Category Archives: Home life

Gardening in the spiritual sense

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Many times on Sunday afternoon after church and our family lunch, Jay will retire to a nap, Cole to the couch for relaxing with some TV and I head for the yard.  Some might call what I do, “yard work”, but for someone like me who works in a professional setting, climate controlled office 40+ hours a week, it’s much, much more than that; even though I end up hot, sweaty and very dirty.

I like plants and flowers and have garden areas in the front and back of our home.  It’s still absolutely amazing to me to plant a seed or small flower and watch it grow.  Isn’t that amazing?  Most of the time while pulling weeds or trimming I think about the sermon from that morning, our Creator and this earth He gave us that we so readily consume without a second thought.  Sometimes I think about all my questions for God, like “are weeds that bloom really weeds or just misplaced flowers?”  Today, I planted mums (.88 cents at Home Depot) and my trees from the Arbor Foundation (www.arborday.org).   Today I thought about the legacy of gardening I’ve inherited.  Family legend has it that my MaMaw Bray could poke a hole in the ground with her finger, put a stick in it and grow a tree.  My mother is a gardener and gave me something close to a stick with roots last spring assuring me if I put it in the ground I will have a Butterfly bush.  I did what I was told and sure enough there grew a Butterfly bush that was very busy this afternoon.

Being outside trimming and cleaning up the garden reminds me of how we should constantly be aware of how God nips and prunes us to become the beautiful person He sees when He looks at us.  At the end of my time outside I usually turn on the hose and give all the flowers a drink, hose down the sidewalk and my feet.  What a wonderful site and fresh smell; completely natural.

Ok, so to top it off, I like to mow also.  In fact, I’m a little sad that my son is getting old enough and motivated (by the pay) to want to mow.  It’s like getting a haircut.  You start out a little unkempt and in an hour you have a clean, well-manicured look and feel.  The same holds true for your lawn.  Within a short time (and even when you don’t edge) you have a tidy looking yard.  To make mowing really appealing in today’s vernacular; it’s pretty much instant gratification.  There, I said it.

Coming in from the garden I am sticky, dirty, and if I’ve worn a cap it’s pretty much sweat-plastered to my head until I’m safely in the bathroom where no one can see the mess of my hair.  I always feel my cleanest after a post-gardening shower.  From a dirty mess to clean and fresh, huh, pretty much the point the pastor was trying to make.

Think about it,

KK

Sugar cookies and memories

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Yesterday I made sugar cookies to take to school at lunch time for Cole’s birthday.  Evidently it is still cool for mom to show up with cookies at middle school lunch as long as she doesn’t hang out too long.  The cookies were homemade slice and bake, but I wanted to ice them to look like baseballs.

One thing to understand, I am not an artist and if I can’t just shoot a fun shape out of a cookie press and add sprinkles, I’m stretching my talents.  Standing in the kitchen icing these cookies, I began to think about my son and how he is growing into a young man.  I felt thankfulness for the grace and encouragement God had delivered over and over to us throughout the years.  I thought about the day he was born and the first moment he looked at me as if to say, “so that is what you look like, I only knew your voice for these nine months.”

Then it came time to add the red icing to make the laces on the “balls”.  It wasn’t great.  Some were ok, and then I remembered my recipients, middle schoolers.  The cookie that looked like home plate was good and I eeked out five or six good baseballs, the rest got sprinkles.  I was running out of time and needed to get them over to school.

At one point I thought maybe I should scrap the idea and go buy the pretty ones from the bakery.  But then I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to reflect and embrace the blessing of a birthday many years ago and yesterday.

I have no idea how Cole will remember his 2012 birthday.  Maybe we will laugh about my attempt at cookie decorating; but I can almost promise you that he will know that every swipe of the icing spreader, and every squirt of the icing decorator was done with love.  Yes, I could have easily swiped my debit card and bought pretty cookies, but it wouldn’t have been the same experience for either of us.

Think about it,

KK

Soak it Up

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A baby is born and is completely dependent on someone to provide for the basic needs.  Within the first year the child goes from completely helpless to crawling and many times even walking.  Parents are told to fill their minds with music, color, shapes and to talk to their baby.  The child is like a sponge taking it all in.  I’m wondering when we lose our sponginess.  Do we?  When do we grow immune to our environment, or the messages that are shared?  I don’t think we ever lose it.  I think we forget about the cliché “garbage in, garbage out.”  We think as adults we have great command over our thoughts and self- control of our actions.

