Settling Into A Comfortable Groove. And Comfortable Clothes!

By Lynn, on November 22nd, 2011%

My oh my, have I been horrible again.  Every day I think about you all, my dear friends, but then I find myself at quarter to 10, knowing I have to log in and type.  The break midday brings errands and trying to cook, pay bills, keep the apartment clean, etc.  Life is certainly busy.  John has finished driver’s ed and we have taken him to get his permit.  He is driving me around.  I spend some free time at the old house visiting with Joseph — times when it is just the two of us and I can help him out with things or we can practice karate.   Sometimes he comes over here for a night.  Here I go again, promising to blog more.  And it’s not an empty promise!  I mean it!  I really do!  The days just run together, but I miss you! 

Comfortable clothes? Yeah, still dresses.  Oh, I love dresses!  Nothing like a dress and some sort-of heels with ankle straps to make a person feel happy!  When I say comfortable, I think I mean that I am buying things that I might not have brought a year ago.  I know that my style is still fundamentally the same — girlie girl, somewhat eccentric, layers, dresses, you know the drill — but now I am enjoying adding some shorter dresses (nothing too short!), different style hats (I have always loved hats, but have you ever seen me in a ball cap?)  I am just having fun in the process of healing.  It has been a very, very good thing, and I know now that the door I walked out of is closed behind me.  The only way I could think to describe it to people I have spoken with is that I fell as far as I could before I opened my parachute.  I came to my senses right before I hit the ground.  And I cannot go back.

Maybe one of the most healing things I have done was to get back to my karate.  Doing regular physical exercise has been good for me.  (Now, I just need to get back on the treadmill!  It’s been about three weeks!  Yikes!)  I am now working on knowing all the curriculum to test again around early spring for my next belt.  It is a wonderful diversion, and I get to be around others (including Joseph) and the exercise is always good!  Not to mention, you just don’t realize how your dominant side rules your body and mind until you take on a sport or artform that requires you use both sides of your body (and thus mind) equally!  And that’s all I’m gonna say about that!

I promise that I will soon take some pictures of some thrift stores when I visit, but knowing that you wanted to see some of that, I snapped a picture with my phone, while I was sitting at a stop light, of downtown Durham, on my way to The Scrap Exchange.  Love the trees!  It was gray and drizzling that day, but something about this intersection made me happy!

And speaking of The Scrap Exchange, I always shop there, want to come home and be creative, but then it is work, work, work.  Seems like I get home just to have time to put things away, and then crafting must wait until another day, but so far the days are not coming.  I long to make dolls and pins, and make the wildly funky pink skirt that I see in my mind (from scraps), but the days just don’t work out.  It’s so busy right now!  Soon, though, I will get my mind wrapped around my new life and I’ll settle how to have that time.

Now, don’t get grossed out.  I have had comments on this photo and what it looks like, but dear friends, this is a picture of mussels, which I just cooked for the first time.  Olive oil, onions, garlic, tomato paste, white wine, and oh my they were SO GOOD!  And full of B12, which I desperately need!  Symptoms of B12 sometimes plague me — numb foot during exercise, numb or burning tongue, canker sores, depression…  Can we say that again?  Depression?  Anyway, mussels have a ton of B12.  It’s amazing how much different I felt the morning after eating my fill of mussels!

And as far as cooking, I tend to eat good because I love salads and vegetables, but John and Michaela are so out of the groove that we lived in at The Old House.  There, I cooked for six people and was married to The Hunter-Carpenter.  We ate huge crockpots full of venison, dried beans, cornbread, homemade desserts.  I drank herbal infusions.  Joseph kept gallons of sweet tea made all the time.  We drank a gallon of milk a day.  I picked fresh greens for our salads.  Venison, beans, greens.  And lots of it!  Get the picture?

But here?  I am not cooking for six.  Small amounts of meat burn in a great big crockpot.  I just could not get my mind settled to cook for us.  I was throwing out leftovers, burning stuff, but I have found something that works.  A friend kept telling me about how a steamer works, so I bought an electric steamer.  It has two trays, and I can cook entire meals for the three of us, and it is so easy! 

Last night we had scallops, asparagus and mushrooms in the steamer, and then at a friend’s suggestion, I sprinkled parmesan cheese over the asparagus and mushrooms after cooking!  The mussels cooked on the stovetop in the meantime!  It feels so good to be getting settled into where I am right now.  There are days that I feel so sorrowful over what might have been and over having to walk away from something that in my heart I had bound myself never to walk away from, but…

The other day I was able to spend some time with my three sons.  We gathered around Daniel’s new (to him) truck.  It was good to be with them all at one time.  They laughed and cut up (and argued a little as brothers will do), and I hated to part with some of them again, but all feels well and they are finding their way too right now.  (Love Joseph’s hat!)

I cherish this time with John and Michaela, especially knowing how quickly the years fly by and just how “overnight” your children leave the nest. 

Annie-wise, absolutely nothing has changed.  Unless, of course, she has simply become more rotten.  If that was even possible!!

She gets an abundance of attention!  She is so spoiled!  Yesterday at the thirft store I found her a winter coat.  Oh my.  Pictures coming soon. 

So, here we go again.  Work calls.  I have spent my break with you this morning, something that has helped me more than anyone here!  I need this outlet!  It’s such a cleansing thing to write.  If only I had more time for it! 

Enjoy this day.  This very day!  Every single minute that is good and “just right” is a minute to keep in your heart and not let go of!

12 comments   Exercise, Fashion, Pets, Relationships, Thrift and Antique Store Shopping

Toes In The Sand

By Lynn, on November 8th, 2011%

This past weekend was quite busy and most exciting!  On Saturday, I awoke and prepared for karate testing.

Hair up with red chopsticks.  New white gi on. 

Testing went well.  It was a long process that included one-time attacks, line drills, and katas.  It’s an honor to test and to watch our classmates progress!

At the end, we were all awarded a new rank.  Joseph got his black belt, I got my blue belt, and our classmates moved on as well. 

And then, sometimes a girl’s gotta leave and stick her toes in the sand. 

I drove to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, without any children in tow and just enjoyed the solitude.  The beaches are quieter this time of year.  The weather was chilly, but the sun came out beautifully and the air felt just right.

I stayed in a beautiful place!  One thing.  Rates are cheaper this time of year.  It was nice to look at what was offered and think about coming back in the summer and bringing my children.

I stayed pretty high up! 

Which made for a wonderful view!

I am trying to embrace the ever-changing creatures in my life.  Not many beetles, bees, and butterflies anymore, but new things, new sights, new thoughts.

Plants at the beach, growing in the beach sand, are so different from what was in The Little Wild Garden.  I think ahead to where I might end up, what might grow, and how life will continue to change.

The plantings around the hotel were lovely.  Tropical is something that never appealed to me much as far as gardening goes, but this was very inspiring.  The color!

How does it feel to get away by myself and walk off and leave an unmade bed without a thought?  Good.  :)

There were lots of things here that the children would enjoy!  I can see Joseph and John at the huge chess set!

The pools and water tunnels and hot tubs (right under the hotel!) were things that the children would love.  I can see I need to make it a priority to bring them here when the seasons take us to hot weather again.

I walked on the beach and picked up tiny little, perfect shells.  I put them in a bag as I walked.  Not too many, but enough to remember…

In one of the restaurants I was in, there was an amazing glass wall in the ladies’ bathroom!  (Yes, I took a picture of the wall in the bathroom.)  I would love to have natural light like this in a future home.  (More mental notes for things I would like to do in the future.)

Thinking.  Thinking.  Thinking.  Doing lots of thinking these days.  It is no small thing to close a chapter of your life that was a quarter of a century long!  It is no small thing to quit reading at the end of a chapter when you had planned to read and love and keep forever the whole book!  It is no small thing to have to give up on something that is supposed to last forever.  It is no small thing.

But far out across the water — the dark water where we cannot judge depth or know what lies beneath, light dances in the sun.  Likewise, I see a light at the end of the tunnel, and it is beautiful. 

Enjoy this day! 

12 comments   Aging Beautifully, Exercise, Field Trip Ideas, Relationships, Solitude

We May Be Wondering The Same Thing (And Print Give-Away)

By Lynn, on September 13th, 2011%

Have we been wondering the same thing?  Namely, where has Lynn been?  Well, Lynn has been right here, but the days are slipping from me like sand through a child’s fingers.  I am busy, yes, and working more hours, but I am emotionally very busy too.  Can that even make sense? 

I am trying so hard to figure things out, and there is no easy answer to a lot of questions my children and I have.  I think of those in the Bible who kept things in their hearts and their words about matters were few.  Answers don’t always come right away.  Sometimes we have to wait.  And wait.  And wait.  And as much as human nature loves to talk, sometimes we can confuse ourselves with our own words.   So I think.  And think.  And stand.  And stare.

Do you remember the standing and staring club?  I know you do!! You know you do!!  I am the president of that club.  Remember?

Anyway, I have been doing some standing and staring, but in a different way than before.  This place is brighter.  There is less clutter.  And I am trying to figure out UH-GAIN if I am a minimalist.  It’s a hard process, this whole decision to be a minimalist.  And what if I am not?  What will I do?  What if I whittle my life down to 100 items and PANIC? 

I keep thinking I can go to five Goodwills and load the cottage back up with stuff.  (Now that would be fun!)

I am sorry I have been so absentee.  It was not on purpose.  No.  But I am back, and I am going to try my very best to be a faithful blogger again.  You are good for me, my dear blog friends.  And this outlet has kept me sane on many a long day when the tears were falling.  Or many a day when I was ready to empty all the closets and declutter and create chaos for the carpenter when he came home.  On many a school day when I was not in the mood to teach.  On many a good day when homeschool was perfect!  Ahhh, those were the days. 

Hmmmmmmm.

While we are bringing up the past, do you also remember this?

 Well, I have found a place who prints these for me now and I like the results.  I have one ready to give away to one of you dears, so please leave a comment if you want your name in the hat, and I will have Princess of the Universe draw a name on Monday morning, that is September 19, 2011. 

Now. In other news…

Weight loss.  Yes, friends, I have lost some weight.  I can thank my doctor first, for adjusting my thyroid medication.  Nothing like a nonworking thyroid gland to help you gain weight, and nothing like thyroxine in your system to help you lose!  I must say, though, that I have had no appetite for sugar, I am drinking lots and lots of herbal tea.  I love my tea pot and my little Japanese cup.  Yeah.

I am running two or three times a week on the treadmill for about half an hour.  I alternate between walking really hard and then running; 2 minutes walking, 2 minutes running.  I do this for 20-25 minutes and then hit the cool-down button.  I love it!  And I am doing my karate.

I want my black belt, guys.  I do.  I really do.  I love karate.  And speaking of karate, there was a time long ago when I loved all things Japanese.  Well, as far as decor and such.  I loved a minimalist setting with a Japanese look.  Where is she?  Where did that person go?  Do I dare?  Do I dare look for her again?  I can see a BIG BOUT OF STANDNIG AND STARING COMING ON!!

But clothes.  Ahhh clothes.  Thrift stores.  The mall.  Shopping.  I cannot help it.  I love to shop.  I always have.

That may never change.  Ever.  I love shopping and I am thankful, so thankful, these days for the thrift stores.  I shop.  I donate.  I shop.   I donate.  While Michaela is loving the mall (and I do too, don’t mistake me), I am having my mental health breaks in the thrift store. 

You may see a tranformation to Asian ’round here.  You may.  I just cannot be sure.  But the clothes, expect more of the same.  I think.

I must get busy now.  Will be back tomorrow.  With something.  Even if it is just a weather report.   :)

Enjoy this day!  And don’t forget to put your name in the hat for a print, if you want.

11 comments   Aging Beautifully, Exercise, Fashion, Hypothyroidism, Sumi-e

Absolutely Gorgeous Vintage Platter

By Lynn, on July 28th, 2011%

Oh, be still my heart, today is my day off and I had the opportunity to go by Goodwill today and take a quick glance.  I was not disappointed!  There on a shelf, underneath some other things, was this:

It is heavy.  It has lots of crazing going on.  But no chips!  Oh, look at the roses!

I tell you what I’d been wanting one of these for.  It’s to put some various toiletries on that are cluttering up my bathroom vanity. 

