When You Might Be Turning Into A Hermit

I think I might have missed my calling as a hermit...

Photo: publicdomainpictures.net

I mostly keep to myself these days.  Not much socializing going on around this gal - unless you count group texts with my sisters, occasionally going to the craft store  with the female offspring, or grocery shopping with the Man of the house "socializing".  And the thing is, except for a few rare instances when I start wondering if this isolation from society is a bad thing and maybe I need to force myself to join a book club or something, I am pretty much OK with it.

I have dreams of moving to some mountainside or valley cove (as we call them around here a "holler") with a few acre of land, a tiny house and some chickens.  The sort of place where you go into town to do the shopping. And better be sure you get everything you might need until the next trip because there's no such thing as a 'quick trip to the store'.

There's also the idea of moving to some remote Alaskan village where the population in winter is about the same, or smaller, as the enrollment of the local high school where we live now.  Or off to England for a year - where nobody knows us.

I even came to realize that my favorite types of weather...  foggy, rainy days and snow - are exactly the kind which encourage a person to stay home!  Which is one thing I love about it.  Staying tucked inside, warm and dry with a cup of coffee, a good book or two, and my latest crochet project.

I'm not ready to go off the grid completely.  I need to be somewhere I can make a semi regular trip to the craft or yarn store.  And a library.

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

A Spirit of Gratitude: May 26

I Am Thankful For:

afternoon thunderstorm

"peace and quiet" time

scheduling my day

clean sheets

the grand baby trying to convince me that my to do list says 'cupcakes'

bean plants sprouting

a bloom on a tomato plant

talking birthday plans with the male offspring

feeling productive

the Man of the House suggesting a trip to Publix  

that frustrating crochet project finally starting to come together

the tomato plants really taking off!

getting much done before 9am

going over to visit with my mom

new haircut

spending an afternoon with my sister

late night texts with the other one

the Man of the House grilling all weekend

our first watermelon of the summer

long weekends

cookout

a clean house

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

Three Things That Need to Change

Sometimes when something just isn't working for you any longer - it's time to make a change.  A lot of times that is easier said than done.  Here are three things I know I need to change:

1)  Sleep

Every evening I tell myself I am going to go to bed earlier than usual.  And every night, that doesn't seem to happen.  Then, every morning I get up very early.  Every day, I am tired by the middle of the afternoon (at the latest)

2) The Junk I Consume

http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=43198&picture=french-fries

I know I need to eat better.  My cholesterol numbers show that.  The scale shows that.  My doctor has told me that.  Scripture says that our bodies are temples where the Holy Spirit resides.  Would I fill a temple with garbage?  Um.... no.

3)  Water

I need to increase the amount of water I drink.  By a lot.  Some days it gets to be very late in the afternoon and I realize I have had nothing to drink since my morning coffee. Seriously - how am I not thirsty ALL. THE. Time?

Is there something you know you need to change?

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

When Your Gratitude Is Challenged

As I sat yesterday working on my "Spirit of Gratitude" post, I considered the weekend just past.  It seemed to just fly past - as most of our weekends do.  Full of errands to run, chores to take care of, projects to complete (or at least to make some progress towards completion)   I thought about family.  I thought on what might be considered trials we are facing for the moment.  And the joys we are experiencing.

It's almost dizzying at times how much can pack into a matter of a few days.  At the pace of human life, it's easy for things to get overlooked.  Missed.  Or forgotten.  We are only capable of focusing on so much at any one time.

What are you focusing on in life?  The blessings, the good moments, the quiet, the peace?  Or the  negative, the stressful moments, the busyness?  The choice is yours.

For me, the point of my gratitude journaling is to focus on the goodness in my life.  To make myself find at least a few good points in every day.  No matter how terrible, horrible, very bad the day seemed.  There is never a day that is NO good.  There is always something in that day to be thankful for.  Even if it's just that you made it through, you are still breathing, and that particular day is over and done.

My challenge to you this week is this: every day find at least three things for which you can breathe out a "thank you" to the God of the universe.  Write them down.  Keep them where you can see them. If you find the negative thoughts creeping in - look at the blessings you have written down.  See if it doesn't help improve your mood.  And your week.  

