Here, fishy fishy fishy!

We often spend long hours trying to figure out what to do with our weekends since moving out of the Chicago. Not that we really knew what to do with our weekends then, either... but there was a clearer plethora of offerings, and our inability to select something or motivate ourselves out of the house was more clearly our own failing.

Here, we seem to face a similar struggle. Which makes me think the dilemma stems from our own inability to fully seize upon the present and enjoy (and commit to) our surroundings. Thus, we are now locked in a sort of inner whirlwind as to where to head next, what opportunities to grasp, and what wants and needs to prioritize. BUT... the issue that seems to be emerging with increasing clarity is that much of our present unhappiness stems from an inability or unwillingness to commit to the now and live more fully in the present.

However, today we managed to do pretty well at filling our time and having fun. We went to a local fish hatchery and fed the very last of the catfish being raised this year. Three buckets of food, two tanks with approximately 3,000 fish each, and one very happy little 2 year old who took great delight in throwing fish pellets into the water and watching the frenzy that ensued.

It was great fun, totally free, and we even got to pick out some coloring books with local wildlife and state facts. Truly cool. The woman on staff who helped us recommended returning in June to see the eggs and to have the experience of feeding 30,000 fish, which is what they have on hand in the middle of the summer.

I know we will likely not stay in this area for the long haul, but I hope by the time we leave, we have many wonderful memories and lots of things to miss. There truly is so much to enjoy here; I don't want us to miss it while chasing dreams around the corner.

Looking for the silver lining.

You've probably heard about the oil spill in Louisiana already. Apparently, it spans from New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico, and stalled ships and essentially stopped all traffic on the Mississippi River all the way up to today (Monday).

Of course, in the midst of gas prices hovering in the $4 range and barrels rollercoastering in price all month, this news was of the kind that leads to mild panic... as well as that pit-of-your-stomach crash of "not again" - at least for those of us who still strongly and clearly recall the Exxon Valdez spill in '89.

However, if reports are to be believed, the good news is the impact upon wildlife will be minimal (though I think that assessment depends on who you read), and the refineries in the area expect operations and output to continue at anticipated levels (i.e., no shortage/crisis).

Of course, the long-term effects of such an environmental oops are sometimes hard to calculate, and if you take a holistic perspective or systems approach, then even the smallest "accident" of this kind can have an impact upon the world in myriad ways.

Hmmmm... so where is that silver lining?