The Waiting Game

Instant gratification is always nice. Okay, let's face it...most of us would prefer it over twiddling our thumbs while we wait.  I'm no exception to the rule--take this antique oil lamp for example.  When we found this treasure in the local Litchfield antique store, I was hyped.  I'm not exactly sure why I find its patent information so intriguing, but I love the fact that I have a treasure from 1898 sitting on my bookshelf.

Upon returning home from Minnesota, it was my first mission (on the same motivational level as the Christmas tree) to purchase wick and parafin oil.  I thought surely living in a historical area like Virginia, I'd have no trouble finding such items.  George Washington LIVED here for heaven's sake!  Unfortunately, I couldn't have been more wrong.  After three different attempts to find my supplies, I was forced to turn to the ever-so faithful internet. Thank you, Amazon.com, for always delivering.

The wick arrived yesterday, and I had barely set my bags down after work last night before I grabbed the lamp to set up my treasure.  I was relieved to find that the mechanisms still worked, and the wick fed right on through the metal teeth as I wound the tiny nob.  It was a good patent!  I placed it back on the shelf, proud of my purchase, and then...I waited again.  The shipping confirmation is sitting in my inbox, and the parafin oil can't come soon enough.  Patience...it's such a lovely thing.  The day I get to burn my oil lamp will be a day of reward for my enduring patience...or at least my attempt at it.  I've only checked the shipping status two times today. That's pretty good, right? :)

The Storage is Back!

I bit the proverbial bullet and am showing my blogger love by purchasing storage.  Unfortunately this was after I deleted numerous 2009 posts in an attempt to make room.  Thanks, Megan, for the tip on Google Chrome. Believe it or not, I'd already filled that storage as well!  Haha. $3/month isn't going to put me into the poor house, so raise a glass to many more photos to come!

For now, to celebrate my expanded storage, here's the only new photo I had on hand.  Since returning home, Hutch's new roosting place is the couch arm.  I suppose he's wishing he was back in Minnesota, resting on their couch arm, watching the snowflakes fall.  Sorry, buddy...not happening here.

Have a fun Thursday!

What To Do, What To Do

Despite my efforts to clean up the blog and make room for more photos, Google is telling me I must purchase storage space in order to load more memories.  As much as I love posting photos, I can't see the need to pay $5/month for less than good camera photos that I stick on here...

Decision time...create a new blog or just fill these current pages with words....

Fa lalalala lala la la

My home has been lovingly Christmas-fied.  Despite the 18-hour drive home and my 11:30pm arrival time, I woke up Sunday morning with inspiration to decorate.  I may only have a tiny hall, but consider it decked.  After a quick run to Home Depot to buy my potted tree, I rediscovered the joy I get from fluffing garland and poking little splashes of red and silver throughout my home.  I kept it simple this year, and while I'd love to completely cover my entire home with Christmas cheer, I'm finding that sometimes the simpler the better.

I'd share a photo of my home, but I've run out of storage space. Hang tight, and I'll work something up.
Happy Tuesday!

Surprise!

Hutch on the 20-hr. drive to MN

This last week was perhaps one of the best weeks I've had in quite some time.  The look on my dad's face when he opened the front door was priceless.  I'm pretty sure it took him a good thirty minutes before he finally accepted the fact that I was there.

Hutch and I drove the twenty-hour trek to Minnesota; leaving at 3:30pm on Friday and arriving at 11:30am the next morning. If I said it was a breeze, it would be the giddiness speaking. But in all honesty, the further I drove from the busy city life, the more relaxed I became.

Surprises are always fun, and I think the world needs more of them...but it was the quiet evenings spent at home with my parents that I treasure.  We didn't do a lot--at least in big city terms--but boy did we enjoy spending time together. The daily hugs, the many laughs, the gentle tears, and sitting around the table sharing our blessings all made my week off into a treasure.

Thank you, Dad and Mom, for a week to remember.

Victory!

