Lent 2020 - Photography, Decluttering, and Poetry

This idea comes from a pin on Pinterest that leads to Beth Anne's Best. It focuses on taking one photograph per day during Lent which is February 26th to April 9th this year. Her ideas and suggestions for each photography prompt follow.

1. Ashes or someone's #ashtag – Show us a picture of ashes or the ashes you received at church today.
2. Heart – It’s Valentine’s Day share a heart you gave or received. (Note: this is from a year when Lent was earlier. I looked at a different photography challenge and am replacing this with another idea from a pin that has other ideas. Today's alternative image idea: Wonder.)
3. Lenten meal – During Lent Catholics abstain from Lent on Friday’s. Share what you ate today.
4. The Weather – Jesus predicted his death in the scriptures. The weather man predicts the weather everyday. Was he right today?
5. Forty – There are forty days in lent. Use your imagination post a picture to represent the number 40.
6. Your Lenten Sacrifice – What sacrifices are you making this Lent? Are you praying more or giving something up?
7. Bible – Our faith is routed in scripture. Share a picture of any Bible – your favorite or even a family Bible.
8. Your Favorite Clergy – The clergy are an important part of the church. Share a photo of your favorite deacon, priest, pastor, bishop, cardinal, or pope. (Alternative image idea: Peace.)
9. Lenten meal – During Lent Catholics abstain from meat on Friday’s. Share what you ate today. (Alternative image idea: Joy.)
10. Favorite Saint – The Saints are our role models. Who do you look up to most and why? (Alternative image idea: Patience.)
11. Quiet – Share a photo of a quiet place or that represents what the word Quiet means to you.
12. Favorite Place to Pray – Where is your favorite place to pray? (Alternative image idea: Kindness.)
13. Tree – A tree made a big difference in Zacchaeus’ life. Jesus also died on a cross (made out of a tree). Share a picture of a tree to remember this.
14. Healing – Jesus was a healer. Share a picture that represents healing to you.
15. Lenten meal – During Lent Catholics abstain from Lent on Friday’s. Share what you ate today. (Alternative image idea: Wilderness.)
16. Some place High – Jesus often preached from the top of mountains. Go some place high and take a photo and say a prayer.
17. Almsgiving – During Lent we are supposed to give to others. Share a photo of a way you are doing that this Lent.
18. Something Purple – Purple is the liturgical color of Lent. There is purple everywhere in the church. Share something purple.
19. Candle – Candles are very symbolic of our faith. Share a photo of a candle to remember this.
20. Sacrifice – Share a photo of what sacrifice means to you.
21. Lenten meal – During Lent Catholics abstain from Lent on Friday’s. Share what you ate today. (Alternative image idea: Vision.)
22. Favorite Family Activity – During Lent spend some time with your loved ones and share a photo doing something fun together.
23. Favorite Charity – Share your favorite charity to give alms to. (Alternative image idea: New Life.)
24. A Gift God Gave You – When we are baptized we receive the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Share a Gift or Talent that God gave you that you are able to use to make the world a better place.
25. Sacred Space – There are many sacred spaces in the world. Share a sacred space to you.
26. Favorite Prayer – Share a favorite prayer. (Alternative image idea: Light.)
27. Lenten meal – During Lent Catholics abstain from Lent on Friday’s. Share what you ate today. (Alternative image idea: New.)
28. 3 O’Clock – Jesus died at 3:00pm. Try and remember this at 3:00pm and take a picture of what was happening.
29. Bread and Wine – At mass the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. Share a picture of any bread and wine to remember the sacrifice of the mass. (Alternative image idea: Thirst.)
30. Fasting – Share what you have fasted from during Lent. (Alternative image idea: Follow.)
31. Create a Lenten Wordle – Make a wordle of what Lent means to you. For help how to create a wordle go here. Come up with words, phrases, bible quotes, or anything of what Lent Means to you. Type them into the box on wordle.net or tagxedo.com and it will create a pretty picture of words for you. (Alternative image idea: Compassion.)
32. Praying Hands – Prayer is a big part of Lent. Share a picture of praying hands to remember to pray.
33. Lenten meal – During Lent Catholics abstain from Lent on Friday’s. Share what you ate today. (Alternative image idea: Surprise.)
34. Lamb – Lambs are a symbol of Easter. Share a photo of a lamb. (Alternative image idea: Hidden.)
35. Palms – Yesterday was Palm Sunday. Share a photo of the palms you received at mass.
36. Oils – During holy week cathedrals around the world hold a Chrism Mass where they bless the oils that will be used to administer the sacraments. Share a photo of oils. (Alternative image idea: Shine.)
37. Water – Tomorrow we will celebrate Holy Thursday where we will witness the washing of the feet. Share a photo of water to prepare for that.
38. Feet – Today share a photo of feet to represent the washing of the feet.
39. Crucifix – Today is Good Friday. Share a photo of a crucifix to remember what today represents.
40. Fire – The Easter Vigil begins with a fire. Share a photo of a fire.
41. BONUS DAY – Easter Sunday – Alleluia – He is Risen – Picture of what Easter means to you!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

