It seems to me that sometimes it is good to be reminded of the things that really matter.  In the James Clear email this week he had this statement, “"You can't make a comeback if you don't start."
I was reminded of a speech by Sam to Frodo in “Lord of the Rings,” “It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy. How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened. But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something. FRODO: What are we holding on to, Sam? “
The question that Frodo asks is pertinent to me.  What am I holding on to?  If it is what matters than a comeback is always a good thing.  It seems to me that so often people give up.  Been there, done that.  Who I am is not perfect, but it is hungry.  Giving up means I will never find food.  Pressing in when things are tough is so often the way to find a feast.
It seems to me that often what is worthwhile is not easy.  It takes work and application.  It often takes making mistakes and learning from them.  It takes admitting I am wrong.  It takes acknowledging I am not the be all and end all.  Life went on before me and it will go on after me.
As they would say in Mission Impossible, ‘My role (which I have chosen to accept) is to be the best of what I am meant to be.”  It may be someone with a high profile, or it may be someone with no profile.  I remember hearing someone who was incredibly successful say that when they started out it was cleaning toilets.  But their thinking at that time was “I am going to be the best toilet cleaner ever.”
That to me says heaps.  I know perfection in what I do may be a step too far.  But perfection in who I am is a goal worth working towards.  All too often I blow it but a come back is on the cards.  Having the best mentor ever helps.

Well the day turned out to be a good pottering day.
The front yard is a jungle and needs to be delt with.  When one neighbour mows the front verge and the neighbour across the road does the whippier snipping it says something.  Now it would be nice if some other neighbour took it upon themselves to do the front gardens that would be nice.  But alas that does not happen.  That area remains to be done.
Now the back yard is a different story. (Except for the extreme back where I have the same weed problem.  Yesterday afternoon I looked at natural solutions to weeds.  We are not into the indiscriminate use of chemicals but we have a strong dislike of weeds.) 
I have used this solution once on a path and it was effective.  It is vinegar based.  Yesterday I prepared a sprayer and got is all ready.  Early morning and evening is best, and results are visible the next day.  I had a sprayer in an unopened box.  It had a shoulder strap.  I wanted a solution that did not involve bending at all.  I am happy with this one.
Merril went to visit family and it was right and good.  I was determined just to potter around.  I did that successfully.  I tidied up the car port, blowing away the leaves and grime as I went.
In the afternoon I pursued something that seems to be a goal of Merril to.  We want to strike plants from cuttings and seeds for sale at our market.  I found two ideal containers for pots and added polystyrene we had from the installation of a few things.  Then I added potting mix we had.  All is in readiness now.
It inspired me to work on our green house.  I cleared it out and have made it our greenhouse/potting area.
I did other things that made for a satisfying days activities.  But the front yard still awaits.  Dealing with that is planned for tomorrow.  Merril studies today and I will potter again.  It is date night tonight and we would like to do some shopping. 
It is an enjoyable time of the year.

Another Christmas has come and gone.
We went out to someone’s place for lunch.  They were having a get together for anyone in the community who wanted to have lunch with them.  There was plenty of food.  It was going from 11am to 3pm.  We left at about 2pm.
Before that, we had had our usual praying together then did some things around the home as well as open presents.  I saw a kid interviewed and asked what they got for Christmas.  They said “paper.”  I got paper too but I did not treat in very well.  It was what was inside the paper I was after.
I had started to put together a table which we had bought from Ikea for our granny flat (cabin).  It was a small one with a folding side.  I must admit I have only ever bought a table and plonked it where it was going.  This one I had to construct.  It may not look much, but it had so many parts and a hidden extension.
I followed the instructions to the letter.  Merril helped me finish it.  Two are much quicker than one.   Especially when it is Merril.  She made what looked hard to me, easy.  In very little time it was completed and put in place.  And everything worked as it should!
The chairs are fold up ones and the spares in case people arrive to eat.  We have not bought the main ones yet.
Merril is studying and used some of the time to do what she needed to do to keep up with her subject.
There was other stuff we got done before we went out.  More and more the home is looking like it once did with the additions.  We had altered the bathroom so now it is a bathroom, washing cloths area and an ironing area.  One place was now three places.  That was because we used to do the ironing and washing in the now self-contained granny flat.  We do those things elsewhere now (our former bathroom only).
Then we headed off.  We took some heating trays on a “just in case” basis and they were needed.  It was good having conversations with people I had not talked to much before.  Because the chief cook was Asian, I had food I would not normally have.  I must say I liked it a lot.
We came home and had a rest.  Not much was completed in the evening.  That is pretty usual.  Heaps gets done early.