Tag Archives: spiritual journeys

You Gotta Go Through it

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Oh beloveds! It has been way too long!! I have missed you. Where were we? Since we’ve chatted, I married off a son, gained a daughter-in-law, sent another one off to University and survived a week of extroverted activities. The old house officially sold, we entered high school and struggled with some very early morning catch- the- school- bus- or- else dramas. And then, of course, I promptly got sick. That was short-lived, though. So many things have happened, the weeks have been a blur of days, one on top of the other, piled so high that it feels like I have trudged through a mound of apple pie filling. (I don’t know, I felt like I needed some turning of fall reference. Long live pumpkin spice everything!)

Yet, here we are!! I guess I am not a very good blogger. True social media influencers would have documented all of the above, with flair. Sorry, you get me and my little piece of the internet. I’m hoping you still feel me. I am sure I am not alone in these crazy seasons of life where you just feel like it’s a bowl of chocolate pudding. Have you been there, my friend? I hear ya. Shout out to the tired momma of little ones. Shout out to the worried mom of teenagers. Hats off to the grandparents who juggle their own mortality with the lives of their adult children and the prayers for the next generation. It’s hard. Really hard.

Many moons ago, I wrote about a similar season (check it out here). I was reminded then, as I am now, that everyone needs a break now and then. What I didn’t know then was Covid was about to hit, my kids would grow and grow up, my home would be sold, and I would leave everything I know for a new adventure. Oh beloveds, I don’t even know how to express it on paper. The emotional rollercoaster of life. And I really have no excuse to complain. Many, oh so many others have struggled much deeper than I through life. We have been blessed in abundance. I count those blessings often. Sometimes you just gotta get it out though. So… I am back with this week’s musings after a short hiatus to gather content. 😉

I read something somewhere about these “recoup” moments and they referenced Elijah in 1st Kings. His enemies surrounded him, he’d been trying hard to live for God, doing good work, but life and the world seemed to be closing in on him like a thick coating of toffee on an old fashioned Christmas pudding. So what did he do? He took a nap. Had a snack. Had one more snack for good measure, and then he was ready for the next long journey ahead. He walked in the wilderness and had a quiet moment alone with God. We are allowed moments of refreshment, by God’s design. I’m comforted to know that God’s got our backs in these seasons of busyness. He knows that sometimes we just need a nap and a snack and a quiet moment with Jesus. I’m here for it. And for some reason, I’m craving a good sticky pudding…

Blessings to you!

It’s All in the Details…

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My goodness! Where has the time gone?! With a family vacation, and an upcoming wedding, and moving in and adjusting to “all the new” it’s a good thing I am currently unemployed… there’s been no time to work! Some days I feel like I have been juggling a thousand things but none have been accomplished. It can be frustrating. How does one manage it all without getting stressed? As I age, I have been learning to write all the details down. Anyone else? Often, it’s all in the details… and so the muse for the week.

Despite the busyness, I have noticed how many little things are ever-so-present in life. One of the big ones out here in the country are the insects! We are fighting the wasps and house flies constantly. The hubby is repeatedly complaining about the mosquitoes. Seriously. All. The. Time. Mosquitos. We also have a resident spider on the front porch which has been a unique source of entertainment. She lives in our Yucca plant and is huge.

Our Reminder of “the little things”

We think she’s a she because she is big and bold. Apparently, these common yellow garden spiders are also known as zipper spiders because they have these thick zipper patterns at the base of their webs. (You can’t see it in my bad photo but it’s there!) I have had the unique opportunity to watch her capture and devour several prey… including one of those pesky wasps! Fascinating. Even if you are not a fan of spiders… one must appreciate their ability to paralyze their prey and wrap them for later use – a process that takes about 30 seconds flat. I wish my grocery shopping was that quick. Like I said: detailed.

I’ve also had the pleasure of being attacked by several plant species in our brush. One must respect a creature who cannot move and yet is able to defend itself with thorns, stinging nettles or “share” their wealth with sticky little burrs. Nature is cool. God is super creative and thought of every little detail.

My sweater after a little walk outside… tiny details!

And so I muse. Not only about the tiniest of details I see around me, but about what kind of little things am I doing to enrich the world I live in? Some of ya’ll are good at those little details… the party has just the right amount of fine details to make it perfect: a place card, a flower vase, a touch of this or that. That cute garden gnome tucked in among the wildflowers. A painted rock with inspiration left on the beach during lockdown. An encouraging note for someone who needs it. A never ending prayer list of names and their individual needs.

You and I both know how important the fine details are. Sometimes they are absolutely needed… like in a recipe or pattern. If the details are lost, your final product just won’t turn out right. Your efforts will be in vain. Other times the details make things just a bit nicer. A dab of whipped cream. A scented candle. Little things just because you care. Other times being aware of the little things save you from trouble. Topping up on fuel – or bug spray, makes all the difference!

Have you tapped in to all the richness of the fine details God has blessed us with lately? Do we take the time to add them in to our plans or are we too busy to care? Would they make your life easier? Would they enrich someone else’s soul? Trust me, it takes effort. Disciplines often do. Yet, I think God gave us nature’s little quirks to remind us that He’s all about the details. And we should be too. I’ll miss my little spider come winter, but for now I will cherish her company. And her prowess. And take the cue to be all about the little things.

The Least of These (Part 1)

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We’re back! We are living out of boxes and in a little bit of chaos… but very slowly things are progressing towards routine. It’s a slower pace out here in the country so we’re allowed to take our time, right? I’m happy to be back at mittonmusings.com and wanted to share our first experience here at Itsnotta Farm.

We’d picked up the keys and had our first few walkabouts. I have big plans for a lot of spaces on the property, but I knew I wanted to get going on the unfinished basement first before anything got moved in. It’s a big space. It takes up the main part of the house, but is a little damp and dark and gets a bit wet in the spring… but I was determined to clean it up before all our junk got in. I thought it would take a couple of days work. I was wrong. It took much longer than I anticipated. It was also a good thing I don’t have an issue with spiders. I met a few along the way.

The Least of These

I started out doing my research. What would I need for such a reno? What was my prep? I was tempted to go full hog and paint the ceiling black for a cool “club vibe” like the videos I was seeing. I determined that was way more work than I wanted to take on. It did, however, convince me to buy a paint sprayer. A little splurge, but we are hoping we’ll use it for other projects coming up. (Read chicken coop and barn!). Then on to learning about paint and prep. I don’t think the basement had been taken on in 50-plus years… so I had my work cut out for me. Concrete walls. Crazy half-wall step thing. Chips, bumps, lumps and a whole lotta spiders. And then there was this:

What was this?

Not exactly sure, but I suspect rusty residue from previous pipes, a fireplace or an old oil furnace. There are two “windows”. I really wish they were closed in with a glass block or something to let in a little natural light, but it really is the cellar. Heaven forbid anyone or any thing gets locked in there… there is no escape. Anyway, for those of you looking for reno tips: talk to the people that know. I was confused about all the products: concrete, epoxy, stain blockers etc. but the lovely lady at Home Depot convinced me: concrete masonry paint for the walls because it was a vertical space. I chose white. The part epoxy paint (epoxy = plastic) that sticks better on the horizontal floor. Slate grey to hide imperfections. Perfect. Load up the cart! I also bought a wire brush and a stain blocker for those porous stained spots.

And then the work. Scraping. Oh so much scraping and chipping away at 50-plus years of layers. Climbing under shelving and behind the laundry sink. And I am not a little lady. It was probably pretty humorous seeing me tucked under the shelving with a brush in my hand getting those hard-to-reach spots while trying to avoid leg cramps!

No escaping!

At this point, perhaps you, like others around me, are asking why on earth would I want to start with such a seemingly unnecessary project? After all… it is just an unfinished basement that floods a few times a year and no guest will likely ever see. Why spend the effort on the floor that will only ever see dirty laundry and cat litter? I suppose I wanted it “clean” and protected and to look a bit more finished than it was. Moving in time was the perfect opportunity to attempt it as the basement was empty of junk. A little like people. Many of us who are rough on the edges need someone to come alongside us and brave the cobwebs to help seal the stains and beautify us. The Bible tells us that we are to care for the basic needs of “the least of these”. Everything and everyone should be worthy of a little “pretty-ing up”. At least every 50 years or so!

Support poles and floor, like us, needed fresh coats of paint after 50-plus years!

And often, the perfect time to take on such a project is when it’s empty. We need the most encouragement and uplifting when we are drained of all our stuff and have reached the point when everything has been scraped away and we can start the climb back up from the basement. Guests may never see the dirty laundry, but the very least of these still deserve some effort! And the rewards are abundant! Trust me! The daddy long-leg spiders were worth the exposure — come back next week for the final before and after reveals of our century home cellar and a little more inspirational chat about how we can be the light in someone else’s dark world!