Get Dirty!

 

So… Cleanliness is next to Godliness, they say, but let me be the Devil’s advocate for a moment, please, and bear with me down the winding path.

One of the factors leading to my “cool grandma” status, is allowing the grandchildren to get dirty, do messy stuff, and use my tools. There are days you would be horrified to see the mess left in the wake of grandkid projects, but they are so happy when they’ve successfully created something.

We all know cleanliness may be next to Godliness; however, God is also a Master Creator, and I’ve never worked with a creative person whose work area was “clean.” 

If you are a painter, there are always paint splatters, paint brushes, your clothes, the floor, your hair, and whatever else you touched that needs to be cleaned.

If you do crafting, its always the glue, the tiny scraps of whatever you cut, stuff that fell on the floor and stuck to your shoe, leftover pieces that need to be cleaned, and the "stuff" the vacuum refuses to pick up.

If its woodworking, it’s the sawdust, the stain, and splinters in your hand. Heck, I can’t even draw on the sidewalk without being covered in chalk dust.

You just absolutely cannot bring something new into this world without some mess. Just ask an OB nurse if you need confirmation of that!

So, what is my point?

If you hold on too tightly to the admonishment that cleanliness is next to Godliness, you may expect your life to be simple and easy. Everything in its place, nothing to worry or complain about. You may expect to live your life on Easy Street, and end up being very frustrated when things don’t go according to your plan.

Therefore, I ask you to consider this perspective. Being created in God’s image makes us creators, too. And, as I said, creation is messy. This is why sometimes our lives seem so complicated. There are always problems to be dealt with. Things are put in our path, both good and bad, that we never expect. "Stuff" changes all of the time. We have to learn how to be the engineers and architects of our own growth, the explorers that carve out the path when we can’t see what lies ahead, and most importantly, mentors to assist those brave (or foolish) enough to follow us.

I guess my point is – Get messy. Get dirty. Get involved!

Life ain’t easy, so share what you know, support who you can, and work together to creatively follow the path to happiness.

 

 contributed by Melody Lowe

SNACKIN'

 

Well, this will give me good reason to eat one of my favorite snack foods! March 14^th is National Potato Chip Day!  We all have that one food we just can’t turn down, and for me it is the potato chip (or a version thereof – chips, nachos, cheezits, straws, etc.)

My most recent favorite is the kettle-cooked variety. It’s changed through the years as trends and availability have changed. I recall my mother making trips to find Sterzings chips before they were available in our town. She would drive at least 100 miles round trip to buy her chips. (Hmmm… maybe this chip craving is genetic?)

Lately, many restaurants have offered “home-cooked” chips. I haven’t gotten up the courage to make my own, but I might try that one day. (My recent homemade Crab Rangoon Pizza was a winner!)

And also happening March 31 is National Tater Day. (Do you see the pattern here?)

Another of my favorites is the twice-baked potato (or sweet potato). Doesn’t matter if it’s plain, cheesy, or loaded. They are all good. There must be a million potato recipes on the internet. Maybe I should get all of my grandchildren together and have a “Potato Day” and have each one pick a recipe for us to make. (Don't judge me! Yes – we can have a day where we just eat potatoes!)  And then maybe, whichever one is their overall favorite we could serve at our Easter meal.

It's okay. Give yourself permission to celebrate potatoes! (And aren’t you supposed to plant potatoes around Easter? I need to look that up!)

 

 

 

Contributed by Melody Lowe

 

 

Resolutions - How's that going?

Remember all those resolutions you made in January?

Remember all those expectations you had of yourself and other people had for you?

Remember all of that stress you placed on yourself right on the heels of all of the holiday pressure you endured?

Did it make you feel like this?  AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!

Consider this subtle shift. 

Make a few SPRING resolutions instead. Instead of trying to rejuvenate your life in January when Earth is in the middle of winter and everybody just wants to hibernate, consider planning your rejuvenation with the Earth’s spring wake-up.

This is a natural time of awakening and rebirth in our culture. Everybody is excited for the first day of spring, spring break, and Easter celebrations. We finally have sunlight past 5 pm so we feel inclined to get out and enjoy the evening rather than cozying up in the house. You see people out walking, children outside playing, people in parks… Everyone is ready to “get out there.” Doesn’t it make more sense to make a few resolutions in conjunction with that?

A word of caution. Just like I said in January, don’t make your goals so high, or have so many, that you feel overwhelmed and the experience becomes negative. Just pick what reset point works for you (New Year’s or New Spring, or maybe something else) and be comfortable moving forward.

The equinox is not that many days away! Happy Spring to you!

Contributed by Melody Lowe

 

 

New Year's Resolutions - Yes or No?

