The Decision to Take Care of Ourselves And Then.... the Journey

Taking care of oneself may seem like a 

natural and easy thing to do for some. 

And having to make a conscious decision 

to do so may seem ridiculous.

(I'm talking about much more than 

just the basics of

 eating and sleeping and general care.)

But for others, including myself, 

it truly is a journey of

self-discovery and recovery. 

It's a learning process

that happens only if we are 

willing to peel off layers

of wrong thinking, work at

 getting to know ourselves

as well as making changes.

It would take a small book to share

with you the revelations that have come from 

seeking to take better care of  myself..

well-being and a healthier,

more balanced lifestyle.

I used to think that I was healthy.

Several years ago, I came to a place in my life

where I felt numb. I had died inside

and I knew that if I wanted my 

life to be different,

I was going to have to accept boundaries

and live more intentionally.

(I don't mean to sound snooty)

I needed to begin to stand up for myself

and stop making commitments that were

helpful to others but that left me feeling exhausted

and drained physically and mentally.

This was difficult because I love people and

helping them.  But I had to come to realize that

I could still love them but I didn't have to

push myself beyond healthy limits to show that love.

I was saying no to outside commitments at times and

that was good but I wasn't considering limiting

 social outings or time with family as part 

of my care. 

Two years ago, I realized what a 

true introvert was and that I am one and that

it's ok to be one! Haha..

And furthermore, it was ok to fashion my time and 

life in a way that allowed me the solitude that 

I needed to stay rested and to feel like 

my life was not out of control. 

I don't LIKE this about myself but I'm 

grateful to have the understanding.

It's so freeing to be able to make 

decisions based on my needs 

without (most of the time ;) feeling guilty.

Can anyone relate to what I'm saying?

I have learned that I'm not selfish but wise

when I say no to invitations to social events.

Not answering the phone is ok if I'm not up to talking

at that moment. Responding to social media in 

a time frame when I feel rested and can enjoy the

connection is the right way for me.

Learning to listen to our minds and bodies 

and to be able to respond to what we hear, is a gift. 

It requires focus at times and honesty

with ourselves and others.  

People don't always understand. 

My test run circumstance did not end well.

There were broken relationships

and a severing of ties.

It's very sad but I am healthier.

Be prepared and take care of yourself anyway.

If you don't, who will?

This is one of the 

toughest parts of our journey. We don't

want to offend or hurt others. There are always

going to be needs. We can't begin to meet them all.

I was raised to work.

And the harder I worked and the more I accomplished,

the more I was praised. I can tell you that this

set me up for a life time of pleasing others

and totally losing touch with who I was 

or what my needs (and wants) were.

I don't dread telling people no anymore. It

feels good to take care of myself. I enjoy life

soooo much more. The quality

of each experience has been heightened

to the pleasure that it should be because

I have learned to pace myself and reserve what I need

to really be present and enjoy that time. Not wishing that the time

were over so that I can go home and rest.

If you're in need, I hope this has helped 

and made sense to you.

Life is too short and our bodies and minds

have limitations. If we ignore this fact, 

we can do irreversible damage to our bodies

and lose out on the quality of 

life that awaits 

each of us.

There's so much more to it all. 

But too much to write in one post. 

At another time, I would like to write

about the things that we have and how they

demand of us.

(This is a huge one for me and I'm still working on it!

And then beyond our needs are our wants... 

which I would also like to write about another time.)

We have only one life to live.

One time around.

A limited existence with so much to experience.

May yours be blessed. 

Filled with richness and peace.

Thank you for your visit.

I would love to hear any words of advice or 

any stories of what you've learned.

Tamara xo

My First Time Pickin' For Old Doors and Windows

I hope you all have had a good week.

Productive and peaceful. 

Mine has been good. 

I'm looking forward to

the weekend and hoping to gather

several times with our kids and grandkids.

It's been raining so much and we

have been enjoying it.

I've had these pictures for awhile now.

Waiting to share this little story about my

first "Pickin" experience.

It takes a lot of courage for me

to think of approaching

people to ask them about stuff

that's laying in their yard!

But at least I was in friendly territory!

It was in the little town of Antrim, Ohio 

where I grew up. I recently shared some photos about the area, when I was

visiting family and friends.

Now that we have a little get-away there and 

we always drive our 15 passenger van across

country, it provides opportunities

to pick up things for projects to make and sell

and for decor around the house.

While driving through this quaint little,

country town, I spotted a charming, 

old door laying out in a yard.

And, gathering my courage,

I knocked on the door and

asked some questions.

I found that I went to school

with the family that owned

the little house. When his sister

arrived, we talked schooldays for a 

few minutes and she offered to let me

see some other doors in her shed that 

she had tried to give away but

folks never came and picked them up..

At this point, I was very excited!

 Here are some of the doors.. 

They were old cupboard doors

from an original house in Antrim. 

She even knew the family's name. 

And by now, I am super-excited 

because, as many of you know,

 I love connecting with my past! 

Above are the pantry doors.

This door came with a bonus window!

I love those old glass door knobs.

 The other white, paneled door came

  from the same stop. 

Those lovely spindles and pedestal 

were bought at a Nursery down the road for

a very good price.

 And this old door came from 

the old country store called "Rusty's".

 I use to walk the two miles from my home

to this store to buy candy and chips.

It's about 8 feet tall and very heavy!

It now sits on the porch behind a 

little wicker love-seat. 

I just love all that chipping paint!

I asked her how much she would be 

willing to sell them for and she said that

I could have them!

I couldn't believe it. 

And so she and her brother

helped me load them in my van. 

I gave them a little something for their 

help and was on my way.

I was excited to have found some treasures and visited with old school mates!

The next stop was at a childhood

 neighbor of mine.

I had driven past where I knew 

she had lived with her father but 

didn't know if she was still there.

But I had seen some old windows 

leaned against the side of a shed when

I drove by just 

"takin' the backroads."

Well, since you see the windows,

you can guess what happened.

The story was that she now lived there

with her husband and children and

they were doing some re-modeling. 

They had tried to salvage the windows 

because the house had been 

built in the mid-1800s!

Wow

But they couldn't keep the cold,

Ohio, winter winds from creeping into that

two-story farm house and so they had

to be replaced.

They just wanted to get rid of them..

and it was the same story as with the doors.

People had stopped and asked but

no one ever came back to pick them up.

We had a nice long visit and they helped 

me load them up and my daughter and 

I took them back to Sugartree and

unloaded. I felt blessed.

 Here they are after being hosed down.

 Aren't the arched ones just gorgeous?!

Some of the frames are falling apart and I wondered about taking them but am glad I did.

And I'm currently working 

on a little fall project that is made from 

two of the small salvaged pieces.

I'm almost finished with it and 

will be sharing it this next week. 

I did share some of them with my younger

sister and I gave her the glass-paneled door.

It seems the love of old junk 

runs in the family!

It's so rewarding to find these old things and 

love them into something new.

It always makes me sad when old houses

and buildings are torn down and bull-

dozed into large piles and burned!

Wait.. 

the history and memories..

the craftmanship...

Isn't it satisfying to re-claim 

re-use.. re-make.. re-love?

or whatever one wants to call it..
And the treasure-hunting part is fun, too.
I'm looking forward to
doing some more of that!

I'd love to hear any stories that

you have about special pieces 

that you've found

or experiences that you've had.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting. 

Have a wonderful weekend.

Tamara xo

The Quiet Retreat

Do you ever feel the need to find a quiet place? Sometimes the business of this life
can press in on me. Too much input can crowd out the peace of my mind and my heart. I feel the need to surround myself with quiet beauty. To saturate myself with stillness.

Come away and find that quiet resting place. Hear the soft trickling of the waters.

 

 

I am so thankful for these places of refuge that soothe my spirit and

reflect the goodness of God.

 

 

 

 

There is something about the closeness of my animal friends that bring joy

 and gives a quiet assurance. And sitting in the shade in the cool grass is

so refereshing.

 

 

 

 

Blessings and peace to you~

 

 

 

 

The Measuring of Others

Very recently, as I was browsing through my list of blogs that I follow, I came across
a couple posts that caught my attention. And not in a positive way. They were very disturbing.
They brought about different reactions in my heart.

Sadness. Pity. Compassion. Frustration. And somewhat angry.

One post was written in response to someone who had posted a negative comment
about her choice to spend her time blogging. And the other, a young woman who had
found herself in a place where she could wear jeans, slacks etc. She was trying to be
sensitive to her readers and so was apologizing for her change of standard. She ob-
viously thought that she may offend someone by her decision. I appreciated her
tact and thought that very thoughtful of her.

My first reaction, I admit, was not one of understanding. I was truly aggravated because
these woman were having to defend themselves in their actions. Why would  or should
they be judged?

I have been through the gammut of churches, standards and understanding in searching for
the place that was "most Holy" or "right." And to think that I have had thoughts that would
accuse these woman in the very same way, is most appalling to me. I am ashamed to think
that, I too, at one time would have looked at the dress or actitivites of another and think it
was less than noble.

So in my "new" place of  "holiness", where I have grown so mature, what am I doing? I find
myself measuring again. But this time, coming from the other viewpoint. The viewpoint
of grace.

But grace is supposed to be gracious.  Not critical and judgemental. It is meant to set free
not bind up.

What I really want to be to others is like a well of encouragement. I know how much it means
to me to have someone who really cares stand beside me and extend grace and understanding.
It is so affirming. Maybe I need it more than others. Sometimes that seems so. But, actually, I
believe that there are many who are hurting and hiding and longing for a word of
encourgement.

I stand once again in the place of needing forgiveness and prayer for humility. Wanting SO
desparately for my heart ot be changed. To get past all of this stuff that hinders and distracts
from the person that I really want to be.

I hope to grow to that place where I can truly help others see their potential and gifts.
The beauty of who they are and the possibilites that are always there.  Beyond the
small matters of the heart. Because everyone has something special planted deep inside them.
Let God take care of the changes that need to be made in a person's heart. I want to be an in
instrument of encouragement and watch them burst into flourshing as God intended each one to
do.

                                                           Blessings of grace to you.

Restoration~

Sometimes we feel the emptiness of interrupted fellowship with our God, yet in

each in moment...there lies... an opportunity that shines with the possiblity of new life.

If we claim that we're free of sin, we're only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing.

1 John 1:9

{Humility }

When I am full of myself, He resists me;

but as I bow my heart before Him in humility,

His grace is given generously.

As we humble ourselves before the Father and

 ask His forgiveness for falling short, then

He gathers us in His strong arms and the next breath

 shows the promise like a fresh morning dew.

There is Liberty.

Peace abounds.


In the brokenness of humility, we are spilled out.

  There, Christ finds a place to dwell.

  The burden of sin is lifted and we rise on the winds of forgiveness.