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Saturday, 03 October 2009

  • Bare Bulbs and How I've Grown

    Just pondering, as I clean up my house for tonight's Dinners for Eight. We host. Our house is FAR from perfect, far from decorated, far from done! There is dust, dirt, sticky stuff some places. The table is clean, the dishes, glasses. There will be somewhere to sit by this evening!! There is a bare bulb for lighting in the dining room! The kitchen has no windowsills or trim or ... the door is bright blue. The wallpaper is peeling in the dining room, the carpet needs to be cleaned, the powder room doesn't have a TP holder yet - the paper is on the back of the can.

    But although I KNOW these things, I don't see them as blemishes. I see them as a work, incomplete, but beautiful just the same, and the focus can be on the conversation and people-meeting.

    And this - relationships - is how I've grown. How the process within me brings me closer to relationship WITH and IN Christ. How much He cares what my floors look like. May God grant me a small sliver of the gift of hospitality. Perfection be DAMNED :)

Thursday, 30 July 2009

  • I is for Idle

    Ok, so I haven't done the challenge ... I haven't blogged every day, through the alphabet.  But I am at least trying to do my 26 blog entries with a theme ... that is going to have to do :)

    Today I am on my porch swing, thinking about the statement: "I don't idle well."

    This is true of me, but I don't thnk it has always been this way.  In some ways, I suppose being at the computer could be considered being idle, but I think there are differences between idle, lazy, un-productive, resting ... all these things have different meanings as well as connotations.  

    When I say I don't idle well, what I really mean is that I don't turn off my brain ... well, ever.  I can't just be in the moment.  Well, not CAN'T.  It is something I work on, when I realized I'm "spooling up" (pilot speak) - breathe, be HERE, NOW.  

    I multitask, not because it's productive (which it is only some of the time) but because I can't seem to keep my brain on one task.  This isn't an ADHD thing... it's a learned behavior.  It started as a child when I was permitted to be "lazy" and watch a movie if I also cleaned up or did dishes, etc, while watching.  I learned the "commercial leap" as a young adult/newly married ... 3 minutes or 60 seconds or whatever to zoom around doing things.  I started listening to books on tape and talk radio as I worked, so I no longer sat in front of the tv.  

    This is not to say that multitasking is a BAD thing, or that I have been RUINED BY MY PARENTS for expecting me to contribute to the household (far from it! lol).  This is to say that I have trained my brain to go in many directions at once, and I see the folly in that, especially with children.  Children are nothing BUT in the right now.  They don't want to hear about the 10 things going on in your head, they want a story.  A popscicle.  And that's a GOOD thing.  A HEALTHY thing.  I am coming full circle to realize ... there's a time for everything, for EVERY purpose under Heaven.  When I am 10 places at once, I am in none of them.

    No answers, just questions, pondering.  

Thursday, 16 July 2009

  • H is for House and Home

    but not in that order.

    A lot of excitement on the homefront these days.  The paint is sitting in the kitchen, waiting to jump onto the walls.  The cabinets are at the shop, waiting to jump into their places.  The countertop is at a factory somewhere, waiting for the dimensions to come in .... it's all coming together ... in bits and pieces, and that's ok.  

    My rooms are finally mostly cleared of clutter and things I don't love.  Our bedroom has the most clutter so far (aside from the Ditchen).  Still working on that ... trying to be diligent and not putting off paper decisions - the source of most of that clutter.

    The porch is a lovely oasis where I spend most nap times, unless I am hard at work at something in the house.  It is lovely and breezy and gives me a chance to sit in silence.

    But the main point to all this is that the house is still just that: a house.  No matter how much I paint it, clean it, fix it ... it is only a vessel ... and should not be confused with the HOME I wish it to be; a place where my family can relax, feel loved, love one another.  And for THAT to happen, this Home-Making, priorities must be in order ... play before clean, hugs before sweeping.  Just basic stuff, but nonetheless, stuff I need to work on.

Monday, 13 July 2009

  • G is for Game Night

    This Friday night we are holding a game night at our church.  I am excited about it, even if only 5 people come, because I really miss playing games!  BC (Before Children) we had weekly game night in our neighborhood, and it was a lot of fun.  At this stage in our lives, it is difficult to convince the children to leave us alone long enough to complete a TURN in a game, let alone an entire round.  Sitters are of course an option, but then where do you go so the kids will leave you alone?  Take some dice to Starbucks?  Anyway, I have been pondering ... of course I want to do family game night, probably as an institutional thing, in the future.  Unfortunately Ezra is still not on board (pun intended) with most things the rest of us could play together, so we must wait a bit longer to pursue that kind of family fun :)  In the meantime, the dilemma: I would love to have couples over to play games with us.  Our kids go to bed at 8, no questions asked, so I suppose that would require the other couples to get sitters... would people do that regularly?  Once a month?  I was thinking it would be nice to start a book club, but that would require "homework...." a game gathering would require no preparation ...

    Today the drywall guy (what else should I call him?  His name is "Bud", so ... I suppose I could call him Bud the Drywall Guy) is skim coating the room.  Tomorrow, sanding.  THURSDAY PAINTING.  That means I have 2 days to come to a conclusion on paint color for the kitchen and the powder room.  No pressure!!  :)  And then after we shell out some big bucks (the counters will cost over $4000) I WILL HAVE A BEAUTIFUL, FINISHED KITCHEN.  OH!  I am so looking forward to it ... I already have such plans for the cooking an dmeal planning I'll finally be able to do!  And more cleaning out and making space... the dining room can finally stop closing in on me with stacks of boxes of dishes and whatnot surrounding the table and making it impossible to walk around.  

    I'M JUST A LITTLE BIT EXCITED.

Sunday, 12 July 2009

  • F is for Firstborn

    Ok, so it was Ian's idea... I can put Audrey in here with this one.  Also, though, I was pondering ... Have you read the Birth Order books?  What were your thoughts?  Did you see yourself in them?  I did.  I am a first (only) born, Ian is a first born, and then, of course, Audrey.  Also, my mom.  My dad, not, Ian's mom, not.  But still ... some interesting dynamics to ponder.

    This is a lame post, but I was already late on my post-a-day and I need to get to bed, so I will end here.  What order are you in the line, and where do your kids line up?  Interesting stuff ...

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Shooglenifty

  • Visit Shooglenifty's Xanga Site
    • Name: Rachel
    • Birthday: 11/21/1976
    • Gender: Female
    • Member Since: 10/28/2004

About Me

  • Proud wife to Ian, mom to Audrey and Ezra. Obsessive list-maker. I love to make cards, scrapbook, make jewelry, watch movies, surf the web/keep connected with friends, both "real" and "cyber". Also enjoy mail and old-fashioned pen pals.

Chatboard (1)

  • tawnymom3
    hi Rachel...can you view my xanga blog now?...I think I fixed it...let me know. Sorry I didn't call the other morning. After my meeting, I totally flaked, and left town...I'll come over soon. ..tawnya