This or That - Spring Edition

I've seen a few of these floating around social media, and I thought it might be fun to play around with one here.

DAISIES

For me I think I would have to choose Daisies. I'm not a huge fan of tulips, although I can appreciate them, but daisies are such a cheery little flower.  I also really like Daffodils this time of year!

SHORTS / T-SHIRT

I am definitely a shorts and t-shirt kind of girl, but where I live, this probably wouldn't happen until around late Spring, middle to the end of March. Before then it's just too cool, at least for me!

UMBRELLA

I've always loved umbrella's. There's something about them that is just so delightful! I would say the only thing I don't like, is carrying them around inside once I'm indoors.

SUNSHINE

I love rainy days and sunshine, but since I currently have a to-do list a mile long and a number of those things are outdoors, I'll take all the sunshine we can get!

RAIN BOOTS

I love my rain boots for any kind of work that needs to be done outdoors, even on sunny days! I used to wear flip flops a lot, but as I am getting older I find that my feet are so tired if I wear them for tool long, I need something with a little extra support.

CHICKS

Some years ago now, we bought both of our girls bunnies, and while they were very cute, they didn't much like being handled, or perhaps the girls didn't handle them enough when they were babies.  But their back legs were so strong, and they often left some pretty good scratch marks. Overall, of the two, I much prefer chicks.

BIRDS

I have loved birds and birdwatching for a number of years now, and thanks to my husband I am able to identify a number of the ones that come to our feeders. My favorites are Chickadees and Titmouse.

APRIL SHOWERS / MAY FLOWERS - I couldn't choose!

As long as it's a shower, especially on a Sunday afternoon, I love it. But I am not as fond of storms, at least not severe storms. I love the sound of the thunder as it rolls over the mountains, and as long as we can avoid high winds and possible power outages, I'm down. But really is nothing quite like Spring in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it is breathtaking! 

So what are your choices, I'd love to hear! Leave your answers in the comments!

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Ordinary Things

I am in love with the ordinary things

of life, fresh air, acts of kindness

old soul conversations, watching

things grow, listening to the rain as 

it empties its heart toward earth.

Remembering the times I ran through

it unafraid, spontaneous, freedom

filled. I find pure joy in the joy of 

others. I am drunk on simplicity and 

nostalgia, and old thrift shops run by

volunteers who just want to change

the world one human at a time. I greet

the morning with eyes that still have

remnants of pain but will see their way

through it. I am determined to create 

something beautiful every day, whether 

art, or peace, or a path for those who

are lacking in light. I wish for nothing

more than soft hands filled with giving,

this is where I find my rest.

- ullie-kaye

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Small Things - First Saturday in March 2024

"Life is not, for most of us, a pageant of splendor, but is made up of many small things, rather like an old fashioned piecework quilt. No two people have the same, but we all have our own, whether it be listening to Beethoven's fifth with a beloved friend, or seeing a neighbor at the back door with a basket of white dahlias. Or after a long, hard day, having the family say, "That was a good supper."

- GLADYS TABER

In no particular order, here are six SMALL THINGS that have saved me this week.

1. If you've been visiting with me here, then it will come as no surprise to you that I LOVE old movies and sitcoms. 90% of what I watch are movies and sitcoms from the 50's, 60's and a few from the 70's. So I was overjoyed when I came across this YouTube channel, Keeping Walt in Disney, which "celebrates the Disney of Walt's era", which I'm sure at least most of us can agree (at least if you're my age!), was the best! I hardly know where to begin! Will it be, Savage Sam, The Three Lives of Thomasina, Beyond Witch Mountain? The collection is vast and memorable! If you loved watching Walt Disney as a child, take a trip down memory lane and revisit a beloved classic!

2. As I said, I watch very little in the way of modern day television, but if and when I do it's usually on PBS. I just finished watching Season 4 of All Creatures Great and Small, and let me tell you, this series is my current personal favorite! Have you seen it? It's available with a subscription to Masterpiece through Prime Video, or you can also subscribe through PBS, which is what I do. I've started over from the beginning now with Season 1 and I'm amazed at how much I had forgotten! I heard just this week that they are currently filming Season 5 and there will be a Season 6! And to top if off, one of my favorite characters, Tristan Farnon is returning this coming season!

3. discipleship.org I haven't spoken much about my spiritual life in recent months, well, let's be honest, I haven't spoken on much of anything. But that is, in part, because of the deep work the Holy Spirit has done and is continuing in my life. Perhaps I'll share more in an upcoming post, we'll see. I have spoken before about the profound impact that John Mark Comer and these videos have made on my life in recent years.  John Mark has recently written a book, Practicing The Way (AFFILIATE LINK), which speaks to this same subject, as well. I am going to be reading it soon with a friend of mine, and from there we may begin meeting with a small group of women who are interested in reading it as well, and then who knows, we'll see where the Holy Spirit takes us. discipleship.org has a wealth of free ebooks that I've been perusing, as well, some along the same line of thought as Practicing The Way. If you're interested in learning more about a more ancient, holistic, relational, embodied and emotional model of discipleship, I encourage you to check out the Practicing The Way videos, reading the book, or look through the offerings at discipleship.org.

