Maintenance, Not again!?!

This is what my life is all about....maintaining....I can't imagine anybody having other wise. Anyone out there that doesn't maintain? Okay, so we all know about it..it's pretty universal. I hate maintaining...there I said it. ugh!!! Don't let my 12 year old read this. I tell him all the time in my very cheery, encouraging voice.."You need to just keep your room clean, you know? It's all about maintaining it. A little at a time." "Same thing goes for your grades, just do whatever you can to maintain that A ." On and on it goes. My life is all about maintenance: maintaining the laundry...the floors...the desk...pantry...kids...dust..what dust?...relationships...cars...garden...hair...body... I went running for the first time since Oct. 15 and this is what it feels like to not maintain... I don't like it...I felt pregnant or something. It made one of my bad days training for the Marathon feel pretty darn good.

Oh my goodness! I am not being grateful....I am ashamed...I am soooooo grateful that I have kids, and relationships and a garden to maintain...and hair and a house to dust (or not). That reminds me I need to maintain my gratitude...to the list. to the list...


11. An answered prayer...something lost that was found...aka. my lost camera.
12. Being able to run two miles without stopping and without too much pain.
13. A Thank You.
14. A homemade card.
15. My husband spankin my butt every time he passes. Well almost every time...it's a disappointment when he doesn't.
16. Butterfly kisses...which leads me to....
17. Eskimo kisses. mmmmm
18. Being called MOM....in 6 different and profound ways...makes me all teary eyed.
19. A crisp (not too crisp) Autumn morning right when the sun is coming up.
20. The warmth of the sun on my face.
21. A cute sweater to layer up with...oh yeah!! This weather is starting to grow on me a bit.
22. I really am grateful for ...... apparently. As you can see I do ...... a lot....
23. I am grateful I have a full and happy life that I CAN MAINTAIN.

Wow!!! I'm already past 10 for this week... should I say for last week. I'm behind. I gotta maintain my blog better. I encourage all y'all to express your gratitude in some way. Link if you are gonna do it on your blog and I will follow you. It is such a great way to see that you really do have enough...it will bless your life. LINK UP!!!! HUGS!!!

Thank you Saskia for doing this...read her gratitude journal here.

A Season of Gratitude

I love this season....the wonderful Holiday Season. Not the cold so much, but the effervescent feelings of nostalgia it brings.....school beginning, my birthday, my anniversary, Halloween, the birth of my first son, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the birth of my 2nd son....so so many wonderful memories and feelings are flooding over. The thing with this season, though, is that it can so easily become a season of wanting and needing and having-to-have instead of a feeling of gratitude.

The two don't exist at the same time...being without and being with. Just like hot and cold or faith and fear. It's the cup is half full/ half empty concept. So my goal is to minimize and simplify Christmas, and be more grateful for what I have. By minimize I mean cut the wish lists shorter & do more hand made things...they mean soo so much more (...so I guess that's not really simplifying too much). But I think it will give a greater sense of satisfaction. Here's a great link with some great ideas, and Just Organize Yourself has lotsa great prep ideas. Here's another great link!!!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm gonna try focusing on my blessings, and I'm gonna start by writing 10 things that I'm grateful for every week. So here goes:


1~ My family.

2~ Freshly ground wheat.

3~ A wheat grinder.

4~ Homemade Wheat Bread right outta the oven.

5~ When lost things are found (I really hope I can find my lost camara soon, hint, hint).

6~ The sound of scissors cutting fabric. (Oh Yeah!! A project is about to begin.)

7~ The sound of a sewing machine.

8~ A good, deep conversation.

9~ Finding children's handiwork...their names or pic drawn in my notebooks. Not on my walls or furniture.

10~ Finding the perfect quote.