#Health Matters, #meanderings, #prose, #Retirement Projects

Fluffy the Idlebird (Tin Moon), Pretty Bubbles (Sister Sun) and a VeeDub Bus.

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Fluffy the Idlebird with friend, Pretty.

On finding an old blog from 2023 put into draft status……I reflected on the poem and suddenly needed to rewrite current thoughts. So basically, a total new blog.

Recently it has been a case of ‘What on Earth is going on with Time’. Five years ago, upon retirement, one single year passing by felt like it lasted for two years. Now? One year feels like six months. The days to weeks to months simply ‘Fly Bye’. Yes, that’s it! They Fly in and say Good-Bye so fast.

Once was a time before retirement that a certain VeeDub Bus, made in 1972, was used on a daily basis. The VeeDub Bus is officially known as a Volkswagen Type 2 Bay Crossover. Or, in other words…a Hippie Camper Van called Billie Cloud 9. Its past use? Getting to and from work on a daily basis and also an escape/bolt hole for leisure.

Gentler times.

Now, in five years of retirement, it has hardly been used. In fact, over those five years, its use can probably be counted on the fingers of two hands. It had broken down massively and been repaired. But it still kept stuttering and cutting out on simple journeys. A change of carburettor was supposed to be the answer.

However, once again last year, on fitting the carburettor, it was found to need a huge repair job on rotting metalwork again. Possibly living near to the sea. Sea salty air? It was completed. Carburettor (twin port) sorted and bodywork rebuilt. So all tickety-boo? Nope. Looking out of the window this morning, it currently sits on the drive looking miserable. It performs at 12 miles to a gallon. And with massively expensive petrol being the norm currently it becomes a much considered thought process. And it has a fuel gauge that does not work. To make the fuel gauge readable? A huge intervention of getting at the fuel tank to fix a ‘sender’.

It is impossible to feel confidence in going out driving in such circumstances. Travelling along wondering if you are going to run out of petrol. And the cost of petrol being, as said, exorbitant too, you cannot travel far in a rural set up. The VeeDub uses Grade E5 petrol and the nearest garage that sells it requires a nine mile journey. Also. Welsh countryside, with lots of hill climbs, may even increase petrol consumption. Hence, reluctance to use the vehicle. So, this morning, the miserable situation of the VeeDub Bus has suddenly migrated to its owner.

Currently I am whisper singing Perry Como’s ‘Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket. Save it for a rainy day’. It is perfect rationality.

Also. Lifestyle as an ‘introvert who likes to stay at home’ or ‘someone who found beautiful solace in isolation outdoors in the VeeDub’? Confusion exists as to why you are regularly asking the question nowadays as to ‘Why so many Negative Circumstances currently’? It is an emotion of huge impact and one that has chipped away at the brain over the past couple of years. It chips and chips away annoyingly and eventually brings you down. Both in physical and mental health. Crashing down actually. So much so that the time has arrived that requires a massive change regarding lifestyle.

As the magnetic words state.
‘It is always good to relax, listen and breathe …. And to shine in this sacred, beautiful green sanctuary’.

When Father Time is moving too fast. There has to be an answer to slow it down. When life’s purpose is challenged, you simply have to change. In around four weeks, the reality of becoming a 70 year old in age status arrives.

A journey of highs and lows.

Change! A break and withdrawal is the answer. The VeeDub Bus will be fixed. My wife has found someone who works on them. She is adamant that it will be sorted. Reflecting with my sensible logical brain this morning, a sudden realisation as to the VeeDub status dropped. ‘The past five years’ money input of thousands and thousands of pounds with costs of repair, insurance and buying never used extras (for going out to both record my music and relax) has been crazy. And what for!’

The stupidity of the situation has suddenly hit home. Embracing new holistic calm by focusing on richer worthwhile and wholesome experiences is the aim. The VeeDub up and running properly can provide a quest for finding calm again. Escape and dive deeply into re-finding the real nature of happiness.

Also. For the rest of the year, every effort will be for regular WordPress uploads to be put on hold. No attempting to do uploads of weekly useless write ups or my unfinished songs. Maybe a once every month or, even better, two monthly update of intent. May even delete all but my much visited seminal content. About 12 posts.

Life? Intent? It simply means finding one’s gentler soul again. This need for finding a new soulful simplicity may slow time down again.

On re-reading, I thought of the meaning of the Idlebird poem written a few years ago. There are a few lines within it. And yes! They self resonate.

