Tag: #smalltowncharm

Maybe You’ve Changed

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My daughter made my Chemex this morning. She was getting ready to leave for classes, but paused long enough to do that.

That’s true love.

She stayed home this weekend, so I didn’t make weekend plans. I just wanted to hang out with her in that weekend vibe. Life has her on a rapid schedule right now, so it was different for her to just chill. We went to one of our favorite small towns yesterday and strolled the streets of downtown.

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We walked into one of my favorite shops, or so I thought. There was a day not too long ago I would drive to that town just for that shoppe. It’s full of Artisan goods on display and for sale. One of my favorite Potters has his work there and I soon found his display taking up a corner of the store.

I picked up one of his coffee mugs and cradled it in my hand. It didn’t have the same feel as the mugs we use today. My daughter said, “You know I will slip some of those mugs from Dad’s for you if you want.” I used to collect this potter’s work, but left all of it in the cabinet when we left.

Placing it back on the shelf, I said, ‘Nah.’ Our mugs feel like love when you hold them.

This mug belonged on display.

Leaving the shoppe, I looked down at the sidewalk and told my daughter, “I didn’t see anything in there today that resonated with me. It used to be one of my favorite shoppes, but maybe it’s changed.”

She stood with me in that moment and softly said, “Maybe you’ve changed.”

From the Heart

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Do you ever feel led to buy something, and not sure why?

I was in an antique book shoppe, and found a copy of one of my favorite books. It was beautiful, and I wanted it, but I already owned a copy. So, I left the shop without it.

Not getting the book bothered me for weeks, but I didn’t need it. Then God revealed it wasn’t for me, I was just supposed to buy it. It was to be mailed to one of my dearest friends. I called the shop, thinking it might be gone by now, but it was still there, and has been mailed to my friend.

This happens to my daughter too. She was in a coffee shop in Austin, TX, and saw a newly released book about brewing the perfect coffee, at home. She felt led to buy it, but we know how to brew coffee in numerous ways, so it wasn’t for us. She brought it home, laid it under the Christmas tree, and waited for God to reveal who it was for.

Our favorite coffee shop is Chaparral Coffeein Lockhart. It’s right down the road from our house, and we go there frequently. The coffee is excellent, but we love the people who work there. They take such good care of us, and we feel loved. The book was to be given to the owner, Austin.

You never know what day and time he works, but we trusted that today was the day! God had it all lined up.

We walked in with the book, and there he stood behind the counter. We ordered our drinks, and he made them in our favorite house mugs. I paid for the Chai Lattes before giving him the book. I didn’t want him to feel obligated to give us our drinks. He loved the book, and was very thankful.

We had just caught him before his shift ended, but as he was leaving, he walked over, and stood between us, as we sat on stools. Wrapping an arm around our shoulders, he squeezed us and said, “Merry Christmas girls! Take those cups with you.” We were stunned, but hugged him back.

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You just can’t out give God when you give from the heart.

In the Perspective

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It’s cloudy here in Texas, so I’ve been doing some things around the house. I’m enjoying my alone time, but still have a lot I want to do before my daughter gets home.

Yesterday, I met a friend for lunch.

It was spur of the moment, but let me just tell you, the drive was spectacular! We met in Elgin, TX, which was the nearest town to my daughter and I, when we lived on 40 acres. I haven’t had a reason to go there the past couple of years, so it was interesting to see how things had changed.

Even though my daughter is not here this weekend, she is in my heart. I went into what used to be a couple of my favorite shops yesterday, and came home with some little things she will love. These two shops had changed since the last time I was there, but one shop still had a couple of my favorite things. I went into that shop twice.

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The tins of mints describe pieces of our life.

My daughter’s worst days are contributed to PMS. I have to stop everything I’m doing to accommodate a hot flash. The next time she apologizes for her moodiness, I can hug her, and hand her these. It’s in the perspective.

I have been reading a number of Blogs recently, and a lot of writers have stopped writing. If you love to write, then write. It doesn’t matter if it has a point, because the person who is reading it is going to get what they need from it. Things jump out at me that the writer probably just threw in there.

The numbers are not reality.

Algorithms control what people see, but our God controls who sees what we write. I have seen Him use it many times, and it wasn’t reflected by numbers. I will continue to write what is on my heart, so God can use it.

I was the most fulfilled by writing in January, when I did so everyday. I didn’t always have something profound to share, but it felt good. If I’m sad about something, or in a rotten mood, I try not to burden you with it. Once I have revelation, that is what I love to share.

Just like spending time this weekend, uncluttering my home. That also unclutters my mind.

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My daughter loves these soaps. These are hand soap size, so not a lot of money. There is something so intoxicating about the smell of a man. We don’t have a man living in our home, but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying the smell of one.

It’s all in the perspective.

 

Gunpowder and Lace

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There may come a time where we need to let go of our dream so someone else can have theirs. We work tirelessly at what seems to be something we want to achieve, but it’s like rolling a boulder uphill using our noses.

A friend of mine recently gave up her dream shop after struggling with it for as long as she could. Moving out of her dream shop, opened the door to somebody else’s.

ganl

Welcome to Bastrop Texas. I love this town and the people in it. One our favorite shop’s to visit was Gunpowder and Lace. It wasn’t so much the shop, which was unique in its own way, but the woman who owned it. She had started her business on Main Street, and moved around the corner to a rustic location.

It has a massive front porch, with a wooden swing in the corner. You could sit in the swing and watch people enter Bastrop Brewhouse, now Neighbors Kitchen and Yard, and Larryland Music. My daughter and I sat there many a time, eating Gelato and enjoying the moment. The Colorado River runs behind these businesses and is tranquil just like this town.

My friend, has decided to close the doors of Gunpowder and Lace. To this location anyway. Once you have a dream in your heart, it doesn’t leave, but it will move. She was moving to the next town over and I know she is following God. She must be because she answered the prayers of one couple in particular.

This lady had been praying for 3 years for the right location for her husband and her to open their own shop. It would be eclectic, vintage and just anything and everything they loved and wanted to share. They pulled down a side street in Bastrop, TX, and she saw Robin’s shop, Gunpowder and Lace.

She looked at her husband and said, “That’s our shop! That is the shop we’ve been praying for!”

Little did they know, Robin was on her way out in another direction. Long story short, I had the pleasure of walking into this shop Friday evening and feel the warmth, love and life of this old building renewed. They are opening their doors Valentine’s Day weekend, and we are so excited for them and Robin. Where one dream moved on, another dream began.