waiting

The park was accessible, so we went and burned off some serious energy, for all of us.  We decided to go to Route 66 State Park yesterday, it's one of the pups absolute favorite places to romp.  And romp they did.  In that giant park there were probably 4 of us brave enough to consider 30° to be warm enough for a nice walk in the snow. I had asked the pups if they wanted to go, around 1 pm, but then thought to ask James when he would be available for a late lunch as he was out in that neck of the woods.  Let me tell you, they were not happy about waiting as you can see from the picture.  Every few moments they turned and stared me down for two hours. 

This morning it was only 19°, so we went to a closer park/path.  Again, most folks aren't crazy evidently and they did not join us on our morning romp.  I am fairly certain my pups are going to sleep a fair amount of the day, heck I might join them.  Romping through the snow is exhausting, especially since I'm short and 8" of snow is past mid-calf. Belle and Beau were definitely chest deep as they ran through the wide open spaces and sunk time and time again. 

our view this morning... Meramec Greenway Park

The fresh air was definitely needed.  Cold fingers and ears, even with gloves and hats on were a welcome feeling.  Being one with nature is so very important to me and them.  

I know I lost it yesterday, I'd had too much time to process too many things.  Listening to the news this morning and hearing all the water main's that are bursting causing me even more concern for the folks around us.  Knowing what my family in the south is dealing with... again, stressful.  Today, I am calmer.  I took time disconnect from it all as we walked.  Thankful for the folks that plowed those pathways to allow the peace to over take us.  

We haven't taken a picture together
in what feels like forever.  Just missed
Belle peaking between us.

Talking to my neighbors that were working on the walks in front of their homes, we were questioning if we are going to see the snow gone before spring.  Standard consensus... nope.  This cold is definitely holding on to it and the snow drifts that we are all creating will probably last until summer at this point.  It's crazy. 

This morning I was looking through photos I took yesterday and then just got sucked into looking at the past few months.  Back in November I checked our local persimmon seeds, wondering what the prediction was for this winter.  Each little seed showed a shovel or knife like seed.  As mild as December was, I though darn, they were wrong.  Well, I guess January needed a moment to get ready.  Because it definitely delivered. 

The persimmons never lie...

I finally decided to make my first batch of lip balm, the dryness in the air was causing my lips to crack and feel a bit tender, I knew it was time.  I've been wanting to try making them with tallow, beeswax and essential oils, the healing properties are amazing.  I did add a few drops of vitamin E oil, as I wanted a bit more of preservative added naturally.  I had purchased all of the stuff I needed long ago, but as usual I kept coming up with a reason not to try. Fear of failure?  Maybe.  Fear of the unknown? Probably.

Today, I am berating myself a bit for my procrastinating nature. I will make more, trying other ingredients that will make it even more nourishing.  Not today, I currently have 6 tubes of lip balm, that should last me for a bit of time. It felt nice to finally not have to carry that task forward to yet another week on my weekly calendar. 

My last soap was finally firm enough to cut yesterday. I was running an experiment, I usually add sodium lactate to soaps, as it creates a harder bar of soap.  This batch needed a bit longer in the mold, okay almost a full week.  I won't know for months yet how it holds up against the soaps that I have added it to.  It is mostly a curiosity thing, not so much a dislike of the addition. 

Well, I guess that I should get busy today.  Since it's still super cold and my pups are snoozing, I guess I will start marinating dinner and then head up to the sewing studio.  Wonder how many more items I can get checked off my list? 

If you are out and about, roads are fantastic, the cold is not!  Stay warm!!

much love, 

b

 

the moment...

Today crept in soft and muted.  None of the vibrant colors that started this week. No bright pinks, yellows or reds.  The oranges were more of a peach, the colors soft and serene.  All I could think was here we go, the storms that have been whispered about were definitely going to sneak in. The full hour between meds had me looking cautiously at the forecasts, wondering if we could get a long walk in.  

Then just as quietly as it seemed to creep across the sky this morning the sun made a grand appearance.  Blindingly bright, bringing the promised warmth with it. So much so that the Pups were bouncing and happy as we walked a full 2 mile walk today.  No longing looks to turn around.  Just two little butts swaying in perfect unison, the same way they have since they first come here 4 years ago. Belle would occasionally bounce forward more, as soon as a scent or sound caught her attention, only to quickly return to that rhythmic walking they do. 

The whispers of bad weather are getting a bit stronger, they are talking about snow in our neck of the woods.  The bigger concern for us is our family down in Arkansas and Alabama.  Both states are directly in the path of the worst part of this storm if it comes to fruition.  It worries me.  Up here we have snow plows, although they haven't been great about using them the past few storms - at least we have them. Down there... an inch could shut down the whole state. 

We'll just have to wait and see what the weekend brings in. I'm not going to worry about it and we don't really do the whole french toast thing.  Although ironically I am picking up our milk and cream order on Thursday night.  And I did increase it to 3 half gallons.  Not so much for drinking as for making cheeses. Guess we'll be prepared for whatever comes our way. 

I've already made my plan to go to the quilt shop on Saturday.  I mean it is national support your local quilt shop day.  How could I not go?  So I will definitely have enough to stay busy for a solid year or so if the storm should come. 

My sweet pups are outside soaking up their yearly dose of Vitamin D all in one afternoon, as the sky is clear and the sun is warm.  I've been equally as busy inside today.  The canner is making it's normal rattling as the batch of great northern beans finishes processing.  And I am debating on a few other "cooking" type projects that I want to get done.  

Since I've been at it for a few hours now, I am fairly sure that is going to be the end of it for the moment.  I don't know why I find myself obsessed with getting so much done in a day, why is that necessary?  I'm trying to do better this year.  I'm trying to learn pacing.  Some days I succeed, others I fail miserably as I end the day sore and exhausted and questioning my own mental state. 

Today, I might just need to take another stroll in the sunshine with my two willing walking partners.  Or sit with my feet up and a cup of tea reading a real book.  Ya know, the kind with pages and hard covers. And if I drift off to a nap, would that be so bad?

I hope that you are finding peace this day.  I hope that rest comes before the possible storms this weekend. And most importantly if you are in the path of this weekend... I pray you are safe and prepared for anything. 

much love, 

b 

victory gardens...

It's another beautiful morning in the garden.  I've already watered and harvested the tomatoes, peppers are next.  I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but they have to be picked today.  Some will be for lunch and dinner, some will be pickled with onions for a nice summer salad later in the year. I still need to water the raised bed of beans, but I am waiting until after I do the lawn work to do that.  I don't want to try and mow wet grass, nor do I want to wait until the heat of the day to mow the lawn so it can dry. 

I was watching the hummingbird dancing so gracefully in the air.  We have two feeders and it flies between the two, eating to it's hearts content.  I love watching them.  Last year we ultimately ended up with four that visited us on a regular basis. I hope they all return this year. 

The pups and I decided to walk the trail behind Hubs' newest building yesterday.  It wasn't our original plan, but... The first park was FULL of bicyclists, the pups are a bit afraid after the guy almost hit Belle when she was little. So we found another park that we were heading to when Hubs called.  As the GPS said "rerouting"... he'd worn long pants to work and was busy helping one of his team lay carpet, he needed shorts and a cooler top, he was melting.  

So we turned around, got his clothes and decided to try that trail, so we weren't driving aimlessly around.  It was incredible!  We were the only ones there, it was cool and shaded for the most part and ended up at the most beautiful little lake, tucked back in the woods.  The only thing I might have semi regretted at the time was taking the path from the back of the lake back, it was a super steep climb, good path, but sooooooo steep. Having accomplished it, I was pretty darn proud of myself, even if my legs were shaking a bit. 

I am fairly certain we have found a new walking path.  It was absolutely beautiful, peaceful and relaxing.  We stood at the pond and watched the mama duck and her babies floating gracefully by for a few moments.  And Beau even got brave enough to step into the water a bit, sinking into the deep mud at the edge. His four bright white paws were filthy and wet, but he sure loved it.  Belle wasn't too sure about that little adventure and stayed on solid ground.  She was busy chasing butterflies and living her own best life, and it didn't involve dirt or water. 

I'm waiting for it to be late enough in the morning so as not to be rude and wake folks before I start working on the yard.  Gotta beat the mid-day heat if at all possible. It's just super important to me to not be the very person that makes me crazy.  So I figure around 8, I can start walking the yard cleaning up sticks and puppy presents before I get to work on mowing and all the noisy stuff. Then I'll water the beans and the front garden spaces. 

I'm trying to decide where I want to build more raised beds, I'd love to be able to just put the garden in the ground, but my yard is a definite downward slant.  Straight down the hill we go. I do not want to deal with that and all the tree roots and rocks.  So beds it is.  I am also trying to decide how many I want to plant. That is more of a job for autumn, when the weather breaks and I have the leaves to add in to make the soil rich. I most likely will not plant them until spring.  Although I am considering putting in garlic and that should be done in the fall. 

I can't believe we are already more than half-way through this year, it's like time is racing past, did we blink?

I love that I can run away from the insanity of the world in my own little playground. And it does seem the world is getting crazier by the moment.  

I was reading an article in an actual magazine last night about the history of victory gardens.  There weren't many surprises over all, but it was really interesting to read how people started the process.  There was a quote from the 1943 edition of Popular Mechanics that said "two years ago the home gardener leaned on his hoe and said 'it's a hobby'.  Last year he surveyed his first victory garden and said 'it's patriotic'. This year he is in deadly earnest when he looks up from his planting and remarks, 'it's a necessity'.  It also pointed out that two thirds of the victory gardens (12 million was the count) were located in cities, with only 6 million being in rural farm areas. 

I found that to be quite interesting.  I love my little garden, I've had it for years.  Some years good, some years pathetic.  This year I will put in the good column.  I haven't really been in many grocery stores lately, I am mostly shopping at farmers markets, but Hubs stopped to pick somethings up for dinner the other night and had to call me for a substitution list, most of the things on our list weren't available. I guess my little garden might need to grow a bit. 

I am not so sure that all of the HOA's around would love the planting of edibles in front yards, but they may end up needing to allow it if things keep going the way they are.  I was annoyed with the couple across the cul-de-sac that built two mismatched raised beds and randomly placed them in their front yard, mostly because this a couple that plants flower beds and never weeds them, it looks horrible over there.  But at this point, I am rooting for their success, I want them to have a beautiful harvest.  Who cares if the HOA doesn't approve, although it would be nice if there was actually something growing in them both. They are learning. 

Victory gardens were often small, tucked into every usable space. Maybe even just a flower pot of herbs on the front stoop.  Is that where we are heading?  I see more and more people growing things to round out their grocery lists.  Between the costs and the lack of availability, I feel many are going to start leaning back into the old ways.

I just hope they remember to plant some beautiful pollinators at the same time.  Our bees, moths and butterflies need treats too. I was looking at the spaces surrounding my home to see how I could better use the small bit of real estate that I have.  Most of it is covered in large, older growth trees on a steep, rocky hill.  Not really productive for much, but I am sure there are some areas that I can definitely use more efficiently. 

Maybe if I grow more for Hubs and I, then others might be able to get the things that they need for their families?  That was the whole premise of a victory garden.  To provide basics for yourself and your family, with enough to share with neighbors, family and friends and they would do the same.  Therefore taking some of the strain off of the farmers and the supply chains of old.  

Maybe if we all start doing just a little, it will snowball and help everyone?  I don't know.  But I do know that article filled my mental bucket.  It gave me hope that people can and will pull together when the need arises.  I was laughing to myself as I gently scraped the seeds I'd saved from two different peppers I'd gotten at the Amish store onto a napkin this morning.  I've decided to take seed saving very seriously this year.  I want to be able to continue my garden for years to come and help others that want to do the same. 

I guess I should wrap up, it's already mid-70's and I want to finish yard work before we hit the mid-80's.  I don't want the heat to suck me down into a sense of lethargy. I have a lot I want to accomplish today. 

Anyone else planting a garden?  

love and peace....

how we do it...

It has been a very busy Easter so far!  Hubs just headed down to the man cave to "nap", although I hear the television so he's probably watching a movie.  The babies are crashed on the sofa, they have had a busy, busy day.  And I decided to rest for a bit before starting on my list of things I still want to do today. 

Just a few minutes with my feet up and paused.  My body is a bit tired today. We completed 2 walks, a romp at the dog park and foraging for red bud flowers all before ten this morning.  When we got home I fixed Hubs and I some lunch and did a bit of tidying up.  

