Personal
You'll be starting to notice a few changes around here. Gone is the old FIMBY and in it's place is what you see. (Of course if you're stumbling upon this post sometime in the future, say spring 2011, you're probably looking at something altogether different yet again).
This was not quite what I had wanted to present when unveiling my new blog theme. That statement is not at all a reflection of disappointment with all the work Damien has put in behind the scenes. I was just hoping to have more creative energy and personal time to get the look and feel "just right" and then publish it with much fanfare (my own to be sure).
But you know, life just doesn't work that way. And when I started to consider how long it would take me to get this space exactly as I envision it I started to get discouraged (I still am discouraged), so instead I decided to leap and fix it up as I go. Always a difficult thing for me to do.
house in process but still beautiful in the light
This blog is like my home. It's tidy but it's not finished yet. It's not everything I hope and plan for it to be. It's a work in progress, just like me.
I really enjoy publishing on this blog the simple, beautiful and put-together parts of my life. When real life is messy, tiring and sometimes disappointing this space is pretty, clean and well crafted.
But really, my life is just one giant work in progress. Full of projects, big and small, that are on the go:
- renovating our dining room
- learning to make homemade toothpaste
- educating our children
- de-cluttering the girl's room
- simplifying our household possessions
- making plans for a summer of hiking, camping and backpacking
- finishing the guest/sewing room
- becoming a better photographer
- re-organizing our blogs
- growing in my faith
- loving my family and friends
- writing blogs and (someday) book(s)
Some of these are discreet projects that yield a finished product though most are on-going, slow but steady wins the race type of endeavors. That's why I love writing blog posts and making this space look pretty and clean. It's one thing in my life I can wrap up and package. Done.
taking a break from a hike in process
But right now it's not done. It's simply another work in progress which is growing my patience. Have I mentioned before I don't like the difficult life work of becoming more patient?
This has been "the winter that wasn't". Our heating bill has been down but in every other respect the lack of snow and cold has been a disappointment. We only had one real back country sledding adventure and as for local hills I only took the kids once. Pathetic.
But spring is around the corner. It's actually popping up in my flower beds. This is Maine though so I can't expect it will be clear sailing from here till mid April when spring really arrives. I'm worried that those daffodil and tulip shoots and exposed perennials, without their usual snow blanket, will be damaged by late winter frosts.
Oh well. What can you do? Head the mountains, of course! Because that's where the snow is and where winter can still be enjoyed (forgetting all together about those garden plants).
While the lower altitude of home base, aka: our backyard, is decidedly spring-like in temperature if you go up a few hundred (or thousand) feet you'll find snow, lots of it.
Which is what we did this past Sunday and it was absolutely wonderful. So, so beautiful. The silence of snow draped evergreens was breath taking and awe inspiring. Like being in the presence of God.
Which is one of the reasons I love the outdoors, the mountains and the woods.
February is never an easy month for me and this one has been a bit of whammy. But wearing these new beauties is sure helping me to enjoy my days.
Many thanks to my new friend who accepted soap in payment for these gorgeous mermaid blue merino wool works of art (that also happen to keep my hands warm when I'm writing, answering e-mails, knitting, reading or paying bills).
this is just to show you my new winter woods soap (smile).
(Brienne helped out with taking some of these photos for me.)
