Love It or List It?

This titled show on HGTV seems like it was created just for my husband and I in our current situation.  We have been on the hunt for a larger house and more space for quite some time now.  Although, we love the interior of our house and all the love and sweat equity we've put into it to make it our own.  And because of the lack of affordable houses that meet our needs, I've been designing additions to our house to make it more functional.  If money were no object, we would just build our dream home.  Our dreams in a nutshell are to own up to one full acre of land, have a little more living space and relocate out of the flood zone.  We want the same thing as many...our own little slice of suburbia heaven pie.  The thing that nags at me more than anything else, though, is the battle over financial freedom versus dream living.  I am the type that enjoys playing the math game, always seeing how much a loan truly costs and how much you can save with additional payments.  I have recently set us on a new course to tackle two large loans in three years before needing a newer car.  And then I figured we could possibly pay our mortgage off in eight more years from that point, which is extremely tempting.  But that 'American Dream' urge still exists and tugs at us often.  Especially when we can't open our windows without breathing in the neighbors cigarette smoke or sit in our yard without hearing the constant traffic noise from our National Road which is just a couple doors away.  Financial freedom will afford us much nicer vacations but that's still only three weeks out of the year.  Whereas, if we move, our daily lives could be more enjoyable yet we'd have the stress of starting over on a mortgage loan.  So, stay tuned to see if logic or dreams win out.  I'm very curious myself to see where this will take us. 

Let it Shine

In our little valley, we have had an almost non-existent winter this year.  We've been able to take walks outdoors through each winter month.  As sad as I was to not see the snow blanket everything, I was grateful to see so many days of sunshine.  Typically, the days that don't showcase breathtaking snow-covered trees and hills, are filled with cloudy, colorless days and empty trees.  So, I graciously accept the sunshine and above freezing temperatures. 

The one thing I do really enjoy about winter is the silence.  The cold brings with it a peacefulness and necessary slowing of our jam-packed lives.  All the projects that come with Spring may not be tackled with such enthusiasum had we not had our fill of rest.  I wonder if we will burn out early this year since we've already started yard work in March and have our projects all planned and ready to go.  Regardless, the sunshine and warmth fill me with energy and happiness.  So, today, I opened up the windows and pulled up all the shades and welcomed in the noise, the warmth, the breeze and everything that goes along with an early Spring.  Even the bugs.

The Easter Bunny Dilemma

Last week, I noticed that my rabbit, Hopscotch, was not eating his pellets or drinking any water.  So, I rushed out and bought a different brand of food.  Nothing.  Bought another brand.  Still nothing.  Finally took him to the vet and was informed that he had no sound in his belly where there should be a constant gurgling noise.  Panic.  We were told we had 3 days to see if we could get him turned around and if not, we'd probably need to euthanize him.  Deep panic. 

So, I was sent home with a barrage of medicines and instructions...eye drops, medicines through needleless syringes, yogurt every 1/2 hour.  After one good, hard cry, I went into mommy-mode and just did what had to be done.  If these happened to be his last days, he was sadly not going to remember me fondly with all the poking and prodding.  As soon as he sees me now, he hunkers down into a corner hoping I don't see him.  To his dismay, I always do.  I've spent the first three nights taking naps and waking to an alarm to go administer his probiotics, or better known as 'pineapple yogurt smoothies via syringe'.  He also needs extra exercise so I let him into a larger play area twice a day now for at least an hour each time.  However, he has now learned he can jump over the play pen area and escape.  He never had a reason for this maneuver previously.  So now, even play time has to be completely supervised.  He is showing great signs of improvment by finally starting to eat some pellets and drink a little bit of water.  I feel we are finally in the clear now and he will continue to improve. 

What I've learned from this experience is how willing I was to do anything it took to make sure I gave him every chance at survival.  I finally learned how to pick him up and administer meds to him as well which I was very nervous about in the past.  This neighbor kid's Easter Bunny mistake has truly become a member of the family over the past 4 years.  I shudder to think he wouldn't have been on this earth at all had we not rescued him the very day we did. 