I digress, because tonight my concern is for our young people and the messages they are receiving disguised in the cloak of entertainment.  Tonight our family went to see Marvel’s Avengers (http://marvel.com/avengers_movie/).   It was a treat and a good movie.  However, the previews of coming attractions were a string of dark stories that were presented as end of the earth, destruction, movies that led me to think that life is hopeless.  Ok, so they are movies not reality.  But you and I both know the line between the two can be very faint for the young people around us.  The previews also included two new reality shows coming to television.  Seriously, is this entertainment?  If it’s true reality than maybe all hope is gone.

I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s when television was growing in popularity as a means of entertainment.  The situational comedies like Happy Days and Lavern and Shirley, filled our minds with fun and laughter.  Never once did we hear Richie Cunningham bashing his father or being two-faced with his friends.   Today our television schedules are full of ridiculous shows that are “reality based” are filled with backstabbing men and women.  The plot lines for this waste of time and space shows ranges from alligator competitions, to bored house wives, father son motor cycle builders and even loggers.  How is this entertaining?   When you watch a reality tv show, after it’s over do you have a sore belly from laughing like we did with characters like Joey on Friends or Jerry Seinfeld?  Let me help here, you don’t.  If anything you may just find yourself tired and cynical.

Shows that make us laugh; give us the opportunity to release all those positive endorphins that laughter produces.  Shows that inform stretch our minds and build knowledge.   Television dramas can be entertaining if well written and have strong characters.  Even watching a sporting event can be uplifting.

What messages are our young people taking in from their television and movie entertainment if all of them are dark, stressful and cynical?  Why should they have hope for a brighter future if this is what they watch?  How can we be effective parents and mentors if this is the crap we are watching?

Think about it…

KK

Saturday, January 21, 2012

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“We always over estimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in five years.” – Source unknown

It’s Saturday, January 21st and most people who made New Year’s resolutions have given up.  It’s been too cold or life got busy again getting back to the routine of work and school. Resolutions or goals are like running a marathon.  Runners don’t bust off the line and burn all of their energy in the first mile; they plan their pace to accomplish the time they want across the finish line.

So, did you blast off on January 1st, 2nd, and 3rd?  Below are few suggestions for reloading those goals and re-committing.

First, be realistic.  Runners don’t just get up one morning and decide to win a race.  They start with training and really having a passion for racing.  Go back and review the resolution or goal you wrote down (you did write it down, or do I need to go back further on goal setting).  Did you set too many goals or make too many resolutions? Maybe choose only one or two to really commit to.  Do you have the ability and desire to accomplish the goal within the year?   If either is in question, keep reading as we further look at reloading.

Second, give yourself a new start date.  January 1st is a natural calendar start, but goals can be started anytime.  If the first quarter of the year is very busy for you in one area of your life, you may need to set a start date further out.   My goals are written by the end of the first week of January, but my start date isn’t until February 1st.  This allows me a month to plan for them, pray over them and really commit to working toward accomplishing them.

Third, break the goal down into bite size chunks.  Runners usually start out walking or running smaller races to train and get in shape.  What are the steps to accomplishing your goal?  Do you need to take a class?  Do you need to plan for some activity toward that goal each week?  Take the piece of paper you wrote the goal on (you did write it down, didn’t you) and under the goal write the steps to accomplishing it.  Then go through and give each step a deadline.  Are your deadlines doable with your other responsibilities?  Add these deadlines to the calendar you live by; if it’s electronic then set reminders for yourself.

Fourth, keep your goal fresh.  Set a date five or six months from your start to revisit the goal.  Do you still want to accomplish this?  How are you doing? Do you need to adjust your goal to better fit your time, ability and resources?

By writing your goals and making them work within your passion, lifestyle and resources, you are taking control.  When you take charge of your goals and resolutions, you will accomplish more than if you give up before the end of the first month; and even more will be accomplished if you write the goal down.  Every day is a new start, every week is a new beginning and every month is a fresh commitment.

See you at the finish line,

KK

Gray Thursday

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It has been a long-standing tradition in families across America that on Thanksgiving Thursday after over-stuffing on the turkey and fixings the football fans retire to take their naps in front of a bowl game.  Meanwhile the shoppers in the family spread the newspaper ads out on the table and create their strategy for black Friday shopping.

In recent years the internet entered the scene as the shoppers made their plans for black Friday referencing the difference in pricing online and those in the stores.  When there is less than a month and a list of gifts, all resources must be utilized.  But that is where the line should be drawn.

Last week several retailers announced that their black Friday deals would begin at 10 p.m. the night before.  The night before…that would be Thanksgiving night; grant it, shopping for Christmas can sometimes be hard to complete when it’s an important time to go to parties with friends and take the spiritual journey of the season, but is it necessary to squeeze out Thanksgiving Day?

