Considering changing settings to private...

So, once I figure out how to do that I am totally going to!! Just a heads up to anyone who'd like to still be my blogspot friend:)

Mud between my toes!!

Wow!! It has been SUCH a LONG time since I remember running in the rain and giggling about it. And an even LONGER time since I did it barefoot!!

At first I cringed at the thought of leaving the not-as-dirty-concrete driveway to the muddy side lawn to check if my south side gate was unlocked. And maybe I did cringe a little more when I took my first step in the freshly made mud from today's rain. But I felt that my feet really appreciated the soft squish, and smooth textured hug the mud gave them (especially my toes!)

I realized something about my adult self today. I realized that I do NOT have as much fun as when I was a kid! I mean, a simple thing of mud in my toes, helped me see that I have been trying to entertain myself as a grown up with a lot of BORING things! TV...Movies...FB...etc. And stressful things!! Road trips, international trips, concerts...etc. Now, don't get me wrong, I still enjoy all of these activities very MUCH! I just have used them as my only sources of entertainment for so long, I forgot about the easier, more organic ways of enjoying life. Like RUNNING in the muddy grass during a summer's rain, with NO SHOES! Making MUDPIES and MUD FIGHTS! PUDDLE HOPPING!! (My kids LOVE IT!! I think next time I'll join them!) And the list goes on and on!!

It's funny how this blessing came to me today. I woke up this Monday morning on the grouchy side of the bed! I had stayed up WAY LONGER than I had anticipated to revamp my Blog (YES! I love it, TOO) and knew that only a THICK STACK of Time-Consuming chores were awaiting me. Mowing the lawns, laundry, bathing the dog (the brushing alone is a literal PAIN in MY NECK!) to name the BIG ones!! Each of those on their own takes at least 2 hours for me to complete. So, with little sleep and A LOT of responsibilities, I was GROUCHY!! But I am a pusher, so I PUSHED myself to mow the front lawn at 10am before the rain at 11am. The sky was spitting on me and my weed whacker battery died so I decided to take a break from that chore. Half done. Not too bad. OFF to tackle the chore of the bathing of the puppy!

Now Puppy's hair has grown LONG and she's shedding her winter coat:{ So, a day without a thorough brushing makes for a nice thin layer of matted hair by the time I give her the weekly bath. So, I was brushing away trying NOT to feel like Cinderella, when I realized that the rain on my window was actually a waterfall. CRAP!! The gutter was CLOGGED AGAIN!! I don't know what I was thinking but I managed to grab a coat from the coat closet and went outside to investigate and assess the situation. The waterfall window was making a nice little puddle inside my house. UGH! The door had just barely SHUT when I realized that I needed the ladder from the garage. I tried the front door handle and it was LOCKED!! Ok...no worries...I can just get into the garage and everything will be fine. Well, I don't know when, but I switched off my garage door and could not open it! I tried 3 times!!! Then, thought...it's OK...I'll check the gates and try to break into my house from the backyard! That's little more dignified than breaking in from the front for all of the world to see, right? Anyway, no go. Both were still locked! I started to stress out to the point of wanting to curse the rain and my stupidity, when a lovely thought rushed to mind. "THANK GOODNESS, KATRINA is 2 doors down!!" Followed up quickly with..."I SURE HOPE she's HOME!!" With that happy thought, I was able to let go of all of the stresses of the day and just laugh at my silliness. I smiled and giggled as I ran through the muddy grass to Katrina's House. I laughed at myself as I realized what a sight I'd be when Katrina would answer her door. I felt like and probably looked like a rain soaked dog looking for a nice warm home to dry in. LUCKILY, Katrina was HOME!! She was THE BEST NEIGHBOR! She let me use her phone to call for another key, asked me if I'd like a drink of Hot Cocoa, and sat with me for a little chat while I waited for Joseph to come home with his house key:) I totally disrupted her day and yet she was so gracious, helpful, kind, and just the perfect neighbor! And to top it all off she said that she appreciated the break from work. What an optimistic outlook!?! I LOVE IT and I LOVE HER!!

Mud between my toes, led me to my neighbor who helped me remember, the glass is half full!

Thank you rain! Thank you clogged gutter! Thank you mud between my toes! Thank you Katrina! Thank you Joseph! My grouchy day became so much better because you all were part of it!!

Funny enough, the forecast said it would rain more in the day, but it didn't. It rained just enough to wash away my stressed-out, bad attitude! Thank you Heavenly Father and Mother Nature;)

I love NATURE!! I loved being gently reminded to awaken the sleeping child inside of me!!

I LOVE MUD IN BETWEEN MY TOES!!

QUESTIONS... QUESTIONS... QUESTIONS...

I have been asked to question more in my life lately and not just take everything someone says as truth. It's been quite interesting being more inquisitive. I am realizing that I never asked the meaty or even simple questions before because I felt that I should have the knowledge already. That I should research and find it out for myself, to not bother others with my questions. To just get down to the root of it, it was my pride that never allowed me to ask. And what fuels pride in that context, but fear. My fear of exposing myself in a way that I felt would come off weak, lazy, uneducated, left out, ignorant, etc. No one taught me to think so negatively about questions. I came to that conclusion myself. So, now, I am going to change that negative recording in my head for something more positive. The really cool thing that I am noticing is that it takes a lot more courage to ask questions and be open to others about the fact that you don't understand or know like they know, than I had anticipated. But another really awesome thing I have been able to witness is that when I ask a question out loud, the answer comes to me much faster than I realized it ever would/could. A lot of the times the answer comes before I can finish physically saying my question. It's like an instant download. It doesn't always happen this way, but it has surprised me how fast and how often this actually does happen. And instead of getting all analytical about it and doubt it happening that way, I have been able to embrace and accept that lovely gift that has been given to me. Quite an unexpected and wonderful outcome from asking questions.

I have always considered myself a person who worked hard and never turned down a challenge. So, it never occurred to me until recently that in just believing most everything anyone says that I have been taking the easy road. Patience is not my strong suit, so if there was a faster, less painful way to do anything, you better believe I was taking notes on how to do things in life THAT way. Being brought up in a religion that so easily maps out a way of life for you so you can maintain a certain outlook and happiness in life, my life has been predominantly one way. I wasn't the rebel type and in fact just the opposite. I was always trying to keep myself and everything else in order. It never made sense in my head to question the plan of happiness. It's pretty much self explanatory. A PLAN to be and maintain HAPPINESS. What I am questioning and seeing now for the first time in my 30 years of being alive is...it is A (1) plan of happiness, but is it the ONLY plan to have/maintain happiness?? And what other plans of happiness to do others know about that I don't? I know I was given one flavor of ice cream and loved it for so long but I am now noticing that there are other flavors? Are they just as good? Or not? What do those ice cream flavors have in theirs that I don't have in mine? Can I mix the flavors to make my own/new flavor? And the questions just keep coming to mind like an ocean wave.

So, I am enjoying my journey of asking questions. The knowledge I receive from it is a bonus as well! It's more fun and surprisingly very liberating than I had ever imagined. I love to observe, so it's another way for me to observe my life! And my life is less stressful not holding onto all of these questions in my head!:)