Wednesday, January 23, 2013

But a Breath...

I was shocked. I ran to my car, and did not take much notice of the temperature. It wasn't until after it had warmed up and I was on my way that I realized I could still see my breath.  The cold chill had infiltrated into the interior of my car, and regardless of the high temp heat forcing it's way in, the cold was winning.... soon to be losing, but not as of yet.

A  breath, a deep breath, or shallow one, is still only seconds in length at best. Our lives, are the same. They last for longer than a second, but life is fleeting. We have no guarantee of tomorrow, let alone even the remainder of the day.

This year, I set forth in a huge effort to wrinkle reduce (which basically means not walking around with my cranky face).  I've said it before, and I'll say it again and again and again.  Each day I get up, my circumstances may be less than what I hoped for. I may not feel well, I may wake up late, there could be a weird smell in the apartment hallway (gotta love apartment living), but I am working. Working hard to be better at living a complaint free life.  Working at looking at the positive, making sure I'm "never fully dressed without a smile," dancing when I'm feeling a little blue, memorizing a new song when I need to get away.



I do not want to get to the end of my length of days, and regret a moment, a breath, whether it be a second or an hour.  The plan is to work hard, smile more frequently, get Blanche back to good, make some projects (keep those same projects confined to the Craft Cabinet instead of all over the couch and living room floor).


I want to be a magnificent light.  All of you- those who surround me, those who see me daily, or once a year, those who are my family, my friends, those who know me best, and those who only wish they knew me more- are a part of my little life journey. We walk the road together.  You have seen me (and I'm really sorry) at my worstest worst. I choose though to make tomorrow anew, and to begin again.  (I could say I'll start now, but at home with Blanchey Blanche, I'm fairly relaxed and pleasant.) But tomorrow, tomorrow the test will come.  I want to be like Jesus.  The man who loved, full of compassion. The man who welcomed people in with a smile. I am a long, long, long, (it would get repetitive) way off, but these feet were made for walking, and my heart and mind are  ready for working. 

 Life is but a breath, and quite frankly I'm going to make the most of it.

Make it a good one friends.
Love to all,

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Nonesense








"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
~Cyril Connolly

January. We are solidly tucked into the new year. We have seen the slightest touch of snow, more than a touch of ice, but the days are staying lighter longer (minute by minute) and the hope of spring is always around the corner.

My year is actually starting out well. Between the hours of 6 pm and 8 am, I pretend that the hours between 8 am and 6 pm don't exist.  In the aforementioned hours, I become a crafter, writer, reader, traveler, self-employed philanthropist, organizer and overall happy. And, since we're in those hours right now, I am choosing to not mention the latter.

This year I decided that I would tackle a few items right from the beginning. I've talked about it before, but I really don't believe in just waiting for the New Year to arrive to begin to apply resolutions.  However, I spent the last 10 days of 2012 in Indiana, and determined that as soon as I arrived back in Illinois, I would roll up my sleeves and dig in.

These are only a few:

1) Wake up at 6 am weekdays.  15 days in, and I have been fairly successful. I am unashamed to say that I called in additional resources to assist me in my endeavors. Yes, I Googled. Then I found a service that has cartoon characters call you at your designated time. (Um, it's not as creepy as it sounds.) Let me tell you, it's working.  The morning hourish before I leave for work hasn't been as productive every day as I would like, but I'm enjoying it. 21 days to make a habit? Almost there.

2) Posting a blog post once a week? Check.

3) Clean out my fridge/freezer and compile a list of what I have? Check and Check.

While I'm feeling a little mellow right now, I have to admit that I'm actually feeling pretty low key and happy. 

I do not know what is going to happen over the next year, but I do  know this beyond anything else, God's gotta good plan for me. I know because I read about it. 

Let's rock 2013 friends!
Love to all,


Wednesday, January 09, 2013




The world is a terrible place. Sometimes…. Sometimes I think it would be better to take shelter and be away. Hide, hide away. 

But, then I hear a song.  And, I see a deer right in front of me, and the trees change from green to red and yellow, and then I remember.  There is much to see here. There is much to do here. There is much to love here.  And, the terribleness because overshadowed by the Son.

Hiding away just won't do,