Category Archives: Blog

Seeing Red

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Every year the kids go on a Christmas shopping spree at Walmart… sometimes using our own money to buy us gifts. Seems counter-active, I know, but whatever. Usually we end up with something they want. This year, as I was releasing them to the abyss of the super centre, I pointed out the Christmas boxes of amaryllises. Those seasonal bulbs all contained in a little kit, stacked up eyeball level high in the aisle next to the check outs. ”Mom might like one of these” I suggested, with a wink and a nod. It was a cheap gift — and so there it was Christmas morning.

Excited, that my own money was actually used to purchase something I wanted, I plunged the sad looking bulb into its pot and emptied the bagged soil; lovingly tucking it in with hopes it might do something. I watered it through the season and all of a sudden it sprang to life one day! Not one, but two beautiful blooms! A deep, Christmas red with even darker, wine coloured highlights. It made me smile. I’m not sure how long it will last, but the flower made me happy in the dark of wintery January. Now that February has rolled around, flowers, hearts and the colour red has come forward once more. And it has me musing again.

February is my “blog-aversary” and it has been a long journey, this mittonmusings.com. I haven’t gone viral, I barely have a couple hundred followers, and as much as some of my writing has improved, we plod onward with little recognition. That’s okay. Perhaps it’s as much of a journal for me as it is a quick read for my beloved readers. Back to red. I’m reminded of our colouring party… which seems like barely a blink ago, but we explored the symbolism in the Bible of colours way back in 2020!! I invite you to go back and dive in. The post about red is here. I must say, I was on fire then… lots of research went into that endeavour. Huh. Maybe I should host another “theme” series. Whattya think? Perhaps I’ll do a post over on Instagram to see what ya’ll might like.

This week the “red” was thick and dark for me. As an introvert, adjusting to a new city has been difficult for me. I’m trying to do my best to be friendly and courteous, but it’s been really tough to cut through that thick skin of well established groups and culture of “small town”. My heart has been slashed a few times and I’m trying to keep from bleeding out. I’ve been trying to mull it over in my mind. Trying to dig deeper. Think. 

A friend (a good friend with whom I have history with) made it simple. All of us are broken. Some of us must balance our own need for connection with the brokenness of others. Until we are able to level the playing field and realize we are all in the same boat, it’s difficult to build bridges. We need to have shared experiences to connect. Only when we break through the surface do we all bleed red. Which is kind of cool to think that in Christian circles, we talk about how Jesus’ blood covers our sins and cleanses us. Bloodshed allows us to be all put on the same playing field. It was necessary. Sacrifice is required. Deep and painful and rich. Like the colour of red I’ve been seeing this week on my windowsill. Oh, God is good at visual reminders!

My blooming reminder!

So, my little quip this week is not full of research and facts, but more of a journal-to-myself-with -an-audience-on-the-internet post. Seeing red is not always angry. Perhaps, it may mean the exact opposite. Thanks, kids, for the gift that keeps on giving.

 

Roots

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Happy New Year, my beloveds! Wow, so much has changed in the last twelve months, and here we are at the beginning of another collection of twelve. Like most people, I try and take the new year as an excuse to reflect, recollect and do a little introspective digging. Instead of resolutions, if you’ve been following along on the blog, you’ll know, that I have chosen a word of the year for the last few years. My word for 2023 was “magic”. It was chosen with the intent of adding a little pizzazz to celebrations. To include decorations, fun, festivity, and go a little “over the top” for friends and family on a more consistent basis. I failed miserably.

Although quite a bit of “magic” happened in 2023: our son got married, we bought a new property, we moved to a new place, some kids flew the coop, and we all had to adjust. There was certainly little time for adding anything extra to moments… I was barely holding on to the bare minimum requirements! As I look back, yeah, I don’t think my magic mantra was adequately applied to the year, as I had hoped. And so I acknowledge that and move on (which is what we do when we reflect, recollect and delve into your persona, right?)

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

So here we are in the middle throws of January already, and another collection of months lie before us, with the possibilities of a new word of the year. Wanna hear it? Drum roll. ”Roots”.

Roots is the word I have chosen for myself for 2024. It’s a complex word, really, with the full definition almost a page long… roots as in part of a plant, roots as an origin, a base, a support, the core of something, or to root about and dig into deeper. What image does it conjure up for you when you hear “roots”? Can you see how it could apply to you in the coming year? (I’d love to hear about it… contact me!)

