Weekly Frames, Simple Update, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
Inside: My weekly photo challenge, an update on my simple life, and thoughts on hunkering down. Check out all the latest fresh from the farm.
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My Weekly Photo Challenge
It invariably happens when I’m talking to a friend or relative that the subject rolls around to, “What’s new with you?” Often I’m at a loss and answer, “Nothing new, same old same old.”
However, this time I have something to tell. I’ve started this weekly photography challenge called 52Frames. They describe themselves as a “worldwide community of photography enthusiasts from all walks of life (ranging from novices to experts).” Basically they post a challenge and participants must take a photo within that week. For example, the gnome was taken during the “Shoot from Above” challenge for week 5.
For me, the point of signing up is to learn and grow in my ability to take pictures, mainly for this blog. Also, it’s fun to meet the weekly challenge and see what other photographers did with it. Folks are kind and encouraging, and the front man of this whole wonderful idea is a guy named Yosef Adest who does an amazing job of putting it all together! So glad I signed up!
Not to worry, though. I promise I won’t inflict all my shots on you. Just some of them. Like this “Fill the Frame” shot below from week 4.
Stay tuned!
An Update on my Simple Life
We’re now into February, so I’ve been walking out this year’s word, simple, for over a month. While I live a simple life by nature, I have been surprised how this tendency has increased even more so over the last several weeks.
Back in December I had this dream that we moved the coffee table over to the side wall, leaving a large open space in front of our electric fireplace and television stand. I thought it was odd in that it was so normal, as dreams usually aren’t. But it got my attention, and while I had to wait for the beginning of the year because the Christmas tree was taking up that space, I couldn’t wait to try it out. Once I moved the coffee table against the wall, the space seemed strange, and the distance between the television and couch seemed awkward. But it quickly grew on me. It’s more open, easier to clean, and uncluttered. I’m really liking it!
Another example: my diet. I’m trying this high protein, eat five small meals a day diet. My food choices are limited, and for now that’s okay. It’s freed me up from excessive meal planning and made grocery shopping easier and cheaper! Mike and I have cut out our daily low carb dessert to save calories. We’ve also decreased the amount of supplements we’re taking, and, speaking for myself, I haven’t noticed a difference. The ones I’m still taking are the most important–omega 3s, turmeric, multivitamin, and minerals (always minerals!).
Each day I try to accomplish one major thing, curbing the need to list every little item in my planner. If I think of some small task that needs doing, I just do it. I’ve learned that I can easily become overwhelmed, which, at times, can be paralyzing. Paying attention to how I work best has been freeing. Days feel less stressful, more focused, which leaves me more time to be present for those in my life.
Already a student of simple living, I find I’m digging deeper into the subject. I’ll be sharing what I’m learning as I go, and if you have anything to add to the discussion, I’d love to hear it!
Thoughts on Hunkering Down
Last Wednesday the National Weather Service had us preparing for a winter storm. We’d been warned, which meant buying groceries to last for a few days. In our area, that seems to be bread, milk, and eggs, for some reason. (French toast, anyone?)
Mom texted and asked if I’d meet her up at the barn to help move a heavy sack of feed and turn on the space heaters in the pump house. She wanted to get it done, she said, so she could hunker down for a few days.
For my own part, I was tempted to text Mike to stop by the store on his way home from a short work day (early dismissal due to weather) to pick up ingredients for soup. Mentally I was preparing to hunker down myself. Break out the fuzzy warm socks. Make sure coffee and tea supplies are plentiful. Have something ready for binge-watching.
The threat of a snowstorm will do that to a person.
And then, surprise, surprise, no storm! A powder sugar sprinkle of snow, a little bit of sleet, and that’s all she wrote. While part of me was relieved we missed the 4 – 7 inches forecasted for our area, the other part was a little disappointed. There is something so cozy about being home with nowhere you have to be, hunkering down with the ones you love.
Granted, that sentiment changes with the frequency of snow. For some reason, though, I have an inkling we’re going to miss the opportunity this year. And that’s okay, too.
There’s always next winter.
What’s happening in your neck of the woods?