40 Bags in 40 Days
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/212795151117482854/ which doesn't lead to anything.

From the list above, the 40 things and areas that I want to organize and streamline are: 

1. Extra throw pillows and blankets.

2. Home décor.

3. Media center and electronics cabinet.

4. Music and movies.

5. Toys and games.

6. Craft closet.

7. Linen closet.

8. Table linens.

9. Formal serving ware.

10. Dining room hutch, buffet, and closet.

11. Small appliances.

12. Food storage and supplies.

13. Baking supplies.

14. Utensil drawer.

15. Everyday serving ware.

16. Junk drawer.

17. Recipe boxes and books.

18. Pantry and snacks.

19. Herbs and spices.

20. Refrigerator and freezers.

21. Under the sink and cleaning supplies.

22. Office shelves and cabinets (office 1).

23. Office shelves and cabinets (office 2).

24. Top of desk.

25. Desk drawers.

26. Files and paperwork.

27. Email.

28. Phone apps.

29. Bookshelves.

30. Sewing and mending supplies.

31. Medicine cabinet.

32. Bathroom cabinets and drawers (which includes make-up, skincare products, and haircare products).

33. Clothing.

34. Shoes and boots.

35. Outerwear in front closet.

36. Mudroom.

37. Gardening supplies.

38. Sports equipment.

39. Car and car care products.

40. Pet supplies.

*~*~*~*~~*~*

Found this pin which leads to Charis Ministries

Fast from judging others; feast on the goodness in them.
Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on unity of all life.
Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light.
Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent: feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger; feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.
Fast from worry; feast on divine order.
Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.
Fast from negatives: feast on affirmatives.
Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer.

Fast from hostility; feast on non-resistance.
Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal Truth.
Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.

Fast from facts that depress; feasts on truths that uplift.
Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.
Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.
Fast from shadows of sorrow; feast on the sunlight of serenity.
Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.

Fast from problems that overwhelm; feast on prayer that supports.

~William Arthur Ward

40 Bags in 40 Days Update - Days 30-40

Forty days went by very quickly for the 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge. By the 15th day of the challenge, we had thrown away, recycled, or donated 31 bags. (See Days 1-7 and 8-15.)

From the 16th-29th days, we got rid of 12 more bags of items, bringing the total to 43 bags of donations, recycling, or garbage.

During the final days - days 30-40, I was focusing on the Blogging from A to Z  Challenge. Each day of the challenge, I was going through homeschooling files and keeping the photocopies and clippings I wanted, and recycling those I didn't need, want, or would use. Also in the files were many books.

Files beginning with "M" (above) and after going through them (below). 

Recycling is on the left and files I want to keep are on the right.

From April 1st-15th, I recycled 13 bags of photocopies and clippings; and donated 3 bags of books. So, 16 bags out of the house.

Files beginning with "N" (above) and after going through them (below). 

Recycling is on the left and files I want to keep are on the right.

All together, we have let go of 59 bags by donating, recycling, or tossing them.

Even though we exceeded the 40 bags goal, we're going to keep going because it feels great to keep reducing the amount of stuff in the house and leaving only the things that we will use, need, and/or enjoy.

I'm hoping that by the end of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge that I'll have another 14 bags of recycling or donations. That will be a tremendous amount of space available in my home office that I haven't had for over a decade (since starting homeschooling).

