Early morning walks, when only a few of us are awake
Category Archives: grateful
You Can Quote Me: Grateful for…book recommends
Recently I’ve been struggling with the actions of an extended family member – it’s amazing. You chose someone, they chose you, & everything is expected to go swimmingly. It doesn’t. Not even in fairytales.
But I’ve learnt a few things this week, and I now have a post-it front page of my planner. It’s there to remind me:
It’s none of my business to know what X thinks of me. It’s OK to ignore (the bad behaviour). It’s OK to walk away. It’s OK to limit time spent with X. It’s OK to ask X politely to leave my home.
I’m finding this simple but powerful. It reminds me it’s not OK to be rude or mirror what is done to me. To that end, I’ve removed or blocked X from my social media accounts, and interestingly (as he didn’t like what X tagged him in or implied what he was) B has chosen to do the same. I’ve chosen not to name X, as that would be equally wrong. But my little finding this week might be helpful to someone else, so I chose to share.
I came to this finding reading a couple of blogs and discovering a book (I know, what a shock). I’ve only read some excerpts but I’m heading to a Manna today to get the paperback & the study guide.
http://thebestyes.com/ The Best Yes is about coming to a biblical understanding of the commandment to love one another. If you click into the link, you can read chapter one for free & see some other material. I don’t think that the concept about loving one another is necessary only for Christians; having respect & empathy for our fellow man is a concept that rings true in most religions, even Wicca’s “and it harm none” is the same directive as Jesus’ commandment in John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (NIV). Even if you profess to be an atheist, I’m sure you have a respect & empathy for others.
The other book could be just as important. Ali Edwards (one little word) contributed to The Fringe Hours, by Jessica N Turner ( http://www.themomcreative.com/ ) which is about using time you already carve out for FaceTwitGram & using it effectively to renew your soul. Ali blogged about it here http://aliedwards.com/2015/02/the-fringe-hours?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+aliedwards+%28Ali+Edwards+2014%29 The image above is going on my phone to remind me. I also find this quote meaningful:
WIP (ahem!) Thursday & Grateful
Let’s start off on the high note – today is Simon’s birthday. He won’t thank me if I was to tell you how old he is but he withstood the birthday boy bounce from M! The boys gave him a card and gift before Z & I headed out the door. It’s a Zoku Ice-Cream maker – perfect for the man who has everything. I got it thru one of work’s stores:
Today my Grateful pic just has to be Simon. Not because it’s his birthday but because he has given me so many things to be grateful for. Three of them also on the bed!
This could be the “before” pic too – I have brought an old (1920’s) solid timber door that I plan to scuff up and use for the headboard. The room looks bare without a headboard! Plus I’ve selected a few paint pots to try.
Low note. I am not at all happy with the Spirit piece. I don’t know if it’s the colours (the book might be different from the chart pack) but the fan background is purple for me, and mid/pale blue for others in the group. I’m talking Eeyore purple, the same skein that I used last stitching a piece that currently hangs in M’s room. The chart is also harder to read, as it is colour blocks and not symbols. I know why, it’s to help stop copyright thieves, but it means a few hours with a working copy & a marker and right now, I just don’t have that emotional investment in it. So it went away on Monday & I pulled out Stargazer with the intent to finish her before the end of March.
Stargazer makes me happy.
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday kind of crept up on me. Last year I quietly gave up chocolate and I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen this year. As Grumpy Cat says…
I made the mistake of asking my FB friends what I should give up (big mistake. One suggested chocolate again, another suggested cross stitch!) and so this year I think I’ll go in an anti-Lent test.
I’m going to give up coffee and tea, and replace these with water. I’m also going to take a photo every day of something I’m grateful for & give thanks to God for lending me these things.
#truth
Today’s is a bit shallow – the desktop iPod dock my boss gave me. I am grateful that I can hear good sounds during the day. And yes, I am hopelessly behind the times – that is one of the original 2005 30GB iPods that were the first to play video. It’s not broke, so I’m not replacing it & the collection on it is eclectic and all me.
Your regular WIP Wednesday post will come later tonight; I forgot to take a photo. Doh.
EDIT 25/2 – I decided to go “all out” and give up caffeine totally. No Coke either! Wah!
Splinters in my fingers & sawdust down my bra
I didn’t do any stitching this weekend. None. Which is a concern given that one WIP is for a birthday this weekend.
But as the post title says, we were busy.
I now have two raised garden beds and a screen around two sides of the water tanks. And it looks good, if I do say so myself. Si has made it so sturdy and practical. I love it.
But I’m not totally enamored with the drop saw. Yes it’s fast but oh so messy! Next time I should borrow a burka or wrap up completely before I start. Or leave it up to the Screaming Teen. Now there’s a plan.
Something to think on
I read this in the NZ Herald’s supplement this morning. There’s a link to the full article in case you’re interested.
Instead of looking at what we are not getting, look at what we are in control of instead – and that is what we are giving.
Hmm. Note I’m not telling you to get out and give, but even the little things are good to give. Say how much you appreciate a co-workers help. Or how much your child has done for you/household. Sometimes the little bits have the most impact.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11398783
You Can Quote Me
Continuing with the One Little Word theme, here’s another thing that helps me hold onto that Serene feeling.
So many times I’m guilty of looking over the fence or concentrating on something that is annoying me. I don’t look for the good, yet as soon as I do, the annoying thing slides away into a smaller, manageable portion (yes, even the Screaming SO-Much-Taller-Than-Me-Now Teen). Keeping a gratitude journal helps, so I can totally recommend that to anyone. Look for something that makes you smile – little things like butterflies on flowers, rain for your garden, a pen that is where you left it – these all count. Big stuff? Of course it counts, but the reason it’s big is because it’s not frequent enough to feed your soul.
Focus on the little stuff. The little good.
BONUS task – we did this for a couple of summers and it spreads the message. I brought a cheap canvas & some Thickers, altho if your penmanship is good use that. I stuck on “Grateful” and “Summer year/year” and EVERYONE who walked through our front door had to write something they were grateful for. Everyone. Kids, adults, couriers, tradesmen. It’s so cool to look back at the things the kids were grateful for (altho I couldn’t agree with some of the music choices!) but everyone got into it. I need to resurrect that. Maybe in my office? Hmmm…
EXTRA EXTRA craft all about it
Yeah, I know. Cheesy title. But important topic!
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ll know that this year is a big anniversary of World War One. You probably saw the amazing ceramic poppies that cascaded out and filled the moat of the Tower of London. Now’s your chance to contribute to a NZ version.
Download the PDF here http://www.armymuseum.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/knitting-patterns.pdf – all instructions are included.
For the empire and for freedom, we all must do our bit, the men go forth to battle, the women wait and knit”
Lady Annette Liverpool
I have the hangover
& I’m not just talking the movies or the one you earn by drinking. This is the post-migraine, kids being merciless, lack of true sleep, stressors still present hangover. This is what I wanted to avoid with my OLW.
But I won’t go into too much, as the main stress is a relation; let’s look forward to the new week.
- The kids go back to school – all 3 of them!!!
- It’s only four days of work this week – Friday is Waitangi Day, which is our supposed Foundation day (but I won’t go into that too much either).
- I found Alison Weir’s Elizabeth of York on CD, so have lots of interesting listening to help me thru the mundane stuff at work (and it drowns out Hamish’s radio, which is tuned to the Rock).
- I spent some time with my gf Emma’s cats this weekend, as she is away. Kitty cuddles can be lovely.
- I had a good walk this morning with Z. I think we are listening to a Michael Morpolgo novel to/fro from work this week; review from Z later on (first kid post on the blog; be afraid as he uses longer words than I do!).
- The Joan Elliot Spirit of the Orient SAL starts Tuesday, NZ time.
- The February prompt for One Little Word should be up later today. Homework!
- I won a download of the new Edge Kingsland CD, Seven Days. It’s an interesting piece of work, as each track is based upon the 7 Days of Creation. I love Day 5, Crash & Collide. Thanks, Dan @ LifeFM.
The album is a whopping ten bucks – great value for money. Lydia Cole’s is the shortest at 3:22 and that’s still a minute longer than most radio plays.
Fiat lux. Let there be light.
With one phrase, the existence of our sphere began.
The creation poem of Genesis illustrates the magnum opus of God’s artistry.
From the void our world is crafted, in explosions of colour and seismic shifts.
The blank canvas of the universe is traced with stars and a vast roadmap of planets.
But creation is not just a moment in time. It is an endless cycle.
The artist joins the arc of creation when he stares down a blank canvas.
The musician tackles the void with every note and verse.
Seven Days is our attempt to join the creation story. It’s a journey that sees songwriters collaborating with writers and visual artists, creating their interpretations of each of the days of creation.
Brandon at fifteen
My first son. He’s fifteen today which seems to have crept up on us over night.
He’s amazing.
He’s annoying (concussion sucks, as I’ve said before).
He’s sporty.
He’s a slug.
He’s so clever (top academic stream for English, science, geography; second stream for math).
He can be so stupid (ah, brotherly “love”).
He is still likes having a long fringe. Must be because he can flick it in the girlies direction.
He has learnt to tidy his room.
He is still affectionate.
He is loyal.
He’s still mine.
sewscrapmuse 