The Moments...

Sometimes it is the simple things in life that bring a smile.

...a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
...an unexpected phone call from a friend
...fuzzy PJ bottoms
...slippers
...a cat purring
...coffee
...rich creamer
...chocolate
...baby breath
...seeing a photo from a vacation
...driving in the car with your daughter
...dancing
...a walk in the Springtime
...a walk in the newly fallen snow
...seeing plants push through the soil
...the smell of soil in the Spring
...secret gardens
...the thought of fairies
...clothes that fit
...laughter with sisters
...moss on rocks
...strawberries
...the smell of vanilla
...a spoonful of whipped cream
...padded bicycle seats
...chai tea
...a massage
...Celtic music
...bubbles
...a pink and orange sunset
...a crossed-off to-do list
...finding the missing sock(s)
...finding the missing mitten(s)
...rain boots
...mud puddles
...butterflies and dragonflies
...writing my blog

...and the list could go on. Life is full of little moments with a few big ones thrown in. What am I going to do with the little moments?

I could make a list of all the moments that bring a frown, but why would I want to dwell there? Sometimes, being happy is a willful choice. I have days that I simply do not feel like being happy and it is on those days that I have to make an effort to be thankful, to look for things that bring me joy. Am I always successful? No (ask my kids and Leo, they'll tell you!) Do I have days that I just want to stay in bed and ignore life? Yes.

I guess what I am saying is that I need a reminder as much as anyone, that life is full of ups and downs and that I will have days that I am in a dark valley struggling to get to the other side where there is light. But in the midst of that, there are moments that bring a splash of joy if I would only just look outside of myself.

My today resolution: Look for the moments, and savor them. Store them up to be remembered for  
                                     a dark day. 


Love,
Dianne

Project for the Day

I worked a daylight shift yesterday. I had 2 alarm clocks set; one for 4:30am and the other for 4:50am. I figured that way I'd be sure to get up on time. (For the record, I hit snooze many times and then got up at 5:00.)

 I worked as staff nurse for 4hrs, then had education stuff the rest of the day. Even though the time frame was the same as if I'd worked a night shift, it sure seemed a lot longer. I was home and in bed, asleep by 10:30pm, which is early by my standards.

So, I was up and ready to start my day at 7:00 this morning.

Not.

It was more like, almost 10:00. I work tonight and I needed to recover from yesterday's trauma of waking up at an unheard of hour. At least that's what I told myself.

I had good intentions of working on paperwork again, but I just don't feel like it. I might for a little bit, but not all afternoon. Instead, I want to finish a project that has been waiting to be finished. I have an old dresser that used to be just stained wood, then it was pink for the girl's room, and now it is a rusty red color in the kitchen.

I removed the drawers and inserted baskets (for potatoes, onions, and misc. magazines). But the bottom half has been left undone. It is a great place for the guys to put their lunch boxes, and for me to put my basket of "quick to grab as I go out the door" gardening tools. The top is being used as a place to harness those things that belong in other places (like clothing borrowed from a friend, library books, etc), a basket with CDs (to listen to while washing dishes), and another basket with chalk to leave messages with.

I am kinda throwing around the idea of turning it into a coffee/tea bar. Maybe someday.

But today, I am going to sew a curtain to cover up the bottom half. That's my Today Resolution. The one thing I want to accomplish (besides the usual laundry, dishes...)

And now, 2 hours later...

I like it! Okay, next project....

Love,
Dianne

Locked Cars and Undone Taxes

Just in case you were wondering...Leo (my knight in shining armor) managed to hook the car keys laying on the car dashboard and get them to the window. Then using 3 different wires and some wood, managed to get the key almost out, but then just as he was going to give up, managed to get the key ring turned and with one of the wires, was able to push the unlock feature on the key. IT WORKED!!!

I AM SO HAPPY!!...and thankful we did not have to call a locksmith.

I believe my today resolution is: Get AAA for our household.

What else can I get into today? I guess since my car is unlocked now, and I was able to retrieve my purse from the car, I have no excuses now not to start getting back to the taxes. Yuck.

I use Quicken on the computer to record all of our financial information. I am rather detailed when I enter things because I like to see where our money is going. For example, I don't just have a "Farm" category. I have Farm categories split out into Feed, Machinery (parts and repairs), Supplies, Custom Hire, Labor, etc. The same thing applies to our personal/household expenses. I have it split out into Groceries, Clothing, School. Recreation, Household (maintenance, heating, decor, etc.), etc. It can all be very time consuming.

I shouldn't complain. I am the one who set it up that way. It is my slight bent to being obsessive-compulsive. But I sometimes think I made it too complex. Too complex that I get overwhelmed by it and don't feel like tackling it.

Of course, if I hadn't avoided it for so long....

