Tag: #slowdown

The Fire Pit

To step outside and smell a fireplace going or a wood pile being burned. It’s a cozy smell this time of year.

In the post, Be at Home it was mentioned our house doesn’t have a fireplace, so I bought an electric one. That’s a wonderful option for inside, but it doesn’t have that real fire smell.

It was time to fix that.

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I had visions of sitting around a fire pit with my daughter. Her boyfriend lives in England, but he’s coming here for Christmas. I could see them sitting there in quiet moments of togetherness. Maybe a neighbor would be taking a walk and stop to get warm. The possibilities are endless.

I walked outside and took the lid off the pit.

My daughter came out and helped build the fire. We grabbed our cups of tea and part of my vision came to fruition. We sat by the fire and solved all the worlds problems. We discussed Christmas presents for her boyfriend and for one another. Some of the time we talked and some we just sat.

It’s important to be able to just sit in each other’s company. To enjoy the moment for what it is.

A neighbor walked over to say ‘hello’ and gave an inquisitive glance at the blazing fire. Maybe it’s odd to build one midday. When it was time for my daughter to get ready for her evening plans, she paused and said, “Today was so nice.”

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It was a moment.

I’m covered in ash and smell like smoke.

Stepping outside to make sure the fire was out in the pit, I smelled that familiar smell. This time my darling, I knew where it originated. The fire was out but the memories were still aflame. They began today around the fire pit.

Savor the Moments

The best email of the week.

“Barbara…Your Holiday candle is here!”

My daughter laughed as I put this reminder in my calendar. “Only my Mother schedules a candle pickup”, she quipped. Life is not all business. You have to schedule in goodness too.

The lady who sent the email owns a local shoppe and we’ve become friends. She saw me fall in love with the candle last year and when the holidays were over, the candle disappeared.

She promised to get it back in her shoppe this year and said she would email me. She stayed true to her word and in turn, I went to pick it up!

 

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We are only as good as our word.

I’m being careful not to overextend myself this year. To stay present and go with the flow as life unfolds. It’s a matter of slowing the pace and saying, ‘no’ a lot. A fast ‘yes’ is face to face with my daughter, a neighbor, or friend. Connectivity is so important and I’m happy to be still for that.

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It hasn’t been lit yet, but there’s time.

Pumpkins on the front porch and listening to Christmas music as I type. Savor the moments.

It’s Only Pizza!

Everyday at the pizza place is different.

It depends on who and how many walk in.

When I leave to go home, God shows me a little snippet of why I’m there. Last night was no exception. I made mistakes.

Mistakes (1)

I work the front of the restaurant alone.

Lastnight, several families came in at once.

I was trying to take their order as quickly as possible and get them seated, so they could enjoy their evening meal. I need to stop moving so quickly.

Two families ordered beer with their pizza. The register has changed. You used to be able to tap the name of the beer and it would add it automatically, but we’ve added pitchers of beer along with mugs.

Now you have to choose the size, or it doesn’t know the dollar amount to charge. Just the name of the beer and $0.00 appear. I forgot to tap the ‘mug’ size, so I had just given 4 people free beer. 😦

mistakes

I addressed one couple about my mistake. They didn’t think anything of it. The woman came up to the counter to pay, and ordered two more.

Then there was this sweet, elderly couple sitting over in the corner. Sipping their beer and enjoying the pizza. I didn’t have the heart to tell them!

I told myself that I would suck up my mistake, and cover the cost of their beers, but God had other plans. God doesn’t want us to carry the burden of a mistake. He wants us to learn from it and move on.

The elderly gentleman came up to the counter holding an empty glass. He asked for a refill, and that’s when I apologized and told him I hadn’t charged him for the previous two. He understood and handed me enough cash for all three.

He placed the remaining dollars in the tip jar!

Something like this happens when I begin to rush. I make mistakes, but I continue to learn. The owner of the restaurant doesn’t want me beat myself up. He always says, “C’mon Barb! It’s only pizza!”

Wait… — Storyshucker

I’m watching from my window today. For a few minutes more, at least. Saturday errands call, but right now the view into the garden has my willpower paralyzed. Soothed by the peaceful nothingness happening out there, I stare blissfully through the glass a little longer. Oh well. I need to start those errands. Yawn, stretch, […]

via Wait… — Storyshucker

Be the Mama

I try not to rush anymore, but recently I found myself getting sucked into life’s frenzy.

This morning it was time to stop.

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Photo by Riccardo Bresciani on Pexels.com

I’ve been watching my daughter.

At 19 years old she has wisdom and discernment, and makes sound decisions. I’ve stepped back to let her practice running her own life. Watching how she manages it, and giving her plenty of space. She’s been adulting very well except for this one thing….

She’s exhausted.

Mentally and physically.

Time For a Change

I took a long look at how busy she has been. We both have, but I could also feel a disconnect. We are more than roommates. We actually do this life together, but when she came home Monday from her Dad’s, she sat down and fell asleep in her chair.

Her visits with her Dad haven’t changed since the move, even though the distance has.  He’s only ten minutes away now instead of an hour, but she still packs her duffel bag every Friday, and heads to his home. Stays the weekend and comes back here on Monday. She has three days before doing it all again.

I’m Still the Mama

She communicates with her Dad, and they make their own plans, until this morning. While she slept, I texted him and told him she is staying home this weekend. It was time to step in and be the Mama.

When she awoke, I told her what I did, and she looked mortified that I had stepped in, but you know what else I saw? Relief. And a slight smile.

This weekend she doesn’t have to be an adult.

Today was a good day to step in and be the Mama.

Find Your Dosha

I didn’t complete all four of the stained glass classes.

During the first class, I was with a group of ladies more mature in years than me. The teacher asked us to take turns introducing ourselves, and say why we’re here.

Each lady gave a similar answer. Their kids were grown, had left the nest, and they were looking for something to do.

When it was my turn, I said, “I just want to make something pretty!

I felt odd being there, and didn’t feel I was at that stage of life yet. I’m happy I went, and love trying new things.

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My friend Paula reminded me of this.

I left the class with what I need to make a piece of stained glass. It’s sitting in a box, on a shelf, waiting for the day that the time is right. We have time, but we spend it wisely.

When I took the Ayurveda class, we learned our Dosha’s.

Again, the teacher was a woman more mature in years than me, as was the majority of class attendants. She is a beautiful soul, and I will go back to attend her Yoga class. While taking the test to see which of the three Dosha’s we were, she said, “Most of you will rate high as Vata, or Kapha, and that is normal for our age.” What is normal for our age?

I guess being over 50, it isn’t normal to rate high as Pitta, but I recall sitting in that class, feeling a fire burning within. Finding my Dosha explains a lot, like why I can’t tolerate spicy food, or stand in the sun for very long. Fire meets fire.

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I rated high Pitta, with some Vata, and that is most likely due to my age, but that doesn’t stop me from trying new things. I believe we need to be on a continual journey of learning, otherwise we are stuck with old beliefs.

Marianne Williamson refers to these years as, “Re-greening.”

Sure, we slow our pace, and cannot physically do what we did when we were 20, but I don’t want to be any younger. I don’t know about you, but I finally have time to think!

“Internal work is sometimes done more easily while sitting there thinking than while busily running around. A frantic schedule helps us avoid taking a deeper look at ourselves, but by midlife such avoidance simply does not, and cannot work anymore. Slower lifestyles, candles, and soft music in the house, yoga, meditation, and the like are often signs of an internal re-greening.” (The Age of Miracles, M.W)

Thank you Marianne Williamson, for describing where I am, except the music part. I still listen to it way too loud.Travel-Photo-Quote

If you would like to find your Dosha, shoot me an email. I will be happy to send you the test. Letitgocoach@gmail.com

 

A Lazy Day

I believe sometimes we just need to admit to this. It is a lazy day, and that’s okay.

I’m sitting in my room overlooking the lake. It’s windy, but sunny, and I love watching the wind blow across the water. It wouldn’t be fun in a boat, but it’s soothing from where I sit.

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I’m to a point in my life, where I don’t feel guilty for taking a day to do absolutely nothing. The busy bee season is long gone, thank God. Today, I will allow my soul to catch up with the rest of me. I’m giving myself permission to enjoy a lazy day.

Find a Home

I didn’t really wanna write today. This is Day 20 of challenging myself to write everyday for 30 days. It comes very easily for me now, but as you can see, I waited all day to do it!

I woke up this morning physically tired. It’s not unusual for a Friday because I just had 5 straights days of driving back and forth to Radiation. It’s a 45 minute drive there, and back, for a 15 minute appointment. Today, I slowed way down, and took some time for myself.

Yesterday, I thought more coffee was the answer to get me through the day. After leaving Radiation, I drove to one of my favorite coffee shops downtown. Beside the coffee shop is one of my favorite shops. It’s owned by a mother, and daughter, and they have some of the prettiest things! They have a floral department in the back, so I popped in there first.

I have become friends with the mother, and she knows all about my Breast Cancer Journey. We talked, and got caught up on each others life.

By now, I am standing in front of the cooler gazing at the flowers. I asked about the purple Hydrangeas, but she wasn’t sure they would last long. There were three of them, and one had started to wilt, so the others would too.

She said, “They might last a day.” I told her I would take them and love them for today.

She opened the cooler, and pulled them out. We walked over to the counter where I was ready to pay her for them, but no. She handed them to me with a wink and a big smile.

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I leaned over the counter, gave her a hug and whispered in her ear, “I love you!”

She responded with the same, and I made my way over to the coffee shop. I brought them home, cut the stems short, and put them in water. By the look of them, I knew they would be pretty for at least one day, but I wasn’t sure if any longer than that.

When I saw them this morning, they were more beautiful than yesterday! They had perked up and in full bloom! They just needed to find a home.

“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” ~Alexander Den Heijer~

Fast or Slow

I used to be afraid of aging.

Back then, it was for vanity reasons, but I’m not afraid anymore. I like growing up, and learning new things. Now, to just process it all.

I woke up at 6:00 am, grabbed my water bottle, and stepped outside to sit in the porch swing. We have a feral cat that has hung around for a while now. We feed it, but have never been able to get anywhere near it. It looks like she may be pregnant, and as she hopped up on the porch, I heard her purring.

She was full of love, and shared it with me.

It took a while, and much circling on her part, but eventually, she hopped up into the swing. I was amazed being this close to her, so I reached out and lifted her into my lap. She didn’t know what to do. She started kneading my robe, and lifting her face up toward mine.

It was scary for both of us. I wanted to keep my face in tact, and she wanted to trust.

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My daughter has me hooked on fresh pressed coffee. I know right? Always the Keurig, but not today! She gave me precise instructions lastnight, so I tried to recall it all this morning.

Get the kettle of water almost to a boil, then take it off to rest a minute. I measured the beans, and placed them in the grinder. Kept looking at them to make sure they didn’t turn to dust. Dumped them in the carafe, poured in the water, and the lid went on with a slight press. It didn’t look right. It wasn’t as dark as hers, but I am learning.

Once it was done, it was a robust cup of coffee. When I poured the cream in, I had to use a spoon to stir it. That was new. Normally the cream would just mix right in, but this stuff was thick! It seemed to take a long time to go through a lot of steps to enjoy this fine cup of brew. It was more than worth it.

 

I have spent many years rushing through life, but today, it’s all about the love. What used to be fast is now slow.