Interested in reading the posts for the A to Z Challenge? Here they are so far:

So far, I have done eight posts:
A is for Alphabets and Alphabet Books
Bears, Bread, Books, and Bodies
Cats, Character, and Chinese Inventions
Death, Deer, and Discovery Gardens
Earth Day, Easter, and Etiquette
Forests, Foxes, and Frogs
Games, Gardening, and Grains
Hermit Crabs, Health, and Homeschooling
Iguanas, Insects, and Iris Folding
Jamestown, Jokes, and Journaling
Kingfishers, Kites, and Kumihimo
Leadership, Lighthouses, and Lions
Maple Syrup; Martin Luther King, Jr; and Migration
Nature, New Year's Eve, and Nutrition

Wednesday Hodgepodge - April 5, 2017

From this Side of the Pond

1. April is Lawn and Garden Month. On a scale of 1-10 what's the current state of your lawn and/or garden. (10=a showpiece, 1=send in the professionals). Tell us about any lawn or garden plans you have for this month.

Probably a 5. The yard was mowed before the Fall so the grass is at a good height and I mowed the front gardens under the pine trees - so they looked nice during the Winter and we can see new growth in the Spring.

Part of the front yard with the pine trees that

Sophia and Olivia planted a few years ago.

They were about a foot high when they were planted.

There are five larger pine trees behind these smaller ones.

The east and west pastures are maintained by the horses who keep the grass evenly-trimmed.

Olivia is on the swingset with Bailey watching her.

The east pasture (where the pine trees are) is the east pasture.

The vegetables gardens were all cleaned before Winter and are ready for seeds and transplants when the weather is warmer. The strawberries are starting to emerge.

Emerging strawberry in Sophia's garden.

A couple of the rhubarb plants also are growing.

A tiny rhubarb leaf in my garden.

There are areas that I would like to work on: the butterfly garden that has a lot of milkweed plants, yellow lilies that my Dad gave me, a shrub rose, and tea rose. There are other perennials in there.

Six years ago (in 2011), there were pathways and a pond

in the butterfly garden.

However, it's overgrown and the pathways that I once made aren't visible. There's a pond that we had put in the garden, but the pump doesn't work. I'd like to get that working again this year.

Well, this is certainly a disaster of a garden.

This is what happened in 6 years.

It's at a point of needing to start over from scratch.

So, like the butterfly garden, there are little pockets throughout the yard and pastures that need improvement and maintenance.

2. "Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there."~Thomas Fuller  What does this quote mean to you?

The first thing that comes to mind are positive character qualities and skills that come with gardening: dedication, hopefulness, generosity, nurturing, and planning.

Memories also are things that grow in the garden that we never plant. As I look out at where vegetables gardens used to be when I did a farm and art camp here, I can still see children, teens, and adults learning, working, and playing there.

Olivia planting one of the gardens in 2011

with onions and beans.

I see other gardens where I taught Sophia and Olivia how to transplant flowers; and how to spread milkweed. Sometimes they pick up the pods in the Fall or Spring (if they've stayed in the dried pod that long) and will lift them out and let the wind carry them away.

Sophia spreading milkweed seeds when she was young.

That is something we used to do when they were young - in preschool and early elementary school. They remember. It has become part of who they are and what they do.

A couple of weeks ago, I bought unusual snack chips that had a variety of root vegetables that were quite colorful (e.g., sweet potato). One of the vegetables was taro. I couldn't remember its name off-hand and had said "yarrow."

Sophia said, "What? Yarrow? That can't be. That's a type of flower that we have in the garden."

Someone was listening a long time ago. I don't even remember the last time I talked about yarrow.

3. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about God?

I thought of my parents immediately when I read that question. My Dad was an ordained Deacon in the Catholic church. By profession, he was a social worker. As he neared retirement, he felt a calling to become a Deacon.

My Dad had originally wanted to be a priest and went to seminary for a while. He felt, though, that he wasn't meant to a priest and should pursue another career and life. Yet, there was always something within him about wanting to serve the church.

Back to becoming a Deacon....For several years, my parents attended classes together so he could be ordained. Their faith and relationship grew during that time.

Together, they did a tremendous amount for the church and its parishioners. My Dad did baptisms, marriages, and funerals. He assisted with Mass. He even did pet blessings around the Feast of St. Francis.

My Dad is to the left wearing his alb and stole.

People have gathered on the Feast of St. Francis to

have their pets blessed.

