Shoes, TV's and Puzzles...Oh My! (and more shoes)

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.

That's a verse - SO true - that runs through my brain as we sort every year. And sort. We got a lot of donations (thank you!!) earlier this year, and for some reason we just felt this might be an "off" year. And so began the running Heather-brain commentary: "You should be more specific in your donation requests"..."Everything's fine"...."Is this even worth it?"..."What does worth it mean? Why do you have to try and control everything?".

What does the Lord do with all that? He takes the body of Christ, our obedience to putting one foot in front of the other, good and bad weather, and prime barn-sale real estate and raises nearly $3000 to send to His work in Liberia, one 25-piece children's puzzle at a time.

 We all know that crunch time is here when Pam and her girls show up to fill all those empty table places, rearrange with fresh eyes, and price thousands of items. So thankful for them!

 Every time I look at a picture, I think of 10 other ways of setting things out. But when I'm doing it, I think - yes, this is right. It's a disease.

Umm...The Year of the Shoes is an understatement. I finally got the last tub out on the last day of the sale. I think we sold about 2/3 of all that we had, but that may be optimistic-hindsight-thinking. I also tried a new clothing arrangement for pants and shorts, but I'm not sold (ha!).

Not as many bikes as usual, but our outside items (not all pictured) went quickly!

Marriage Enrichment Counseling True Life Example from Barn Sale '13: the frosted shower curtain television. There's a lesson every year, folks. Will share our informative talk "How to Avoid Complete Marriage Meltdown" for the small-ish fee of feeding our children.

 Wish I could've remembered to take pics of all those who donated and helped! The Murphy's were new initiates to the Barn Sale this year, and fit right in. The Bayers and Allison Smith also came for the first time. Thanks to ALL!!

Living Well: The Lists

I was determined this year to do better at doing the "next thing" instead of stressing about the "next thing".

On a good note, I am doing better at this. On a bad note, I'm getting a little wrapped up in my to-do list.

(Note: if you did not know previously how I can be a little *obsessive* about lists, you should probably stop here and keep your well-polished image of me intact.)

Instead of putting "Call ____" on my list, and then spending a night or two wondering how they will respond, or what to do if they don't respond, or whatever, now I just call them. Immediately. Done. Move on. That's working well.

However, since I'm becoming my mother and all, I know that I'm more prone to forgetting something, and because I don't want to lie awake all night wondering what I've forgotten (my ONLY cause of insomnia), I've been writing everything - even things I just might WANT to do - on my to-do list. This is creating problems, because my to-do list? It gets done. And I mean, done. I really can't stand to have a lingering, been-on-there-forever to-do list item. So, even when I have gotten a LOT done, I feel the pull...what's next? What else can I cross off?

So what does all this have to do with my musings this year about living well? Well, my children, my husband, my relationships? They can't go on my list. They don't get crossed off. But too many times, too many days, I'm getting all wrapped up and in love with and - yes - consumed with my get-'er-done list. Sometimes I think: "put 'do _ with kid' on the list!" And then I think: "that's terrible. That is NOT living well".

I have no answers right now. E has always been the one who can pull me away from my lists...maybe I should ask him.

The Art of Getting Things Done

If I hadn't flown to Texas to see my new nephew, I might not have realized how easy making breakfast burritoes in bulk could be.

If I were my sister, I would've done this for my husband a long time ago. If I were Lisa or Pam, I'd have headed to my backyard farm for these 36 eggs, instead of the $1.59 per 18 deal I got at Kroger.

If it weren't for my mom, I wouldn't have had this handy-dandy tool for chopping up the sausage and eggs into perfect form. Oh, modern convienences.

If I hadn't married a southerner (by heritage) with a penchant for protein for breakfast, there would probably be nothing more than Cheerios on this bar.

If I were in control of my life, I might not have these three beautiful daughters (assembly-line workers today!) to make the process go quickly and easily. I thank God for all my children!!
If I were my husband, I'd be up early and hard at work each day designing machines and solving problems, providing for our family. The least I can do is give him some breakfast!

I am an ant

Can I self-analyze for 5 quick minutes? Because 5 minutes is about all I've got.

I am an ant. Not a grasshopper, not a snail, definitely not a spider, not a worm. Given the nature of the life circumstances in which I find myself, I have quite a bit to "do" each day. Every day. And while my list varies some with seasons and life, most of what I do each day is very similar to what I did yesterday and what I will do tomorrow.

Right now I'm in one of those seasons where I have my "every day" stuff, plus. (The word "plus" holds a lot, doesn't it?) I am doing much better at keeping up with my list in this season, as opposed to the previous season (summer) when I didn't have as much to do and I tried to be a snail. I tried to slow down and relax and make everything else slow down and relax. That didn't work.

I think I can revel in my "ant"-ness and still relax. Relax, as in, "live life resting in the peace of God and not stressing about my list". I do better when I stay on everyday tasks and short-term plan tasks and long-term planning tasks and pour myself out each day. He gives me the strength I need to "be the ant".

We're all HGTV-ish around here

So, Friday evening, as I'm bemoaning my ever-shrinking bookshelf space and other logistical frustrations in my living room/school room, Eric and I get into one of those conversations where the ideas really start flowing (from him, obviously -- I'm just good at complaining). He starts sketching. By Saturday noon, he has the materials. By Sunday evening, he's done (whatta man!), I've researched my web instructions on how to make something new look antique, and have started staining. By this morning, it was dry and moved in:

I am thrilled. He built me in a power strip on the top so I can add much-needed lighting, it divides the school area from the rest of the room and has shelves all around it. A homeschooling mom's -- and book addict's -- dream.

When we were out there working in the barn all weekend on it, it hit me -- the perfect idea for one of those reality TV shows. Whenever we're somewhere with cable, I love to watch those "transform your room in a day" shows. And lately, everyone keeps asking me if I watch some other cable show with this couple that has eight kids (sextuplets, I think?). So here we are in the barn, making a very large piece of furniture from scratch in the only free time we have managed to grab while five children are running their bikes over power tool cords, helping measure, asking continually to paint, just full of life and questions. THAT'S a reality show I would take the time to watch -- those HGTV decorators making those rooms "just so", on budget, on time, while taking care of that couple's eight children. : )

My post-holidays Holiday

This is exactly what I needed this week. We're not hitting our regular routine again until Monday, so I've been methodically cleaning each room, purging and organizing as I go. I have five willing participants who like the cleanliness and new arrangements, but only one of them is showing the true organizational gene so far. "What can we sort now, mom?", Delaney asks first thing in the morning. "Can I stop playing and help you organize?" That's my girl.

Some results of my therapy...

...a clean and sorted school area:

...a place for every single winter glove, hat and scarf, finally:

...and a to-the-corners, inside-the-cabinets, even-the-top-of-the-refrigerator clean kitchen:

So, if you're thinking about visiting us in 2008, tomorrow would be the day to do it. Everything may not be this clean again for another year. And now, when we are in the midst of the messiness of real life this year, I can pull up this post, inhale deeply, and remember.