*footnote...

I just wanted to clarify that last statement of my previous blog post:

"After all, what are we here for, really, if not to simply enjoy ourselves? :)"

...for anyone who may have scratched their heads over it. :)   When I say, 'enjoy' I don't mean worldly pleasures, and when I say 'ourselves' I don't mean our physical selves (bodies): I mean that part of us that is our 'child of God self,' so to speak, and by enjoy, I mean: marvel, appreciate, express and deeply enjoy that aspect of our ourselves and our humanity. To have no fears of getting to know that pinnacle aspect of ourselves more personally and trusting it--allowing the light of it to shine forth completely un-oppressed...

 
 I am related to God!





All my happy love to you, dear wonderful soul!! :-)
 

Enjoyin' Myself....

Winter is our slowest time of year... by a long shot. Sometimes I can feel small bouts of frustration or cabin fever, call it what you will, creep into my being as I feel guilty about the unimportant tasks that I preform in a day, and that's when I have to remind myself to just be.... and enjoy my being. Enjoy being part of my being and getting to know that being...

It's the time of year when I can pull out crafts and hobbies that I otherwise put off through the rest of the seasons. Those projects or things I want to learn, but label them off under that "some day" guise. I find this slow quiet season to be a great time of self discovery, as I indulge myself in such pleasures that I really enjoy and am able to sit back and observe and get to know myself.


  I learned to spin this winter. A truly enjoyable step of the fiber processing that I always skipped over before, since Mom knows how to do it, it always seemed like it would be a waste of time to learn it, simply for enjoyment of it, when I could be washing, carding or knitting up the fiber; things I already knew how to do. Spinning, however, even though I can't do it nearly as well as Mom, is a very relaxing and pleasurable past time and it dawned on me that, without the slow pace of winter, I may have never learned this enjoyable past time.

Another thing I realized about myself—I really enjoy making puzzles. A few weeks ago, Mom and I spent a looong giddy Sunday afternoon together bent over a 1000 piece puzzle, complete with some chocolate (women you know--especially giddy ones--need their chocolate! :) But, it's such a trivial thing, once accomplished, that I always prevented myself the luxury of all the time involved in putting one together, so it's something I never realized about myself. Even now, I find I'm a little embarrassed to admit this about myself, but I also find it fascinating that it's in my individual personality type to enjoy, really enjoy, piecing together puzzles. I despise certain brain/word puzzles, but Mom tells me from the time I was a tot, I loved doing puzzles beyond my age range. Amazing! I've had that trait in me my whole life and have stifled it away because of guilt until I didn't even know it existed in me. Hmm... am I a dancer too?? ;-)



Winter has also given me the opportunity to play with color; in fabric, in yarn and in paint. I never realized how much my creative side LOVES color! Ooo, lots and lots of it! :D I's been coming out; more and more color more ferociously as I indulge myself with the time to just sit down and do things with it. Let loose and allow my hands and mind to do whatever they get the inkling to do. I had some mental workouts to get through first, tearing down my long held belief that 'I am no painter!' and just allowing myself the freedom of expression without lesson or criticism. Just my own individual expression. And it's beautiful. I can say that honestly, because lately I've been looking on at my work with the amazement of a bystander who has just witnessed a self-inhibited creator break through self inflicted barriers.


 Recently, I broke down and gave into the pleadings of my younger siblings to read them a big, long book series, "Ranger's Apprentice", an undertaking that I've been long putting off. I realized that, in a few short years, they would be reading the series themselves and I would have lost my chance. I was tentative and a little self conscious at first, but gradually I've also torn down that thought that 'I'm no storyteller' and I am finding now that I actually enjoy it; giving accents, voices, emotions and expressions to the characters as I read aloud. Trying not to kick myself that there are better things I could be doing, but just enjoying the time spent lounging around with the younger kids on a snowy afternoon and re-exploring that long lost art of storytelling... enjoying the realization that this, too, is a small part of my personality that may actually have talent and that I truly enjoy doing.

  Playing music—loud and rocking out together with my siblings as a group, or softly and alone to myself, humming gently and thumbing notes on a quiet, snowy afternoon. Bopping around with Donna in my arms or grabbing a sister to spin around the room when a catchy song comes on. Just allowing the expression or the reaction to the environment that I'm in to come forth, un-oppressed by guilts and predisposed beliefs of myself and my abilities. Really, just BE ME, the way I am naturally. And recognizing the value in being me: that the un-oppressed me in the smallest areas of development could actually posses the ability to change the course of our future world.... Alright, I admit, that's an amazing thought.
   I'm learning lots of new things about myself. Overcoming barriers I didn't know that I was creating around my personal creative expressions. Just taking that first step to overcome my guilty thoughts that I should be doing something more productive has opened the flood gates toward a personal experience of self-development. And what is productivity anyway, but the betterment of oneself and their environment? Enjoying getting to know and discovering the inner artist in me that's always been there. Why is it that I'm twenty-one and feel like I'm still getting to know myself? I am really, truly, enjoying this person that I am, (and am getting to know), however.  The term 'enjoy yourself!' has never stood out so prominently in my head.


