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COMET..and the day I almost died!

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There comes a time when the choice to clean or not to clean becomes a no brainer! Today was the day….and the place to clean was …the dreaded shower! I often skip this chore because…well…I hate to do it! It is HARD and I have to take a shower and clean all at the same time. There is no way around it…I am gonna get soaked!!

Today I couldn’t avoid it any longer…I have run out of excuses and on top of that I have no need for a on going science fair project. Okay, before anyone shrieks…..it wasn’t that bad just a little icky around the edges (don’t ask my preachermans opinions please, just take my word for it!) It is sad actually, in days gone by I was much more on top of the cleaning of the home, Back then this was my JOB…..now it is just my thing I avoid. Some people run around scamming to get their next “high”…not me I work on other ways to hire a full-time maid! Do they call them that anymore? If I am politically IN-Correct please forgive.

If I had my way I would be “Mrs. B” and my right hand man would be HAZEL. This is the bill of goods my generation was sold…marry a nice man and he will get you a great maid. I had visions of strolling around with my cute blonde short hair up-do in my pearls and cute strapy heels while Hazel tended to the house and cooking and keeping that ornery kid in line. Who wouldn’t like that….Hazel was the best! I did marry the good man and have the nice house and had the FOUR ornery kids but, as luck would have it……Women’s Lib hit and POOF all my hopes were dashed! UGH…. what were we thinking?

A can of Comet.
A can of Comet. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Back to the point (finally)… on this day as I struggled to get into that awful standup shower situation, for which I hate, who invented those things, what happened to tiled showers….ugh, anyways I began to clean with my trusty COMET (WAIT… I KNOW, its fiberglass and thats a NO NO! but the previous owners apparently worked on cars and even washed them in our showers and tubs and there is no sign of any shiny parts left…aka already ruined!) so the only way to get the crud off is COMET! I shake the COMET on my new sponge called Scotch Brite tub scrubber-–the best thing invented

Non-Scratch Scrub Sponges
Non-Scratch Scrub Sponges (Photo credit: Jeremy Brooks)

in my opinion, buy one! and as I shook the COMET I also bent down to clean the lower part and I INHALED A BIG POOF OF COMET!…What’s that emergency number…um cough cough!

I raised up gagging, coughing, nearly blind thinking to myself…”NO one would ever believe this, I died inhaling COMET! …….CLeaning? NOOOOO can’t be true…..”she never cleans anymore” they would say….NOOO impossible!” on top of that I was…um let’s just say, in my cleaning the shower attire! No EMT in the land wants to see all that….I have only lost 17 lbs, not near enough! Finally after what seemed like decades i realized…put your head under the shower spray dummy!…OH OK DUH! That fixed it…I think, I coughed and cried because it was in my eyes and it was kinda scary…ya know!

See, its not that I am afraid to die, I just don’t want to die…UGLY, in an ugly way…neeeccckkked! I have learned a huge lesson. SAVE YOUR MONEY FOR A PROFESSIONAL HOUSE CLEANER SILLY!!! Until then I will try to not suffocate myself with COMET or any other cleaning product…no one would ever believe it anyway! 

 

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do it right the first time……Ma!

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These days my mind has been set on “fixin’ up” those nagging spaces in my house that in the past 5 years have been starring at me…everyday....as if to say …“really? you said and I quote..”I will get those done even before we move in…just a little paint and stuff!”…BUT NO! after all this time…not done!”

For people who do not listen to the little voices in your head that remind you of the TO DO LIST, this may seem like crazy-town behavior? To those of us that have a seemingly constant string of conversation buzzing by, popping up reminding of the stuff that I am too lazy to do………this may seem very sane. Even Freud would have a time with me!

English: Sigmund Freud
English: Sigmund Freud (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To my great joy, one of my kids has a LOVE FOR remodeling,….. i.e. taking down the doors to actually paint them..(weird, I say!) just let them hang there…no muss no fuss!….and painting walls, trim work and such. I would rather touch a frog then do this tedious work. I love to artistically paint (duh, I blab about it all the time) but, this kind of work is a killer. BUT, Not for him….he is in his element. He seems to actually enjoy it! Go figure!