On a daily basis….Dawdling here and there. Meandering to and fro. I have simply become ‘a song that is never sung’ recently. Never focused. Just mind bending random thoughts with subsequent confusion inherent.

Time cannot simply ‘pass by’ and no longer be enjoyed. As the poem says ‘No passer by is Pretty Fish…….’

This morning was a wake up call to new reality. Or as we British say as a colloquial idiom, ‘Give your head a wobble Summers.’

What is more important to embrace? Sister Sun? Or The Tin Moon?

Photograph from the free WordPress library. Edited from colour to black and white.

To witness a running Idlebird

Is very rare you know

It waddles here

It dawdles there

It meanders to and fro.

You’ll only see an elder one

But Yes! They were once young

Their vibrant youth

Now a hidden truth

Within a song that is never sung.

No passer-by is Pretty Fish,

She often comes to say,

‘I’ve knocked your door

I do implore.

Ask me inside to stay’.

She’s traveled far in her bubble car

To bring a welcome tune

Shimmery fun

She’s Sister Sun

To Idlebird’s Tin Moon.

Written quote ‘You faked your feelings…….’ From the book ‘Guidelines to Feelings’ by K. Bradford-Brown. The juxtaposition of one’s self twin positive and negative identities. No complexity exists. Just an ability to find the simplicity of balance.

18 thoughts on “Fluffy the Idlebird (Tin Moon), Pretty Bubbles (Sister Sun) and a VeeDub Bus.”

  4. Gray, this really resonated with me. I think a lot of us reach a point where we realize we’ve been spending so much energy trying to keep things going that we’ve forgotten to simply enjoy life. I hope Billie gets back on the road, but even more than that, I hope you find that gentler pace you’re looking for. Your writing always gives me something to reflect on.

    Cheers buddy

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    1. Cheers Bryan. I have had other dynamics that have taken up time recently. The only breaks are listening to old vinyl for a few hours. And realising that life needs to have a nicer permanent vibe is growing now. There is determination to get the VeeDub sorted. You know yourself how it feels to have a regular pastime that slows life down. That’s priceless.

      There will be enough time to sit and read others’ blog posts or even a book or two soon.

      All the best Bryan and thanks for your thoughts. Much appreciated. 🙏🏽

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    1. Cheers Friedrich.

      And a strange thing to think about? Why do people put Porsche engines in them and race them on racing tracks? Isn’t the philosophy of VeeDub vibes more suited to pootling about at 50 miles per hour and taking life easy as can be. Agree with your long road observation. There definitely is a long road to be travelled as life passes by. So, you may as well feel the calm nature in diving into gentler environmental times and embrace the enjoyment to be found in a slower, less hectic, pace.

      So pleased to know that you have driven a VeeDub Bus Friedrich and had that amazing experience of ownership.

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  6. The best of luck with Billie Cloud 9. Once Billie is back on the road and you are enjoying the countryside (petrol be damned) the serenity will make it all worthwhile. Funny, my wife and I were talking the other day about the time spent on WordPress. I was favoring a complete withdrawal; she encouraged me to stick with it. You are 70 now, a new phase of life has been reached – enjoy it. You spent your 60s and 50s on WordPress. Maybe it will make a great avenue for discussing this new you or simply reminiscing.

    All the best

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    1. Cheers Danny. Luckily, WordPress never became an out of control monster with thousands of followers. Also never became more than a simple tool to use as you would a journal. Thoughtful writings about one’s interests. And sometimes the odd emotional inclusions. My site is a simple one. With a few friendships and wonderful exchanged conversations built up over the years. That matters more than the weird blogger world of putting out blog after blog and having massive readership with nothing given back by the writers in return.

      It is always great to be involved with various Worldwide energies and I really enjoy reading others’ blogs. However, you can get bogged down with a guilty feeling to commit to commenting and support at times where there is not enough time, in reality, to do so. Especially to those that become friends over the years.

      I too have been recently thinking of not renewing my yearly subscription. Cancelling and deleting the blog completely. But I do think a massive reduction in deleting most of past posts to a small readable content on my site would be sensible in reality. I may just have ‘page themes’ with a small collection of past features. Keep the site centrally floating about in case I want to begin new themed ideas and captures in the future.

      And also, spending a few days saving my past written blogs to an external hard drive would be sensible. Copy and paste format. The photographs are the ones to keep especially. My media content on the app is virtually full now. Photographs? My Aphantasia demands pictorial evidence of what has been happening in my life in reality. My hard drive has a 3TB mass of available space on it.

      Thanks Danny. All the best too. 🙏🏽🍁🍂

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