An example of a learned response or that's how we react, because we're used to it, is why so many of us are afraid of heights.  We're ground animals; we're always looking up, and we have a pretty good idea of how far up is, but we can't translate it into the reverse.

Go three steps up a ladder and it will fell like three miles.  We become frightened; we're afraid we'll fall...that is until we climb ladders everyday and get used to judging distances by looking down.

Monkeys and other tree-living, tree-swinging animals aren't afraid of heights or of falling; they're used to it.  Oh, to be a bird.  Talk about viewing the world from great heights.

Back to our perception of fleeting time.  I wasn't ready for Thanksgiving nor Christmas past.  I still have two gifts to send back East, which I will do tomorrow (maybe) and blame the delay on the postal service.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

It was yesterday that Elvis died or the Northridge earthquake happened, wasn't it?  Seems like it.

It also seems like it was just yesterday that I was going to go to the nursery and get bulbs for Spring planting.  Yesterday was -- in real time -- December '06, so I could get them in the ground in time for them to bloom in March '07. 

It's still on my to-do list just in time for planting now.  Sometimes I wonder if that particular procrastination is because no matter how much I love to see daffodils, tulips and crocuses sprout and bloom, I really don't want to do the planting.  Or was it due to all the things that sprang up and got in the way?

Just a thought.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

On the plus side, I was forced by the circumstance of remodeling the kitchen -- something eleven New Years flitted by before I got around to doing -- to clear it out and box up everything.  As I did it I weeded out all the I-never-use-these and gave them to the Vietnam Veterans Valley chapter.

That is except for all the I-don't-knows and maybe I should hang-onto-these. If I don't use them for another year, then I can give them away.  I'm sure there's a woman somewhere in the Valley who would love to pick up a used-only-once potato ricer at the veterans' outlet store.

The ricer and the waffle iron are both in a box in the garage along with several bags of we-don't-wear-'ems.  Which reminds me, I've been meaning to go online and arrange for them to be picked up.  It will clear a nice space in the garage for the next collection of never-used stuff.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Here's another thing.  How many boxes of Christmas and other holiday decorations do you have stored away collecting dust?

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