Being busy gives me a mental break from the world as a whole.

I was in a bit of a bubble this morning.  I see all of the stuff saying that people are standing with Ukraine.  If that is your thing, I'm happy for you.  Sadly, there is a situation in Shanghai, that is equal if not worse on the whole to what is happening in Ukraine, yet it isn't in the news on a grand scale and I don't understand why or how in this day and age people can be so unaware of it. My son was telling me about it a few days ago when he called, sadly I was oblivious at that point also.  It's hard to find any information on it, every time something comes out it is blacked out or taken down. People are sealed in their homes, they are starving to death, they are struggling to survive. My son had sent me a video late last night, I tried to watch it this morning and it was already removed.

I am also questioning why it is hidden?  Do they not want the rest of the world to know of this horrific tragedy?  Or is to see how far they can get with it before we all find out? Whatever it is, it is beyond demonic what is happening to those people.  When do people wake up and witness the insanity that is happening?

All of that really twisted my heart and mind, not how you want to start the holiest of days in the Christian calendar. I felt helpless, I felt lost.  My heart hurts for them in ways that I can't even put into words.  Can you imagine being sealed inside your home?  Slowly starving to death?  Because of fear?  That is what is happening to them. Some of them have long since run out of food and cannot leave to get more. The news is only showing snippets, the stuff that comes out is so much worse. Over Omicron, ya know the version that basically wiped the pandemic out around the world?  What is going on??

Processing all of this has left me with a feeling of hopelessness and I hate it. 

It was messing with my head quite a bit this morning.  I started to go down mental pathways that serve no one. Instead, I decided to focus on my family and loved ones. I am praying for the people that are suffering.  I am sending them positive energy.  But I needed to shift my focus back to my own circle of influence. 

I decided to just keep doing the things. I can't change the world.  But I can change my little piece of it.  So in a few minutes, I will get back to work. 

Before I sat down to rest, I boiled up the water and poured it over the jars full of flowers.  They will need to steep for about 24 hours, so better sooner than later. We came across an amazing batch of jalapeno's that I am going to slice up and pickle, I also found some beautiful pickling cucumbers yesterday and I have garlic, so I will definitely be making some of those yummy pickles that I love.  

It's going to be a bit of a busy day, but it is going to be such a great feeling when I am done. 

It feels like the rain is not too far off, so I'm not even going to try messing in the yard today.  Hubs spent time yesterday helping me with squirrel cages over my radish planters.  I had started the other day, but gave up and simply arched the mesh over them. The way he's done it will definitely deter that little bugger for a bit, at least in the garden. It will also allow the radishes to sprout up and grow without anything blocking them. 

Now I need to figure out how the dang squirrel is getting in the soffit and traveling to the garage.  I gotta tell you, it was massively disturbing to walk into the garage and hear a sound in the corner, we have automatic lights out there and I hadn't opened the garage door yet, I knew whatever was causing it was definitely in the garage.  I stood super still, looking toward the sound, when all of the sudden his big gray body shimmied up the wall and into a hole.  Just as quickly as I saw him, he'd disappeared.  I'm gonna have Hubs help me block that entrance, but I have to find the other one.  If we don't have any luck, I will have to call in professionals.  I am not a fan of our squirrels and my temper with them is definitely getting short. 

Looking over the garden this morning, I am starting to reconsider where I purchase my seeds from, I have been a pretty loyal customer of a Missouri based heirloom seed company. Even though their seeds are not inexpensive, I felt comfortable paying the additional pricing to help keep some of the heirlooms in community gardens.  I have to say, almost all of the beds that I planted with their seeds are struggling.  They either haven't sprouted or if they have it's like they are frozen in time and haven't grown.  The random seeds that I have purchased from other places, including heirlooms, are all doing great.  Even the ones that need longer growth times are growing at a faster pace. Not feeling like I want to spend extra dollars on seed packets that don't sprout or have a lower than average sprout ratio.

It's time to get busy.  I need to start caramelizing the onions that I am going to eventually grind into onion powder (takes at least 12 hours before I can dehydrate them) and I want to get started on my jalapeno's and pickles while everyone is sleeping. 

Celebrate this wonderful day however your soul calls you to do so.  If it crosses your mind to lift up the people suffering around our world, please do so. I always keep in mind that but for the grace of God it could be me. 

love and peace... and Happy Easter!

time to reset...

