Home again…after spending a week in Minnesota cold, where we enjoyed family togetherness, good food, laugher, holiday lights, and lots of family game time.
Today, the postman delivered this to to us,
so we can continue a German tradition at our house.
More fun times to come.
I may be writing, or marketing the latest writing project, yet life goes on. That means getting ready for Christmas, and taking care of things on the property.
Time marches on, yet my hubby finished a project we’ve been brainstorming for several years. I am so delighted.
When we purchased the house, we gained an old cooktop. In its day, it had some interesting features. But compared to today’s cooktops, it was archaic and a gigantic step backward from what we previously owned. It was a twilight time for us. Thinking of changing it created many challenges. We did not want to switch out the countertop but knew that might be a last resort. The downdraft fan was more efficient than current models. With much research and some design ingenuity, my hubby solved the problem. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.
Below are a before and an after photo.
…and now…
And life will continue to march on.
During this holiday season, I trust you will find moments of quiet celebration in your days.
Early in the morning, I looked out the kitchen window with only the tiniest hint of light in the early sky. But no, off to the right of this scene, the clouds hanging in the sky were like a stage curtain, scarcely able to contain the light from behind, which was bright white, toned down by the film of clouds hanging in-front of this light source.
One might have considered this a sunrise scene. But no. It was the moon moving behind a layer of clouds so close to the horizon. I ran for my camera, found it and returned. Alas, the clouds were moving in one direction and the moon in another. The moment had escaped me. Yet etched in my memory is the reminder of how God creates blessings each day for those of us willing to look for them.
The shot that I did snap was equally beautiful as rose tones were rising above the horizon and the morning light was lighting up the western skies. Another, but entirely different, beauty to behold.
Enjoy the day, wherever you are!
The in-between
Twilight …the in-between is now available on Amazon.
You can find the book using this link:
amazon.com/author/lindalflynn_words
Twilight …the in-between is a collection of poetry. The poems are about life in the in-between spaces. That is where we all live and grow. So, pick up your copy today, or one for a friend. Then sit back and ponder the in-between spaces.
Feel free to share your responses to the poems. Those exchanges are also part of the in-between. Part of our becoming.
A little personal history note:
The December 2 release date is in honor of my mother. Some of my earliest memories from my childhood revolve around the two of us sitting on the sofa in the living room, her reading stories to me. Eventually, I was reading stories to her, and then I was off. Often with a book in hand. The love of the written word carried me away and dropped seeds, planting a desire to write.
So, thank you, Mom, for planting such a love in my heart.
We all entered this life ready to take risks
Emerging into these beings wanting
Adventure
Though many see the adventures of early childhood
They don’t recognize those actions as risky
But merely a part of the growing-up experience
Enter adolescence and the psyche seems more
Inclined toward risk, or risk – averse
Even at this stage of life, seldom do others recognize
This as risk. Those children are often considered
Difficult or troublemakers
Life moves into adulthood
Where most effort is spent trying to survive
Or thrive
Seldom feeling as though you are
Making conscious decisions for yourself
It’s not until later in life
When others are evaluating
Your actions you might hear about
How people respect that
You would take risks
It’s as though a curtain is pulled back
Revealing a part of yourself
You never recognized belonging to you
Yet in retrospect you can see
How one might think that
The adventurous life has been fun
Full of surprises
And unplanned outcomes
Some I wouldn’t wish on anyone and
Others I would love to share and repeat
Personal benefits of risks have
Provided friends in multiple geographical locations
Memories galore
Leaving me with a broad range
Of interests and a rich life
In our overprotective culture
How do we teach children
To be comfortable taking a risk
Teach them to be wise about what risks
Are worth taking and which to walk away from
These photos are from a couple of mornings back. I was up earlier than usual, finding the view breath-taking, I took photos. I’m grateful I was up early enough to witness this, because in a few brief minutes, the marine layer (otherwise known as fog) crept in and clouded the sky, obstructing the view. Everything about the view, changed.
These images are a reminder to me of how every day we are given a new start, the opportunity for a fresh attitude and the chance to find beauty — anywhere and everywhere.
I’m grateful for these gentle reminders. What stirs those emotions in you?
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.
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.
By taking our time, we ended up with a unique bathroom to enjoy for years.
I recently started a new project, as I felt my mindset had slipped out of some traditional thought patterns. I pulled a gratitude journal from the bookshelf as I decided I needed to get back into the habit of practicing gratitude.
Each writing offers a two-page spread, with the first page having some thoughts to ponder, some scripture reminders, and the subsequent page is for writing and a brief prayer for ending the session.
My writing will remain private, but I wanted to share the thoughts to ponder from one day. Day five, to be more precise.
Some of the truths I’ve known for years, yet somehow, allowed these truths to escape from personal practices. Sometimes we all need reminders.
Yet I was fascinated by the idea that one’s mind actually expands based upon our focus. I liked the examples they used and could see experiences from my past to support the statement.
The world we currently live in bombards us with information designed to grab our minds and cause us to be fearful or distrusting of others. Allowing such thoughts to occupy my mind creates the possibility for a stream of emotions and actions which I don’t want to be used to describe me. I can accomplish an alternative outcome with how I choose to think. When I ponder all I have to be grateful for, or the beauty surrounding me, I will become more optimistic and content. The prospect of becoming more optimistic and content is exciting; which should cause increased happiness, increased health and more fun for those I interact with.
So, I have started the “100 Days of Grace & Gratitude.”
What thoughts will you choose?
March was a whirlwind.
Weather changes
Time adjustments
Traveling adventures
House projects
Some quiet downtime
Midwest adventures.
Just a few photos…
Traveling is fun, but so is returning home.
Last night we went to the theatre to see Tartuffe.
It has been years since I’ve seen a Moliere play.
What a treat!
I’d forgotten how timeless his work is.
Kudos to North Coast Repertory Theatre for doing such outstanding work with this masterpiece.
…about friends
I’ve found myself often thinking of friends and recognize how much I appreciate them.
Friends, you are a blessing to me.
I saw this posted on a board at an art gallery. There was no name associated with it. The words ring true in my life, and I hope they will in yours as well.
Journey to the Heights 