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

A Spirit of Gratitude: May 18

 I AM THANKFUL FOR:

the grand baby's mischievous little grin

homemade granola

a return to Spring after several days of previewing Summer's hot weather

the Man of the House giving me a neck rub

fresh baked cinnamon bread

the Man of the House coming home early

snuggles on the couch

playing "heads up" with the Man of the House and the male offspring

staying up too late

finding the perfect birthday present

my brother in law recovering from successful surgery

big squeezes from the grand baby

smoked BBQ chicken

cinnamon

all the laundry folded and put away

peace in the middle of stress

the grand baby asking to be tickled

 

 

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

A Spirit of Gratitude: May 14

I Am Thankful For

long, lingering goodbye kisses

big yellow full moon just before sunrise

picking up the first of the plants for the garden

my nephew's second birthday

the female offspring bringing me a Dr Pepper

planting herbs

ergonomic crochet hooks

the Man of the House making breakfast sandwiches

new energy efficient air conditioner unit

garden is completely planted

big order completed and shipped

baking cinnamon raisin bread

a 25% off total purchase coupon on the very day I need to go pick up yarn

the grand baby being very silly

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

When You're NOT The Perfect Mother

You are going to have days when you rock the whole Mom thing.  You will prepare three wholesome and nutritious meals - which your child actually consumes.  The house will be clean.  The laundry will not only be washed, but also folded and put away.  You will do arts and crafts with your offspring. Or at least get down in the floor and play.  You will be cute and look pulled together. Your little one will be quiet and we'll behaved while you run errands.  You will be calm and quiet.  After the tiny angel goes to bed with little or no fuss, you will look back on the day and give a little fist pump of victory worthy of the closing freeze frame from The Breakfast Club.

You might have some days like that. But if you are like most of us - those days will be very few... and very far between...

There are going to be days when breakfast - and maybe lunch too -  is dry cereal or a peanut butter sandwich.  Some days that might even pass as dinner as well.  If you can actually get them to eat anything without resorting to force feeding.

There might be days when you're not sure you'll be able to find the washing machine behind the pile of dirty laundry.  When your kid can practice his or her writing skills in the dust in your coffee table.

Days when the t shirt without spit up stains and yoga pants are what passes for high fashion on your life.  When you find yourself struggling to remember your last shower.

When you let them watch one more episode of that cartoon just so you can sit still and rest for a couple of minutes.  (or finally get in that shower mentioned above)

Days your little sweetie is squirmy, whiny, or demanding at the store.  Maybe he or she even has a full blown temper tantrum.

When bed time is a struggle you're not sure you're winning.

Sometimes you're probably going to lose your cool and raise your voice.

But here's the thing ...  that's ok!  It doesn't make you a bad mom.  It makes you human.

The only perfect mothers are the ones invented by television writers or our own imaginations.  I promise you that even the mom who seems to have it all together has days when she feels like she's struggling.  We are all just doing the best we can.

Stop trying to be the world's best mother - and just be the best mother you are capable of being today.

She's pretty awesome.  (Just ask her kids)

publicdomainpictures.net

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

A Spirit of Gratitude: May 5

May!  It is May already!  Wasn't it just, like - January??  I have a theory that I have perhaps (completely without my knowledge) discovered time travel.  This theory is based entirely on the fact that I feel as if I am losing big chunks of time somewhere.  I could get sucked down into a whirlpool of how fast time is flying and oh-woe-is-me.  But NOPE!  I am choosing instead to be grateful.  To believe that time seems to fly past because each day is so full of goodness and blessings that the next one can't wait to arrive here and get its fill!

THIS WEEK I AM THANKFUL FOR:

being busier than I ever imagined

the Man of the House rubbing the small of my back

simple dinners

a good (but short) nights sleep

cute buttons

a good sale on organic coffee

Publix chicken salad

learning to lean on God more and more

healthy eating plans

finally seeing some progress

NFL draft day

last guitar lesson of the semester

an attitude improvement

quiet time to get some work done

pizza night

music recitals

a full 8 hours of sleep

breaking ground for the garden

planning for planting

late night reading

uncontrollable giggles

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups