Tag Archives: life

Cultivating Calm Amidst Domestic Chaos (Hint: It’s with God)

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Ah friends! It has been way too long! I’m not even sure where we left off… but let’s just jump back into it, okay? I want you to imagine something for me. Then we will both be in the same head space to get the point of this weeks muse. So here we go.

Ten baby chicks are in the house still. Tucked in a corner with the red heat lamp glowing even though they don’t need it. Except now they are almost fully feathered “teenagers” who are getting crowded in their little brooder cage. You feel bad, so have to let them out for some free time and to stretch their wings. Bottle baby goats have arrived. Three rambunctious little boys who are running a muck through the living room. They are treating your living room furniture like a playground (and an outhouse). Your five older hens and rabbits have just had their snacks and have been let out for the day. The dog has been fed but is vying for a bite or two of your bagel. Are you there? Okay, so this was me a few weeks ago. Still in my nightgown, sitting on the floor, coffee cup in hand surrounded by messy chicks, running goats and a big goofy lab drooling on my leg (yet unshaven for the warmer weather). As I sat there surrounded by fluffy feathers, drool, and untold messes on the floor that will need to be scraped, scrubbed and mopped for the 5th time this morning, I smiled and mused: What the heck have I done, and how will I ever survive this chaos?!

Yup, that’s me, with coffee cup, on the floor giving baby birds treats!

Did you imagine it? Did you smell, taste and see it? I laughed, not because I found it funny really. Oh, don’t get me wrong — I chose every bit of it. I wanted to be right there. I laughed because it was crazy. I laughed because it was slightly funny, the scene before me. It was funny because I put myself there. I was slightly overwhelmed. Yet, I was happy. And smiled because I was. Perhaps your chaos is not the same as mine. In fact, I suspect most of you do not have the same chaos that I have. Maybe you are that young mom with toys and diapers and a home that is also overwhelming, but in a different way. Maybe you are older and dealing with aches, pains, appointments and a supplement drawer overflowing with ailment aids. Your house is tidier, but your mind is cloudy. Perhaps your chaos is the in between… carpooling, school lunches, technology demands and your mini van has become the home office for calls, fast food and cat naps in the school pick up line. It smells just as nasty as my living room floor with that hockey equipment in the trunk. Oh friend, your chaos may be different than mine, but I am almost positive you can relate.

Does the word “chaos” have a bad connotation in your mind? I’m not sure. I looked it up and the definition seems to have some darkness to it. Maybe I chose the wrong word to describe the feeling I had on the floor that day. I say that because it wasn’t wrong or evil… just, well, chaotic. Perhaps it conveys a “lack of control” when things are just everywhere. Or is it just like the beginnings of earth… a void with no purpose or direction until God came in and breathed life into it? I think that’s the take we see when we think of “biblical chaos”. Or is it the dark sin taking over the world as in Noah’s day where things needed a clean slate and a “start again”? Is my chaos just busyness? A mental health strain that just needs more time? I don’t think it’s evil or sinful. Perhaps my semantics have labeled busy as chaos? Overwhelmed? Whatever — you get it.

Photo by Serge Bardot on Pexels.com

Right now, the house is quiet. Everyone has been fed, cleaned and cared for. The sun is shining. Okay, a hen just walked through the front door… but so far, the floor is still clean. Now the dog is barking. Trust me, it was peaceful a second ago! And it will be again. I guess the point of this post is to say, be encouraged! Life stages are just that: stages. We move around all the time! Faithfulness is so very much an attribute of God I love… because as much as our world changes and life seems crazy and overwhelming and often messy… God is our consistent companion to hold our hand and carry us through to the next thing. Believe it. Trust Him. Smile, with coffee cup in hand and say, “Yup, You and I can handle this God… on to the next adventure!” And now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go chase a chicken out of my living room…

Unpacking the Laundry: Silly Sock Insights from Everyday Life

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Welcome back to another musing about seemingly ordinary things that lead to the extra ordinary thought of the week. The weather has certainly been getting cooler. I can’t believe that soon the snow will fly and I’ll be writing about getting stuck in snow drifts again. We closed up the pool for another season… I say “we”, but the hubby did most of the work. We just pulled and secured the tarp. It took less time this year than last, so we must be improving our technique. My pallets are still sitting on the driveway. I did finish staining the porch pew and a chair (one to go!) this week, though. I say, do you have to rake leaves if you live in the country and nobody really cares about your lawn? Sigh. So many mundane things to do.

One of those is the never ending laundry pile. Why? Why do we have so much laundry? There are four adult people living in this house. The dog rarely makes any extra laundry. Why are there so many towels? Who is using pool towels when the pool hasn’t been used for weeks? Nevertheless, the goal this weekend was to get through the piles (and piles) of laundry. I didn’t count how many loads we did, but the machines were running non-stop. We finally fluffed, folded and put away the laundry! Gold star!

Who is still using the beach towels?!

How come we don’t give out gold stars on chore charts for adult households? Perhaps we should implement that as acceptable once again. Bonus points for matching the sock bag. I have a “sock bag” where all the lost socks get dumped. This weekend I purged the sock bag once again in an attempt to get those bonus laundry points. Am I alone in this? Why do we keep mis-matched socks until they die? Most are perfectly good socks. Some in that bag are not good at all, and they are likely in that bag because I have tossed the holey partner long ago. I am sure there is a sock in that bag from when my youngest was about five years old… it certainly is cute but won’t fit anyone. For some unknown reason, I put it back in the bag.