Resources and related posts:
One Thing at a Time: 100 Simple Ways to Live Clutter-Free Every Day by Cindy Glovinsky
52 Frames Weekly Photo Challenge
How I’m Finding Time to Read and Other Worthy Pursuits
Posts from a year ago:
What’s in my Winter Wellness Kit
Butternut Beer Brats Soup Revisited
From two years ago:
My Goals for 2020
Inside: I’ve spent this January waiting and listening while making my goals for 2020. With a new planner, “simple” is my guiding principle in the new year.
My Goals for 2020 Made Simple
I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those people who likes to make goals. And I’ve studied up on the process, too. I’ve listened to the gurus and the perpetually driven and productive among us. How you’re supposed to make goals specific and actionable and time sensitive. Know your “why.” That some are habit goals, like drink more water. Walk ten miles a week. Dust. . . occasionally. (Before you can write your name on the bookshelf.) So you might be surprised at how I’m breaking the “rules” with my goals for 2020. They aren’t uber specific, and, as they’re written, don’t have actionable steps or time limits.
But I do know my “why.”
My goals for 2020 are, simply:
- Declutter my house.
- Work on my health.
- Use my gifts.
When I brought those goals to share at my writing critique group’s first meeting of the year, admittedly, I felt like mine paled in comparison to some of the exciting, ambitious goals from my fellow Scribes’ Tribe members. It didn’t help that we’d also reviewed our previous year’s accomplishments. My friends had checked off an amazing list of achievements.
Me, not so much.
And my 2020 goals? Simple. Uncomplicated. Vague. And, yet, the direction felt right. For me. This year.
For this season of life.
So I’ve spent January fasting, praying, listening for the way forward. One thing my friend Candace said at the meeting was that she’d heard of someone who’d done something similar, with three major goals, and that this person’s daily to-do list included at least one task working toward one of those goals. That stuck with me.
Another idea that took hold was the image of the boy with the loaves and fishes who gave Jesus what he had. Though meager, Jesus took that small meal and multiplied it into something amazing. I felt Him gently say, “Give me your efforts, and see what your accomplishments list looks like at the end of this year.”
A few unwritten goals have sprouted up as a result: Read at the critique group once a month. Gather one trash bag per week of either things to give away or throw away. Continue on the simple eating plan I started January 2. But these are filed under the larger headings of using my gifts, decluttering, and working on my health. For whatever reason, not putting these specific goals down in writing has made the process so much less overwhelming, and, one month in, here I am keeping up with all three of these unofficial goals. I’m scratching my head on that one. The only thing I can figure is that maybe if I’d jotted down these specific goals, the pressure to do them perfectly would weigh heavily on me. As it is now, even if I slip up with one of these, I’ve still kept to my main written goals.
A Change of Planners
If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you’ll notice that I’m back to my simple planner for 2020 instead of the Jesus-Centered Planner. Why did I go back? Simple. . . That’s the reason. It’s simple. And that makes sense to me. Write down to-do list. Jot down notes of extra things I’d like to get done. Put a check mark by what I did and cross out what I didn’t get finished.
Planners are very subjective. You have to find the right one that works with your personality. While there were some aspects of the Jesus-Centered Planner that I liked–Jesus being the center, goals prayerfully created on a quarterly basis, weekly focus on what those in your life as well as yourself need–the amount of introspection was overwhelming. Granted, I’m an introspective kind of gal, but I don’t always like answering guided questions. I like to go my own direction with spiritual thoughts and meditation. I ended up not filling most of that in, and, at some point, I just quit using it. It was heavy and bulky and too large for me. I tend to leave my planner lying around on the couch or on a stack of other books or wherever.
But I think this would make a good planner for a lot of people. If you’re wanting a planner to help you with your relationship with Jesus and others, this might be a good fit for you. If you like journaling, particularly with guided questions, this would be right up your alley. It also has a daily Bible reading plan. (Again, I like to do my own thing.) Quarterly goals are encouraged rather than a yearly focus, which is great for someone who needs variety and something new.
Onward 2020!
We’re one month in, and so far so good. I’ll keep you posted from time to time on how the process is going or if I make any tweaks to the plan. Right now I’m enjoying the simple. More on that in a later post.
February, here I come.
Do you use a planner? Share in the comments.
*This post contains affiliate links. If you click on the product links and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you, which helps pay for this blog.