My mom - along with a couple other ladies - started the Angel Quilters. Together, along with more women, they made thousands of quilts that were donated to those experiencing homelessness, women affected by domestic violence, and/or were people of all ages who were involved in a natural disaster or fire.

Two of the ladies from the Angel Quilters and a husband

loading some of the many quilts that the seniors made.

An important part of sewing and serving others, was gathering to share a meal; praying for one another as well as those in need of prayer; and developing friendships and support with one another.

My mom with the Angel Quilters in April 2012.

The ladies would work on the quilts and

enjoy a treat together each month at my parents' home.

(My Mom is the one on the right side of the picture

wearing a navy blue top.)

My parents opened their home to people from the church and shared many meals together inside their home, and in the backyard overlooking the lake.

My parents' backyard overlooked Bass Lake.

This was one of many sunsets that we enjoyed.

When my Dad died, some of the Deacons from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Archdiocese and their wives (if they were married) came to my Dad's funeral. There was a section for them to sit together that was behind us and to the right.

Deacons on the altar at my Dad's funeral.

We had picked songs that were sung during the Deacon training and that were meaningful to my Mom and to them.

Hearing their voices in unison combined with beautiful piano music still - to this day - is comforting and inspiring.

So...a long-winded answer...yet one that brought back good memories for me.

4. If we were chatting in person, how would I know if you were nervous?

I would have trouble finding the words to express myself and perhaps have trouble making eye contact.

5. Do you like the color yellow? Would I find any in your home or wardrobe? Daffodils, tulips, roses, sunflowers, day lilies, black-eyed Susan...which yellow bloom on this list is your favorite?

Yellow, to me, is a cheerful color. Our family room and my home office are both painted yellow.

A picture from China that was hand-painted.

Literally. The artist used his hands and fingernails to

paint this picture with black ink.

The yellow wall is in the family room.

I do not wear yellow clothes. Most my clothes are black or navy. I have a couple dark purple, green, and red sweaters. Otherwise, my clothes are dark.

Any of the flowers listed - daffodils, tulips, roses, sunflowers, day lilies, black-eyed Susan - I enjoy seeing, and have grown here at the farm at some time.

My favorite picture of Maggie with a yellow rose.

She was the only cat who liked to fetch mini-marshmallows and

eat them as she held them with her claws.

If I were going to pick one of the flowers, I'd pick daffodils for their brightness and sign that Spring has truly arrived.

Daffodils at the Dayton's/Macy's flower show in 2013.

6. Flip flops or bare feet?

Bare feet. That piece on flip flops that goes between the toes is uncomfortable for me.

7. Tell us about any Easter plans, celebrations, or traditions you'll carry out this month.

Sophia wants to learn to make sugar eggs this year. I made a sugar egg when I was in junior high. I had it for many years. When we had an exchange student here from Brazil, I taught her how to make one. She still remembers making it.

Sugar Eggs.

Source

So, this year I will pass along another skill to Sophia and Olivia. I'm looking forward to making and decorating the eggs.

We also decorate eggs. I've asked the girls if they want to do any patterns or embellish them in any way. Nope. Just plain colored eggs are what they enjoy doing.

A highlight for us is gathering as a family for Easter dinner. We've had a special Easter dinner since I was a child.

Sometimes the crab apple tree was in bloom at Easter...and other times Easter came a bit too early to see it in bloom.

The crab apple tree at my parents' home in full bloom.

My Mom would decorate the crabapple tree with Easter eggs once she had grandchildren.

The last year we did the Easter egg tree (in 2013)

we put some eggs on the crabapple tree like she would have done.

(She was unable to do this on her own.)

This year, my brother is hosting Easter. He's never hosted Easter before, so this will be new for us all.

Normally, Olivia and I make a lamb cake.

Lamb cake with Olivia when she was 5 years old.

(April 2008.)

This year, Sophia saw a video about how to make a Geode cake. So, she'll be making that for dessert. We'll also make a couple of other desserts for those who don't like cake.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

This year I've been focusing on decluttering by doing the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge. Also started the Blogging from A to Z Challenge this month and decided to go through my homeschooling files.

It's been a great way to get rid of papers I no longer need or want; discover things that I had forgotten about and are bringing back good memories; and plan the upcoming year for things I want to do (referencing each file so that they are used at some point and don't just sit there unused like they have been).

