Chasing Rabbits

I am a rabbit chaser. I'm thinking that this is one of the main reasons that I am so bad about posting. I actually love to write, well, actually I love to vent and writing is a great way to vent. When I speak with people I actually try real hard to not chase rabbits because I know it can be annoying. Men aren't rabbit chasers,  I'm married to a rabbit hunter. I always have this little Mike in the back of my head that says "get to the point!" I hate it because it is in our nature to do so. Just listen and pay attention the next time you talk to a woman.

I once went to this unbelievably GREAT marriage seminar called "Love and Respect". It is a MUST for any marriage, or better yet, any human being that relates in any way for any amount of time with anyone of the opposite sex. And for men (although I'm pretty sure that no man will ever read this post) it actually is a great seminar too. Have you ever noticed how men in general HATE going to marriage seminars? I have been married 19 years and have NEVER been to one. The only reason Mike and I got to see this one (we didn't even get to "go" to the seminar, we just saw them on DVD) is because he is an elder at our church and the church was buying the DVD set. We were the guinea pigs. He loved it! It is the kind of seminar that doesn't require you to become a woman to be a good husband. Men receive a lot of confirmation in what and who they are and does a wonderful job at pointing out our differences and that it is totally OK to be that way. Oh, I can't chase that rabbit because I can't do the guy justice. You must either buy his book or go running to the pastor of your church and beg him to get this DVD set for your church. He is really funny and is so much more effective in communicating this stuff than just through a book.

It looks like I chased a rabbit, but really I didn't. Mr. Eggerichs talks about the phenomenon that women have of talking in a circle. We begin a conversation and one thing we say reminds us of something else and we talk about it until it reminds us of something else, and on and on we go until we get back to the place where we began, we always do. We talk in a circle and the conversation will end as we close our circle. Or else we are bothered by it. It happened to me the other day. Someone was telling me about something in their life and it reminded me of something else, which in turn took us somewhere else. We were far, far away from where we began. Normally we would go back, we always do. But time ran out and we both forgot. Until, about an hour later I was thinking about this person and I felt so bad because I realized that she never finished her story! On the same token, it bugs me when I'm talking about something and get off track and I never have a chance to go back and finish my train of thought, or story. I feel cheated. It was incomplete. We love to be complete. We love it when we go full circle, we must. It even happens in reconciliation. Did you know that men and women have totally different styles of reconciliation? I won't get into it, buy  the book and learn about it, it's such important information.

Anyway, because I am not a "writer" and because I can't spent hours and hours writing drafts and correcting and editing I will have to be true to who I am from now on. I will have to feel the freedom to chase the rabbits, you will have to indulge me and enjoy it as you would in a conversation and that way I may be able to actually post a little more often.

I actually think about stuff all of the time and I lay in bed wanting to write it all out, but I chicken out. Maybe when my boys are grown and I don't have to work, or feel the need to overachieve in other areas of my life, then I could learn how to write well and let everybody know what I really think in a grown up and orderly manner.

Come along for the ride and see how many rabbits I can find in one swoop.
Or maybe not. Maybe it's just another excuse because the truth is, I am just too scared

My Sweater Purse

I have been wanting to make myself a purse for months! I either chicken out because I can't make up my mind on what fabric to use or what size and pattern to use. It drives me crazy! So, I one day was looking through my blog subscriptions and stumbled upon this simple beauty! I needed a simple start so I took off with it. Finally!

Hobby lobby was closed today, and Walmart didn't have the magnetic thingies, so I modified the closure. It works, and I like it, but I didn't get to use the cute flower I made for it because I don't like how it looks with the button.

I began making the purse several days ago but since the lining fabric hadn't arrived at the time I had no idea when I'd get to finish it. Even when the fabric arrived life had taken over and my cut up sweater got shoved to the corner. Today, however, it has began to snow. When it snows life just slows down, and since I'm fairly confident that there will be no school tomorrow there is no since of urgency, laundry can wait, kitchen can wait, I suddenly have all of the time in the world. So here you go. My lovely wintery RED purse. Does it look familiar Mrs. Bray!?

Wheat Grass Tutorial

This is so easy!

I bought this glass container at Hobby Lobby in the candle making section, but obviously you can use any container you like.