As Miss Black would say, "It's Friday, Friday!" (Had to do it)

This week certainly had its moments of pure disarray--those moments when it feels like if one more thing gets put on your plate, you might combust into a cloud of black vapor.  But it also had its moments of victory.  Let's talk about those...

1.  Andy's basement flooded during Sandy, and the cleanup has been a process.  That isn't the victory, though I have to say, if I ever become a home owner, I will have some experience under my belt.  Andy doubted me when I told him he should make a claim with Home Owners.  I believe his exact wording was, "Heather, they're never going to give me a dime."  I told him to trust me and let me take care of it, which he followed up with, "Okay, Heather, I'll give you 20% of what they give me." Drum roll please....I made $1,200 this week.

2.  For some reason this season, I felt like being sick might be kind of fun. Having to curl up on the couch and stay home from work sounded good.  Call me crazy--I'll agree with you.  To demonstrate the craziness, I bought four different kinds of throat drops BEFORE I even had a problem.  Of course this was my demise because this week, my tonsils have been inflamed and throbbing.  I can't remember why I thought being sick might be fun...but the victory is that after three nights of early bedtimes, I think I have this under-wraps.  Thanks to lots of hot cups of tea and my ever available throat drops, I was prepared.

3.  I don't know that I have a third victory this week, but because I'm in the habit of listening to 3-point sermons, I figured I'd pop a third in here.  Victory number three will be that I watched less than one hour of television this week TOTAL.  How wonderful is that!?  Music has replaced the forgettable droll of television.

Well, that's all I've got for this crisp, cool morning.  I better tackle these stacks of papers so I can end this week with a fourth victory...ORDER.

Zzz.

One word...Oofta.  This week has been quite something.  But as always, I strive on busy schedules, somehow getting my energy from the same source that takes it away. But I have to admit, my tank is low.

I suppose I come by them naturally, but nonetheless, sleepless nights are getting old.  There's no rhyme or reason to my nightly patterns. Sometimes my body resists falling asleep, and other times it wakes up in the middle of the night wide awake and defying slumber.  Sleep aids aren't an option unless I want nightmares, and the old West family remedy of warm milk and bread no longer does the trick.

I'm hoping the weekend provides the opportunity to catch up on those missing REM hours.

Here's to hoping!

Loved by Hugs

Cuddling is underrated.  There is no such thing as too many hugs or snuggles.  I'd go so far as to say that no one gets enough of them.  I'm reminded of how much I yearn to be cuddled every time Hutch inches his way toward my chest like a tiger in the grass.  His tiny front paws creep slowly, as if I might not notice the twelve pounds of weight moving up my body.  And just when he thinks I'm going to stop him, he swiftly plops down, rolls to his side, and snuggles up under my chin.  This is his evening ritual. Before too long, his little tummy rises at an even pace, and soft snores escape his fuzzy face.  Hutch needs cuddles.

Someone once told me the average person needs ten hugs each day to feel loved.  I sure hope this isn't true because it would mean 85% of the world feels unloved.  But it does have a point.

Why do I feel far from God sometimes? It's not because I can't see him--I know He's there.  It's not because He doesn't listen or answer--I'm astounded by the miraculous ways He answers.  I feel distance from God because He isn't holding me.  Sometimes I just need a hug.  The other night, I felt like a marble among mountains.  I felt tiny, insignificant, and most of all, I felt alone. I needed to be held, and so I prayed.  I asked God to hold me tightly--so tightly that I could feel it.  And you know what happened?  I didn't feel physically hugged, but I was overwhelmingly surrounded by peace and comfort.  I can remember the first time God blessed me with that feeling.

I was no older than ten, and my dog Fritz was injured.  I felt helpless and scared.  I prayed that God would take away my fears and make me feel better. It's amazing what a child's faith will ask for.  Instantaneously, I was covered by a blanket of peace.  I even tried to cry and feel scared, but I couldn't.  God had hugged me with His mighty comfort. Ever since that moment, I have prayed a similar prayer in moments of utter helplessness.  And every time, God has answered with a hug.