The only rub comes from me trying to “cheap-out” and he wanting to buy the good stuff. I will drive all over looking for the best price for tile….and everything else. He will go and buy and be done with it. Typical Male, I say, not to offend the posse of men in my house but it is troubling to watch. How do they do that…walk in a store pick up and walk out…..boggles the mind. They never even check the price…….craziness!

I must say that he does a good job, he has picked out pretty colors and has his finger on the pulse of the IN STYLE stuff. This is his niche’ and he is good at it. My sister, The Good Ole Girl, gave him all her tools…she too is a fixer upper. She would drive three hours on the weekends after working a very stressful job, just to help me rehab an old house we bought. The gal’s got skills and that must be where he gets it?

I am thankful for  this little gift, my sons ability to do this for his Mom and Dad. His patience is off the chart with this work. This is why I can’t do it….I strip screws and tear stuff up where he just takes it is stride. But…let him lose at playing Spades and he will throw his cards and walk off…where I could care less if I mess that up…just a game! Quirky huh!

Image with royal flush.
Image with royal flush. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Logo for The Home Depot. Category:Bra...
English: Logo for The Home Depot. Category:Brands of the World (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now forever in my head will be the AWESOME MEMORIES of me trying to cypher the cheapest way to buy things at Home Depot and him sigh under his breath saying…”whatever!……if that’s what you want it to look like, junk?…go ahead…..just do it right the first time, Ma!” Wise words from a wise Man….bursting from the seams into these skills he is honing. Bugs the tar outta me though, little punk telling me what to do!! And I do usually cave in and do it his way……ugh!….good times!

So I am taking a Poll….what say ya?    

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Blue Skies……

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Image……I wish this picture could convey the day, the clear pure sky blue straight out of the Crayola 64 crayon box, as well as the spring green of the new tree buds. I am not sure if those are the names Crayola calls the crayons anymore which is aggravating to us old school kids. I want burnt sienna to stay and red-orange, not lollipop red or any other “cute” name. The need to change such trivial things as the names of crayons may seem silly to me but to Crayola it must be BIG!

World-famous Crayola crayons are manufactured ...
World-famous Crayola crayons are manufactured in Easton. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My nostalgia keeps me longing for the past which is the essence of what also can destroy me. I must allow spring to come, making all things new. Fresh oil everyday, fresh thoughts and hope for the future. The now of it all and looking forward to the future joy is what keeps us.

Back to my picture! On this day I was sitting on the deck at my Mothers home, relaxing with the light breeze blowing the wispy clouds, the blue was so poignant, a classic blue and the spring green buds on the huge trees popped against the blue and white. I have told everyone I am with at the time to notice the color of the trees, the new buds of leaves in that bright color. It is a joy to notice. This is why spring is so nice, new fresh colors and smells and HOPE. I am sure it is the artist in me, but spring is as vivid as fall. My Mom has Alzheimer’s and is still with us, she still knows us but her world is now sweet and happy. She seems to not have any worries which is a great joy to me. Even as I say that I am a bit envious….she doesn’t remember all those hurts and wounds she so rehearsed in the past years. While I sat admiring the view and she repeated herself, I could not help but laugh at the quirkiness of life.  All the drama is such a waste……on that porch, looking at this sky was what was real...the here and now.

For me that HOPE couldn’t come at a better time. It has been a long season of darkness. The days became months and then years and the coldness insurmountable. I HATE COLD and coldness. In the midst it appears there will never be an end, yet when the breakthrough comes it is as swift as the wind on the new spring afternoon. The frustration comes when we are not in control….if everyone would just listen to me and do what I say then easy…huh? Poor GOD, I know he wants to smack me and then at the same time he probably feels the same way….silly people!

There are so many tests in this life….so many questions and not enough answers. Like JOB we all are open season for the TEST. I HATE THE TEST…TOO! How will we act or react to a given situation. Will we walk the walk we have talked. What is the first thought? Run like hell usually….if we are honest and I can’t help but be. It takes a bit of re-grouping, re-sizing up the situation, re-minding ourselves of what God says about it, re-alizing that….. but for the grace of God go I, and re-leasing the flow of forgiveness. I know my very life depends on it…even more my soul!

