We'd taken a couple Saturdays off from the yard sale thing--last week we drove to the theater for the new Star Trek, instead--so I found these at sales this week:
Oh, and two like-new vintage sheets (from a vacation cabin,the woman said. Probably the book came from there, also), with all sorts of blue 1970's flowers for Naomi who called them yellow submarine cool.
Then guess what? After lunch and cleaning house, my online buddy, Ann, and her husband, Paul, stopped by! They arrived two hours early so there I was scrubbing the bathtub when Tom opened the front door--oh my! It was good for me not to have finished the housecleaning. Good, but a test, because of my neat-freak tendencies. Er hem.
Ann said she felt as though she'd been to Hobbit Cottage before, what with all the photos I've shown you all.
We led Ann and Paul down the street to that outdoor 50's style diner. At the deck beside the creek, we ate ice cream and laughed and chatted, then we led them to the portion of the Erie Canal in our former town and wow! We passed a huge boat race and car show and an outdoor band concert and it was as though Tom and I recalled, "Hey! There's a whole other world of activity outside on Saturdays besides yard sales. Imagine that."
We all stood beside the canal, took pictures with Paul and Ann, then they hit the road again for their Maryland home.
Ann was the third online friend I'd met in-person. She'd read my blog for around ten years (and is a Facebook friend), so I figured, most likely, neither she nor Paul were axe murderers and we'd be safe. :)
What a delight to get to know other folks, especially ones as sweet and funny as Ann and Paul.
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But then--uh-oh! All day Sunday I ignored my own advice (and God's) and thought about 'things of a bad report', things and certain folks I cannot change, but lately have frustrated myself trying to do so anyway.
Eegads! I kept reminding myself to 'follow peace', to stop wanting what God doesn't want for me, to accept what I must (letting God change me, instead) and return to contentment---
---and the creativity which comes after you've moved forward. It's acceptance, hope and trust which blows away the dreadful Bad-Things-Concentration Cloud, the one which spoils what could have been a memorable, carefree day.
Thankfully, today's been much, much better. Why? Has anything changed? Only my choice of thoughts, but always, that's enough to brighten the colors of everything still left unchanged.
"Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world..." ... Philippians 2:14,15
An example of letting a dream die so another can live? Rather than seeking a new house (which neither God nor Tom seem to want), I've been convicted to just keep seeking ideas to make this house all vintage-y and the best that it can be.
(Though that all sounds much more simple than it's been in Real Life. The dream of a new house is taking months to die. Ergh.)
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Hooray! The new Lucy statue was unveiled this weekend in Celoron, NY. Beautiful. Really.
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One way I choose to start my mornings with a huge smile? This. (I've watched it an embarrassing amount of times. It floods my heart with giddiness.)
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Or in other words:
Amen. :)
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It sounds like you had some great finds again today and a wonderful time with your friends. You know, I'm kind of in the same "boat" so to speak as you are. I would love to move, but my reason is for a smaller house. My husband wants to stay put. His preferred place if we do move is to the country on 5 or so acres. That would be nice, but anything in our price range is not within wintertime driving range for his job. With mountains in every directions from our home, I don't want him driving those rides every day in the snow. Dreams. It's hard to know what we should be doing to make the dreams happen and when we should just let go.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
Isn't the new Lucy statue great? I went to High School with Carolyn Palmer, the sculpturess. I remember how we all were then and never imagined she had that kind of talent.
ReplyDeleteFollowing peace is not always easy. There are days--even weeks when I struggle to make my dreams reality. Then I surrender all (for a bit) and all is well. I have a theory that being in my 60s and knowing that there are fewer years ahead than behind, causes me to want to hurry up and make those dreams come true. I'm like the hamster racing on the little wheel, but the sad thing is I know better. Debra, I always appreciate how you keep your posts so real--thanks for your transparency.
ReplyDeleteBetsy--we sound so much alike! It seems all the best houses here are farther from Tom's job so that's out. Frankly? I think I've officially given up looking seriously for a different house. Oh, I keep looking online in the mornings, but only for ideas of how to make our present house more fun/retro. I've found some nice things at Ebay this week to make our home more vintage and maybe that could only happen when I finally decided to stay. Probably, most likely, that made the difference.
ReplyDeleteWow, Susan! That's so cool to have attended high school with her. She really did an awesome job on the Lucy statue. Isn't it fun to hear how high school friends turned out and sometimes see them in the news (for *good* reasons, heh...)?
Pam--yep! There's some of that "I'm not getting any younger' stuff going on around here, also. :) I love it when I remember to let peace be my leader and to recognize when it's gone. Funny how it can take a long time to realize peace disappeared in a certain area weeks before--yikes!
Thanks, Ladies! Blessings, Debra