I got a “sprout” kit for Christmas from the hubby. Essentially it’s a bunch of stacking trays in which to germinate seeds… for eating. Those “microgreens” that appear in all the healthy eating commercials. (I since have learned that microgreens and sprouts are technically different things, but I digress). When a seed germinates, the seed opens up and “sprouts” first… shortly after, the roots appear. The roots are stronger and thicker and provide a support for the plant. It nourishes it and branches out to seek water and food. I’m sure you all are familiar with tree roots and how they support the tree. 

photo via Heartlight

The Mitton crew has moved into a new place. We are just now beginning to meet some new people. Friendships are developing at school, work, and our new church. These are people who are still “sprouts” to us. Tiny friendships full of potential and nutrients, but no support or root development yet. It takes time for roots to grow. I heard somewhere it takes events, or shared experiences to create a history with another person. A root, if you will, that stems growth between the two of you. We have yet to develop those here. Perhaps in 2024, we will.

I’m excited about our big garden space at Itsnotta farm. It was too late to plant when we moved in, so I’ve been dreaming about it. What growth will take place? Will we fail miserably at certain things? Likely. Yet, this is the way we grow figuratively, too! We try, we dream, we reach for the sun, and turn our little heads toward the light and put down strong roots to stabilize and secure us. We seek nutrient rich sources that help us grow and flourish.

What does it mean for me this year? Maybe it means rooting around into things a little. Maybe we will have to dig a little deeper to get to the heart of our relationships. Maybe try things a little differently. Who knows? Eleven and a half months are left before us to get to the “root” of 2024. Won’t you join me on the journey?!

Unspeakable Joy

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Welcome back, my beloveds, to the last week of Advent and the countdown to Christmas! We are so unprepared! Nevertheless, time will go on and Christmas will come and go – whether I am prepared or not. Hopefully, this little post will help us all get in the mood. Thought I’d share about the final theme of Advent for this week: Joy. Our youngest experienced the joy of her first snow day today. A new experience for us… buses cancelled and therefore no one shows up to school? What’s with that?! I’m not complaining though… it means I don’t have to drive in it. Bonus. 

(and so has the snow !!)

This is not the first time I’ve mused about Joy. It’s a recurring theme on mittonmusings.com. If you are interested, go back and check these posts out. They’ll make you smile:

Unspeakable joy. It’s one of the lyrics in the adapted Joy to the World hymn that’s circulating around this time of year. I wonder, though, what does it mean? Unspeakable joy. Usually when you experience “joy” you wanna chat about it, no? Shout: ”Snow day! No school! Hurray!” Tell the world about your experience? Spread the news? Does unspeakable mean indescribable? So dumbfounded that you can’t speak about it? Or awe? Like the marvel at something that just takes your words away. I’m thinking it must be like that.

I’m also guessing it takes a little bit of discipline to see those things around you that bring that unspeakable joy. I’m imagining a new mom… hectic chaos in the midst of bottles, burps and bathing. It’s not until that early morning feeding when the quiet allows you to take a moment, when no one else is around, to marvel at your baby’s tiny features. So perfectly designed. The softness of their delicate skin, and the sweet smell of sour milk and baby powder. If you know, you know. I wonder if Mary had that moment with baby Jesus. I’m sure she did. In fact, I am sure she had it a few times. 

I’m learning to discover it more and more as I take the time to slow down and practice seeing those little things in the world around me. Tiny footprints in the snow. The flame of a warm fire as it dances. It’s dangerous. Fire consumes. Yet, if you take the time to quietly observe things, you will see the beauty in it. That’s when that marvel comes in to play. That’s when you begin to get that awestruck “joy” that there is Someone so much bigger than you who has mastered the tiny intricacies of life as we know it. And that Someone has set them in to place so that this big wide world goes ’round with the exact precision it needs to be set at. Amazing.

We had a unique experience this past week when we were decorating our front porch. We discovered a dead pigeon on the lawn. Now before you scroll away, hear me out. We don’t know what happened. There was one tiny blood streak. A hawk maybe. Or a cat? We don’t get a lot of pigeons, so I think it was dropped in from elsewhere. And I don’t want to glorify death, but there was something beautiful about this bird. Each feather layered in a silky, smooth collection. Some feathers glistening in green and purple iridescence. A striking contrast to the grey and white body feathers. Each wing stretched out to reveal strong flight feathers. Yet so light as to carry this creature on the wind. It hit me with that awe and wonder for a moment. I was able to somehow experience the joy in death. It allowed me to observe a creature I would otherwise not have been able to examine so closely had it been alive. Do you get it? I hope you see it through my words.

Beauty in the everyday. Photo via Popular Science

And it’s the wish I have for you, my friend, as you go into this holiday season. I wish you the chance to experience “unspeakable joy” this Christmas. To practice seeing the beauty – even in some not so beautiful experiences. Perhaps, like many, the holiday season is not an easy one for you. It is not the “happy” season everyone talks about. Joy is different. It goes beyond the happy to a deeper, somehow indescribable and unspeakable emotion of awe in the essence of Christmas. The emotion behind the truth that the Creator of the entire world came to the earth as a tiny, helpless babe. Do you feel it? I wish it for you, my beloved. Joy, unspeakable Joy, to the world!!