The Bigger Picture

Sometimes we get all wrapped up in what "we" want that we lose sight of the bigger picture.  What is the bigger picture you ask?  The bigger picture may be a relationship, a job, a pursuit of happiness. You name it.  All of these things have a set of must haves and also a set of deal breakers.  Sounds like we're on a dating sight, right?  No, we're looking at life.

What works and what doesn't work.  What we will and will not do.  And yet, sometimes it's not all black and white, there is a lot of gray matter in between.  Therein lies fertile ground for compromise, for accepting the unexpected, for owning our part of the struggles and working together for resolution.  I used to be very firm about deal breakers, now I find there is room for adjusting those parameters.  Sure, some are non-negotiable.  Sometimes if I give a little, I get a lot.  Life is like that. Give a little, for the greater good. Give a little in the name of understanding, in the name of faith, in the name of working together.

We are working on a list of 1000 gifts that grace our life.  We're at 135.  Dang we have a long way to go. Ever notice how much easier it is to list the things that aren't right, rather than those that are?  Are you stuck in the good things, or stuck in the bad things in life right now?  Perhaps it's time to turn the page.

You know, sometimes it takes a tragedy to provide a wake up call, sometimes it is simply a quiet resolution to appreciate what we have in all it's messiness, with all it's challenges.  It is our bigger picture at stake.  We can chose our response, and in doing so add to the things that grace our life.

Luke 2:19

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. ...  

I feel like I've been in Mary's shoes lately.  Perhaps it's a woman thing, or a Mom thing.  Some of my pondering comes in the form of worry. Try as I might, I struggle with this. Owning it is the first step, you know?  

I ponder the future, the past and the time in between.  I look forward, but can't resist a peek backwards.  I believe since I ponder things that my heart is actively engaged.  That is a good thing my friends.  

Recently I've been pondering the approach of Christmas, the traditions, the celebrations, the fact we don't live in a perfect world.  If things were perfect we could lavish all we love with gifts beyond measure.  Maybe lavishing love beyond measure is the best gift we can give.  Maybe it's human nature to want to go above and beyond, to give big, to show love in tangible ways.  It's humbling to offer just the depth of our love and trust it is good enough.  I tell my kids I wish I could do more, and they tell me I've given them more than they could ever ask for.

Maybe this is love.  You always want to give more and you are unaware how deeply your love touches others. So you give what you have and you ponder all these things in your heart.  And you do it in the company of Mary....so you are not alone.  

Saying Yes

Have you ever struggled with saying yes?  Seriously? I have, in fact I'm doing it right now. Sometimes in life we get stuck in the "no's".  No I can't.  No I shouldn't.  Not right now.

Perhaps it's fear that keeps us stuck, or perhaps our faith is shaken and our level of trust is wobbly. It is a path we all walk at some point in time.

This week's struggle came in the form of a new foster dog named Gunther. We knew coming in he was a doll, and easy keeper, a distinguished gentleman in fur.  Much like my beloved Mickey.  Chill, cool and stellar.

Your struggle in this arena might be in saying yes to a new career opportunity, to owning a truth, to taking a risk, to stepping outside your comfort zone.  Saying yes to the unknown.....frankly who isn't scared of that. It takes courage at times to say yes. Yes I will.  Yes I can.  And the flip side is saying No.  No I won't. No I can't.

In this case we've chosen to say yes to Gunther, to adding him to our family as a permanent member. But it has given me pause to consider if my heart is open to the "yes" opportunities life is sending me. So for me, and for you I pray to be open to the good things life is offering.  Take a look around you, they are there waiting to be embraced.

Gratitude

How do you measure gratitude?  Is it by volume, by weight, by the people who grace your table on Thanksgiving or by the way your heart is touched on a daily basis.  How is it defined? Is it the love of four footed furry friends, the support of family and friends, the awareness of beauty in our lives? Is it the blessings that show up when we most need them?

Perhaps it is a byproduct of hurts that bring tears to our eyes. It is, however, a very personal choice. It is what gives us strength to move forward and grace not to look back.

So on this day, and as best I can on every day, I give thanks. For both the joys and the tears. For those things that stop us in our tracks and those tracks that open to unexpected beauty. And for the dogs. Oh, come on, you knew I had to say that! For old dogs, young dogs, dogs who found forever homes, for dogs who have crossed the bridge. For dogs we don't know, but trust will find their way into our hearts and home.

I give thanks and I also wish you gratitude. May it be warm and soft around your heart. May it be light and joyful. May it be a belly laugh. May it be tears of joy. May it be your sunrise and sunset. May it even be present in times of sadness. May it overwhelm you...as it does me.



 

Cake, Harvest and Life Challenges

This morning I made a cake for my not so little boy.  Something I've done 32 times now.  Such a simple thing to celebrate a life.  Gone are the days he stood on the chair next to me waiting impatiently to lick the beaters.  Now I'm the impatient one as I wait to spend time with him.  When you get right down to it cake can be pretty poignant.  Life is precious, time flies, and making cake for someone you love is pretty darned special.

We find ourselves in the middle of harvest out here in our little section of the country.  While we don't personally farm, we are blessed to live in farm country.  We watch over the fields, are friends with the farmers and pray for their safety.  Crops are not the only things planted, tended and harvested.  Faith is very much the same.

Life challenges require us to dig deep and harvest our faith.  And face it, we all have them.  Illness, job loss, divorce, broken hearts, loss of a loved one, or just plain uncertainty.  At some point in life we face those hardships.  The challenges come, sometimes repeatedly.  And we struggle.  Until we remember we are not alone.

So I have to ask where are you in your harvest?  Who is sharing that journey? And, will there be cake?  In case you doubt, let me just say, yes, yes...there will be cake.  Better yet, it will be shared. Share your burdens, share your joys and spread your faith.  That's a blessed harvest.

A Resting Place

As pet owners, and volunteers for Great Plains Pointer Rescue, we know that part of loving them is losing them.  We lose them to forever homes and sometimes we lose them to failing health.  We knew that at our little house on the prairie we would eventually have to lay one to rest.  For some people the thought of burying a dog in your yard is not a comfortable.  For us it is as natural as loving them.

In this case it is not one of our resident pack, thankfully, but sadly one of our foster family.  We love our fosters as one of our own, and my son's foster dog counts just the same.  So when Pongo crossed the bridge unexpectedly, we gave them the option to bring him here to be laid to rest.

Our dogs, and our fosters are surely family in the best way possible. Therefore, it is a comfort to know family is close. Close in heart, close in the yard and close in our minds.  It is never what one wants to do, but sometimes what one has to do.

So while it was a sad, sad weekend we also found much grace in it.  We love our little house on the prairie, we love our family and we love that Pongo is here with us.  Literally and figuratively.  The ritual gives us closure and the love give us peace.  And, our home is even richer than before because of this process.  The process of love.

Jam Anyone?

So, as a city girl, berries came in neat packages at the grocery store.  With the exception being an occasional cherry tree or a strawberry patch.  Or a backyard raspberry bush.  Berries happened, and life, like berries sometimes came neat and tidy.  Other times, like this weekend, berries became much more hands on for us.

Enter the Elderberry bush.  Last year I didn't have a clue what one was. Didn't know we owned one, what the blossoms were like or when the fruit was ready. Now I know. How does one figure out life and berries? Sometimes you simply need to ask and go from there.  I started with a photograph of a random bush with its fruit.  Now, truth be told I have never tasted Elderberry anything.  But, that will change soon.

Jam is in the works, and it better be good.  After stemming elderberries I have a greater appreciation for any plant that has large fruit.  Let's just say this it's labor intensive.  It's a patience builder, and in a way it's therapeutic. It's especially nice if you have a tasty beverage, and a friend by your side as you stem them.

Someone asked me why I made them my mission this summer.  Because they are there, because I've never had them and because I love small culinary adventures.  Last year it was choke cherry's and wild plums, this year elderberries.

Isn't that a good enough reason to try something new?  Because you can, because you haven't and because life is made up of little adventures.  In the end we'll have jam and satisfaction.  Both will be sweet from making the effort.

Let There Be Pie

As a city girl I had no idea the significance of pie.  Don't get me wrong, pie happened.  It came in a couple shapes and forms.  Pumpkin, pecan, cherry, apple.  It was not my forte, though I can muster up a good pumpkin and a lovely apple.  Perhaps I missed the depth of pie because I only have those two pies up my sleeve.

Let me just say my eyes have been opened.  And I owe it all to rural living. Several times a year now I participate in pie events.  The women's group I belong to does pie in a really big way.  Apple, Cherry, Rhubarb, Rhu-Berry, Strawberry-Rhubarb, Triple Berry, Pear, Apricot, Gooseberry, Pecan, Blueberry, Peach and others I probably have forgotten. May I just say the Pear pie is amazing!

These ladies can probably kick some pie butt in the realm of cream pies too, but for events it's fruit pies only.  You could say I've come to embrace a life of pie.  But, and there is always a but, I accept my limitations.  I clearly own being crust challenged. Double crust pies thwart me at every turn. Yup, I know you can buy frozen pie crusts.  It should be simple.  Lots of things should be simple, and simply are not.

For now I stick with the pies I know how to make and sample all the other's I don't.  It's a good thing, It's a pie thing.  Life dishes up some delicious things and they often come in the shape of pie.

Little Towns in the Big Beautiful World

There was a time where I never left the city.  It encompassed all.  Sure, there were other subdivisions. bedroom communities, small city's that bordered the big city.  They all ran into one and you took them for granted.

Now I find my world blessed by gravel roads, highways and byways that lead from from one little town to the next.  Towns I'd never heard of or dreamed existed.  We all have roads in life like that.

I know where the bar is in Sutton, the pizza is in Gilter, where our friends are in Stockham.  I've partied in Milligan, picked up a foster dog in Geneva, relaxed lakeside in Silver Creek.  I picked up precious canine cargo at the rural airports in Harvard and in Aurora. We've done pet therapy visits in Hastings. I've delivered flowers in Henderson.  Visited friends in Bradshaw. We've had dinner in Marquette, Central City, Hampton, Chapman and Dannenbrog.  We get around.  And usually we eat when we get there.

I go more places than I ever went before.  Or, perhaps, I am simply more aware of the individuality and beauty of the destination.  Sometimes you have to look past the big and embrace the little.  Big can be beautiful too, but I'm finding little is perfect in a big way.

Crumbling Facades....

Have you ever felt an instant affinity for a person, place or thing?  I'd be surprised if you could honestly say no to that.  We are called to love and if we are smart we listen.  This is how it unfolds, life takes you to places, to people, or into situations that touch your heart. Sometimes the beauty calls out to you, or the sorrow, or the plain mystery of it all.

In this situation an old farm house speaks to me. I want to know it's story, I want to restore it. It's not huge or grand, but the simple charm sings with possibilities.

The windows and doors have been taken out and I'm guessing it will soon be demolished in the name of progress.  It makes me sad, and makes me wonder all the same.   Surely it had to have been shelter from the storms of life at some point in time. People had to have called it home and found nourishment there.

And it makes me ask....   Are we sometimes just an empty shell, a crumbling facade or are we full of simple charm and possibility?  Do we nourish, shelter and encourage?  Have you savored the beauty of the old and the new?  And maybe by honoring, even fleetingly, simple beauty we will have multiplied it.

How's Your Heart Today?

How's your heart today? Positive or negative?  Open or closed? Grateful or envious?  Do you encourage or discourage?  Gracious or resentful?  Perhaps somewhere in between.  How do you sort that out. Or do you even know?

We cross paths day in and day out with people who either bolster our spirits or sap our energy.  We encounter folks who's faith is a light for us and those who's angst causes untold distress. Of course, we all have lessons to learn and those we share life with are our tutors. We all struggle. I have to think the key is to be gentle with ourselves.  No easy task sometimes though, but a goal well worth praying for and embracing.

Some seasons in nature, and in life, make that easier. Spring does that for me.  The lilacs, daffodils, tulips, the tree's blossoming.  New life, new beauty, new growth. I know it sounds sappy, but isn't that what we wish for those in our life? Wishing the same for you....

A Time To Plant

I will always be happiest creating, growing, digging, laughing, sharing. With Spring it's time to plant, literally and figuratively. And in planting comes creation.

My city garden was small compared to the possibilities of my country garden. Of course, both of them held more work than I could do evenings and weekends.  The good thing about it is I rarely remember I always bite off more than I can chew.  Or plant, as the case may be.

Planting comes in many ways, with a foundation of faith, hope, labors of love and big dreams.  We "planted" our second nesting box for the wood ducks this weekend. We also modified the opening on the first one in hopes the resident ducks will find the housing both affordable, attractive and accessible.

We planted strawberries and onion sets, and looked longingly (at least one of us did) at the asparagus poking through the ground.  It's only it's second season.  There won't be a big harvest, but it does my heart good to see it growing.  Sometimes dreams we plant take time to come to fruition.

The 50 daffodil bulbs I planted last Fall resulted in 5 plants poking through the ground. Not a huge return for the time invested.  I'll continue to whisper "grow" "grow". and time will tell. Isn't that the truth, time will tell. In time we'll know if the wood ducks nest for us. In time we'll see the garden produce. In time will see our hearts desires. Trust me on this one. Good things come to those who plant.

Old Buildings, New Opportunities

My new home away from home is a building that dates from 1904.  I love the thought of that.  I love the reality of that. So much history, charm and just plain longevity.  I hope someone says the same about me some day. So, okay, maybe I don't really want to be as old as all that.  The building comes complete with a "service" elevator that operates by rope and pulley.  The basement has a dirt floor. Makes me think of the following "remember Man that you are dust and to dust you shall return". Guess you could just say dust happens.  I have to wonder how many footsteps have fallen on those floors over the years.

So many people track their footsteps today and while I sometimes wonder how many I take in a day the very thought makes me weary.  I can only hope my footsteps are happy ones, full of faith and that love and laughter accompanies each one.

Some opportunities are encased in new and shiny wrappings, some come in quaint old packaging, I hope I bloom in this building, in fact, I plan too.  I hope you have a place dear to your heart that you bloom as well.  Whether it is new or old, whether you are new or old, may it bless you and nurture you.

Barns and Cupolas

I have a new love, one I never expected. I supposed that type of love is the best. We rarely get what we expect, and what we get is often better than we could ever hope for. So I have to confess I have a thing for barns, especially barns with cupolas. It doesn't matter if they are new or old, though old ones have a special charm.  I like to think as I get older I have a certain special charm too. Or maybe I just resemble an old barn. A little older, a little faded, but full of hope. Some days it's all debatable.  

Cupolas are the icing on the cake. All through life, on the roads I travel, I find landmarks that speak to my soul. Lovely gardens, interesting architecture, a horse I long for, stately trees, lakes or ponds, charming cottages, palatial mansions. Now as rural life embraces my heart, I am drawn to the barns.  

I realize it sounds odd, but I want one of my own.  Heck, I'd love to live in one. Complete with cupolas of course.  They say dream big, so I do.  It's okay to dream. Your dream may be a place on a lake, in the mountains, or the big city. Whatever speaks to your heart, listen for that and embrace it.  And whatever shape your "barn" is I pray it is graced with a cupola.  

In the meantime, on the country roads that have become home, I search out barns and they speak to me.    

Pushing Through...

For the most part we are all just pushing through life.  Sure, it seems like some people's life is all easy sailing.  No worries, no struggles, no loss.  I beg to differ.

Reality is we are much like the bulbs of spring.  Planted with hope, weathered over time to bloom in a new season.  In the mean time we push through some hard stuff.

We push through heartache, through job losses, through financial difficulties. We push through illness and grief.  We push against the curve balls of life and we embrace the joys that come along the way.  Often one would never know the challenges we endure.  We assume, all is well, and never scratch the surface to see. Some never share the challenges they are pushing through.  Some open their hearts and share the burden.  Grace blooms twice when they do.  

We look for signs of growth, we worry they will never come, and when they do we worry they may be nipped in the bud.  Growth comes...I promise you that. Sometimes in stealth mode, sometimes with bells and whistles.  It comes to all of us.  So we wait.  Until the day comes we push through the hard times and bloom again.  

Down Time and Snow Days

I am not one of those people who gear down very easy.  I'd rather be busy. I'd rather go go go.  Part of leaving the city and taking up small town life is finding peace and comfort in the quiet.  Finding time to witness nature, experiencing solitude.  So even though I work full time, have 3 dogs, garden, play on Facebook (a lot!), cook and try to craft a bit I am trying to find more time to be, rather than just do.

Nothing like a good snow storm to slow me way down.  I remember when my kids were little and we had snow days.  Whoohoo - they loved that.  It meant movies, shoveling, sledding, baking, shoveling, sledding and snow pants in the dryer.  They were full days even if they never left the yard.

Now snow days are different and I'm working to embrace them on my own terms.  Mostly I'm striving to embrace time to gaze out the window, to be less productive and enjoy that more.  Nothing wrong, and perhaps everything right, with accomplishing nothing for the day.

