More

More. That's the word that I'm taking into 2018 with me. I don't do resolutions anymore, mainly because they don't really work for me. I do like to set goals or 'intentions' as is the buzzword these days, it seems. But I don't intend to list them or berate myself for failing to meet them.

Back to 'more'. This word is directly related to the verse I'm holding onto for this year.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen

Now, I'm not sure what this is going to look like for me and my family this year. But nevertheless, it is God's Word and since He doesn't lie, I'll continue to believe it. By faith, because isn't that the only way we can hold onto promises? We trust that the one who makes them will keep them. 

Getting Through February

February is not my favorite month of the year, although I do like it better than January.With February the promise of Spring is that much closer. I know, we have almost another official month of winter, but around here the snow is gone and it's not really that cold out any more. Still hovering around freezing in the morning sometimes, but still, it could be worse!

So, what's gotten me through February, a month that finds me mostly indoors sipping coffee (one cup a day usually-- I really do sip!) whittling away at portfolios, and dreaming of warmer days?

A trip to the coast! We celebrated my mother in law's 86th birthday together with a slew of family. A great weekend.

This little guy. He is my companion. He is a blessing in my life. He makes me laugh. He gets me off my chair,  taking little breaks throughout the day. He sleeps quietly as I work. And he's always over-the-moon happy to see me when I return home from outings. Talk about an esteem booster! No, I'm not talking about my hubby although he does fit the bill in some ways!haha!

Books!  I've got a few on the go. Just finished Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham. I saw it recommended on Goodreads and decided to finally read it. A twenty something tries to make it as an actress in New York. A cute, funny quick read with some great characters.
I'm also reading In the Land of the Blue Burquas by Kate McCord. It was written before Farewell, Four Waters, which I just finished a few weeks ago. But I don't think it really matters that I'm reading in reverse order. It's giving me more insight into the culture in Afghanistan, and the life of a foreign aid worker. Fascinating.
I am half way through The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. Three adult sisters converge on their home town to visit their mother who is battling cancer. All about family relationships, importance of home, growing up, and figuring out life. The title refers to Shakespeare and the father quotes Shakespeare all the time (his daughters are named after characters) and all members of the family are book nerds. I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, but it's grown on me. It's my bedtime read.

Spotify. I listen to music all. day. long. sometimes. Music to reflect my mood or to get me out of my mood! Or to motivate me to work.
Classical, contemplative, meditative, acoustic, counry, jazz, pop. Adele, Andy Grammar, Andra Day, All Sons and Daughters, Rend Collective, The Brilliance. etc etc.  If you're looking for some new music, check out Spotify. It's free and it recommends music based on what you like, so there is always something new to explore. 

Podcasts. I've added a few more to my list. Don't listen to every
episode but sure do enjoy them. I find the ones that are about 30 minutes in length are just about right. Any longer, and I skip them because I don't always have one hour to listen.  A few others I enjoy: The Essential Oil Revolution, Spark My Muse, Katy Says with Katy Bowman

Knitting. Been enjoying knitting a comfort shawl and socks this winter. And some bibs and dish cloths. Just small items but it's great to have something on the needles when I feel the urge to create something tangible. And they make great little gifts to give away.

Netflix. My hubby and I try to find something we both like to watch together one or two nights a week. We are not always successful. We did watch Making a Murderer together and I have to say we were sucked right into the drama of that documentary. Truth and justice and the miscarriage of it. Who knows what the the truth is when people lie through their teeth? Yes, it was a pretty biased documentary, but we had some good discussion while watching that. Still confused about what really happened. It was hard to watch at times, just seeing the depravity and awful lives some people live. Sad. I couldn't watch too many shows like this, that's for sure. We binge watched it for about 2 weeks.  I think I prefer fiction! He likes shows with zombies or war  and I would rather watch an episode of Downton Abbey or Mr Selfridge, but the verdict is still out on the latter. Haven't continued for a few weeks. Sometimes we watch  an episode of  the murder mystery Death in Paradise. It's good!  I'm waiting for Nashville Season 4 to come to Netflix. And looking foward to watching the next season of The Voice (on the CTVgo App) . Got any recommendations for must-see TV shows on Netflix?

Planet Woman - got a membership for one month because my kids encouraged me to sign up for a 5km trail run at the end of March, and how am I going to be able to do that if I don't grow my muscles and my cardio?! Don't always want to go but always glad when I do. Except when I'm sore afterwards. And recovery takes longer than it used to! Soon I must transition my workouts to the outdoors..actually running 5 km!! Doesn't sound like much except if you haven't done it in a while! I'm a little bit concerned... but --as my daughter in law mentioned "There's no shame in walking". I'll try to embrace that thought.

and finally...

