Just Words

You know the saying. A picture is worth a thousand words. But does it work the other way around? Can a thousand words be worth a picture. To my recollection, I never published a post without a picture. I might have but I don't remember as I've been blogging since 2009; this is my second blog. You can find my first blog here.  Often, I have something to say with no pictures to accompany my words. Taking pictures diminishes my attention. It robs me of the present moment I am trying to capture. It keeps me from taking in each single minute of goodness. Quite honestly, it is the pictures that hold me back from blogging regularly and consistently.

So picture this. A group of women, moms, sitting in a classroom, a fairly large room, more empty seats than filled ones. They are attending a journaling workshop, one that I created and titled "The Art of Journaling". The intent, my intent was to introduce them to journaling, a practice that saved me in the hopes that it will offer them clarity, insight and resolution in their lives as well. 

I had no preconceived expectations. I had them participate in two journaling practices. I was blown away by their willingness to share their innermost thoughts and feelings. Their honesty and raw emotion generated laughter as well as tears. It was moving. It was powerful. I was thrilled by the authenticity within their words. I wanted to inspire them but I was inspired deeply.  I walked away thankful, appreciative and grateful for this opportunity as I dwelled in purpose, my purpose. I just wanted to linger in each moment. 

A post without pictures, telling a story rooted in present moment.  Although this isn't a thousand words, I sure hope you get the picture just the same:)

A Tangled Mess Take Away

Oh this tangled mess required a lot of time and energy to straighten out. Im guessing  20+ hours over several days to get the connections right.

These wires belong to our stove hood.

Who knew this stove hood contained a mother board that shorted out after 5 years of extremely light use?  Who knew that the parts would be unavailable in the U.S. and had to be shipped from Canada? Who knew that the motherboard replacement that arrived sans instructions would not be larger causing a whole lot of additional aggravation? 

Can you tell where I am going with this? It was a disaster in the making. The black capacitor box you see dangling in the first picture could no longer fit in next to the motherboard.

This started out to as a family affair but frustration set in and my husband and son had enough at about hour 6 or 7. 

In desperation, I called the company and was assured it was safe to leave the capacitor outside the black housing box. Capacitor aside, I was still at a loss as to how all those wires were supposed to fit in that little box on top of the motherboard especially because I wasn’t there when it was taken apart.

 

The wires had been connected and reconnected so many times that a couple of the wire connectors detached from the wires and two of connections fell off the mother board as well. So off to Radio Shack I went for replacement connectors, soldering iron and solder. Yes, I soldered the connectors back onto the motherboard.

Honestly, I wanted to give up so many times, but I refused. After a number of emails and phone calls to the company, finally,  I was able to get it all back together. I have to say I was proud of myself for not giving up and jumping for joy when I finished. However, this is one DIY episode I hope never to star in it again.The family and I celebrated with takeout because the last place I wanted to be was near that stove hood. I needed my space, at least for one night. LOL

So what is my take away from all of this?  Even when we don’t know how to proceed or can’t see a way out, sometimes just walking away helps tremendously.  I walked away several times. I covered the hood opening with tinfoil as this repair was spread over a three week period. 

         

This tangled mess was a reminder that perseverance prevails!

Have you had a problem, DIY or otherwise, you thought you would never solve?

  

I Heart .......

Ever think about what you truly love? Family, loved ones and friends aside, can you think of life’s smallest treasures you heart? 

I treasure things that make me smile and if I stay present, immediately, I can feel a surge of endorphins and a mini internal hug.  So here’s my short list of things I heart:

I heart so much more and this list could go into infinity. As I go about my day, I look for things I heart. It ups my happiness factor and helps me stay in present moment gratefulness.

Now it’s your turn! Please tell me what you heart-and the tinier, the better?  

Letters from the Heart

I developed a re-fascination with offline written communication a.k.a. snail mail correspondence.  Do you even remember those hand written surprises and treasures that use to appear in your mailbox and you couldn’t wait to open? What happened to that? Email, texts, posts and tweets just seemed to take over those snail mail delights.

How did this re-fascination begin? Well first, I love pretty stationery and sometimes I just can't help myself. When I see it in the store I just can't resist. So I can't just buy it and then not use it; that would be a tad ridiculous, don't you think? LOL

Secondly, I joined a book club at my youngest son's former elementary school. Although he is about to graduate middle school, I continue to participate because it’s a fun experience and I am reading books that might never been exposed to. Although our discussions are focused on the stories we read, they are infused with our own experiences as well. I truly love connecting with people’s stories, understanding their unique perspectives and sharing my own story as well.

