Tag: choices

Feel the Music

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Thank you for supporting my dating excursion.

This afternoon, I’ll be in a suite at a Bed and Breakfast for a couple of days. I can’t recall the last time I traveled by myself. It’s been 6 years since stepping inside a B&B, but my heart holds a never-ending love for them. I see two rows of stepping stones along the path. One is logical, paved by thoughts. The other is of the heart which can be scary, but God is there.

I booked the B&B a month ago, and have been watching as the weeks fly by. It’s in one of my favorite small towns, only an hour away. Travel doesn’t always mean get a passport and board a plane. It’s about a change of scenery, and being plucked from the normalcy of what you know.

I purchased this tote to use as a weekend bag and to inspire travel.

America and Beyond

It felt frivolous at first spending the extra time and money on this trip, and bag, but when friends and co-workers began asking, “When are you taking some time for just you?”, I listened. I’m looking forward to waking up in a different bed, and not having three animals pacing the hallway.

Thank you Stu, at Something to Stu About for sharing a Feel the Music in your Post Picks. I went to his Blogsite to pick up links to tag him in this post, and he had just posted about ‘Stillness‘. It was ironic to see his post since I’d booked this trip to dwell in some stillness with God.

Stu says, “Through stillness, we learn to pay attention to what God is doing in us and around us.” Make a space for what matters, which for me, is Him.

TobyMac-I Just Need You

The Sunny Spot

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When I first started this Blog, I could sit and write for hours and post daily. That has mellowed over time. I enjoy my pieces of life that don’t require Internet.

The dogs know my favorite time to write is around 9:00 am, and they become very still and quiet. It’s like they are giving me space to do what I love, or maybe they just see it as quiet time, because typing is not very rambunctious. I’m sitting at the kitchen table gazing out the window at the front yard. There’s a gentle breeze moving the trees and bushes, and birds are hopping around in the sunny spots of the yard. I can completely relate to the birds, because I love the sunny spots of life.

February and March are good months to be outside. In February, the temps will be in the high 60’s, and in March they’ll reach the 70’s, but by April we’ll be in the 80’s and then it’s on. I’ve lived here long enough where the high temperatures don’t really bother me anymore. You just praise God everyday for air conditioning.

We can look at our lives, and see what’s important. Our lives reflect an accumulation of small choices made daily. It’s a continual effort to weed out the bad and bring in the good, but we get to choose the life we’re sitting in today. With every action throughout the day, pay attention to the details. And if you find yourself gazing out the window like me, step outside and embrace the sunny spot.

A Better Choice

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I enjoy writing about choices.

This weekend, I chose to stay home. Normally, I’ll run some errands or visit local shops and markets, but not this weekend. It was nice to stay home and do whatever I chose to do. My truck got washed. 🙂

Some decisions don’t come to an end on our timeline. I made a choice when Big Red arrived that could have very easily turned into tragedy.

In Meet Big Red, you see him resting in the dining room, but I had to make room for him beforehand.

There was a large plastic container sitting in the dining room ready for storage. Yes lovely….It contained our Christmas ornaments! When the paddleboard arrived, I sat the container on the back porch.

At least it was closer to storage.

A few nights ago, we had a huge wind and rain storm. I wasn’t concerned about the rain hitting the container because it was plastic and shut tight.

What I didn’t consider was the wind.

The wind blew the rain up under the lid into the container. The next morning I looked outside to see if any damage was done from the storm and saw the plastic container sitting there half full of water.

Of course, I laid the ornaments out to dry and there was no permanent damage done. The one thing I was worried about were the paper stars I made for my daughter during Breast Cancer.

They were in a cardboard box within the plastic container. The cardboard box was soggy and so were the stars but they held up rather well.

stars

They are not quite the same as before the storm, but nothing ever is. I was just happy to see they needed help so soon after the storm.

Now I know to place the stars in plastic container instead of a cardboard box before storage.

As I was drinking my coffee this morning and the sky became dark. It rains without warning, so I ran outside to gather up the ornaments that were now dry. I brought the container into the house because the stars are not quite ready to be repacked.

I made a mistake leaving them once.

The second time I made a better choice.

 

 

It’s a Choice

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There are no bad days. I don’t invite them into my life. When Boss man asks, “How’s life Barb?”, he already knows what my answer will be. He knows I’m gonna say, “Beautiful! Life is simply beautiful!”

He receives the same, or similar answer every time. It’s my choice to either see life as beautiful, or not.

♦ ♦ ♦

Yesterday, I began my cross stitch that says, ‘Carpe all the Diems.‘ I went to a different store in search of the materials needed. Once again, the bin for the recommended color was empty. This was the second store I had gone to so, I made a choice. I chose two colors that differed from the instructions.

A dark grey for the lettering, and silver for the crown. Sticking to the color used on the pattern wasn’t fruitful. It was time to choose for myself.

It’s overcast and rainy this morning.

I can choose for my mood to reflect the weather, or rise above it. Once my daughter left for class, I set the stage for the type morning I desired. Cozy.

blog1

It doesn’t matter what’s going on outside.

What matters is what’s happening inside.

♦ ♦ ♦

I poured a fresh cup of coffee, lit a candle and sat down to do some cross stitch. Are you loving that basket? It’s wool with cotton trim. It was sitting on the bottom shelf all alone just screaming to go home with me! It holds my supplies and makes me smile.

What is your day looking like?

Remember my lovelies. It’s a choice.