Is it not worth a full 24 hours of life to slow down long enough to be thankful, stuff ourselves and enjoy time with family?  Now those 24 hours are being encroached on by retailers trying to create frenzy, and have their day in the media.

The family tradition at the beginning of the piece many times ends with family playing cards or watching a movie together, not charging the door of Wal-Mart to save little, and stand in line all night.  Where are our priorities?  Are they on the people we are shopping for and the important times we spend with them? Retailers would have you believe that to show your love to that special someone, you absolutely MUST leave them at the Thanksgiving table, and go buy them stuff.

If we are not careful, Thanksgiving Thursday is going to become, Gray Thursday – another historical holiday lost in commercialism.

Think about it.

All the best,

KK

Think about it…

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Recently I noticed my indoor plants were dying.  Some of these plants I have had for years.  What was going on?  Immediately checking their soil, they were dry as a bone.  How could I have forgotten to water them?  Then it occurred to me.  I have spent the spring and summer focusing on our landscaping on the outside, I forgot to pay attention to the beautiful greenery that I had growing on the inside of our home.  I had passed these plants every day, dusted around them every week (or so) and yet, their needs for nurture had been neglected.  It took less than 10 minutes to water and feed all of my plants and within a couple of days they were looking better.

House plants create warmth and show life in a home.  They are green and grow year round.  Is there something wilting on the inside that you need to water and nurture?  What would 10 minutes of taking care of your heart and soul mean to your week?

Think about it.

All the best,
KK

Lessons from Eli

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He came home on May 7th only four pounds and completely cute.  Immediately he stole our hearts.  Little did I know that over the next few months, Eli, the little brown dog, had a few lessons for our family.

Being content – Eli likes to chew on things and his owners’ toes and fingers.  While the cuteness factor helped him not get sent back, the chewing was hurtful and annoying.  So, we acquired several of what were touted to be “puppy’s favorite” toys.  There were balls, and squeaky toys, a few old socks.  With all of these choices surrounding him, Eli still chose to steal our shoes, or just walk up and chomp on our toes.  With all those puppy toys, chosen for him and completely right for him, he was not content.  He wanted something else.  He wanted things not right for him and even would get him in trouble.

How many times do you find yourself in Eli’s position?  Look around, do you have your “favorites”?  Do you have what you need to satisfy your desire to chew?   Do you find yourself ignoring that which has been provided to fulfill your needs, for that which only leads to trouble?

We are all guilty of being discontent.  We don’t just relax in warmth of having what we need and if I had to guess, most of what we want.

Guilty and running – not long after we brought Eli home he began to learn right and wrong.  Remember the chewing need?  Eli would be doing great, lying on the floor chewing on his bone, and then without rhyme or reason he would get up grab a shoe and RUN!  Why run if he didn’t know he was guilty?  His demeanor changed as he crawled under the bed.  Clutching the shoe with all he had, Eli would not release or come out.

How many times when you have done something wrong have you run from those who care enough to not want you to hurt yourself or do something wrong?  Maybe you find yourself hiding and hoping those who want to help you do something more positive pass by.

We didn’t just pass by, we knew it was important for Eli to learn not to chew on shoes, so we crawled under the bed with him and grabbed the shoe he shouldn’t have.  After crawling back out and calling Eli, he gladly followed.  Most of the time this exchange resulted in our finding a treat and a toy to redirect his behavior.

Eli continues to teach us lessons.  In each of these scenarios, Eli was given the opportunity to learn something new, turn a negative into a positive, and be with those who love him most.

Are Eli’s lessons your lesson?

All the best,

KK

Didn’t Make the Couponing A-Team

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When I was growing up (40ish years ago), coupons were clipped from the Sunday or Wednesday Courier Journal (or Louisville Times, depending on how far back you want to go).  Women would make their grocery list based on the family needs and the coupons they had.  Clutching their list and their coupons they set their course for the grocery store. Depending on how savvy a shopper they were, they might wait for double coupon day; but that was about as extreme as it got.

Now I’m the mom going to the grocery and would love to save a little on the bill, but somehow it just doesn’t work for me.  I’ve tried – couponing has become something of a sport and the rules keep changing.  First of all, there are coupons in the paper, but who wants to buy 5 of something to save .25 cents?  Recently though, a friend tried to explain to me how you take those kind of coupons, save them for a day when the item is on special and you go on double coupon day.  WAY TOO MANY THINGS TO REMEMBER, while trying to use the coupon before it expires.

Oh, that’s the other thing, the expiration date.  I can promise you any coupon I attempt to use, expired the day before.  While my couponing friends will tell me that the date doesn’t matter many stores will take them, I can also promise you the cashier in my line will have just graduated from cashier school and will read every coupon and find the one that is expired.  “No exceptions, lady.”

