Lazy W Marie

Carpeing all the diems in semi-rural Oklahoma...xoxo

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Thank You Puxatony Phil!!!!!!!!

   Well, friends, it’s official! It’s almost spring. The wizened groundhog did NOT see his truth telling shadow this morning,

“So ye faithful there is no shadow to see,
an early spring for you and me!”

   So we do NOT have to brace ourselves for six more weeks of winter! We may have as few as two weeks before the cold, dry months are behind us, and this girl could NOT be happier about it!!!

   On that note, by the way, the Farmer’s Almanac predicts a drought recovery for our little slice of paradise, so DOUBLE wahoo!!

This year I crave to fill every one of my thousands of weird containers 
with tens of thousands of beautiful plants, careless about formality. 
This year I am embracing Dee’s phrase,
“English with an Oklahoma accent!”

   As if to cement the prediction, here is our central Oklahoma forecast for this coming week:

   Gorgeous, right?? Those nighttime temps are barely chilly enough to justify the house heater, so I am looking forward to opening every window, airing out these flu-ish germ clouds, and sanitizing our cave with sunshine. I want to force fruit tree branches indoors, too, being a firm believer that fresh foliage purifies the air and lifts the spirits! Nothing to aid the flu there.

   And the daytime temps??  My goodness… Swoon worthy… I have five dirt manicures scheduled this week, one for every weekday. I’m super excited to finish off the raised vegetable beds with layers of organic matter, excited to scrape up some manure from the middle fields and wait for the rains (this is he recipe for GREEN fields), excited to start seeds in the dining room in anticipation of planting week.

Do you remember last year when we built these garden boxes 
from lumber reclaimed form the kids’ playhouse?
They still stand, all four of them, and the fodder from last summer’s bounty has been 
melding and leveling all winter long.
Just a few wheelbarrow loads of manure 
and a quick stir with a pitchfork will have them ready to plant!
These colorful zinnias were grown from seed last year, 
and around Thanksgiving I collected THEIR seeds, about tenfold.
The garden this year will be OVERFLOWING with zinnias!
P.S. the chickens love ’em.
I have mixed feelings about this.

   Honestly, this is so flipping exciting, it’s like someone called and said, “Hey guess what? Christmas is six weeks early this year, so get ready!!”

   Nope, it’s way better than that. It’s like someone said, “Hey guess what you get two birthdays this year!! AND vacation is extra long AND Christmas comes early and lasts late!”

   It feels like I won the bowling championship of the UNIVERSE. My cousin Jen knows how this feels.

   Spring is beautiful to me in every sense, from the physical and sensual to the philosophical and spiritual.

   New life, renewal, vibrancy, color, energy, texture, redemption… All this dormancy and waiting is on the verge of paying off. We’re all about to redeem our wintry patience for vernal abundance!! Tears sown in grief will soon be blooming.

   I have no doubt.
Just hang on.

   Happy early Spring, you fine people!! Please tell me what yo’re planning and planting. This is EASILY the most hardworking and thrilling time of year for me, so I can’t wait to shake off this annoying fly and dive in! I even have new rubber boots and canvas gloves. Wahoo!!

“Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear
that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments,
not the composer.”
~Geoffrey B. Charlesworth
xoxoxoxo

Redeeming the Time

   For many of my adult years, one of my favorite little catch phrases was “Carpe Diem,” you know, Seize the Day. Original, no? What can I say? I was rapt by Good Will Hunting.

   Then this mantra refined itself a bit when my girls left home. First my beautiful eldest in 2008, then my sweet baby two years later, they left a very contemplative empty nest behind as well as many hours, weeks, and months that needed purpose. While this nest emptying is a universal experience, our circumstances are a bit unusual. The girls left home many years ahead of schedule and not in a happy or easily understandable way.

 
   During that tough chapter I dove passionately, desperately into prayer and Bible study, seeking not only comfort but also answers, solutions, and direction. What I discovered was a far more powerful approach to Carpe Diem… a scriptural instruction to Redeem the Time.

