A good beginning...

The first half of the week has been great. I've been chipper, focused, and thoughtful about how I spend my time. Today started off a little rocky, but I pushed onward by reminding myself how awesomely blessed my life is.

Last night I watched Steel Magnolias and had a little cry for myself. I had never seen it, but it was good to sit down and be inspired by the friendships among women. Afterward, I worked in the guest room on a journal card for my sister. Tonight I ran errands, watched "Parenthood," and now I'm writing this little post before finishing up the journal card and going to bed to read and be inspired by the most fantabulous magazine, Flea Market Style. If you haven't been introduced, click the link and/or find a copy on your local newsstand. Below is what the cover looks like so you know what to look for:In addition to creating and keeping house, I've also found a new, slightly addictive, time spender. It's almost a time waster, but as long as I don't let it absorb all of my evenings, I think it's a great creative outlet and place to keep inspiration. I'm talking about Tumblr and the link can be found in the upper right hand corner of the page. The photo for the link is a journal card from my Mom, the one that gave me the final push to make a change (Thanks Mum!).

I'm so glad to be moving in a good direction and I'm looking forward to what the tail end of this week, and beyond, has in store for me. But first, time for the cup of tea I just prepared...

Grace Like Rain...

Don't be surprised if I begin to post more than once a day. I've been dreaming a lot lately, which equals poor sleep, and a remedy is to clear my head through various mediums, this being one of them. And also to exercise so I sleep too heavily to dream, but that's another realm alltogether... all together... altogether... hmm.

On Sunday night I was on the last leg of my drive home from Vermont and I decided to take a shortcut, though one I wasn't really familiar with. My husband knows the way, so I called him and asked directions. They weren't particularly clear, but I hoped my raised-in-the-country sense of direction would help me recognize landmarks and guide me home.

Well, I got off the initial exit and then the second exit with no problem. Then I wasn't sure what was next, so took the exit that seemed like the one my husband was talking about. This brought me into the far right lane of four lanes and the (too late) realization that I needed to be to the left. When I didn't make it, I got all frustrated. Which meant yelling a bit because I was tired and had already been in the car for like 10 hours. The last thing I needed was a detour.

Anyways, I sent up a little prayer and kept my eyes peeled for something that told me I was going in the right direction. There wasn't much to see for awhile and the stuff I did see only seemed vaguely familiar, and maybe I was just making it familiar because I didn't want to be going the wrong way.

As I'm driving, a wonderful song I recognize from church, "Grace Like Rain," comes on the radio. The next thing I know, as I'm singing along, maybe even raising my non-steering-wheel hand in the air a bit, things begin to look familiar and I realize I'm headed in the right direction.

Of course this caused me to start singing a little louder and after the song was over and I finally got home, I kept singing. And then I thanked God for a beautiful bit of grace.

Starting anew...

"There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens."
~ Ecclesiastes 3: 1 ~

Thank you to my Mom for sharing the above verse. It was on one of the most recent journal cards I received from her and it's helping to motivate this post and the changes that go with it.

I want to live The Pie and Apron Life. It's been on my mind since that first e-mail conversation with my Mom.

I've just come back from a break from blogging, not to mention a refreshing trip home to Vermont, and I'm ready to truly live the life I desire. A fulfilling life, not a lots-of-wasted-moments life.

Pretty much, I'm taking old thoughts, redundant thoughts, that have plagued me for so long and putting them into action. Starting anew with old ambitions. For real this time.

This blog will help to keep me accountable and as such, I've changed the name and the blog address to stick to the theme and act as a reminder. If you've put me on your blogroll in the past, thank you, but be sure to change the address so your link works.

Cheers to the days to come. They will be filled.

Gracie Lou Freebush

My little gray kitty is quite obnoxious. She yowls in the wee hours of the morning when she hears us stirring, though we are not quite out of bed, and again at night when I’ve shut the door and snuggled in for the evening.

She’s always under my feet, as she follows me everywhere I go. This is kind of sweet, except I’ve almost busted myself several times from tripping over her.

Maybe the most annoying thing she does is push the water bowls around, making a wet mess of the floors on a daily basis. Well, she did this until I got the best of her and figured out a way to prevent her from doing so… knock on wood. It’s been a few days and she hasn’t budged them, so I’m hopeful that little habit is permanently denied.

She doesn’t really like to be pet…pat… petted, but sometimes she’ll snuggle up when I’m reading on the couch and I can get a little cuddle in. On Sunday, she was bundled up next to me and I was petting her and felt a lump on her neck. Not a fun thing to find when you finally get close to her!

Lumps can be scary, and although she annoys me and I get mad at her for tripping me up or making a mess of the floor, my first thought was that I need to be kind to her more often. After all, when we brought her and her sister home, they changed the dynamic of our household for the better. There’s just something about silly little kitties that bring a special happiness to a home.

Fortunately, I took her to the vet last night and it was just a cyst, which the vet drained. He said it might remain there, but it will only need to be removed if it gets bigger, infected, or starts to bother her. I’m hoping, for her sake, that it just goes away and doesn’t come back.

I’m also hoping to remember to be more loving to her and her sister, petting them and giving them treats more often than I have in the past... not that I've been mean or abusive, just that maybe I've taken them for granted a bit. They make me laugh almost daily and I’m glad for the merriment and company they provide… especially on lonely nights when the hubs is working or in class. For that I am especially grateful!

P.S. Yes, I sometimes call her Gracie Lou Freebush. It just slipped out one day and now it's one of her nicknames. Poor thing.

Words for 2010: Authenticate

I have felt the following for awhile: what I write on this blog is too often fluff and a lot of it is over-edited. Although this isn’t a new feeling, it’s a feeling that was exacerbated on Friday when my mom sent me an e-mail with a link to a blog post with the disclaimer that I’d need a tissue.

A bit of sobbing and a bunch of snot and tears later, I e-mailed her back and told her a tissue was definitely needed and that I was in awe of the blogger’s honesty and passion.

I was moved a lot, for personal reasons, by the story attached to the initial link, but continued to be inspired as I read other posts. This blogger was being completely real and honest, even though some of her thoughts might be judged harshly or disapprovingly.

This no-holds-barred style is the way I’d like to be blogging… and living. I feel like I so often get stuck trying to edit in order to make sure my story doesn’t offend or turn people away, and that’s not being true to myself.

Although I don’t often have dramatic stories to share, that doesn’t mean I can’t be genuine, honest, and real in the sharing of my life. Of course, it’s not like I’m not being real here, because I am. This is my life and sometimes all I’ve got is fluff.

I guess the real problem is I’m not being passionate enough and true enough to myself in the life I live. I get easily distracted or lazy and that’s frustrating. I want to stay focused on that which is important to me and then share it here in order to show others how wonderful it is to be unmistakable.

I am glad for the wake up call and look forward to for real applying the word “authenticate” to my life for the rest of 2010.