Trina Machacek: Throw open your curtains

For a very long time the curtains in my home were closed. Tight. Like Fort Knox tight. Too bright during the day and too dark during the night. Too hot during the day. Too cold during the night. Just always too, too something.

I get that your inside life needs to be kept on the inside. I mean I was told by my mom that I had a cousin who sang a country song that said something ‘bout pulling your window shades completely down. I totally understand that. I don’t really want to see things on the inside of your house that you wouldn’t want to put on display on the outside of your house. But! Yes a clear shot “but.” But I’m all done with the closed up feeling. Especially since it’s finally getting to be spring.

I like to get up in the morning and open the curtains to see the circus. Here are two examples of things that have happened with my curtains open. I seem to have a bullseye on top of my head. As proven by the fact that more than once, however not many as 10 times I have been targeted by and hit with wayward bird’s do-do.

So I shouldn’t have been all that surprised by a loud squish I heard just the other day on a south facing window under a nice pine tree. Yes a bird, apparently a big bird landed and ready, aim, fired at the window. You know it wouldn’t have been quite so bad but the little dickens chose to hit the side with the screen on it. What are the chances right?

Oh I found who I suspect is the culprit just a few days later. I was sitting in the living room and this big old hoot-y owl came floating over the house and landed on a low branch in an olive tree out front. He was so graceful, just gorgeous. Then the little devil ruffled his feathers got all squatty and pooped out a stream reaching about ten feet behind his behind. Come on!

No kids or grandkids for this kiddo. But I do have some wonderful friends who come to visit so I get to squish their kids and that’s heaven to me. That’s why when they come over they have the run of my home. I let the parents’ parent when needed of course. Then when nobody is looking I get to sneak in some badness. Extra cookies and toys to take home.

Kids at my house can play with stuff and climb on the furniture. I look at it like — hey it’s just stuff. But those squishes are priceless. Throughout my home my windows are kinda low. Just the right height for 2-6-year-olds to run up to waving, slapping and squeaking at the window when something goes by.

Last fall kittens would fly by the window and that’s where those wonderful tiny cookie-covered slobber feast hand prints came from. It takes me a long, long time to finally wash those memories off. I usually only do it when I think I am getting another visit from my tiny friends.

If my curtains were closed I would not have either of those memories to enjoy. Uh, not so much the widow screen bird gift. You have to take the bad with the good though. If your curtains are closed all the time how will people know you are alive and kickin’? Having your curtains open let’s your friends and neighbors know you are up and at it.

I’m surprised sometimes that someone will honk as they go by when I work late into the night writing and doing girly stuff. HAHAHA Or when someone will message me as I am working late because they have just driven by and saw I was up because my curtains were still open. Nice to have people keep an eye on me.

So throw those window coverings open and let life into your home and at the same time let your life out into the world. Hey a little bird poo is just a way to remind you that there is life out there. Along with helping to get your derriere up and going to wash a window occasionally. Peek-a-boo.

Trina lives in Eureka, Nevada. Find her on Facebook, Instagram and at itybytrina@yahoo.com.