Daybook

Giving thanks - that the days seem better. I feel more peace, and more hopefulness. All that despite the fact that there are circumstances that would definitely have made me more stressed and less peaceful. Something has changed and I can’t help but be thankful for this new state of my spiritual condition. 

We had our first Sunday Brunch a week ago today, and it was wonderful. I prayerfully plan to continue this new tradition. 

Outside my window - the sun is shining and there has been little rain. Our watering hose blew a hole and I had to turn the faucet off, so the garden is dying back drastically. Honestly, at this point I just don’t have time or energy to go out and get it back on track. It grew out of control and that makes it difficult to harvest some of the tomatoes from the center. I have so many cucumbers in my refrigerator waiting for me to make something with them - pickles mostly. We don’t even eat enough pickles to warrant growing and canning them as pickles. I think I was imagining eating cucumbers fresh off the vine in salads and snacks. But no way could our consumption have kept up with our production. Lesson learned.

The other lesson learned is that using nearly 100% compost might not have been such a bad idea. We don’t recall ever having quite this good of growth from our garden. There are still things that I used to grow so well that are struggling. The big question right now is will we have a garden next year. Truly, it takes more than just a single person to keep up with this household and a full size garden. I can’t do it alone. I don’t want to do it alone. But I do want a garden. So there will be conversations. 

Speaking of compost, I don’t think I mentioned it in any earlier posts… You may recall that we had 7 cubic yards of compost delivered in our driveway in the Spring. We hauled some around to fill the new raised garden beds but there was still SO MUCH LEFT.  It took me weeks to shovel and move it around to the backyard. We had discussed adding a second big raised bed next year so I moved the compost and mixed it with soil in a big pile at the bottom of the hill in our backyard. It would be perfect for the new bed later.

Well, every year since we’ve lived here, the rains have come and, with the ground saturated, the field behind our house that is our neighborhood common ground (that we mow and tend so we can use) floods. Some years the flood is worse than others. The HOA had some drainage work done a while back so the floods have not been as bad as they were prior to the work. But this time? No, it was the worst flooding we’ve ever experienced. In fact, it was an all time record rainfall, so it was most assuredly an all time record flood in our backyard. What in the world was I thinking when I decided to move all that rich compost to that field? I clearly wasn’t remembering that this happens and anticipating what it would mean. You guessed it - when the water was gone, so was the entire pile of compost. Another lesson learned. 

Clothing myself in -  I am dressed for church in my new denim capris and a black tank top, but Gigi isn’t feeling well so we’ll be watching services from home today. The new haircut suits me just fine. I so needed it.

In the kitchen - Robin and I have decided to share responsibility for Mastermind menus. I’ll be cooking something up for that tomorrow. I look forward to planning and making those meals. 

I have been being very intentional about being a better steward of our time, money, and possessions. It’s causing me to be a little more creative and work with what I have rather than buying more stuff. You know that’s how clutter happens, right? LOL I was having a very challenging time with the new spice situation. I’m not tall enough to reach the top shelves of our kitchen cabinets and I didn’t want to have to grab the step stool every time I needed a spice up high. I considered keeping the most used collection on the counter, handy. I needed a way to do that while taking up the smallest space possible. I looked at some of the spinning racks, and realized I had the option in my storage room. I did have to purchase a second so I could stack them so I’d have more space, but this is working out great. I actually really like it. And for a lot less than some of those racks go for on Amazon. :-)

Writing - We’ve started re-focusing our efforts on writing in our Mastermind. We started with prompts for a writing exercise last week. I’ve met my writing goal each day this week. Well, technically a little shy since I set my own goal for 500 words per day, but I did get 300 per day and some days were at least double that. So, I’m gonna claim success. I started a character profile and I like her already.

While at a very special 1st birthday celebration yesterday, Robin and I inadvertently came up with a great project idea! The Real Babysitters' Club series (you know, the grandmothers' club). It was really her that came up with it, but I'll pretend I had some small part in it LOL.

Reading - I’m getting closer to being done with the same book I’ve been working on for months - maybe a year. LOL Vacation is just a few weeks away. Life has tried its best to prevent this vacation from happening, but I think we need it too badly to give up the fight. That’s when my best reading happens. 

On a side note, I’m going to reread Bird by Bird and Big Magic to help spur the writing mojo. I have been given the job of curating a good list of books for writers for our Mastermind. Have any great suggestions? Comment and tell me!

Watching - Yellowstone. Wow. If I come out at the end and can refrain from flinging the F word like a sailor, I’ll be completely amazed. Did (do) cowboys really use it as much as the characters from the series? I mean, I can’t claim innocence in this area, but whoa. Seriously. 

Nope. No, just don’t waste your time on this one. It’s just so bad. Don’t do it. 

Listening - I asked Rachel if she remembered that song and she did! Yay!! Next Thing You Know by Jordan Davis. Remind me to tell you about Life’s Algorithms. This song is definitely part of mine.

New song(s)- Also, Heaven Help Me by Zach Williams and In Jesus Name by Katy Nichole. 

Making - I’m plugging away at the spaces in our house, still wondering what will be different. There are some spaces that are just one event away from falling right back into the cluttered mess it was a month ago. Something has to be different. I’m working on it. I’m getting my cutting area set back up so I can resume cutting and quilting, and other sewing projects.

There are photo projects, garden projects, and all sorts of other things I hope to “make”. Not the least of which is a little income from my writing. 

Camp - Need to get our ballots in for the election of the board of directors. Not much else happening.

The week ahead - some of the same, but more appointments for medical concerns for my mom and getting a new retainer for me. Last week I did accomplish things that had been on a list for a long time - procrastination.

I will continue to find the ways that I am being led to…

Love God and love people.