October 2016 WRITING DAILY for the Fifth Year

October's come & go... and, this is the 5th year to participate in the #write31days challenge. A few things prove to be a challenge as an internet connection for the 31 days of October this year will be spotty for 21 of the 31 days. So, the choice of the title "5 minute free-for-all" arrived kind of like this...

• I want to free-write and not pre-write - doing that will involve an element of "crazy".
• I don't have a clue or plan for exactly what subject I will cover each of the 31 days -- another reminder of a free-for-all.
• When I looked up the definition of free-for-all, the Miriam Webster definition came up as...
  
  AND the #write31days competition (event) involes thousands of people like me who enjoying writing. It is more of a competition with myself that I can do it.

Hopefully, when all is said and done, a link will appear on this page daily (or close to that) with what my 5-minute free-for-all of thinking & writing was for October of 2016.

2016 July 3 of 3 ONE THOUSAND GIFTS

Three Gifts A Day: JULY 2016
Based on the book, One Thousand Gifts, (by Ann Voskamp) #1000Gifts #JoyDare

I took the 1,000 Gifts Dare for the year of 2012... continued in 2013... and 2014... and 2015. Getting super close to 5,000!!! GOD IS FULL OF BLESSINGS...

Thurs 7-21

4873 dropping off the LOML at work and then shopping for 3 hours in jammies at WalMart - ha ha ha... kinda
4874 jotting down ideas on how to make the apartment feel more like "home"
4875 Indiana home in time to see the Little before bed time

Fri 7-22
4876 cuddle time and Greek yogurt in bed with the Little

2016 July 2 of 3 ONE THOUSAND GIFTS

Three Gifts A Day: JULY 2016

Based on the book, One Thousand Gifts, (by Ann Voskamp) #1000Gifts #JoyDare
I took the 1,000 Gifts Dare for the year of 2012... continued in 2013... and 2014... and 2015. Getting super close to 5,000!!! GOD IS FULL OF BLESSINGS...

Mon 7-11 A New Chapter Begins... the LOML's FIRST DAY at UPike
4843 being rather organized with someone else in my world isn't quite so - ha ha!!
4844 my helper posing on bales of hay

4845 out working the light of day aka hours & hours of weeding the garden = a sense of accomplishment

2016 July 1 of 3 ONE THOUSAND GIFTS

Three Gifts A Day: JULY 2016
Based on the book, One Thousand Gifts, (by Ann Voskamp) #1000Gifts #JoyDare
I took the 1,000 Gifts Dare for the year of 2012... continued in 2013... and 2014... and 2015. Getting super close to 5,000!!! GOD IS FULL OF BLESSINGS...

Fri 7-1

4813 Colorado Chautauqua National Historic Landmark - SO COOL!

4814 Royal Arch w/our Colorado kids

4815 Psyched on Netflix when you are too tired to move from climbing mountains

#JoyDare No. 5000. WHEN TIME STANDS STILL

Do you ever have those days when you look back and say... "HOW IN THE WORLD DID I GET ALL THAT DONE TODAY!!!"? 

I think everyone has them from time to time. But, for me, they don't seem to compete with the days I look back and wonder what in the world I did with all my time (insert sad face).

But today... TODAY WAS ONE FOR THE BOOKS! 

Today I looked my my cellphone (what has now become my watch) and was shocked at what the time was & what I'd accomplished since checking it last (sometimes in the past 45 minutes; other time in an hour or more).

Not once, not twice, not 3 times or 4... probably 7-8 times between waking up around 6am and hoping in the car with the girls (theMommy & theLittle) to head to Kentucky at 6pm, I marveled at the time which had passed and what I'd accomplished. There were even quite a few times when I told myself, "Don't start that project. You don't have enough time!" 

This season of our lives

• with one foot in Indiana and one foot in Kentucky
• trying to figure out our calendars (family, work, social, medical, etc.)
• having to get many things accomplished in a short amount of time
• constantly adjusting our schedules to accomodate things that pop up
• feeling worn out from all the uncertainty and changes

This season of our lives has been crazy.  But, on September 1, 2016, God gave me a day when time stands still. I accomplished far more than what I knew I could on that day. And, it reminded me of God's faithfulness... but, more of God's love for me -- for EACH of His children! And, I was reminded of the scripture Ephesians 3:20:

#JoyDare No. 5000 on my list of #1000gifts will be remembered as:

Other possible titles for this post could have been a few song titles:

1. Do You Believe in Magic
2. I Believe in Miracles (couldn't find a great video... but... the words!!!)
3. Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is

2016 September 1 of 3 ONE THOUSAND GIFTS

Three Gifts A Day: SEPTEMBER 2016
Based on the book, One Thousand Gifts, (by Ann Voskamp) #1000Gifts #JoyDare
I took the 1,000 Gifts Dare for the year of 2012... continued in 2013... and 2014... and 2015. Going to hit 5,000 in 2016!!! GOD IS FULL OF BLESSINGS...

Thurs 9-1
4999 garden work, pool work, sunflowers & chickens, weeds, lost contacts, pruning, laundry, packing, Tractor Supply Company, etc. 

5000 when time stands still!! 

5001 an excited Little at our new Kentucky apartment 

Fri 9-2
5002 introducing the Little to the President at UPike

2016 June 3 of 3 ONE THOUSAND GIFTS

Three Gifts A Day: JUNE 2016

Based on the book, One Thousand Gifts, (by Ann Voskamp) #1000Gifts #JoyDare

I took the 1,000 Gifts Dare for the year of 2012... continued in 2013... and 2014... and 2015. Going to hit 5,000 in 2016!!! GOD IS FULL OF BLESSINGS...

Tues 6-21
4783 a quiet home and getting some cleaning done while the cat naps

4784 taking a power nap in the afternoon
4785 the ability to see COLORS!

Wed 6-22
4786 wondering why all 5 hens often use the same laying box

2016 June 2 of 3 ONE THOUSAND GIFTS

Three Gifts A Day: JUNE 2016

Based on the book, One Thousand Gifts, (by Ann Voskamp) #1000Gifts #JoyDare

I took the 1,000 Gifts Dare for the year of 2012... continued in 2013... and 2014... and 2015. Going to hit 5,000 in 2016!!! GOD IS FULL OF BLESSINGS...

Sat 6-11

4753 getting out of the sun

4754 lilies from the previous owner

4755 date night with R&K at Bonge's -- then a long drive home

Sun 6-12

4756 my favorite co-worker

4757 wedding plans for a family member

#JoyDare No. 4763 a Coop with a View

There are so many "chores" in life that seem unpleasant. Cleaning out a chicken coop would be one of those! And yet, even in the unpleasant things of life, we can find beauty. As I was shoveling "dirty" pine shavings into a box to carry to the compost pile the other day, I thought how most people would NOT want that chore. It's no fun to shovel then dump... shovel then dump... shovel then dump

HEAL - Stop Picking at It!

Preface: I haven't been writing much at all this year!! My life is in the middle of a fast-moving current of change. But, today I saw the #fmf topic of "heal" and, I was hooked. Ready, set, go...

For 3 years now we have had our young adult daughter and her daughter living with us. It has been wonderful. It has been crazy. It wasn't what we had imagined. But, the blessings from having them in our home have been more than we could count. 

Grandchildren are a reminder of so many things...

2016 June 1 of 3 ONE THOUSAND GIFTS

Three Gifts A Day: JUNE 2016

Based on the book, One Thousand Gifts, (by Ann Voskamp) #1000Gifts #JoyDare

I took the 1,000 Gifts Dare for the year of 2012... continued in 2013... and 2014... and 2015. Going to hit 5,000 in 2016!!! GOD IS FULL OF BLESSINGS...

Wed 6-1

4723 a green bean tree in Indiana... hmmmm?

4724 taking the long way home from Bonge's & being able to watch our local river otter family working on Barb's Brook