Tag: Family

Less is more…

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Daily writing prompt
What are the biggest benefits of minimalist living?
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There’s something interesting about that old adage. The three words, themselves, offer the full answer to the prompt, without needing much more information, don’t you think.

One can take a wordy explanation about how to enjoy much more of your life without amassing a garage full of material things… and simply say, less is more.

Don’t get me wrong, here. I, too, once had a garage full of toys, gadgets, and more. It wasn’t like those things just sat, collecting dust. We used them, therefore, we assumed they were necessary wants, not just want wants. It’s easy to justify having more than we actually need. And, it’s not always a bad thing. The reality sets in when the things we put our hopes in, fall away from our grasp.

There was a time when we had plenty, and then suddenly, it was gone… all of it!

How you survive and overcome great loss is what makes you who you are. It will define your character, for the better… or possibly not, depending on how much you valued all that was lost.

What I discovered during our time living in that old R.V., and into our homeless bit, was the art of finding solutions, the act of letting go, and the gift of gratitude!

We live quite modestly, now, compared to before. To some, it may seem impoverished, but quite probably it’s more comfortable than many others will ever experience. We don’t have much, but what we do have is cared for, and never taken for granted. And if we lose it, we replace it, or simply make do without it.

While I could easily come up with a list of things I could use, as anyone might do, I won’t. Why? Because living with minimal things has now become an actual way of life, at least in my mind. I can’t speak for my husband, of course.

The way I see it, having less means there’s more space in my head, my house, and my heart. There’s a sense of freedom in not being tethered to a large amount of materials that are all crying out to be used, repaired, and/or stored somewhere.

When we have to move, we move fast and light. When we exist in small and limited spaces, it’s comfortable and not overcrowded.

And, more importantly, my heart now seeks other treasures and beautiful things. You just might not see what I see. Our home may be empty of many material things, but it’s never truly empty. Instead, it’s full of love, laughter, light, and shared dreams. Dreams that are still yet to come true.

Plus, since there’s so much room in my kitchen, I’ve plenty of space for baking all these cookies…

Monday Messages…

Wiwohka8 Comments

I want to do things a little differently this morning. I know that we normally pick strange words in the English language, just to learn and understand more about properly reading and writing. But sometimes, life takes us in directions we didn’t see coming. I guess that’s where my mind is, just now.

Don’t get me wrong, I still want to become a famous writer, and all. That’s a dream that will never stop growing, a passion that will never diminish!

What I’m trying to say is that I feel like maybe it would be kind of fun to be a part of something bigger, and much more important.

Wiwohka’s grandbaby will now be with us three days a week, which means that everything is changing around the barnyard. Routines are all going to be different, which won’t allow us to write as much as we normally do. I want to help with the baby, more than I feel like writing, lately. Is that wrong?

I mean, she’s not MY baby, but still. She’s just adorable, and I smile so much when I see her that my cheeks hurt. I’m sure that Wiwohka will need my help, but I don’t really know that much about babies. I was thinking that perhaps I can still practice my reading and writing skills, while still being of use to Wiwohka, and little Maisie.

What if we use Monday Messages to look up different things about babies, and all that goes into caring for them? This will help me learn all about babies, and at the same time, I can practice my spelling and proper word usage. While I doubt this will be anything new for you, it will aid me. What good is an ant that doesn’t know anything, right?!

I do know that babies sleep a lot, eat a lot, and poop a lot. But, aside from that, I’m just certain that there is more to be learned about a baby. So, just to prove this to myself, I shall be embarking on an educational journey through the forests of baby lore. How did they do it way back then? What changes were for the better, and what ones were not so helpful? What things have remained the same, since the beginning?

You see, there are a number of things to study and write about, when it comes to babies. I thought it might be fun to write about Wiwohka’s and Maisie’s journey together, and document all the changes along the way. Plus, if Wiwohka’s daughter reads anything about it, maybe she won’t be so unhappy about going back to work. They visited the other day, and I could tell that she was sad about it. But, our place is just down the road from her work, so she’s not far away. I still feel bad for her, though.

Anyway, I hope you don’t mind me using Monday Messages to learn more about babies. It won’t last forever, as I’ve heard that babies tend to grow very fast. Before you know it, we’ll be back to our regular writings.

