Another powerful message from TED.
A silly story about a lamp
I’ve been on a mission to find a lamp that both Larry and I could agree on, for the past few months. We recently redecorated our living room and he was content to keep a few items that I really didn’t think fit well with the new color scheme. He’s usually right when it comes to color choices, so I tried to convince myself that our old lamp was just fine. That was until I went to JC Penney, the other day.
I walked down the clearance isle in the lamp section and lo and behold, there it was… the perfect lamp (or so I thought). I couldn’t believe the price, so I quickly took a picture and emailed it to Larry. I thought for sure he would love it as much as I did. My phone broke the bad news to me with a text that read, “I like our current lamp better, but you can get it if you want” So, I left empty handed that day.
Long story, short. I couldn’t get the idea of this lamp out of my head. I felt like it would fit into our space really well and it was 80% off, for Pete’s sake! So, I went back to Penney’s two days later and it was still there. BAM! It was meant to be. 🙂
The only thing that would’ve made this purchase a little better would’ve been if I had a coupon. As it is, I think I got a pretty awesome deal, for $25 (was $120).
Be Here Now
It’s been a while since I’ve posted, so to ease my way back into blogging… a video. Love this!
The Civil Wars
If you enjoy indie folk music, you should check out The Civil Wars. I was first introduced to them on the Glen Hansard Pandora station. I’ve eventually broke down and downloaded their CD from ITunes and have been listening to it non-stop, for the past couple of weeks. If you’ve seen the movie “Once” you will love them. It’s also ironic how their formation sort of follows the character’s experience, in the movie. Their lyrics are heartbreaking and wonderful. Give them a try:
Vita
I’ve been on this health kick, lately. Part of it stems from a desire to make better food/drink choices in the new year. Mostly, I just want to feel better.
Let’s face it, we all have varying degrees of nutritional deficiencies: iron, calcium, Vitamin D. You name it! We deprive ourselves of “good” things, in exchange for convenience and comfort. Supplements can be a great way to compensate for this lack of nourishment.
My mom has always been a huge believer in vitamins and natural supplements, so maybe it’s finally rubbing off on me? She has always encouraged me to “take my vitamins” and has even gone so far as to buy them for me! I have a cabinet full of dark brown bottles, that are finally seeing the light of day. Recent trips to Georgetown Market have also inspired me to try some new things.
All I know is, stress affects me in the most random ways. I’m hoping that my new found enthusiasm for wellness will serve me, ummm… well.
Here’s what I’ve been doing:
- 1 bead of Probiotic Advantage
- 1/2 fresh lemon juice in a cup of hot water
- 2 Tablespoons of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with water and honey.
- 6 oz. of Lakewood Organic Tart Cherry Juice
- Vitamin B-6, C, D and E
- Lifetime Calcium Magnesium Citrate
- Omega-3
- Lutein with Bilberry
- Handful of Raw Almonds
- Fruit
Let’s hope I can keep this up!
DC
One of our decisions, in the New Year, has been to give up soda during the week. I’m notorious for drinking way too much Diet Coke and Larry recently admitted that he’s been consuming 2 to 3 Pepsi’s and/or Dr. Pepper’s a day, at work. What!? I’m not judgin’, I’m just sayin’!
So, the deal was that we each are allowed 3 soda’s per weekend, beginning with Friday night. When Larry first proposed the idea, I was like, “No Problem”. And then, as January 1st kept creeping up, I was like, “No Way!”. Nevertheless, I submitted (begrudgingly).
Well, I’m happy to report that it hasn’t been as difficult as I initially thought it would be. At first, I found myself asking for permission to have a DC during the week, but Larry stood firm. I sucked it up and decided that he really does have our best interest at heart and isn’t trying to deprive me of something I enjoy because of some weird sadistic motive. Hmmm….sounds a lot like Jesus. 🙂
I know that giving up soda during the week seems a little trivial but , as with most things, I look at it as a sort of metaphor. What are some other things that I think I need, in order to get through the day? Maybe, if I took that leap of faith and tried to go without, in some other areas, God would sustain me and help me to see that all I need is Him?! And maybe it would be easier than I thought?!
