Gentleness for Today

I'm in isolation at home with one of my daughters and my grandchildren.  We are so blessed, we are healthy, we have food, we have each other.  My job is not adaptable to working from home so I'm just home.  Some days I think what a great opportunity to accomplish all the tasks that I generally push to the end of my to-do list and some days I think, "This comfy chair gives me a great view of the drizzly weather and the occasional person venturing out to walk a dog."
Sometimes I feel happy and energetic and sometimes I need a nap.

Sometimes all I can manage is a nap

I think my daughter and I came to the conclusion that gentleness is the way to go.  Naturally with children there is a schedule that needs to be (loosely) adhered to but in many ways I think its important to be extra gentle with ourselves and others.  There has been a huge shift in each of our lives and that takes time to adjust to.  None of us will do this perfectly.  I'm trying to do it with patience, grace and gratitude. I'm successful about as often as I am unsuccessful.  I'm trying.  I'm learning.  I'm messing up and trying again.

What seems to help is my meditation practice and of course prayer.  If you're reading this know that I'm praying for you - for all your pressing needs and for a gentleness of spirit to carry you through today and the days to come.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a gentle day,

Sandra

Children's Painting Project

I hope that this post finds you well.  Are you mostly confined to your home, have extra time on your hands and younger ones underfoot?  If so this post may inspire you to spend a sunny afternoon as we did today, exercising our creativity.

Several months ago my dear neighbour Suzanne gave me a few "shadow box" canvases. My granddaughter, who is nine, and I pulled one out today, set up an area to get a bit messy and assembled all our supplies: magazines for cutting, glue, acrylic paint, brushes etc. Please remember that acrylic paint can stain fabrics, so cover up.

The idea was to find a landscape image to fit in the recessed square in the center of the canvas and then to extend the landscape outwards using her imagination. 

we fixed the image to the canvas using matte medium but glue would work too.

Using a pencil, my granddaughter extended the landscape up, to the sides and down.

 Once she had a rough drawing, she began with acrylic paints filling in sky, treetops and a river.

Our kitten Pepper watches the creative process.

Whoa Pepper! Haha.... beware of leaping kittens!

Filling in the surrounding landscape, the painting begins taking shape.

And voila!  A completed masterpiece.

This was a fun way to spend a couple of hours. 

As a less messy alternative or for a younger artist, this project could be easily adapted to a magazine image glued to the center of a sturdy piece of paper and filled in using watercolours, pencil or wax crayons. 

Like a blank canvas, each of us can choose how we colour our experiences.  Let's choose optimism, cooperation and faith as often as we can.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a day of happy colours,

Sandra

A Little Bear Repair

Last year my 85 year old mom gave my grandson Eli a very old teddy bear that she had been given years earlier.  Apparently the bear is quite old, he has a fully articulated head and limbs but no label that would give us a clue as to his history.  He was in decent condition with the exception of the pads of his paws, the fabric on them had disintegrated and with the slightest touch would rub away.

I rubbed off the fragile brown fabric and on a sunny afternoon in the comfort of my bed, I set to replacing it with some fuzzy cream fabric that I found. 

gentle stitching under the watchful eye of Pepper the kitten.

Nearly as good as new

Sometimes when we are feeling worn and frayed, the gentle touch of a friend can help to set us right again.  Remember to reach out to those who may be feeling isolated or alone today. 

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today,

May you be well,
Sandra

These February Blahs

Its still early morning as I sit at my desk writing.  I've meditated, prayed, drank my share of tea and dropped off my grandchildren at school. Life is good, and yet... lately I've had that nagging, blah, mid-February sense that something is off.  Yes but what? And why can't I put a label on it and just fix it?

In this office where I pray and write I'm "wintering" my geraniums.  I'm a total novice at keeping plants over the winter but I read up a bit on the how-to's and figured I had nothing to lose and a few colourful plants to gain if I had any success.

So far I've managed to keep them alive.  This room is gloriously sunny in the afternoons (winter willing) and I water them weekly.

What I noticed this morning is that while they appear to be thriving, they are not without their own winter struggles.

See how she reaches toward the light?  All her energy seemingly poured into one stem that strains toward the warm and life-giving sun. 

Closer to her roots some of her stems and leaves are dried, withered and brown.  This is where I began to relate to Madame Geranium.  This is exactly how I'm feeling: surviving, reaching out and maintaining those good and healthy practices that keep me well; enough sleep, good food, good friends, my morning practices (yoga, prayer etc) but the hidden inner workings are a little dry and crumpled, dull, tired, blah. 

Its reassuring to remember that life is seasonal.  I look at nature and remember that this is a season of slowing down a little, allowing the rest and pockets of "hibernation" that winter calls for.
I cannot necessarily be in "full bloom" 12 months of the year.  Its ok to miss the warmth, the sun, the long days, its ok to feel a little blah and not panic, there's nothing wrong with me*.  Its just February.  I will continue to practice self-care and nurturing, I will continue to reach out to those whom I love, we will comfort and encourage one another.  Eventually the days will be longer, the huge banks of snow will melt into the sewers, the earth will smell pungent and with any luck Madame Geranium may even bloom again.

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

May you be warmed right down to your roots today,

Sandra

* please know that in some instances winter blahs may be a more serious condition that requires the help of health care professionals.  If you suspect that you are suffering from a deeper form of anxiety and/or depression, reach out today to someone you trust to discuss your concerns.

Redeemable

I spend a lot of time on my knees.

 Yes, I am a woman who prays (on my knees) but my retail job also involves a lot of bending, climbing up and down ladders, kneeling to cut lengths of carpet runners and crawling under shelving to retrieve products that have toppled over the back side of the displays.
Its not glamorous but it does keep me active and flexible.

The work means that my clothing gets put to the test.  Recently my favourite jeans developed a hole on the knee.  Hmmm... annoying, do I  get rid of them?  I debated cutting them into shorts, using the scraps for some future project or maybe salvaging them by way of getting a bit creative.  I decided to redeem them, to embroider a flower and some leaves over the tear.  I liked the results and continued the vines, flowers, eventually little hearts up the leg of the jeans.

I'm happy with the results.  I'm also reminded that when I have personally felt worn out and torn apart by some circumstance which is beyond my control, over extending myself or at times the result of my own lack of wisdom;  God never sees me as a lost cause.  He knows my limits, when I come unraveled and when I want to give up.  But He never puts me in the throw away pile.  He comes along, picks me up and gently stitches my life circumstances together one more time... in the process creating something unique and beautiful.  We are all always redeemable... no matter what.

I hope that you sense how much you are cherished and how worthy you are of being loved regardless of whether your life seems to be intact today or tattered, tired and unraveling.  Seek out the support of those who love you unconditionally, who are gentle and supportive, pray, or feel free to  connect with me in the comments section.

Thank you for stopping by my turquoise kettle life today,
Wishing you a day of love and support

Sandra

T'was a Night before Christmas ... in the ER

Eli-Alexandre age 6

As Christmas approaches and my list of errands and chores grows longer and available time seems to melt away faster than butter in the microwave, it can be difficult to find the essence of this season of  "glad tidings and great joy". Even though I've edited my celebrations I still slog through long line ups and busy parking lots focusing on the end result -  what will hopefully be a beautiful, delicious and meaningful gathering for my family on December 25th.

It was sobering therefore to find myself this week accompanying my sister through the  labyrinth that is the medical emergency services at our local hospital.  She had dislocated her shoulder and waited many long painful hours before the situation was corrected.

While hospital waits are notoriously long, what does not take long in the ER is to remember what really matters.  Families gathered around gurneys worried about their loved ones.  Parents cradling little ones who are struggling to breath through congested lungs, The elderly, unaccompanied, alone and scared and calling out to every person that passes them in the corridor for help.

There was one situation that brought me to tears; ambulance attendants running in with an unconscious young man whose face was covered in blood.  Soon after, doctors and nurses were racing this patient into the shock room.  Then came the police officers, huddled in the corner discussing the young patient.  But the heartbreak was the family, his mom head down leaning against the corridor wall while his dad, shocked and confused stared off at nothing in particular;  were those his brother and sister openly weeping?  Hours and hours later I saw the family emerging from a private room, somewhat disoriented, adrift in a world that suddenly seemed to make much less sense. My chest physically ached for this unknown family.  I prayed for them but the burden remained.

The following morning my sister saw the orthopedic surgeon just to make sure all was in order. This was the same doctor who treated our mother earlier this year for a broken wrist. We thanked him again for the care he had given our mom, he asked after her and said quite solemnly, "What matters most is family.".

I don't have much to add to that.  May you embrace and appreciate those whom you love today and every day.  If you are blessed enough to share some time with those close to you this season, give them a big squeeze and remind them just how much they truly mean to you.

Thank you for making time to visit My Turquoise Kettle Life,
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas,

Sandra

How to cope with overwhelm

Sooner or later we are likely to be overwhelmed with that feeling that life is dealing us more than we can currently process or handle.  Like my little poodle in the photo, the path before us may seem daunting and we're leashed at the bottom of a steep upward climb.  Overwhelm might also be described as fear, fear of what lies ahead, fear that we are not capable, fear of loss or pain, fear of failure, or fear of disappointing others.

I have a quote pinned up in my office, ""Fear Not" is the response to fear, not a shaming of it.  It's an invitation to courage."
I've taken a lot of comfort in those words over the past 12 months, I find the concept very soothing - my circumstances might have me feeling helpless and overwhelmed but the idea that I can use my situation to help me develop into a more courageous woman, well, that puts a different spin on things. It becomes an opportunity to practice being stronger and more courageous (practice being the key word).

"... Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

I am not by nature courageous or strong, in the past I have suffered from debilitating anxiety.  I have come to realize though that no amount of fretting on my part has ever changed ANYTHING.  What I have found that works is soothing my racing mind and prayer.

To sooth my overactive mind, I will do one or more of the following: write out my thoughts in a journal, call my sister (my voice of reason and logic), listen to soothing music, do a bit of yoga, take a walk, cuddle my dog, have a good long cry (to relieve tension), do something nice for someone else, drink tea and get enough sleep.  I also recall  the times in the past that God has carried me through trials in amazing ways, I thank Him and ask for His guidance and help yet again.

I hope you are not feeling discouraged or overwhelmed today but if you are take heart, you are not alone, reach out to those whom you trust and love and know you are stronger and more courageous than you might feel or believe.

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life,

Wishing you peace of mind,

Sandra