Tag: My Daughter

A Moment’s Notice

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I woke up to the sound of a bulldozer knocking down trees next to my home. The woods that offered privacy, shade and homes for the animals are no more. Poof.

I stood at the kitchen window in horror as trees were tossed carelessly into a dumpster. Their life and the years they stood became irrelevant in the path of progress.

The edge of our driveway is the beam to the left.

The last few days the machine’s have been still, and that’s been much needed. I knew the two lots were for sale, but didn’t realize they’d sold. Someone is building a couple of houses there, with one facing the street I live on, and another one facing the street behind me. My daughter and I had no warning this was about to happen. It all transpired within a moment’s notice.

This morning I sat in silence on my bench in the front yard for the first time in days. The one positive I’ve noticed is there’s more light with less trees. Over the weekend I was still adjusting to the new landscape, or the lack thereof and texted my daughter. I felt helpless over the situation and was distraught over the woods being gone. Then my daughter responded with this nugget of wisdom.

“I understand Momma. I wish we would’ve had a head’s up, but maybe it’s better that we didn’t”. ~My daughter.

This cup is empty, but my heart is full.

When God wants us to stand still and trust in His plan, we relinquish control. Instead of focusing on what’s gone, I can appreciate what this change brought, such as more light and a cool breeze entering the yard. We won’t see His full plan immediately, but He’s watching how we behave in a moment’s notice.

In An Instant

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As I mentioned in a previous post, my daughter met up with a friend she doesn’t get to see very often. They met on the college campus last year, and the friend moved away to attend another campus. The best thing to come out of college, in my opinion, has been meeting this friend.

They stayed out late shooting pool, so her friend came home with her and crashed here. The following morning, her friend woke up and walked through the house looking for coffee. There’s no automatic brew here my love.

But I can make you a cup of coffee that’s memorable. I stood with her at the coffee bar and went through the choices. Chemex, a vessel of coffee, the French press, or a pour over. She was intrigued by the pour over and asked, “What’s a pour over?” This made my heart sing.

Bluebottle Coffee Dripper

I have a confession to make. I’d become really slack recently about taking the time to make a Chemex, or pour over for myself in the morning. I’d walk by the coffee bar, over to the tea cart and turn on the electric kettle for a cup of instant coffee. Within minutes I was sipping on a cup of rehydrated beans, sort of, and not enjoying it.

That’s just not me. I don’t do anything in an instant.

This morning I stood at the coffee bar, remembering the fascination of the friend and treated myself in the same manner as I treated her. “What’s your pleasure Barb?”

The Chemex is what I made for myself.

Photo by Purple Smith on Pexels.com

I remember the friend sitting at our kitchen table sipping the cup of coffee made by hand. The look on her face after each sip was like she had never experienced coffee like that before. I told her, “That will get you going”, and she responded with excitement, “What are we doing today?!”

Yesterday my daughter told me something her friend said about that morning at our table. She said, “Sunday morning was one the most beautiful morning’s I’ve ever had.” Those words were music to my ears and yet it also confirmed:

Beautiful moments aren’t made in an instant.

What a Legend

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Legends rising up amid the chaos.

A Blogger friend of mine was recently laid off from work. She’s in the cleaning industry, so I believe it’s wise for now. She announced being home-bound and what did she do? Made freakin’ bunnies!

I read her Blog this morning and it made me smile. I even giggled at the sight of the pom pom bunnies. She is legendary.

bunnies
Hello Bunnies

This Blogger continually strives for well-being. She hasn’t had an easy life, but I haven’t seen an obstacle yet she hasn’t conquered. We may be on lock-down, but we can make some bunnies.

Reading her Blog out-loud, my daughter responded with, “What a Legend.”

© Elizabeth Fisher and My Well-being and Learning Journey.

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That Wooden Spoon

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Around the same time I bought the explosion of happiness wreath, I spotted a tool caddy for our kitchen. It’s meant to be used as a small planter, but not here.

toolcaddy

When I take pictures, I email them to myself with notes: That wooden Spoon. I didn’t move it to take this picture. Maybe this is how people began staging their photos? To display how they want it to be, or should be. This picture is not perfect to some, but it’s real.

I sent this picture to my daughter and she loved the caddy. I rearranged the cooking utensils to take another one for this post, but changed my mind. Mainly to get that wooden spoon out of front and center.

It’s not very pretty. It’s been used.

My daughter bought a colorful silicone spatula with a metal handle. It looks good, but can’t scrape the bottom of the pan like this guy does. There hasn’t been a messy pan yet that it couldn’t assist in fixing.

