Sometimes it seems that everyone is tense or bothered by something but actually it is not true that everyone is like this. There is happiness, maybe we do not see it at the moment because of turmoil in our lives.
Life keeps going all around us no matter what we are doing. Each one of us on a different journey and we often worry about things that never happen. It makes more sense to put our efforts into preparing for the things that could happen and then go on with life.
Elizabeth is our, let us say, delicate child. She startles easily and absolutely does not like baths. But, she has a special sensitive side and is empathetic and always knows if we do not feel well or if something is troubling us. She is there to give comfort as she is very loving and will insist that we cheer up all the while always having this look on her face. She was born with this look, has always had it. We can tell when she is happy or being empathetic or frightened but her face most always has this look of being unhappy or worried or bothered. She is actually happy here and content as her bath is over.
Maybe it is a lesson to be happy even when things are not looking so happy.
There are things that we can do to lift our spirits visually, or by smell or sound. If we are stuck being unhappy it is time to shake ourselves off and make improvements. This year we have had our share of things that have made our lives unsettled but we keep managing to find calm and peace by investing our time and energy where it is important.
We can find happiness by cleaning our home. If we live in a dreary dirty untidy home it will make us moody. When I clean our bathroom I take some castile soap and a piece of netting and scrub down the entire bathroom.
The first thing I do is vacuum the bathroom, then I soap down a section at a time, wipe it off with a clean rinsed out cloth then go back behind and dry and polish.
Sometimes we just have to go in, roll up or sleeves, get a pail of water and some soap and clean it.
We are not perfect and every one of our homes gets dirty because that is what happens so we then clean it.
When I get finished cleaning I place a fan in the bathroom and let it blow and dry the bathroom. I always feel happy when the bathroom is clean.
But where do we find peace?
When we make our dwelling into a home, when we get ourselves to a place we are no longer in debt, when our spirit feels right.
Sometimes it is the simple things that can help us to focus on what it is we are suppose to do.
My garden journal is a place I keep records and plans and also what works and what does not work.
Sometimes I will pay extra for better quality because if we are going to take the time and effort to grow it ourselves it should be special.
We have gardening worked into our budget. We try to be careful where our money goes and sometimes that means being very frugal with electric, water and other household expenses to have money for things that we feel are important for us.
Some people just live life and do what it is they want to do but in the past and now this is not a sensible thing to do. We sit down and face reality. We look at what money comes in and what goes out. We find if we can afford to do something or buy something before we purchase.
If we cannot afford it then we look at what we can do to cut back on to save for that item if it is something necessary. We started cutting back and disconnected from many things, television cable and subscriptions. We moved that money to more important things.
In the process we found peace of mind.
I finally cleaned and organized my desk. I just walked away from my computer and phone and decided I have to take care of my home first.
I then organized my sewing cabinet that holds sewing and mending tools. It is difficult to live like the past and keep one foot into the world of instant communication so I have to discipline myself and I feel it is more healthy this way. I also find it more peaceful. Do you walk around with a phone in your hand a good part of the day?
Despite the triple digits and drought I have been determined to keep these heirloom Chrysanthemums alive because they bloom in the fall and add beauty to the garden when so much is dying off. I am so happy to see that they have made it to bloom once again.
We took a short drive outside of town the other day just to see what is going on around us.
To my surprise some of the cotton fields are just full of cotton.
There are markers all around us the time is passing quickly.
It is good to get out because I come back home and refocus with a clear mind.
I did some work in the greenhouse and made space for the overgrown aloe vera pots.
Charles had to put rabbit wire over the chicken wire cages to keep out critters from eating the celery, cilantro, kale and lettuce.
Some things keep emerging even though everything around them seems to be wilting.
I am still putting in new beds here and there along the paths. Since I took this picture I planted onions and did a light coating of hay over the top of the soil.
We know what time of year it is when the lemons start turning...
This beautiful basil will be the first to go when the cool temperatures come. Basil cannot live in cold weather.
But I did not plant this basil as last years basil planted this basil and so will this years basil.
I let the basil go to seed and it falls to the ground. The wind and nature spread it around.
We should consider nature in everything we do...
We must consider everything we purchase and use in and around our home for our health and for the health of everything outside of our home.
If we put poison outside our home to kill bugs and the birds come in to pick off insects to feed their babies or themselves then they can be eating insects with poison.
If we balance things around us there are bugs that eat other bugs and bugs that eat bugs off our plants and critters that eat critters and a food chain going on we do not fully understand. So when we must use something we need to consider what it will harm and use something more natural.
This post I will leave you with a video I find interesting and encouraging.
Grandma Donna
