Personalize Your Space

I think we all need a place in our home that is ours to do as we please. Since downsizing, I have relearned the joy of small spaces. On my side of the bed I have created a little area that is all me. On my husband's side he has done the same. I think he is actually enjoying the activity. We both take our time, utilizing the shelves for additional space. I needed a place for my "jewels" (costume, of course), and he wanted to showcase that motorcycle all made out of wood that we found on our trip from Minnesota at Devil's Tower, in Wyoming. (Some of you may remember this from Close Encounters of a Third Kind, or in the Oregon Trail computer game.)

Anyway, on his side he likes his books mostly, but also that picture I found for him that reminded us of a heron doing exactly the same thing as this bird in a marshy area on the Oregon Coast. It was sunset, and it was so nice to sip our wine and watch this bird doing a little dining of his own. The reflection on the water was breathtaking.

He also likes the neat fossil our daughter gave him for Christmas. He uses it as a bookend. And the leather case for a pocket watch he inherited from his father. The watch doesn't work, but no matter.

I like plants, flowers, and candles, all things outlawed on his side.

I also like my little Buddha statue, and my robin picture that reminds me of the robin family we had the good fortune to follow last spring, right in front of one of our windows. I'll do a special post on that.

What about you? Do you have a little place that is all you?

Intention Board

In the spirit of living my best life, I have once again designed an Intention Board. An Intention Board is nothing more than an area that you set aside that displays snippets of what you would like to see manifest in your life. My belief is that thoughts are energy, and when you put energy out into the world, it should be of the quality that you would like it to be. An "aware" energy, if you will.

So I am sharing my Intention Board with my husband, who has never done such a thing before. New territory for my very grounded, nothing but the facts, kind of guy. You can see his side on the right. He doesn't have anything on his side yet, other than that cute vase I found on vacation and some fresh flowers. I think he's waiting to see how I do mine, so he can use it as a template - although he would argue that point.

The bollo ties were his fathers. He passed away about a month or so ago.

My last Intention Board was just a cork board that was in our study in our last house. I had taken a picture of our house and wrote SOLD across it in red marker. It sold. The only one in the neighborhood.

I think it helps to put the board up and then look at it for a day or two and really think about what you want to happen in your life. Find a picture, or saying, that represents that intention. Think about what that sentence or picture means to you as you put it on the board. Then forget it! Just let it go...

View From A Window

Today is a rainy spring day in the Sierras. My husband is off to Sacramento to meet with my brother on a project, and I am taking the time to just look out the window. The little creek is running high as the snow melts from the higher elevations. This runoff will go directly to the Lake. Do you have a window that you look out? This perch is where I read and think about things. What about you? Care to share a view from your window?

What makes you happy?

This age old question is doing it's share of popping into conversations and blogs these days. And I am aware that happiness is certainly personal and dynamic. But my husband, who is currently reading "The Ascent of Money" by Niall Ferguson, read a few passages about the paradox of why the people living in the safest country in the world are also the most insured. Ferguson also discusses when English-speaking people began to be obsessed with buying and selling of houses. Both very interesting, and directly related to happiness, I think.

First of all, it has only been in the last few decades that people began to believe that they must own a house to be happy. Before that, people often rented their entire lives, often living in the same place. See New York City. People in Switzerland often never pay off their homes, just passing the mortgage on in their wills to their family. But our country feels that you are just not complete without the "American Dream". With that comes taxes, insurance, upkeep, etc. You are tied to that house and mortgage. And you are tied to that exact location. Believe me, I know what it is like to have a big house on the market during down times. Our last one had three people come through (other than the lookie-lous that came through during the "open house" phase), in 100 days. It was a beautiful home, in a beautiful location. But it was outside the Twin Cities area, and gas was starting to sky rocket. It was not looking good. We lucked out with a man that walked through, loved it, bought it for cash (for his summer home - the rest of the time he lived on a horse ranch in Texas), no contingencies! Great luck. But I can see a very different scenario if we were still there. What I'm trying to get to, is why do people feel compelled to own something that will take so much of their income that it will cause anxiety if circumstances change? Losing your down payment, not to mention your equity, on a house you can no longer afford is a crushing blow. But millions are going through this right now. 

Now for insurance. We have to insure everything. Yesterday the person at the checkout counter at a local sport shop wanted my husband to insure his new running shoes for a year. My husband laughed and declined, saying he would not use them for a year. He believes in good running shoes and only uses them a few months - but that's another story. The point is we have to own all this stuff and then insure it. How much of our lives, and money, is just taking care of our stuff? I have always disagreed with friends that bought houses for their children to live in while attending college. Why would you tie your children down to a house during the only free time of their lives? The fun is moving from place to place, fixing it up and making it your home. Lots of good stuff comes from that. Yet the first thing many do is help their children buy a home after graduation. Thus ensuring they will be right there, for a long time. What if they wanted to travel and see the world? Or work overseas? Or take a job across the country? Get a second degree or work in another field that may pay less? Experience life? 

So, I guess I would pose the question - do we really think about what makes us happy? Really looking at what makes our day? Or do we assume our happiness must look like a programed set of values that may or may not fit what we actually like to do? And why do we have to own everything? Does it make us happier?

Fingerprints and Blogging

Have you ever noticed that everyone's blog roll is different? Even very like-minded people have blog rolls that express their individuality. Yours may be more heavily into children and babies, like my daughters, or music, or poetry, or art. But all of them seem to have an exclusive fingerprint, expressing that person's desire for friendship, understanding, faith, caring, and education. We run to the ones that are our teachers when we feel down, and to the ones that make us laugh when we need a good one. We reach out to those that we feel might need a friend, and gladly accept the hand of friendship from others. We revel in the good fortunes of our blogging buddies and strive to give heartfelt advice to those going through tough times. And all through this amazing labyrinth, we find what we need and what may need to be given. One of a kind fingerprints. Possible relationships with people all over the world. People who are much more similar to us than not. Each with their own blog roll, expressing their distinctness.

The dynamic nature of such an interface is remarkable. You are free to pick and choose among an ever-expanding field of extraordinary writers. The trouble for me is finding the time to follow all the ones I want to follow. I only give a cursory glance at all of the news programs that I once followed so carefully. Books remain unread. All the while I float around cyberspace learning more in a day about a variety of topics that I never imagined even existed. 

What about you? Do you have an expanding fingerprint/blog roll?

Stew Update #2

So last night I cooked what I thought was the final stew. I included almost all, yes all, of your suggestions. And I think it was "the stew". But it seems my husband is saying it is not the final stew due to the dumplings (new addition, and he hates all new additions of most things), soaking up too much of the liquid. Therefore he is insisting I go back, and do the same stew without the dumplings, before he gives the final thumbs up.

I'm a little worried because it is starting to warm up. I mean how long into the spring do you really want to eat stew? ?

More to follow...

Interesting Dreams

I am one of those people who very rarely remembers dreams. But I had the most vivid dream about Richard Branson. Yes, Richard Branson. Do you suppose this picture could have anything to do with it?