It’s perfect.  Ahhh, I am so happy.  Doesn’t take much, you know.  ;)

On a totally different note, I am happy to be getting back into the swing of karate.  I have taken probably a year’s break (doesn’t seem that long), and I am rusty.  But my son, Joseph, who we call Big Joe, came over to help me with my katas.

I love the gritty edit of these photos.  Don’t ask me why.  They were gonna be that way anyway because they are just stills from a movie I did while we did a kata.  (Helps to see your weaknesses if you video the whole thing.)

From just taking the stills, I desaturated them and added a glow.  Reminds me of old news-style magazine photos from the 60s. 

Katas are almost like dances, each one a succession of moves that progress in difficulty and skill as you move through the belts. 

They are beautiful to watch.

So tonight I am hoping to go back to class, for the first time in awhile. 

Joseph is a good teacher and is really sweet to come over and help me out.  He is such a good son.  He’s always been respectful, kind, and a joy to me, and that’s quite a reputation for a young man. 

Intimidating?  Would be if the class were not so much like family.

Of course at the end of your kata, you bow (rei) to show respect. 

Enjoy this day!

7 comments   Aging Beautifully, Exercise, Relationships, Shopping, Thrift and Antique Store Shopping

Fresh From The Tame Little Garden

By Lynn, on April 26th, 2011%

My Dear Friends,

There was a bountiful harvest this morning, fresh from The Tame Little Garden.

Now.  I could tell a big fib and say I grew the bananas and the strawberries in my office, but I bet someone would see right through that.   So I’m gonna stick to the truth and tell  you that I grew only the chives.

Yes, the chives came with me from the old garden, The Little Wild Garden, a little garden that has a lot of me in it–a lot of my sweat, dreams and some of my heart.  And many creatures that I encouraged to take up residence there.  These chives started as babes, were separated and planted in pots, ready to sell at the farmer’s market, but that’s a thing of the past.  Now, I have two pots of chives in my bright office window. 

Did you know that chives belong to the onion genus, or Allium?  The “hot” smelling oil in these plants contains sulphur, which is a good germ fighter.  Chives have not traditionally been used as heavily medicinally as onions and garlic, simply because they do not have as much of this oil.  Still, it’s there, and in The Tame Little Garden, chives are my sulphur-rich herbs.

I love that I can grow chives inside.  It’s one herb that will do okay inside.  They do need full sun, so they need a very sunny window, and they like to be used.  Leaf blades can be cut down to about 1 inch from the soil and used in soups, salads, as garnish.  When cold weather arrives, it’s best to put the pots outside and let the foliage be killed back by the frost.  Bring them in again and they’ll come back out.

In other news, a name for my little cottage is still floating around in my mind.  I worked out at the gym again tonight, and last night, so that’s three nights in a row, folks!  What are we going to do with me?  My my my! 

The gym had several people already there when we got there tonight.  Sometimes Michaela and I have the gym quite to ourselves, but then sometimes there’s lot of people there.   Tonight, actually, there was a very pretty, trim, fit, muscular, (did I say pretty?) lady on the treadmill, and she had on real workout clothes.   I was dressed in high-water gray sweats, bright pink Valentine’s day socks, and an assortment of T-shirts and tank tops.  Thank goodness the tanktop was long.  And that’s all I’m gonna say about that.  Except that I was also wearing my running shoes from 1987.   But I did smile.  Yes, you can always wear a smile.  No matter what else you happen to have on.  And just for the record, she had a smile on too.  And so did her male exercise partner.  I didn’t pay much attention to his clothes.  Mostly because I figured if I didn’t pay much attention to his clothes he wouldn’t pay much attention to mine.   At that particular moment, I felt like I’d be more comfortable if I also had a poncho on (for obvious reasons) but that might just attract more attention, so I crossed that thought out of my mind and went on riding on my exercise bike like I was there all the time, and where had they been, by the way. 

Have I ever told you how much I like having a public blog on which to pour out thoughts and ramble on? 

On that note, I shall depart to my bedroom chamber and take up where I left off in my book, which is a secret book until I decide to tell you all about it.

I hope you enjoyed this day.

12 comments   Aging Beautifully, Cooking and Food, Exercise, Herbs and Wild Edibles, Window Garden