Tag Archives: mittonmusings

Unfinished DIY Projects and Reflections: Another Day in the Life

Posted on by
Reply

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.

The Beauty of Seasons of Change: Life Lessons

Posted on by
Reply

Oh friends! It has been a whirlwind of a few weeks, and I am still not over it. Usually, I am a sucker for back to school week and do all the prep, cleaning, anticipating etc. etc. They say that September is the new January, and I am here for it… except I am not. Our kiddos are getting older, and only the youngest is left in her last year at high school. We bought 99 cent pencils and a couple of packs of post it notes. Oh – and a new pair of shoes. Not that she needed new shoes, but she got a new pair anyway. No more double pairs for indoor/outdoor shoes, no school lunch prep, no fancy backpack. I don’t think we even got up on the first day to see her off on the bus. We’re bad parents. We didn’t even do the back to the college dorm pics that all our peers are posting with their older teens. Our college kid is back, but doesn’t share much… so there’s that. I promise to send him with snacks. No real food or fancy twinkly lights, maybe clean bedding and a towel and soap. Ugh! What have I become, so far from the old days.

So unprepared for back to school this year. Oh well.

In fact, we pulled them out on the first week of school to go on a family holiday. Which was great! A tradition we started a few years ago to get away and re-connect as an extended family (which is growing considerably now). We hung out and stayed up way too late. Despite the very nice weekend, we came home to a devastating loss… three (yes, three!) of my beloved chickens were gone. We are assuming a coyote pack. No signs, no evidence, just three missing bodies. That means we only have three girls left. The dog was with us, which I think was a bad thing, because he is likely a slight deterrent to whatever predators are out there. Three! So sad. Still, this is the risk of free ranging, and I am thankful my sitter is a farm girl, and handled it beautifully. I’m sorry it happened on her watch. Sigh. I spent the rest of the week after returning home researching fencing for pygmy goats. It was therapeutic.

Then there is the house… it’s a mess. I suppose it always is after you go away. I have so many big plans. So little motivation. Not even that…. I have motivation, but I don’t know, time just gets away when you are scrolling Facebook Poultry Groups and goat breeders near me. Don’t tell the hubby… but maybe I am regretting the move to the country…. WAIT. No, I am not. I love it here. The neighbouring farmers are starting to harvest again, the dust is flowing, the days are getting cooler, farm fairs are starting to crop up, apples, pumpkin spice, sunflowers and sunsets on the lake. No, I love it here, it’s just a season I am going through.

A.I generated: I asked it to include PSL… in the headless sweater?! LOL. These are the days we are in, people. A Season of A.I. generated mysteries…. Jesus, take the Wheel!

Why do people say that? Enjoy the season you are in? I get that it’s a God thing too… He designed it for us: to ebb and flow as the seasons of the year do. I had a conversation with God about it the other night. I asked Him to give me something. Some hint about the direction for the next little while. He reminded me to draw close to Him. A time for everything. I’ve talked about it before. I’m just reminding myself to embrace it again. To embrace the changes. To anticipate something new and different. Maybe I need to dye my hair again. I’ve been thinking about getting older lately. Friends and family are retiring… or dying. Harsh as it seems, winter approaches quickly and you must go through that season… until spring and new life starts again. Poetic? Not really. Just reality.

However, I do not want this post to be a downer… I need it to be as much of an encouragement for you as it is for me. This season is lovely. Rosie, in fact. Comfort. Warmth. The storage of a good harvest to make it through the Winter cold. Preparation, perhaps. I need to get back to that one. Alright friends, let’s do this! Let’s put on our woolly sweaters, our Pumpkin spice in hand and smell the sunflowers (which don’t smell really, but you get the picture)! Let the dust of the harvest fly once again, my friends!

And if that self talk wasn’t good enough for you, here’s a few other links to motivate us both:

5 Ways to Pray for your Kids in the Back to School Season

Walking Through the Seasons of Life

Study Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

If I could Save Time in a Bottle

How Do You Describe Yourself in 10 Words?

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome back. I’m a bit behind in my post this week, but have had a little bit of writer’s block. Nothing has been hard pressed on my mind. Not that I haven’t been thinking of things, of course, but what to share… anyway, I did what any good writer does: Check a few writing prompts to get the juices flowing (thanks wordpress.com). Nothing really grabbed my eye there either except one. Here was the posing question: How would you describe yourself to someone who can’t see you?

Describe yourself in 10 words or less…

Okay, so the obvious. Physical features? Body type? Hair colour, eye colour, skin tone? All irrelevant, really. Does it matter? Does it cause instant judgement if you are a curvy girl? Dark skinned or almond eyed? Do you have an accent? I think about these things when I send out resumes. Or random emails. Do you wonder what I really look like physically when you read this public blog post? Does it matter to the words I print? Realistically, it does. Our views are tainted by the subliminal signals given off in our physical appearances. You’d be less likely to listen to my conservative, religious world views if I was a middle-aged, white American male with blue eyes and silver hair.

So, then we perhaps look at education, or religious beliefs or job description. Age, maybe? Life and world experience? In this world of social media and instant information, a quick Google search will give you the basics on almost anyone. The recent passing of Ozzy Ozbourne flooded tonnes of posts. Each with their own twist. Was he a loving husband and father, or a crazed, bat-head biting lunatic promoting the devils’s music? A talented rock musician who shaped a generation, or an unintelligible drug addict? I’m glad I am not famous. Too many people judge you when you are famous. It doesn’t matter what you do, either. Peace keeper or Terrorist. I suppose it depends on what side you are on.

Recently saw this post: Ozzy on Sesame Street: Do we judge?

I am purposefully not going to answer the prompt question outright. I am going to leave it there for your own musing and thought. What I will say, is that I would love to be in God’s unfathomable brain when He creates people. He knows our little blip of existence in the great line of time. He knows who we will meet and why. He paints those skin tones and eye colours on purpose. He knows how we will feel about this or that and what drives our passions and goals. He knows our deepest darkest secrets and still loves us. Yet, He gives us a free will to choose our own destiny. Like I said, I’d love to be there when He’s mixing it all up. By the looks of some of you, He has a sense of humour, too. Just teasing.

So. There. Four hundred and seventy six words later, and a blog post is on the page. It’s a little shorter than normal, but then, so am I. A little rounder too. Hopefully, the words sparked a little musing for you this week. How would you describe yourself? Why? How did you come up with those initial thoughts? How do you describe your spouse? Your kids? Do we judge? Me? I’m a uniquely designed daughter of the King of Kings who created a fuller version of a slightly crazy chicken loving girl who shares my thoughts out here on the internet once and awhile to encourage strangers to think a bit about what they might think of themselves and others. May you go forward and be prompted by your own thoughts on the subject!