Cowboy Bob Sorensen

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  This is another article about my growth process as a widower, written in hopes that it will help others. It is not as direct about the grief process as others. Note that at the onset, I learned that everyone grieves in different ways, and that it is okay to do so in the first place. Similarly, we all have to grow and develop. Memories of and tributes to those we lost are good but we cannot stay in the past. Softball diamond from home plate, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen People need to learn the value of remaining silent at appropriate times. (See " Peace, be Still! ") Strategic silence. The importance of this may dawn in people's minds in their forties, but even more so in their sixties. Blessed are those who learn it sooner. Consider when we establish our boundaries. When pushed on something, a simple, "That will not work for me," should be sufficient. Unfortunately, we tend to provide a litany of reasons why not. Those are actually inv...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Although this fits with my frequent dealing with bereavement theme, it also deals with psychological and even spiritual freedoms. Keep reading. You will thank me later. Some people equate clutter with filth, which is not necessarily the case. (Clutter with organic material that should have been thrown away, yes, that is filth and attracts crunchy bugs.) Some folks want their homes like museums where nothing is out of place. Many others accept a few things that are not put away. Then there is the out-of-sight clutter. Clutter, Pexels / Bingqian Li (enhanced) Aside from things we set down and walk away from, why do we have clutter? Carelessness for one. Also, being distracted; the phone rings while carrying something through the front door. Those are the immediate things and they can be put where they belong later. But there are sheds, basements, hobby rooms, and other places that are full of things that aren't exactly useful. It gets difficult to declutter. O...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Before I get into the more thoughtful ponderings, here is something a mite humorous. I "inherited" from Charlene a George Foreman "Beyond" 7-in-1 grill. I do not think she used most of the functions aside from the air fryer. Me, neither, at first. It took 2-1/2 years for me to realize something. A supermarket sells fish portions in containers that can go in the oven. The grill has a bake function and has, plenty of room for the container. So, I baked it. Pizza in George Foreman Beyond, 7-in-1 Grill The next day, I tried a single-serving pizza (in which I lived up to the "abuser of food" part of my X profile ) and added some canned sauerkraut halfway through baking. Both items turned out fine. This means I don't have to turn on the big oven in warm weather for small stuff. In fact, I can put an oven-safe plate in there to heat things. I'm going to experiment. Mayhaps I'll try the "roast" setting... A spell back,...