Life...It Happens

Well, I'm about to tell you something. It was kind of a secret. I had told a handful of people.

Sometime in October, I determined to write every day for one year. I was inspired by a friend of mine who wrote a song a day every day for one year. She did it, too! I was impressed by this, and decided to set a goal for myself. I have been successful (I mean to say, I have written...I cannot say that it was always quality writing!)...until yesterday. 

I have, in the past few months, given myself a grace period of a few hours; sometimes my post wasn't written until after midnight of a certain day. Technicalities were overlooked. I am fine with that. And yesterday, I meant to write a post sometime after dinner, but I was reading. I wanted to finish a book before I handed it to Michaela to read, so I was pushing myself to get through it. (It was very good.) (I love (love, love, love) well-written children's literature.) Bedtime for the kids arrived, I read some more, and Mike and I hung out for a bit. Then it was late.

And I meant to write a quick post (I'm not even sure what I was going to write.) but then I forgot! 

When I realized that I had not written a post, I was sad. Not devastated, but bummed. 

Then I realized I had written something yesterday! But it was on Facebook. Hmmm. That probably should not count...ha! Here are my Facebook posts:

-I just wrote "2012"...that's what the time change does for me. I lose an hour, and a year.

-We are so, so, so, so, so, so off any remotely normal kind of schedule that I'm afraid this coming Monday is going to be the mother of all Mondays. Seriously considering melatonin for all of us.

- (in response to a friend's comment on the above post) We totally skipped Spring Break and went straight to summer vacation. Ooops.

So there you have some examples of my brilliant Facebook posts. 

Here is what I'm going to do. I'm not going to let one day derail my plan or make me lose sight of my goal. I'm going to give myself grace and acknowledge that the things I spent my time on instead of writing were just as, if not more, important than being legalistic. And tonight, I will write again! 

And now, my girls have been invited next door to swim, so I must accompany them. That's what happens, isn't it? Life...

Writers are Readers

If you know me, you know I like to write. (If you don't know me, then you can assume I like to write. Bloggers like to write. Duh.) I'd also like to become a better writer. Unanimously, established writers say that if one wants to write better, then one must read voraciously.

I haven't read voraciously in a long time. But I have the desire again. I've mentioned several times that there are books I want to read, and now more than ever I am determined to do more reading, and of very good literature and other writing. (I want my children to know I read actual books, rather than sit with a computer all day.) C.S. Lewis is on my list. Eric Metaxas' book on Bonhoeffer is on my list (and there is a group of ladies reading it along with Donna Boucher (a.k.a. Miz Booshay, of photographer fame on The Pioneer Woman's site) (if you don't read Donna's blog, you should...it's lovely), which will be thought-provoking, and much more. An abbreviated version of Calvin's Institutes is by my side (although, I imagine I will read through that a bit at a time rather than plowing through it in a matter of days) (ahahaha! a matter of days...bahahahahaha! Mike would fall on the floor laughing to see that I wrote that!).

And most importantly, I have the Bible on hand. I am undecided on how I am going to read it. I think it makes the most sense to start at the beginning. Don't you? (If that is what I do, then I am already ahead of the game! I began Genesis a couple of weeks ago! Hurrah!)

What are you reading these days? 

Hope Can Vanquish Fear

Winter's dreary gray and clouded sky casts
Dark shadows o'er the windows of the soul.
Sun's rays struggle and compete along vast
Expanses of that battlefield, the whole
Of which reflects that wintertime within
The deepest parts of my own mind and heart,
Which ache and long for spring to come again
With beauty, and its newness fresh impart!
As cold winds bear down, pressing through to bone,
And rolling clouds keep light from breaking through,
Despair can settle in as quite at home -
And yet, tenacious rebel not subdued
Is hope that waits, that knows the buds are near;
And clinging to that, hope can vanquish fear!

This One Is Too Random for a Title

My head is a bit spinny and I think I need to go to bed pretty soon. I was up very late last night, putzing, not even doing anything significant, and I lost track of time and it didn't feel as late as it was because of the time change, of course. I slept in today because SPRING BREAK, but I am still feeling weird.

I apologize for being intentionally vague, but I'm gonna be. Today I learned...no, that's not right. Actually, what I already knew was strongly confirmed: I do not have the gift of hospitality. And this makes me sad. But not sad in an I-want-to-change kind of way so much as an I-want-to-run-and-hide kind of way. The kids and Mike would like to open our home and have people over...and that is something that makes me feel anxious deep and all the way to my core. Obviously, I'm the one with major issues, and I'm going to have to figure out how to overcome them, because I can't make everyone live in a bubble with me.

Unless, can I?

No. No, I cannot. So, I'll just have to work on it. Work on letting go. I don't even know what I'll be letting go of. It's difficult to say, when your fears and anxieties are irrational.

On a lighter note, our family played Clue together tonight. Each of us started off with a game piece and a sheet of paper for our detective notes. We had taken two turns each, and then Eliana said,"I don't know what to write." Just thinking about it makes me chuckle. She's five! Of course she's going to need help with this game! She and Christian paired up at that point. However, playing Clue with Christian is a little bit like playing with Ace Ventura. Have you played Clue? I never had until the other day. But it's a logic game and it requires a measure of concentration. Concentrating on the clues is hard when Silly Voice Guy is talking about chickens and using the weapons on the board to take out the playing pieces who were minding their own business in the kitchen. Maybe it was his strategy? Distract us so that he could win? It ended up getting late (TIME CHANGE) so we put the game on hold until tomorrow. We are all in great suspense as to who did it, where, and how!

I don't know how I'll sleep tonight. (But I think I'd better try pretty soon...)

Daylight Savings...Not So Bad This Year

One of the best ideas that Christian's school has had is starting Spring Break after school the Friday before the spring time change. I am so very happy that he has the week off.

(I say that now, on Sunday night. Ahahaha.)

Mike has been a busy boy around here. He has been tidying up here and there, and over there, and back there too. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with all of the little bits and piles and pieces and parts that I don't know where to start...so I never do. I am grateful for his work.

I have been staying on top of the laundry. That is quite an accomplishment. (Have you heard? I have a putting-away-laundry problem.)

I also just realized that I am delusional. You see, I have been keeping up with the dirty laundry, and my piles in the laundry room are quite reasonable. However, the clean laundry has once again mounted up against me. So...my putting-away-laundry problem remains. The accomplishment lies in the dirty clothes department.

Aren't you glad there isn't really a dirty clothes department at the store? 

I made lasagne tonight, and it was pretty tasty. I used homemade spaghetti sauce which I already had in the fridge, and Mike went to the store for me and purchased the other ingredients that I needed, so it was simple and quick to put together (no-boil recipe!). French bread for the win! It was a good dinner. And now we have leftovers. Bonus!

In light of how very little of anything meaningful that I have to say tonight, I must head off to fold some of those clean clothes. I don't even mind doing it. That is what not having to set an alarm for the morning does for me!