Living life simply may have some drawbacks, but the benefits far out way those things! Something as small as a steaming cup of fresh coffee, of a quiet morning, can bring me so much pleasure! There was a time when I worked full time in the city, stopping each morning to plunk a good amount of greenbacks down, for some premium brewed beans. Looking back, it seemed such a waste of good money for a cup of coffee, brewed by super baristas, when I now get so much pleasure out of Folgers, with a bit of vanilla cream.
Next up would be my slippers! As I walk so much, leaving my poor toe beans to suffer, I make it up to them by wearing the softest and fluffiest pair of slippers I can find. While you might think I’d spare no expense for my indoor shoes, think again. The beauty is in the fact that I get such pleasure from the act of slipping into something squishy and soft; it’s not from the look or cost of the slipper. I realize that cheap is not always better, but in this case, I get by.
While these pleasures I share with you are in no particular order, I’m simply writing them down as I think of them. Speaking of writing, I have to mention the joy I get out of literary expression. It makes me happy whether I’m typing on a computer, writing in a journal or even jotting things down on a napkin. Just let me write!
I suppose my next choice comes by default, from mentioning the writing. Where would we be without the beauty and magic of reading? Whether rich or poor, everyone can enjoy the pleasure of reading, in some form or another. I’m in my fifty’s and to this day, a book still holds the magic of transporting me to anywhere I want to go, for everything from adventure to knowledge; sometimes, I get lucky and find both in the same book!
Last but certainly not least would be to receive love! I can easily say that it is an everyday thing, as it is at my finger tips always, whether from God, my husband or those nearby… point being, love is there if we just look up!
Someone got me thinking about Danish this morning, so here is my favorite to share with you…
When I arrived at the barn this morning, it was once again empty, with no babes anywhere to be seen! I sort of figured they’d be out playing in the fort they built last week, so I headed that way. When I got to the fort, there was no babes to be found anywhere. As I stood wondering where they might be, I heard some commotion down at the pond.
Normally, I don’t like to leave the babes unattended down by the water, but Brutus and Tilly are with them, and those two are both good swimmers. If I knew Tilly, she’d ensure the babes would all have life jackets on, while Brutus would simply fish them out of the water if needed. F.Y.I. Tilly and her friends all worked things out last week, as I had hoped they would. In the end, love always wins out! Underneath it all, I think that Tilly just really wants her own baby, but that’s just a guess.
Anyway, I was tempted to just let the babes alone, as the silence in the barn would be divine for my writing. But, as curiosity has always been a thing that drives my imagination, I headed for the commotion down at the pond. When I arrived, it was like watching a bunch of children trying to fish a toy out of the bathtub… a very large bathtub!
Brutus was dashing madly about, fishing one babe or another out of the deep end of the pond, in which they’d flung themselves fearlessly; whatever it was they were trying to catch, seemed very important to them. When I looked over towards Tilly, she wasn’t upset at all like I thought she’d be, rather, she was cheering them on excitedly!
There, in the middle of the pond sat the smallest of frogs, happily resting upon a lily pad. As soon as any babe got close to it, the tiny thing would simply hop to nearby pad, easily escaping their grasp. I admit that I was quite surprised, just as my little ones had been, that we had a frog in our pond. It’s a very small area and I’m not even sure there are any fish in there; at least, I’ve never seen anything, aside from myself and the babes.
I recalled all the troops, offering them some fresh raspberries I’d brought to the barn with me this morning. As the babes stuffed the juicy red berries into their tiny mouths, they tried to tell me of what they’d been doing… spraying juice and seeds in all directions.
While they did this, the frog seemed to be relaxing on it’s little pad, out in the center of the pond. In my opinion, the frog didn’t appear to be scared at all, instead, it looked to be waiting for the chase to continue; I think the frog was having fun jumping away, almost more than the babes were having, while trying to catch it.
Leaving Brutus and Tilly to corral the babes along the bank, I walked down to the ponds edge and placed two fresh raspberries atop the closest lily pad I could reach. I then stepped back and sat down upon the soft grass, to await the frog’s next move. For several moments, with Dinky and Boomer excitedly squealing in the background, the frog just sat there staring at me curiously. The frog suddenly jumped from its resting place, and with practiced ease, landed beside the raspberries.
While the frog enjoyed the berries, he introduced himself as Flurburt! He explained that he was in need of a home and had hoped to take up residence in the pond. That is, until my band of furry hooligans came along. He’d not realized that the pond belonged to someone else already. I explained that this pond was not actually our pond, but simply the local pond near our barn.
While he wasn’t afraid of the babes, he was concerned about constantly being chased by the little ones. Eventually, someone might get hurt, and he’d not want to cause anyone to come to harm. He’s agreed to stay, if, and only if, I can control the babes a little more when they come to the pond. I have agreed!
So, the only plan I’ve thought to come up with, as a way to teach the babes how to be gentle and calm, has been to get them each a stuffed frog of their own. I’ve a plan to take them all on a short adventure into the forest, baby stuffed frogs and all! My hope is that they can practice playing in the woods, while taking proper care of their own little pretend baby. It worked for my daughters when they were small, so why wouldn’t it work with my babes now?
I realize that I may be taking on more of a challenge than I should, but I’ve both Brutus and Tilly to assist. Wish me luck!
Honestly, the first thing I remember from high school, was our basketball coach, which I was in love with! I was certain that he loved me, as he’d offered me the job of being the schools Basketball Manager for both the junior varsity AND varsity team. Why else would he want a girl to take clipboard notes and pick up sweaty locker room towels after a game?
The next thing that came to mind, was how I joined the schools track and field team, only to be informed that I had to choose between smoking cigarettes and sports… the nerve of these grown up people!
From there, I remember skipping class with my best friend, driving to Big Bob’s Burgers for an early lunch, followed up by getting fully baked at the park, while sitting in her car. We would then try to eat our burgers and fries, amidst laughing at how the other looked while eating, until we both nearly choked!
While I did engage in a large number of unhealthy things learned in high school, I also learned the pain of both rejection and misunderstanding, while trying to make friends in yet another school.
In the end, I did also learn a great many valuable things that were mingled in with all my hormonal development! Just so that you don’t think I simply ogled boys and smoked pot all through high school, I happen to be very bright, which allowed me the opportunity to soak up all the education possible in under 2 years!
That’s right folks! I had missed so much academia through my school years, due to being passed around differing foster homes, I began my junior year with only a freshman’s credits. My foster mother had to go before the school board, requesting they waive all of my elective classes in order for me to graduate with my age class. They actually approved!
So, amidst all the crushes, heartbreaks, and partying, I’d some how managed to complete 4 years of school in only 2; graduating with an accumulative GPA of 3.94… go figure!
While I don’t wish to go through the heartache of those times, I have very fond memories of friends, dances, football games and the like. I would also like to add that I love education so much, I’d go back to school in a hot minute, if I could choose STUDENT as my full time career… I love to learn new things!
In home economics class, one of my favorite memories is learning how to make a Baked Alaska, so I’ve scrounged up one for our snack today.
So, as usual, I sat down today planning my normal writing, where I share how I’m feeling about life and such! I wasn’t feeling it! Ha ha… get it, feeling it? And yes, I still need reading glasses for the up close stuff, even though my surgeries corrected all the rest of my vision. I am 55 you know, so I cannot expect the eyes of a 20 year old, as those days are long gone!
Instead, I opted for doing girl things… you know, like doing my nails and putting make up on, which is not something I really do any longer, with any regularity. As I’d already cut and colored my hair a few weeks ago during my last girl day, all I had available this morning was a bag of old make up products, and my jammies!
You know, I’ve done a great many home jobs on my hair over the years, but this is actually the first one that I liked! My husband had to even it up in the back for me, since I obviously can’t see the back of my own head. But I think he did a fine job, as it doesn’t look too choppy back there.