So, I have the coffee on, (where is Starbucks when you need them?) a pair of comfy pj bottoms with a tshirt, and I am ready. Oh, and I have Pandora Radio on, set to my Celtic music channel for now. There is nothing like good fiddle playing with whistles and pipes to keep you motivated and chipper.

My 2nd Today resolution: Get as much done as I can on the financial junk. I mean, important financial paperwork.

Love,
Dianne

Saturday, Then and Now

Saturday.

When I was a kid, that meant cartoons and cleaning house. My sisters and I would watch The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Pink Panther and Bugs Bunny. Later came The Smurfs. Once Mom was up, the dusting, sweeping, cleaning sinks and toilet, vacuuming and mopping began. This all took place throughout the day and then in the evening, it was bath time and time to watch "Hee-Haw".

Does anybody else remember "Hee-Haw"? The donkey at the end with his mouth wide open with the credits rolling? The corny jokes and hillbilly mentality? The women with the short shorts and low-cut blouses? The men in bib overalls? Watching it was a Saturday Tradition in the Bender household.

Today, Saturday's in my house don't quite follow the same traditions. For one thing, my work schedule doesn't allow for much consistency with weekends. The other reason is that I don't always like to save one day for housecleaning; my house needs it way before Saturday rolls around.

So what is a "typical" Saturday like? I have no idea. But, today...
Leo and Aaron are at a safety class of some kind for work.
Adrienne, Amy, and Heather and Ryan were up between 7-9AM. They were watching Curious George on PBS and checking out Facebook online.
I got up around 10AM and we all made brunch. Scrambled eggs, Chai Tea, Sour Cream Pancakes with either blueberry sauce, peanut butter or maple syrup.
We all did the dishes and straightened up the kitchen.

Now, I am writing this and drinking my coffee.
Heather is listening to music and looking up something for school.
Adrienne is cleaning out her "treasure box" of childhood keepsakes.
Amy and Ryan are watching Adrienne.

What's the rest of the day going to be like? I still have no idea. But, what I'd like to accomplish...
          Finish painting the dressers in Heather's room and get the wallpaper border up.
          Exercise.
          Laundry.
          Help Ryan clean up his pigsty, err, I mean bedroom. Oink.
       
My today resolution: Whatever I do, I need to do it with an attitude of gratefulness. I have been blessed with much.

" ...But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15


Enjoy your Saturday!
Dianne

       

Procrastination Destination

It's 11:50AM and I should have the primer on Heather's walls.

But I don't.

I have been excited about this project and now I am procrastinating getting started. I think it is because my  paint "stuff" is not organized to my OCD specifications and I need to go down to the basement and look for a couple things to get started. So, I am avoiding it. Because I know when I go to the basement, I will feel the need to organize it. For an hour or more. I will also see the washing machine that is only working sometimes (something in the control panel), and all the laundry and that will be annoying. I will have to go check it out too.

 Sometimes my biggest frustration in life is myself.

Okay, take a deep breath. Take another deep breath. Say a prayer for God's direction on my day.

"My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor." Ecclesiastes 2:10


I need to just enjoy my day, my work. Not get caught up and stressed out over details that really aren't that important.

My today resolution: Put on some lively Celtic music, push everything away from Heather's walls and cover with old sheets, get the primer from the basement (wear a blindfold if I have to), and get it on the walls!

Note to self: Pause often to smile. Pause often to stretch. Definitely pause for a cup of coffee. Sing loudly with the music. Who cares who hears you? It's not like the milkman or the feed guy will be stopping in.

Love,
Dianne

Oscar The Grouch or Big Bird?

I could be a grump today. I don't want to be, but I am afraid that the Oscar The Grouch that resides somewhere inside of me is trying diligently to get out.

What makes me grumpy, not just today, but any given day? The big one, like for many people, is lack of sleep. Sometimes it's just the huge pile of "to-do" things that I let overwhelm and engulf me. Throw in a little fear of the future, lack of finances (or the poor management thereof), too many demands, and a woman's favorite time of the month (sorry if you're a guy reading this, but it's true).

When I let the worries of today, yesterday and tomorrow build up, or I let them take over, I become just like the olive green, grungy, grimy, garbage-can residing monster.

Good Ol' Oscar

Days like today make me feel ugly inside and out. I need to pause, take a breath, put on some music, put a positive thought in my head and focus on one or two things, not everything. 

Ahhh, I am already feeling better.  

Even writing this blog helps me put my swirling thoughts into perspective and keeps me in check.

