Spring cleaning

 S P R I N G 

C L E A N I N G

L O V E

 

 pack the mittens

snow pants

gloves

sweaters

cowls

hats

scarves  

  

boots

wool socks

glovies

furs

stow the shovels

stack the sleds

store the ice skates

snow shoes

skis

cover the snowblower

wax the mower

snows a melting 

grass is growing!

beat the rugs

wash the windows

sweep the barn

turn the compost

...

 snow is hiding 

under the hay

bulbs are peaking

worms are moving

birds are nesting

trees are waking

 buds are breaking

dirt is living

grass is remembering

sun is warming

warmer 

warmer 

warmer still

spring is coming

spring is coming

spring is here.

 i LOVE a good culling.

this is how i do it.

1. do i  LOVE  it ?

2. do i  NEED it?

if  the "it" in question does not fall

quickly into one of these categories

then i ponder

THROWING

 DONATING

SELLING

or

GIVING 

(an opportunity to BLESS someone

else' life who needs what you do not.)

i used to just suggest the first

three but over the years

our little family has really

enjoyed learning to ponder

 who could really

use something that we don't want/need anymore...

or we post it on facebook and it is 

snatched up in minutes!

it's really FUN!

all options are good and have their place.

it is good to be able to just 

throw something. 

it is good to be able let things

go and make way for 

S  P  A  C  E 

 

if you do not LOVE a THING . . . 

you are completely FREE to either KEEP it . . or NOT 

KEEP it!

it is your choice! 

isn't that lovely.

this olde girl is reluctant to give up her roaring wood stove

the

B E A U T Y 

of 

C R U M B S

May the God of all Comfort

strengthen and encourage you

to press on. . . 

to keep on. . . 

to keep trying. . . 

to do and continue to do 

what is needful

for yourself

and those around you

 "live simply... 

so that others 

may 

simply

live."

ghandi

in reference to things i am having 

trouble parting with...

when the voice in my head is saying. . .

but...

but it's always BEEN here!

it. . exists

and it's in my life!

i

say

GET.

RID.

OF.

IT.

the  peaceful 

s p a c e 

is so worth it.

 

KEEP.

  . . . . and then SOMETIMES. . . 

life gets very . . . .

busy.

i hate busy. . 

but there is no slowing of a toddler

or of leaky roofs or falling down trees...

 it just IS.. .

and we must KEEP up with the madness that is life.

 

 every now and then it slows no matter what.

and we try to take a deep cleansing breath as

all pauses for a tiny tiny blip moment.

 

 it would be so lovely to live in the stillness of a picture.

in that split second everything WAS perfect. 

it was a split second though. . and the second AFTER. . 

a fall, the laundry, lunch, a diaper, the fire needs a stoking, a needed cup of tea. . . 

...the swirling whirling...

 

STAND STILL.

and wait

for the LORD

to help you.

 

 snow

  brave chickens

 to KEEP.

to persist.

to do.

to keep doing over and over.

to try .

to continue in a specific way.

to remain.

to continue to be.

to continue to maintain.

to keep up with.

to sustain.

to be Faithful.

to act.

 

to have a habit of.

to preserve.

to watch over and defend.

to perservere.

 

to take care of.

 to cause to remain in an established way.

to continue on .

 

 go through your closet at least a few times a YEAR.

seasonally if you will.

keep a few totes of things you love but do not often wear.

keep them out of sight, then going through them will be FUN

and you will feel like you went shopping!

if you keep it in your closet all the time it will just get boring 

and you won't EVER want to wear it.

also . .  there are people who would love the things

you don't wear at all.

get them OUT of your life and into someone else' .

 

 keep it simple

(yes.  .. easier said then done ) 

keep at it.

do you LOVE it ?

do you NEED it?

if not.. FIND A WAY to get it OUT of your life. 

 small town love

 

help each other

 

P U S H through . ... .. whilst carrying. . . whilst in tears. there is Joy on the other side.

Many things

have happened in the last five months

both happy and sad

We sold our Beloved Home of 10 happy years

We were blessed to stay with Beloved family for a short while

We found another beautiful home. .. but it doesn't feel 

like we are Home yet. 

We brought our dear little sons and critters along for a wild ride. . . . 

and we lost our dear sweet wild cat maggs of almost 10 years.. . 

who we guess .. lost a good fight with a fox or coyote 

 ( i guess she wasn't wild after all. . . only in city terms ) 

but we miss her very much. .

and are heart and homesick often still . . 

 while having to keep on working very hard every day and night to take a very olde 

house . . . 1757 . . . 

and with the Lord's blessing

turn it into our Home again.

 Hold on tight little one.

It's a bumpy ride.

 .. but often not without shedding many tears

  New littles were born

to olde littles  

( my baby sis' first )

 My beautiful sweet chickies had to find new everyday

stomping grounds. . . which im still not happy about . .

since i don't get to see them as much. . with more space to roam.

 It is very sad that we often do not know what we have

. . until it's gone.

  a new very olde hearth 

which has seen countless families . . and fires and wood . . and boots

 Get it together girl

Pick yourself up.

Dust yourself off

. . .

and start all OVER.

.. . again.

 My new "warming comforting" drink

half water half milk 

a teaspoon or so of coconut oil ( your skin will thank you )

a teaspoon or so of whatever sweetener you prefer

warm up to very hot

sprinkle muchly with fresh nutmeg and cinnamon and sugar

it rather tastes like eggnog

and is quite cozy

 This is what we left the familiar heartbeat of the city for.

. . wild tall grass.

long walks past not much of anything in particular but all lovely and fresh

fallen leaves that we don't have to ever rake again 

since now we just hop on a tractor and turn them into mulch for the 

most beautiful lime green grass you've ever seen.

So far im finding it overwhelming to 

even try and settle into a place that still needs

more care then we have time or means to give it.. . .but 

with much outside help  ( thank you forever and ever dad )

and my kindest sweetest husbands nightly efforts despite working full time 

and being the best dad in the world whilst doing heavy renovations every tired hour he gets ) 

it is. . . s l o w l y  feeling more familiar and more like a place we belong.

     It is all . . . the moving. .

the losing of a pet you thought would grow very olde before they were suddenly gone.

The quiet sleepy new babies amidst my less sleeping swirling whirling days

The constant, very real acts of love from family and friends that never stops giving

and sacrificing.

is all . . so good 

at reminding me 

that we do not belong here. . . for long.

only for as long as the Lord wills.

and then

when He is ready

we will go home

and we don't have to fix it first

or lose anything in the move

or miss.. . anything.

we will be HOME home.

and that will be ALL.

 im trying to let go.

but it's NOT easy.

 

Walk

walk

out

into the W i L d N e S S of the day

no matter if it is 

a small space

or wide and far reaching

look up

look down

wait.. . just a moment.

close your eyes and listen 

 watch your thoughts

they become words

watch your words

they become actions

watch your actions 

they become habbits

watch your habbits

they become your character

watch your character

it becomes 

your destiny.