That is the hard one….forgiveness and the releasing of the pain and what pain it is. We have every right to our pain….it wasn’t our fault!!! It is so hard to get past the pain and see the possibility of life without it. The pain has usually been there for a while, during the dark cold, hidden deep in a cave, unable to even look out to see the light. To release the new pain…the band-aide that was pulled off and allow the sore to heal….give it air and salve and dig out the yucky stuff is really the beginning of the healing.

Forgiveness is a gift, a gift to ourselves. Without it we will stay in the pain and never find out it can be better. I tend to look for the happy ending. I always want to know what happened after the book ended and everyone was ok…how did they walk it out? Was it still painful or did it become good again. JOB shows me that God can re-store back to even better.

Once the cave is shut up, let those boulders fall in front of the opening…..the beautiful sky blue can be seen…the spring-green pops out in front of the wispy white clouds. This is the face of forgiveness. Forgetting why it happened (even though that feels impossible for us that have to know the whys!) moving forward to the future.

I have found this forgiveness gift is the gift that heals….a wounded heart needs love and compassion and hugs and kisses and attention and cuddles and more of the same over and over which eventually brings trust and security once again. It must be the groundwork for a huge blessing, going through such struggles…the “going through” part being the key.

Blue skies are all around us…the light wind is blowing…..God is speaking…...be still and know i am GOD! My heart doth safely trust in you Lord…thank you for your freedom to live again and more abundantly.

 

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Slam Book?

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Like a cat that is hiding under the curtain in the living room are people. Let me explain….as a person who has grown up her whole life with cats…indoor and our door cats, gray striped (my fave) yellow tabby, Siamese, black and white, basically all kinds…I know cats. They are very smart and most days smarter than me. But, sometimes they are not so smart. Sometimes they hide, like under the bottom of the curtains and because their heads are hidden they think everything else is…..although their hind end is hanging out with that long tail just a twitching! We think because the world we see is right (in our own eyes) that everyone else should see it that way too. Time to cover our “behinds” y’all.

Facebook logo Español: Logotipo de Facebook Fr...
Facebook logo Español: Logotipo de Facebook Français : Logo de Facebook Tiếng Việt: Logo Facebook (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And so is my point…...PEOPLE! We talk and talk…blah, blah, blah expounding all our limited wisdom for all the world to hear or read (Example:Exhibit A-my blog) without any thought of the audience. In my defense I do think about it. Given my chosen calling…I must use restraint and even more as a decent human I am sensible and choose my words. If I ever really typed all this that is swirling around in my head all the time, I promise it would not be pretty. The censors would have to be employed and reg

ulations enforced and lots of fur would fly! The sanctification button is pressed as the words come down the pike….the filters come on and kindness is turned on.

Most days my temper/frustration button is just waiting to be turned on….I am a women of a certain age with a large family…and a dog. I got issues! But, It is not cool if I slam everyone I know….I must have GRACE and live peaceably with my fellow man. It is not that y’all don’t make me mad time to time….that I don’t think that every moron within the sound of my voice doesn’t take a special trip down my street just to aggravate me. They DO! But, it is not my job nor place to BLAST them all!

I know I always go back to one of my favorite TV programs…The King of Queens but, really if you watch this show you have my life. Not totally of course but in a nutshell. The woman, Doug‘s wife is me if I would allow myself…..and if I did not have any kind of GOD spirit which dwells within me. I LOVE HER…Carrie and even more Leah Remini ,the actress. I think she is pretty rough in real life also!? Just last night I actually laughed out loud. I have seen it a 100 times and yet it cracks me up still.

The King of Queens
The King of Queens (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Carrie was eating with Doug and her father, Arthur. Arthur was slurping soup then blew his nose, Doug was eating corn, loudly and then guzzling a Beer then burped and nearly puked….at that point Carrie got up and left the table….Oh my Lord….welcome to my world. Not just my pack of men but, all people. Y’all eat like PIGS! out there people. When did we stop dining..slow down….eat, the world will still be there when you are finished.

