From what I recall, my Grandma made or bought an ornament for all the grandchildren every year. I don’t ever remember opening these ornaments. Maybe she just handed them out? I don’t know how it all happened; I just know we got ornaments every year. I’m sure I wasn’t impressed. I’m fairly certain I was… Continue reading Ornaments
Below
Yesterday Brad and I cleared off the deck. The space that was once filled with furniture to host gatherings in our outdoor living space is now (mostly) empty. My hammock is put away. The table we built is put to the side and the chairs are all in the garage. When we have more the… Continue reading Below
Opinions
I don’t know why but sometimes making a decision is really hard for me. Often I think it’s because I don’t have a strong opinion in any direction. But, sometimes, it’s because making a decision means I have to face something I don’t want to face. I got married for the first time when I… Continue reading Opinions
Expectations
Often times in yoga my instructors will have a theme for class. Last night Ashley had two coinciding themes: gratitude and letting go of expectations. Even in the midst of my pain and sadness I find gratitude something I practice most days. When I first lay down my head at night, I think back through… Continue reading Expectations
Heart
I know being outside breathing in fresh air, feeling the sun on my face and moving my feet at whatever pace feels right is all good for me. However, ever since I ditched the ear buds on my walks, my thoughts are much more intrusive than I’d prefer. Many times I end up crying while… Continue reading Heart
Open Wound
When I’m in a crowd of people I don’t know, it’s easy to feel okay. I’m not seeing myself reflected in their eyes. I don’t recall times of joy or pain shared with these people. In some ways I’m invisible and that makes my pain feel less intense. However, when I’m with one person I… Continue reading Open Wound
List
When I decided I wanted to blog during my sabbatical, being the planner that I am, I made a long list of all the different topics I might chose to write about. From quilting to spirituality to daily activities – I created a long list of possible topics. At first I stuck to the list… Continue reading List
The Cross
I wrote a very long paper for Systematic Theology several years ago about my views on the cross and Jesus’ relationship to it. I’m not going in that direction here. That paper, while it did convey my beliefs, came from my head – my brain, a place of logic and rationale. This writing about the… Continue reading The Cross
Fall
I’ve recently seen several people post this quote on Facebook with a lovely fall background: “Fall shows us how beautiful it is to let go.” Or something like that. There’s a lot of letting go in our yard right now. This fall seems to be particularly beautiful. It’s early November and the most of the… Continue reading Fall
Cut
Two days ago I decided to make another batch of butternut squash soup. The batch I made two weeks ago was really good and although the weather doesn’t suggest it’s time for soup, the leaves and calendar do, so I wanted more. Peeling and cutting squash is the worst part of the whole process. It’s… Continue reading Cut