SLOW FOOD...

Slow food is a new/old concept to me.  But one I'm ready to embrace!  When you're at a campfire, you know you're in for some simple food and fun!  Our daughter and SIL had the family over for a weiner roast recently.  He made the fire pit where they had two large rocks close together and he brought more from other areas on their acreage.  I'm loving any time we can do slow food and long conversation.  More about slow food next time...

HAPPY FALL, Y'ALL!

THE DECLUTTERING CONTINUES...

It's nice when you can get some others behind you in decluttering!  The Hubs and I are in the midst of some major home improvement projects!  One of them is the front of our house, which you really can't see and we really haven't seen in the 17 years we've lived here!  Although I love the trees and the tree tunnel you walk through to get to our front door, we realized it was time for them to go.  Maybe all those Fixer Upper episodes played a part in our decision... :)

 Before

 My son and his friend took down 9 trees for us!

 After

 All this trim was rotten after 39 years!

I got to give our home a new Tudor design with arches with the help of our contractor.  I love it!  

The first morning after this was completed I went to the dining room window downstairs and looked outside and thought, "Oh, it's so bright and sunny today!"  Then I realized it wasn't especially bright or sunny, it was just the blue sky showing where all I saw before was the shade of those trees!  

I can't help but make the correlation with our lives - do we let things grow up and cover us up unknowingly?  Does it take a major overhaul for us to realize what we've been missing?  

LABOR DAY BIKERIDE...

 So far we are keeping up with the challenge we made to bike in every month of the year!  This time we are right in our fair city.   We tried a new section of the West OKC River Trail, connecting to East Overholser Trail, then on towards Lake Hefner.  We didn't go all the way to Hefner but enjoyed the stretch alongside Stinchcomb Wildlife Preserve and by Wiley Post Airport.

The Overholser section was busy with a Frisbee golf tournament and lots of dog walkers.  But the rest was pretty nice and uncrowded.  We also saw some paddle boarders!

I was thinking afterwards how all of this outdoor sport and entertainment wasn't nearly as popular twenty years ago.  To see people playing disc golf, riding bikes, running, walking dogs, kayaking and even paddle boarding tells me we are doing a good job getting more physical activity in our lives.  It's a good thing to combat the sedate computer sitting we do!

THE DESSERT I UNEXPECTEDLY LOVE...

Avocado chocolate pudding!  Discovered this HERE with my recent interest in clean eating.  

 It's so easy - three ingredients and so good!  Better if you let it set in the refrigerator a while.

Here's my adaptation of the recipe:

Avocado half

1 T. cocoa

1 T. honey

Mix together well.  

Let set in refrigerator for intense flavor.

Eat alone or with a dollop of whipped cream or with fruit.  

Pretty AMAZING!

RISKY BUSINESS...

Maybe I've found the antidote for when you are feeling old...try something new!  Just  take the opportunity, take a risk(within reason), and look at it as an adventure!  Just goes to show you not every old saying is true:  YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS.    

My first time surfing behind a boat this summer!

Walking around, alone, in NYC

I fixed the pool cleaner when The Hubs was out of town!

FEELING ALIVE AND A LITTLE RISKY!  :) Now if I could be like my friend Rhonda and take some risks and make some new friendships for Jesus!

SUMMER READING...

I've started a funny habit...checking out books that sound interesting to me, then if I don't get hooked pretty quick, I just move on to something else.  So I get several at a time and end up maybe finishing only one of them.  These are the ones I've read this summer that were the best!

Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock  This is a fictional story of two sisters in a rural town and how they comfort each other with an abusive father. A little hard to read at times, but gave me more empathy for people in this kind of situation.  Crazy twist at the end!

Modern Mindfulness by Rohan Gunatillake  This one gives you exercises to think about as we manage all the information coming into our lives on a constant basis.  I'm constantly looking for ways to simplify!

At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider  An account of a family of five as they take a trip around the world.  Her thoughts as she struggles between the love of adventure and new experiences but longs for home. Loved her insights but I no longer think I would like to do a trip this long.  :)

Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu   Basically what this book said to me was to let others do things - so what if they don't do it just like you? Drop the perfectionist tendencies.  Good for leaders and Moms.

Adorned by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth  This book is  a guide based on the teaching in Titus 2 about the older women teaching the younger.  It examines the character traits from the passage and gives questions at the end of each chapter for older women and younger women to help them examine their lives.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon  The true story of a young woman in Afghanistan and how she provided for her family during a difficult time under the oppression of the Taliban.  I gained a lot of understanding about their culture and how this war has affected their families.

HOW ABOUT YOURS...

How's your routine?

Sometimes we feel we are just going through the motions. Our heart is not in our work. I am constantly striving to make my life a fluid movement with God as the Master Teacher.  Still, sometimes I stumble and fall out of line…

I was able to join my husband on a business trip to New York City recently, where we attended a musical production.  It was fabulous to say the least!  Gifted, well-rehearsed performers in a beautiful theatre with gorgeous costumes, music and lights put on a wonderful show.  It was a thing of beauty.  I’ve watched a lot of high school productions, too, as my children performed through the years.  I loved them all – how can you not when it’s your child and their friends?  Some of the kids were gifted performers and excellent with the choreography, some were not.  Some reminded me of snappy cheerleaders; some like a herd of elephants!  But with time they became more confident and the movements become more natural and beautiful.  They gained stage presence and became something truly enjoyable to watch.  Their heart was in their performance and it showed in their smile. 

How about your life – your routine? Does your heart match your movement?  No matter what comes, we can be confident as we live life, because as believers we have the actual Spirit of God helping us. Galatians 5:25 reminds us “if we live by the spirit to keep in step with the Spirit.” We keep in step by paying attention to the Word, listening to the Master Teacher, and practicing! Rely on Him to make your routine into a thing of beauty.

Sometimes I wish I was a dancer; with beautiful movements to match the music.  But even more, I hope my heart for God shows in the rhythm of life as it comes.