One thing you wore, one thing you gave away, one thing you shared
1. My fire opal ring from Sedona. I bought it when I met Jen there in January '11, with a gift card that my dad gave me for my birthday the month before. I specifically saved it to buy something for myself on that trip, and every time I wear it, I remember what a great trip it was. And it makes me think of my dad, which is appropriate, since he grew up in Arizona. So it makes me remember stories from his childhood, as well as my grandparents.
2. We are purging and clearing out as much "stuff" as possible. Every week there's a box of clothes, books, miscellaneous items going to one charity or another. We still have a ways to go, but it feels good.
3. I had lunch with Kim today. I miss having her in Scouts with me, but I am thankful that we are still able to get together. I'm thankful that they didn't move away, and I'm thankful that our friendship is based on more than Scouts.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
January 13
3 things about yourself you are grateful for
1. My love of reading. I have friends who don't love to read, and they are fulfilled, and their lives do not feel like they are missing something. Yet I can't imagine having that life. True, I don't read as much as I used to, but I miss it. I love getting sucked into a great book. And I love that my husband and children share that love.
2. My blue eyes. I know it sounds shallow, and Lord knows my husband and first-born are beautiful with their chocolate-brown eyes. But I love my eye color. And if I didn't have blue eyes, neither would my two youngest children. And I love their blue eyes. They're distinctly different colors, but they're perfect for them.
3. My ablility to see things from other peoples' perspectives. It gets me into trouble sometimes -- it makes it easier for me to be taken advantage of -- but I think it's a valuable skill. And, in my opinion, a bit too rare. If only everyone were able to look outside of their own perspectives.
1. My love of reading. I have friends who don't love to read, and they are fulfilled, and their lives do not feel like they are missing something. Yet I can't imagine having that life. True, I don't read as much as I used to, but I miss it. I love getting sucked into a great book. And I love that my husband and children share that love.
2. My blue eyes. I know it sounds shallow, and Lord knows my husband and first-born are beautiful with their chocolate-brown eyes. But I love my eye color. And if I didn't have blue eyes, neither would my two youngest children. And I love their blue eyes. They're distinctly different colors, but they're perfect for them.
3. My ablility to see things from other peoples' perspectives. It gets me into trouble sometimes -- it makes it easier for me to be taken advantage of -- but I think it's a valuable skill. And, in my opinion, a bit too rare. If only everyone were able to look outside of their own perspectives.
January 11
3 yellow things that strike you as fresh mercy.
1. Sunlight after an overcast day (or week). Or, for that matter, any time, but it seems that I only really appreciate the sunlight after being without it for a period of time. Isn't that really true of most things?
2. The tart, fresh smell of a lemon. There was a funky smell in the garbage disposal, so when I had juiced a lemon, I put the remains down the disposal. The funky smell was replaced with the clean, citrus aroma of the lemon.
3. Daisies. I have always loved daisies. Simple and sweet, and timeless.
1. Sunlight after an overcast day (or week). Or, for that matter, any time, but it seems that I only really appreciate the sunlight after being without it for a period of time. Isn't that really true of most things?
2. The tart, fresh smell of a lemon. There was a funky smell in the garbage disposal, so when I had juiced a lemon, I put the remains down the disposal. The funky smell was replaced with the clean, citrus aroma of the lemon.
3. Daisies. I have always loved daisies. Simple and sweet, and timeless.
January 10
A gift that's sour, a gift that's sweet, a gift that's Just. Right.
1. Leigh gave me a bag of Meyer lemons from her mom's tree in Florida. Yum. I made lemon poppyseed muffins and lemon pound cake with them. The juice was tart, but a bit sweet, too.
2. The kids gave me a box of chocolates in my stocking for Christmas. I don't ever like all the varieties in assortments, but some of them were truly delicious.
3. As always, I made toffee at Christmas. As a matter of fact, I still need to make one last batch. One of the batches turned out a bit soft, but the rest were just perfect. I love to keep our tin in the refrigerator and then every other day or so treat myself to one. Yum.
1. Leigh gave me a bag of Meyer lemons from her mom's tree in Florida. Yum. I made lemon poppyseed muffins and lemon pound cake with them. The juice was tart, but a bit sweet, too.
2. The kids gave me a box of chocolates in my stocking for Christmas. I don't ever like all the varieties in assortments, but some of them were truly delicious.
3. As always, I made toffee at Christmas. As a matter of fact, I still need to make one last batch. One of the batches turned out a bit soft, but the rest were just perfect. I love to keep our tin in the refrigerator and then every other day or so treat myself to one. Yum.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
January 9
A gift in your hand, a gift you walked by, a gift you sat with
1. For the past few years, Josh has gradually become less inclined to show any physical affection, especially to his mom. But every so often, we'll be walking somewhere and his hand will find his way to mine. He won't actually make it to full-fledged hand-holding, mind you, but he might hook a finger around one of mine. And for that fleeting instant, I am transported back to when he was a snuggly little boy who wanted nothing more than to climb into my lap or snuggle up next to me on the couch, pressing his warm body to mine. Sigh.
