the simple life

Perfect Timing

/ inkspeare

Although we had a mild winter, for some reason, it feels a long one. We had a bit of a cool down this week, and even frost overnight. I am glad that I did not jump ahead and planted any veggies, otherwise the timing would have been wrong.

In life, perfect timing seems to be an important issue, more than money or drive. How many times people have had all the money and resources, but it was just not the “right time?” Whatever the project or venture, it did not come to fruition. Immediately, we tend to label it as failure, and even label ourselves as such. What was important for us were results. We forget quickly about the journey, all the effort, work, and focus we put into a project. As if that doesn’t count at all. We only see that we failed. Simply put, results were more important than the journey itself. By disregarding our journey, we forget the lessons learned, and sometimes, the lesson is more important than the result we were hoping for, but we fail to see it because we are too focused on the outcome. After all, we labor hard for something, right? Most people do. We trade something for something else. Time for money, money for things … In the meantime, we forget all that we learned, and how it shaped us. Because we are so conditioned to trade something for something, when we trade our hard work and effort, our mental focus, even emotional energy, and something does not materialize at the end, we blame and label ourselves as failure, and even punish ourselves deep in our hearts. We end up feeling frustrated, tired, lost, and another mental game starts. We think that there must be something wrong with us because we start comparing ourselves to others who have obtained the results we wanted and worked so hard, even sacrificed for, but never materialized. Once we jump into that rollercoaster, our self-esteem is (naturally) going to suffer; then, our trust and believe in ourselves are lost.

What is perfect timing? Many define it as being in the right place at the right time, other people as a kiss from Lady Luck. I define it as learning to be quiet enough that I can see the picture, appreciate the lesson, and wait for the direction that God has for me. I view perfect timing as God’s timing, separate from my human perception of how things should be and end. Learning that has made a difference in my life and how I define success and failure. Perfect timing is God’s speed.

Faith Moves Mountains

/ inkspeare

Faith moves mountains. Jesus said that (Matthew 17:20). It is truth for Christians, or it should. Why is it so hard to believe what seems impossible? Maybe because of our human nature. We tend to focus on the problem more than the outcome. Faith is defined as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) That seems to go against our human nature, yet we have all the capacity for hope and conviction. It is in our darkest hour that we put that truth to the test. Our mountain suddenly seems insurmountable compared to our conviction at the moment; however, hope can only grow, and grow bigger than a mountain. Our assurance doesn’t come from our own human effort, but from the One who said that a little faith moves mountains.

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20-21

Whatever our mountain, let’s climb it with hope and conviction, eventually, it won’t be in our field of vision; it would have moved from the horizon.

The Passing of Time

/ inkspeare
Photo by M.A.D.

It is a rainy day. As I sit in my favorite chair, I glance at the cedar trees that line up the driveway. They dance gently in the wind. The trees have grown so tall since the first time I saw them, back then, when we looked at the property. They were at most, three feet tall, growing wild and free. We considered getting rid of them to open up more land, but my love of pine trees convinced me to keep them all, and I am glad we did, because now, I can look at these trees and smile. They are so lovely, most of them towering over 25 feet, a testament to the passing of time.

I used to think that time is just human invention, human perception to guide humanity throughout the days while living in a material world. In a way, it is true; however, time is more than that. Nature speaks of it “all the time” throughout the seasons, the harvest, the growth of anything and everything on earth. Throughout the journey that each one of us sets on. Time is the silent keeper of our days. One has only to look outside, especially now that winter has given way to spring, and see how the landscape changes daily. Have you ever been amazed at how fast the trees grow their leaves? As if overnight.

The miracle of life throughout the eyes of time. Time becomes more precious when we don’t have enough of it. Youth doesn’t mind the passing of time in the same way, unless life depends on it. In late golden years, time becomes precious, almost borrowed, a divine gift of sorts. It takes on a different meaning; it becomes the friend and foe of life, a duality that only a soul who has lived well comprehends, while finding peace in that knowledge. The eternity of time suddenly seems to dissolve; it has a beginning and end.

When Miracles Leave a Trail

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Photo by M.A.D.

