Tag: quiet time

Calm Amid the Chaos

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In Fire and Rain I was on a mission to find the perfect bench for the firepit area. The bench purchase was a little outside my comfort zone, but I wanted to enhance the sanctuary vibe encompassed by the yard. Well…Tada!

Once the bench was in place, I wanted a little table, or outdoor pouf to sit between the chair and bench. This is the worst time of year to find outdoor furniture, but I drove to all my favorite stores to see my options. Instead of furniture I saw stacks of unopened boxes of Christmas trees. 😮

The table in the photo was at Target, in the Magnolia section with no price tag. (There’s 3 things right there that scare my wallet.) I found an employee to scan it for me, and when she told me the price, I laughed out loud, and exited the store. The next morning the table was still on my mind, but I continued to Google ‘outdoor side table’. I saw one at Urban Outfitters that looked similar, but with shipping it would cost more than the one at Target, so I followed my heart back to Target and gave the table a home.

This entire process brought up the thought of ‘what a year can do’. There’s a noticeable difference in what the yard looks like now compared to last year, but it took an entire year to get it here. We want immediate change, but lasting change occurs gradually over time. I wouldn’t have made these furniture choices a year ago, but I’ve been pondering the possibilities for months. It’s a foundational start, but more time will pass before it’s complete.


I don’t invite people to my home very often, but this year I want them to feel invited in. This space was created to connect and soak up some calm amid the chaos.

Here’s all of the posts about creating spaces:

Wide Open Spaces, Fire and Rain, In My Corner, and Spaces to Grow.


Working and Writing

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I’ve heard you don’t have to be ‘in the mood’ to write. You can just sit down at any time and write, but I believe the mood will reflect in your writing.

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s not about finding time, because we all have the same amount of time. It’s sitting down everyday and writing until the words run out. Running out of words doesn’t come easy for me, but we are keenly aware of running out of time. It’s precious.

Saturday was cold and rainy, but I decided to accept it for what it was. I lit a candle, and turned on our heater that resembles a woodstove. My work got done, but with it being the Saturday after Thanksgiving it didn’t have the sense of urgency it has during the week.

Photo by Kam Pratt on Pexels.com

I do this quite often. Work a little while and then come over to WordPress and write. If I’m having a challenging day with work, WordPress tends to be my happy spot. Responding to your comments, or fixing a cup of tea and taking time out to read your Blogs are important to me.

I love to write, and when I spend time on the page, other areas of my life become better. When I don’t write, it feels like a part of me is missing.

I was overly focused on work, so my writing and Blog suffered. I knew there had to be a balance, so one day while working, I pulled up my Blog and started to write. I left two tabs open. One for work and one for writing and I’d go back and forth between the two. Writing brings joy that spills over into my work.

That’s how I found balance between working from home and writing. They became equally important.

Self Care Sunday

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I texted my daughter, “When you walk out of Whole Foods with a French baguette, hearts of Romaine, and Stumptown Chocolate cold brew?” She replied, “Sounds like self-care to me!”

Sunday feels like an appropriate day for self care as it was planned to be. My work doesn’t offer much time off on Sunday, so I’ve been watching for windows of time on Monday or Wednesday. Have to admit though, Self Care Monday doesn’t sound the same! 

Writing is a form of self care because if I see an hour of sacred space opening up, I’m gonna write. I wait for it and start typing. For me, it’s not about finding the time to write, it’s about finding the sacred space. We will make time for what’s important, and writing is like breathing to me. It hasn’t always been that way, but it became that way after clicking publish 100’s of times.

A good gauge for selfcare is my neighbor. The more often I can walk over and spend time with him, the better. If I don’t see him all week, it’s time to look at my week. Sitting with him on his front porch, he took one look at his dog and said, “I’m taking an hour this week just for me.” He gives a lotta love to dogs and they are spoiled, but he knows he needs some time without them.

I was happy to hear him say that.

He knows taking time for himself, even for an hour, will make him a better person to be around. Maybe we can’t take a full day and call it Selfcare Sunday, but we can carve out some time for ourselves when it’s important, and I believe it’s vital.

There are seven days in the week to choose from, so pick one. Name it and claim it as your very own self care Sunday.

Enjoy the Day

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You can hear the natural flow of the day when there is no additional noise. The air conditioning is blowing steadily through the air vent above my head. Sitting in the middle of my bed while typing, the cool air is landing on the back of my neck, arms, and shoulders. There is a ceiling fan on in the room quietly circulating the air.

Sitting in stillness and quiet is a vital part of well-being. It’s taught me to sit with myself and get to know who I am with no distractions.

I’m doing less with my phone.

I tested myself this week, and left my phone at home while out with my daughter. The only part I missed was the ability to take pictures of the moments. Some phones contain better camera’s than actual camera’s. I wonder if that’s intentional, so we rely on them more.

 

morning

Enjoy the day!

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Learning To Fly

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This morning, I am trying to find the right desk chair. It’s important to have a good chair when you type as much as me. The one I was using up until today, was making my back hurt because it had no back support. We need support.

It’s been a quiet morning, which is different from yesterday as well. Gus is behaving and the front porch arena is calm. I love my porch and the swing hanging from it. Up until a few minutes ago, I wasn’t sure how much I loved it.

happy friday quoteI found this picture while googling ‘Happy Friday’ quotes. It doesn’t say one word about Friday, but I thought it was pretty. The hardwood floor is what drew me in because I love my hardwood floor. It’s important to “Be still”, calm your mind, so you can see what is going on around you. Listen.

This picture eluded me to believe it was about Friday, just like these birds think my front porch is a barn. They are Barn Swallows and they were cute for about a week. This old farmhouse has a beautiful wood beam with a ledge framing the porch. It is similar to a barn structure, so they think.

They built nests in three corners of the porch. Why they built three, I am not sure, unless they have plans to expand. I love birds, but one nest on the porch is more than enough. They had babies in one and they have grown to the point of flying on their own. I love how the mothers scoots them out of the nest. She lines it with feathers when they are first born, and as they grow she removes the soft lining. The nest gets so uncomfortable, they are more apt to leave.

Isn’t that how it works? We are happy as long as we’re comfortable, but as soon as we start to feel discomfort, we freak out. The mother bird watches her babies learn to use their wings and swoops down to catch them if they are going to hit the ground. She throws them back up in the air to try again and again. Watching out for their safety.

This is one way God works in my life. He scoots me out of my comfort zone, so I will fly and trust Him to catch me.

I have a barn behind the house. Yesterday, when I sat in the swing to spend time with God, they started dive bombing my head. I guess they were still learning to fly and kinda clumsy. They seem to be doing better today, so they can stay for now. It’s if it  comes down to me sitting in the swing, enjoying some quiet, or them stealing my joy, they will be introduced to my barn. They are named Barn Swallows for a reason, and this is my home, not their barn.

 

blackandwhiteBarbara is a writer and loves being a Mom to her 15 year old daughter. It’s a dream come true for her to be a Let It Go Coach and help others enjoy their lives. She hosts Workshops, does one on one Coaching and is working on her first book.  You may connect with her via email. Letitgocoach@gmail.com