Don't get me wrong I took time to crochet, to blog, to walk the dogs.  And of course we didn't go hungry.  I did have to make a conscious effort to relax into the change of pace.  It's okay to sit and dream.  To gaze into the fireplace.  To marvel at Mother Nature (pretty sure she wants us to).  It's the stuff of peace and a happy heart.  It's okay to be and not do.  So I did.

Encouragement

Food, water, shelter, and encouragement.  Throw in a couple dogs, some wine, laughter, faith, family, friends and you've got it all.  Well that is my recipe for life.  Yours may differ.  Mine also requires flowers, cooking, gardening, hugs and walks along the river.

But I digress, encouragement is the topic of the day. Somewhere along the way we need a source of encouragement. Acknowledgement, without criteria for improvement, of what we are doing right.  It's like food for the soul, energy for the journey and shelter for the heart.

You did good.  I love you.  You've learned so much.  I like the way you did that. Good thinking.  Brilliant.  I know you can do it. Your talent shines.  You give the best hugs.  You make my life easier. I am so grateful to work with you.  Your friendship graces my life.  You're my rock.  I can trust you. You are making progress. I value you. I couldn't do it without you.  You are important to me.

You catch my drift.  To encourage is to plant seeds in another. It's like sunshine for personal growth.  Would that we could give it, as easily as we find reasons to find fault.  

May your journey be full of encouragement.  May you give it daily, may you receive it generously.  Whether they are city roads, or country roads, may they begin and end with encouragement.  Life will be sweeter if they do.  Give some today and watch it return in ways you could never imagine.

Roads to Home...

I love Fridays....end of week, end of stress and all roads lead to home.  Any other day of the week it's city streets, to highway, to interstate, to highway, to gravel roads.....ahhhh and home. On Fridays I take the first interstate exit and cruise through the country.  Almost no traffic.  I need that to wind down, to let go, to shift gears.  I don't want to see anyone and if I do, it's a country one finger wave and each goes their own way.  

Roads to home sometimes never even occur on roads.  I have an old dog on the road home too.  His destination is not at all the direction I want him going. Many years ago he changed my life.  In 14+ years I'm pretty sure he's only had one bad day, maybe two tops.  One was the day, shortly after I adopted him, that the cord from the iron caught on his collar.  Like a bat out of hell he raced down the hall, down the stairs, bang, bang, bang.  Pretty sure he thought his tail was on fire. Thankfully, the iron was not hot, nor would it ever be again.  His other day, may not even count as a bad one...just a funny one.  He rooted through the laundry basket and managed to hook a bra over his head.  Out in the yard he went, flying like the wind, bra sailing happily behind him.  To run is to live, bra or no bra.

I am certain his road and mine were meant to be.  Just as I know I'll take his last walk with him no matter where it leads. Roads change in life, and who you travel them with makes all the difference in the world.  My roads used to be all big city roads, now I am happiest when the pavement changes to gravel. Gravel, fields, sunsets and silence.  And a grand old dog at my side.  

Beginning Anew

It is that time of year....our brains, bodies, tummies and hearts are full, and we're tired.  Okay, maybe that's just me. Christmas came and went, it's a new day, a new year and a new chance in our lives.

Chances are good.  Chances indicate hope and promise.  Who wouldn't like a second chance?   Funny how willing we are to look forward to the new chances coming our way, even though we may have refused chances that already came our way. Chances bring change and I sometimes fight that tooth and nail. Change for the better is so much easier to accept.  Of course, how I foresee change is often not the way it unfolds.    

I'd like to take a chance at accepting change without resistance.  Proof right there I'm a dreamer.  Add that to my list of titles, dreamer, crazy dog lady, humorist (again in my dreams), writer, designer, Mom, wife, Grandmother, friend, sister, niece, aunt, neighbor, boss, employee, mentor, and, did I mention crazy dog lady?

All that, and I'm still defining myself.  Each day, each year, we get to begin anew.  I'd like to begin softer, more gentle. I'd like to begin with an open heart and willing hands.  I'd like to laugh more and stress less. I'd like more celebratory shots and high fives. I'd like more flying hugs. Those are hugs from people so excited to see you they literally fly to your open arms.  I'd like more foster dogs, but we have a three dog rule around here. I'm forced to slow down a bit in that area, which is probably a good thing.  I'd like to work less and play more.  I'd like to do more crafts. I'd like to make more snow angels.

So, as this year begins...what would you like to do...to begin anew.  And how will you do it?