Friday, March 24, 2017

let it ramble


Our garden is all rambly shambly. 
The grass has become unruly after delicious damp and drizzly weather for the past fortnight. 
The weed seeds are sprouting by the gadzillions and the kikuyu is running amok all through the flower beds.
The right side of my brain says it feels relaxing
The left side of my brain paces around in frustration that everything-at-once needs taming and tidying to bring a sense of order before things get really out of control.
There must be a happy medium. 
Calm, yet a little freedom round the edges.
It is appealing to see a neat, orderly garden. It is restful in a satisfying way.
However, a symmetrical, formal clipped garden with nary a leaf out of place makes me hyperventilate. So.much.work to keep it that way!
No time to sit under a shady tree or stop and smell the roses.
Isn’t that like our lives? 
There is a difference between chaotic and calm. 
While calm doesn’t necessarily mean spit spot, there is a restfulness that is evident in an environment that is lived in, yet peaceful.
If we spend every spare minute to tidy and dust and clean the house, we don’t have time to sit still and relax with a good book or snuggle a little one with a story, because there are “things to be done!”
There is a difference between dirty mess and disorganised mahem versus the evidence of a little clutter from a lived-in and loving home.
Enjoy your home.
 Enjoy your garden.
 And make time to stop and smell the roses.

Photo by Mikaela Moseling

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

sidestep

Sometimes it’s nice to take a little side step out of our daily routine.
To take a little RDO.



Homeschooling mamas can take a Rostered Day Off too you know!
When was the last time you did something that made your heart sing?
What is it that triggers that happy hoppity skip of delight for you?
For me – it’s colour.



Playing with flowers or splashing some paint just makes me feel brighter.
I did that today and it was just what I needed.
The housework, the bookwork, the dishes and the duties of every day routine will still be there tomorrow. But today, I took a day off.
It feels quite delicious having a Saturday kind of a day mid-week.
I have found a key to me remaining steadfast, is to pace myself and take time out now and then.
I think it is healthy for us to experience the delight of enjoying an interest. It models a love of learning for our children and keeps our enthusiasm fresh to instil that motivation in them to stretch and grow with developing skills and interests.
I only have two out of our eight students left to finish our home schooling journey. It is a challenge for me to stay focused and content when I occasionally chaff  to run ahead into the next era.
I inherited a distinctly restless nature from my dear dad. And I really have to rein in that urge to take off and explore. One can’t just go adventuring any old time!
But hey! A day off can make all the difference to help me settle back into routine again.
I cringe when I see quotes like “do more of what makes you happy”. But honestly? When WAS the last time you did something that actually.made.you.feel.happy?

There’s nothing like dropping some turquoise, bright yellow or pink ink onto some wet paper to lift off the slough of despond. 
Highly recommended!