It was a weekend full of lots of work; trimming, raking, and bagging umpteen bags of yard debris is hard work! By Sunday night, my body was complaining loudly but, we are ready for spring (even though winter is not entirely done yet…)
Today I am going to spend some time catching my breath and maybe getting started with clue 4 done on my Lunar Phases MKAL! This is the final clue so I now have a vague idea of how this will all come together and can I just say that Larissa Brown is a mad genius!!
And!! There could even be a load or two of laundry in process whilst knitting today. I can be talented like that! Hahaha!
I hope your Monday is full of the things you need.
Sometimes, those tiny moments all add up to an overwhelming moment that makes you stop and contemplate how you got there…
Last week was one of those weeks.
It all began with this very simple devotion from Henri Nouwen. Simple, but impactful…Giving and Receiving. I am good at one and horrible at the other. I love Henri Nouwen’s picture of giving and receiving in a yin-yang image. I spent much of the week considering why I struggle with the “receiving” portion of this symbiotic relationship. In every aspect of receiving… truly. Steve could tell you a million times of me getting upset with his help in the kitchen. I am very much of the mindset that it is much better to give than to receive. Yet, these simple words were like an arrow to my heart. I need to work on being a cheerful receiver. It is not easy, and it feels very uncomfortable to be on “the receiving end” of the equation.
Then, on Friday, Kym ushered in Poetry Month with this beautiful poem from Derek Walcott. And with those simple words, another spate of arrows struck my heart. I have printed the poem out and it is hanging at my desk. I have read it multiple times since Kym posted it and each time it overwhelms me with raw emotion and, yes, tears. On the heels of Michelle’s 5-day Self-Portrait Challenge where she pushed us to look at ourselves in new ways. As usual, she pushed me towards those uncomfortable edges of myself, but I managed to steer clear of them and superficially participate in each day’s assignment. This poem, however, brought that discomfort front and center.
So, this week, my tiny moment is me.
I am not writing this post to garner well wishes from you, Gentle Reader – in fact, I seriously debated turning off comments for this post.
However, what I am closing with is a question or two for you; how you deal with those laid bare moments – whatever they might be. Do you push the difficulty back in the corner and ignore it? Or do you take a more pro-active approach?
At 5PM last night, Steve said to me how is it Sunday night already? Where did the weekend go?
I could have used at least one more weekend day, or maybe two! Doesn’t a 3-day work week sound amazing?
Good things about the weekend:
The snow did not stick!!
There was a glorious amount of sunshine!
The forsythia and lilacs are holding their own against some bitterly cold nights.
There was knitting time, and reading time, and some other entirely mundane things (i.e. housework)
People asked on Instagram about the Friday cocktails… you can find the recipe here. Mod’s I made: we used Hendrick’s, no raspberry infused ice cubes, and no club soda. It is a very interesting flavor combination and I would absolutely make it again. Also, Steve thought that the raspberry-maple syrup would be a great addition to a beer! Ha!
Outside of all that, it was a very low-key weekend here. And, after last weekend it was most welcome!
My agenda for today? I have two library books due this week – so my plan is to get at least one done today! Monday’s are for reading, yes?
Now, when is the next 3-day weekend? Amirite?
P.S. A huge congratulations to Carole on her win on Saturday! I am so proud of her!
Little bits of time,
Every single day creates
Winter memories
When I originally “planned” this year of stitching, I had something much different in mind. And, so I began with that plan, but I was not happy with how it looked and so over the course of the first days of winter my stitching changed. I did not remove the parts I did not like, but rather I incorporated them into the design.
They are a good reminder for me, don’t undo – improve!
Winter had lots of snow, a good bit of sunshine to temper the grey days, swirling winds, and so many birds. I love the memories that this stitching holds.