Z is for Zumba. Imagine doing Zumba with a band of church ladies aged 19-50-something? To hip hop music? Imagine the fun and comeraderie. Yes, it brings some much needed levity to my Wednesdays. We don't do the moves very well at all, but it's good for a laugh, it's a workout, and it's a way to connect with those I mostly just see at church happenings.

What got you through February?

Getting my craft on..

With teaching Gr. K-2 children shape and space concepts every Thursday morning, I've been spending a lot of time researching creative, engaging activities. That leads to the fun part of teaching -- getting to watch the children enjoying the creative process.
Maybe it's due to it being the middle of winter (not getting out enough!), but I have been enjoying some creative endeavours. Besides knitting and a little furniture restoration, today I created a very cool craft which I am pleased to say turned out very well.

Our church is having a 'life group fair' next weekend, and I am promoting a "She Reads Good Books" book club. We were encouraged to add some pizzazz to our table spaces, so I decided to make this:

book fan

I experienced a twinge of regret as I worked on this, because of the necessary sacrifice -- a hardcover book. I was encouraged to think of this as 'repurposing', not ruining. I think I'll go with that. This was one of my  favorite read alouds from days gone by, but I'm pretty sure I have another copy somewhere. And besides, this 'fan book' can be undone in the future. No spine ripping required for this craft.

I actually like the outcome of this folding craft so much, I'm planning to keep it up on my desk shelf for a while.

Take THAT, Blue Monday

Good, good morning to you!

Did you know that today the third Monday in January has been dubbed Blue Monday, apparently the most depressing day of the year?  It is also an entirely made-up day of despair with no scientific proof.

Or is it?

There actually IS a scientific formula for this day!

 [W+(D-d)]xTQ/MxNA – where W is weather, D is debt, d monthly salary, T time since Christmas, Q time since failure of attempt to give something up, M low motivational level and NA the need to take action.  
Reading that actually gave me a chuckle.

In the UK,  people don't take a Blue Monday lying down with blankets over their heads. There it  is also a special day where people are encouraged  to focus on doing little acts of kindness for others which "makes Blue Monday a wider day of happiness". Participants are encouraged to do something they wouldn't normally do, perhaps something fun and creative.

Sounds good to me. Hope your Blue Monday sparkles.

signs of life in the dead of winter

Half way through January already!??

*techy (or rather non-techy) alert: pictures didn't appear earlier.. hope they show up now. 

I'm slowly slipping back into daily routines. Still finding it hard to jump out of bed with wide eyes and a spring in my step.  Winter makes one so hibernative (I think I made that up), doesn't it? I simply want to stay home and unsubscribe to all of my outside obligations at times. But, I know that that would not be a healthy decision! Once I get out there, it's all good.

Sometimes I do wonder why we live where we do. Last weekend, the mountain passes were clear, so we took a quick 3 1/2 hour trip down to the coast. It was so wonderful! I felt like we had just bypassed a season and waltzed into early Spring! Sunshine and no snow!

winter where my sister lives 

winter where we live 

Speaking of unsubscribing, today I checked out this very interesting site called unroll.me which helps clean up your inbox by managing subscriptions. It's a simple way to unsubscribe, keep, or send to 'rollup' (which sends you ONE email a day with any updates on those).  Am I the only one who is a subscription junkie? 

Which leads to a very full inbox. Overwhelmingly so. I had over 100 subscriptions (newsletters & blogs) between my 2 email addresses (that's besides my bloglovin' subscriptions). I know. I think I'm down to about 40 now.

Whittling down the reading list is going well. But the day AFTER I blogged about not purchasing any new books this year, I received a very generous Amazon gift card in the mail from my dear friend (who knew nothing about my challenge). Yes, it's true!! But I am holding off. This past week I was so close to purchasing a book to read along with an online book club, but I steeled my resolve and inquired if the local library could obtain it for me.. Win!

Winter is for indoor projects. I am super pleased with the guest bedroom reno we finished in one weekend. Mr. Handyman worked on the floors, and I painted walls and refinished old furniture.

out with the old carpet,
in with the new laminate

ready for a vintage-y look

guest room ready for company!

 And some Me Time has led to..

 Experienced a mild second-sock-syndrome-- weeks--
-- nothing as serious as last time!

wintergreen dishcloth

adding to the gift box- for the next wee baby girl I meet

Being hibernative doesn't mean being unproductive, right?

Hope you are enjoying the season you are in right now!

Oh, and I can't sign off without giving a Happy Birthday!!! shout out to my dear adventurous daughter who is trekking in the country of Myanmar (Burma) at this very moment! 

The End is the Beginning

The end of autumn
The end of the days of shortening daylight
The end of Advent
The end of the year

The beginning of winter solstice
The beginning of growing daylight
The beginning.. celebrating Love come down, God with us
The beginning of a new year

As I get older
I get surer
Man's heart is colder,
His life no purer.
As I grow steadily
More austere
I come less readily
To Christmas each year.
I can't keep taking
Without a thought
Forced merrymaking
And presents bought
In crowds and jostling.
Alas, there's naught
In empty wassailing
Where oblivion's sought
Oh, I'd be waiting
With quiet fasting
Anticipating
A joy more lasting.
And so I rhyme
With no apology
During this time
Of eschatology:
Judgment and warning
Come like thunder.  

 But now is the hour
 When I remember
An infant's power
On a cold December.
Midnight is dawning
And the birth of wonder. 
 

 Madeleine L'Engle, The Irrational Season

The Advent--ure begins

Today is the first day of Advent. I purchased a wonderful book last year called Taste & See - Experiencing the Stories of Advent and Christmas by Jan Johnson. She encourages the use of our God given imaginations to place ourselves in the story as we do our daily readings. This book is written for small groups, but easily adaptable to an individual devotional time.

The daily advent opening prayer:

I will release the cares of the day, and open my eyes to the wonder of God,With an attitude of empathy to people of another time, I will open my heart and mind to God. I will prepare to experience God's Word to methrough the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

 If I recall correctly, my plans to read it daily last year didn't exactly materialize. Thankfully, the author wrote these wise words in the introduction, and I took them to heart:

Do the meditations as you can, not as you can't. 

I figure any advent readings, meditations, and journalling I do this year will be better than not starting at all.

This morning my church was decorated beautifully with lights and greenery and the advent candles were in place. I could feel myself beginning to anticipate Christmas, slowly but surely. I was disappointed that we didn't light the candles or sing even one Christmas-focused song, though. There are so many beautiful renditions of carols these days, both traditional and updated. Hopefully we will be singing those together more than just on one Sunday!

Thankfully, I have a wealth of Christmas CD's (I usually purchase one new album a year), and I will be playing them to my heart's content at home and in the car.  Come Dec 1st,  that is. That's when my celebrations officially begin--the tree goes up (undecorated for a few days) and the Christmas playlist begins. And on the first Saturday of December, we have our annual family brunch, tree decorating (girls), and outdoor light stringing (guys). I'm looking forward to that, although I will really miss two of my children this year who are too far away to make it. It won't be the same without them. *sniff*

Advent helps to bring me back to reflect on what really matters. Even if it's just a few minutes at a time, it is my way of being sure I do 'listen' to hear what God is saying to me this Advent season.

Hope your season of anticipating Christmas is meaningful to you!

I don't mean to sound grinchy, but

It's too early to even think about Christmas festivities.

 Let me continue on my merry way until December 1st and then I'll bring out the Christmasy mugs, seasonal music, we'll set up the tree and decorate a few days after that. But please, not till December! 

The more Christmases I've experienced, the less excited I am about all the hoopla. All I really want is to do some small but meaningful activities to celebrate and focus on the true reason for Christmas. And that gets me to thinking. It's really a 365-days-a-year celebration, isn't it?

I read a great  post this morning from Susie Davis's blog. An excerpt: 

There are 365 days in a year to remember people in thoughtful, inexpensive and free ways. A call, a text, a funny photo shared. An old fashion letter or a handmade loaf of bread. A hug, a smile, an unexpected visit. There's so many ways we can love one another... and so many days to choose from (my emphasis). 

My thoughts exactly. Don't get me wrong. I do love giving gifts to people, but I don't enjoy the time pressure for determining 'what to give' and the rules for 'when to give'. 

Thankfully, my immediate family are all on the same page when it comes to simple. We choose names and keep the spending limit to a minimum. We have a few traditions that we enjoy each year, and that's it. And we are understanding when we can't have everyone around the Christmas Day dinner table. With married children and those who are far from home, it's impossible to expect that every year.

Still, even with simple plans, it gets busy.  

I hope I can set aside some hours to create a few handmade items, but time is limited in November/December due to work deadlines (and all the extra social outings at this time of year). I should have started last January. But usually the gifts I make early are already given away by the time December rolls around!

I am trying to determine how to keep it simple, yet special. With little stress. Time with family, friends, meaningful giving, laughter and celebration, and remembering those in need.  

To begin with, I hope to stay far from shopping malls for the next month or so! 

Time to Tidy Up

So, are you feeling that, with a new year, it's time to declutter and simplify your life? Me, too. That's why I decided to read the life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kondo. I wanted to gain some some new perspectives on decluttering, and definitely got that here.

Some of the info gleaned: 

• When simplifying your possessions, choose one category at a time and spread them all over the floor; then decide if each item "sparks joy". If not, give it away or discard it. For example, if you are purging books, empty all of your bookshelves in your home all at once. Then pick up each book and ruthlessly determine if it is a keeper. How does it make you feel?  Research shows that if you have a book that you are 'going to read one day', you most likely never will. Keep that in mind, too.

• Respect your clothing and fold items up neatly and mostly upright, not stacked or hung. They will be kinder to you.

• Shoeboxes are the best organizational tool, hands down.

• Storage containers (rubbermaid bins, etc) are NOT your friend. The smaller ones are a waste of money (see above) AND the larger ones just teach you to hoard. And they clutter up your home unnecessarily. If you are storing things, you probably don't need them. 

• A tidy home gives you peace of mind and  tidying up boosts your confidence in your decision-making ability (I could use that!)

• The reason you can't let something go is either because of attachment to the past and/or fear of the future.

• Letting things go teaches you that you can do without a LOT of things. And that regretting a decision is not the end of the world. 

• Letting go of things teaches you to make decisions based on your personal values, and this relates to your whole life. It helps you know who you are and what you really care about.

So, did I just read this book and do nothing? Remembering that my ONE WORD for this year is MOVE (as in: don't just sit there, do something!), I decided to begin tidying up. I began with my husband's t shirt drawer. I didn't take a 'before' pic. I really should have because those poor t shirts were a jumble of mixed fibers! No matter how many times I organize that drawer, it doesn't stay that way for more than 2 days. So, I followed Kondo's recommendation and did this:

And you know what? He prefers it! This drawer has stayed neater longer because hubs is not upsetting the stack when he chooses a shirt.

I also went through my drawers and compartmentalized with shoeboxes. Bingo! I also decided to be kind to my socks and not roll them up into a ball. Apparently, there's a better way. Just a couple of folds will do.

I don't agree with all this author suggests. I don't have a shrine in my house and I don't think my clothing or my house needs to be thanked for what they do. Yes, I appreciate them, but I thank God for them ;)   But, Kondo did confirm to me that I definitely have feelings toward inanimate objects such as jewellery, books, and clothing. I have gotten rid of a stack of joyless belongings, and really, I do feel better now.

I am planning to tackle my books and paper files gradually, just  because I'm a tad rebellious. I'm not going to dump all my papers or books on the floor all at once. That would just make me want to scream and run away.

So, are you ready to do some serious tidying up? Check out this book, but if you buy it, make sure it 'sparks joy' if it's going to take up space on your shelf!

Take It Easy

The last couple of days have been pretty slow around here. After the busyness of having most of the family around, preparing meals, enjoying outdoor activities, and keeping up the house as much as possible, then dismantling Christmas decorations,  I've been a little bit of a slug.  Let's just say me and my chair have spent some time together.

So, I've watched a few Netflix movies that I would recommend if you like a little bit of cheese, escapism, warm feelings, a bit of tension, heart string tugging,  and happy endings. And some good acting, too. Perfect to knit or sip of cup of tea to.

Because I like Morgan Freeman, I watched The Magic of Belle Isle. Ingredients: a disenchanted writer, a single mom with 3 girls, a small lake community and life lessons.

Because I like Robert Duvall, I watched 7 Days in Utopia. Ingredients: family issues, golf, faith/life lessons, small town, handsome main actor ;) The ending.. well, different.

I also watched a DVD theatrical presentation called The Belle of Amherst, about  the poet Emily Dickinson (borrowed from our local library). It was a one woman performance by actress Julie Harris and was excellent! Okay, it was wayyyyy too slow for Dave to sit through, but I loved it. :)

Going to enjoy a fun New Year's Eve with a few friends, some good appies, and board games. A perfect mix.

Then it's 2015!  Are you ready!? Who knows what it will hold.. ?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My Hero

The mouse saga continues..

The other day, I dropped in on a few dollar stores to pick up a few more traps, but they were totally out. It's that time of the year, and I'm not talking about the most wonderful time of the year, either! It's Mouse Time, I'm afraid.

You know, we've always had pets in this house until the last few months. Buddy the Cat was more than a lap warmer, as I have discovered...

Anyway, I decided to follow in my sweet, kind-hearted, lover- of- all- creatures daughter in law's footsteps, and purchase a live trap (the humane way to catch mice). The problem is, what do you DO with the thing once it's caught? That part might be extremely inhumane. I think I prefer the trap/snap method!

The other night we awoke to such a clatter... a constant scritchy scratchy noise that effectively ruined the rest of our night's sleep -  and we figured another mouse had made its way into a vent or drawer or enclosed area. That morning, however, Dave discovered that the humane trap was occupied. The peanut butter had done its work.

"Now what?", I asked. "What do we do now?"

"I'll dispose of it", he said.

"How?", I asked.

"With a pail of water... in the garage.."

"No!!! That's mean!"

"Let me worry about that.."

When he got home from work, I asked him what he had decided to do with the little critter in the garage.

It was still there, sitting in an empty pail (with a lid of sorts over it, so it couldn't get out). I then had to put my foot down and give him the ultimatum.. no supper until that poor thing is ..well... taken care of.. (humanely please). 

Ten minutes later, he came in the front door and sat down at the table.

"I drove down to the hills near the park and let it go on the trail", he said. "It won't be returning to our house."

You did that, for me?? Oh, thanks, sweetie. Yes, he's MY HERO!

Mouse total: 3

Trespassers will be ...

 My husband tried to keep the news from me for over a week! He knew I'd probably not take the news well. Yes, my imagination does get the better of me sometime.

The last few days I have been hearing little crinkly, crunchy noises, but I suspected it was the house creaking with the icy winds that have been blowing. Sometimes our heating ducts make noise, as well, so I convinced myself that's what it was.

However, he came home today and had a funny little smirk on his face - the one which tells me he's been keeping  a secret but it's impossible to carry on the charade --  and said, "Promise me you won't go crazy if I tell you this.. "

"WHAT?!" I asked "Tell me, what is going on.. " I thought it might have something to do with his work.. a pay raise? a move? being fired? (ha!)

"There's a mouse in the house. I saw it there this morning." (He pointed to where I sit EVERY morning in my reading corner).

"Where?!" Eek. My eyes got bigger and rounder. I slowly edged towards a chair. He chuckled, and pulled out a few mouse traps. He set them strategically around the house.

I tried to carry on  making dinner and puttering around the kitchen.

Needing a broom, I opened the hallway closet door and I saw it! Out scurried.. the mouse!!! I held the broom like a weapon and yelled for my hubby to save me! The chunky critter dashed for cover under our piano. And that was the last we've seen of it.

Until less than two minutes ago, as I was composing this post, I kid you not!!.. I heard a SNAP!! Was it? Could it be? It was!

I'm a wimp when it comes to little teeny tiny mice.. I know.

What are the chances that this was the only trespasser during this cold snap?

The Waiting

The Waiting

autumn

cool, crisp colors of crimson and gold

leaves, grasses, sky

change comes, leaves loose, trees bare all

flowers pale, shrivel,

limp against the cold wind

tall grasses shiver

fog, frost, freeze

hints of lost life, hope fades,breath expires

snow falls

winter

all hidden under cold blankets of white death

the mystery of harsh beauty

long silence, wait, suffer,

complain, watch, breathless

peaceful pain,

breathtaking, shiver

snow covers

perfect reminder, death prolongs

dare to dream

breeze touches the face

a warmer wind caresses

first revelation

change, hope renewed, eyes seek

newness, fresh anticipation

movement,uncover, pushing against death

power contained,potential unleashed

green growth, new life,

touch the sun

born again

spring

What happened?

Oh, I guess life got in the way of the daily bloggin' habit I was getting into.

My, how things can change quickly!

Two days ago...

 This morning! Yes, it really was that grey! These are not black & white photos.  

If you look closely at the photo below, you'll see a little mobile home across the street (our rental property). The power lines to the home came down this morning (see it?), due to heavy snow and probably the snow plow snagging it on its way up the road. Guess who foots the bill? Yep. Us. Thankfully, no one was hurt by the live wire AND the weather was somewhat mild today... and it was repaired by the end of the day--no small feat with all the road closures and crazy traffic.

But I gotta say... the first snow is always so beautiful..