Today started out ROUGH! I mean like feet hit the floor and start running rough.  Hubs has a super long day and he was trying so hard to be kind, without realizing that it was going to be high stress for me, sure the extra bit of sleep was incredible, but the first words being you better hustle Belle refused to go potty this morning as my eyes popped open set a tone that I was terrified was going to carry through the entire day. 

Before coffee, before a good morning kiss, before brushing my teeth I was rushing to throw on clothes to get them out for their walk, last night did not end well in that aspect and I will be extracting carpets this morning.  I definitely did not want a repeat of that performance.  Quick kiss goodbye and I was out the door with two busy little babies. Hubs waving as he drove past.  All of this before the sun had even considered rising for the day.

It seriously looked like today was simply going to be one of "those" days. 

Hubs had forgotten to grab breakfast and wasn't going to be able to come home for lunch. He was trying to reason through what he could safely eat from fast food - FYI the answer is nothing. So I hurried to get the trash out to the curb, gathered up any that hadn't made it outside over the course of the week, while chatting on the phone with him.  Still no coffee... people, we all know I do not function well without at least one cup of hot coffee in the morning. 

I could have been ornery, I could even have been difficult.  I decided to do the right thing, I hoped it would reset his day a bit also.  I packed him up a healthy breakfast and lunch, fixed up his daily vitamin C and electrolyte drink (forgot to throw in his vitamin pack), loaded the pups and drove out to meet him.  I knew that he would be back closer to our home shortly to pick up the equipment he had to haul around today. 

After dropping off food for my busy guy, I decided the babies and I were going to reset our day.  I had managed to have a small portion of my breakfast and a cup of coffee by that point and knew that I was ready for a different pace. 

Yesterday we'd tried to walk the path along the river.  It is one of my favorite spots to walk.  It's flat, for the most part, it's so peaceful and beautiful and the bonus is it's close to home.  Unfortunately, the storm rolled in on us about an hour early and it was super angry!  Translation: walk got cut super short and all three of us got soaked. 

I decided to take advantage of this beautiful spring morning and take them for their delayed river walk.  I mean my plans for the day were already completely turned around, why not twist them further and restart the day with peace and beauty. 

Four and a half miles later, we are all a bit tired, but we are also much calmer.  I don't know about you, but nature is a calming salve to my frayed nerves.  So much so, that I think the babies and I might have a new morning routine.  

We didn't meet many folks, I am guessing that time of the day is more reserved for those of us that don't punch a clock from 8 - 5 pm.  This also meant there were less distractions for them to work through, more opportunity for them to romp and chase the early morning butterflies.  

I let them set the pace.  I am so amazed at the difference in my walking, since just the beginning of the year.  It only took 81 minutes to walk 4.59 miles.  In January, I was struggling to consistently walk 1.5 miles, afraid still of falling.  Today, I'm not tired and I'm ready to tackle the rest of my day.  I think they enjoyed the pace we walked at, only a few times did they try to walk faster than I had the ability to walk.  They were able to run back and forth and jump up on logs and benches, they were having a blast.  I barely remembered that I had gotten a new knee last year. 

As we walked up the massive hill that starts the walk back to our car, I could tell they were winding down and I was in a far more balanced mood.  I'd listened to a couple of podcasts and the sounds of nature.  We watched the birds taking baths in the water puddles left from yesterday's storms.  They both splashed through a few puddles themselves, I'm not sure they enjoyed it at first, but towards the end of the walk it didn't phase either of them.  We enjoyed the sound of the river rushing past.  It will probably overflow it's banks before long, hard to believe just over a month ago you could almost walk across it.  Now it is rapidly hitting the point of flood stages. 

Sweet Beau is not as agile as his muscle bound sister, so jumping up onto things is not something he excels at, he missed the mark a few times today, by the end of the walk he was consistently making the same jumps that she was with grace and speed.  The look on his little face screamed pride at the accomplishment.  Even though they are getting so big, they are still babies. 

I guess Belle looks more mature than Beau, because the few folks we encountered all pointed out that he was still such a baby.  The look of shock on their faces when told that they were only 5 months old and were actually siblings was quite funny.  Maybe it's her coloring or the fact that she isn't as clumsy?  To me they both still look like the babies they are. 

