. Let’s not rob the next generation of this.   

For the majority of us, productivity seems to play a huge part in happiness. We sure act like it does. Heavenly horrors if we come across as not busy. It’s as if we feel so much more important when we, at least, don’t admit to having much free time. When, in fact, each of us has the same amount of time each day. It’s up to us as to how we fashion our time, or maybe just change our relationship to it. There are seasons for just about everything. Perhaps we could break down each day into seasons, so to speak. A time to be born (morning), and a time to die (night)… And a time to every purpose under heaven. Again, as I probably say far too often: it’s all about balance.

            I also know that I am responsible for my own happiness. No one else can make that happen for me. It really is a moment-to-moment choice that I have to keep making. And sometimes it’s hard, and occasionally it’s easier. But it is still ultimately a decision.

            So, along with you, I embrace my lot in life and try to make the most of it. When I’m having a particularly tough time capturing contentment then I’ll take a wander outside, take a deep breath and expand my field of view, and remind myself that it’s not all about me.

Chi Varnado has published six books including fiction, nonfiction and children’s books. They are available on www.amazon.com. Her collection of essays, Quail Mutterings, can be found on www.chivarnado.com or www.dancecentrepresents.com.