Monday Monday...

Thank you to Beautiful Quotes to Share for that one. I had never thought about so many choices for the leaf. I just figured it was time for it to drop. Makes me wonder how many other things I have just accepted and not thought about. But for the most part, I do tend to just 'accept' what is. For me there is no sense expending energy on creating more thought processes than I already have, only to have it circle around again and again. ADD (no H unfortunately or I may get more done) messes with your thought process but it does circle around enough to remind me I may have forgotten something or that I need to do something. It also allows me to multitask but it is often hard to follow on a single conversation/subject. But, back on the post, if we apply that to anything else, yes, it is up to us to solve it, leave it or live with it.

 

Serenity Sunday

As I go through posts for Smoothing, I save certain ones for the Smoothing Blog.  Those hit particularly deep and deserved a 2nd posting. It is like I feel someone needs to see them somewhere.

I am going to try and get outside more today and get some of those things waiting, done. Did get a set of shelves given to me sanded down and painted, if they are dry will bring them in from the garage. Of course, I don't have a spot yet for them, but I am sure I will find one! I need it most in the kitchen area, only it has the least space.  

And this feels like a good  place to say have a wonderful day today. 

 Food for thought.

Sometimes it is about letting go. Other times it is about holding on. All the time it is about being ourselves. 

Have a wonderful Saturday!

 Fabulous Friday!!!

The post is one that we need to think about, put it in our brain.  Every day is a new day. Every new day begins with possibilities that we can't even imagine.  Things we choose and things that are chosen for us, to direct our path. Which opens up another whole realm of discussion if wanted. 

Heading off to the market this morning with Betty B. She said something about stopping at the Lions sale barn also.  I know I don't need anything, but hopefully I won't find something I do think I need. That is always a good possibility. Goes well with the above post.  

PS to this, I did find a few lovely tiny dishes (4) each with a different design and 2 grease guns. Mine leaks and doesn't work right.  We also hit a garage sale which was awesome with great prices and I found a few things and got the next couple weeks cheese for after dinner at the market along with some fresh veggies that I don't have in my garden. We had a great time! 

I was thrilled when I found this post today and posted it on Smoothing! It was exactly the type of thing that I was trying to say with the post that got me in trouble.  You can't judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree. We cannot judge anyone on their abilities when it comes to a 'standardized test' because we are ALL DIFFERENT!  This child will probably grow up to be a great illustration artist while all he did in school was get into trouble.  We just don't know what the future holds and we must focus on our own talents and abilities.  

I also ran across this post.  I found it awesome. It is certainly not deep and thought provoking, but I loved it.  Someone managed to find stones for the entire alphabet. At first I thought they had painted some on, but in reading, no, they had spent a long time actually finding all the stones they needed.  Being a craft person and enjoy different odd things, these are perfect.  I would never have thought to even look for alphabet stones. I tend just to drag stones home because they are pretty or catch my eye... or I can paint on them. Hasn't happened yet, but it will. Oh, I did make some for the garden rows a few years ago with names of items I planted on them. That doesn't count. 

This woman is one who is an idol. I have found so many of her sayings appropriate for me and life. So inspiring yet down to earth. I know I have posted many many posts with her quotes on them on Smoothing in the past. Positive, deeply inspiring and certainly coming from her experience of life. If we could all inspire even one person in a positive way, throughout our life, just think of how much positive that could be. Maybe we have, do or will without realizing it in our own way, I don't know.  I am not sure I have ever told anyone who has inspired me that they do.  Anyone else ever think about these things?  Is it just my mind that goes off on its own for this? 

In closing today, I will leave you with this. 

Have a great rest of your Friday!  

 Thankful Thursday!

I went yesterday and collected 'tin' for going on top of the wood stacks.

 Thank you to Nancy P and Bob B for letting me have the tin from their places!  A huge thank you to Bob B. for bringing me green wood for the coming year and, I understand he will help me with a dead tree that I have been given from Betty B's yard! That may just be enough to get through this winter. Gathering wood for the stove for the winter is an ongoing thing. I have been asked, don't you have enough?  No. If it is a hard winter, more will be needed, an easy one, the leftover goes toward next winter.  Lucky for me I love splitting, stacking and thanks to my little chainsaw, cutting wood. That said, I am looking for a wood cook stove that is in good condition.  It needs to be on the smaller side as I don't have a huge space for it without it being in doorways. As a fire is needed to heat the back part of the house all winter, I figure that it would be best to change from the stove I have to a wood cook stove and I can also use it to cook on all winter. It will be going anyway.  Have a coffee pot on the back and a pot of something slowly simmering as well.  Great for drop in visitors!! If you know me, please spread the word so I can find one locally. I will also need help moving it.

Two of my jars I canned on Tuesday did not seal.  Had one for dinner last night and the other is in the frig. A 70 minute time in the canner under 10# pressure is not happening for 2 pints. I am not 'thrilled' with canned kale, but it is not bad and there is a lot growing.  Add some other flavorings and it will be fine during the winter for an extra veggie. I planted 1 row, but I also planted one row of kohlrabi that was obviously, now that it is growing, another kale instead.  I will be going to a different seed supplier or back to Veseys!! 