I might have had a rocky start to the day, but four hours later... I'm sitting here listening to all of the birds outside singing and I'm back in my happy place.  I hope that Hubs is having a good day, and that the gift of breakfast and lunch helped it balance out a bit.  He is going to be hauling a chipper all over the city and a couple of counties today for the different branches to use.  His role won't be terribly hard, just time consuming.  He's also having to drive a van that has definitely outlived it's useful life. Hopefully I am not going to have to go and rescue him anywhere. 

The babies are probably going to rest for a good long while today, which is good, because I spent most of yesterday working on the cutest little crochet bull and they spent it making messes.  I have a lot of housework to catch up on this morning before I can move ahead with the day. 

For those of you that have been praying for my great nephew, he came through his surgery wonderfully. They were able to close his little chest up already so now he just needs to heal and rest.  They are keeping him pretty heavily sedated, because he is simply too busy for his own good.  Thank you all for the prayers and healing energies. 

Well... not much time to sit around today.  Lots of work to get done, the sun is out, the air is fresh, it's time to dig in and get started. 

love and peace

finally here!!

Happy Vernal Equinox!  I'm definitely in the mood to celebrate the first day of spring!  Today the daylight hours will last as long as the nighttime hours in perfect balance. I'm ready!

It was dreary and cold for the start of the last official day of winter, the rain fit my mood yesterday morning.  I'd heard of the loss of my friend, I'd spoken with another friend early in the morning sharing with me a bad and unnecessary incident that happened to him, let's just say yesterday simply started on a bad vibe.  I was angry, sad and my faith in humanity was at an all time low. As if the goodness leaving in the morning the day before had created void that mischief and evil could fill. 

Thankfully the strong winds of the day blew through and lightened everything back up. I didn't dwell in the darkness, I acknowledged it and moved on. By lunchtime it was dry, clear and warmer (it never got super warm yesterday) so we were able to take the babies for a romp in the neighborhood. They had an absolute blast.

After an afternoon of tidying up and doing chores Hubs and I decided to find another park and have a picnic lunch. We are trying to visit all of the parks in our area, and trust me there are a massive number.  Yesterday found us in a park about 20 minutes from the house and it was spectacular! We are definitely going to have to take the youngest grand there she will love the playground and lake.  The pups were over the moon with all of the fun places to walk and even spent some time being typical kids and walked/ran on the wall.  At one point Beau decided walking in the lake was a good idea.  Why is the white dog the one that wants to walk in the mud?

It was the perfect way to end the long winter. Spending lots of time in the sunshine and fresh air. It definitely chased away a lot of the gloomy feelings from the beginning of the day.  

Today is going to be lovely!  The temps are promising to hit at least 70° and the skies will be sunny and clear.  Perfect for doing something outside, not sure what yet, but I have discovered a couple of pet friendly wineries in the area with live music.  That could be quite fun, after a good LONG walk of course.  They are doing really well at just sitting, but why tempt fate. I feel it would be a great way to celebrate the end of winter, anyone care to join us? 

Before I can play I want to work on getting some of my chores done.  Hubs' is having his team over tomorrow for their lunch and learn, and I'm fairly sure none of them will want to navigate around my various projects.  I need to finish painting the back doors - just one to finish if my babies don't help it will take minutes to finish - it's the final coat.  Then I need to barricade off the hallway and front door so that I can finish those areas without help.  Belle's white frosting has worn off and I don't think red is really her color. 

I started this beautiful day off making my babies food, I was lazy last night after our walk and didn't really feel like cooking.  They both kept me company while it all cooked and waited semi-patiently for it to cool.  Beau is very vocal where food prep is concerned and provided a great deal of direction and encouragement.  As soon as he smells it cooking he comes rushing over to give support. Belle just watches from a distance, waiting for the samples they both offer to provide quality control.  They love frozen peas and blueberries and need at least one or two as they are waiting. 

It feels amazing to me to start the day productively.  I am definitely an early person.  Before most folks have climbed out of bed, chances are that I have half of my chore list done and I have already been on at least one walk.  Now, on the flip side, I am sound asleep during the time that most folks are busy so it's kind of a wash.  I'm super thankful that Hubs isn't a night owl.  That would have been so difficult. When I don't start my day strong, I usually deal with it for the remainder of the day, a feeling of lethargy and unrest will usually set it.  