So far, I have done four posts:

A is for Alphabets and Alphabet Books
Bears, Bread, Books, and Bodies
Cats, Character, and Chinese Inventions
Death, Deer, and Discovery Gardens

I'm looking forward to the end of April when the files will be streamlined and I have significantly more room in them. Only the information I will use will be in them which will be nice.

40 Bags in 40 Days Update - Days 16-29

Last week I didn't have a chance to declutter like I had hoped for the 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge. So, I've combined the progress I've made into one update - which include the 16th-29th days.

On the 15th day of the challenge, we had thrown away, recycled, or donated 31 bags during the 2017 challenge.

During the past two weeks, we have focused on cleaning out some of our closets of clothes we no longer want or fit. We were able to get rid of 6 bags; and donate them to the secondhand store. The proceeds from the sale of the clothes is used to support the organization's programs that help those in need - seniors, teens, youth, and families.

One bag to recycle (on the left) and

six bags to donate to the thrift shop (on the right).

In preparation for the A to Z Challenge in April, I went through some of my files that started with "A" and recycled 1 bag of items that I knew I wouldn't use or refer to in the future. I also added some items to one of the bags of clothes (there wasn't enough to start a new bag).

I also was able to get rid of 1bag of old financial statements (and keep only the most current statements) so I could create an up-to-date financial binder.

We also have been using up food that we have on hand, so that has been creating a lot of bags for recycling. Between the food packaging and daily newspaper, we had 4 bags of recycling.

All together, we got rid of  12 bags during the past two weeks.

All together, we have let go of 43 bags by donating, recycling, or tossing them. Even though we reached the 40 bags goal, we're going to keep going because it feels great to keep reducing the amount of stuff in the house and leaving only the things that we will use, need, and/or enjoy.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - March 22, 2017

From this Side of the Pond

1. Setting aside the real March Madness (NCAA Basketball) describe something happening at your house this month that might earn the title 'March Madness'?

We are in the middle of doing the 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge and in Week #13 of the 52 Weeks to an Organized Home. We continue to get rid of bags of things that we no longer need or want which is creating more space throughout the home.

After inheriting quite a bit from my parents after their deaths (in 2012 and 2015) and selling their home (in February 2016), I've been going through items that I brought here and either finding a place for them or letting them go if my brother or sister doesn't want or need the items. It's been a long process since they lived in their home for 40+ years and acquired quite a bit.

At any rate, this past week I worked on the refrigerator and freezer; and cleaned the counter so there's more space to prepare meals.

The counter used to be filled with plants

(Christmas cactus, African violets, and aloe vera).

I've relocated them to other areas

so we have more space to make food..

Sophia went through her drawers and has a bag of clothes that will go to the secondhand store. This week, the rest of us will go through our closets and drawers and get rid of clothes we no longer wear.

2. What's a favorite made up word from your childhood or a favorite from your children's childhood? Does your family still use the word today? If there's a story behind the origin please share.

The only word that comes to mind is "froggy." My brother used to say it was "froggy" out when it was foggy.

Foggy morning in Grand Marias.

(Taken on June 17, 2006.)

Initially, it was because he was just learning to talk and thought that he was saying the word correctly.

Later in his childhood he would use that word every once in a while to get my sister and I all worked up (We'd tell him, "It's not froggy it FOGGY!"...and, if he'd insist on using the word froggy we'd beg our Mom, "Please tell him to stop! He keeps saying frrrrrroggy."). 

To have such trivial issues to worry about these days...

3. Will you be doing any spring cleaning now that the season is upon us? Here is a list of 15 quick (under one hour) spring cleaning tasks:

clean out a drawer, vacuum furniture, whiten tile grout, dust the nooks and crannies you don't get to year round, degrease kitchen cabinets, wipe down walls, go behind furniture, wipe down ceiling fans, vacuum the mattress, clean the range hood, wash baseboards, shine the stainless steel, clean out vents, tackle the windows, and wipe down gadgets

Of the fifteen 'quick' tasks listed which two most need doing at your house? Will you do them?

The two tasks that are top priority here are cleaning out vents and tackling the windows.

For vents, I'm thinking more along the line of air duct cleaning (since we have four dogs and three cats) to help with cleaning the air and getting dust and pet hair out of the ductwork.