Okay that was a rabbit trail, but my point still holds up, keep private things private. We do not have to tell everything we know. I am guilty of telling a lot about ME…but it is ME and no names are given for anyone else. Not that it may be hard to figure ME out…but people who do not know me personally many not be able to. My need to be transparent may not be anyone else’s and if I were to do a SLAM BOOK each time someone disagrees with me then boy I would be busy.

Facebook and Twitter are not the pulpit for us to fuss about people. Even if we are not naming names, the names we are not naming KNOW IT IS THEM! And they will zip right back a rude statement of fact that resembles something like….YOU SUCK! These things should be done in private..there is a private message button and of course people will be offended because yes they know you are talking about them…..think about it…why are we so quick to blast someone? (kinda like I am. …..not?) I am really not, I just feel sad for young and old brains who feel the need to vent against someone else.

Facebook is a great venue for all our pictures and praise reports and football game screams and just general yada-yada! No one wants to watch a battle play out in wide open public. It makes us all feel uncomfortable and makes you look petty and ugly. Keep it simple okay….there is so much scary stuff in the world….let this be a place for happy, happy, joy, joy…please.

So I geuss it is about time for me to do my daily Bible reading….I promise it will be about, judge not lest you be judged! Never fails I get it right back in spades!! I love you all!

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a little better day

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Okay…January 3rd and I am on a good path today….Besides the chicken enchiladas I made for supper last nite for which I only ate one-ish! and the leftover chicken I turned into chicken salad (i make the best!) and I ate one skinny sandwich for lunch today on dry toasted bread (white!..I know bad) and then the leftover chicken broth that was calling out to me to experiment with….I am attempting to master Chicken and dumplings, southern style! Why would a person who already has dumplings for hips do this? Tradition!! My granny is gone and my Momma is nearly gone…well her memory and ability to cook is and there are no more awesome dumplins’ in our world….I am or have not been able to do it yet.

Until NOW!!! My sister is trying also and she got pretty darn close on Christmas…she told me the secret is use the broth for the flour mixture…..hmmmm! good thinking I told her so here I go and I used Bisquick, advice I got from my BFF Cheryl…who knew the chick could make these auspicious delicacies? Silly me she is one of the best cooks ever!! So I did it and if I had any faith and really tried harder and made them less “fat” it would have worked perfectly….The ones that actually got cooked thru and thru were GREAT

This image shows a whole and a cut lemon.
This image shows a whole and a cut lemon. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So besides all this carb attack food…in my defense I did only eat a few bites of dumplins’ I have done pretty good today. I had two scrambled eggs for breakfast then the skinny chicken salad sandwich and probably eight tortilla chips (ugh) and then at 3:30 I fixed raw radishes, celery and carrots on a platter all festive and ate a snack before supper while reading. Then we had early supper of 6-8oz steak and one small baked potato and a load of steamed broccoli. All day I have drank only water with lemons, no tea or anything else. I LOVE WATER WITH LEMONS and I have a reputation for it…restaurants far and wide are ganging up trying to charge me for the inordinate amount of lemons i always ask for. My friends ridicule me…doesn’t bother me any….I love it.

My reading today was exciting….Noah and the Ark…all those animals, geez that would be noisy and then silly Noah got a bit tipsy and naked…..sometimes ya wonder ya know….but he had good sons who helped him out…. nice example Noah, so glad he spared YOU! Then over to John the Baptist…don’t wanna mess with this guy….but I like him, he had humility and the good sense to use it…but only on Jesus, the rest of the guys who he called out deserved it…but even them, he would have helped and he wanted to, he showed them the way but as a stiff-neck will do…they ignored him.

My day has been good…eating a bit better…check; Bible reading…check; exercised….? Well, does walking around two grocery stores and not parking right at the door count….? Half a check for that one….Maybe I might drag the exercise bike down and pedal some…..I will ponder that one….drink my lemon water and ponder some more!

 

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New Year Blessings!

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It has been said that Time heals all wounds. I have to agree with this theology since I have had many wounds, of the cuts and scraps variety and yes, the skin eventually begins to scab (gross word) over and the air swoops in to clear up all the messy wet oozy stuff. What a way to start a look back at the year post, huh!