It's still too cold to head outside to paint, but the pups are settling for their morning nap, so it's a good time to get the inside painting done.  I hope you each find a way to enjoy and celebrate this beautiful day.  Go out, walk in the sunshine, putter with something spring focused, maybe plant some spring flowers or go and enjoy the beauty in a local park.  Let me tell you the haziness of the spring green on all the trees and the dashes of yellow, white, purples and pinks that signal early spring are worth the change up to your routine. 

love and peace... 

defining yourself...

Oh no... she's back!  I officially put my sticker on my SUV.  Watch out world, feeling more and more like myself lately.  Actually feeling far better than my old self.  As I stood outside and applied my sticker I felt so empowered and more and more like the person that I know I am.  It's a feeling I've been experiencing a lot lately.  I don't feel strongly about bending to meet anyone else, either accept me for who I am or don't. It isn't meant to be mean or ugly, it isn't meant to be really anything at all.  It is simply me. 

It has been a crazy couple of days.  Full of activities, chores, just living life.  I am sitting here unwinding, praying my babies will go to bed early as last night had an interruption due to the batteries in the carbon monoxide detector deciding 2:22 am is a great time to fail. Nothing makes a night of sleep short quicker than an unknown alarm chirping in the dark of the night. The puppies agreed and the three of us spent the next couple of hours hanging out.  

We were all super tired last night, we'd found several trails all within three miles of our house.  They were fantastic for hiking and for the pups to explore without encountering too many other people or dogs.  The whole weekend was beautiful and semi-temperate, I mean if you consider 40 a beautiful day. For late January, I feel it is a perfectly wonderful day!  Today was even better.  And Hubs took them back for a walk on the shorter of the two again today.  

The longer one is definitely my type of trail, Hubs - not so much, although he was a super good sport about powering through it with us.  I had no idea there were two fabulous parks with hiking trails so close to our home.  They have definitely moved to the must walk often list. The babies even made a friend in a four year old Golden Retriever named Sonny.  

I feel so much more energized, my cup fills full and my spirit soars when we are able to spend time outside.  I have extra to give when I feel like that. Anyone else find time to get outside?  Soaking up the vitamin D, looking into the sunshine, feeling it's warm kisses on your face?  Or maybe just outside shivering in the cold and snow? 

Looks like we might have a storm moving in tomorrow night, should be interesting.  The watch changes every time we look.  It's very possible we will end up with at least 5 - 6 inches of snow, although the latest report says up to 16 inches.  Honestly, here in the mid-west that is not a normal winter and doesn't sound great. My sweet babies are going to lose their minds.  

We went and picked up a full load of wood and got it stacked.  We all know I can't go without a fire when there is snow outside.  We are probably going to have to dig a small puppy potty path.  I mean they are growing like crazy but 5 inches of snow will be firmly against their little bellies. 

I figure trapped at home I might actually get some work done on a few projects and even a few chores that I have been slacking on.  I assure you, nothing at home got done today.  I cooked, I helped haul wood, I walked puppies and I went to the post office.  I mean, that felt pretty successful, and filled all of my available hours.  

Well, it's time to sip my sleepytime tea, watch my babies start slowing down for the night and do a bit of knitting.  I hope they get tired soon... momma's weary!

little things...

There is a feeling of peace when strolling down the street listening to music from what feels like every location around you, rain softly falling on you, so gentle you barely notice and having a glass of wine in your hand.  That is how today ended up happening. 

Hubs and I worked on finishing the sorting of the garage, it is 99% done.  Thank goodness.  Five bags of clothes donated to the school clothing drive and an incredibly disorganized kitchen to show for it all. The feeling of completeness is awesome! 

After a bit of a rest we headed out to Mystic Valley.  I needed a reading.  And one of my favorite mediums was going to be there.  It's been an unsteady time, things are changing.  I needed to feel grounded and focused. 

My sweet Hubs doesn't know how to take me, but he sure does try to figure it out. The funniest part, is that while he is humoring me, he is very intuitive also. 