I also want to have one of the vents and ductwork below replaced. Both were damaged by Shadow (the cat) when he was in his last few months of life. It's been on my list of things to do and Spring seems like a good time to do that.

For the windows, I can clean the inside (the glass and screens). I'll have to hire someone to clean the outside of the windows since half of them are on the second level and out of reach.

4. A favorite movie set in Paris or New York?

I've enjoyed watching these movies (either on DVD or in a movie theater) that were set in New York: Arsenic and Old Lace from 1944, Miracle on 34th Street from 1947, When Harry Met Sally from 1989, and The Pursuit of Happyness from 2006.

5. What's put a spring in your step this month?

Warmer weather! Anything above 40 degrees feels balmy and makes being outside much more enjoyable.

6. Did you ever want to be a teacher? Why or why not?

When I was growing up and was about five years old, I wanted to be a beautician at Jackie Ann's (that's where my mom would go to get her hair done).

Source

By sixth grade, I thought I'd be an archeologist.

As I graduated from high school and entered college, I thought I'd be an occupational therapist.

Professionally, I worked in the development/fundraising/proposal writing/special events field. Eventually, I founded and operated a non-profit organization.

In 2001, that changed when I adopted Sophia and Olivia. By 2003 - after adopting Olivia - I was homeschooling full-time. Being both Sophia's and Olivia's teacher, has been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done with my life.

To be able to see them advance in their knowledge, to be able to see when they learn something new and it "clicks," is infinitely more rewarding and exciting than anything I've done professionally.

Each season of homeschooling has been so different - from preschool, through elementary school, middle school, and now high school. It has challenged me to find a method of teaching and resources that inspire and encourage the girls to want to learn.

Did I envision this path as a child? No. It didn't even occur to me. Yet, this path is one that I am so grateful that I have been able to take with them.

7.  What's your favorite floral scent? Do you have this somewhere in your home or maybe in a perfume? How do you feel about florals in food? How about wines with floral notes-yay or nay?

My favorite floral scents are lavender and rose. I use the essential oils of both of these flowers. Often I combine lavender with patchouli or ylang ylang.

When I was growing up, my Dad would buy my Mom Maja soap that was made by Myrurgia.

I always loved the smell of it. It didn't know the name of it at the time. A few years before my Mom died, I asked her what soap she used to use that Dad got for her. She remembered the name and I was so thankful that it is still being produced. I use both the soap and perfume now.

I looked up the description for Maja. It "is an Oriental Spicy fragrance for women. Maja was launched in 1921. The fragrance features nutmeg, carnation, patchouli, cloves, vetiver, rose, geranium, citruses and lavender."

No wonder I like it: rose and lavender are in it!

Carnations were flowers my Dad gave my Mom on her anniversary - two red ones (to represent them) and three white ones (to represent my sister, brother, and me). Geraniums were flowers they used to plant in front of our home in Minneapolis. Pink ones to match the pink-painted house.

In terms of florals in food? I 've tried lavender before both in cookies and a beverage. It didn't taste right. When I grew nasturtiums, I used to decorate salads with the these flowers. The salads were pretty and the nasturtiums added their own unique flavor.

I've seen people use edible flowers in spring rolls and would like to try that this summer.

Source

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Olivia finished organizing the Washington County Barn Quilt Trail this past December. There are 18 barn quilts that she designed using The Quiltmaker's Gift as inspiration and a theme for the trail.

I'm still working on the website and hope to have it done this by the end of next month so people who want to see the barn quilts know where they are located and the best route to see them.

At any rate, someone asked her if she would be interested in painting a windmill that they have had laying on the ground at their farm for four years. They wanted a patriotic theme since the husband and son were both veterans.

During July and August 2016, she painted the windmill.

It was a lot different working on metal than wood.

There were also a lot of little crevices, screws, and metal parts that needed to be painted.

The blades were painted red and white. About 3 coats of paint (on top of two layers of primer) covered the windmill.

In January - on her birthday - we received a call. "Are you around? Do you want to see the windmill go up?" Indeed we did!

We drove quickly to their home to see the process of the windmill be lifted off the ground and set into place. It was a beautifully clear day.

Once the windmill was secure, the ropes holding the blades in place during the installation were taken off so we could see how the windmill looked as the wind spun the blades around. It looked great!

Olivia - as well as the homeowners - was very pleased with how it turned out. It was another large-scale painting project she was able to accomplish this year.

Spring Equinox and Celebrating Spring

Our Holiday Journey

March 20th marks the Spring Equinox and the official beginning of Spring. It's a good time of the year, with the difficult challenges of winter behind us (for the most part).

One of the things I have been doing to celebrate Spring since the beginning of the March is the 40 bags in 40 days challenge. The goal is to discard one bag per day during Lent (which started on March 1st).

I wrote two posts about the challenge so far: March 1-7 and March 8-15. This is helping to create a sense of order and restore the balance of our home which I am enjoying.

Doing a deep cleaning of each area of the home and continuing to get rid of clutter will be an ongoing process this year. I'm eager to see the end result in December.

Other things ones I plan to begin starting the first day of Spring (today...March 20th) inspired by the list at Rhythms of Play:

- Get Outside & Connect. Now that it is warmer and wildlife is more active, it's a  good time to look for new life and wildlife that is migrating back north.

Rhythms of Play suggested these great ideas too: "Watch the sunrise and/or sunset, go for a walk in the park, take a bike ride, lay in the grass, or take a hike. As you do so, observe all the new life beginning around you."

Flower in Louisiana on

March 20, 2015.

- Plant New Life. We have to wait a bit longer to do this since the ground is still frozen. Next month, we'll be able to add some cold-weather annuals for brightening up the yard. In May, we'll be able to plant our gardens.

Starting new African violet plants.

March 20, 2016.

- Bring Spring into your Home. Rhythms of Play suggested picking or purchasing a bouquet of spring flowers. We have tried to put vases of flowers around the home, but the cats like to eat the flowers. Potentially they can knock over the vases and then I have to clean up broken glass.

This year, I'd like to figure out a way to hang vases on the wall or put them up in places that cats can't reach.

The other suggestion that Rhythms of Play had was to refresh and renew your home and body with essential oils. I've been doing through March by creating new blends using a variety of essential oils. I put these in our diffusers as well as use some in the bath water or on my skin.

- Prepare a Spring Feast. I have some recipes for egg casseroles to try in March and April. Olivia has a couple of different types of breads she needs to make in her Five in a Row Cookbook. There's not a lot of seasonal local produce yet, but in June (when our CSA begins distributing food again), we'll have a weekly box of fresh produce. I can't wait!

Making onion rings to go with the chicken pot pie.

March 20, 2012.

- Have a Bonfire. We have a brush pile that's quite substantial in size in the backyard. I want to burn it because if we don't, the birds and rabbits will nest in it and then we aren't able to burn it until Fall. I'd like to - once it is burned - to re-seed around the area and then have a smaller campfire area that we can enjoy during the summer and fall.

- Enjoy Spring Arts and Crafts; and Decorate the Home. There are some ideas on Pinterest that I've posted on my Easter board that I'd like to do. I also want to make some more window stars in new patterns in pastel shades.

Window star that I made.

March 20, 2014.

- Begin Something New - Like Learning Yoga and Start Riding My Bike. With nicer weather and no mosquitoes, there's no reason not to get outside and enjoy nature. Yoga I need to learn on my own watching videos that I have. The nearest yoga studio is 11 miles away (each way...or 22 miles total)...a bit too far to travel for each class.

Olivia feeding a goat for the first time.

A picture taken on March 18, 2010...

as close to the Spring Equinox I could find.

- Establish a Daily Rhythm. This is something that I just wrote about the other day. According to Rhythms of Play, "Establishing a rhythm will help you get organized and provide a framework for your day. It increases your ability to stay focused and get things done. Children also thrive on rhythms in the home."

Shadow and Meenie resting together.

March 19, 2011.

(The closest picture to March 20th that

I could find in 2011.)

As I look back on raising Sophia and Olivia, having a predictable rhythm of the day was beneficial.

Setting up the leprechaun trap

on March 16, 2013.

(The closest picture to March 20th that

I could find in 2013.)

For the most part, we still have an over-arching rhythm of the day. However, there is more variation in what each day holds - in and out of the home - than when they were younger.

Chocolate candy in a fish shape.

March 20, 2009.

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year...and being able to celebrate it in different ways is a great way for me to get the most out of this beautiful season.