Monty Python & the Quest for the Holy Grail Monty Python & the Quest for the Holy Grail (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Actually it is, because there is no better analogy than a flesh wound(only!) (for all you Monty Python fans…) to describe the healing process.

Only time, with the right amount of air and cleaning and salve and bandages can cure what ails us. Boy, how time flies when you get older!

Looking back is rarely a good thing…I can only give exhibit A. Lot’s wife! For those of us that believe that The Bible is the true, inspired word of God, we must take this story to be truth, a fact. As a woman it gives me pause, heck even as a person it does. I, being not known for listening to other people and minding them, would be just like Lot’s wife...Mrs. Lot! The thought of leaving everything you had ever known and hear the missiles blasting in the background(paraphrasing!)it had to be hard to not look one more time.

So, there she is for all eternity…stuck as a pillar of salt. I wonder what Lot thought? He didn’t look back to see her there or he would have been stuck there too. She was a human cow-lick! Maybe that was God’s way of blessing Lot, maybe she was a bone of contention for the old guy. I would guess he just went on and never looked back, knowing he was spared a horrible destruction. Was he scared, wounded, hurt? Did time heal the loss?

Reflection may be a better way of looking at the past year. Reflection sounds more peaceful with no picking at the cuts and scrapes. Reflection is more of an image of what is real. That sounds better. Why dredge up the past ups and downs, the good and the bad  and all the days of tears as well as joy.

I know why…..because that Bible that I believe is real, tells me to count the costs, and reminds me that even when those times are hard or good, whatever day it is, cloudy or sunny, I can reflect on how good God is. In him I can live and move and worship and cry and laugh. He has it all under control.

This year has been a doozie! Just as each year, it started out with the promise of a better world, a new chapter…the chance to make new choices, better ones. Our lives are so intertwined with each other. My life has so much of a effect on the people I know as well as theirs on mine. We are not islands…we are like peninsulas sprouting out all over the place. It matters what happens to me…us all, collectively.

For me, this year has been one of the hardest. I feel as if I have been doing “ten years to life!” There were days I did not know if it would ever end and days of great joys. God has done great miracles in my life and the lives of my family. I would be amiss if I let this year pass by without giving HIM all the glory for the miracle he has given me.

The funny thing about God is…he is never quite done….he leaves the door open for more. It is our choice or choices to make....choose YOU this DAY WHOM do YOU SERVE!! I know he is smarter than me but this free will business can really be a pain to us Mommas! I wonder sometimes if he is loving all the fretting I do…..I guess he knows it keeps me praying.

This year is about to be one for the record books…good riddance! Just as I know the next year will be full of surprises, twists and turns that I could not even imagine….I still have faith that it will all turn out ok! I have a feeling that by next Christmas one of my peeps(kids) will have a special someone, maybe I am hopeful because I feel a tiny bit of excitement after spending times with my great nephews over Christmas….one day my babies will have babies…a thought that I shudder at but, now I almost look forward to.

DSCN0624 ….too young yet! Nathanael!

We need some fresh faces in our clan, any one brave enough to dare marry one of ours? I will pronounce on this day that I have the prettiest children of anyone I know, yep, I said it…they are and I don’t care if it sounds braggy….it is! They are also funny and smart and well read as well as crazy with a twist of aggravating….I tell the truth about them. But no one loves harder or more fervent than them.

Bethany and Samuel Bethany and Samuel

Look out new year…I release all the blessings of God on my family and pray that the road for them is revealed to them in a God led way. I pray good health and financial prosperity and true love for each one of them as well as strength to fight the good fight and find wholeness in mind and spirit. I expect nothing less for my children as well as for each person I know and love.

Sam and Will Sam and Will

Happy New Year to my family and friends……Blessings and Love and Health and Prosperity to all!

And God Bless our country!

 

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…it bares repeating…….”Empty”

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An icon of a Christian Cross.

When a person is empty it is not the end…but a beginning. This is the time that one is in need of a filling up. Only then are we ready to let go of all of our own wants and allow our needs to be filled. I say this to encourage my own self as I have been empty before. I know how emptiness feels. Lord hear my lament…..

