Nature Walks?

Egret

Oh, the exercise of it all! Brian and I tried to walk a couple of miles 5 or 6 times a week when we lived in California. One of the nicest features of our home there were the trails to walk along a slough. Various types of birds were always a part of our walking routine. On special days we would see egrets, with even greater rarity we might see blue herons. Naturally :-( we never remembered our cameras, but I have many mental images in my files. Those walks were relaxing (perhaps too much so) and a great opportunity for conversation.

Here in Florida - it's the treadmill. It's far too hot to walk outside at this time of year. The treadmill does not allow for "relaxing" which is probably a good thing! Without a doubt I'm getting better exercise but I was going to miss the nature scenes. My second day at the gym I look up from the treadmill panel (checking my awesome stats!) and I find outside the window about 6 feet away - an egret! He decided to feed off the bugs in the bushes right in front of me. :-) On our nature walks in CA we were happy to see the egret when it was 300 feet away! To see the egret so closely was amazing! I guess I can never be sure just what I'm giving up - or not!

In any case, the exercise has been stepped up, so to say! At this point in life I'm not confident of decisive visual changes to my appearance. But I'm hoping to be stronger with better endurance - for many years. Who knows what I'll see along the way!

How to Start

I've finished my morning routine - breakfast and reading. Naturally, coffee was included because how else would I move into the day? Is there some other way? Really? I M humble O, this is certainly the preferred method!

Modern Conveniences

By and large I'm very happy to have been born during the "modern" age that I was. I realize that modern is always changing. I like indoor plumbing, cell phones, color TV, computers and obviously the internet! However, I do think that our imagination for labeling eras or movements has seriously declined. When I was in college (which was more than a couple of years ago) the current architectural movement we were studying was called "Post Modern" which of course followed Modern. Really!? Where do you go from there? Maybe Post Modern will just have to have various phases which continue until the end of time! I don't know I'm not keeping up on the architecture trends. I can hope they've improved their historical legacy, giving greater meaning to the eras. After all, Post Post Modernism just doesn't roll off the tongue!

In any case, my love and appreciation of modern conveniences has been tested lately in the realm of a kitchen sink. Conclusion: Yes, I love them and find them incredibly useful!! Going 5 days without a kitchen sink, because ours was being resurfaced, cramped my style or rather - daily routine. This absence also propelled the greater use of other conveniences, namely the microwave. It's pretty hard to cook or clean up without a sink so microwave dinners came to the rescue. Still, it's not like a microwave and a sink are interchangeable. So glad to have the sink back in use, plus, it looks like new! The rest of the house, though, still is a disaster area.

Thankfully, we see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. It's not over yet but... It should be gorgeous when it's all done. The five and a half weeks spent painting, repairing, replacing, cleaning and staging will be worth it in the end, I trust.

A Day of Rest

Having been a Christian most of my life or for that matter having grown up in America it seems the concept of a day of rest has always been a part of my existence - the concept not necessarily the reality!
At different points in my life I have tried to implement the concept and take one day a week for 'rest.' Maybe I did a good job maybe I didn't, I don't remember. But I think what's changed now is my idea of work, what it means to rest and why it's a good idea. Subconsciously I think I've found it difficult to completely take time off. "Oh, I can put in a load of laundry. That doesn't take much effort - the machine does most of the work!" Or, because I had slowed down enough in one day I looked around at the cleaning that was needed and thought, "Well, now I have time to do some of that!" Those examples are just a glimpse into my thought processes. With this thinking I could still be productive somehow. It's amazing to me how much "being productive" can drive me, even in little ways. It's sad how that productivity gives me value, in my mind anyway.
I mentioned on Labor Day weekend I did not do one job or task at all on Sunday. The day was a matter of rest and people. Realizing how I had to fight the urge to do "a little something" I decided to really take a day and not do any projects big or small, no errands, or "accomplishments". I'm trying to continue this (without legalism creeping in!). It's only been a short while but I want this to last. For me, it doesn't matter what day I take off, although it usually is either Saturday or Sunday depending on plans. Rest is important and I'm valuable whether I produce or accomplish something or not.
I'm not writing to guilt anyone. I am just personally trying to fight my performance based love concept. God doesn't love me that way, based on what I do. So why should I love myself that way!?

Ahh, the Mundane!

I know, I know, I've talked about the mundane! Perhaps this time in a little different vein. Today was our first full day of being back home. It was filled with the mundane - laundry, grocery shopping, making dinner, vacuuming and getting our bedroom back in order. It was all wonderful! :) Truly, we had a great 10 days away, seeing family and friends, spectacular fireworks and some awesome summer weather. But being back home, settling in again, was soul relaxing. I love our home (not just the physical place but where we are 'us') so all these activities were comforting and establishing again our place. Loved it!
I hope that I can carry an extra measure of this appreciation through 'regular life.' I am very blessed!

Creativity vs. The Mundane

,It sounds like a boxing match! If it were, I'd imagine creativity as that sublime movement of grace that packs power. It's almost like it happens in slow motion as people are awed by the simultaneous beauty and raw power. Even if boxing can be distasteful to you (certainly to me) the artistry of those kind of movements cannot be denied. Whereas, the mundane is the brutal, relentless pounding that beats the opponent into submission. There is no finesse, only muscle bound prowess that needs admiration.
A friend of mine told me that if creativity didn't take effort it would just be mundane. (This came up because I was complaining that creativity took so much effort!) The mundane for me are things like laundry, going over the budget, cleaning and food prep. All very important endeavors, necessary even, but not thrilling or fulfilling on a soul level. Often they are something to power through and too often they get the best of me. I'm beat afterwards. There's nothing left to give in the creative arena. However, that is not my whole life. That may be one or two days of my week - being too tired for anything else, but I state now that I want to move through to the sublime. How does that work? How often will that happen? I pray for God's agenda through my days and the courage to make the effort!

Simple Life

At the moment, my life is very simple! No complaints. :) Yet there is still something I want to do; I just don't know what it is. Have you ever had that feeling of longing/ache/excitement when you hear of someone else starting up something they've always wanted to do, or following a dream? That feeling doesn't always strike me because those things can happen fairly regularly. But it happened to me listening to Ellen Degeneres when she said she had started a record label. That does not appeal to me in the least! And yet, the feeling struck me. She's already doing so many things but somehow this was different. I'm not doing so many things, nor am I a celebrity! However, my goal is not to do a lot but rather something purposeful, fun and made just for me!!
I've been a business woman (architect), a missionary (although they say once a missionary always a missionary), worked for a business and started a business. What's next? Now I'm in this semi-retired position which I love. I'm flexible, able to go on trips when money allows, meet with people and relax. Of course I thought some of this relaxing time would be spent writing, drawing and/or photographing. I'm not doing much of any of that! Hmmm. Am I lazy? i probably need more of a routine. All of those things are still very exciting to me. What's wrong? Or is anything really wrong - maybe I just need to make different choices through the day.