Small Pleasures

When my eyes are open and I am aware, I am thankful for so many things...  It's amazing how, when embraced, the littlest of things can bring the greatest joy and peace.

Where we are located...the view from our porch.  We are right by a canal path and there is room to play all around us.

Beds made.  Such a simple and quick task, but one that makes the entire room feel more simple.  I will add fresh clean sheets to this one too (you'd think I'd wash them more frequently then, but somehow this doesn't happen...).

Being barefoot.  I'm pretty sure that my feet, as un-beautiful as they are, live for the weather when I can wear flip flops.


Today is my last post for the week.  I'm heading out to a conference early this morning.  I love conferences so it should be fun.  Just 3 days that I'll be away.

I'm guessing that peace for this time away will be...

• getting time alone in the midst of constantly being with people
• being still in the midst of a schedule
• being comfortable and confident in who I am 
• believing that all is flowing smoothly with Clint and Evee at home

(really they are more of reminders to myself about these days... reminding myself of who I am and how I function best...what I need to be aware of for my own peace of mind).

Three!!!

On Saturday Evee turned 3 years old.  I know it's right, but it's still almost unbelievable.  To think that I have a 3 year old with another on the way sometimes surprises me and it yet it seems perfect.  So blessed.

Evee is such a sweet soul...that is my very best description of who she is.  She is a gift and one that we treasure.  She has a tender heart, loves people and yet needs space to be who she is, she is stubborn, thankful for and surprised by the smallest of things.  She is ultimately a beautiful person.  I look forward to all the years ahead that we have to get to know who she is even more.

For her birthday she wanted friends over to share cupcakes with, flowers, and to be outside.  Easy enough to make happen.  It was a fun afternoon with friends around and lots of skype conversations with family throughout the day.  It is a great joy to be her mom...

Composting - Happy Earth Day!

"To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” Mahatma Gandhi

Growing up we composted everything we could.  After moving from our old farm house we got away from the practice and I've personally never gotten back to it.

I've been wanting to compost this entire past year, but never started - partly because the compost heap I would take it to is a block and a half away (i know...it's sad that mattered...it was cold) and partly because I just never took the step of grabbing a container to accumulate the compost.

Recently I went to our first "work day" for our community garden (so exciting).  One of the gardeners did a training on worm composting - perfect for our apartment living.  It will also create amazing fertilizer for the garden plants.  We got most of the starter equipment from him that day.

I've been taking our compost out to the garden and will soon start using some of it to make wonderfully nutritious soil for our garden (it takes about a month for the worm one to be ready)!  And, I'm so happy to be doing it.  Another peace giving thing in my life...

As soon as the scare of frost is past and our seeds are fully sprouted we will complete our garden plot within the community of gardeners.

In the spirit of today, I wanted to pass along this link about buying less plastic and how to save money while saving the environment...it's a good one!

A day to accomplish

Feeling peace today through small, yet tangible, accomplishments.

After spending the better part of the last week and a half trying to figure out what to do about allergies and just feeling the normal affects of pregnancy, I was so happy today to accomplish.

The simple duties - of hanging up the laundry, cleaning the house, thinking through meals this week - brought simplicity to our home and peace to my moments.  Having an almost 3 year old to be apart of the process, doing it all with me, was definitely a joy.

Are there many tasks on my list still?  Yes...  Did I feel progress today...accomplishment?  By all means.  Beauty in the process.  Taking each day for the beauty that is in it.

Oh to set my mind on things that bring peace, love, and strength to my days and moments...this is a gift.

 

One thing I am learning is to not add to or create my own drama.  One thing I've strive to learn over and over again is to simply let things "roll off me".  Part of this, I know, is the shutting of the mouth.  The next thing to learn is the changing of thoughts...not dwelling on or giving thought to things that are not true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, peace giving (Philippians 4:8).  I'm sure thankfulness/peace can play a good role here too...

Complain as little as possible about the wrongs you suffer. Undoubtedly, a person who complains commits a sin by doing so, since self-love always feels that injuries are worse than they really are. Above all, do not complain to irascible or fault-finding persons. If you feel the need to correct an offense or restore your peace of mind by complaining to someone, do so to those who are even-tempered and really love God. Instead of calming your mind, the others will create worse difficulties, and rather than pulling out the thorn that is hurting you, they will drive it deeper into your foot.

--St Francis de Sales

Simplicity through my crockpot

Every time I use my crock-pot I think, "Why don't I use this more?" 

This week I tried just putting chicken breast straight in the crock pot.  I added about 1 tbsp. butter and sprinkled with salt and pepper.  Cooked it on high for 2-3 hours, stirred it around, and it was done.  One of the beauties of this is that I love shredded chicken, but hate the work of putting it on the stove or boiling it and then taking forks to make it happen.  This way, the work of shredding the chicken is essentially gone.

I popped it all into a jar and those 3 chicken breast will last for meals all week (and possibly frozen if there are leftovers).  We've used it on sandwiches and as an addition to salad and pasta as well this week.

 It was an easy addition to dinner last night

• french bread
• cream cheese/basil mixture
• a bit of chicken
• tomatoe
• spring mix lettuce
• onion

Very yummy and so easy!

Thankful for breath

Thinking about how easily we take a simple thing like breathing for granted.

