Photo: weheartit.com
Where did the days go?
No, I didn’t fall off the face of the earth. I’m still here. Only I can’t believe how long it’s been since I last posted on this blog. It’s been awful. I’ve missed my blog and all of you and all I can say in response is, whew, where did the days go?
Do you ever blink and find yourself suddenly wondering where your week went? I’ve been trying to write blog posts on a regular schedule, with Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays being my target dates and just when I was feeling a nice rhythm I get completely derailed. So what happened?
I wish I knew. Everyday I would look forward to that luxurious time when I could sit down and write, only SOMETHING always seemed to get in the way. It began to get downright absurd how the interruptions kept coming. Only, what exactly did I get done? Because truthfully, I’m not sure I have anything to show for my long-lost absence from this blog.
My “I just can’t seem to catch up” mood
It’s true I’ve been busy… but it doesn’t seem like I’ve finished any ONE thing. In fact, everything feels half-done, beginning with my house, which has still not been restored to its pre-Halloween-Party state. I’ve got my Halloween decorations mostly boxed, but not completed stored away.
And plenty of little things left to do; the black crows are long gone from the kitchen pot rack, but the rack is still missing its baskets and pots (for Halloween photos of my home you can go HERE). There are items that need to be put back into place, and my fireplace mantels now have that odd, unfinished look. Not to mention that suddenly, I’m noticing several areas in my home that need some serious organizing.
And that’s not counting my work load, or my blog posts, which include a God and Coffee post which has been technically finished, but still not ‘ready’ for that good old “publish” button.
Stress Tips
But I’m not complaining. I’m sure you have things piling up on your “to-do” list as well. In fact, if you’re feeling stressed, you just might want to check out this quickie read entitled, 30 days-30 ways to Less Stress. It reminded me to grab a cup of green tea and to buy some new lipstick once I finish this post.
But back to my story which has a nice ending. That’s because in the middle of my recent, “I-just-can’t-seem-to catch-up,” mood, I had one of those warm, poignant reminders about Life, and what’s really important.
A nice ending
Patrick came home this past weekend so that our family could pick up our newest addition to the family.
Yes, it’s official, we are dog owners once again… to Stella, our seven week old German Shepherd.
Isn’t she a cutie? Only if you’ve been a puppy owner before, you’ll immediately know how a new puppy will affect my burning desire to get “caught-up” around the house, and to tackle some of those unfinished projects around here. And maybe you’ll remember those middle of the night wake-up moments for the potty training, those old newspapers now spread out on my tile, and the blankets and toys that are now in the middle of our messy family room. In fact, at this moment our family room resembles a baby’s play pen, a comfy, safe place without anything too small, or potentially dangerous to choke on.
But this was always the plan: we would get a new puppy in November, on a weekend that Patrick could come home. I was the only leery one, still hesitant about the timing, and silently grieving for Sierra, but I slowly came around.
And we got lucky, after only few weeks of searching, Jim found a perfectly timed litter; one that would allow us to all pick up our puppy together, as a family.
This was THE weekend; and what a lovely weekend it was. We were all home, together again, and following a steak and salad dinner with the grandparents, we spent a cozy Saturday night in front of the fireplace watching a goofy comedy and our new, adorable puppy. The one lasting impression I have are those beaming smiles on the faces of Patrick, Michael and Jim as they played with Stella. And there was all that laughter.
Joy: We don’t even have to be ready…
So what was my lesson ?
This weekend I was reminded that Life is inherently messy; and as much as you try, there is never that ‘perfect’ time when everything is ready, or completed, or fixed, or shiny, or wonderful. And I was reminded how important it is to say “yes,” and be open to new changes, even when they appear untimely, or inconvenient. Because the possibility of joy is always there; and joy doesn’t wait for your house to be spotless, or your stress level to lower, or your problems to disappear or your grief to completely dissolve.
This weekend I was reminded that those joyful, meaningful moments are available to us, even in the middle of our hectic, messy, lives; right there, when we least expect them.
And the good news? We don’t even have to be ready.
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