Ever been in a situation where no matter how much you analyze it there appears to be no solution? In those instances, one hopes for a miracle, and many prayers after, a miracle takes place. Most likely, one recognizes and appreciates the miracle, however, many times, it takes a while to comprehend the full impact of that miracle and all the backstage work (godly work) leading to it. Sometimes, it takes time to see the whole miracle as it unfolded. It is then, when we start discovering little pieces of information that come to us bit by bit, leading us to understand and comprehend the magnitude of a miracle. It is this trail of awe that makes us see in full completion the experience of it. If gratitude and awe were strong before, the trail of a miracle not only humbles us, but plants a seed of hope, faith, joy, and peace within.

One realizes that human reasoning has its limits, and when reached, faith and hope take over. If you have experienced a miracle, a happy resolution to what seemed like a hopeless situation, pay attention to the trail that it leaves, and your perspective (more so) will be changed.

Looking Forward

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Spring is almost here, and the old farmhouse becomes alive again. That entails many chores, most of them delightful, at least in my eyes. To prepare this home for spring, I like to give the porch a refresh, change or move around things a bit, after a good cleaning. The side entrance gets new life as well. Both entrances are adorned with new wreaths (recycled). This year, it was time to change the tattered flag and replace it with something different. I love the farm animals’ motif on this flag. I have decided to eliminate the side entrance flag in order to simplify the outdoors a bit. It will stay up until the holidays, and then, I will remove the pole as well. Most of these items have migrated from indoors to outdoor use as I continue to declutter and simplify things inside. I love pine trees, so the pine tree sign stays all year and so does my two potted cedars. I found the little cedars growing outside when these were about two or three inches tall, and they have grown lovely. They look great during the Christmas season as well. In living simply, one of the things I have decided to eliminate is having artificial flowers all over the house, indoors that is. These flowers were repurposed for use on the side door arrangement. The rest of the flowers and many other items were donated to our local SPCA thrift shop. All the proceeds go to help pets in the shelter and families who need pet food and cannot afford it at a particular time. It is a great place. Once the holidays arrive again, I will eliminate most of my Christmas decor, and leave only a few items and our Christmas tree. I have already told members of my family that I don’t want any gifts, unless they disappear with use, such as a candle or holiday food items, if they insist on gifting. As I age, I find the need and want for things, whether decor or other has really diminished. I can appreciate the beautiful and lovely things without wanting these items. I have only left some meaningful items that represent gifts from people I love, and a few dear to me. I like the feeling of lightness and simplicity, and as I am enjoying this feeling, I think more items will have to find new homes and people who will appreciate these in their surroundings. It is a win-win.

The month of March is reserved for setting up the garden areas and for general cleanup. Areas that have not performed well will be eliminated, and other areas will be improved or simplified. The idea is to make the garden more enjoyable and less of a chore. Some potted plants will be condensed and in general, the areas will become less cluttered and easier to manage. March is also the time to clean and set up the veggie garden and also a time to plan what veggies we will plant this year. We also plan the outdoor projects for this year. We will try to tackle one project a month, if possible. One very important, and the first project we will tackle is fixing the way the grape vine is hanging. We let it grow over the veggie garden fence. Last year was the first year that we would have collected grapes, and the vine was full of grapes. However, when the grapes were almost ready to pick, they disappeared overnight, hundreds of grapes gone. I was puzzled. We think that deer had a feast, so we have to come up with a solution. We trimmed the vine, and we will start it again this year, higher up this time.

Outdoor projects will continue until September or October, depending on the weather, so there is not much time to do everything we would like to do. However, planning helps us take care of the most important issues and prioritize them. I will share some of these projects here.

Happy Spring!

Your Dream Might Overshadow Your Purpose

/ inkspeare

Dreaming starts early in life. It starts wishing for favorite toys and things we want as kids, and it continues to evolve to more complex desires, material, such as a car or a house, and even nonmaterial things such as success, financial freedom, and so on. I don’t think that there is anyone on this planet that does not have at least one dream.

