JUST BREATHE...

 

"Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day

 is the rest we take between two deep breaths".

Ettys Hillesum

When I found the above quote, 

I knew it was indicitive 

of how my life is going.  

It gave substance to how

 I am enjoying life right now 

and took away the very slight feeling 

that maybe I should be doing more. 

 I am rearranging what used to be 

and adding in what is important to me

 in the here and now. 

 If the laundry doesn't get done on Monday,

 or the grocery shopping doesn't get done on Tuesday, 

we just dig a little deeper

 in the sock drawer

 and make a peanut butter sandwich 

for that night's dinner. 

 Those significant items 

will get done in due time,

 but when they don't, 

we just take deep breaths

 and enjoy something else in their place.

That doesn't mean that every thing

 is at a stand still, however.  

Ideas come and go,

 some more important than others. 

 The special ones get done a little sooner, 

and if not so special, 

maybe we take a few more

 deep breaths in between times.  

The important part is that we 

don't let remorse come into the picture. 

 This is a fairly new concept for us 

so we don't have much to base it on, 

but hopefully, it will work out

 and we will be able to stick to it. 

 So far, it seems to be working. 

With my back issues it seems to be 

more of a necessity than a luxury.

In one of these moments in time,

 I had an idea that would

 rearrange the kitchen.  

When memories are sometimes short

 we tend to forget and therefore we repeat the same mishaps over again.  

The Cottage is the only home 

that we have ever had

 that I really couldn't rearrange the furniture in each room 

when the feeling would strike. 

 Because there is no center hall, 

there is an abundance of 

doorways and windows in each room

 that only allow for a 

single method of placement. 

 I, like my mother before me,

 am a big fan of rearranging, 

and it took me quite awhile

 to get used to this way of living. 

 For some reason though, 

the kitchen seems to be exempt from it all. 

 I have tried numerous ways

 of fitting our existing pieces 

in different configurations but, 

I don't know who I am trying to kid,

 because the end results are

 always the same as the beginning! 

 We thought we could use

 the large Ikea cupboard as an island

 but it was just too big.  

This is a heavy piece and not easy to move, 

but the Captain is always willing to forgive 

as he almost always has to 

move it back to its original position.

All this nonsense could have been avoided

 if I had just tried my new idea

 in the first place. 

 This little table we have used in the kitchen for some time. 

 It is smaller scale and fits in nicely...

...enter the same little wooden table

 after painting its legs white. 

 It now has a more farmhouse appeal 

and the size is perfect,

 even with the larger white chairs.

Now, I can understand the true meaning

 of taking a rest in between 

a couple of deep breaths! 

 It makes life so much easier.

I have been practicing free hand drawings 

and think it is evolving a little bit. 

 I see improvement is needed

 on the bottom petal, 

but now I can see it so, hopefully, 

I won't make that mistake again.

A still life practice piece.

Thanks to the Captain and the fairies, 

the Secret Garden is coming along.  

Although it will take a really long time to come back to what it once was, if ever, 

I am happier with it now than I thought I would ever be again. 

 This coming weekend we will be making a trip to the nursery for some bright color 

and a piece of lath which, hopefully, I will be showing you soon.

  Watch this space.

I ordered Bernideen's book 

that she just had published 

and it is really a treat,

 especially for my storm damaged eyes! 

 She did such a nice job 

and her garden is simply beautiful. 

If you haven't stopped by 

her beautiful blog,

 please do.

 You are in for a big treat.

Well, I am off to take 

some other deep breaths 

so will visit again soon. 

 Hope all is well with everyone. 

 It is hard to comprehend 

what is happening 

in our country right now.

 It is an unbelievable and despicable time.

  I lived through the times 

before Roe v Wade 

and it wasn't good to say the least. 

 I don't know what these zealots

 have in mind for the future

 but going back is not the answer. 

   

Happy Tuesday

 and remember to breathe 

and make something sweet.

...Judy...

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Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda

MOVING ALONG...

 

It has been awhile since I last posted. 

 During that time we have been on the top rung of the ladder but also on the bottom.

  I am surprised that I have been away from blogging this long

 as I truly love all that it entails and cherish the friends I have made. 

 I plan on coming back strong soon

 and can't really explain why I am lagging a bit now 

except to say that maybe the last couple of years are finally taking their toll. 

 I am getting excited that summer is coming.  

I am getting excited to go to the nursery and pick out some pretty flowers 

and to see some brightness returning around me. 

 I need to have a story to tell 

and when there is not much but the status quo, 

I can't seem to get motivated. 

 A blank slate can be pretty boring and uninteresting.

I guess I will start on the bottom rung, 

as I imagine you are wondering about that...

Our little Kai boy has crossed over the rainbow bridge to join his pack. 

 Ashley, Curly, Buddy and Maggie were waiting for him there

 and even though they never met, I'm sure it will be a happy reunion. 

 His diabetes seemed to be in check and I do think he was feeling better in that respect, 

but his spine issues were getting progressively worse and that was painful for him. 

 After long bouts of sitting or laying down, it was really hard for him to get back on his feet. 

 He drug his little back feet and that was causing him to fall.

  Sometimes he would fall on his back and couldn't get back up without help.

  He was crying a lot and we knew it was time to let him go. 

 All the muscles were shot in his back end and he was having trouble controlling his bodily functions. 

 He was a very good boy and he loved his people very much, especially his Papa.  

He was like velcro, so much so that I seemed to have trouble with stepping on his feet. 

He loved me but didn't care for my feet very much and would go after them every chance he got. 

 He had lost most of his teeth but he had very strong jaws! 

 He was a big part of our little family 

and we are missing him terribly.  

In the time I have taken off 

you would expect that I would be working wonders with all the projects that I would love to get done,

 but my back issues are ongoing so I can only do so much at one time without sitting down. 

 Of course, while I am sitting, the time could be well spent by turning on the TV,

 just until I had rested!  

Wish me luck with that one. 

 But, I am learning to accept that fact and now don't get all hot and bothered about it. 

 I know it will get done eventually and that is all that matters.  

The three rooms, above , have all been cleaned well and I am just moving on from there, day by day. 

 The Captain is working diligently to restore the Secret Garden.

 It seems to be, at this point, a thankless job,

 but he is keeping at it and we can see improvement day by day also.

We did get the driveway done

 and it is now waiting to get some pretty put back on, 

kind of like lipstick on a pig!

I haven't been painting that much 

but I have been doing a little practicing of free hand drawing. 

 The three subjects, above, are the results so far. 

 I am quite proud of the lemon. 

 I will be glad when I can get the hang of doing leaves.

This post will probably not be the start of a new beginning.

  I imagine I will write when I have something to say 

and there will be a few times yet before getting back on track. 

 I read all your posts but don't always get the time to answer

 but just know that I am keeping up.  

Our counts of Covid, like most places, are constantly rising 

and we are still conscious of how to leave the house responsibly. 

 We are still wearing the mask

 but notice that not too many others are. 

 I just can't justify the chances.

Stay safe and, if you haven't already, 

please subscribe to Gold Country Cottage  (the box on the right) 

 as I will be popping up again, hopefully, sooner than later.

...Judy...

Keep dancing sweet boy!

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Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda