well isn't that pretty!

The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection. ~George Orwell

I can still remember her words, like it was just yesterday: "this is your house?" I must have been eight or nine at the time. Those words have dug a spot in my brain so far, that I have not been able to retrieve them and shoo them away. Even after all of these years!

Growing up we never had a very, um, how shall I say.. "fashionable" house. Actually I was down-right embarrassed of it at times. But, as a kid growing up in a not-so-friendly-world-at-times, this could be quite normal. We had a house full of not-even-near-finished projects. The carpets were in need of updating, as was the icky bird wallpaper in the front room! The house was in a time-warp, with little chance of getting its lucky break of getting a much-needed updo. Being a kid I didn't understand that my folks barely had enough to get a decent meal on the table, much less get that new couch that I had always hoped for. Being a kid I was in a different kind of bubble, one that saw what others had and desperately wanted to be just like them.

One day I had a friend come over for the first time. She stepped in the door and the very first words were those dreaded ones I shall not so soon forget: "this is your house?" For those words I can only assume that she meant one of two things. 1. "Oh my goodness! This is a ugly house! I would have thought you would have something nicer!" or 2. "Oh my goodness! What an awesome house! You are so lucky!" Now, being a rather with-it kid, I knew which one she meant. I could sense it in her voice as well as the expression on her face. I was ashamed and it has been something that I have carried with me all my life. Nice house = a good thing!

Now I am a mom, almost pushing 40 (this April). I can still replay that day. I can still hear those words. All these years have caused an anxiety in me to try to present a "nice house." Now, you must know something about me first! I am not the most tidy of the bunch. I have an eye for letting things go and forgetting about them until way much later ( like the huge pile of clean clothes on our family room floor that is in need of being put away, for example!) I am not a "slob", but I am no Tina Tidy either! So, not being super-tidy and having the "nice house syndrome" really don't go hand in hand. (you can see my anxiety here..) Anyone coming into our home would probably describe it as very nice. In my mind though I can always see the "needtobe's": this needs to be done, that needs to be done. My mind can never seem to relax. I am always wanting things to be perfect. I always wonder what people are saying about my house. I NEED TO CHILL OUT!!

I have many friends that fall into the category of , what I like to call, "pretty house people." You know what I am talking about! Those people with wonderfully decorated houses,with all the matchy-machty stuff. Pictures are actually hanging on the walls and not sitting on the floor waiting (a needtobe!) There are real life plants, that are actually growing! Fresh flowers perfectly arranged on the table. Not a speck of dust, dirt, or fur (unlike my rolling tumbleweed-hairballs that seem to be getting bigger by the second!) No, these homes seem to have magically appeared right out of Pottery Barn. Those of you who know me, know I have a Pottery Barn taste too, but a Goodwill budget! When I come home from these pretty houses I am instantly in let-down mode as I step back into my house. "If only", "what if", and "I wish" all flood my mind! The "this is your house" instantly comes to mind.

Most recently I have started (and finished!) painting our family room. It is was a rather easy fix up and it looks good. As I was painting though, I had one of my famous "a-ha" moments. It finally struck me. FINALLY! I started to truly look around our really nice home and it hit me. This is OUR home! It is not just a "house." It is a lived in space that five people that I care for so very much love, learn, share, and believe in. This is not ever going to be a page out of Pottery Barn magazine, and that is OK. I don't need to impress my friends with a "show" house. They know anyway, that that is not my style. And, no matter how much I try to polish, fluff, or matchy-match, I still don't need to fit the mold of those "pretty house people." All that stuff is not going to make my family life a happier one. Those things in the long run don't matter at all! What does matter is trying my best to make our house a loving home. One filled with Christ and lots of hugs and kisses.

I may still my look longingly at those pretty Pottery Barn catalogs that show up in the mail. I will still be friends with those "pretty house people." But, today I am putting my foot down! I am retrieveing those dreaded words etched for years (too many!) in my brain and releasing them forever! This girl has grown up!

it's BACK!

When I recently read an article raving all about the chia seed, my memory instantly went back to this commercial! Who doesn't remember those hokey commercials trying to sell us a dog or cat that actually sprouts! Just the other day though I read an interesting article all about chia. It was way back on the last page of Energy Times, a free magazine that I picked up at a store somewhere. I currently have a plastic bag full of chia seeds at home, but I had no idea how wonderful this tiny seed actually was!
Chia (Salvia hispanica) was used as food around 3500 BC. For the Aztecs, Mayans, as well as many other pre-Columbian peoples, these seeds were a dietary staple. At one time, chia was revered as "food of the gods!"
Amazingly, chia has between 19% and 23% protein by weight, more than most grains and nuts do. It is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, as well as boron, calcium, iron, potassium, the B vitamins, and vitamin C.
Chia's soluble fiber when moist helps keep the body hydrated, hence becoming a popular item among athletes. It also has been shown to help individuals with type 2 diabetes, by slowing the conversion of dietary carbohydrates into glucose.
So, chia has come a LONG way since it's debut way-back-when as a decorative sprout head, huh? Have you tried eating or cooking with chia seeds?

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher

Yesterday I was at the movie theater with my three kids (a pretty rare thing!) I am not a "movie mom". Somehow going to the movies never made it big on my list of "have-to's, should's or must's". But, there was a free family film going on and so to the movies we went! It really didn't even matter that the movie was "ah, not so great", it was just nice to be there, doing something with my kids. As I was sitting next to youngest daughter, she got scared at one point during the movie. She reached over, grabbed my hand and leaned into me. It was then that I had one of those "flash forward" moments. My girl is growing up! As I sat there holding her hand I thought about how, not in the too distant future, she will be going to the movies with her friends, alone! This will make way for "date nights" with boys, and the hand I am now holding will be taken over by someone else she may love. I sat there, in that theater, not really paying too much attention to the story on the screen. But rather, I sat there and pondered how so very quickly life is passing me by! The story on the movie screen would soon come to an end, but my "story" will continue and grow. It's a never ending story, really. I just need to learn to sit back, try to relax, and enjoy the show.

spring forward

I can hardly believe that it is daylight saving time (DST) again. So soon! It always seems to take my brain a few days to catch up with the new change. My body dragging behind it. As I was growing up I never fully understood the meaning behind "changing the clocks." I can just recall what a hassle it was to run around the entire house and adjust all the clocks. Also, how upset I would be on school day to have to get up an entire hour earlier! But, my mom always reminded me that we would get out of school an entire hour earlier, as well. Somehow it smoothed things over.

What is DST? Why do we have it? Well, the name kind of puts it right out there- daylight "saving". We are saving daylight. To me, saving daylight produces a whole slew of advantages. For one, we use less energy (electricity, gas) with the sunlight being seen longer. I don't have to flip my lights on in the evening as much. With the sun out longer, I am able to be outside longer and less in front of my TV! I can work in the yard and grow food with my extra hours of sunshine. I can spend more time with my family, riding bikes or going on long walks. I am able to stroll for beach glass by the lake or gather the family and watch a spectacular sunset. My longer days are filled with events and activities that are made possible by the sun staying awake longer, for me!

There is a long history behind DST. There is even a book written about it. The date changed from early April to the second Sunday in March, back in 2007, due to the Energy Policy Act. This also made DST end the first weekend in November, rather the last weekend in October. (Maybe to give trick-or-treaters a safer time?)
Whatever the case, history, or reason for DST, I am just going to "spring forward" myself. This unusually warm March has already sprung forward a nice amount of surprises: my flower bulbs are sprouting, the grass is greening, and the birds are waking me up before my alarm does. It came in like a lamb and hopefully will leave just the same. I look forward to what these longer "saving daylight" days will hold for me. I am eagerly anticipating the warmer weather and the bright sunshine beaming on my face. Happy (almost) Spring, everybody!!

"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain."

My youngest daughter had a sick day yesterday. This usually requires a comfy spot on the couch, hugs from mom, and a remote in close distance!
One of the shows we watched yesterday was Sesame Street. The SS of today is waaaay cooler than it was back in my day! As we were watching, though, I had an "a ha" moment. The theme of the day was "the seasons"- spring, summer, fall, and winter. A clip came on with a girl getting ready to go outside. She was getting all of her rain gear on- jacket, hat, and boots. She was all excited to be heading out in the rain! She was not frightened by the "wetness" of it. She was not "pushed" to go outside (well, at least it didn't appear that way) by her mom. She was happily getting dressed and eagerly anticipating the rain. This is when I started to think. What do my kids want to do on a rain day? What do I want to do when it is raining out?? When I was a young kid I used to frolic in the puddles, stomp through the wet grass, and delight in the feel of cool rain drops on my face. I was not "ewwed" by it, nor did I feel that I would melt! I had fun in it. Today, my kids don't even own rain boots. Nor a rain hat. We do have umbrella's though!
I began to think. When did good-old-fashioned playing in the rain become so," boring"? Why have I not encouraged it more? What am I going to do about it now?! Well, that small girl on Sesame Street re-taught me that playing in the rain is essential fun for kids. It truly is genuine fun. Who cares if the clothes get wet! Who cares if the floor gets muddy!! Kids need to get wet and dirty. Those video games will have to wait. The TV will be shut off. By golly, we have some puddles to dance in!