  In a few short weeks, the sap will start flowing and we'll have syrup boiling down. The sheep will need to be sheared, the horses hooves trimmed again, the orchard pruned, the green house planted and the garden seedlings started, but for right now, I am content to spend time indulging my creative side and getting to know and enjoy myself.

After all, what are we here for, really, if not to simply enjoy ourselves? :)

*footnote to this post can be found HERE.

 

Photo shoot!!

We had fun with a photo shoot the other day for our newest items in the HomenStead shop:

I've gone pretty gung-ho with these adorable newsboy caps this past week.. I think I'm addicted to 'em!! :) I'm super excited that they're finally in the shop--can't wait to have others enjoying these things as much as I do ;)!! To see more pics, click HERE.

Enjoy the rest of this gorgeous day!!!

Yarn Along: Feb. 8th

Popping in today, joining Ginny over at Small Things, to share what I've been knitting and reading lately:

Knitting is some lace work experiments... the one you see started is a test about to be pulled out and started over, due to a few minimal mistakes... I don't want to waste my silk/Romney lace yarn on anything less than perfection! Besides, it's all a learning experience anyway. I don't have the need for the finished lace yet (someday I will!), I just have the desire to know how to do it plaguing me right now...

The evening reading right now is the Ranger's Apprentice book 2, The Burning Bridge. I read this series some time ago, when the boys got into them, and am now reading them again, this time aloud to Johnny and Lizzy, who are just loving them. Johnny is rarely seen outside without his bow these days and I'm growing sick of hearing, "I want to be a Ranger, Mary!" ...doesn't seem to matter how many times I explain to him that they're a fictional group.  ;)

Despite the spooky looking cover, these books are pretty light reads, with enough action to appease the boys and just enough light, childish romance to bring the girls along as well. ;) I highly recommend. John Flanagan is an excellent author and Lizzy has already gleaned many tips from his colorful style of writing that she has been applying to the writing of her own novellas.

I'll be chatting more with you all soon! :o)

Handmade Dogsled

The boys randomly decided to make a new dogsled this past Sat. Well, Andrew decided to, and then promptly enlisted the service of his younger brothers to cut and peel his wood. The puppy watched,  somewhat apprehensively, as the sled was built.


Andrew's built a few of these sleds in his day, as our old farm collie, Max, used to pull. He was never very good, but it always made for a fun outing anyway.

Some old cross country skies and some poles from the woods. Nothing fancy, but works good!






Puppy wants to help!


But... doesn't want to work...


She'll play; Max can do the work. ;)


Speaking of play... these girls were found out and about, hopping snowbanks in the sunshine.


We called them over, as we needed a lighter person to try out the sled.


Max's old harness barely fit over his winter coat.

 Okay... hike, Max!


Poor old boy... he's 70 something in dog years... Needs to retire and let the young whippersnapper puppy have his old job!


Or just take the sled for a walk empty.. that works, too! :o)

  A beautiful Sat. afternoon with some good wholesome old-fashioned fun, despite the tired, worn out old pooch. :)

Winter Past Times...

Aside from building snowmen, winter past times also include horsey riding...


Particularly the younger frisky ponies, while there's a nice protective layer of snow on the ground.


There's a certain amount of pride and bonded-ness that only comes with those ponies that we had born and raised on our farm. Once they're finally riding, it's such a wonderful, beautiful thing, really unlike anything else I can think of to compare...

And the ponies seem proud of their trainers as well, as a mutual confidence is slowly built between the two.
 An interested buyer requested that we ride Missy under saddle. We had to borrow one, as our kids dislike them and never ride with one.


She did perfectly fine.





A stray cat has recently adopted our family. Or maybe the kids adopted him. Either way, I'm sure the feeling is mutual. He was skin and bones and the kids have been enjoying seeing him fatten up. He shows his gratitude by following the kids around outside and cuddling with Donna on our warm bench at every opportunity.


"Is it spring out there yet??"


Oh, and Jethro is fairing pretty well...

The plow man kindly swerved a little to avoid him. We've heard from the locals that they've been detouring to come by and see him. On a warm day, Theresa attacked him and chopped off his arm (well touched it anyway). Then, a passerby dumped a container of baby food on his chest, so the girls went out on the next warm day to fix him up. They replaced his arm and gave him a bib and a baby spoon. :-) For all the attention that Jethro has received, there are all kinds of interesting plans being made for more fun snowmen to line our country road with. Will keep you posted...