The Beauty of Winter

The Beauty of Winter
My boys love to be outside in any weather. Even when the temperature drops into negative territory — which thankfully doesn’t happen too often here, at least when using the Fahrenheit scale — they want to be outside daily. Currently, my 5-year-old plans to homestead at the North Pole when he grows up (just to show how much he loves winter).… Continue reading

Simplify Saturday: Remove the Superfluous

I’ve been thinking a lot about simplifying our lives. We live in a culture that exonerates busyness, that carries the message – both implicitly and explicitly – that the busier we are, the more worthwhile and important we are. Our culture also tells us that having lots of stuff, especially lots of expensive stuff, will make us happier.

 

I don’t believe either of those things.… Continue reading

Involuntary Neglect

Have you ever suddenly realized that you’ve been neglectful of something that you care about? This morning I looked at my plants and realized it has been over two weeks since I’ve watered them. Yikes! (There’s also evidence of toddler damage, but that’s a different matter.) Between the holidays and traveling, I simply forgot to do it. They didn’t call loudly enough to be heard over the hustle and bustle of everything else; they just slowly started to wilt and dry out.… Continue reading

Fostering Gratitude

The new year is here. I’m not big on New Years resolutions, but each year I do try to pick a focus, one word to provide a touchstone to ground my actions. My focus for this year is gratitude. The last couple of years have been difficult, but to quote the great philosopher John Lennon, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”… Continue reading