Redeem the Time.
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools,
but as wise, redeeming the time, 
because the days are evil.”
Ephesians 5:15-16

   This message was a rich balm to me in those first months, each time one of the girls left. It helped me see that bright glimmers of purpose and meaning could absolutely be hidden in all of that darkness.

   Gradually, as I prayed and ached, cried and panicked, screamed and threw things in the barn, this message to Redeem the Time began to crystallize and solidify. It cropped up in everything I read. I dreamed it. It echoed in my head while I worked. Other people delivered the words to me, each probably thinking he or she was the sole harbinger.

   Redeem the time.

   That it was specifically for me I had no doubt. When it didn’t infuriate me (redeem THIS time?! What good can possibly come from this??) it was a great comfort. (There’s something available to you here.Your life is still worthwhile.)

   Your life is DEFINITELY still worthwhile, no matter what.

   Redeeming anything implies that for what you give, you receive something.

   Redeem the time. Your time will get spent whether you like it or not. It’s how you spend it that determines what you’ll receive in exchange.

   The truth behind this is that everything in life is really just for a season. For better or worse, nothing lasts forever. We are given unique sets of circumstances, unique blessings, and unique challenges, over and over again. Our lives ares seasonal, and rather than resist that and kick against that, we should embrace it, accept the inherent blessings and face the natural losses.

   Celebrate the dazzling grace.

   Redeem the time.

   This message continues to hover around my heart now, informing my patchwork days and helping me structure my goals.

   Now that we have rediscovered our life rhythms, following routines and pursuing happiness in so many fresh ways while still fighting to keep family ties at least in view, always ready for tying them up, what was once a forced effort for survival is now a habit. My various energies are streaked with the momentum to see the uniqueness of each and every day and act on that. I am trained to capitalize on how things are right now and how they might never be again. Under this wisdom, not only is each day a gift; each change of plans is a gift too. Each season is certainly a gift, for we may only live it once.

“You can never step into the same river;
for new waters are always flowing on to you.”
~Heraclitus of Ephesus*
*interesting to note that this quote, from about 600 years before the Bible verse above was first spoken, 
came from a philosopher in about the same part of the world.
It’s a total coincidence that I thought of these lines in tandem, Had no idea, but that’s cool.

   Redeem the time.

   How will I make good use of this time? Of this empty house? Of all of my throbbing maternal energy and ideas?

   How can I redeem my talents and resources in this life?

   What chapter are you in? How can you make good use of it? What is so truly unique about those circumstances that you might never step in your river again? What do you not want to miss out on while you’re here? Or how can you use this chapter to prepare for the next one?

   Redeem the time.

   You know what? Making this adjustment in my heart has helped me bear the fruit of more laughter and fewer tears. More friends and less loneliness. Much more meaningful versions of everything I endeavor to do, however simple. When it comes to my girls, “Redeem the Time”  means that our time together, however brief compared to my heart’s longings, is rich with affection, experience, memory making and joy! Far less often is stress or regret a part of the picture. I’ll take it.

   Redeem the time.

   All of this is the heavy stuff, the foundation. But Redeem the Time is also a touchstone for daily activities. I remember this premise when the weather changes and I suddenly scrap my indoor tasks to be outside. Who doesn’t grab a chance to play in the dirt? I also remember it if my husband is out of town for a few days; this is a great time to do deep cleaning or some of “those” projects that require things looking worse before they look better. I’m lucky to not be tethered to any job other than my own beautiful home and our animals, so I can respond to shifting needs over and over again. I love it!

   Redeem the time.

   What is your day worth? Not just in monetary terms, although we cannot ignore that. But what would you like to see showing for your effort and passion at the end of the day?
 

 
   I hope this wasn’t too rambling. It’s been a challenging week here at the farm, but I so appreciate Edie’s invitation to write about time management. The lessons I have learned these past few years have been paying off in dividends, especially these past few months. Truly. It’s like everything is clicking. Worrying less about lists and more about fulfillment has really opened up my heart. I hope the idea of redeeming your time is useful to you; and I hope that you find ways to trade your time and energy for more and more valuable treasures every day.

Redeem your Time.