2. I'm in the midst of purging and decluttering. The closets, the basement, the kitchen cabinets, my office.... As a result, we have pictures and posters leaning up against random walls throughout the house, waiting for me to decide where they will be hung, or whether, in fact, they will be hung. One such item was a gift when we had Josh. One of Bret's co-workers cross-stitched "Joshua" and framed it. It hung in his bedroom until we moved into this house. Now, I don't know what to do with it. I expect I'll hang onto it, although the odds are probably pretty slim that any of the children will have a son named Josh (or even if they did, they may not want this particular piece of art).
3. My BSF study is a real treasure, and I love the time I spend sitting with the Word. I need to devote more of my time to that.
1. For the past few years, Josh has gradually become less inclined to show any physical affection, especially to his mom. But every so often, we'll be walking somewhere and his hand will find his way to mine. He won't actually make it to full-fledged hand-holding, mind you, but he might hook a finger around one of mine. And for that fleeting instant, I am transported back to when he was a snuggly little boy who wanted nothing more than to climb into my lap or snuggle up next to me on the couch, pressing his warm body to mine. Sigh.
2. I'm in the midst of purging and decluttering. The closets, the basement, the kitchen cabinets, my office.... As a result, we have pictures and posters leaning up against random walls throughout the house, waiting for me to decide where they will be hung, or whether, in fact, they will be hung. One such item was a gift when we had Josh. One of Bret's co-workers cross-stitched "Joshua" and framed it. It hung in his bedroom until we moved into this house. Now, I don't know what to do with it. I expect I'll hang onto it, although the odds are probably pretty slim that any of the children will have a son named Josh (or even if they did, they may not want this particular piece of art).
3. My BSF study is a real treasure, and I love the time I spend sitting with the Word. I need to devote more of my time to that.
January 8
Light that caught you, a Reflection that surprised you, a Shadow that fell lovely
This one hung me up a bit, so I put it off for the next day. And then I got sick and lost the next few days.
1. I love the dusky light just before sunset. I love the way the sky is tinged with pink and blue and violet. There's a certain intersection where I always get stopped by the red light, and it seems like the light always just hits a church steeple in that perfect way. I'm actually happy to be stopped for a few minutes, so I can admire the rosy tint on the cream-colored paint.
2. People tell me that they think Jacob looks just like his big brother did when he was the same age. I never see it, becuase they have such different looks. But every so often Jacob does something and I am transported back 5 years to when Josh did the exact same thing. He definitely has acquired some of his brother's mannerisms.
3. Back in September, Jessie and I went to San Francisco for a girls' weekend with friends. That first afternoon, we ended up at the national cemetery at the Presidio. The girls spent about 30 minutes examining and exploring the various gravestones, and I took some photos. One of my favorites shows a hillside of graves -- some shrouded in shadows and others shining brightly in the sunlight. I love the contrast.
This one hung me up a bit, so I put it off for the next day. And then I got sick and lost the next few days.
1. I love the dusky light just before sunset. I love the way the sky is tinged with pink and blue and violet. There's a certain intersection where I always get stopped by the red light, and it seems like the light always just hits a church steeple in that perfect way. I'm actually happy to be stopped for a few minutes, so I can admire the rosy tint on the cream-colored paint.
2. People tell me that they think Jacob looks just like his big brother did when he was the same age. I never see it, becuase they have such different looks. But every so often Jacob does something and I am transported back 5 years to when Josh did the exact same thing. He definitely has acquired some of his brother's mannerisms.
3. Back in September, Jessie and I went to San Francisco for a girls' weekend with friends. That first afternoon, we ended up at the national cemetery at the Presidio. The girls spent about 30 minutes examining and exploring the various gravestones, and I took some photos. One of my favorites shows a hillside of graves -- some shrouded in shadows and others shining brightly in the sunlight. I love the contrast.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
January 7
3 Graces From People I Love
1. Bret and I had a discussion the other day that could have evolved into an argument, and he dropped it before it was able to progress.
2. On the way to Syllables, I received a phone call from a friend I hadn't connected with in a while, and Jacob was content to be silent in the back seat during my conversation. He had been telling me a story and he quite graciously picked up where he left off after my phone call.
3. Sorting through all of Mom's old Red Cross paperwork (that Dad brought to me "in case I wanted it"), I was reminded of all the times when she nagged me about keeping good records. Then, I saw it as nagging -- now, I see it as her "having my back."
1. Bret and I had a discussion the other day that could have evolved into an argument, and he dropped it before it was able to progress.
2. On the way to Syllables, I received a phone call from a friend I hadn't connected with in a while, and Jacob was content to be silent in the back seat during my conversation. He had been telling me a story and he quite graciously picked up where he left off after my phone call.
3. Sorting through all of Mom's old Red Cross paperwork (that Dad brought to me "in case I wanted it"), I was reminded of all the times when she nagged me about keeping good records. Then, I saw it as nagging -- now, I see it as her "having my back."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