But even if it wasn’t….the benefits, oh the benefits, of self-discipline. It could be worry, selfishness or those cookies that are sitting in the break room. Whatever it is, faith and discipline always trump carnal desires, when it comes to true satisfaction.
I’m not going to lie. I just saw a Dr. Pepper ad on the web and realized that I had completely forgotten that it was the weekend and I can actually have a Diet Coke! (Hence, the blog post.) It’s a beautiful day, simply because I wasn’t looking forward to the Diet Coke and even forgot about it! The fact that I can have one and enjoy it is just icing on the proverbial caffeinated, sweet and low enriched cake! I think if Jesus were physically present, he would join me in my enthusiasm and crack open a Diet Coke with me. I’m just sayin…
For the Birds
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
Matthew 6:25-34
I was reminded of this passage this morning, as I sat down with my bowl of Cheerios and noticed that “our” woodpecker had his mind on breakfast, as well.
About a week before Christmas, I attempted to bake my first batch of home-made Chex Mix. I followed the instructions to a T, mixing and turning the ingredients every 15 minutes. All was going well, until during the last few minutes of the bake, I got caught up in a conversation with Larry. “Oh no! The Chex Mix!” I realized that it was burning. 😦 We tried to eat it, but decided it was better left for the birds. So, our birds have been feasting on burnt Chex Mix for the past few weeks.
I am always in awe of nature when I look out our back window. This morning, it was the woodpecker and two other little blue feathered birds that we have seen before. The idea that they have free reign of this whole city and somehow find their way back to our little bird feeder, time and time again, is amazing to me.
I love to look at how beautifully adorned these birds are with their bright feathers and intricate patterns. Maybe that’s why I enjoy Larry’s saltwater fish hobby, so much. A God who took the time to imagine and create such beautiful designs on these creatures, took even more time to mold us! How much more does he love and care for us! It’s a very basic thought, but one that I forget far too often.
I’ve been worrying a lot this past year and it’s taken its toll on my body and my spirit. I need to remember what the birds of the air already know. Trust God and He will provide.
For a New Beginning
In honor of the New Year and all that it symbolizes.
In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.
Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.
Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life’s desire.
Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.
– John O’Donohue
Memory Lane
Three day weekends are always a chance for me to catch up on some sort of project around the house. Usually, it involves organizing or trashing a bunch of stuff that should’ve been tossed years ago. Yesterday, I tackled the garage and today I addressed the dreaded utility room.
I use the word “dreaded” because our utility room has become a sort of purgatory, for our belongings. Sure, there are things that need to be stored, such as luggage and Christmas decorations. Most everything else is in a state of limbo. Resting quietly until we have the time and the gumption to get rid of it.
Today was strictly about cleaning and organizing and not so much about purging. I probably spent the first hour on task and then it seemed harder and harder to resist rummaging through some old items.
I have bins upon bins of “memory boxes” full of random personal artifacts. Digging through these boxes always brings me to a place of reflection. For whatever reason, I don’t have the best recollection of my childhood and teenage years. So, it helps to have left some bread crumbs to find my way back to memory lane.
Of course, there were tons of pictures that triggered memories that I wish I could forget (i.e. pictures of the terrible ’90’s hairdo), but among the fun things I found were:
- My first sticker book filled with Michael Jackson, Cabbage Patch Dolls, Garfield, Scratch-N-Sniff and Unicorn stickers.
- My collection of Matchbox cars.
- An old harmonica that my grandpa Wojociechowski gave me.
- A tiny red telescope that I bought at Santa’s workshop in grammar school.
- A Brownie sash.
- Old uniforms, plaid skirts and polos.
- An old recorder that looks brand new.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (TMNT) folders from high school that are stronger than ever, due to the contact paper they were wrapped in.
- A sketch pad.
- Cookie Monster stuffed animals and a Pound Puppy.
- My favorite yellow walkman.
Sometimes I struggle with whether or not I should keep all of this stuff. When will it be appropriate, if ever, to put these pieces of my past behind me? I mean, even though I will never have any said “use” for these things, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to throw them out. They seem to be a connection to my past and it’s nice to be able to travel through time just by holding them in my hands.
I enjoy taking a stroll down Memory Lane, once in a while, even if it does turn my weekend project into a month-long event.
Everything Belongs 