THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for a stash of oatmeal pancakes in the freezer. What's something you're thankful for?

OCTOBER THOUGHTS

October is winding down and I'm realizing how much of this month I've spent thinking about last October. It was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. In no particular order -

* Made special, lifetime memories. 

* Enjoyed the season of marriage we were in. 

* Hit an emotional and mental low. 

* Quit a part-time job I wanted to keep. 

* Experienced deep hurt. 

* Adjusted to Tim's career change. 

* Entered uncharted parenting territory. 

* Started a slow process of personal growth in some specific areas.

There's one side of this reminiscing that's not helpful, the part where I haven't seen as much progress as I'd like in certain things and get discouraged.  But the other side has been good, the part where I can evaluate where things are and choose to keep moving forward.

Life is filled with highs and lows, right? My tendency is to be overwhelmed by the lows, to feel hopeless when positive change is beyond my control, and to get frustrated with myself when I struggle to get over something negative. I hit a rough patch in relationships, circumstances, or my own sin and forget all that's true and good. 

* That rough patches are unavoidable.

* That I can have peace in the midst of life's challenges. 

* That I'm making progress, even if it's ridiculously slow and filled with failure. 

* That God's love for me doesn't hinge on my behavior or mental health. 

So, here's to another year of growth. To being more secure in who I am in Christ and less bothered by my own imperfect humanity. To gratitude, love, humility, trust, and forgiveness. To focusing my attention on what matters most to me and letting the rest go.

And, no, the picture has nothing to do with the post. It's just one I took on Friday while I hung out all by myself in the van, reading a book and looking up the Bible verses it mentioned, exchanging Facebook messages with a close friend, and waiting for the bi-annual clothing exchange I've attended for over a decade to get started. Documenting ordinary life. 

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for chapstick. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

SISTERS' WEEKEND - 2019

Last year Beep and I used my home as a base for some adventures around Portland together, but this year we both got away from home for a low-key sisters' weekend.

* stayed in a cheerful little cottage filled with eclectic art
* ate warm soup on a rainy night
* had leisurely mornings
* hunkered down to read our own copies of Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy
* went for walks around town
* given fig freezer jam from our host, made that day from figs off her own tree
* wore matching "Sisters, Sisters ..." hats from Rogue Wear
* visited a variety of antique, retro, and gift shops - Coburg Antique & Vintage Mall - both buildings, Design Works, Farm Fancy, Gracie Maxwell, Retro Rejuvenation
* decided to visit Coburg Pizza Company, played with View Masters while we waited for our food, and got more than we paid for because they accidentally made us a large pizza instead of a small one
* had conversations about life, God, personality types, and house styles we like

Such a great way to spend a couple of days!

** This post contains affiliate links and I'm grateful when people use them. ** 

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the ability to read. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

TWO DAYS WITH FRIENDS

I planned on heading out of town mid-afternoon last Friday to spend some time with Sonja, but ended up leaving that morning instead to see Robin first. 

The drive couldn't have been better! Blue skies, a gorgeous river, trees in an array of fall colors, and snowcapped  mountains. A long stretch of silence, a great teaching from Tony Evans, and singing along to The Gray Havens' Ghost of a King.

Robin took me to her favorite food cart, Westside Taco Co., where we ate some delicious poblano veggie tacos while sitting in the sunshine and chatting about life.

Later on we, along with a friend of hers, visited Art & Music, a new store they wanted to check out. I'm neither a musician nor an artist, but I liked how the store was set up for both and left with some cards for my happy mail stash from artist Brandi Dayton.

I'm so thankful it worked out to spend five low-key hours with Robin, a peaceful chunk of time after a frustrating couple of days.

Then I was off to see Sonja. We spent the evening hanging out with her kids, then stayed up late talking about everything and nothing after they hit the sack.

The next morning I was greeted by cute kids finding new uses for kitchen tools.

We all spent the day running errands together, napping (kids), visiting (adults), and enjoying the fall weather.

The kids were amused at one point in the day by the handprints they could leave in their blankets, so we took pictures of them.

I had to go back home in the early evening, but snapped a quick picture with Sonja before I left.

This fall marks 24 years that we've been friends. Time has flown! As grateful as I am for technology that allows us to keep in regular contact, I always love getting a chance to spend time together.

My trip back was easy - darkness, another chance to bask in a couple hours of silence, and blasting Lauren Daigle's Look Up Child through the speakers. Came home to find four Ws in bed and one gone. So I had a quiet end to my excursion, which was nice.

** This post contains affiliate links and I'm grateful when people use them. **

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for our home - a roof over our heads, walls that protect us, a floor that isn't made of dirt, a front door that closes, electricity, heat, and indoor plumbing. What's something that you're thankful for?

