SURVIVING THE HEAD-LONG BLAST INTO THE PICTURE WINDOW

We had a little excitement this morning, while I was catching up on the morning news, slurping coffee, and willing an ugly headache away.  There were all kinds of birds at the bird feeder, and Miss Emmy had assumed her usual position on the window sill watching them.  Out of the blue, as so many of them do, a sparrow flew headlong into the picture window, making quite a racket!  

I was worried he'd broken his neck, as I've found countless goldfinches expired upon my porch, from similar unfortunate incidents with my picture window.  

I couldn't find him at first.  I looked ... stepped out on my porch and everything.  Miss Emmy spied him, however, and stood watch over him for the 30 minutes it took him to regain his senses.  He landed in my evergreen bush just like this ... all askew.  With the way he was breathing, I really wasn't holding out much hope that he would make it.  I mean, look at that leg!

Poor Mr. Sparrow, askew in an evergreen bush, after having an unfortunate accident with my picture window. 

 After five minutes or so, Mr. Sparrow was able to maneuver himself to an upright position, but he still didn't move much, and I was sure he would succumb to his internal injuries.  Emmy worried the bird further by pacing back and forth on the window sill, meowing incessantly.  I am not sure she would know exactly what to do with a sparrow should she find herself in possession of one, but she was willing to give it a valiant effort if I would only release the beast and let her at it! 

Mr. Sparrow righted himself enough to sit in the tree, rather than the splayed-out prone position he had assumed. 

 After several more minutes of rest, he managed to pull himself together enough to realize there was a large cat eyeing him from the window, and that he should, perhaps, keep an eye on her.  

When it was all said and done, Mr. Sparrow was able to fly out of the bush and to other parts of the neighborhood, where I choose to think he is living happily ever after, with a rather sizable headache. 

Mr. Sparrow has regained enough of his senses to realize there was a BIG, FLUFFY cat in his general vicinity just dying to taste-test.  It wasn't too long after this picture that he took flight and skedaddled out of our general area.  I wish him well!

During the beginning of my summer break, I sort of feel like this sparrow...a bit like I've been thrown head-long into a picture window, and then, by sheer force and inertia, have been flung into an evergreen bush.  My bell has been rung .. badly.  And I need to spend some time gathering my senses.  The problem is that by the time I've regained my senses, it's time to head back to work, where the proverbial bell is rung again, only this time, worse than last, and it takes me even longer than previous breaks, to get my act together.

This summer will be different.  

It has to be.  

One of the goals I have is to treat my writing like a job.  Every day, I will sit for an hour or two and write.  Period.  No other distractions.  No answering phone calls, texts, tweets, posts, Instagrams, nothing.  Not happening.  

I have been yapping for years about the fact that I need to get some pieces finished.  This is the year.  This is the summer.  It. Will.  Happen. 

The other thing I want to do is be more active. That is the only way to keep the weight at bay as well as to try to drop the weight that I have, once again, added to my body.  UGH!

Finally, I want to explore my little world called Kentucky.  There are out of the way places that I've never been to.  Towns I'd like to explore.  I plan to do that.  Take a day to travel to places and just soak it up.  

I have six good weeks in which to do this.  It's doable.  

I WILL survive the headlong flight into the proverbial picture window of life.  I promise you this!