Winter-ing

"Find yourself a cup of tea; the teapot is behind you.
Now tell me about hundreds of things."~Saki

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?”-mary oliver

“That's the big question, the one the world throws at you every morning. 

"Here you are, alive. Would you like to make a comment?”

-mary oliver

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Lately... 

|| Plenty of tea & a few delightfully grey days. A lot of sun and warmth so far this winter, which i appreciate, but the dreary days are particularly good for hibernating and tea drinking.

|| Early morning baking. Mending fences after the cows broke out. laughing at the barn cat as she begs for attention.

|| At the local Stockyard. It's always a surprise to me where i'll end up in a day. Cattle, old-timers, noise and secret eye-brow raises to indicate bidding. A real-life portrait of America.

|| Wedding planning on a coffee/birthday date with a newly-engaged friend over the weekend. In my element.

|| Sausage in muslin bags that are ready to go to the smoke house. Saturday was spent with friends butchering a hog. One of the best ways to know exactly where your food comes from is to do it yourself. A good day with great rewards.

|| Sunday waffles with maple syrup. Patrick made fresh sausage on the stove that we brought home from the day before. A meal to remember. 

|| One crazy chicken that gets out every day. She slips out in the morning through a hole near their roost. It's like she knows better but she just can't quit the habit.

She's kind of like me in that way.

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I've been cutting out some "doing" to take time for more "being" in the first few weeks of this new year. I love that turning the calendar to January brings a chance to evaluate and consider "this one wild and precious life". More of the good things and less of the clutter.

Living on purpose.

I've got a lot of big ideas for this year, but i'm not making resolutions. More then doing anything... i need peace in my soul. I need God's grace. I need His love to love where i cannot. I want to rest and live in the joy of His presence and know that i can walk confidently because He is guiding every step. 

Saying goodbye to a beloved friend this past year changed so much in ways i'm still unraveling. Instead of looking at time as sand in an hourglass running out I'm beginning understand better that everything we are on this earth is for the purpose of Heaven and eternity. Instead of feeling frantic about time running out, this perspective replaces anxious "doing" with peace and offers the assurance that the passing of time is only Heaven drawing nearer. It's such a slight shift, but a new perspective that adds sweetness to the passing of days. 

Hope you're enjoying winter, taking advantage of rain and snow to cozy up to the ones you love, and living better and more fully then ever in this new year!