a saturday

what a nice saturday we had. didn't go quite like i had thought it might (which usually spells trouble for this heart of mine). what a rest-filled day we had. perfect.



a lazy morning with pj's. and a sick little girl.



(lest you end up thinking our day overly idyllic, i will tell you that moments after she ate a few bites of that oatmeal... you know... we saw it again...)

with the now totally open schedule, i felt like making something.



so samuel and i set to making some challah. we've been reading a book series rich in Jewish culture (All of a Kind Family) and samuel was excited to make something "mama made".





it's one of those lovely breads that requires 3 rises and sends a beautiful yeasty smell through the house. bread making sets such a nice pace to the day. well, it can. and it did on saturday.

between bread maintenance, we rested a lot.



made messes.



and did nothing. then did more of nothing.



oh friends, why don't i have more days like this? we had a sabbath day. a day of rest. it was what we needed. sometimes, i think, God uses the sicknesses in our lives to give us the sabbath we've been neglecting.

this saturday offered us so many lovely moments. cuddles with a fevered girl. books read aloud and bread in the oven.

space to stop and see things. trees swaying with the wind. a finch at the feeder. sunshine on the table.



it was a special gift. a little present. and i suppose this is my thank you note.

dedication. determination. discipline.

i've been in a small creative slump over here. i have some sale/show opportunities coming up and i have been trying to come up with some new ideas. i have half ideas. good pencil drawings and then a pile like this:

i don't like it. i'm not finishing it. i'm uninspired.

i can't seem to find the balance between inspiration and dedication. plugging away at something i'm not excited about has never been easy for me. but i am pretty confident that if i tried a little harder- worked more carefully- i could do better. more.

and it's the case with so many areas. writing. housekeeping. parenting.

i know it's so easy to feel like you never do enough. and there is no way that i will ever accomplish all i can so easily think i should be doing. these expectations are not from my Father. He needs me to be relying on Him. remembering that He is upholding every action. every gift.

so i suppose that needs to be my conclusion. again. reliance. in using the gifts i enjoy. the things that are hard. the moments that are a challenge. He cares. He's here. He's involved.

i can rely. on His constancy, presence and care.

more christmas

so. less than 2 weeks away from the big day. i feel like i woke up yesterday in a bit of a panic. and not the usual i've-got-no-time-to-get-it-all-done kind of gift buying/craft making panic. i really should/could be panicking about that, but i am happy to ignore it.

i feel like i haven't savored enough of this fabulous season yet. i'm not ready for it to be over. i haven't cherished an afternoon of christmas baking with my little ones. i haven't sung enough christmas carols. my jesse tree should have at least a dozen ornaments on it- it has 4. we're behind on the christmas joy. it's just one of my favorite times of the year. and i feel like i'm missing it somehow.

i'm going to try to relax (which, in general, is a good thing for me to do more of). try to savor the busy and the calm moments as they come. i am going to try to sing more christmas carols and look at the christmas tree more often. but mostly, i think i need to open my eyes to what He is doing all around me. the good things i know are there.

i think i'll go make more caramel.

rest

well i'm giving this new playlist a shot. we'll see how it goes.

and i am looking forward to a blank weekend. i hope to fill it with fall-colored walks, some sewing, cuddling, a few friends and delicious food. praying i will embrace the opportunity for rest and not fill my hours with my all-too-common frustration and anxiety. hope the same for you.