Home is where the dishes are...

Last night I spent a lovely evening with a good friend. We had a short discussion about contentment, and how hard it is for us to be content with what we have. This is a particular challenge for me. I do strive to be content, but I find myself becoming bogged down with frustration over my house - instead of taking steps to change my environment, I feel overwhelmed by the tasks at hand and seem to make little to no progress. 

Even though I very much like my home, I don't love it as I did my last one. Granted, my last house was about twice as big as this one and was appointed with some very nice features - a beautiful, lush garden that I planned and planted, a huge kitchen that facilitated friends sitting and talking while I cooked, a living room that could comfortably accommodate a night of friends over for a movie. This house, although it has more historical charm than my 1980s cookie-cutter Cape Cod, doesn't quite have my stamp on it yet. What is it I need to do to fall in love with my current "here"? 

I think I need to spend some time getting this place organized to my liking. Because I haven't ever made space for my kind of productive activities (other than in the kitchen), I seem to have a hard time tackling some of my favorite projects - sewing, making stationary, etc. That has got to be a first step to getting myself feeling lovely here. The yard is another sore point, but one I am getting a great start on this summer. 

I think, too, in order to feel really comfortable here, I need to do some culling of my life. How many of us are saying the same thing right now? Boy, don't most of us have too much stuff?! Don't get me wrong, I like my stuff - I love most of it! After all, I've spent years accumulating it. Doesn't mean I don't have too much of it. I've gotten a good start on this by getting rid of a good many clothes this spring. I'll continue that trend as summer progresses and I over and over again choose anything over that shirt, those pants. ;-)

With these long, sunny days, hot afternoons, and cool evenings, I should be able to make some good progress on all this. Maybe by this fall, when asked, I can say, "Yes! I love my house!"

Back in the saddle

There I was, back at the library, manning those familiar help desks, answering all the same questions.  Subbing is wonderful!  ...for lots of reasons...

1) It was great seeing old co-workers and getting to know new ones

2) Fun getting all the scoop and poop of library happenings

3) Feels good to be useful

4) Felt very good to go home knowing I didn't have to return the very next day! ;-)

Now I'm back home, feeling fulfilled, useful, needed, appreciated.  What a great day!  The only bummer is that the 8 jars of strawberry-lemon marmalade I made this morning didn't set.  I'll give them 24 hours and see what they look like tomorrow.  If they don't jell, I'll have to try to find a solution.  Any suggestions? 

Yeah!

Tim got home tonight - yeah for me!  It is always so wonderful to welcome him home from a camping trip.  I love the fire-smoke smell in his clothes and hair, his slightly sunburned nose, his stories of tromping up and down the mountains.  I love his anecdotes of the guys with whom he camped, what the weather was like, and how hard the climbs were. Oh, I guess I just love him! Surprise, surprise! ;-)

My purpose

I heard a great message in church today about God's purpose vs. our purpose for our lives.  I've made all these plans of things I want to do.  I'm pretty sure my current plans are OK with God - pretty sure he has no problem with me sewing an insulated curtain for my sunroom door! ;-) Yet the question remains, "Are my purposes in line with his purposes?" In other words, even though my plan to sew this curtain is fine, totally non-controversial, am I being sensitive to the big picture as I plan my time, say yes and no to people, interact with friends, etc.?  Or am I so set on what I want to accomplish that I don't take the time and energy to see if there is something God wants me to do I'm missing out on?

I know my own answer to this question, so I throw it out there into the void.  Maybe you don't believe in God at all, or you don't believe he cares enough about you to have a purpose for your life.  I believe he does care about me.  In fact, I take him utterly at his word.  A verse in Jeremiah (Old Testament) says, "For I know what I have planned for you...I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you.  I have plans to give you a future filled with hope."  

Trusting in this God, this one who cares enough about me, little old me, to make good plans for me is a balm in my life.  How could I live each day without the knowledge of his love? I'm not preaching - just basking in the most basic and foundational truth in my life.  Just enjoying the sunshine on my soul.  Hope you can find some sunshine today!

Lovely

Ah, sweet success!  I had a slumber party at my house for a friend's birthday!  It was jolly fun!  My hubby is out of town, so it was perfect timing.  We ate dinner (delicious if I say so myself), drank Italian sodas, played games, ate decadent dessert, and watched a movie.  All wonderful fun!  It was great spending time with these women.  It felt so good to have no time limit, no restrictions on what we did, just hanging out, laughing, enjoying one another.  

I highly recommend a slumber party to any of you middle aged women out there.  It will take years off your spirit!