Wednesday, January 24, 2018

3 Weaknesses

I have 3 weaknesses in my life - animals, purses and books.

Animals (specifically dogs & cats) are my weakness.  I love to hold them, pet them, talk to them and cuddle them.  If I had my way, I would have a house filled with puppies and kittens.  In fact, my sons are convinced that eventually I will be the crazy cat lady on the road.  My intense love for them as made me lose self control on a number of occasions in my life causing me to bring home a number of new "babies".  So much so, that my family has made it a rule never to take mom to the animal shelter or the pet store unless you are willing to accept the consequences of what she adopts and brings home.  I must admit to watch the looks on their faces when I start cuddling a kitten is quite amusing and honestly, I sometimes do it just to get a rise out of them.

Another weakness is purses.  I love purses!  I love all colors and styles.  Some women love shoes and clothes...I love purses.  I have a collection of about 25 different kinds and I am always adding more.  I go into a store and see a color I don't have (or one I do), I see a purse with a new design or I see one that just looks so cute I must have it.  My husband thinks they talk to me and say "take me home, Ellen, you need me."  The advantage of this weakness for the family is that they always know what kind of gift to get me.  So if you think about it, I am actually helping them.  *smiles*

Books are the biggest weakness I have.  I have more books than shelf space.  There are books on shelves, tables, chairs and floors.  There are books of all genres and sizes.  There are books I haven't read and books that I have read so many times, I can recite parts of them.  There are my childhood favorites and books that have become my favorites recently.  I do not like digital books.  I like holding a book in my hand, enjoying the design and color of the covers, feeling the pages as I turn them and yes, even taking in the smell of the pages.
Bedside Reading


Picture it...a place that looks like Barnes & Noble...soft comfy couches, clean bathrooms, good food and coffee, music and of course, books! Add to it an animal shelter filled with puppies and kittens and a store filled to the brim with purses...and I am in seventh heaven!

Monday, January 22, 2018

One Bright Spot


I do not like winter and that is an understatement of that fact.  There is nothing fun (at least to me) about this season.  It is far too cold, there is too much time spent in a house with windows and doors tightly closed, all the creatures of nature I love to watch are sleeping soundly in their warm dens, going out requires putting on too many layers of clothing and snow shoveling is a task to be put off as long as possible.  By February, I have a serious case of cabin fever which makes looking out the window at all of the white, white, white snow an activity to be avoided.

There is but one bright spot in all of this.  There is a moment when one goes outside, in my case it's to finally shovel the porch, when if you stop and stand very still you can appreciate the silence of this time of year.  I live on 40 acres of farmland with my nearest neighbor a quarter mile down the road.  There are no sounds of traffic, snow machines, snow blowers or snowplows.  An occasional crack of a branch being broken in the wind interrupts the quiet briefly and then is gone.  There is nothing but a blanket of quiet stillness that envelopes me as I look around at what God has created.  It sometimes seems like I stand there for the longest time just looking and listening but really it is only a brief moment.  But that moment sustains me as I perform the task of shoveling off my porch.

It is my belief that God orchestrates this little moment for me each winter to help me remember that there is beauty even in a season I sincerely dislike.

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2018

"I have chosen to repost this inspiration from my blog in 2017 as it is my favorite quote from Dr. King as well as being very pertinent to what is happening in our country and the world today."

 "There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right."

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Routine Lists Inspired

This past week, I read a blog post by Selena Kinder on empoweringwomennow.com that I found very familiar and interesting.  She wrote about how simple routines that she does morning and night help to keep her healthy.  She expressed reluctance in showing her routines because they might be too much or not enough for some women.  However, in the end, she made the point "that you don’t feel obligated or guilty into doing anything on my lists unless you think it will help you with your goals. Ultimately, I’m sharing my lists to help you pinpoint what you need to do for your life."

I enjoyed her post because I like her have specific routines that I do each morning and night.  I have found that since I retired having routines helps me to not only get my day started off on the right foot but they also help me to end my day more peacefully and sleep better knowing I have accomplished something that day.  Of course, routines are not set in stone and can be altered, added to or eliminated as necessary but my routines fit me nicely right now.  That is not to say they won't change in the future.  My routines do not take a lot of time as I prefer not to make plans for my day unless I absolutely must.  I prefer to see where my interests, energy level, etc. take me.  Also, I am of the opinion that if you plan something, God will find a way to change your plan.

Perhaps you will share your routines with me in the comments below.

I will end this post with a quote from Selena Kinder that I especially liked, "Always remember you are good enough and capable of achieving anything."

Monday, January 1, 2018

Monday Inspiration

"Every man should be born again on the first day of January.  Start with a fresh page.  Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first day of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past."
-  Henry Ward Beecher