Life is full of surprises, twists, turns and unexpected joy. I am learning that the secret is to take time, pay attention to the little things, and trust my intuition. I pray daily seeking God’s guidance in all matters. Rarely do I ask for specific things for myself, rather it is a constant prayer of “Guide me, Father.” And then I pay attention to the things that come to mind, and the surrounding circumstances of my day. I have learned to write them down in a journal so that I can look back and see how things worked out and give thanks for God’s love and constant presence. It is so good to know I am never alone.

On Our Horizon

As I talked about in my "Farewell” post a few weeks ago, 2025 is the year of the move. I have talked about moving for at least thirty years - just ask my friends, they will tell you! There is something different about this idea. It did not originate with me. I believe this is God guiding us to where we are to spend the rest of our lives. The agony, at this point in the process, is that until today, I couldn’t envision the life I wanted in our new home. And if I can’t see that, how can I know what to take and what to leave behind?

I am the queen of fantasy lives. I imagine myself doing all sorts of things that seem so cool when other people are doing them. But that is a fairy tale; it should never be the basis of decision-making. I also picture myself living a number of romanticized roles such as artist, writer, or a midlife renaissance influencer. Again, I can make up all sorts of scenarios in my mind that only serve to cause depression and disappointment when they don’t come to fruition.

I have a few things that are constants during the course of my sixty-seven years on earth; I am a homebody, I love decorating and being in my home, I am inspired by nature, I love to read and watch television; I also love to crochet. Preparing delicious food can bring joy, but after all these years of being the preparer of all the meals, the joy of cooking is largely a thing of the past. That being said, I really want to cook more and different kinds of food. Our forever home has a small but lovely backyard, compartmentalized rooms and just the right amount cozy to make me happy. It is a place where we can live the life we have always lived…just a little bit better.

My Best Crochet Life

This next part does go a bit into the fantasy part of my new life plan. I have, for at least forty-eight years, thought of a home filled with beautiful crochet.

This is not what I have in mind. I will not yarn bomb my cozy cottage home.

What I will do is create a legacy by crocheting blankets, displaying them and using them to make memories with my daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren. I envision a beautiful blanket chest filled with my handiwork waiting for the perfect person or season for them to emerge and provide comfort.

This image has been around for years. I don’t know who deserves the credit.

I love hand crocheted dishcloths and bath cloths, baskets, bowls, and coasters. I wrote about my fascination with thread crochet bedspreads…I plan on making at least one. And then there are holidays and gift giving opportunities…can we agree to Mimi’s annual slipper gifts? And speaking of slippers, all my family member will need a crochet stocking for the new house. So many opportunities to enrich our lives with crochet and leave a legacy for future generations.

Balance

The key to this life is balance. I am not naturally a balanced person. I get involved and hyper-focused on a certain thing and burn myself out in the process. Setting alarms and being intentional about changing activities is the only way to avoid this behavior. I don’t need to sit all day cranking out crochet projects. I need to walk, play in the yard, engage with people and cook nourishing food for us so that our bodies will work as well as possible for many years to come and just enjoy each and every moment.

This is the message I received today when I asked God to help me with decisions. Thoughts came to me, things popped up on the screens I was looking at, and I was reminded of all the things that are truly important to me, the things that are in need of regular care and feeding.

100 Day Project

At the time I took this picture I had temporarily misplaced the piece from days one through three of week two. I later found them, but this photo was too good to ignore; therefore, it will be my official week two photo.

With my new life focus I may be introducing more than lace as I push myself to follow other people’s patterns and grow as a crochetist.

Blessings until next week,