The sport of couponing takes on new dimensions with the likes of coupon websites like, www.livingsocial.com, www.groupon.com, www.couponing101.com, and www.thekrazycouponlady.com.  When I share with my couponing friends an item I’m looking for a coupon or good deal on they immediately send me to these sites or sites like www.slickdeals.com, www.skoreit.com or www.Deals2buy.com.  Ok I think, I’ll play, millions of people are simply jumping on-line, finding the deal, printing the coupon or finding the site and saving money.  I tried this recently as puppy food was added to our grocery list.  Here is how my adventure went, I Googled “coupons for Science Diet puppy food”.  Found the site that promised coupons and “big savings”.  From that link I had to register my email address, download some kind of toolbar, and go to my email to activate the account, go back to the site and print the coupon.  The process took the better part of 20 minutes, but the coupon promised was several dollars in savings so it would be worth it until…I printed the coupon that was not for puppy food, it was for the lite version of Science Diet.  I have a puppy, not an old fat dog. UUUGGGHHH!

Although I agree with the preface that you can save money and have what you need when you need it,  I really don’t have the need to become an extreme coupon player.  But I would like to be able to just save a little money here or there.  I am open-minded enough to take suggestions, but I am not going to create a binder of coupons that I have to review and rotate based on expiration dates.

Can I join the coupon-using team?  I will settle for second-string…

All the
best,

KK

Oh please, parents take responsibility

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This link (http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/05/18/health-experts-attack-mcdonalds-but-can-they-bite-into-its-bot/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%7C64222) is to an article regarding McDonald’s and the health risks on children who eat their food.   Seriously, how many people can we blame for our own bad habits and laziness.  It should not come as any surprise to a customer at McDonald’s that their foods are high in fats, sodium and calories.  If children aren’t eating healthy, it is because of the choices their parents are making.  It’s not McDonald’s fault.  They are merely the biggest of their kind.  Let me challenge you to look at the nutritional value of frozen dinners,or other restaurants.

These health experts are accusing McDonald’s of predatory marketing.  They could line up the companies who market to children.  Just watch cable networks for kids.  It is the parents’ responsibility to be the filter for what children see or hear and what is good for them and healthy.  Besides, aren’t we supposed to be teaching our children to think for themselves?

It is the parents’ responsibility to teach their children how to eat foods that will build them up and help keep them healthy.  No child has suggested going out for fast food without some adult at some point taking them there.

Here’s your slack, sometimes life dictates food in a hurry.  If it happens too often, I would ask who is planning your time?  When you do drive through, what’s wrong with a salad or baked potato?

It is time to take responsibility for our actions, health choices and the children in our lives.  We are continually learning about the foods we eat, what’s good for us and what isn’t.  Make the good choice and teach your children to do the same.

Our house – Our home

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I love my house.  No, I love my home.  The most special thing about it is that for the past 12 years it has sheltered me, my dog and for the last 9 years, my son from the world.  We live in a little cape cod in an older neighborhood.  There are big trees and sidewalks along our street.  Our home has been a place I’ve escaped to during some of life’s greatest sadness and it has been the place of some of my greatest joys.  My son took his first steps in the front yard.  The swing set/club house that was in the back yard provided the setting for hours and hours of pretend adventures for my son.  My father built the deck out back and there have been hundreds of hours of laughter and fun with friends and family out there.  The deck is also a place that I laid under the stars and prayed for God’s direction.

But I love my husband and son more.  You see just over a year ago, I married a man who I am sure was at the head of his class in Prince Charming U.  Actually, he is so much more than romantic; he is a faithful man who cherishes me like a husband should.  He loves my son and is a mentor to him.  With this marriage we have quickly realized that the little cape cod is just a little too little for our family.  So, it’s time to put it on the market.  We did so a couple of months ago.  While I will miss this home, I pray that it will bring the next owners the same sanctuary it brought us.

Yesterday, we spent the day getting ready for today’s showing.  I was blessed to have been in every part of my house.  With my IPOD on and singing obnoxiously, I danced and dusted experienced the joy of my little home – the bright colors, the wood floors.  I chased dust bunnies out and opened the windows to let fresh air in.  The entire time enjoying my home and thinking about those who will come next.

Moving will be very emotional for me no matter how excited I am about a new home.  I have great security in these walls and under this roof.  God has blessed me richly here and I have no doubt that He has plan for our new home.

When I think about days that have joy, yesterday was one of them;  just experiencing our little home for all it is – 1,000 square feet of home with a million square feet of heart.

All the best,
KK