For many of us, our most precious dreams manifest late in life; other people never get to realize their dream, and others struggle all their life in pursuit of something that never materializes. Other people realize what they thought was their dream, was actually not after achieving it. Sometimes, our dreams can overshadow a main purpose. That is, we are so focused on achieving what we want (or think we want) that we forget the main objective, which might be different from our dream. For example, let’s say that I run a shop to raise money for a cause. The main purpose is to make as much money to benefit such cause. However, I had a dream of owning an upscale boutique, and the shop is fulfilling a small part of that dream, emotionally that is. Ideally, and keeping to the main purpose of raising money for a cause, I would price items at various price points to attract as many people as possible in order to achieve my main purpose. However, my own dream gets in the way and overshadows my main objective. I start thinking of more upscale items that will attract specific buyers, and not the number of customers I need coming through the doors in order to achieve the main purpose. In this example, my personal dream overshadowed my main objective which was to raise as much money as possible for a cause. Another example, it is also the case of parents who live their dream through their kids. The kid’s own dreams take second place and so does parenting. These are just two examples but this can apply to many things in life, including writing.

We are emotional beings and sometimes, the strings of the heart play a louder melody, thus deafening us to our main objective. To dream is in our nature, and so is to strive and achieve a purpose/objective. Sometimes, those two don’t necessarily align well. When in doubt, go back to the main objective.

We can think that the moon is a slice of cheese, or we can see it for what it is. (Photo by M.A.D.)

You Are Not What You Own

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I took this picture in 2012 or so; it still speaks to me. (Photo by M.A.D.)

The minute we open our eyes to receive a brand-new day we are bombarded by advertising, whether on the news, the items we already own, and it continues throughout our day. Whether we realize it or not, we are being sold something (material or other) all the time. It is no wonder that we feel the need to accumulate more things and think that we actually need most of these items to live. We have learned to build status, a persona, around these things, and many times, we confuse who we are with the number of things or status we possess. Society builds itself around opportunities to have and have more, as well as the perception other people have of what we own. If we don’t own, we might not feel at par with the rest and we feel diminished. Why is that?

We have placed more value on our material possessions than on the God-given gifts and abilities we have; we have become our possessions and to have less than what society expects of us is unacceptable for many people. If we don’t follow the herd, we feel marginalized because sometimes, we are. The day we open our eyes and wake up, that is the day that we realize that we are more than what we own, and that our human value surpasses all of that. We understand that any material items in our lives are a blessing and not an extension of our Self. Then, we become grateful and free, not controlled or cursed by our material possessions or even the emotional weight that these put on us. Gratefulness opens the door for generosity and sharing. The true essence of who we are starts to emerge.

Unexpected Blessings

/ inkspeare

Recently, a very special friend who I have not seen in 8 years came to visit. I was so happy, full of joy to have seen my good friend again. It was an unexpected blessing. Life is full of unexpected blessings. Those usually appear when you need them most. Blessings that refresh your spirit and bring joy to your soul. Sometimes, those blessings are present and not that obvious because we are not attuned to these. In a fast-paced environment, life sometimes seems to go by quickly and we plug in to the speed of life, unaware of the blessings along the way.

Ever seen something “new” on a road/place you have been countless of times? Later, you find out that it has been there always, and you were not aware of it because you were not attuned to its presence. Many times, unexpected blessings have been there all along, but we failed to see them. Sometimes, we realize that what we wanted so much is what we already had but failed to see.

Freedom, Material Detachment

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At the start of a new year, we are bombarded with commercials about weight loss, organizational systems, and anything that will sell a fresh start. Our society has embraced consumerism and “the more and bigger the better” modus operandi while taken it to new levels. This is a topic close to my heart and I should start by saying that I am not a minimalist, although I can appreciate all its benefits.

Throughout the years, I have learned to live with less and continue to do so. Each day is an opportunity to have one less material thing in my life. I still find beauty in things and certainly have my favorites. However, I have pared down quite a lot since I started my journey on living a simpler life. I honestly don’t see myself becoming a hardcore minimalist, but I truly believe in achieving a real balance between material needs and wants.

