A Glimpse of the Spectacular

I was a little cranky this morning, I went to bed super early last night thinking that I would get a good nights sleep and be all chipper and ready to start my busy day today. Instead I was slammed out of unconsciousness at 11:45pm with some unknown thing scuttling around under my covers and crawling all over my legs. Now some of you might think it could have been hubby feeling frisky but it definitely wasn't him...he was snoring...loudly. 

I threw off my blanket and jumped out of bed. Of course my heart is pounding as thoughts of rats, mice and cockroaches fill my head and because I was so worked up it didn't cross my mind that we don't have either rats or cockroaches in this area. Mice yes...

I proceeded to toss and turn the rest of the night, just waiting for this creepy sensation to happen again, ready to beat the living crap out of whatever I found. Alas it didn't happen and all I got out of the deal was a bad night sleep.

It was early when Kevin and I left for work, we have the privilege of travelling together each day. My head felt fuzzy and the pitch black outside made me want to dive back into bed and get more rest.

We live on a country road that doesn't see much traffic and the snow that had begun falling in the night was pristine and untouched by anyone else's tire tracks. The soft crunch as we drove was crisp and clean, the snow coming down softly. The flakes were so tiny and fine that I thought of God filling a huge salt shaker full of sparkles and shaking it onto the earth.

Tonight after the craziness of the day is over, I will curl up on my couch with my yak-wool blanket from Nepal, the book I am reading, a cup of homemade hot chocolate and a piece of Skorpor which is a Swedish shortbread type of cookie bar. I will thank God for the day and for beauty that surrounds me if only I would take time to open my eyes.

This is my glimpse of spectacular today...what is yours?

SKORPOR

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

1 cup sour cream

3-4 cups flour (enough to make dough stiff)

1/2 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 cup nuts, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a long sheet pan. Bake 1 hour at 325 F. Take out of oven and turn oven down to 200 F. Cut Skorpor into 1"x4" strips while still in the pan and put back into the oven to dry until hard and light brown (about 1 hour). Melt Toblerone chocolate squares in double boiler until smooth and spread over strips to coat. Let harden and enjoy with your favorite hot beverage.

Top 20 for a Happier Life ~ Rhonda style

 

As the calendar year comes to a close we start pondering all the things we would like to do better in the coming year. When I was young and foolish I thought the best way to accomplish my plethora of items was to write myself a list and tick things off one at a time.

I was a habitual list maker, buying beautiful notebooks and fine-tipped pens as if writing supplies would somehow move me to action and get the job done. I filled up book after book with journaling, poetry, exercise/calorie counting and yes...lists.

Yesterday I cleaned out my Cedar chest which is the mother lode of Rhonda-mobilia and found all my old journals. I sat for a few hours reading through some of the entries and was struck by the profoundness of the passage of time.

My struggles seem to have had common themes, finding purpose, longing to live passionately, perpetual weight issues and exercise horrors and yes...many lists. My joys have had common themes as well...an overwhelming thankfulness for my family and friends, and the richness of God's provision and blessing in my life.

I cried my way through the cedar chest contents. I found baby blankets that my Grandma crocheted for me when my kids were born, velvety soft to the touch. My beloved Grandpa Posein's handkerchiefs that I remember having been stowed in his suit pockets for an emergency sniffle, beautiful antique linens from my Grandma Lang given to her by her parents. Favorite pictures of our children when their youthful energy radiated from every pore. Cards from my wonderful husband declaring his love for me and dried roses from an anniversary bouquet.

All of a sudden I was stone cold...I realized my days had been slipping away from me so fast, soon to become items in my cedar chest. The biggest question loomed over my thoughts~

have I been making good use of my time?

I sat down to create one more list...not a New Year's resolution list, but a list of things I have been putting off. Things that have been niggling at me for attention that somehow I buried under the blankets of "not enough time" "not enough money" "not enough patience" "too old" "too young" "not my problem" "maybe someday"...so here it is~

20 Ways I want to enjoy my life to the fullest:

1. "LIKE" myself, be ok with who I am today
2. Throw away my granny panties (the childrens song "Deep and Wide"  with the actions comes to mind), com'on girls if I can...you can too
3. In each day, find something spectacular to enjoy, even if it's the sun shining through my doggie-snotted up window
4. Give gifts with no expectation of anything in return and not because of what it makes ME feel like, but what it will make someone else understand~ that I am thinking about them and I care 
5. Praise my children for the exceptional human beings they have become
6. Meditate on the God in my life who fills me with peace
7. Smell the fresh coffee grounds every morning before brewing the pot...ahhhh
8. Decorate my home in a reflection of my need for peace and harmony, safety and belonging...beauty
9. Love, appreciate and respect my husband at every opportunity afforded to me...I don't know how many days I will be blessed to do this
10. Wear black nail polish once in awhile with a little black dress
11. Stop being afraid of failure, and just.start.already
12. Speak words of life and not death
13. Read many books
14. Do crazy things just for the fun of it, preferably before I need a hip replaced
15. Stop looking over my shoulder in fear of losing it all
16. Cry on a friend's shoulder and when done, offer them mine
17. Toss my razors...yah you read that right but no worries I won't be going European au natural, there are alternatives out there 
18. Learn something new each day
19. Remember what I just learned
20. Do~ it

The calendar at the top is from 1967, the year I was born. Many, many, many (you get the idea) days have passed since I arrived on this planet. How many more do I have? I don't know, but I intend to make the most of each one I am blessed with. Although my Top 20 list is by no means exhaustive it's a good starting place, a kick in the keester, a means of identifying the things that are important to me and goading myself into action.

I hope you make your own list, be creative and crazy. It's all good.
Love and peace to each of you during this Christmas Season!!