I won this banner in a contest on Art and Sand. We could choose the word we wanted and I chose Thrive. Way in my past thriving wasn't acknowledged as a need or right. I've dealt with those times but old habits die hard. The banner reminds me life is good and to get out there and have a ball.
Alas, the last few weeks have been so busy I lost the energy to thrive.
Wonderful visit with my darlings but working out of a hotel room not so much fun. Back in to town, on the cusp of a storm. The small plane was blown around but the very young men up front handled it well.
A deluge several days in duration kept me anxious and busy.
This ditch is all that stands between me and a flooded basement. Unfortunately it drains into a culvert on the neighbour's side of the fence. He has recently put up some new fencing and the outlet has increased its potential for blocking. Thus my routine became arise, sweater over PJs, nervous look through basement door, raincoat, boots, rake and shovel, an hour of getting wet and muddy, breakfast.
The referendum on the new library is two weeks away. Open houses, info booths, lawn signs, and volunteer schedules stretch my time management skills. Stormy weather had me racing from a library meeting just in time to rescue my car from becoming waterlogged. I almost got a room at the hotel but the call of my own cosy bed saw me white knuckling the dark and winding road out of town.
Just because I was already madly busy I took a two day homesteading course. So much fun. I'll tell you all about it in my next post but here is a picture of the very tidy table, before we all made our own charcoal burners out of paint cans and coffee tins.
The very next day friends arrived. Before they came we (hubby had returned post deluge) had to rebuild the bed which was taken apart following an inappropriate cat toileting incident. By this time I was so stretched it took a couple of days to liven up and get the most out of their visit. Laughter and time spent with their sweet little dog was just what the doctor ordered.
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| Pebbles, a Miniature Australian Shepherd |
Check out this poem on Living from Happiness. It sums up my thriving journey.
Now to bed because some bureaucrat decided we should change from Daylight Savings Time to whatever the other time is and I'm out of sorts.
I'm excited to hear all about the homesteading class. I would really have liked to attend. And give yourself the time to thrive. - Margy
ReplyDeleteIt was excellent, Margy. Kevin has more planned, I believe for January and March.
DeleteSusan how wonderful we have both been thinking about thriving....love the banner. And thank you for the link love with my poem. I wish you big waves of thriving energy with little rain in the future for a while.
ReplyDeleteYour poem was beautiful, Donna. Still raining, but I plan to go walking in it today, an activity I love.
DeleteI would love to have a homesteading class near me. If for nothing more than to meet like-minded people. I know what you mean about taking time to acknowledge 'thriving'. It seems that things do come in a deluge and it's all that we can do to put one foot in front of the other. I hope that things calm down after the library referendum, and that you can put thrive back into your daily vocabulary. I do love that banner, by the way. I think I might just make one. Some days you need tangible reminders.
ReplyDeleteThere is a strong back to basics culture here. Practioners tend to wear ill fitting knitted hats and clogs so they are easy to recognise.
DeleteI want a spot like yours friend! It is so very inspiring...love that view out your window!!! What a dream!!! I'm glad that you had a bit of a trench to keep that water back! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead lady! Nicole xo
ReplyDeleteIt took many many years before I ended up here. It worked out for the best as my grown up beans are so supportive and the boy bean put a new pipe into the ditch so at least it doesn't get blocked from our end.
DeleteI feel for you with the basement situation. We had several incidents of flooding in our basement. There was carpet, it smelled a little moldy. The ground sloped down into our house. We dug down along our foundation and sealed it better, still flooded. The dry wells were clogged and water came up from below the foundation. Then we started running drain pipes from the downspouts out a long way from the house. I also dug a slight ditch all the way across the back of the house so the water would run around the house instead. We put in a composite floor that would probably be wrecked by a flood but haven't had any more. I hope you find good solutions to your drainage problems. Homesteading on 5 acres sounds like a real challenge.
ReplyDeleteHannah, if I had a second flood I would be out of here.
DeleteNot thriving means to be simply existing and that's a wasted life. Passion and happiness aren't luxuries.
ReplyDeleteTo rob a childhood of those things is a crime. I'm just a teensy bit crusaderish where it comes to kids or anybody else being stifled.
DeleteA homesteading class, visiting friends, a storm . . .
ReplyDeleteI am not surprised that you did not feel like you were thriving. I hope things settle down soon.
I love how you have hung the banner.
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteYour darling banner looks very nice above your window. How nice to be able to take a Homesteading class. I bet it was rather interesting and fun. Your new friend Pebbles is quite handsome!