Monthly Archives: December 2024

Up in Flames

Things to ponder...., , , , , ,

Ahh,
can you hear it?

2024 is groaning
under the weight
of all the happenings
of the year.

Too many happenings to list here.

Are you groaning as well?

Here’s the cure…

Slip into your snuggly warm jammies,
or comfortable sweats,
grab a warm cup of your favorite steamy brew,
take your preferred throw or blanket
and settle in-front of the fire.

A big roaring fire.

Listen to the crackles
as little sparks pop from the blaze.
Watch the flames of the fire rise,
rise to the sky
or up the firebox.

Give your thoughts
of the year
to those flames.

Let the flames
take the weight of 2024
with them.

Rising into the heights of the heavens,
then dissipating in the air.

Allow the smoke to fill your nostrils
like incense, purifying your soul.

Watch the flames
licking the logs
slowly turning the surfaces into glowing,
red searing heat sources.
Soak in this heat.
Sit quietly
and let the weight of 2024
escape from your body.

Soak in
enough of the heat
that you need
to toss the blanket aside.

Quiet your mind.
Think about the flames
making the logs smaller.
Let your stressful thoughts
shrink as well.
Breathe deeply.
A new morning is coming.
2025 will arrive like a new babe.
Welcome it into your life–
Uncorrupted,
Renewed,
Original.

From the ashes of 2024,
let something new
be created in you
this coming year.

Embrace the possibility
of new beginnings.
Wrap them around yourself
like the blanket you 
previously tossed.

Hold your head high 
and enter the new year.

The Reason

Light Hearted Living..., , , ,
The Reason for the Project

This tile was the reason for the slow project we undertook…

We’ve been in our house for four years. Love living here and love how much time we can spend outdoors. Like any house you move into, there are projects needing attention. Initially, we focused much of our attention on outside areas. In the house, there were a few things we couldn’t wait to change; and a few other things we didn’t like, but didn’t know what we wanted to do. The guest bathroom fell into that category. 

What we had before any changes

Today, I can say that I’m glad we took our time with this project. Our house is older, so some features are older. Hahaha. The guest bathroom had not been updated in years. You can see from the before photo what I mean. 

Yet, I loved the tile in the bathroom and did not want to sacrifice it for a remodel project. My preference for the tile made the process slow. It also meant we would have to live with the existing cabinetry. Now that we are on the backside of the redo, I’m glad we went slowly. 

Hubby hated the old shower doors. Removing them allowed us to feel like the existing tub was workable. We each hated how the drop ceiling light box made us feel like the ceiling was right on top of our head. Removing the box and exposing the lights created the need to find something suitable. We are both suckers for lighting. So, the quest for lights was a fun part of hunting down materials for the bathroom. Tom cut out the existing sinks and found drop-in sinks to fill the holes and which allowed us to keep the tile counter tops. 

We both found the wall of mirror to be too much. Finding a pair of mirrors to replace the wall took longer than we expected. 

Paint colors were picked out, and the room was transformed. With all the major replacements done, the bathroom was shaping up. Yet the cabinets looked so old. I painted and antiqued them. Though it is said, this decorating trend is outdated, we have laughed. It may be outdated, but it is much more current than what we had. 

Completed transformation

By taking our time, we ended up with a unique bathroom to enjoy for years.