A Creative Breath of Fresh Air

Sometimes productivity really isn't that important.  I'm a reformed type-A personality, project and results oriented list-maker who likes the idea of setting and reaching a goal. Ugh, that sounds so very tense! 

It is spring. Flowers and trees are blooming, the grass is green and the windows are open to welcome the fresh air. I did the absolute necessary things today, then I decided to give myself some creative time.

Here are the results! 

  

Slowing Down

The sound of a cup being gently placed into a saucer after a sip of hot tea is soothing to my ear and gives me memories of women gathered around a table "just because." The only goal was to enjoy tea, a sweet and one another. Admittedly, I've let go of the tradition of china tea cups, there are mugs in the house. I can't tolerate caffeine (except a little chocolate) so herbal tea is my choice.

The cup and saucer in the photograph was my mother's--something she purchased in Germany. It has a matching dessert plate. There are eight cups, saucers and plates--each set has a different pattern.  Since our mother moved into a smaller home in 2010, I  own four of the sets and my brother has the other four.

I grew up eating desserts and drinking tea from these dishes on special days, particularly when my German grandmother was visiting. 

It's rare that I just sit with other women and talk while enjoying some truly special dessert.  Do we always have to watch what we eat???

I am blessed to have female friends. My friend, Monica, allowed me to borrow this magnificent amaryllis so it could pose in front of my camera.  The process of arranging this photo helped me slow down and just enjoy.

There are other ways I slow my pace. Monica and I like to walk together sharing our plans for the day. We have lingered over some delicious Chinese food.  One time we decided to order dessert after lunch because it was raining and seemed like a logical way to spend the time.  

Other friends have given me their hugs, their encouragement, their advice and their time.

Handling this old china tea cup reminded me once again, that slowing down, letting to of the techology and the speed of life is a simple pleasure that will stay with me much longer than one more text or one more email or one more thing I check off the to-do list.

I'm going to boil some water for a cup of tea.   

Reflection of Life

Most of the time I think I'm pretty good at downsizing. I've moved several times, I've helped other family members move. I can organize and downsize with intention and focus.

There is always a BUT and here it is--I also appreciate having things in our home that tell a story, that are reflective of who we are. That means we have stuff. We have a large rug that can tell a story because it was delivered frozen. Then there is the set of china given to us by my German grandmother and grandfather as a wedding present. They were visiting us when Clark and I became engaged.  I was allowed to select china I liked--she had total veto power and used it. The tea cups (something I never use anymore) had to be a shape that met with her approval.

The story of these blue bottles is that I simply like them.  They are a part of my life everyday. The bottles sit in the entry hall on an old chest that family history claims was moved via wagontrain at one time.  And everyday I can see my love of color, shapes, reflective qualities and simplicity in these modest blue bottles.  In their own way, they are a part of my everyday story.

Feathered Visitors

We had our first snowfall of 2012 last night. It didn't amount to much, but it was beautiful. Now it's melting in the sunshine and warmth of the afternoon.

Snow always brings a change in food gathering for area birds. Since their food is covered, they have no problem seeking out our bird feeders for a little fuel. And across the street, the Canada geese (I was told by a Canadian that their proper name is Canada geese and only Americans call them Canadian geese) decided to take a stroll away from the small lake conquering new territory, depositing their droppings along the way.
 

These geese are wild and rather camera shy, but they cooperated a little. What I found amusing is that as I approached them, they slowly began walking back to the lake (guess they knew I wasn't going to jump in). But as some began getting in the water, a swan started swimming quickly toward them. There were no aggressive movements, but this swan proudly began swimming back and forth along the edge of the lake and every single "Canada" goose got out of the water quickly. Guess one swan can still intimidate 20 geese.  Maybe size does matter.



Playing With My Food

Just for fun I decided to play with my food this afternoon. Acorn squash was on the menu. Vegetables are so fascinating. The thought that this delicious squash started as a little seed--just as we do, is beyond comprehension yet is a part of everyday life.

The seeds look like they could be a nice pair of earrings, don't you think?

By the way, I tried roasting the seeds. There is a reason you don't find acorn squash seeds on your grocery shelves. They are edible, but not very good.  

However, supper was a perfect winter time meal. The roasted squash was coated with a little melted butter and maple syrup, the pork chops were brown and a little crusty with their brown rice flour coating and the tossed salad added just the right balance. YUM!

Yesteday I presented a "sermon." At our church, we've been discussing the idea that Stewardship isn't just about money. It's also about taking care of our time & talents, our health, and our relationships with one another as well as Mother Earth. So each week a different person in the congregation presented their ideas on a different aspect of stewardship. I had earth.

Since I am a visual person of course I HAD to present a powerpoint video with slides, statistics, music. I learned quickly that I had a lot to learn. It was frustrating. PowerPoint is easy. Adding music and videos to it at home is easy. Getting it to work on the church's computer wasn't easy.  Did I say it was VERY, VERY frustrating?

But it all worked out. There was a lot of prayer involved in the process, a lot of trust in the process and Sunday morning and again at the evening service, I realized there also was a lot of love in the process.

While preparing my remarks and the PowerPoint, I came across these photos and a map of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It consists of trash that's been dumped by humans and is estimated to be twice the size of Texas.  We can make a difference--you've heard it. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  Do you have any great ideas that make a difference in your part of the planet?

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Celebrating Life

We attended a memorial service today. Doris was 91-years-old and had been ready to close her eyes and leave this world for some time. When I took this photo she was in a wheelchair.

I'm always relieved at a service when people get up to share memories and stories. It is a time of shared laughter, a time to celebrate a life well-lived.  On cue today, the stories were backed up with a wonderful assortment of photographs projected onto large screens.  Visually, we were carried through Doris's life as a vivacious dark-haired young woman, a glowing bride, an excited new mother and a grandmother. You could see her gradually age, gain some weight, get grayer and grayer, then lose the weight. It's a cycle even the most beautiful and rich people on earth cannot avoid. We all are part of this circle of life.

The reception after the funeral is when the emotions really flow for me because that is when the love can really flow. People hug and laugh together. Babies are passed around for others to hold. Food is shared. Looking around the room at people moving from table to table, wanting to talk, wanting to reach out--I could feel the love and I felt blessed to be a small part of that.

Thank you Doris--and family. I'm so very grateful that we somehow found each other in this circle of life.