Every year we have a culminating luncheon where all the in Queens, New York book clubs, sponsored by the United Federation of Teachers, come together to share our book club experiences and the books we read in the form of a project, presentation or oral account.  My group decided to do a letter theme project since many of the books we read contained letters as part of the story content.

Each member wrote a letter to whomever they wanted - our children, our younger self or in my case, a high school teacher (I’ll share that in a later post).

The letters are emotional and heartfelt, thus giving way to the title, “Letters from the Heart”.

This experience has inspired me to withdraw somewhat from digital communication, embracing handwritten notes and telephone conversations instead of resorting to email, texts and posts on social media. I find this return to yesteryear, for however long it lasts, is my way of relearning and investing in a one-on-one communication with intention, focus and intimacy - qualities somewhat diluted in our digital exchanges.

How do you feel about the way in which we communicate today versus offline methods? When is the last time you wrote or received a handwritten card, letter or note? 

Time to Garden

It's time to transplant the seedlings outdoors. I started them about three weeks ago from seeds I had left over from last year.  

I thought I give the seedling process another try as I had a successful harvest last summer. 

This year, however, instead of buying a plastic seedling tray, I decided to go into reuse/repurpose  mode and use eggshells and egg cartons to get the seedlings started.  I carefully washed the eggshells in hot soapy water and punched a hole for drainage. If the shell was too shallow, I would stack two of them together to create a taller and wider vessel.

So far I started onions,

Beefstake tomatoes,

and Sugar Daddy peas.

I thought the peas would take longer to sprout because the seed was so large and hard, but it shot up in a matter of days. Look at them now!

I  was hoping to have a vertical garden structure ready before transplanting anything but it looks like I will be in for another season of ground level gardening. No worries, I will continue to dream of a vertical garden oasis and rely on Pinterest to keep me inspired.

What will be growing in your garden? Have any gardening plans or stories to share?

Vintage Rustic Retreat

Do you have a picture or scene that you love to look at? One that just draws you in and almost takes your breath away? A picture that gets under your skin, interacts with every fiber of your being and makes your heart sing?

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This picture of a shed turned retreat photographed by Julie Ranee does all of the above for me. I love the colors (that turquoise stove, oooooh la la), eclectic decor and it's vintage charm. It evokes serenity and relaxation.

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I could see myself sprawled out on that bed, hands behind my head staring into that pitched wood ceiling goodness daydreaming, meditating and refilling my inner peace bucket. I'm smitten, over the moon in love with this room/shed and putting a copy on my dream board. A girl can dream, right?

So what does it for you? Have a special picture or scene that brings you into present moment clarity?

Dish Towel Curtains

I happen to love dish towels. The beautiful prints and 100% cotton fabric tug at my heart strings every time I spot them in the store; I just can't resist; however, I don't just use them for their intended use.

Since I have a small kitchen window, they're just about the right size for curtains. They could be a tad bit longer but perfection is not something I strive for these days.

When I spotted this print in the store, I thought I would trim the lover edge with whatever I could find around the house.  

Don't have a clue when or where this doily collection came from but I thought I could use them in a way that didn't scream "OLD FASHION".

After bleaching them to remove the tea stained color, I cut the scalloped motif from the center section of the doily.

Next, to straighten it out, I made a diagonal cut into each corner, pinned and overlapped the excess together and tacked it in place with a few stitches to create one long piece of trim

The "V" cut out section is hidden by the grosgrain trim I used to attach it to the lower edge.

And there you have it, another simple and easy project that makes me smile each time I glance at it.

Truth be told, my sewing machine wasn't fully cooperating. Perhaps, it was getting back at me for not using it for a very looooooong time. I think some quality time together is long overdue. Sewing use to be such a major and significant part of my life and then everyday life just got in the way. I took it to the repair shop to have it overhauled so it will be ready to go for my next creative idea. Already, I have some ideas brewing in my head for a table runner. Like these curtains, it will be simple, incorporating found materials I already have. 

I find such joy in the smallest of things, so much so, that I devised a new mantra to express my not-so-new found appreciation for life's tiniest moments: Life is about the "small and the now" instead of the "big and the wow".

If any of this resonates with you, from your creative endeavors to your meaningful tiny moments,  I sure would love to hear your thoughts.