To ride like the wind…

Wiwohka1 Comment
Daily writing prompt
What’s a thing you were completely obsessed with as a kid?
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Obsession was hardly the word for it! More like consumed, I think. For this little girl, anything to do with horses was where all the fun existed.

I was born and raised on a farm in Oregon, and was surrounded by all manner of farm animals from dawn til dusk. My mamma had me on horseback when I was still in diapers. Our family were avid hunters, so we were most often trail blazing up into some mountain range, or another, in search of good hunting grounds. Since it was easy to lose little ones in the middle of the woods, we were assigned to horseback for the majority of the trail passages. It was just what we did back then, as far as I remember.

When at school, my best friend and I would use our jump ropes and pretend to ride horses around the playground, during recess and lunchtime.

I watched every John Wayne Western, with rapt attention, as well as every other western movie or television show. The original Black Beauty movie was my go-to, along with any other show that featured horses.

My first horse was a paint pony that we named Candy, and I loved her like she was the only horse on the planet! We couldn’t afford a saddle for her, so I rode bareback all the time. It wasn’t a problem since she was as round as a bouncy ball. She was also not very tall at all, so when she bucked me off, it wasn’t far to fall.

Our farm boasted about 250 acres of cattle pasture, so my favorite Saturday activity was to ride the range, as they called it. The fence-line actually had several ranch hand shacks out along the back of our land, which I loved to visit. If I fell off my pony, I could just walk her up to the fence, and then climb back up that way.

My mother would pack us lunches, and my brother and I would take our horses and chase each other around the fields. The best part was pretending to shoot each other and falling off into the large piles of drying hay that lay randomly about the pasture. Those were the days.

My love of horses didn’t end there, though. Eventually, after years of riding whenever I got the chance, I landed a job as a ranch hand/babysitter for a friend of the family. I lived in a renovated tack room, out in the horse stables. I learned how to ride properly, both in Western and English style, as well as all the rest that went into training, breeding, and complete equine husbandry.

From the stables of a horse ranch, to the mountainous meadows of an all girls Christian Horse Camp, if horses were involved… I was all in!

As the years passed, and children arrived, my time was no longer my own. Though I wasn’t able to pursue more horsemanship type careers, I did raise my girls up in the same fashion that my mom did for my childhood. My girls were on horseback from diapers on, and we frequently enjoyed camping, fishing, and hiking with horses. We even spent three summers at a dude ranch in Idaho, riding horses all over the Sawtooth Mountain Range.

It’s been at least 15 years since I sat in the saddle, unless you want to count the numerous hours of computer games that require you to ride a mount. Age, and arthritis, finally caught up with this girl from the farm. My knees, my back, and my neck, have all paid the price of happiness.

While I might not be able to ride horses any more, it has never lessened my love and passion for the beautiful creatures.

Cookie?

I don’t have to wish…

Wiwohka3 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What super power do you wish you had and why?
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Happily, I can say that I already have a super power, so this prompt would be more aptly written as, “What super power are you glad you have and why?”

While I could play a game of riddles with you, in order to assist in your discovering what my answer might be, I won’t. To save time, I’ll make things easy for you.

My super power is Invisibility!

I can vanish from before your eyes, only to reappear at a later time, and place. Yes, it’s true! I’ve been doing it now for a number of years. Some might think that if one always fades away into the shadows, their life would simply be a lonely place of existence. But, surprise… it’s not lonely, at all. Well, not all the time, anyway.

When I get to feeling a bit on the lonely side I’ll surface for a bit, but only that.

When one reappears to those in their environment, that’s when the drama arrives. The gossip, the strife, and everyone climbing over one another, just to get ahead.

I know it may seem selfish of me, not to be visible, and all. But if I’m out of sight, then that means I’m also out of mind. As nobody ever came looking for me, while I was in my invisible form, it became apparent that I hadn’t really been missed very badly.

Oh, don’t feel badly on my behalf. Being invisible has it’s perks! You can go places, and do things without anyone taking notice. I can spend hours reading the bible, crafting, working on puzzles, watching documentaries, playing video games, and things of that nature. But, what I love the most about my times of invisibility, would be the hours of imaginative writing. It doesn’t even matter if none of you ever read it. I was there, and I wrote it all down as the adventure unfolded.

Perhaps one day, long after I’ve faded away, someone will find the things I wrote down. Maybe it will be something beautiful, or maybe not. I guess it depends on whose eyes were able to see the words written on the pages.

Before I ghost you again, you should probably grab some cookies…

Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV on Pexels.com

What if I can’t choose?

Wiwohka2 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What’s a moment you wish you could freeze and live in forever?
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Personally, I think this prompt is too difficult. Perhaps if there were only a single moment in time that were noteworthy in my life, but there have been many. Far too many, in fact, for me to successfully pick the right moment that should be frozen forever.

Why, the birth of my children has already created a conundrum, as I’ve three daughters. How on earth am I supposed to choose between them? Time would be frozen, remember, so if I chose one over the other, I’d lose a life’s worth of memories for the other two that I didn’t pick.

What about my wedding day? What about that moment? Again, if I choose my wedding day, it would again erase my chance at memories being made with all three of my girls.

While I’d love to freeze the moment I finished reading one of my favorite novels, with the combination of all the emotions being experienced at that final page… there are waaaay too many books that accomplished such a moment!

First big successes, or even first adventures… or what about our most amazing vacation moment? The problem with freezing any of the moments we may or may not pick, is that it’s permanent. No going back, and no going forward. How very limiting, I think.

For this reason, I am unable to pick only a single moment to dwell in forever. The problem with having anything wonderful is, eventually, we want more. The new becomes old, the exciting becomes rather mundane, and boring. It sounds harsh, but it’s the truth.

While I won’t pick a moment, I will pick today. While I don’t know what’s to come, I’ll walk the path, none the less. No matter the joy, or the pain, I will make my way to tomorrow, and leave today behind.

I, just as you, are travelers. We were never meant to stand still. If we did, time would simply wave as it passed us by.

Enjoy a cookie…

Tomorrows may be even better, or perhaps not. It’s a chance you’ll have to take, my friends.

Live Novel Friday…

Wiwohka6 Comments

The Wharf

Episode IV

According to the note pinned to the hood of the baby’s coat, his name was Brugo. The name didn’t ring any bells for the young barmaid, but the name of his father stole her breath away.

The note claimed that the child belonged to Ollie, the tavern’s owner!

Maiyah was shocked, to say the least, as she’d rarely ever seen the grumpy orc with a lady friend. And, those he spent time with didn’t stay long, what with his terrible temperament.

Niceness can only go so far with a lady, if the rest of your time is spent drinking, and carousing with the rest of the drunken sailors visiting the wharf. The orc lived a very lonely life, though he be surrounded by others. Maiyah thought maybe that was the reason for his being so grumpy all the time.

Looking down at the baby orc, Maiyah faced a huge dilemma. What to do with the baby, and what to do about the letter she now held.

If she were to take the baby straight away to his father, Ollie would surely send him away. He might even become angry enough to put Maiyah out on the street, just for being the one who brought him the baby. She wasn’t only worried about his reaction to the baby, but the note that came pinned to his coat.

Maiyah felt that it was wrong to read someone else’s letter, so once she saw the baby’s name she stopped reading the letter, and placed it in the pocket of her apron.

For the time being, all that Maiyah could think about was how she was going to sneak the baby into her room. Maybe if she waited for the right moment to talk to him, when the orc was in high spirits, she might lessen the shock of revealing the note, and the baby that came with it.

The important question was, how would she be able to keep a baby hidden in a place one was not meant for small ones. The adorable little beast would stand out like a beacon, from the moment she set foot inside the tavern’s doorway.

She knew she could safely navigate getting the baby in, simply by stuffing him in the bottom of a laundry basket, and then covering him with the clothes. That wouldn’t be the issue. What she worried over, was how to keep him hidden and quiet. What was she to do with him while she did her work, within the tavern. Ollie would surely notice her absence, as she never missed a single shift.

Well, she would have to figure things out as she went. Maiyah had never done something so reckless before, but needs must when one encountered something unexpected. Dipping into the kitchen, Maiyah retrieved a laundry basket and returned to the fish barrel, where the baby sat waiting.

He seemed quite happy to climb into the pile of soft clothing. Quickly, she pulled the laundry around and over him, to hide the little beast from spying eyes. No sense in being undone by a nosy tattle tail.

Once she’d safely made it up the back stairway to her room, she deposited the baby onto her bed. He just sat silently watching her, making no move to climb off the bed. Not knowing what else could be done at the moment, she offered the baby a biscuit, propped some blankets about his shoulders, and left him there. If she didn’t get downstairs to begin serving customers soon, Ollie would become suspicious. All she could do was pray that the baby would fall asleep, or something.

