A slow Fall kind of Saturday

The hot days are still hanging on, much to my chagrin, but there are signs that things are changing and that my favorite time of year is slowly creeping in.  I will admit that some of these signs are self imposed, put on by my own hand in a way to force this new season to arrive, knowing full well that I have zero impact in the weather, or the seasons, but I like to think that at least inside my house, I can control it.

 

Many love summer, many enjoy the hot weather and the busy chaos it brings, vacations, pool and lake, family get togethers and barbecues.  I however, seem to melt into a puddle of unhappiness during these 3 months.  

 

I start my mornings pretty much the same.  Head to the kitchen, give Elliott a ton of kisses and hugs, feed him, start my water boiling for our coffees, then open the back door and either go let the chickens out if it's my turn (on the weekends), or just open the door then go back to make the coffees and pack Curt's lunch for work.  Whichever one of these is going on, I can tell you that the mornings seem a little cooler, crisper, and just yesterday the neighborhood owls have started hooting high up on my soapberry tree.  A sure sign that seasons are changing.   

Our weekends have been jam packed, full of activities, places to be and things to do.  We may as well just have long weeks because it doesn't feel like we rest much.  Thankfully this weekend, we have a bit of a break and I fully indulged.

 

I spent the day pottering around the house, taking care of all my plants, moving things here and there, bird watching, eating healthy snacks, reading, watching tv and just allowing my body to slow down. 

I pulled out my Fall decorations and was only wanting one or two pieces, but before long, every room and every corner of the house, had some sort of item reminding me of what is to come.

 

Soft warm blankets in dark greens, browns and reds.

 

Little mushroom houses sitting on a bench.

 

Fall colored flower arrangements spreading their beauty and joy on coffee tables.

 

And the first scent of a pumpkin cheesecake candle lit early morning. 

It may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, or even be in any way representative of the weather we are still having outside, but in my mind, and between these four walls, we are closing the door on summer and welcoming in the BER months and the cooler weather.

 

And for that, I will not apologize, I am not a summer person, I don't enjoy it, I don't thrive in it, and like some people get the blues in Winter, I get the blues in summer.  It just is what it is.

 

I'm off to enjoy a cup of tea and get a bit more reading in my book.  Have a blessed Saturday! 

Faster days, slower soul!

“If you’re always racing to the next moment, what happens to the one you’re in? Slow down and enjoy the moment you’re in and live your life to the fullest.”

 

 

I am caught in a season of life that is very much running opposite of how I feel, and want to feel.

 

As we get older, time moves faster.  I used to think that was nonsense, surely that was not possible at all, but as the years go by I realize that there is definitely something to this.  Have you noticed how much faster the days and months go, the older we get?  I almost feel like I want to grab it all in my hands and hold it tight, urging it, begging it to slow down.   

Herein lies the fight.......faster days, but my soul is slowing down.  My soul yearns for quiet and longer days, for more time to do the things I enjoy.  To not be so caught up in what needs doing, in appointments and get togethers, and the need to be here and there, to keep running at a fast pace with the rest of the world.  It's not easy to move against the grain, it's actually a daily constant fight, but one I am willing to stand by.

 

So as my soul slows down, I find myself looking for ways to embrace everything around me, to not let a day go by when I am not appreciating where I am, the things around me, the family I love, and the hobbies that I take part in because they make me happy.

 

 

♥ Rain ♥

I've always had this immense love for rain.  Everything about it, from the first scent of wet earth before the drops even start falling, to the pitter patter that makes you instantly relax, and sleeping with the sound of the soft rain falling down on the roof.

 

For as much as I love it, I never gave it much importance, in the sense of actually stopping to look or admire just how magical it can be.  I've been doing a lot of that lately though, I think it's my soul pulling me towards things and moments that fill me with joy and contentment.

 

♥ Nature ♥  

These guys have started setting up shop.  Every spring they come around and start being the biggest nuisance.  I know they have a special job to do, and I believe that every living and breathing organism in the world, was created for a purpose.  I don't claim to understand what their purpose is, other than annoy me and make nests everywhere and chase me as I walk by, but nonetheless, they still deserve to be looked at and admired, if nothing else than for the magnificent creation that they are.