On day one I took a handfull of wheat berries and just to see how much I would need I spread them in a single layer in the container I was using.

You can purchace wheat berries at any health food store. Any kind will be fine (hard, soft, spring...). If you live in my area just beg me for some and I will just give some to you. I make my own bread from freshly ground whole wheat and I buy the stuff in bulk, so I have plenty to go around.

Then take the berries and soak them in water. I soaked mine for 48 hours. I think they do better when left that long.

After 48 hours they will look nice and plump, and your water will be cloudy.

Now drain the water out, put dirt in your container and lay the berries right on top of the dirt.

Loosely cover with plastic wrap, this gives it a "green house" effect.

About 3 days later you will need to take the plastic off and let the green grow.

I can't remember when I took this picture, but it was one or two days after I took the plastic wrap off.

 This is day 11!

Isn't it great? I love my wheat grass. It does have a short life, but it is so worth it because it is so simple.

I hear also that wheat grass is super good for you! A friend of mine wants to grow it so she can juice it!!

HAPPY PLANTING!

To be thankful

It is so hard to be thankful when you live in a society that is bent on wanting you to believe that you aren't happy and therefore have nothing to be thankful about. We live in a place and time where so much information as at our fingertips and there is no way to access that information without being bombarded with this idea of "everybody else is happy, this is how... and the only way that you will be happy is if you have what they have".

To be honest with you I am amazed that there are not even more bankruptcies and divorces than there are. We are never content with what we have, who we have and who we are. We just keep buying into the "celebration" of Thanksgiving, but we have trouble buying into being thankful. Think about it. When was the last time you said "WOW!" in awe, and when was the last time you said "I wish".

I don't know, maybe I am the only one here that feels like this and I am the only one that has to work on it as well. Really? Am I that selfish and alone in this?

I really find the need, propelled by the season of course, to really work on an attitude of thanksgiving. When I am thankful I am way more happy than when I am not. I want to be thankful for every perfect gift from above. But even when we are thankful, do you see that we tend to compare ourselves with others? When I feel discontent with my house, for example, I can't seem to just be thankful for the gift that the Lord has lavished me with in my house and home, I seem to need to compare it to say, people in India that live in those dirt floor rooms, you know, we have all seen them on TV. Why can't I just close my eyes, take in what I have, not what anyone else has and just give THANKS? We are always looking to the left and to the right.

Just so you know, I ponder, I don't come to many conclusions in my life, I just do what I can. So know that I am thinking "out loud" and who knows, maybe some day I will read this and say "what was I thinking?" So perhaps it is just fine for me to be thankful that I have a roof over my head, my own bedroom and a down comforter that I LOVE specially since there are cold children all over the world as I write this. And even though my house isn't 2500 square feet I can still be thankful for what I have. And well, I may not have lots of space but my husband adores me and we are really super happy while there are millions of hurting marriages that are suffering and are tearing apart, women hurting, men hurting and children caught in the middle... See, that is easy to do.

I challenge you, and myself of course, this week to be thinking about what we are truly thankful for. Think outside the box. I think there might a difference between being thankful for what we have compared to others and having an attitude of thanksgiving. I know we don't live in a vacuum, but humor me and ponder with me. What are you thankful for? I could so chase a rabbit right now, because that is what I do. But I will refrain, or else I will be tempted to write a book. (I know, because that is what I want to do with every post). Anyway, here is my first thought. Random, but here goes.

When I'm feeling ugly, lonely, rejected, lost, unwanted, or just in a blah kind of mood, I lay in bed with my Mike, and he wraps his arms around me, squeezes me tight and I suddenly am beautiful, I am safe. I am in the presence of someone who loves me and wants me, I am no longer lost, but in the place I belong. THAT, is what I am thankful for.

12 days of Christmas

Please go visit my friend Edie and check out what we made!

You will want to make one too.

AND

Wheat Grass Tutorial Coming to a Blog near you!!

Can't wait to share how to make this beauty.

(Please ignore the double paned 70s windows that, no matter how much I clean will NEVER look clean)

I will be a guest at Edie's!

I'm so excited about being asked to be a part of Edie's 12 Days of Christmas this year.

Make sure you pay her a visit and soon enjoy what we have had up our sleves.