The only filling up that I know is of any purity is to be filled up with God‘s Spirit. God is able to take a frail frame of a man and breathe life into him once again. He gives us the freedom to run as long as we can….then when we have run ….out…..HE is there to lift us up. Lord hear my lament…….

Emptiness is not the worst, it can be the best and today I have faith that HE sees the emptiness of the heart and pours out HIS spirit and heals the brokenhearted. I lament for comfort and peace for a person who feels desolate and alone. I cry out to the Lord for grace and freedom from the demons who have tried to kill steal and destroy. Lord hear my lament…..

Even now, it is hard to find the strength to see hope, but because my hope is in the Lord I do. I know, even through these tears, I will see the victory…even though at this moment my bones ache for the heart of a person in pain and fear on the journey for his life. I pray legions of Angels to camp around and Holy Spirit courage to stay strong. Lord hear my lament…….

God…it’s time …I need you to grant me that serenity……….
Lord hear my lament………

I am broken……

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Quickie Dining a la hamburger

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These days it is nearly impossible to come up with a new and fresh dinner idea every….single….night. Believe me I have tried…over and over. So for me, it is imperative that I have a few stand-by’s  to cook, in a flash when the time has slipped away and I am in a pinch.

Español: Latinhas de campbell estavam em promo...
Español: Latinhas de campbell estavam em promoção no pão de açucar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One easy meal is Hamburg Casserole. I call it this because a friend of mine years ago who was from Michigan called hamburger…hamburg and it has stuck ever since. Silly how little things like that stick in your head and vocabulary!

This dish is Oh so easy and to reference the title….OUICK! It is as follows:

1 lb. Hamburger  (leaner of course to save on fat)

1 can of cream of mushroom soup (less fat kind too is okay) Also–add some starch water from the noodles to keep moist, you can add water but why?

1 box of  Twirlie Noodles (yes they have a name, Rotini, but thats no fun!)

1 hunk of Velveeta Brand cheese (okay, I have begun to lessen how much I use because quite frankly it is starting

to gag me, that stuff!  So just enough to make it creamy, about an inch to one and a half inch chunk)

Cheddar/mozzarella/ etc to offset the lack of Velveeta

DIRECTIONS

1.    Put on a pot of water, bring to a boil–then add twirlie noodles

2.    Brown Hamburg in a larger size skillet, breaking up in little crumbles

3.    Pour off any grease (sometimes I even rinse it a bit)

4.    Put back in pan and add soup and cheese

5.    Allow to simmer sloooowwlly! (do not let burn!)

6.    Drain Noodles (pleeease cook al dente’—mushy noodles are just gross!)

7.    Add Noodles to Hamburg mixture and blend

8.    Add in a bit more cheese on top as well as S&P to taste

9.    Cover and turn off–allow to melt cheese

10.   Enjoy!

green beans
green beans (Photo credit: Chasqui (Luis Tamayo))

This is a good one dish meal or steam up some broccoli, cauliflower, carrots or any other veggie. Green beans are a favorite of ours.

Speaking of that, you can make canned green beans great by cooking them kind of fast and add a splash of olive oil and pat of  butter, S&P and a bullion cube. Be sure to watch to not boil dry, and they are great!

Okay that is the easiest dinner you can make! This came from not liking those box meals with all the” helpers” added in. That stuff is just gross and has a really funky taste. Obviously one could change around the ingredients…better cheeses etc. One thing I caution…when using Hamburger, always use Mushroom Soup! Do not use cream of celery or chicken. DOES NOT WORK! You would be sorry!

Quick and easy for sure and I am sure those that can make it more healthy will! Feel free! I have changed a little bit from the originator of this recipe….for which my sister created, years ago!

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Listen up!

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The Band Perry EP The Band Perry EP (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is a beautiful song that has been on the charts for a while by a group called, The Band Perry, that is so haunting. I had to listen to it a few times to really get it…then I had to Google the lyrics because there was one line that is stellar! The lines are so good yet sad all at the same time.