Since the beginning of this pregnancy, it seems like my body has been craving yoga...even though I've never practiced yoga.  Kind of weird, but I finally grabbed a copy of a yoga dvd (this one to be exact - Yoga Pregnancy: Pre and Post Natal Workouts).

It was nothing hard core...very easy actually and not really what you might call a work out, but it felt so good.  I realize again how easily it is to forget that simply breathing and focusing on the precious gift of life can bring about peace very quickly. 

Enjoying stretching and breathing today...

Peace Givers

Ever since this post I've been dwelling on things that bring peace to my life...things that I am grateful for, no matter how seemingly insignificant or how great they are.  They are what they are - things that give peace - to my soul or simply to the moments of my day.  I have now started a list (more on this in another post)...here is a small start to the rest of my life.

• Putting Evee to bed earlier and and having a bit more time in the evening (I'm pretty sure this brings peace to her life as well)

• The windows open in the spring/summer (although it kills my allergies I just love it)

• Giving choices to a child - specifically now with clothing...it's making mornings all the better

• Settling...in areas/situations that I can't control or change (this is a big one for an "all or nothing" kind of girl!)

Date nights

Spring/Summer dates nights have started up again.  I love date nights any time, but there is something about the wonderful weather that makes them even easier to pull off.

Once we had Evee we started having more "at home" dates where we grab a bottle of wine and, if the weather is nice, sit on the porch after her bedtime and chat and be together.  The beauty of it is that it is so simple.  So easy to make happen.  There isn't a big budget ($4 to be exact or $5 if we also get a movie and skip the chatting), there's no sitter to go, no place to be at a certain time.  It's wonderful.

We do accomplish a similar date in the winter, but the porch almost always feels better than the couch.

Glad that they have started up again.  Sitting outside on a beautiful night enjoying the company of the person you want to be with the most...

On Anger

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."
James 1:19

As odd as it may sound, I've been thinking about anger for a few weeks now...dwelling on these verses as well as the quote below.  As I choose to be guided by these thoughts, the peace that comes is amazing.

"The beginning of freedom from anger is silence of the lips when the heart is agitated; the middle is silence of the thoughts when there is a mere disturbance of soul; and the end is the imperturbable calm under the breath of unclean winds."  - St. John Climacus

by the way, imperturbable (word in bold lettering) means...

• marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness
• not easily perturbed or excited or upset

In my own thoughts it seems a lot like a peaceful state...

The best cookies ever...

There's been enough loving of these cookies by others that I thought I'd share this recipe here.  It's for regular chocolate chip cookies, but people keep mentioning their love for them...so maybe they are extra special.   Probably the real buttery goodness...

It's the recipe my dad and mom used growing up with a minor change.  I'm pretty sure we at the dough straight much more than we ever baked cookies - so I can assure you that the recipe is good for both baking and plain batter. 

With no further ado...
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Beat together

• 3/4 cup butter (I partially melt it first)
• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla

Add 1 egg and beat
Add and beat together

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt

Add 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips and mix by hand.
Bake for 8-10 minutes

I've thought about adding oats as well - inspired by this recipe oatmeal cookies that I shared quite awhile back. 

I do believe a key to them being so tasty is taking them out of the oven when they are just slightly starting to brown on the bottom.  This makes them oh so tasty! 

Brokeness

Thinking about suffering and brokenness on this Good Friday evening.

A lot of time brokenness, for me, comes in the waiting or the unknown.  Although there have been many moments in the past years, I was thinking tonight that it has been awhile since I've felt almost uncontrollably broken.

Sure there was the unknown of leaving Indiana - friends, jobs, our home.  There have been moments in the process of coming and being at grad school - getting jobs, figuring out life in this season - where we are waiting. 

But the last time I, myself, felt so incredibly broken was when we were trying to get pregnant over 4 years ago and finally did after a year of trying, only to lose the baby soon after finding out we were indeed pregnant.  I was so desperate for a child.  So weary.  So confused.  Getting no answers.

In that situation I felt so little control.  So few (if any) answers as to why something so wonderful wasn't happening for us.  If children are a good gift from God and God gives good gifts to his children, why were we not getting pregnant?

Looking back I can see a few answers, but really I still don't know why it took awhile and then why we lost that first little life. 

Lately, my brokenness is for others.  This year in particular...maybe more broken for what is happening with others than ever before.  I know it will be again for me as it seems to be a part of life.  Sometimes I feel so deeply for those waiting or in unknown situations...situations that seem to have no answers or feel so desperate. 

Tonight as I was thinking over these things and dwelling on Christ's own suffering and brokenness, 2 things came to mind...
I AM there - Jehovah Shammah and
There is HOPE

saying goodbye

A dear friend who lives a bit away, but close enough is moving.  Although there is much I could say about this friend, I keep it to share for her.  

What I wanted to share here, though, is something that Evee and I made for her.  A very fun process indeed.
We made postcards for her - they are ready to be written on and addressed.  

Then we made a "thankfulness journal" with recycled paper and bound it. 

Then sewed a carrier for these things with a spot on one side for the postcards and on the other side for the journal with a way to enclose it all.  It, of course, is pink since Evee and I were doing it together and pink is the only logical color to choose!  I meant to take a picture of it when it was done - with the closure being a button and twine.

Blessings to our friend...she will be dearly missed, but she knows that :). 

A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway. -- Fr. Jerome Cummings