This is the day the Lord the has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it! Psalms 118:24 

Confession at High Noon

Confession time.
I slept until noon today.
Lazy? Maybe.
Or maybe just needed.
After working 3 night shifts and then sleeping yesterday, once I was awake, I was really awake. Like, until 2:30am awake.  So then I slept. Until High Noon.
"I'll meet you at high noon at the saloon. Be ready for a steaming cup of coffee."
Oh, I forgot to mention that I was awake around 8:00am when Leo brought me breakfast in bed. For no reason other than he is my sweetheart. So, I ate scrambled eggs 'n' ham (not green) and a waffle. He's so good to me. Then, I fell asleep again.

I usually think I am invincible. That when I take off my shirt, there is super hero clothing on underneath stating that I am WonderMom. But it's not true.

I need rest, and lots of it. I need good food, and lots of it (well, maybe not lots; I just like food). I need to exercise (notice the lack of lots). I need to take time to rejuvenate, renew, refresh, and revive.

I need to be okay that I need those things. I need to take care of me so I can take of my family, so I can go to work with a positive attitude, so I can enjoy the life God has blessed me with. I've tried to be the person who thought that I should never put myself first and what I found was that I wasn't really helping anyone. My attitude in serving others was one of martyrdom. Does that make sense?

When I take a little time for me, I am ready to serve others with a joyful heart. It's about balance. It's not all about Me, Me, Me; rather, it is a combination of God, others, and me.

I struggle with serving others with the right attitude. I know that taking time for rest and all the other stuff makes me better able to have the right attitude.

So, my today resolution is: Be a blessing to the people God puts in my way, whether it is to just smile and say "Hi", or to fix their flat tire (at least I could call TripleA).

Scarlet, Adrienne, and Snow

I would love to be singing "...and since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...", but I work tonight and am privileged to get to drive to Johnstown in this delightful stuff.

One of my gardens...brrr

Don't get me wrong; I really do like snow. I even kinda enjoy a really good snowstorm.

As long as I don't have to go out in it. Therein lies the dilemma.

So, I'll make sure my car has a full tank of gas (thank you Adrienne!!), not that I ever run out of gas within sight of the gas station (thank you Aaron!!), a blanket or two (just in case), and a flashlight. Then I can head off with confidence in Scarlet. That's my car. My sweet little Subaru.

Adrienne--Thanks for running around in the cold so I don't have to leave 15 min earlier tonight!

But for my last couple of hours before I leave, I am going to work on some mending that needs done. I think there are some articles of clothing that no longer fit anybody in this house in that pile of missing buttons, bad zippers (come on, am I really going to fix a zipper!?), and torn seams. But maybe I'll find one or two things I can tackle today.

Keep it simple. Keep it doable.

My today resolution: Make the mending pile a little bit smaller and get rid of the things that I am never      really going to fix anyway. 

Maybe I need to add: Keep it realistic.

Stay warm today! Drink something hot!

Love, Dianne

My "Today Resolution"

I started taking down the Christmas decorations today. I like to do it just a little at a time; otherwise I just end up with everything "Christmas" in our bedroom (which is just off the attic) in piles of festive clutter. If I do it in bits and pieces, it usually ends up being put away into proper storage containers, organized by room or theme.

Note the word "usually".

Maybe that should be, "sometimes" or "almost never", but hey, the intention is there!

Speaking of intentions, now is always a good time to think about the "R" word.

Resolution.

I usually don't make any official declarations of intent, because I don't want to ever feel like I need to wait for a new year to make a needed change. For me, that only becomes an excuse to put off what I need to be doing now.

Like, eating healthier...
Like, getting rid of clutter...
Like, keeping my financial affairs organized and not waiting until it has to be done...
Like, exercising consistently...
Like, getting unfinished projects done...
Like, cooking more for my family (yeah, Leo is a fierce cook, and that makes me lazy)...
Like, not making excuses...

You get the idea.

So, my "Today Resolution" is to make supper for my family.
Let's see...Ham
                Twice-baked Potatoes
                Some kind of vegetable (the top vote from the family usually wins)

prior to baking....mmmm

After baking...even more Mmmmmm

That seems do-able. And I think that's the key for me. I need to make my goals, my intentions, my resolutions, whatever they are, do-able. Now my dreams, that's another story....for another day...

A December Resolution

Ah yes, it's Monday. A day that many people dread because it is the start of the work-week. I kinda like Mondays. It is a new week. What will it hold?

 I need to get bookwork done this week. Stuff I have been avoiding for days...weeks...okay, okay....months. Entering transactions on the computer, for both farm and household. I think I avoid it because I don't want to see how much money we spend and on what we spend it. Somehow, seeing it in black and white is daunting.

I think what I shall do is shred some credit cards. Using them is a little like eating and trying to lose weight. They are so easy to use, but not so easy to pay off. But this is the year! Why wait for the New Year to make a resolution. Make it today!

Okay, here goes...

After the shredder

Now that felt good. I needed to do that a long time ago! So, my goal is to get these credit cards paid off in a year. My December Resolution.