Every year, many of us take the time to reflect on our lives and set New Year's resolutions. Whether it’s a goal to lose weight, save money, or learn a new skill - setting New Year's resolutions is an opportunity to create meaningful milestones in our lives and make positive changes.

New Year's resolutions can be a great way to stay motivated and focused on personal growth. They can help us stay accountable for our goals and remind us of the progress we’ve made over the course of the year. It’s important to remember that New Year's resolutions are not meant to be overwhelming or unachievable, but rather achievable goals that will help us reach our desired outcomes. Take it in baby steps! Don’t set your goals so high that they drive you crazy and the whole process begins to feel negative. Whether you use resolutions or not, the point is to give yourself a reset point, and be comfortable in moving forward.

Happy New Year!

contributed by Melody Lowe

And once all of the presents have been opened, you hear the words...

I just can’t believe it when I hear somebody speak these words! 

The crazy thing is, this is one my goals.

Yes, you read that correctly. It’s a goal. I’ve heard about bored housewives, how does one become that?

I have never in my life been bored. I suppose I probably said that when I was a kid, as a lot of kids do. But certainly not since high school have I ever been bored, there’s just too much to experience and accomplish.

First off, just staying ahead of housework keeps one busy. And, all of the errands that must be completed, and if you have young children there are all kinds of school activities to put on top of “just keeping up.”

But all of that aside, I have always found things that I wanted to do or wanted to learn to keep me busy. I love to read and to spend time writing. I enjoy many shows that provide education. As a child I loved it when Jacque Cousteau or Marlin Perkins would be on television. I enjoy watching Jack Hanna (I was fortunate enough to meet this gentleman), Albert Yu-Min Lin, and many programs on the History Channel, National Geographic, or PBS.

I was thrilled when the internet came into being. I’m a self-described internet gypsy. I’m always looking up something and wandering from page to page to page learning about new things – or old things that I find of interest. I’ve met some really great people this way.

 Every job that I’ve ever had, I had to learn something. My current “day job” is challenging and ever changing, so learning happens every single day. And, I can’t even imagine what career path I might have taken had the internet been available to me in my youth. The possibilities are endless so how could I ever be bored!

(And just in case you are bored, do your own gypsy hop to this site.)

Then there is my DIY side. I enjoy experimenting with many types of crafts. I’ve tried a lot of things; crocheting, embroidery, quilting, paper quilling, painting, kitchen crafts, fudge-making, the list goes on and on. The flip side of “crafting” is doing things in my home, like wallpapering, painting, plaster repair, installing tile, and this list also goes on.

Now, that my circumstances allow, I’m also enjoying some travels. It’s fun to go to new places and learn about those communities. I’ve trained my grandchildren well in these adventures and they’ve learned we are going to do something we can’t do at home, and eat in a “real” restaurant, not a fast-food place. We are going to read a book we’ve not read before, or watch a movie we’ve not seen before. They are beginning to appreciate these experiences over material things.

Back to my goal of being bored … There is always something to do, something to learn, or some place to go so it will take me a very, very long time to reach the point when “I’m bored.” I don’t know if I can even achieve this goal!

 

Contributed by Melody Lowe

“Hot Cross Buns” – it’s a classic!

I recently had the opportunity to attend a “string” concert at our local high school. It involved grade levels 5-12, showing off their skills in the violin, viola, cello, and bass. I hadn’t been to anything like this for a while, and I greatly enjoyed it.

It carried me back to the fourth grade, in the weeks following the city-wide band and orchestra concert.

The image of the young instructor/conductor leading the groups reminded me of my first encounter with the new young instructor/conductor of my day – Steve Miller.

I remember meeting in the small room across from my fourth-grade classroom, and discussing what instrument I wanted to play. I chose the violin, and I remember him measuring my arm to make sure I would even be able to play it. I did, not necessarily well, and my orchestra career was relegated to just the 5^th grade year. (Hey, don't judge me! I’m not musical… I write!)

As the fifth-grade students performed for the first time, I leaned over to my daughter and whispered “I learned that same song when I was in fifth grade,” and she just laughed, while my youngest grandchild gazed in complete awe and wonder, completely mesmerized by the performances. I wondered if the beginner music curriculum had evolved at all, or was “Hot Cross Buns” just one of those classics that every music student learned. Probably so. Wouldn’t it make for a fun event if on a given day and time, all the beginner students across the United States played it together, as a promotional event to maintain music programs in our schools?  It would take a very passionate conductor to coordinate that, but every parent would love it!

Even if you don’t have a school age student involved in the music programs, I would encourage you to attend one of these types of local events. Not only is it fun, it is inspiring to watch the wonder, awe, dedication, and brilliance displayed by these students.

contributed by Melody Lowe