Musings
This page is the place where I'm putting essays on topics that come to mind, Enjoy!
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Thankful
As I was mowing the lawn the other day, on our relatively new zero-turn mower, I started thinking about weird things I am thankful for---like the mower. It used to take me 4 or more hours to mow our 5 acres with our John Deere mower. Now it takes about 2! It's so much easier to operate than the Deere. I don't have to back up, turn, back up, turn and mow and re-mow the corners or around trees---I can just zip around them now. Thanks to whomever invented this mower!
I also am thankful for swings. I have a studio out behind the house that has a nice long porch on which Mike has hung 3 cloth chair-type swings and one with a wooden seat, that he made. When the grand-kids come over, they run out to the swings and will spend hours just swinging and winding and unwinding themselves. I too, enjoy going out to relax or read, in one of the chair swings. I sometimes am inspired with new story lines while there.
What is it about swings that is so attractive? I think the rocking motion reminds us (in our deep sub-conscious) of being in the womb and the comforting motion we felt there. Or maybe, it's the feeling of being air-born---sort of like flying without leaving the security of the Earth's gravitational pull. Whatever it is, I don't know of anyone who doesn't enjoy a little swing now and then.
Attic fans. I wonder how many people have one of those? Our house was built in the 30's, so it wasn't equipped with central air, and we never invested our money in putting it in, so we opted for an attic fan---which by the way, has worked wonderfully for us. Fortunately, Michigan summers aren't usually miserably hot, so when we turn the fan on, to replace the hot air collected during the day with the cooler air of the evening and night, we are quite comfortable. Lately, because the night air has been so chilly, we haven't even had to use it---relying on our ceiling fan---which I am also thankful for. I can't imagine either of them working well in hotter, humid climates, like Texas. You'd just be replacing hot air with hot air---not very effective or efficient! So, air-conditioning would have to suffice.
I am also thankful for Swiffers, and vacuum cleaners, Upright and hand-held. With an active family, and a very big dog that sheds constantly, and 2 cats that contribute their fur as well, my floors are always covered in some kind of foreign matter. Brooms and dustpans work ok, but it's difficult to sweep a big rug! Since our house is primarily wooden floors, with area rugs, the Swiffer comes in quite handy to round up those fur balls and dust bunnies, then the vacuums get the remainder of the rubble left behind. I think how difficult it must have been to keep one's floors clean, before these items were invented.
I could probably go on about other things I am thankful for---like indoor plumbing, and electricity---but I don't have the time and you'd probably get tired of reading---so, I'll close with this thought:
We have come a long way since God created Adam and Eve in the garden, and to Him I am thankful. He has blessed so many minds with the creativity to bring to fruition the ideas/plans that make our lives more efficient and healthier. Sometimes, I think, we get so busy and caught up in the things and activities of this world, that we forget where our blessings come from. Let's not be negligent in giving praise to the One from Whom all blessings flow!
Hoarding
I recently realized that I am a hoarder. Oh not the kind that has so many boxes you can't get through, but one that is a little less obvious. Some would call me a collector. I like that. In reality though, I'm a hoarder. I love clothes, shoes, books, crafts, music-----well, you get the idea.
I recently retired from piano teaching and have acquired over 100 music books from beginner to advanced. That's not counting the sheet music and the music I have copied and put in folders. What to do with all that? Well, I've given some away, and hope to sell the rest---or better yet, return it to the store from whence it came. I'm not sure if they buy back music, however.
Then there's the basement. Oh my goodness! I love doing crafty things and I keep buying more items to help me make these crafty things, only problem is, I don't seem to have the time to do them! Between, cleaning, writing, laundry, food prep, reading, shopping, socializing, grand-parenting, my days are full. I have good intentions. I think of doing these things often, but when it comes down to it, I either can't find the time, don't want to take the time, or am just too tired to care! So, my crafts just keep piling up and gathering dust. One of these days I'll jump in and get to them.
Clothes. I have 2 closets, 3 dressers, 1 cedar chest, 2 drawers in the hall, and storage boxes in the attic full of clothes. Do I need that many clothes? Of course not! I've sorted through them and have given many away, but doggone it, I keep buying more. Just one more pair of pants---one more top---one more dress! Why do I continue this crazy behavior?
Books---cd's and tapes and magazines. Oh my goodness, I love to read and listen to books. I have shelves and shelves of books and tapes in my family room, as well as my bedroom, front room, and bathrooms. I do occasionally gather the magazines up and take them to the library or local merchants who appreciate them. The books and tapes I donate to Good Will. Even after the purge, I still have more than enough to keep me busy for years to come!
I don't want to be a hoarder! I'm trying to sort and toss, but it isn't easy. It doesn't help that my husband is a hoarder as well. I won't even start listing what he keeps around. Between the two of us, we have enough “junk” to sort through to keep us busy for years to come.
Time. Where does it go? I am given 24 hours in a day, yet at the end of it, I feel I need more. Is it because I have too many things on my agenda, or am I using my time unwisely? Most days I don't feel I am unwise, but others...well. I think if I didn't have to sleep, that would give me at least eight or ten more hours—to do what? Write, clean, do crafts, shop?
Some days I am blessed with what seems to be an extra amount of time, and I am quite productive, but I never feel as if I'm truly “caught up.” What does it mean to be “caught up?” I would love to have my house spotless, and in order inside and out. I guess it would help to have a husband who feels the same—or maybe not. Some women have husbands who want a spotless house, and are quite verbal about it—to the point of taking more pride in their home than in their wife or children. So, I guess there's a limit to being neat and tidy. There has to be a balance.
I tend to compare my home to some of my friends and family members who have houses that always appear to be in order—inside and out—and I wonder how they do it. How do they keep it so neat and clean? One aunt in particular has a husband who pitches in and helps keep it that way. Alas, I do not have a that type of husband. He is quite content in a messy, disorganized home. He says it is comfortable.
I argue that it can be comfortable and neat and clean. He just rolls his eyes as he walks by tracking grass and dirt in on my recently mopped floor. He apologizes, and promises to clean it up—later. I sigh, and sometimes I blow a gasket and he gets an ear full. Do I nag or let it go? If I let it go, then I'd better truly let it go and not bring it up later. If I nag, am I ready for those ramifications? Sometimes, I just hand him the vacuum and walk away. He gets the idea and I don't have to nag or let it go. A win for both of us.
I know there are more important things in this world than a neat and orderly house, and in the long run, do people remember my house, or me? Is my house more important than my attitude? I don't want to live in a pig sty, but I don't want to be so obsessed that I fail to be open to the needs of others.
I struggle daily to keep my priorities straight and in balance, and yearn for the day when God says, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”