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Another week of contemplation as I primed and repaired and painted the living room walls. It’s been pretty heavy in our neck of the woods: we had my husband’s basal cell carcinoma surgery, the news of a leukemia diagnosis for an acquaintance’s wife (a mother of four) and a concerning spot/possible cancer for another friend. Life is so fragile and can change in an instant.
Naturally, these things make me reflect on the last four things and the direction of my life. I’ve talked about this in various ways ad nauseum on this blog, but the latest phrase I’ve been repeating is this: I want to imitate great things. Imitation is the best form of flattery, right? But who to imitate? Certainly, it’s not the popular social media influencers or famous celebrities or millionaires or politicians. This is who I want to emulate:
My grandmothers. Neighbors who take care of each other. The great thinkers throughout the ages. The saints who kept the faith during challenging times. The people who do things instead of just talking about them.
Hoping to document the abundance around me all year long!
Around here, abundance looks like…
+ spending all of my spare moments on the living room walls. The room has been in disarray for weeks and with this sudden cold snap, we’ve been dying to have our first fire of the season. I worked and worked and managed to complete half of the room to completion. (I ran out of paint, so the rest is on hold until I can get to Home Depot.) Typical insanity around here, but this is the life!
+ another decent week for the Weather the Storm Challenge. It doesn’t seem very significant when we’re spending $100 for a dozen straw bales and $630 to get our propane tank filled 30%, but…we carry on! This week, I:
- used the weekly grocery store ad to buy potatoes, cheese and honey on sale
- purchased five items to put back for winter (toothpaste and deodorant)
- sold eggs to friends
- made bread, tortillas and granola
- avoided turning on the heat, even though the morning temperatures were quite chilly
- made chicken broth from carcasses I had in the freezer
- repurposed greeting cards into mini thank you notes for my resale packages
- listed a few things on Pango/Poshmark/ebay
- reused an Old Navy return bag to mail an ebay sale
+ decluttering like a fool! Since my “baby” is turning eight this year, the youngest three kids helped me make decisions regarding what toys to keep and what can go. A much overdue project! I tucked away some of our favorites for my grandchildren someday: wooden blocks, train tracks, Magnatiles, Little People sets and Matchbox cars.
+ selling nine unneeded items for the Car Loan Payoff Plan: seven pieces of clothing, one book and a video game for my son. After shipping and fees, I made $63.39!
Reading //
- Motherhood as an Intellectual Vocation from Shannon Donald at Nota Bene // “Indeed, the first and ongoing intellectual task of the mother is to identify the particular knowledge that she requires to fulfill her duties—now and in the future—and the best means, timing, and strategy she can use to learn what she currently does not know. The answer will be different for every mother, and it will be ever-changing for the same mother. No one else can do this work for her. It is hers alone, to accept or neglect.”
- Home Libraries Will Save Civilization from Nadya Williams at Front Porch Republic // “When books are everywhere, they distract us with their presence in a good way—they demand to be read, shaping the people around them in small but meaningful ways, moment by moment, page by page. They send us on rabbit trails to find yet more books on related topics, to ask friends for recommendations, and sometimes just to sit quietly and reflect, overcome with an emotion sparked by an author who has been dead for centuries but one that expresses the state of our soul in this moment.”
- The Search for Stillness in a Mad, Mad World from Peco at School of the Unconformed // A nice companion piece to read after finishing The Power of Silence by Cardinal Sarah last week.
- presence & repair from Rachel at five acres four generations // “Right now, to combat perfectionism and burnout and despair, I try to hold two things at the front of my mind: presence and repair. In the end, those are the things that matter most. It’s not the amount of Little Bear my toddler watches when I’m sleep deprived: it’s the way I still sit with him and snuggle him, or make sure we have one-on-one creative time later. It’s not the number of times I lose my temper: it’s the way I apologize and ask forgiveness when I do.” So wise. I loved this.
New Additions to The List //
- Our Lady of Fatima by William T. Walsh
Watching/Listening //
- 30 Day Declutter Challenge 2024 from Clutterbug // I checked seven days off the list and decluttered 78 items. Totals so far: 15/30 days completed and 219 total items to sell, throw out or donate!
Loving //
- Mastermind // The kids pulled out this game and whew, it’s a brain bender! They are better strategists than I am.