 

We also have a large number of barn cats, or workshop cats on our property.  This is cream as we have named him.  I often watch him walking around the property.  Some days he looks good, other days you can clearly tell that he was in some sort of scuffle.  Those days break my heart, because it pains me to see any animal hurt.  

 

 

Then we have these guys.  The grackles!

 

They do have a bad reputation and many people dislike having them around, and while they're quite loud at times especially when they all get going at once, I don't mind them.  I quite find them beautiful and fascinating to watch.

♥ Sunrise ♥ 

I've always been an admirer of sunrises and sunsets, but lately I have taken even more time to really look and watch and take in it's splendor.

 

This particular morning took me by surprise.  It looked so incredibly magical.  The sunrise bathed the front yard in the most gorgeous of colors, shining off the trees and creating this imagery that stuck in my mind.  I kept looking at it and thinking "it's like one of my fantasy books, or maybe The Secret Garden, brought to life."

 

I am quite enjoying this new season of my life.  Growing older is a blessing and sometimes we fight it, maybe because we don't know what is around the corner, or maybe because we're told constantly that we need to be and look a certain way, or feel a certain way.

 

Instead of fighting it, I have chosen to just go with the flow, and if my soul tells me to slow down and start paying more attention to certain parts of my life or surroundings, then that is what I do.  Rarely do I get disappointed. 

 

If anything, I am finding that I'm discovering all these renewed passions for the simple joys like reading, puzzle making, crocheting, taking photographs, watching old movies.  What a joy!

 

I would love to know how you all are feeling at the moment.  Are you also in this season of life?

{ A slow start to the year }

This year hits different for me.

 

I've always been a person who gets super anxious at the end of a year and beginning of a new one, mainly because I get this sense of impending doom, not knowing what is coming, what is going to happen, will we all still be here at the end?  It's unnerving and I absolutely despise that feeling.

 

Also, the feeling of needing to change things, needing to be better, do better.  

 

This time it is different.  I mentioned in a previous post that I wasn't feeling that anxious and had decided to just embrace the new year and go with it.  But, I also don't feel that need to change this or that, rather I feel the need to continue.  Continue being healthy, continue doing what I've been doing, continue leaning into God and His word.  

 

I think maybe my word for this year may just be CONTINUE!

 

My mornings have been slow, of course we are still in this holiday limbo, and I don't know about you all but I'm so ready to get out of this season and into the normal routines and schedules.  

Everything feels a bit discombobulated at the moment, there is no routine, there is not set time for anything, there's far too much eating of stuff we shouldn't, you know the drill, I think we're all in that little bubble at the moment.

As much as I have enjoyed having Curt home for the past two weeks, the time with family, the food, and the laughter, the slow mornings and naps in the afternoons, I am yearning for a stricter routine.  I need it.

How beautiful is my boy Elliott?  I often sit in wonder that God would bring us this gorgeous boy, who was a wild kitty, abandoned by his mother.  I don't think I've ever seen such a gorgeous wild cat.  And what a blessing that he is ours ♥

I don't have much to share with you today, but that's ok, remember I said I would love to try and post every day, even if just sharing a photo or something I'm doing?  Well here's me doing just that.

So you get a photo of my yummy morning oatmeal, which has been my go to for a while.  When I enjoy a certain breakfast I tend to stick with it and can eat it, for many many days, without getting sick of it.  That's a good thing I think.

Just going to finish this post off with some of my plants.  When I think back of years gone by where I killed every plant I ever owned, I am shocked that I am able to have so many now, and such beautiful ones too.

Many of these have been gifted to me from Curt's cousin Cindy.  Her husband Ed loves plants, grows so many and is always sweet enough to share cuttings with family.  Knowing I adore plants too, I always get some new ones.  

You may notice the one on the far left of the picture has a bag underneath, well that's because I need to move it to a bigger pot and get it settled.  Actually looking at the picture now, the only one that doesn't need a new bigger pot is the big one on the right.  The others all need new homes, and that's on my agenda for either this weekend or Monday.

I also worked on my Nordic Winter Afghan a bit more.  I really want to get that blanket off the hook and onto my lap, this winter.  It's an easy blanket to make and works up pretty quickly, but I just haven't had the time.  Hoping to change that in the next few days/weeks.