No truer statement has been penned and I have included it here(in bold):

The Band Perry

A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I’ll sell ’em for a dollar
They’re worth so much more after I’m a goner
And maybe then you’ll hear the words I been singin’
Funny when you’re dead how people start listenin’

As a Mother I can relate to this line and even more, as a writer I can really feel it. Day in day out I type and ponder and attempt to bear my soul and share my heart. Maybe I am mistaken to do this, probably am…but this is just how I roll.

I guess I am attempting to record my memories and voice for my children and grandchildren, or at least I like to tell myself that. SO kids, did you know that Daisies are my very favorite flower, above all others? Did you know that my greatest joy is seeing your smiles? Did you know I have had the most fun of anyone you will ever know, in my life?…..as well as great sadness? Did you know that my need to be heard is so overwhelming it occupies too many of my thoughts…every day?.

The happiest flower in the world

Actually, if I were to be real about it….I have a voice and I know how to use it! If I am the only one who reads it..okay! After I started reading other blogs I saw that I am not so profound at all, not that I thought I was but I see that I am no different than most other people.

Most of us don’t actually live up to our gifting and abilities and seem to look forward to what can be…someday. This exercise in telling of my life is one step in doing what feels right for me. I also think it is probably the calm before the storm. I figure one day I will not be able to keep the filter up so well and really tell it like it is!

That will be when they take my computer away from me and I will have to kick it old school again with paper and pen journaling…..at this point it seems like such a daunting way to do it. Can’t believe I ever wrote all those words. Someday they will find them and confirm that I really was crazy!

It would be nice though if people would start listenin’ now!

Reuse, Recycle, Remove?

LIFE, Minimalist, recycle, Wishes, , , , , , ,

World-famous Crayola crayons are manufactured ...
World-famous Crayola crayons are manufactured in Easton. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am a frustrated minimalist. Anyone who knows me would probably laugh at that statement…makes me laugh saying it. The key word is frustrated! In my mind I want to live without so much baggage….all this stuff that needs picking up and put away, stuff that needs cleaned, dusted and repaired…..stuff that fills my head with bothersome chatter.

The flip side is that I tend to love some stuff. I would rather hold a book in my hand, the glossy magazine with house beautiful stuff than the cute little NOOK that my husband bought for me. Sweet as it was, cool as it is, it just isn’t the same. I can’t smell it or should I say it doesn’t smell as good, nothing like the smell of a new book or magazine only comparable to the new car smell. And while I am on smells, another piece of stuff…new box of Crayola crayons that I must periodically buy just because…oh the smell, mmmmmm!

I also love dishes, one thing that I share with my mother-in-law. She has some great ones and I always understand her reason for buying more. I like to pick up eclectic ones, old ones, hipster styles as well as old-fashioned. I can’t ever decide on one certain kind, they are all so beautiful works of art. A beautifully set table is a stellar first impression. I love to see a pretty table set, like buying cut flowers just to enjoy, a waste of money maybe but it is worth it.

I also have a stash of keepsakes, baby quilts and first outfits, school papers, drawings and pictures. All put away for safe keeping only to be looked at during one of those days when rearranging is done…my cleaning out binge hits and I run across the treasures. Is all this stuff useless baggage or treasures? I say treasures and even though it is baggage it is important stuff. It is my memories.

The stuff that is problematic is the daily stuff…mail, dirty clothes, dirty dishes…clean dishes still in the dishwasher yet not put away, the three pair of shoes I keep tripping over, plastic glasses left all over the house by the people who shall remain nameless…grrrr! All the little silly stuff that seems to grow overnight, try as I might to keep things picked up and in order it seems to grow as fast as mushrooms…sprouting up before you know it.

Then I have the hidden stuff in my heart, the hurts and fears; disappointments and discouragements; loss of family and lost friendships…..the stuff I hold against people and the stuff I never said but should have. If I am ever successful in the life of a minimalist I hope it begins with my heart. Some days it gets overwhelming to weed through it all and make sense of the day. Life is so short and if I could wish one thing it would be to be really clear with my decisions to what is in the keep pile and what goes in the discard file.

Reuse, Recycle, Remove?