My Morning 37/365

Have I mentioned that I'm so very thankful for morning quiet times? This is absolutely the best!

Frosty Briars 36/365

What a beautiful frosty morning we had this morning. I had to stop on my way out the driveway and snap a few pictures. It was actually hard to choose which one I would post today.

Here I Am Again 35/365

I've been here before... Several times... And here I am again... Trying to learn that food is a hard task master... That I will never be completely satisfied or comforted by food...

Icy Branches and a Girl in Pink 34/365

My Angel 33/365

This angel was given to us at a very special time. She has watched over our backyard for ten years now. She's starting to crumble, but that makes me love her even more!

Long Shadows in the Snow 32/365

Pinewood Derby Prep (31/365)

Last weekend was race day for our little AWANA. This is the night before where last minute preparations were going on. We didn't win, but had a fun day and a very cute sparkly car!

Canning Jars (30/365)

During the past two summers, I've taken up gardening and canning. I have so much to learn, but there is something so therapeutic about storing up food for your family. I am grateful to live in the country where we have room to grow a few vegetables, and store them to be enjoyed year round! These are jars that I've emptied over the past couple of weeks.

Snow Day 29/365

It's a snow day. I am curled up in a blanket near the wood stove that has a brightly burning fire going. The pan of water on the stove hisses over the heat. My afghan is soft and warm. My fuzzy slippers hug my feet. My coffee is strong and hot. My Bible rests on the chair next to me as I have just completed my devotional.

Today I feel blessed. I have a Courier and Ives backyard that has a fresh coating of snow, and I am cozy warm in my house as I gaze out into this winter wonderland.

It's going to be a Jammie day. Maybe we'll watch a movie after a breakfast of pancakes and bacon. We'll read, practice piano, and maybe make cookies. But I think I'll let most chores slide today.

It's been a very busy weekend, and I am relishing this quiet time. Learning to live in the present, counting my blessings, practicing eucharisteo.

Dinner Bell at Sunset

When we moved to the country ten years ago, I knew I wanted a dinner bell. My brother was able to find one at an auction and gave it to us for a house warming gift. I love my dinner bell... Especially at sunset.

Project 365 Woes

So it's only January and I almost gave up already! Sad, huh?

But I'm back. And I decided to combine a couple of projects that I hope to complete in 2015.

I've been reading Ann Voskamp's "1,000 Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are." Keeping a list of 1,000 things she was thankful for, from sheets flapping in the wind to suds in the sink to her husband and family, changed her life. It brought her out of her self absorption and into a life of gratefulness and being truly present in every moment. I need some of that!

The other day I sent my daughter to school with an empty lunchbox. Now that is a woman who is too distracted. We had talked about the lunch menu and the fact that she wanted to bring her own lunch instead of eating what the cafeteria was serving. That is where my memory ends. Did we never take her lunchbox out of her book bag from the day before? Did I actually put it in there empty? How could I not notice its weightlessness?

Because my mind is constantly racing to the next thing on our schedule, or to-do list, I often zoom through life and miss what's going on right in front of me. I believe that's what happened that day. I had a very busy weekend coming up, with some technical issues I needed to find answers for. I'm sure my mind was consumed with those things rather than being free to focus on my daughter and her need for a tasty, nutritious lunch!

We have laughed about my absent-minded mistake, and it is pretty funny, but it also disturbs me. I need to "live fully right where I am," not an hour ahead or behind.

So, after almost giving up on my Project 365, I'm picking up my camera again, and I'm looking for all the things I'm grateful for!

Tiny Dancer

Small Town Living

Faces

Light and Shadows

Senior Discount? Me?

I just got a senior discount on my $.99 coffee at McDonalds. I didn't ask for it, and I'm not quite old enough for it. Should I feel blessed or offended?! Do I really look that old? Hmm.

Sparkles in the Snow

Quiet Mornings

Bringing out the Color

Ohio State Who?

Tonight all of Ohio is watching football. They've been cooking duck, preparing nachos, wings, chips and dips. Even my hubby is in his man cave watching the big game. Me, I've got the TV on mute, a hot cup of coffee with rum cake creamer, a fire in the fireplace, my afghan and my kindle. Yes, I'm rooting for the Buckeyes, but football can not keep my attention. So I'll keep it on mute, and every time I hear the hubby hollar in the basement, I'll look up to see what's happening.

Amish Baked Oatmeal on a Winter Morning

Frozen Sunset

A Snowy Blustery Day

Baby It's Cold Outside!

...so cold we've got snow on the inside of our windows!

A Spot of Color in a Dreary World

Snow Plow Season

Blessed

Where else can you work and be anointed and prayed for at the beginning of the new year? I am blessed.

Back to Our Routine

Goodbye Christmas

January Rain

Happy 2015