“Experience is a cruel teacher.
It gives the test first and then the lesson.”
~Unknown
xoxoxoxo

 
 

Newest Obsession: Ziplist

   Ok you can go ahead and add me to the growing list of people singing the praises of a little do-diddy called Ziplist. I first saw it mentioned by a reader over at {lifeingrace} then my friend Katie wrote about it on her blog Dishin and Dishes. (My link tool is not cooperating, so pretty please find these sites over on the right…)

   It. Is. So. Cool.

   Basically a website-slash-phone-app, Ziplist is equal parts menu planner, recipe box, and grocery list, all in one. So efficient! Even for a newly converted electronics girl like myself (I only used my brand new 2013 paper planner for like two weeks before recently going 100% online), Ziplist is a piece of cake. And it will probably even help you bake that cake! Sha-za-amm.

   Basically, you just start by collecting recipes from the internet using either your laptop or your phone (I started with my Pinterest boards). Just follow the website’s instructions, okay? I am no good at explaining these things. I promise you it’s easy, and it’s also free.

   Then the magical internet elves behind your smudgy screen translate the recipes you want to try into shopping lists, broken down by grocery store departments. So neat and tidy! You might want to spend a couple of minutes filtering through the lists based on how well stocked your kitchen is, and perhaps adding some items, but pretty much you can just head straight to the store at this point. PAPERLESSLY.

   As you shop, just tap item after item and it disappears. If you have time to buy it all at once, cool beans. If not, you can actually sort the master list by recipe! I love this, because maybe one day I just have time to drop by a store on the way home from somewhere and fill in the grocery blanks for just that night, versus the entire week. This doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. All I have to do is sort my list to that night’s cooking and run like a crazy woman through the store. And the remainder of the week’s shopping list stays in tact, hidden meekly somewhere in the ether of my technology.

   Oh this reminds me to say that collecting recipes is not necessarily the same as building a shopping list; you can designate either or both as you add recipes to your profile. So your recipe collection can grow leaps and bounds while your shopping list is nicely controlled. Easy! There are still more features on the site I haven’t explored yet. Go for it!!
 
   Since I started using Ziplist almost two weeks ago, I no longer have scraps of paper floating around my purse and denim jacket pockets, urging me to remember three and a half groceries every other day but NEVER on the day I am either wearing that jacket or carrying that purse. It is all on my iPhone, which goes with me everywhere. And I can walk from department to department knowing exactly what I need and then go home fully prepared to tackle new recipes.

   You guys, I had no idea that in one narrow little slice of January I would:
     a) surrender my paper planner to an online Google calendar and
     b) stop writing my menus and shopping lists on paper in favor of Ziplist.

   I feel so modern and grown up, it’s completely ridiculous. Next, I might even stop carrying a boombox around on my shoulder while running.

   You never know.

   You’re jot using Ziplist yet?? You’re on the verge of being pitied like a fool.

What’s for dinner at your house??
xoxoxoxo

 

 

Commencing Training

   Oh my goodness, friends… After joking and dreaming about the possibilities of it for a few months, today I step boldly and sweatily into the half-marathon training program for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon later this Spring. Between now and April 28, my goals are twofold:

  • To be conditioned to run 13.1 miles at a reasonable pace.
  • To do so in front of lots of other human beings without having a nervous breakdown.

   I am more optimistic about the first half of this venture than the second. Of course, losing a little curvy padding around my posterior would not hurt my feelings one bit. I won’t lie, “skinny” is always on my radar. And running just a few times a week has made a nice difference there and all through my life.

   But the good news in the vanity department is that by making running a true habit, a regular fixture in my life, being skinny has taken a back seat. No pun intended. hahaha

   The more I run, the better I feel instantly. And the less junk my body craves. And the more water I tend to drink. So, the more I run, the more I tend to slim down, naturally. It’s all part of my word for this year, STRENGTH.

    Anyway, the program includes more than running. Twice a week I am supposed to incorporate strength training and stretching, which I’ll interpret as either yoga or Pilates. These are on Mondays and Saturdays, so today I have a date with Jillian Michaels.