Now, I am all for reuse and recycle, and believe you me, I have searched lots of ideas for single socks… but who wants a sock puppet to take to school when you are eighteen and the sock is a nylon dress sock with pink flamingos flocking it? The eldest of our kids has a sock obsession. She has a sock with every character, food group and funky colour. She no longer lives at home and the flamingo socks do not belong to her. I rest my case.

Still, I promised supernatural from the mundane… which leads to this week’s musing. As I sat on the living room floor surrounded by my mismatched sock collection, I thought about God up in heaven sorting out all His people. Have you ever thought about God’s collection of people? Some are “holier” than others. Some colourful. Some fuzzy, some knee high long, some short ankle sock with sports logos. Some are practical and keep you warm. Others are nylon with pink flamingos that are all fad. Like socks, we often get separated in the wash. We loose touch with those who are like us. We start out as a great pair, or a complete package of ten pair, fresh and new from Christmas morning, ready to last all year.

The Lost Sock Bag

Then. We get grass stained, dripped on, sweaty and overworked. Stretched out to the point where our elastics fail and we slide down inside the winter boots of life – defeated. Or tossed aside in the lost sock bag. For some of us, that’s the end. We’ve done our job to its fullest and God says, it’s okay, it’s your time to go now, let a fresh pair take over that stinky job. Or like that five year old’s pink sock, you get put back in the bag because although your job may be done, you are celebrated for the memories and make a mom smile at what was once. It’s a funny feeling when you find a bunch of matches in that pile, though. The adrenaline rush of the housewife who finds a full cotton pair of sports sock with not only similar stripes but the same stripes and logo on heel and toe! Those socks get put in the keep pile with big plans for a full day of toe tapping work ahead!

I know, it’s a silly muse. Socks. Faith journeys. Everyday life. Yet, it’s real. It’s a thing we can all relate to, and I hope that you’ll take a second look at who you’ve been perfectly matched with, and know that that person was hand picked out of the pile for you. And if you are still waiting in the bag, your time will come. Or if your time has come, know that you will be remembered for your crazy flamingo memories and your cozy winter morning snuggles. Happy laundry day, everyone.

Unfinished DIY Projects and Reflections: Another Day in the Life

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Well my lovelies… I’m sitting here on another random Tuesday, trying to come up with something to write about before putting on a pot to boil for spaghetti dinner. It’s a cool, damp day and it’s been a slow one from the start. I slept in too late. I likely spent more time on the internet than I should have. I soaked in the bath way too long and got all wrinkly. Time seems to be stuck again. The weather’s been fabulous for October and so projects keep getting dreamed up. Unfortunately, none of those projects seem to get finished. Currently, the pallets are still sitting in my driveway, and I decided to stain some outdoor furniture instead. Then, of course, it rained all morning and increased my drying time. And I forgot to clean the entire piece before I started at the back, so now will have to put off the front until everything is completely dry before I can hose it down again to wash up the front. I’m new to this staining thing, but I like it. Patience. That’s the ticket, right? True artistry takes time.

Started staining my porch bench

Luckily, I’m frugal (read cheap). So most of my inspirations have to be as well. Which, come to think of it, might not be ideal either. I think I can do it myself for cheaper, when sometimes it just pays to put the money in for a “professional”. Did you know you can paint a fabric couch? So if you buy a cheap but sturdy ugly patterned one… Anyway, here we are with another post going nowhere. There’s been a lot of moving parts on Itsnotta farm lately, and I am not sure where it’s all going to end up. Half finished projects and a pocket full of dreams?

Speaking of pockets, guess what happened to me yesterday? Collected eggs in the pocket of a sweater… and forgot them there. Which reminds me, I have to do some laundry. And there are dishes in the sink. But. Full stop. The kids are safe and well fed. I connected with a friend today who needed me. The hubby went to work at a stable job. The rains fell and watered the ground. I chased my free ranging chickens back home from the neighbouring farm field where they were taking in the bounty of the land. I smiled because I have them, and the land they roam through.

Canadian thanksgiving is coming up soon. We’ll be feasting as usual. We’ll likely complain about politics and chat about movies. We are truly, truly blessed. I’m pondering that today. Counting my many blessings. Knowing that each dream I conjure up is because I am comfortable enough not to have to worry about basic necessities. For this, I must learn to be thankful. Thankful and grateful that God has placed me here in this time and place with these people to love. So much of our world is dark and dismal. Even in abundance, there are those who are so lost.

The girls are back home, and the porch needs decorating for fall, but I am grateful.

You have heard me say it many times before, friends. Our faith journey must extend beyond our own little world. We must touch others. My projects will get done. Eventually. The dishes will be there when I am ready. We’ll find uses for the pallets. More importantly, I will love my friend. My grand baby will be prayed for. My family will know they are loved and I will be there for them in the future. No matter what the future holds. And we’ll be here for you again next week, too, my beloveds, as we travel along this journey together. So maybe this post doesn’t have a deep thought, or a significant musing. There’s no theological connection to some profound enlightenment. Maybe it’s just me going through the moments of a seemingly meaningless day and discovering there is meaning in it all. Yes, if you stop for a minute and look at the much bigger picture, it all has some meaning. It has to. Therefore, I’ll be back again next time, and invite you along, because, maybe you’re like me and just trying to juggle it all with a bit of dreaming on the side.