Pondering about this topic, the other day I asked myself the following question: What would I take with me if I were to leave my home? I find it a good mental and soul-searching exercise. One that lets you know how little you really need. I did this room by room, and my husband even played the game with me briefly, in our living room. The answer had to be significant for each item, and have meaning attached to it, a real reason for keeping the item. I was surprised at the very small number of items I came up with to keep (clothing did not count on this exercise, neither meds, etc.). The number really surprised me. I came up with less than 20 items in my entire home that had meaning and that I would consider taking along if I were to move. For example, my deceased grandmother’s rosary, and my deceased pet’s casted pawprints. It helped me understand a few truths. First, that I have more than I need. That not everything I own has meaningful value, and that I have detached from stuff considerably throughout the years. Also, that I can appreciate the beauty of something, I don’t necessarily need it, and I can live without it.

Many times, we spend so much money, energy, time, and effort in the material part of our existence without even realizing how much weight it puts on our daily living. I still like things, but I don’t need them for my existence or happiness; I think that is where real balance is found. When things don’t weigh in our lives and do not take priority over it, thus affecting other more important issues such as time, energy, financial well-being, time with loved ones … then, a balance has been found. This type of balance goes beyond decluttering. It is not just shedding stuff away, or of an organizational value, instead, it is centering and puts in perspective our material priorities and highlights meaningful value.

I encourage you to give this little exercise a try. It is eye opening, and fun too. Certainly freeing.

Sweet December

/ inkspeare

Here in Southern Virginia, December is milder in comparison to Jersey, however, when it is cold, you can feel it in your bones, deep in your bones. Sunday, I woke up in the middle of the night and looked through the window; it was snowing, a little surprise since we were not expecting anything in our area, and it had been raining all day. It was a decent dusting that certainly spoke of dreaming of a white Christmas.

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. (Photo by M.A.D.)

Christmas decor has become simpler for us since we moved here, especially outdoors. Indoors, I like little touches here and there, not too much, a little something in each room. Life has become simpler in many ways.

I have always liked the look of two potted trees at each side of the front door, and a wreath, but I did not want to spend money on two artificial trees and large wreath, so I made mine. From time to time, I might find a little cedar tree growing in an area where it should not. I remove it and plant it in a pot until it grows large enough (about 12 inches) to be replanted in the perimeter of the property. I have been growing three tiny cedars that were about 2-3 inches when I found them, all on the same day. These have grown quite lovely. These grow fast. I planted one on a cement urn. It will become an outdoor Christmas tree. Now its branches are not strong enough to support a string of lights, so I attached a bow.

Little cedar growing to become a Christmas tree. (Photo by M.A.D.)

I planted the other two cedars on large pots and placed them at each side of the front door. These look lovely and will continue to grow. When these become too big for the porch, I will plant them on our property, and I will keep an eye for any little cedars that can take their place on the porch.

Little Cedars in training. (Photo by M.A.D.)
I made the wreath from recycled ornaments and greenery that I already had.

Here, December is a prelude to the colder months, and temperatures and weather are all over the place; one day could be freezing, the next day, very warm. Overall, I have found summer to be hot and humid, and winter, cold and wet, and not every year we get a considerable amount of snow. In fact, one year did not snow at all. I find the weather here very variable. Do I miss the Jersey blizzards? No, but I do miss other things.

A little stroll around town during the season is magical. The town dresses up for the holidays, and in a warm evening, it is enjoyable.

A little bit of history. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Lighting the lanterns in the evening is a Chatham tradition. (Photo by M.A.D.)
The many lights around town are just lovely. (Photo by M.A.D.)
Almost as if straight out of a Thomas Kinkade painting. (Photo by M.A.D.)
People love to see the decorations on this home. (Photo by M.A.D.)

Stores dress up their windows as well. I have fallen in love with the magic of this little town.

For me, December is also a month of deep reflection in many areas of my life. A month of planning for the new year and of dreaming as well. But most important, it is when I celebrate the birth of my King and Savior, Jesus Christ, reflecting in all that it means and also, all the joy and beauty of the season: friends, family, decorations, food, traditions … It is all good, all a blessing.

Photo by M.A.D.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 KJV

This will be my last post for this year. I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. May your lives be filled with all the joy and love of God, and may your New Year be filled with all His blessings. Until next time.

Love and Light,

Maria Antonia Diaz