How will Maiyah keep the baby hidden, and for how long?

What will happen when she gives Ollie the letter?

And, what will become of little Brugo?

Thursday Thoughts…

Wiwohka14 Comments

Is it possible to overdose on too much exposure to adorable?

While I absolutely think it’s possible, I don’t think that the long lasting side effects are all that bad… feeling giddy and light headed, smiling til your cheeks hurt, and having a general desire to hug anyone within reach.

Can you believe Maisie’s over four months old now? Every time we see her, she just keeps getting cuter… and happier! I swear she is the happiest baby I’ve ever encountered. I can attest that her mother was NOT this happy all the time. In fact, my daughter was a very sick baby for the first several years of her young life.

But, as you can see from the above image, she got better. She had some hard knocks here and there, as a teenager, but my daughter is nothing, if not tenacious, when it comes to overcoming things.

I couldn’t be more proud of the woman she’s become, as well as being a fantastic mom!

So much will be changing for us, here in just about a month, as Maisie will be spending three days a week in our care. I’m thrilled, yet a little scared, also. It’s been over 30 years since I was caring for my baby girls. Things have changed dramatically since those days, when it comes to how babies are raised. Nearly all the baby stuff looks foreign to me, though I’m fairly certain I can still use a thermometer.

Thankfully, we have a small apartment, and there isn’t a lot of furniture and/or clutter, which I’m eternally grateful about. I’m never going to get any housework done, or anything else productive, for that matter. She is so cute, and I simply forget about everything else, the moment I pick her up.

How hard can it be, right?

We put a crib in our bedroom, and I’m decorating it to be as similar as possible to what she has at home. This way she’ll hopefully not be fearful of her surroundings, when she naps.

We still need to get a table and chairs for the kitchen area, so as to have a place for a little attachable high chair. She’s already trying foods, folks. Anytime a baby is born so big, I swear they start eating real food much earlier than normal. She loves bananas, squash, oatmeal, and her mamma is planning on offering her avocado next. We just make it with our little Ninja mixer. The plan is to make everything fresh, and with nothing added. I forgot how much work it takes being a mom. My daughter is going to be exhausted when she goes back to work.

Well, I’m just glad we can be helpful. My son-in-law’s mother will share childcare with us, so that our kids have a chance to be financially stable. Childcare these days is ridiculously overpriced. Honestly, I don’t know how anyone can actually afford to work, when they have to pay so much for babysitters, as well as all the other added costs of a growing family.

It’s about to become a whole different schedule for this Meemaw, but I don’t actually mind. Though I’ll not having as much free time available, once she arrives, it’s a fantastic trade-off. Maisie is far better than any video game, or Netflix series that I’ve already binge watched numerous times. I’ll have to adjust my writing schedule for when she’s napping, or playing with her Papa. If that doesn’t work then I’ll do it on the days she spends with her other Grandma. I might even switch to writing in the evenings, when it’s quiet.

In truth, I don’t think there’ll be anything productive going on when she arrives, which is as it should be…

Gifts for the soul…

Wiwohka3 Comments
Two hands exchanging a small daisy flower outdoors
Daily writing prompt
Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.
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There is positivity floating all around, if one takes the time to look for it!

While I may not have a large and/or extended family, when it comes to genetics, I’ve actually a huge family tree.

You see, I was adopted into an enormous family. Not only do I have my own husband and children, but I am also one of many sisters and brothers. Fortunately, I am a part of the family of God, so at any given moment, I’m being prayed for and/or being gifted something directly from my heavenly Father.

Sometimes God works through my husband, while at other times He may choose to act through one of my children, or a brother or sister in Christ. Still yet, there are those times when God chooses to act through a complete stranger; someone completely unaware that they are being used to complete a task for God.

At times, the positive things done by a family member may seem rather small and insignificant. Take for example, my husband will often surprise me by picking up a special food item that’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and safe. It may not seem like a big deal, til you factor in how I don’t like to leave the apartment until needs force me to venture out. My husband often does things to make my life easier.

Now, there are things that are much bigger positive’s than others. Like when my daughter makes it a point to face-time me each week, so that I can have special MeeMaw chat’s with my grandbaby. These video chats are the highlight of my week.

there’s a positive thing that I get from you, each and every day, when we interact with one another. We read others writings, share some of our own, and leave comments back and forth together. For me, that is considered positive family connection… as I consider everyone here on WordPress to be my family, in a manner of speaking.

Let’s consider these cookies as my positive offering …

Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV on Pexels.com

Inquiring minds want to know…

Wiwohka4 Comments

What on earth happened yesterday? One moment I was typing out my prompt answer, and the next, we were moving out of our apartment!

For anyone not aware of our recent FunVee activities, some moron decided it would be fun to set a fire in the 4th floor garbage room, thereby, setting off that section of the buildings water suppression units. It flooded all the way to the basement parking lot!

We’ve had to wait nearly three weeks for them to get to our unit for repairs, and had been under the understanding that they would work around us. That wasn’t happening, as there were about 10 of them + us … which equaled out that we would be spending at least several days, corralled in our tiny bedroom with all our belongings. They needed to basically gut the whole left side of the apartment and the bathroom, as well. Mold has become a concern, so plans changed.

In the space of 4 hours, 6 darling young maintenance workers helped us completely move from the 2nd floor to the 5th! It’s the Penthouse baby!

Well, maybe not THE penthouse, but it’s actually a bit more spacious than our previous unit. Though we’ve just a little one bedroom there’s now room for my office to sit beside my husbands. The nice thing about this is because now I have room to turn my closet into a baby nook for Maisie when she starts coming over. I get to babysit when my daughter goes back to work, and I’m so stoked!

It’s perfect for her crib, and there’s room for a bookshelf and toy bin, once the pictures all get put back on the walls. Baby steps! Hahahahah, I just realized what I did, there.

Why must I take baby steps, you may be asking? Well, you try moving in only 4 hours! Me and my island of misfit internal organs had a field day, yesterday. Fibro started banging on her drums, thereby, sending IBS running off the reservation, and finally that left Arthuritis (yes I purposely misspelled that), to simply wipe out my back for the next several days. Folks it hurts to type, lol! My fingers keep falling asleep.

Personally, I think the move was worth it for the rewards…

Wouldn’t you agree?

(for my daughter’s privacy, I’ll often be implementing our SugarPlum, as my granddaughter’s stand-in.)

Thursday Thoughts…

WiwohkaLeave a comment

Thought #1 – Maybe my grandbabies will come over in the next few weeks, so we can make homemade waffles with fresh strawberries and real whipping cream.

Thought #2 – I wonder if being ticklish is hereditary? There was never any opportunity to ask my mom if she was ticklish. I know that I am terribly ticklish, especially on my feet. Maisie is also ticklish on her feet. I know it’s only me, but I want to think that maybe I passed that to my girls, and now my daughter has passed it to my grandbaby. I just wonder about it, that’s all.

Thought #3 – Can a person get an ear infection by listening to dirty music?

Thought #4 – I’m so glad somebody invented toothpaste! At least we don’t have to use body wash or good ole Irish spring. Ughhht… I just almost threw up in my mouth, gross!

Thought #5 – What if fresh air always smelled like watermelon, on a rainy day?

Thought #6 – What ever happened to the people that Jesus encountered during his time on earth? Where did they go? How did their lives change? What did they ever make of their lives, once changed by the Son of God?

Thought #7 – How fast would the world tilt off its own axis, after all manner of phones vanished overnight? Would we simply go back to writing letters and employing the Pony Express?

Thought #8 – What is the price of a smile… or the cost of physical touch?

Thought #9 – A human soul isn’t born filled with hatred, being that it’s a learned behavior. On the contrary, it’s rather interesting that each of us are born with an innate sense of love, without ever having to be taught.

Thought #9 – Why is it then so very hard to give love sometimes, but hatred enters the room by such a minute effort.

Thought #10 – It’s kind of funny how minute has two differing definitions. We all know that a minute is 60 seconds, and yet if we change the way we pronounce it, the definition is completely different. According to Mr. McGoogle, minute (pronounced my-NOOT) means very small, tiny, or insignificant, while the time measurement (MIN-it) comes from the same Latin root but refers to a “small part” of an hour, and can also mean detailed or precise.

See? We can learn something new every day! I knew that old adage would ring true, at least in this particular instance it does. Just sayin!

Friday’s almost here, folks, so that aught to give us all some things to have thoughts about, right?!

Hugs