I hope you've all had a blessed Friday.  Tomorrow and Sunday are gym days for us, although, with hubby home this week, we've gotten in a lot more gym time.  Last week we went twice during the week and then the weekend too, and this week we've already gone 3 times, and then 2 more this weekend, so overall, we are doing well.

Will see you all back tomorrow, right here, with a cup of hot coffee and no doubt some more babbling posts.

A slow day

 

Some days I am all full steam ahead, and then some days I crash, and need to take a step back and regroup so to speak.  I call it my replenishing the soul days.   

"But you're a stay at home mom, why would you need that?", well I guess in a way that may sound true, but we often have such a busy schedule too, and I don't know about anyone else as I can only speak for myself, but homemaking is tiring at times, and there is always something to do.  Always!

If you're anything like me though, taking that step back feels like I'm cheating or a guilty in some way.  It's very hard for me to sit still without starting to feel like I need to be doing something.  There's a fight that ensues inside me, one side says to be still because the work will still be there tomorrow, and the other says I need to not be lazy and I should be busy not sitting.  I guess it's true that we can be our biggest critics right?

Anyway, today has been a slow day.  I'm dealing with a banger of a hormonal headache and slight cramping, so whether I wanted to or not, I was forced to take it slow and do the absolute needed only.  That meant mostly computer work, so I went and visited everyone on the Happy Homemaker Monday post, and also those who joined in as old fashioned bloggers.

Then I paid some bills, and worked on the new meal plan and budget.

 

I'm having Curt pick up the groceries from Walmart today, because my cars' battery has decided it's time to die.  I would have put off grocery shopping until the weekend but we need food now, so hubby just told me to do the pickup and he would go straight after work.  God bless this wonderful husband of mine.

So basically I have sat around doing computer stuff, I read my Bible, finished the book of Revelation and started 1 Samuel, and put some new books on the shelf.  

Oh and just realized I never showed you these, I got them at an antique store this weekend.  We were just walking around not really planning on getting anything but I had to bring these two, especially one of them and you'll see why.

 

 

Have you heard of the Companion Reader books?  They are vintage books that have two stories, one on each side of the book.  Classics that we all remember reading as children.  The first Companion Reader book I got was at a thrift store, and I grabbed it because it was Little Women, without even realizing that it also included Little Men on the other side.  

This time, I grabbed it for Heidi.  Who remembers Heidi?  One of my most memorable stories I remember reading as a child, and even watching a children's series on it too.  I loved it so much, the whole story was just the sweetest.

And again, I completely forgot that it came with a second story.  Didn't even notice until I got home and was taking the book out of the bag.  The story on the other said is that of Hans Hinkler, another favorite from my childhood.

These are great books to have for your kids to read.  I've been on the lookout for more of these Companion Readers at my local thrift stores and antique stores.  They are super cheap, I paid $2 for this one, so they're a great buy and I think these older classics are better for our kids and grand kids to read, than the nonsense I see in the bookstores for children, nowadays.

I was all happy with that find, and as we came around one of the many booths......ok, wait.  Maybe I should quickly explain how our biggest antique store is set up.

It is an old historic building downtown, 3 floors high.  The bottom floor is a huge open area, with amazing antique finds in every nook and cranny.  The next two floors up are split into booths by different sellers, also with crazy amazing items.

As always I am immediately drawn to the bookshelves.  Hubby knows, he will walk around to other areas because I get stuck going through the books.  It was at one of these many shelves filled with hundreds of books, that I saw this next one and I couldn't contain my excitement.  It was $4.  That's it.....but oh my word.

 

Beatrix Potter - The Artist and her world.  There is a copy of this book on Amazon for $31.  Yeah, thirty one dollars.   There are also a few copies on Thriftbooks, the cheapest being $5.  So I got it for much cheaper and though it's not in perfect condition, that doesn't matter to me.  I actually love old books, books that show they've been read many times and carried around and loved by their previous owners.

I honestly can't wait to read this one, to learn more about Beatrix Potter and her life.  What a great find, isn't it?

Well friends, that is it for today, I leave you with my two babies.  I love them so much, these little faces are my shadow during the day.  Even if they're napping, the minute I start to move out of sight, they're up and at my feet.  Unconditional love for sure.