Here is another post that resonates with me.  I try and control too much going on in my life. I always had a plan and worked toward it.  Only to have the plan totally squashed and me ending up going in a different direction. I KNOW I need to let control go and go with what will be, it is just hard to trust that much that all will work out.  It continues to, but at 70 I still tend to be leary it will not. Old habits die hard. Even if they are the wrong ones.

This post caught my eye, I don't remember which day I posted it on Smoothing on FB. It is a visual reminder of taking a step away so as not to continue the 'fire' of what is happening around me. Be that fighting, distrust, negativity, gossip, any negative thing happening around me. It also allows me time to calm down a bit and realize, it is not a battle I want, either with others or myself. It allows me to gain peace within while trying to calm the mind. Hopefully it will help someone out there as well. 

Smoothing on FB is much more simple than doing this blog. There I just post posts, monitor comments, reshare shares... and move on. Here? I have to share my feelings and thoughts, think about what I am saying and feeling as well as trying to keep part of myself private. I value my privacy about myself.  I can tell you lots of things that happened in my past, but I am not good at discussing how I feel about something, especially out loud. It is much easier in writing and still I hold back. Just me I guess. Back to that trust and control issue.

On that note, I will close with this thought.  Everyone smiles in the same language.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and productive day in their own way.  Don't forget to SMILE!!

Wonderous Wednesday

I did get canning done yesterday, and some of the garden weeded.  Just not enough time in the day it seems, or enough energy pain free to do it. This old back just is not holding up like it used to.  They say hard work never killed anyone but they didn't mention that it causes a lot of pain when you get older. Oh well.  At least I am alive to feel it.  

I am off to get some tin today from a couple places.  Going to use the pieces to cover my wood piles. I have been using plastic but it covers the pile and doesn't allow good breathing for the wood. I don't like the mold that shows up on it from being damp. 

And, moving on to yet another subject...

I love this, as we continue to grow/heal and find gratitude for our daily lives then we hopefully will achieve this level.  

This was another one I posted.  Often we feel we are not doing enough, we are not making enough, we are not (anything) enough.  Including how we think of ourselves.  Another thought process I continue to work on.  How about you?  I did change settings on comments, we will see if it makes a difference.  It was set that only people who were on Google could comment... now anyone can.  

A thank you to Motivational Quotes for this one.  I find it so true, but very hard to do.  We often react, at least I know I do. After I think, I should have handled that differently, after the apology and dealing with it.  This is definitely my goal.  The power is in my hands to do that, it seems to take a lot of practice. (At least for me.) 

Well, one complaint.  FB did again to another page of mine.  

If  you notice, the post is unavailable.  So, WHICH post was the offender? Further down it says to me, was this information helpful?  Yes  No.    Of course I click no, as I don't know which post they removed to know what I posted to offend them.   After I click no, it says Thank you for your feedback!  I went and checked the posts as there were a couple that could have been 'iffy' but they were both there.  ???  I give up.  There is absolutely no place anywhere in their info to ask, contact, zero-zilch. 

Well, back on a positive note, I may be dressed in my ratty jeans (for getting the tin) but I will also go to the hardware, post office and market here in town. Guess they have seen me in worse. Shopping local, small town, everyone knows (mostly) everyone, at least those who are not tourists. This town is where I grew up.  After living in other places, including France for 15 years (Paris) I am back 'home', including living in the house I grew up in.  But I am moving off subject. Off to do daily things, or should I say weekly as I only get to the market and post office once a week or so. 

So to leave you today, I leave you with this thought.

Have a great day, may it be positive, satisfying and full of gratitude.

 

Happy August!

I can't believe the summer is almost gone.  School in many places will be starting the end of the month.  It has been a hot, dry, with some drenches in-between.  Things seem to be at least 2 weeks ahead for the growing season.  My to do list is getting longer again instead of shorter. For a while it was almost all crossed out. 

So many posts that I come across make me stop and think.  Is that why I stay so busy?  What is it I am avoiding feeling?  Or thinking about? Those are very deep questions that while I wonder, I am not currently going to look for the answers.

I ran across this post this morning. It is so true.  How many of us look deeper than the surface unless we know that person?  How many of us use the surface (cover) to decide if we want to know more?  I had a wonderful priest who once said, we are like threads in a weaving. We each have our own color and as we cross with others, our weaving starts to take shape. Some come into our lives for a short time and others are there for our entire life, try and imagine what your weaving looks like. 

I checked on FB again today, still the same "non-recommendable status". Sigh.  That is my obsession right now.  

I will try and let you know when I get a different one.  That by the way is my 

'other' page on FB.  It is the one where my sideways humor and sarcasm comes out.  

Our family reunion which went on for years would have been this last weekend.  Since my uncle passed we stopped having them.  I keep thinking we need to restart, somewhere, which I am pretty sure means here... but I have yet to decide to do it or not.  

I have also been watching a young woman on 'watch' who just had her 8th child, makes her own breads, cheese, butter, they have a garden, cow(s), chickens and her house is very simplified and 'clean'.  By clean I mean uncluttered and clean due to being uncluttered. I am finding I am starting to go through, purge more and reorganize, thinking of painting my kitchen. I am sure things like this are why my list of things to do grows. Today is either (or both) going and picking up some used tin from a couple places to cover the wood pile and/or going out and picking the greens, washing jars and canning up a batch.  It has been on my list for the last 3 days, so far I have done a lot of other things instead of doing those two things.  

In saying that, I will close for today. Have a wonderful day doing something just for you!