The Internet Divide

Even though I'm pretty slow to jump on the bandwagon and explore new technology, I've at least always known that if I really took the time to explore what's available to me, I could probably discover all sorts of things.  A few years ago, I discovered the 'Pandora' so many had spoke of and started really investigating it for new music.  It is aptly named because it has opened up an entire world for me that I didn't even know existed.  I went from having a handful of favorite artists to a plethora of them.  Each new artist I discover is like unwrapping a delicious piece of candy.  I feel like Lucille Ball in the factory not able to keep up with the never ending stream of yummy candies I still need to gobble up.  Because of this genious musical invention, I've since learned how to purchase and burn my music onto CDs and also pumped up my iPod library as well.  And then I discovered podcasts.  Free, informative programs that you can download directly onto your ipod?  Simply amazing.  I now have thought-provocating and comical programs to listen to as I walk, instead of just music.  And I sing my Ode to Youtube for providing me with countless hours of entertainment from new artists to hilarious antics to instructional cooking videos.  And now I can even add the website, Pinterest, to my list of favorites as it has already inspired me to produce artwork and to travel to foreign places that were unknown to me before.  And that is just the tip of the iceberg of all the information available to us on the world wide web.  So, what sort of division is it causing for the children and adults that have no access to this world, either due to economics or locale?  Recently, there has been a push to bridge this gap by offering low-cost computers and expanding service so that evey home can have these learning oppurtunities.  How else will they be able to compete in a technologically-driven world?  Someone with no access will undoubtedly be passed over for someone who is rich in this experience.  My hope is that this access will inspire, teach, and hopefully create many entrepreneurs for our future.

The Fascination Experiment

There is beauty to be found everywhere.  Just step outside your door and take a look around. 

Explore some local hiking trails or trot off into some nearby woods. 

Or simply take a walk in your neighborhood.

Scout out trails or parks within an hour's radius of your home and you'd be amazed at what you may find.   Hop in the car and take a drive on some back roads you've never traveled. 

 The photos above were taken within a few miles of my house and are only a fraction of the beauty that surrounds us.  Beauty is everywhere.  I stare with wonder at a flock of birds that are flying in rhythmic patterns, dipping and soaring all in perfect time with each other.  I marvel at almost every sunset that I witness and how magical, colorful and unique each one is.  I stare up at the stars at night in puzzled wonderment at just how small we all are.  I find peace in nature and whenever I'm surrounded by it.  I implore you to take the time to really notice the things you may rush by on a daily basis.  You, too, may be surprised and even smitten by what you see. 

The Classroom Paradigm

A friend and I took a beginner's painting class at a local craft store this past weekend and that simple class got me thinking about teachers in general.  Our teacher was very nice and enthusiastic, however, we discovered that she did not have the gift that most good teachers possess...the ability to help others grasp concepts.  She rushed us through each phase even though there were only three of us in class and she didn't stop and go back when we clearly looked lost.  I think the complicated subject matter they chose for beginners to paint in a mere two hours definitely added to the frustration.  Due to those things, my friend, a teacher herself, and I both agreed afterwards that it was not that enjoyable of an experience. 

I started thinking about children sitting in a classroom, who may also be completely lost and not grasping the subject matters, maybe afraid to ask questions and getting rushed right through anyway.  And all in the attempt to herd the majority through.  Get through it fast, pass the test, move on.  This weekend, my family and I spoke about how the No Child Left Behind Act forces teachers to focus solely on everyone passing standardized tests, whether or not the children completely understand the subjects they memorized.  And teachers are frustrated with this Act because their funding and their jobs depends on these tests alone.  I think that teachers need to be praised for their individual ability to really teach the students and recognized for any unique ways they create to accomplish this.  And on the flip side, the teachers whose students continually fail to grasp concepts could then be given certain state mandated tools to help them reach their goals.  I believe if it's not broken, don't fix it.  And just because there are failures in certain schools or districts, doesn't mean that every public school should have to be penalized by following so many regulations.  I wonder if all these state mandates are really the way to go.  Or do we need to reverse this cycle and give more responsibility to and have more input from the teachers on the front line fighting for our children's futures?

Out of the Darkness Comes The Light

A friend used this title for one of her photos recently and that phrase has been resonating with me ever since.  I've just suffered a huge loss in my life and have been having a hard time dealing with it and needed an outlet.  Another friend of mine invited me to go to a free painting class that a local artist was offering and I jumped at the chance.  And so it begins...a new journey with a new love.  It may be more of an escape at the moment but, regardless, it brings me comfort and a lot of peace when I need it most.  I have been learning violin for some time and really enjoy it.  However, to me, it's an experience that may never be fully realized due to lack of utter devotion and time.  I also use to sketch and draw occasionally but that also was never fully satisfing.  The sketches never truly felt complete to me.  But painting!  Oh, painting is a whole different story.  Within just a few nights of walking through an instructional book and experimenting with colors, I created the painting above.  I felt an enormous amount of satisfaction, not just from the finished project but from the entire creative process.  The concentration and focus on each phase of a painting is the best form of meditation that I could have found and I can not wait to keep exploring this gift.