My reading gave me goosebumps, it also brought tears of hope and emotion to my eyes.  I was very careful to give her nothing to go on.  I simply asked what I needed to know.  I sat quietly.  I wanted to hear what she had to share.  Without knowing anything at all she hit things right on the mark.  I so intrigued with what she shared and the suggestions for moving forward. I loved that she knew there had been a separation of some kind and almost laughed when she told me that I needed to step out of the bubble of self that I have been in.  That while it has felt good and comforting, that it can only last for a bit longer.  

Even more interesting is that of the four cards she drew (and three that fell to the side) the two that focused on where I am going were based on creativity and homeward.  She doesn't know me, not well.  It's been over a year since my last 15 minute reading with her.  She has no idea that when life is crazy and topsy turvy I turn to all of my creative fields of interest.  For 15 minutes it was a deep conversation, digging into thoughts and feelings that I haven't even been willing to acknowledge myself. I've heard them, I've felt them.  But I have definitely not been ready or able to embrace them yet. 

We spoke for a few more moments, little snippets.  Ideas and words were thrown out, waiting for me to either embrace them or discard them.  I personally have a strong belief in the spiritual world.  My head was tingling and my heart was racing with some of the things she shared.  Those are things that will be explored in the silence, when my head and heart are ready to dig in deeper and to listen. 

I love that my sweet Hubs took time to ask me about my session, to care about things that don't make a lot of sense to him.  To actually take notes about what I had shared. He knows that it is important to me, so he listens.  He takes the moment to hear what I say and to process it.  I have to admit, being heard is such a precious gift.  

We decided to stroll through downtown Maplewood in the lightly sprinkling rain.  Both of us aching and sore, but drawn to experience the music, the people, the sheer vibrant flow of life returning to an area of our community that we both love.  

If you are in the area and have never been, go. It's eclectic.  The mix of shops, styles, food, drink promises something for everyone.  I am pretty sure my favorite part is the fact that it is almost completely local shops.  The mom and pops as they used to be called.  When you visit the area and shops you are truly making the decision to support local.

We didn't stop for coffee, although the coffee shop in town is one of my favorites, today wasn't about lounging in the sunshine enjoying a freshly brewed cup.  Today was for sitting in the rain listening to a variety of local musicians, drinking wine and savoring snacks.  Wandering in and out of stores, petting puppies and simply enjoying each other. 

Hubs decided that we needed to go into an incredible little jewelry shop.  I did not feel strongly about it, mostly because he always wants to buy me some new piece of jewelry and I have far more than I need.  I don't know what drew him to this shop, he just insisted we go inside. The Silver Lady.  I was expecting your traditional jeweler.  Was I ever in for a shock. 

There were beautiful stones and natural gems, fossils and shells everywhere! The young man working behind the counter was not only knowledgeable about every stone in there, but was also incredibly talented. He shared several pieces that he has been working on and they were exquisite.  He took the time to share his favorite stones with us, and it was so refreshing to discover that he and I share a love of Labradorite. I'd never heard the legend of it, that it was believed to hold the magic of the northern lights in it's shiny depth.  I love it not only for it's ever changing beauty, but for it's blessing of transformation, strength and perseverance, helping to strengthen your intuition.  I have always felt very drawn to it.  

Hubs didn't fail to try and buy me another ring, and I will admit they had some pretty Peridot rings (my birthstone), I just didn't feel strongly that I needed to own one.  I hadn't noticed the thimble in the one display case, I was enjoying learning about all of the stones, their powers and energies.  I'm not sure how I missed it.  Hubs did not miss it. It's beautiful silver with abalone all around the outside. I didn't figure it would fit me, but I tried it on just the same. 

It was perfect.  It also left the store with me.  I can't wait to try it out.  As we walked down the sidewalk, my sweet Hubs admitted that he'd felt drawn to that store, he simply knew there was something there he needed to find.  Guess he found it. 

Before we wandered back to the truck, we made a quick stop back into Mystic Valley.  I wanted to show Hubs the singing bowls they had.  I wanted his opinion, I've been looking at them for awhile. I love the sound and the feeling of peace playing one brings.  A few candles and a singing bowl later we headed home, to sit on our deck and enjoy the rain, drink more wine and listen to the singing bowl.

Life is what you make of it.  I am so blessed and grateful for each new day.