The photo may not be aesthetic, but I snapped it for my daughter, so it’s personal. This caddy holds our ‘ go to’ kitchen utensils, but all I see are moments. We cook our meals together and have incomparable conversation while cooking.

Today, the one that’s earned some time front and center is that wooden spoon.

Don’t Shrink Yourself

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I awoke by what sounded like a blender.

Then that familiar scent entered my room.

My WordPress friend, Still a Dreamer, gets this moment. She refers to it as the Nectar of the Gods. Yes my darling, I woke up to the smell of a freshly brewed Chemex! Life doesn’t get any better!

chemex

My daughter is a master of the Chemex.

She taught me how to make one, but mine are never as good as hers. She has it down to a science. She has class this morning, but took time to make one knowing it would be a beautiful way to begin this day. I was giddy holding this cup of magical brew.

Yes lovely, happiness is really that simple.

As my daughter was getting ready for class, she couldn’t decide what shoes to wear. She wanted to wear her new boots, but I could sense reluctance, so I questioned her quandary. Her response wasn’t what I thought it would be. It wasn’t so much about the boots, but how tall they made her look.

She is giving a presentation in front of her class. She is 5′ 8″ tall, just a little shorter than me. As she slid on her Converse sneakers I gave her a word of advice. You see, I felt the same way at her age.

I was taller than all the boys in school and wearing heels makes me look even taller. She doesn’t want to bring attention to herself, but today I know this…

shrink

Boots on my darling. Don’t shrink yourself.

We Are Learning

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My daughter is at her Dad‘s, so I filled her shoes this morning, and took care of the puppo.

The puppy is sleeping in a crate at night in my daughter’s room, but I could hear it’s pleas for freedom. The next thing I noticed was how spoiled I’ve become waking up on my schedule.

When you open the kennel, she bolts out, full of energy! We should wake up like that every morning.

Excited to be alive and having a new day.

It seems like a long time since she brought home a puppy. She loves dogs and would have 48 if possible, so we’ve had a few dogs come in and out of our life.

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Our home one year ago. Denver sunning on the step.  

They always came with a purpose.

One stayed with us for 14 years while others were just passing through to their forever home. Two years ago, I walked into the barn to find one curled up on moving boxes. It was a big dog and startled me. Living out in the country people love to drop off dogs, and our little house looked like a good home.

I questioned the timing of getting another dog. She leaves in 10 days for England and doesn’t return until the new year. Guess who’s caring for puppo?

“You’re getting puppies instead of grand-kids.”, she says.

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My future life. anoir-chafik-37957-unsplash

This morning would be different if my daughter were here. My daughter gets excited over puppo.

The puppo can feel her energy, and would be more energetic. After I released her from her kennel, I took her and her energy outside. I stood there and watched, but didn’t get excited, or encourage hyper behavior, I let her get it all out. Once back inside I missed my daughter making the Chemex.

She has about 30 minutes of puppy behavior every morning before she’s done and laying at my feet. That is how I know she has the good dog in her.

She lays at my feet while I write. She doesn’t run off creating chaos, causing me to leave the keyboard, and my train of thought. She waits for my move.

‘You are your environment’ works through dogs too.

My daughter returns home from her Dad’s today, but I wonder what puppo will be like when she returns from England? She’ll be gone almost four weeks, which seems like a long time for all of us.

The puppy will grow, but maybe I will too. I’d like to hop out of bed in the morning like she bolts out of her kennel. Maybe her purpose is to spark excitement, and mine is to show her about calm.

One morning at a time, we are learning.

Feel the Music

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My daughter received a stereo for Christmas from her Dad. She hooked it up herself, but there was one piece she missed. The sub-woofer.

My daughter is all about the bass. She got the cord she needed from her Dad, and hooked it up right before she left on Friday.

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This sound system is against an outside wall, so as I walked into the kitchen, that entire wall, all the way past the kitchen was vibrating!

The house was literally moving.

This song has a lot of bass, so you can feel the vibration of the music. That’s how it should when a song resonates, to feel it in our heart and soul. This video reveals how everyone looks somber, almost bored until the music begins to play.  Sitting below the stage, they feel the music, it gets inside of them and they dance. By the end of the video all of the tables are moved out of the way and the restaurant turned into a dance floor.

Toby Mac sums it up best with, “I feel it in my heart, I feel it in my soul. That’s how I know.” When you feel it, let your body dance.