SEE THE GOOD

We found out the event our evening plans hinged on wasn't happening just before we walked out the door, which meant we didn't arrive to a non-event. The two little Ws whose plans were affected by the change weighed their options and figured out a new plan. I had enough gas to get home tonight and back to the gas station tomorrow, which meant it wasn't a crisis when I realized a little W hadn't returned the debit card I intended to pay for gas with to where it belongs. The zippered pouch I keep gift cards in was on the ground where we'd been parked when we returned to the store after discovering it was missing. The little W who had eagerly anticipated spending the remaining balance of a gift card pulled it together pretty quickly after shedding some tears when the gift card had nothing on it. The app troubles I was having got resolved and I was able to get a free treat for the disappointed little W, a treat originally intended for two little Ws to share and willingly given up by the non-disappointed one in order to cheer their sibling up. 

And I got this mug for free with a gift card in the middle of the three hours all that other stuff happened in. 💚

Also, I ranted a lot this morning. Don't ever, not for one single minute, think I naturally find the positive spin or usually choose to look for it. I don't. I'm a work in progress.

E.Z. ORCHARDS HARVEST FESTIVAL - 2019

All 6 Ws were home this morning, so we postponed school to the afternoon and headed to E. Z. Orchards for some fall fun.

Sunshine, lots of activities, and warm doughnuts. As well as foolish choices, unresolved conflict, and irritation. Such is life, right? A little mix of good and bad. I'm glad we had a chance to go, though, because it's rare that we're all home at the same time!

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful a friend sought me out at church last night, my first chance to see, hug, and visit with her since she was in a very serious accident two months ago that almost took her life. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

BOOKS I FINISHED - SEPTEMBER 2019

*****

Ask Him Why, written by Catherine Ryan Hyde

A young man's decision to defy orders while deployed not only changes his life, but also the lives of many others, including those he loves most. There are no easy answers to the questions and decisions that follow, but the most important question never gets asked and the lack of communication causes layers of damage for years to come. This novel is a strong reminder of the power of standing with someone as they sort out their problems, to make sure they're seen and heard, and to speak the truth in love, without ever actually telling them what to do.

p. 16 To this very day, I wonder why, when a man wants to insult another man, he calls him a woman or a girl. Now that I'm grown, I notice that these are guys with wives and girlfriends and daughters. Don't they see what they're saying?

p. 98, "You said the only way I can help you is to get everything back the way you want it. In other words, the only way to fix your misery is to have everything in order in your life. All your ducks in a row. You're not even allowing for the possibility that the world could stay a mess, but you could be less miserable about it."

p. 134, "You see, the magic of their coming here's more than just the breakfast, though that's not insignificant, let me tell you. People don't eat when they're upset, and they let their blood sugar get quite low, and their brain has nothing to power on, and the everything looks so dark.  And they're always so astonished at how they feel after filling up on bacon and eggs and home-fried potatoes. They need some protein, and they need to feel solid again. And then after they eat, they always tell me nothing has changed, but everything has changed. The whole world is the same, and they can still see it clearly, but now, all of a sudden, it doesn't feel like more than they can bear anymore."

p. 223, "Good to get truth out into the air," Ham said. "Everything grows best in oxygen and sunlight except secrets and guilt and regrets. They like the dank spaces. Drag them out into the light and they fail to thrive."

p. 296, We just came together with all our flaws intact and managed to spend a few hours without using them as weapons against anybody else, keeping their sharp edges in where they wouldn't draw blood from anybody near.


*****

The Minstrel in the Tower, written by Gloria Skurzynski and illustrated by Julek Heller

Two children, a brother and sister, set out on a journey to find an uncle they never knew about. Their father died in the Crusades, their mother is deathly ill, and a lute is their key to proving who they are. Kidnapped on their journey, they work together, using their individual strengths, to find safety. This is a school book I read with Tyler.


*****


We Hope for Better Things, written by Erin Bartels

This story's told in three different periods of time (the Civil War, racial unrest in Detroit during the 1960's, and present day) and from the vantage point of three different women in the same family (the pregnant wife of a man who left for war, a woman shunned by her family because of who she married, and a journalist in need of a big story). I enjoyed this novel about racism and love, loyalty and betrayal, bitterness and forgiveness, and a determination to keep moving forward.

p. 192, "Change happens when the cost of keeping things the way they are is too high."


*****

The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery, written by Ian Morgan Cron

I've heard friends talking about the Enneagram for years, but have never read anything about it myself until this book. With a writing style that's easy to read, Cron helps people understand what number they are on the Enneagram, how to work around that number's weaknesses, and how it manifests in various areas of life.

p. 35, (quoting Flannery O'Connor) Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to become better.

p. 36, Anyone who says they're "trying" to be a good Christian right away reveals they have no idea what a Christian is. Christianity is not something you do as much as something that gets done to you.


*****

** This post contains affiliate links and I'm grateful when people use them. **