I’m too cheap to cough up a hundred bucks, and not willing to sit still long enough for anyone else to mess with my hair. I’m hoping to go even shorter, at some point, and get rid of the rest of my dark hair, but that will definitely need an actual Hairstylist; even I’m not that good. I discovered how much I love using a light caramel brown color, as it does a beautiful job covering and blending with my gray, silver, and/or white roots. I can no longer sport my dark hair, as I take on the look of a rabid skunk, from the moment my hair starts to grow out. I finally grew tired of dealing my head stripe!
I’m not even gonna pretend that my hair is cut evenly, hence the way I always tilt my head for photos, just in case. There is less chance for you to notice any of my mistakes. Trust me when I tell you, I’ve done some pretty horrific hack jobs on myself over the last few years, but for the first time, I really like this one… Kudos to me!
Anyhow, if you’re wondering why I am doing such ridiculous things today and writing about it, it’s due to having a sore foot. WordPecker Down! I think I’ve injured myself trying to navigate all the road construction going on right in between myself and the river. Sometimes, I’ve had to trot across a road in between traffic to get around things. The day before yesterday, as I was hoofing it across the street, I felt a small twinge in the area just above my big toe, where I carry most of my weight when stepping down. I made it home without too much trouble, and woke yesterday, forgetting all about it! About halfway through the walk, I remembered it! I was still about an hour away from home, so I tried to be careful with it, as best I could.
Again, I had to trot across the street to get around all the torn up roadway, but when I did… this time I felt a pop! I’ve walked at least 4 major marathons in my days, and am very familiar with that feeling you get, when something gives! Twice, over the years, I blew out both my arches while refusing to quit a marathon. I’ve learned to be much gentler on myself since those days. Rather than ignoring the pain, I immediately slowed down and hobbled the rest of the way home, walking on the outer side of my foot. I must have resembled a Rapper walking with an attitude, as I swaggered home.
Funny thing about feet is, there are so many bones in them, unless you snap a major one, there isn’t anything they will do for it. I’m just going to take a couple of days rest to let it mend, before hitting the trail again. Since I’m stuck in the house alone, and left to my own devices, this is why I found myself in the closet pulling out my old bag of make up. Don’t you feel so lucky! You read all the way through my blog, just to hear me tell you why I made myself look pretty. Sorry, not sorry!
Even though you feel like you’ve earned a cookie for being put through this, you’ll have to sit through my prompt response for the day… if I fed you cookies every time I got a wild hair, we’d all end up like the fat people on those floaty chairs in Wall-E!
I finally figured out that we can often become our worst enemy! Always looking at the negative and assuming that nothing good will come, only leads to more depression and darkness.
God doesn’t want me to waste anymore time focusing on the past, but instead, to seek the good and the beauty that still DOES exist in this world! Notice that I said IN and not OF… there’s a big difference!
There is much good to be found, when one stops looking at themselves and begins to search what lay beyond them! I am learning and growing in ways I didn’t think possible, simply by letting go and letting God!
God is Good… All the Time! So Let’s BEE Positive in how we perceive our circumstances, as well as those around us!
It’s sunny out and I hear the river calling, so I’m out!
No cookies today, as I’m in the mood for a waffles…
Am I the only one, or does anybody else feel like, the moment you say the word exercise, we’d rather stay home and sleep?
The word exercise takes me all the way back to gym class in school, you know, climbing a rope to the ceiling and running around the track until you wanted to thought you would be sick.
I want to change the word “exercise” to “play!” The beauty of writing a blog is that it’s just that… my blog! Writing ones thoughts and/or feelings, without caring what others think, is a lovely thing to experience, in my opinion. I think I’m capable of answering the prompt in my own way, without really deviating from the subject matter of exercise.
While I’ve actively participated in sports and physical exercise throughout my life, from walking in marathons to playing softball for the local church team, mostly I’ve just played! I looked up the definition to exercise, and it seems that my playtime accomplishes the same result.
