Thursday 13: From my PC I can see ...

13 Things I can see from my PC

I know, what's so special about that? It's special to me because that's where I spend too much a great deal of my time these days. My computer sits on a nondescript table, the kind you find in the social hall of a local church. It's plain, in spite of the faux woodgrain finish, but it has lots of room for my stuff. Trust me, I have lots of 'stuff.'

The table is pushed up against the back wall of our spare bedroom/home office that has no bed so it's really not an apropos name. But I digress. Not only is it against the back wall, it's right under a double window. This means that I can shift my eyes any time I wish and see the great outdoors.

So in honor of Thursday Thirteen, here is a list of 13 things I can see from my pc.

1. Trees. Lots and lots of trees. The lot behind us is undeveloped and it is full of towering Australian pines. They have been trying to get rid of them here in south Florida for a while now. They're pretty, and the breeze makes a beautiful whispering sound when it blows, but their trunks are very soft and they tend to snap in half given the slightest wind. So yes. Hurricanes + Australian pines = lots and lots of damage.

2. Red berries. This time of year the Florida holly trees that grow over our fence (from the lot mentioned above) are chock full of berries. so many in fact that the branches bend under the weight, dragging agaisnt the ground.

3. A hot tub. It sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Never mind, it hasn't worked in years but it sounds so lah-dee-dah to say snootily, "We have a hot tub."

4. Frisbees. They belong to the monster dog, but my husband puts them up on the cover of the hot tub when they're finished playing. I don't pay attention to them too much until I see the dog stand up on his hind legs to retrieve one. Then I count down from 10 until he gets inside and starts to harass me to come out and play. Sometimes I make it to 5, but not usually.

5. Birds. My favorite thing of all, especially if it's the cardinals we see on a regular basis. I love my cardinals, they make me think of my daddy. That's another post. ;)

6. Weather. Sounds silly, but the old joke about sticking your hand outside to forecast the weather? It works pretty well for me, except I look out the window. Sunny? Yep. Raining? Yep, there it is. It's old fashioned, but it works.


Not everything I see is outside, of course. There are plenty of treasures inside as well.

7. To my far right, hanging on the peach colored wall, is a framed black and white print of the cast of Star Trek: Voyager, Season One. That's important to Trekkies like me because it was before 7 of 9. Trust me, this is very important. It is also signed by the entire cast and numbered (84/500). I bought it from a dear friend several years ago and it's a treasure.

8. I can see my calendar from The Beaches of Toronto that my soul sister sent me. It's small, but the photos are of places I know well. When I look at it, I remember the wonderful times I've had when I visited her and how very much I want to go back.

9. George. George is my philodendron plant that I bought at our church bazaar two years ago. I've no earthly clue why I named him George, or even why I named him at all. That's not like me. But, he's George and he's thriving. (I take that back. If I sit up really straight I can see Helen out on the patio table, but how Helen got her name is another story; an inside joke from my former work place. *g*)

10. Under the Voyager print is a small roll top desk. It's crammed full of cd's and papers and can't be used as a desk without employing several Hefty bags and a shovel. But we bought it in Los Angeles when my husband was working out there in 2005. It held his laptop and the cable tv bills as they came in, and is a remnant of a life that almost was. This life we have now is better. Trust me.

11. Software. Old things, newer things, the tall bookshelf to my left has a bit of it all. Sims 2 and a bunch of expansion packs; the Star Trek Omnipedia from about ten years ago that I can't bear to toss, and several other vintage titles.

12. Hymnals. My real life as a church musician wouldn't be complete without a collection of hymnals. These happen to be from the Methodist Church and they date back to the early 1900's.

And lastly?

13. You. I can see all of you when I look at the monitor. Maybe not by face, unless it's a profile picture on Facebook or any number of other sites, but in my mind's eye I see you all. My friends. My family. My connection to the great big world that's out there just waiting to be discovered.

I'm grateful for each and every one of you. ♥