Resources and related posts:
PlanAhead See it Bigger 4″ x 6″ Planner
When Your New Year Didn’t Go as Planned
It Just Ain’t My Year by Katie Blackburn for Coffee + Crumbs
Posts from a year ago:
Lemon Wellness Tea for Sick Days
The 5 W’s for Thriving in Winter
From two years ago:
Our Favorite Essential Oil Blends for Winter
Simple Suppers: Creamy Cheesy Cauli Soup
Surviving January
Inside: The dark days of January can be hard to navigate. A bad start to the new year, the bitter winds of winter, can conspire against us. Here are some helpful tips for surviving January.
Surviving January
I’d like to say that every January comes with the excitement of a fresh start, shiny new goals, and mild weather . . . and puppies and kittens and daisies and chocolate chip cookies the size of a manhole cover. But, often, it does not.
Fresh start, yes. But cold temps and overcast skies are typical fare for the first month of the year. No baby animals or cheery pots of white and yellow flowers. And forget the cookies. Many of us are in full diet mode to shed those pounds we’ve been accumulating since Thanksgiving.
What’s a gal to do?
The following are excerpts of favorite winter posts with links for easy reading to help you find your way surviving January.
The Five W’s for Thriving in Winter
Winter. Not exactly the most popular of seasons. My dad didn’t like winter. Working on a dairy farm in the cold all those years can do that to a person. I know because I worked alongside him for a couple of decades to see for myself.
I’ve faced my own battles, too, in the past. Feeling down or even full-blown depression a couple of times in the month of January have resulted in some hard winters in my lifetime, and though life is better these days, I’m still learning how to manage winter and all the pitfalls this time of year can bring.
But I am learning. Here is what has been helping me survive–and dare I say thrive?–this season.
Warmth. Bundling up. Dressing in layers, even if I’m taking out the trash. Wearing gloves. In the past I’ve been known to not properly prepare for the cold with my clothing choices, which left me shivering and crabby. This year I’m taking better care of me.
When Your New Year Didn’t Go as Planned
I had high hopes for 2017. By December I had gotten my word for the next year—“accelerate,” and I was excited. I took a class in goal setting, watched videos, filled out worksheets, and listened to podcasts. I carefully penned my actionable steps in my brand spanking new calendar. And I dreamed.
Then my dad passed away.
8 Uplifting Essential Oil Blends for Wintertime
Winter is the perfect time to diffuse essential oils. With the house shut tight against the cold and the furnace running so much of the time, I like to keep my diffuser going. This particular season, as I’ve been warding off a head cold, I’ve been diffusing a blend with lemon and eucalyptus oils and breathing so much better! When I’m feeling tired, I mix peppermint and rosemary oils to energize me. Scents like sweet orange boost my mood and brighten my day.
Simple Suppers: Classic Broccoli Cheese Soup
You know how it is. You go into a restaurant and see the “soup of the day” sign. You’ve got a hankering and ask the waitress. She says, “Broccoli Cheese,” and you’re definitely in. . . Or maybe I’m just talking about me.
I’ve been a fan for a long time, but I must confess, I never made it until I went on a fat fast. (In a nutshell, eating 80 – 90 percent of your calories from fat for a few days to lose weight. . . Yes, it works. Seriously.)
Make Our Simple Egg Fast Chai Tea
Note: This is our most popular post ever. This tea is substantial. Mom loves to make it for her breakfast during the month of January. You don’t have to be on a diet to enjoy it, but it’s very low calorie, low carb, and keto friendly, and the spices reportedly help you lose weight.
Looking for a hot beverage to get you through the morning hours or maybe an afternoon pick-me-up? Try our egg fast chai. Only four ingredients and a blender, and you’re good to go!
Have you heard of egg fasts? If you’ve been hanging around keto or low carb circles, you’re probably familiar with the term. For me, a few days on an egg fast helps break a weight loss stall, so I like to do them every so often.
January Blessings
Hopefully I’ve left you with enough tips and recipes for surviving January. But this one thought I’ll leave you with. As hard as it can be sometimes, blessings can still be found in this sometimes harsh month. For me, three come to mind:
January is the birth month of my daughter–one of the biggest blessings of my life. I still remember the weeks of ice and carefully walking out to the car that day to go to the hospital.