I’ve run in track and field, but I’ve also jumped hay bales out in a field with my horse. I’ve played softball, but I’ve also had to catch a lot of fly balls within my own home. Try attempting to referee, or more accurately, coral three children along with their passel of pets, under the same roof.
There is no rest for the weary when it comes to parenting! I spent five years homeschooling my children, which included way more than just classroom studies. We hiked, camped, fished, swam, gardened, learned musical instruments, went on bike rides, rode horseback, drove dune buggies and on and on and on…
My answer to the prompt is to say that any form of exercise works, I think, as long as it feels like playing. If it ain’t fun, it ain’t worth it, and it won’t last for the long run. Choose an exercise that feels like play, if you wish to maintain both a healthy mind and body.
There, see? I think I still answered the question, even if I had to swap out one word for another… if not, well then, here…
In appreciation of all the good it brings, I’ll not begrudge the rainy days, nor will I pass up the chance to snuggle under a warm blanket with a steaming cup of my favorite coffee. I’ve a list of things I could be working on, both the writing kind and the choring kind; though none of them seem to be more pleasurable at the moment, than drinking coffee.
My hubby has gone to classes, leaving me the whole day to move about freely in our little RV and clean up here and there… but quite frankly, it’ll be there whenever I get around to it, so it can wait for another day!
With the fireplace heater going, slippers on feet, and coffee in hand… it feels sort of like I’m relaxing in a little cabin in the woods all by my onesies, and I like it!
I was poking around in the book of Galatians earlier, and I was rewarded with a new verse to memorize. It’s Galatians 2:20, for anyone who might be curious. When I was younger, memorization seemed more like a chore than a pleasure. Now, however, I find the verses rising to my lips in just the right moments, bringing me peace and comfort in whatever circumstances I encounter. I had always assumed that I should be able to recite verses for others, to either save someone or to display my own Godliness. Only now do I realize how much the memorization was, and is, for my own edification and encouragement, as well as those listening.
In honesty, it’s much easier than trying to memorize study notes for tests about names of states, or chemical compounds, neither of which have ever really been that helpful in my personal survival… just sayin. Don’t get me wrong, those subjects are vital for the students who wish to pursue government or the sciences… for them, it is useful in furthering their future studies in those fields. As it happens, the field I find myself in has no real use for those subjects, so…. if you don’t use a thing, you can easily lose a thing, if you get my meaning.
Anyways, my coffee has gotten cold while I was writing this and that won’t do, so I’m off to reheat my Jo. Once that’s done, I’m back to the task of editing my book. It’s going smoothly and steadily I think, as I’m attempting to take my time and listen to Gods direction. My desire is to produce a thing honorable to the One who called my name! My goal is to share my heart, by revealing Gods faithfulness in my life; possibly helping another soul to heal from their own wounds. If nothing else, God is using the writing of my journey to bring healing and growth to my own heart, in ways I never thought possible! I think it’s a win win sort of situation!
Well, I’m off! God Bless and big hugs from this heart to yours…
The only time I desire to read something over and over again, is when I want the words I’m reading to leave their mark!
While I may have read books over and over as a kid, it was because I wanted to relive the experience of whatever adventure I was on, but that desire ended when I gained children and lost free time. Now that I’m way beyond those years, I find that most of those books seem trivial and insignificant compared to the things that are so much more important.
I’ll be honest in saying that I’m a practical girl, wanting the most bang for my buck! If I am to read something, it better be useful for my journey ahead… or I ain’t got time!
If you didn’t already know this, I spend a large portion of my time on WordPress, writing my own stories, as well as, reading what others have to share. Beyond that, my free time is spent writing on other literary projects, physical activity, and spending time with my best friend, and partner in crime. I read one and only one book repeatedly nowadays, and if I’ve not made it abundantly clear yet… it’s the BIBLE! Beyond this book, all bets are off, as to any other written words that I would read more than once!
Journey With Me! 