4. This post I read on Facebook this week, "I want to be a come as you are friend" Kind of in line with the small group my friend and I are considering starting up this year.  I listened to a podcast this week that spoke to this as well. So many people feel like they can't come to church in their brokenness, so they put on this false self in order to be accepted. And I'm just shaking my head thinking, if you can't be broken you and saved you at the same time? This was never a prerequisite for Jesus, and the church needs to have the same capacity as Jesus. Either that, or stop saying "come as you are" when what they really mean is, "come until we find out". Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of churches that are doing this well, I'm not here to call out specific churches (althought I could). I'm talking Big C church, as in natinal/global. We need to do better, and I want to be a part in that!

5. This recipe for Big Mac Smash Burger Tacos. Can't say it's actually saved me, because we haven't made them yet. But I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since I saw it. Weird thing is I'm not even much of a Big Mac fan, like I NEVER order it! But I have had it, and something about this recipe just has me intrigued. Part of me thinks why mess with tacos, especially with a Big Mac? But I'm going to have to try thig one. Have you made this? What are your thoughts? Watch for a follow up post soon.

6. The Cold and Flu Bomb.  I mentioned in my post yesterday that I've been battling some upper respiratory crud this week. We actually had to take our daughter to the ER this week and she ended up being diagnosed with pneumonia, which kind of freaked me out, since I already had symptoms. Things did get worse for me, but never along the lines of her symptoms. Still, I've felt pretty crummy for several days now, but yesterday things finally took a turn for the better. I attribute it to the recipe that I am about to share with you. It brought me back from the worst case of flu I've ever had in my life a few years ago, and whatever it is I've been fighting this week couldn't stand up to it.  I had actually forgotten about it (HOW??), until I became so frustrated with all of the OTC treatments I'd been pushing for days.  Two doses of this and that same night I was already feeling relief. I'm still not quite 100%, but I'm still taking it and every day I feel better than the last. If you ever get the flu or just a really bad cold, this stuff works!

COLD AND FLU BOMB

*1 clove or garlic, minced

*1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1 Tablespoon of honey (local is best)

1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

Juice of 1 lemon (organic)

Add this to 1/2 hot, 1/2 cold filtered water. Should be warm, but not too hot. Drink 2-3 x per days until symptoms subside. 

*The minced garlic and ginger may float to the bottom. I mince mine fine and they still find their way to the bottom of the cup.  I use a spoon and stir it as I drink and also spoon the piece up and put them in the mouth and then chase it with the liquid. The garlic and ginger are essential to fighting colds and flu, so don't let it sink to the bottom and stay there! Get every last piece!

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Go Slowly Still

Chocolate mint from last years garden. I noticed yesterday one tiny sprig appears to be coming back to life. 

This time of year, in the transition between winter and spring, life is a contradiction. There is birdsong and thunderstorms, daffodils and mud puddles, a pretty spring dress covered up by a warm winter coat. Just as we begin to think winter will never end, nature begins to give us signals that beneath the still cold ground, spring is stirring! It sneaks, unsuspecting from the folds of winter. But one must watch closely to see it, to be aware. Perhaps where you live the snowdrops are in bloom, while for others snow will be on the ground for many weeks to come.

Here in Virginia the daffodils have made their appearance, and the early budding trees are showing glimmers of new life. This year, as with last, winter didn't make much of an appearance. With the exception of one snowfall of about 6", late February into March has been rather mild. I've lived in these parts long enough now to not be fooled by a false spring. We think we've landed full into spring only to get pulled violently back into winter, maybe even a couple of times. But the forecast isn't looking too promising for winter to have a last hurrah. Still, I'm not convinced. The biggest snowfall we've had since moving here was 16", and that was in mid-March. I guess time will tell.

I feel the pull of spring racing to move me forward, but I'm not ready. Maybe you aren't either, and that's okay. It's still early yet, the equinox isn't for a few more weeks. And while the days are lengthening, one aspect of this season that I love, I'm not quite ready yet to unfold from the slower pace of winter. Perhaps it's this upper respiratory illness I've been nursing this week, but deep down I know that's only part of it. I'm simply not ready to rush headlong into all the doing. It's early yet, the mornings, still cold. It's time to dream and plan, start some seedlings, tending them gently and intentionally protected still by the warmth of the hearth. There's no reason we shouldn't keep this pace, as well. Gently, slowly, tenderly, allow yourself to emerge from the darkness. There's no reason yet to expect life to come bursting forth. 

Go slowly still.

Pay attention to your body, your desires, your creative impulses. Learn to trust your own pace and rhythm. Just as you would not expect a seed to shoot up into a plant overnight, allow the same slow growth in your own life. The seeds we plant in our lives will not poke their tender heads above the soil for many days, perhaps even weeks. But this doesn’t mean growth isn’t happening, it’s simply beneath the surface. Just because you can’t yet see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t real.

What plans and dreams do you have for this season? What tender seeds have been planted in the soil of your soul? Are you ready for spring, or still lingering in these final days of winter? Share your thoughts in the comments.

"Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?"

- ISAIAH 43:19 NLT

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