Anyway, I hope you have a blessed Tuesday, I'll see you back here tomorrow.  

This day in 2006 - Coffee and Special K anyone?

This day in 2007 -

This day in 2008 - Lemon Bread Pudding

This day in 2009 - Feeling a little blah

This day in 2010 - Something big my way comes

This day in 2011 -

This day in 2012 -

This day in 2013 - Homemaking in progress

This day in 2014 - Cooking Thursday - Cinnamon Roll Cake

This day in 2015 -

This day in 2016 -

This day in 2017 - Happy Homemaker Monday

This day in 2018 -

This day in 2019 -

This day in 2020 -

This day in 2021 -

This day in 2022 - Drought and old books

This day in 2023 - Happy Homemaker Monday

{ Slow Days }

I've never been one to enjoy busy days. Being out of the house constantly, driving around, or having multiple appointments in one day, makes me so antsy. 

I much prefer slow, quiet days at home.  Moving through the house, doing the chores that need done, cooking, baking, reading a book or drinking a cup of coffee.  That's pretty much the epitome of a perfect day.

 

The past few weeks, I have started purposefully slowing down, making lists for Fall and Winter, and grabbing my camera to capture my days.  I had actually forgotten just how I enjoyed my camera and being able to snap tidbits here and there.  

 

My blog used to be a daily post filled with pictures, and that's something I miss and strive to get back to.  So, I'm trying to be intentional, from the tasks I get done, to the photos I take and hopefully to the blog posts that will spring forth from that effort. 

 

Last week I went in search of online books.  Ok, wait, let me rephrase that, because I'm not a fan of reading on a computer or tablet, or even my Kindle, I will read something, but I much prefer having the physical book in my hand.

But the kind of books I was wanting to read, or look through, are old, from the 1700's and 1800's.  Most specifically cookbooks, homemaking or diaries.

And wow, did I hit a jackpot.  I'll do a whole post on those this coming week, because I think that some of you would really enjoy looking through these as well.

But as I looked through them and started saving them to my bookmarks for later perusing, it hit me again just how simple things were back in those days.  There was a real love of home and hearth.

Cooking and baking, taking care of the house and children, those things that make a house a home.   As I looked around at my own house and my life, it hit me that for the most part, it is exactly what I've been doing and that realization brought me so much joy.  It's what I've always strived for, so to be able to see it around me, is wonderful.

One of the reasons I stopped blogging daily, was that I started feeling that maybe people wouldn't want to read the same day in and day out, or see the same kind of pictures.  But, you know, it's my life, it's what my days look like, and that's the whole point of this blog for me, to document my life so that one day, when I'm older, I can sit back and read and reminisce.

 

Those same things that I love watching on Youtube, through some of my favorite homemaking vlogs, is what I wasn't posting on here.  Does that even make sense?  So I love watching others, even if they do the same kind of tasks day in and day out, but I was worried it would get repetitive on my own blog.  

 

Sandra, Sandra!!!

Has life changed over the past few years?  Absolutely, I've gotten older, some things I still enjoy, others I don't anymore.  Children grow into adults so don't need the same kind of attention as they did when little.  We moved across States, bought a house, lost family members and pets and so on.

But that's life, for us all.

What hasn't changed, is my blog and the reason that I started it.  So let's just get back to normal shall we?

You're going to start seeing my daily life again, some days will have fun things, some will just be same ol' same ol', but it will always be real, what I'm doing, cooking, photographing, reading or watching and so on.

 

Throughout this post, you've been seeing random photos of my past few days, laundry, watering plants, food I made, small glimpses of Fall creeping into the house.

New cookbook and magazine I bought.  Even after all these years, I continue being a huge Taste of Home fan and anytime I get a chance to buy one I do, though not as often as I would like because goodness, how expensive are they now?

 

Let me tell you, these both have such yummy recipes, that I'm going to use for my next meal plan.  The Simple Instant Pot Recipes cookbook, I picked up at Sam's club.  Love looking through their book and magazine shelves, always find such neat ones.

And then of course the taste of home always has great recipes, and this one for Fall?  Oh my word!!!

Anyway, I have another day of pottering around the house, the usual homemaking and cleaning, and I'll be sure to take you along with me and show you all I got done, on the next post.

Have a blessed day friends

xoxoxo