   On running days, though, my dusty, sticker-ridden shoes will be tromping around the back field here at the farm, negotiating hills and tree roots, eluding a snotty llama, and keeping beat with a slew of late 90’s rappers.

   Have you started a New Year fitness regimine? Would you like to join me in this perfectly realistic schedule? If you’re local, would you like to do some running around a lake or park soon?

   One final thought before I close up and head outside for an amazing Springlike day in Oklahoma… Edie at {lifeingrace} said this last year of fitness… That it is an excellent servant but a terrible master. I could not agree more. Whatever you do for your body, let it be something that serves you rather than something to which you become a slave yourself. Amen.

   Okay, see you around! I have a 70-degree day to soak up!

“There is a necessity for a regulating discipline of exercise that,
whilst evoking the human energies,
will not suffer them to be wasted.”
~Thomas de Quincey
xoxoxo

Beauty Everywhere

   This week has been equal parts hard work and sweet romance for us. My week days have been split between enjoying rare time with loved ones; caring for these silly animals and lazily monitoring the llama drama; substitute teaching at some local schools; and reading. Also I have had the chance to browse some cool and unusual shops lately, like this one…

   My work is busy, satisfying, and fun. Handsome is working harder than three men every single day, and I could not be prouder of him. If only Oklahoma knew how much effort and expertise goes into turning on our lights an heating our homes. Wow.

   In most ways the hours certainly pass too quickly. Particularly the sunlit ones. Around the Lazy W we are very excited for springtime!

   A few nights ago Handsome and I, fighting the contagious germs all around us, succumbed to a mutual craving for all things comforting and made nachos for dinner then gave ourselves a two-person slumber party in the downstairs Green Room. 
Side Note: 
Our Lazy W “Green Room”has nothing to do with staging for television shows.
It’s just where we watch television and play games. It’s like a den. 
Or, if you’re Heather in Canada, a “snug.”  
But it is green. I mean, the walls are green. Everything else is normal.
I mean, green is normal, but you know what I mean.
   Despite being certified grown ups, we slept on the Green Room floor between a thousand layers of blankets and surrounded by ten thousand different pillows  We might as well have made a sheet fort, really. Then very early the next morning we rose an hour and a half before the sun did and carried hot, perfect coffee outside. We soaked up a nearly silent Hot Tub Summit. The farm, seemingly the entire world, was asleep and ignoring our hushed exchange. Handsome and I braided together our hopes and plans. We talked about his career and my book club. We worried about our parents a little, though we know worry is a mistake. And we built up our defenses against the coming day.
   We have had time for a few projects lately, including this little diddy whereby we have immortalized our most beloved cities on a bunch of reclaimed wood…
   I’ll try to tell some of these stories eventually.

  When I relay our excitement for springtime, I mean it in every sense. I am chomping at the nest-feathering bit to get some extra pretty things accomplished around here!! From deep cleaning to sewing and from decorating to gardening, my project list is growing by the minute. Pinterest can’t even keep up.

   Here are a few things I’ve seen with my own two eyes lately, projects that are DAYS away from becoming part of our own home:

   I adore this eclectic plate display… Notice how it includes both fancy and plain castoffs. Just like the best parties.
   This mixed-up style of container gardening has me enraptured. I love the formal, clipped miniature tree surrounded by a collar of that free-form spilling flower, perhaps allysum. So pretty. Add white lights, and it’s elevated to gorgeous! 
   Also, this used book store which specializes (magically so) in COOKBOOKS has me ridiculously inspired to add even more sparkle and color to our nest. It also reminds me that collections can be out and on display. More white lights too!!
   There’s so much to do you guys. I crave to see things as beautifully as I feel them. Which is very. I intend to use these glorious little swells of time and energy to make stuff happen all around me.

   What about you? What are you reading? How are you spending your time? What projects do you have up your sleeve, and which ones do you barely dare dream about?

  
   Hope your weekend is grand! As I hit “publish” Handsome and I are aimed happily at meeting my dear ol’ Dad, little brother Phil, and Uncle Chris for dinner in the city. One of several fun, loving events we’ve enjoyed this weekend!

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful,
We must carry it with us or we find it not.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
xoxoxoxo