We don't have to inch up and sneak a cuddle like dear little Hutch does.  (Still not sure why he thinks I'm going to stop him--I love cuddling with my living stuffed animal).  If we find ourselves alone, and not in a place where we have someone physical to hold and hug, we have something far greater.  God's love is entirely too big for us to understand--we really are marbles among mountains...but I promise you, if you trust Him to hold you, you'll feel like a mountain held in glory.

Thankful

November is a beautiful month. There's something comforting about Fall, when the trees decide to release their vibrant colors, and children bundle up to wrestle in the piles of orange and red.  Pumpkins line the steps of neighborhood homes, welcoming hungry dinner guests as they approach the autumn wreathed doors. November is a great many things. It welcomes in cooler weather, encourages bountiful layers, and creates the opportunity to break out the fleece blankets from their cedar chests.

But what I so often and quite easily miss is that November is a reminder to be thankful.  As the invitation lists are set and families begin to plan for their Thanksgiving meal, the focus draws toward grocery lists and the stresses of family drama. Depending on their past, the holidays usher in both happy and painful memories, and we forget what the holiday is even about.

I wonder what might happen if we stop to really ponder on our blessings.  What are we truly thankful for...other than the latest and greatest TV we bought or the new pair of shoes we're wearing.  What might happen if instead of listing out the ingredients for Uncle Herman's pecan pie, we list out what we're thankful for.

Would life slow down and gain clarity? Might the world feel more real? Perhaps it might make us feel thankful instead of just be thankful.  So here I go...I'm taking a stab.  For the next week and a half, I am going to make a mental list of what I'm thankful for.  To start it out...

My Grocery Thankful List:

1. God's grace and mercy: Without it, I'd be a squished pumpkin.

2. Family & Friends: Without family and friends, these past three months would have been unbearably lonely.    Their support and love provides hope.

3. Safety:  Watching New Yorkers struggle through the two-hour lines for fuel and groceries makes me thankful for the convenience I experience daily.  I have a roof over my head, food in the cupboards, a reliable car, and heat that keeps me warm.

4. Reliable Job:  No job is secure anymore, but I'm so very thankful I can fall asleep knowing the bills are paid and I have a boss who looks out for me.

5.  Hope:  Jesus' sacrifice provides hope for the end of the day when it can sometimes feel like the world is closing in on you.  The battle is already won.

6.  Crafts: Yes, I'm thankful for them. Not only do they keep my hands busy, but they are a huge stress reliever at the end of a busy work day.  

Cookies, Candles, and ... a Comode?

This week has not been without unexpected surprises...and it's only Tuesday!  If the past two evenings are an indication of how the rest of the week will be, I better stock up on Tylenol and smiles.  Yesterday, I discovered a tick on Hutch's furry face and realized more than ever my inability to appropriately approach unexpected surprises.  (My father and mother are now shaking their heads and thinking she's just now figuring this out?)  The heart was pumping and mind racing for cures.  After an impromptu run to CVS to pick up supplies, the tick was plucked, and Hutch was looking at me in wonder as though he'd just endured Hurricane Sandy.  I admit it, when I tackle a problem, I don't mess around. 

This evening also had its own adventure...a broken toilet.  That's right--she decided to throw another party, and this time, she wasn't stopping.  The poor serviceman sweated over that toilet for two and a half hours, and she's still not quite complete.  At least I won't have a flooding toilet on my hands any longer...

The good news is this:  Hutch is bug-free and on preventative anti-biotics, and my apartment no longer smells like a dirty comode...instead it smells like delicious chocolate chip cookies and warm homey candles. 

Tomorrow is Wednesday...let's see what's in store!

Some Things Never Change

Play Time

Sometimes Hutch gets in the mindset that his toys are going to "get him"...I finally captured a little bit of this on video.