Another is the anniversary of my parents. Had two crazy young kids not gotten married on that cold day when the groom’s car died, I wouldn’t be here.
And, last but not least, a very good friend and writing critique partner also claims January as her birth month. I love our every-so-often Bread Co dinners before the Scribes’ Tribe gathers for our biweekly meetings.
I’m sure there are many more things to be grateful for. Maybe I’ll make a cup of my chai tea and give it some thought. . .
How do you survive January? Share in the comments.
Resources and related posts:
“It Just Ain’t My Year” by Katie Blackburn for Coffee + Crumbs
Winter Conversations, Clarence Hiding, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
What’s in my Winter Wellness Kit
25 Ways to Be Good to Yourself
Posts from a year ago:
Lemon Wellness Tea for Sick Days
From two years ago:
How to Make Chicken Bone Broth
Rain Rain Stay, Suburban Farm Supply, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
My Word for 2020
Inside: Choosing a word for the year is like setting your course, compass in hand. Granted, I’m not the one choosing my word for 2020. Read on to find out more.
My Word for 2020
Simple adjective 1. easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty. 2. plain, basic, or uncomplicated in form, nature, or design; without much decoration or ornamentation.
My word for 2020 arrived midday on the first of January. I’d like to say the start to the year was wonderful and happy, but it wasn’t. I was not in a great mood. Nor was I feeling excited about the fresh start of a brand-new year. Sometime in the middle of binge-watching The British Baking Show and eating up the rest of the good stuff in preparation for the start of a diet the following day, I heard the word simple, with a gentle thought that this was my word.
The previous day’s baking show fare had included the introduction of a Danish word, enkeldt, which has no exact word translation into English but means “beautiful through simplicity,” and that had gotten my attention, but I didn’t get the nudge for another day. Then, as always happens, the word nearly lifts off the page every time I see it or turns my head when I hear it spoken. That’s how I know.
But the story gets a little more interesting. A day or so later Mom stops by to talk, and I happen to mention I got my word. She says that, yes, she finally did, too. So I tell her it’s simple, and she gets a strange look on her face and covers her mouth in astonishment. “Why, did you get ‘simple,’ too?” I ask.
“Simplify,” she says.
And we’re still trying to figure that one out. We both lead pretty simple lives already. We don’t have to go out into the workforce–well, she’ll go back to part-time transplanting at the greenhouses in February, and I work on editing projects. But we don’t have scheduled days, for the most part. We don’t have elaborate wardrobes or dozens of pairs of shoes. We both routinely declutter to get rid of excess stuff. We’ve farmed most of our lives, caring for livestock and growing garden. I’d venture to say neither one of us has ever gotten a “mani” or a “pedi”–well, I know I haven’t, and I’d be willing to bet she hasn’t. Simple is the way we live our lives.
Simple has also been a theme of this blog, and I’ve often thought about offering a course. (Maybe in 2020?)
Since finding my word this year (or, rather, my word finding me), I’ve done some poking around. Reading about how others apply simple to their lives, I seem to keep circling back around to decluttering–whether it be a schedule or a basement–and slowing down. One lady talked about how a counselor had given her family the assignment that when one person talked, they had to look him or her in the eye. I found that interesting.
So I’ve decided to become a student of all things simple. Getting back to basics. Tossing away unwanted items. Unsubscribing to some of the clutter taking up space in my inbox. And my attitude has trotted right alongside. For January, I’m taking time to stop and listen. When I brought my goals to my critique group, admittedly, part of me wanted to have a paper full of new and shiny exciting things. Instead, my list was very boiled down. (More on that soon.)
So I’ll be keeping you posted from time to time, letting you know how this simple journey is going.
Curious, but did anybody get vision for their word of the year? You know, 2020. . . Wouldn’t that be a kick!
Do you have a word for the year? Share it in the comments.
Resources and related posts:
One Word That Will Change Your Life, Expanded Edition, by Jon Gordon, Jimmy Page, and Dan Britton
When Your New Year Didn’t Go as Planned
25 Ways to Be Good to Yourself
Post from a year ago:
From two years ago: