Six things I learned in February

Linking up today with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky for her monthly "What I learned" link-up. It's a time to reflect on some things learned in the month. Not always deeply serious. Sometimes silly.


1.  Selfies with taxidermy can be fun. 


Hubby and I had a little get-away over Valentine's Day. We never knew we'd have so much fun in a natural history museum. But, things started getting interesting when we started taking selfies with the animals. People, we don't get away much.


 

2. Don't go out in the winter night with your slippers on.

Well, remember last month I shared about my fall at JC Penney while returning some pj's? Well, just at the beginning of February, my hubby thought he'd better go out on the porch at 9:00pm and put some salt out before our son came home. 

He took one step out on the porch in his SLIPPERS! and fell right on his tailbone. He said he learned why slippers are called slippers. I learned from his fall never to wear my slippers on icy steps. I can't even stay upright in my own shoes!

3.  Think twice about striking up a convo with a stranger in the knife aisle at Target.

One day this month I was looking at knife blocks in Target. I haven't bought new knives in a coon's age. I made the mistake of striking up a conversation right there with a woman who was also shopping for knives. She felt like she had to tell me her mishap with a sharp knife. I was so regretting being friendly in that moment.

4.  Serving is good for the soul.

For the first time ever, I joined my mom and my daughter for a shift in packaging Meals from the Heartland at my church. These meals will feed the hungry in Africa, Haiti and even in my own home town. I'm grateful to have served in this way, and will do it again.

5.  You never know when insomnia might come in handy.

A good night's sleep is a precious commodity to me these days. I am sleeping better, but not always. The other night, I was up walking around and I saw movement through the curtains out into the front yard. At first I was a little spooked until I went to the door and looked out the window. 

What I saw took my breath away. There in the snow, munching on who knows what were three deer. I felt like these deer were treasures in my night time and I was truly 
blessed. 

6. Eliminating sugar isn't as bad as I thought.

I've discovered some wonderful low carb beverages and meals and desserts on Pinterest. I've been trying to follow the Trim Healthy Mama book of dropping white sugar out of my diet. I'm reminding myself daily to "enjoy the journey." I have a Trim Healthy Mama Pinterest board if you want to get a glimpse of the recipes I've been pinning.


Thanks for stopping by, friend!

Blessings to you!

~Anne

Which rooms will you linger in?

Imagine with me for a few minutes that your soul is a mansion. In this mansion are many rooms. Some rooms are full of soul care and some rooms are rooms of neglect. 

Which rooms will you visit?
Will you visit the rooms titled 

worthy, 
loved, 
held close, 
attended to?

Or, will you venture into the basement and linger in the rooms labeled

the past
regrets
bitterness
unforgiven
anger

I imagine that in this mansion called "soul", I am free to roam about. There are many floors with many rooms. It is totally up to me which rooms I visit, where I linger, and how long I roam the hallways even trying to decide which rooms I will camp out in. 

I want to pull up a comfy chair in the room called Worthy. Because that is who I am. Worthy of love. Worthy of respect. Worthy of good friends. Worthy to be good to myself.

I want to throw back the curtains and raise the blinds in the room called Loved. 

Because that is who I am. I am loved by my God. I am loved by my family and friends. I am loved. 

In the room called "attended to", I would pull up a comfy chair again and just think and dream. And realize that to be attended to by a loving God means I am of utmost concern to him.

How about you? Which rooms will you linger in? Which rooms beckon you?

Blessings to you today friend.
Thanks for stopping by, and I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

~Anne

I'm linking up today with other writers for five minutes of free writing for Five Minute Friday at Kate's Place. Won't you stop by and join in the fun? Today's prompt is "visit".

To let go of outcomes

The teacher at a training session I went to last year had a phrase that she repeated more than once. I'm glad she repeated it because it took a few times for it to sink in. The phrase was:

"let go of outcomes."

I had never heard of that before. I mean maybe in different words I'd heard that. But, this phrase really spoke to me.

I think because most of the time in my life I have held tightly to outcomes.

I want a happy marriage so what can I do?

I want well adjusted smart children, so what must I do to ensure that?

I want to be liked, and well-loved by everyone. What must I do?

What I heard again and again in this class (even tho the class was not on this topic specifically) was to let go of outcomes. let go of the illusion of control that I have of how things turn out.

Oh, yes, I have some control. It's not that I give up all control. But, there is a limit to what I can control. I cannot control another persons actions, for example.

I can teach and train my child in the ways that I want him to go, the ways that I believe are right, but in the end, my child has a free will and will decide one way or another.

seen on Facebook this week

That decision and the myriads of decisions of others' are out of my control. What is in my control are my choices. My decisions.

Lord, help me to be open to the idea of letting go of outcomes. I know my life will go so much better.

Amen.

Thanks for stopping by, friend!

Anne


Linking up with other writers at Five Minute Friday today for 5 minutes of free writing. Unedited. Today's prompt is "open". 

On a February morning

Last year's flower stems quiver in the cold.

The bird bath is frozen over.

The still six-inch deep snow in the yard is now marked by bunny and bird tracks from the past few weeks.

Even when the outside temperature hovers near zero degrees, the birds are chirping.

How can this be?

Did their Creator create them with an innate happiness and contentment no matter their circumstances?

I can learn this.

The giant evergreen outside my front window stands strong in the winter wind, home to Black-capped Chickadees and squirrels who dare to chance the weather to visit our bird feeder.

No matter what goes on in my world, this nature world keeps a live tempo.

The sun rises and sets. 

Snows come.

Snow melts.

Birds fly and nest.

Oh, I so want to write of it, and more!

I want to write of nature.

I want to write of me and my world.

I want to write beauty.

I want to write.

I want to notice in order to write.

So, in order to someday write, I write it down now.

Maybe in the writing of it now, it will prepare me for writing then.

And, then.

Blessings to you,

~Anne

Linking up today with #TellHisStory and Coffee for your Heart, and Three Word Wednesday

What would you keep?

We moved to a smaller home about two months ago. As I wrote in an earlier post, I had to get rid of a lot to downsize, which includes letting go of a lot of decor for my walls and lovelies that would sit out on table tops.

And, you know what I've discovered? All of the things that I thought I could never get rid of, that I thought I would have to keep and put up on my new walls right away are still sitting in a leaning pile in my new basement. This tells me a few things.

It tells me that these material things aren't really that important to me after all. The only thing I have put up on my walls in two months is a new clock I bought at IKEA because the old jumbo clock had to go.

I am also way less attached to those things waiting for me in my basement. I am almost thinking about taking them to the consignment store.

I find myself almost wanting to start over on my walls after so many years of carting around the same old things. Except for pictures of my family. I want to keep those.

What do you have in your home or in your life that you think you just could not live without if it went missing, or someone took it out of your home/life for awhile? 

What if you tried it? 
I know...radical.

I think I am enjoying the freedom and spaciousness of blank walls for awhile. It's been room to breathe so to speak. Fresh painted gray walls with nothing on them to clutter them up or put nail holes in.


Don't get me wrong though, the wheels are starting to turn. 
Bare walls will have edited lovelies on them once again.



Linking up with other writers at Kate Motaung's blog for Five Minute Friday. Just five minutes of silencing the inner critic and writing free. Stop on over there for all of the details to join in!

Six things I learned in January

I'm linking up with Emily at Chatting at the Sky for her monthly "What I learned" link up! Each month we share some of the things we learned during the month. They might be serious, or they might be silly. Thanks for stopping by!



1.  You know those Wet Floor signs that you see when someone is mopping at a restaurant? Or at the mall where melting snow has turned into a puddle of slippery mess? Yes, like this one.

Well, on the 6th of the month, when 2015 was still fresh and new out of the gate, I went to the mall to exchange a pair of pajamas. And, apparently, I was NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION!! OR BEING CAUTIOUS! Because, the sign was right in front of me!

I had just paid for the new pj's and I turned to leave the cashier's desk, and SPLAT!, I fell hard on the concrete floor on my right ribcage. 

I'm so thankful that I hadn't taken off my down Bubble coat and that my arm instinctively flew right across my chest to protect myself.  

It still hurt really bad, but nothing was broken. After two angels stopped to help me up (both of them paramedics!), my daughter drove me home with an ice pack on my ribs.

I was in too much pain to be embarrassed, really. And, I started being grateful right away that I didn't break anything!  

Not a great way to start the month or the new year. I don't recommend it. Now, I started walking like a penguin on slick spots and snow. You just can never be too careful!  (be careful out there, people!)

2. I shared five days of my art on Facebook this month. Watercolors and knitting and photography. It takes vulnerability to share our art. I was proud that I could do it. There was a day I wouldn't have.

3.  As of January, (we downsized to a smaller home and garage in December), we finally started parking one of our cars in our "new" one car garage. I was relieved to find that even though it is somewhat of a snug fit, that our car does indeed fit in the garage!! Yay!

4.  I am a Downton Abbey Junkie. Yes, I admit it. The last couple of weeks I was in for a shock and a little disappointment in Mary's choice to go away for a week with Tony Gillingham. But, I was even more amused by her grandmother's, The Dowager's, reaction and advice. She told Mary, "Take charge of your feelings before they take charge of you." 

You, go Granny!

5. The other day, for the first time ever, I bought Global stamps to send a letter to Canada. I learned that with a $1.15 Global stamp, you can send a 1oz. or lighter letter or card ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. Is that cool, or what? Time to get a bunch of snail mail pen pals from all over the world, huh?

6. Whilst waiting in line at said Post Office, I had time to study the $20.00 bill in my hand. I learned that it is Andrew Jackson's picture on the bill. And, on the back is the White House. (aren't you glad you know that now?)

I was also glad to be reminded that the USA still prints "IN GOD WE TRUST" on our money. Yes, I am glad.

Thanks for stopping by friend!

I'm so glad you did!

Blessings to you,

~Anne

Listening to the white

The branches bend and twist under the weight of the freshly fallen snow.

The frozen birdbath wears a top hat of white and each winter-dead twig is twice its size with heavy snow.

The bird feeder we just hung last week wears a thick layer of white frosting on the top, like an elegant wedding cake ready to be delivered.

Each little perch is covered with a blob of snow frosting that I hope Mr. Cardinal will just quickly flick away when he comes for breakfast.



Oh, I hope the wind doesn't come up for awhile. 

It's predicted. 

Heavy wind gusts that will threaten this haven of winter white today.

Even now, the wind comes in bursts and causes the snow covered branches to lose their white covering as an avalanche of snow falls, wind-beaten, to the ground to add another layer to the parked cars, sidewalks and streets.

The flakes that fall are small and delicate today, unlike the fat, heavy ones that splatted decidedly on our windshield last night.

How can such delicate, small flakes fall in such a way to make a winter landscape thick with beauty?

The white quiet beckons me to sit here at my window a while longer.

I'm safe and warm here.

I'm hidden from the cold, but wide open to what our neighborhood has transformed into today.