Swim in Your Corner of the Pool

One of my favorite places to pop in and read, to sit awhile in my thoughts, is Emily Freeman's blog...ok, Emily P. Freeman.

She recently wrote a letter of encouragement to her former self about the world of blogging and life in general. And it resonated, 101 comments resonated. And she brings up things that most of us are thinking of, are aware of, or are experiencing. 

When I started this blog I had had the desire to start one for awhile. I struggled between wanting to just share and to be the blog everyone read. And I quickly realized that it took so much more time than I ever gave it credit. I've watch others switch platforms and pay for site designs or ads. I've watched the giveaways, the link-ups and the promoted content. I've seen some really great blogs become the big thing and seen bloggers launch their online careers. I've considered all these things, but for me this was an escape. It was a place to practice writing and a place to get my thoughts out where someone might read them.

And it wasn't such an escape when I had to reload the photos (not great quality I might add) to a post 3 times. Or when I felt pressure to get a better camera to take better pictures (still working on this). Or when I saw how much site designs and ad spaces cost. Or even when I learned how to do my own tiles and then couldn't figure out how to code them into the side bar (I know how to do this now!). 

I now work in marketing and it makes me laugh how much this little space hasn't progressed. My job has given me the ability to know some of the backend things that were so mysterious to 18 year old me. But that doesn't mean I know everything. Or really that I spend the time to do it during my non working hours. 

It amazes me how much envy there can be for a space that's open to the world. And frankly, I don't want to be a part of it. Maybe that's why I've deprioritized this blog thing. Maybe that's why when I hear how many people have "made friends online" through blogs and social channels, I have to turn and guard my heart. 

You are special, you are unique, you are you. And you have to learn to swim in your area of the pool. You have to learn and develop your passions because your area of the pool needs to be splashed and the bottom floor explored. Your area of the pool doesn't need green stagnant water. It needs the vibrancy of rainbow shimmers on the blue wave forms. It needs you.

Here's to guarding our hearts and that which is most precious to us. Here's to being small, even when we're watching others get big. Be you, fully and uniquely. Just as Jennie Allen said this past weekend during the IF:Gathering, the world doesn't need more big. It needs you, just as you are, because you have everything you need to be you.

Fall Food List

Otherwise known as the fall food bucket list.

I figured since it is the day after Thanksgiving I should probably write this post. Because soon people are going to say it is not fall anymore. I like to hold onto fall as long as possible. And I have to say that I'm a bit in denial about Christmas this year. But that's to be expected, Thanksgiving is my favorite.

Earlier in the autumn season I started creating a list of recipes I wanted to make or try for the first time. I wrote with the good ol' pen and paper a list of warm deliciousness.

Fall

Pumpkin soup - Marshall's Abroad - not yet
Chicken Chili - Smitten Kitchen - not yet, but may be bumped to winter
Acorn Squash - Buzzfeed's Tasty Kitchen
Sweet Potato Waffles - Joy the Baker
Pancetta, White bean, Swiss Chard Pot Pie - Smitten Kitchen - not yet, again may be bumped to winter
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup - Pin - not yet
Apple Cheddar Scones - Smitten Kitchen

Bonus:
Pumpkin Scones - adaptation of  Joy the Baker
Pumpkin Pie bites - Pin
Brown Butter Pecan Pie Bars (with Sea Salt)
Pumpkin Cheesecake (with homemade whipped cream)

So... it looks like I haven't made much progress but when you are only cooking for one and you start to get tired of an item after two days...I'm doing pretty good. That's all I'm saying.

I don't mind having pumpkin items into December, so I will probably  keep chugging along on this list. Bonus are all recipes that came up and fit in the category. This year we did a twist on the classic desserts for Thanksgiving, which you can see from the pecan bars and the cheesecake. I may have to add Butternut Black Bean Chili to the list as I'll be making it for Tuesday night's dinner group.

** links coming soon! But feel free to comment with questions!

When Life is Rough, Buy Flowers

Life can be incredibly rough. And there are seasons to life. Life can get messy, especially when both hard and wonderful are thrown into the mix. I don't believe that hard and wonderful are mutually exclusive, but I do believe that some things are down right awful while others make us giddy with joy and delight.

There have been quite a few things that although my world is not "rocked" but them, my life does seem spiked with the bitterness of hard. I'm not even sure if that sentence make sense, but I think it's as accurate as I am going to get to what it feels like. It's the needle that stings and then you stop feeling it, but you know that it happened.

Last week after another sting, I was shopping at Costco. I needed a few things for a Wednesday night dinner party. The combination of tiredness from work and emotional tiredness from both the weekend and emotions at work led me to buy way more fruit than I can eat before it goes bad. I knew this, but let it happen because I honestly couldn't fight one more self-inflicted decision. And then I passed the flowers.

I stopped to look at them, decided it was frivolous, especially with all that was in my cart and walked on. Then I turned around and looked at them once more. I could do the $10, but not the $15 or the roses or... I walked past again. In my head once more, No I really want flowers. So I went back and chose the most colorful, the most wildflower like, and the least fake. Great qualifiers, right?

But I think that my soul needed them. It needed to be able to arrange them in a vase, or two. It needed to know that God created the simplest thing for a short amount of time for enjoyment. And my soul needed to be reminded that death and loss are natural, but so is blooming.

It's natural, special and to be enjoyed.

Friends, may you rise to meet the hard and truly enjoy the delights of life. I'm working on it too.