We've Moved!

We've moved. Please come visit us in our new space. I'm so excited for this new adventure.

Our Simple Little Blog

Farewell

I have grown to call this house on the hill home. Found a fondness to it. And over the last few weeks, come to find that I know I'll miss it. We've made memories here. We've made this land, this house, home.

Much like a favorite sweater, or pair of tennis shoes, it has grown on me. Become comfortable. Part of us. Part of our story.

We've loved here. And fought here.

We've birthed here. And lost here.

We've laughed here. And cried here.

We've found joy here. And found strength.

We've changed here. And become whole here.

We've struggled here. And triumphed here.

We now move on. Another step forward, a step closer to where we're going. In a few days time we will start new. A new home. New memories. New struggles. New joy. New lives.

Changes are coming all around.

I've decided with a new chapter, will come a new blog. This one will be left open. But I'll start only writing there. A fresh start. Simpler. A joint project with my husband. How it will look, much like life's path, will reveal itself as it comes.

I will miss this home. Both physical and virtual. And I am grateful for all that have touched me, inspired me and encouraged me.

Without what I've found, and learned, here, life would be so very different. Peace. Joy. Strength. Hope. Gratitude. And patience. With the memories, I'll take these lessons with me. 

Thank you for reading.

(I'll post a link to the new blog, once it's up and running.)

Faking It

I haven't posted anything in a few weeks. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you'll probably see what's coming. A post of release. Another rant, or cleansing, depending on your view point. Why do I write these? Why put them out there? Because I hope to reach someone, hope someone can relate, hope that by releasing what's trapped inside I can move forward. That I'll have an epiphany, or hear words of wisdom.

I realized this morning I've moved from denial, and a sense of false hope, through anger and sadness, to a place of fear and overwhelming paralyzation. I'm afraid to make decisions. Not little ones, like homeschooling or dinner, but life changing, big ones. Like buying cars, jobs and moving. The stress of a life full of the wrong choices, has brought me here. I no longer trust myself or my ability to do it. I feel as if I haven't made a good one yet. Almost 20 years of being an adult and I haven't moved forward.

Now just to clarify, because when I posted something similar on fb, others got the wrong impression of what I was trying to relate. I'm not doubting myself as a parent, or my parenting. I make the choices I have to, am able to see where I've gone wrong in that aspect, make changes in the way I do things and then move forward. I love my role as mother, and would never change anything about that. (I freely admit mothering is hard, and sometimes sucks. That the rewards can be hard to see, and far and few between, especially when in the throws of it all. But they are there, when you step back look, or come running up and slap you in the face.) Motherhood is the best part of life. And sometimes I feel unworthy.

But the rest of my life, feels as if there's no movement forward. "The energy you put out, you get back." Karma. Fate. Choices. Life paths. Control, of our lives, is out of our control. These are common things we hear, see, read, especially vivid when going through hell. But the message, really boils down to "Stop making bad choices, and start making good ones." I can't agree with this, because the choices we have sometimes, are just what we have good or bad, right or wrong, positive or negative. They can be only what we have to work with. How these choices come into our lives is a little bit of fate, past choices, and luck. Though I do believe making many "good" choices, brings more, and vice versa. Too many "bad" and we're stuck in a rut.

I'm not sure where the first came in and set the path. Maybe many, many years ago. Maybe just a few. But now we have almost no choices. And seeing this invokes feelings of fear, anxiety, and finally panic. I try to move through each day, as if it's the only one, and make it through each day with some sense of peace. But doing this too long, puts off the inevitable and is just another form of denial. One day at a time, will just bring you to your end date without a plan. And sometimes doing the next right thing gets you nowhere. Especially when the next right thing isn't really what you're supposed to do.

We thought moving somewhere where the cost of living was cheaper, would help us move forward in our plans, life, dreams. And in theory, you'd think it would. But in reality you should also look at what the growth of said place is. If there's no future there, there's no room for anyone to move forward. You will become stuck, like the environment around you.

And after making so many choices, that end badly, you fill with doubt and immobilizing fear of doing it again. And going even further down than were you are.

Did I get too comfortable? Why do I now fear change? Have I become complacent? Should I learn to embrace it all? How?

Just over a month from now, we have to be out of our house. We've known for about a month. We have been looking for somewhere to move to. But with no luck. We've started to resign to the fact we may be back to where we started, when arrived here. Back in the trailer park. If there is an opening. A bit of me feels a sense of relief, at least it's a plan. And part of me fears what will go wrong. And what of our other plans for the future? How do I trust we can manage those wisely? Or that they're even good plans, that we're not just making more mistakes.

I wish there was someone out there that could tell me if we're foolish, how we could do better, and where to start to change things for the better.

Today all I can do is let it all go again, care for my family and myself. To make it through today denial is my friend. I'll keep faking it till I make it. Hopefully that'll come soon.

{this moment}

(Photo credit: My daughter P)

Yarn Along~ Slow Go

Joining Ginny for this weeks Yarn Along.

So I had thought I'd at least be on the first sleeve of A's sweater by now. But I'm not. I'm still working on the right side, that I cast on last week. It has been a busy week, and I've found myself too tired to knit much in the evenings. But I'm almost there. I'll make it my goal to be on at least the first sleeve by next Yarn Along.

But I can say I'm pretty sure I'll have yarn left over. And would like to make a little matching outfit for A's doll. If anyone has any suggestions for patterns, please let me know! (12-13 inch doll)

As for reading, we're having some questions on how to deal with a few behaviors of O's, so I'm going through Tony Attwood's book Asperger's Syndrome- A Guide for Parents and Professionals. I've paged through it before but never got all the way through.

How about you? Reading? Knitting?

Inspired! ~ Coconut Wonder Bars

Last night Taryn from Wooly Moss Roots posted their new recipe for Coconut Wonder Bars. I read her post this morning and was Inspired! to try them myself.

I did a bit of a variation, because we don't have dried fruits in the house. Or shredded coconut. Or nuts of any sort. So I found what I had on hand.

Very ripe strawberries and peaches.

I made up 6 for the kids and I. And let them set. In hindsight they could've set a bit longer, as the first batch didn't pop out pretty like hers. But they were still so tasty and light.

I did make up another batch. This one with just peaches, and let them set about 5 hours.

The verdict from my family. O and J didn't like them much at first, but both threw a fit when someone else tried to take it from them. O even asked if he could have one from the second batch when he saw them. (I'm saving them for dessert tonight.) C and A loved them and gobbled them right up, asking for more. I and P approved, and added suggestions too. P and dh did say it was a bit weird to eat straight oil. It's ingrained in their brains oil=bad or just to cook with. So all in all we'll try them again, and mix it up with the ingredients. Dh thinks they do need a bit of filler, such as the nuts, Taryn suggested, or some oats.

I love being Inspired! to try things. It keeps life new and interesting. 

(I love how the plate looks like its smiling!)

Gratitude * Sunday

Joining Taryn from Wooly Moss Roots for Gratitude Sunday.

{Sunday's heartfelt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful. A list of gratitudes.} 

*
If you would like to join us, see below. 

Our gratefulness feeds one another. 

*

~

*

 

Throughout the week I've felt grateful for: 

~ A good week, without many hiccups.

~ Celebrating the Midsummer holiday.

~ Bonfires.

~ Getting my photos uploaded, and edited, on the computer.

~ Watching our garden grow.

~ All these wonderful things, in the following photos.