I’m grateful each time someone nominates me, but it pains me to write a Blog that long in response, so the buck usually stops here. đ
If I type over 600 words in a post, I begin to hyperventilate, but I want to share his Blog.
Gary inspires me. A couple of months ago, he lost everything in a fire that ran through his town. I always tell myself, “Things can be replaced”, but it would still be devastating to lose every little thing.
He has not moaned, or whined about it. Instead he’s in a mellow space, and closer than ever to God.
Gary is a fine example by sharing what’s on his heart, that God does bring beauty from ashes.
I’m surprised to see how much glitter is in my life. When out shopping, I find myself gravitating toward it. I want to share some with you.
This is my daughter’s ornament for 2019.
You can shake it like a glitter globe.
Yesterday, I met a friend for coffee and conversation. It’s funny how she messaged me wanting to meet, but as our time was coming to a close, I felt like I’d completed a therapy session.
We meet at least once a month, sometimes more.
I’m grateful how she loves me with no judgement.
After coffee, we stepped into our favorite shop.
Their after Christmas sale was still going on, and all of their shoes were half price. My friend tried on boots, but what did I gravitate toward?
Yes lovely. I came home with glitter shoes.
Life is a beautiful thing, but I believe we have to gravitate toward the sparkle of it.
This sign is hanging in my den.
When trying to decide where to hang it, I’d sit it down to hammer the nail into the wall. It fell over once and left a trail of glitter on the table. I’m pretty sure it’s still there because why would I clean it up?
My daughter is still in England, but will be on her way to Paris to celebrate New Years.
I’m home making changes to the house.
I read a Blog where one Mom has a stack of shower curtains. She changes them out seasonally, which I thought was a sweet idea. My daughter and I donât have room to store things plus, I love my shower curtain, but could see room for improvement.
Our shower curtain hooks are plastic.
We’ve had them a long time, and they’re beginning to break. I spotted these on Etsy and fell in love.
My daughter’s nickname is “Queen B.’
The choices we make snowball over time.
Three years ago, my daughter would not be in England for three weeks. I wasn’t sure it was possible a year ago, because when she told me her plan, I saw dollar signs floating through the air.
By the grace of God, she’s on a trip of a lifetime.
I could have bought a new shower curtain, but opted for bee rings. Itâs the small choices over a period of time that add up to a beautiful life.
SC Lourie designed Christmas cards this year. I saw them online after Thanksgiving and fell in love. I was so excited about the cards I overlooked the shipping method and she sent them regular mail.
They arrived last weekend from the UK.
SC Lourie Christmas cards.
I have fond memories of Christmas cards as a child. Mama would tape them around doorways.
They have become a lost art so I’m grateful for the creative souls who are bringing them back to life.
I realized this year I missed them. You give what you wish to receive. The last one was mailed today.
Years ago, my then husband and I had cards printed and engraved with our family’s names and mailed by a mail house right after Thanksgiving.
I don’t know if I’m bending the rules to the point of nonexistence, or if they just broke when my marriage did. It didn’t bother me one bit to mail these cards the week before Christmas.
My daughter is at her Dadâs, 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 Iâve 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 weâve had a few dogs come in and out of our life.
Our home one year ago. Denver sunning on the step. Â
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?
âYouâre getting puppies instead of grand-kids.â, she says.
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 didnât 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 sheâs 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 doesnât run off creating chaos, causing me to leave the keyboard, and my train of thought. She waits for my move.
âYou are your environmentâ 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. Iâd 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.
To go with the flow, I did small tasks to improve my environment. Just little things around the house that had been overlooked, like the kitchen table. It had become our ‘catch all’, but now it is clean.
I also worked on my spot.
This is where I write my Blog. A laptop allows endless choices of where to write are, but sometimes I need to focus, and get it done.
My spot.
I enjoy sitting in the natural light of the window, but it can be distracting. My neighbor, Mr. Mike is puttering around his backyard. He has a doggo that my doggo loves to hang out with. I remembered this quote, and wanted that for my dog today.
“Live like someone left the gate open.”
I walked outside with my dog, and opened the gate. He raced into Mr. Mike’s backyard straight to his buddy Rosie, and I walked over to Mr. Mike.
He had a disappointment today.
His granddaughter was supposed to come visit, and she canceled on him. I know Mr. Mike lives for her visits, so I tried to encourage him through it. Just saying some kind words, I found myself saying…
“You matter.”
I’m not sure he has heard those two words before. He became very still, and quiet. I left him with that, and went back to my spot to continue writing.
I just noticed him opening the gate even wider. Maybe he is thinking of leaving it open for good.
In his thinking, I hope he remembers he does matter. It looks like everyone has found their spot.
