When It Gets Crisp in the Fall - #write31days 10-30-16

“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious
as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house."
~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

With the new out-of-state job as of July, our family is entering into the unknown with winter on it's way. Our Indiana home is in a small township - in farm country (fields & livestock) - outside of city limits. We all have wells & heat our homes with propane gas out here. Our electric service is known for being spotty in the winter months. Our road is rarely EVER plowed. There are times when it's even hard to get out of our driveway to the road.

Like most wives, I give the LOML a hard time about what he does and doesn't do around the house to help out. But, the truth of the matter is, he is ALWAYS taking care of us in those winter months. 

This winter he'll have to make a 5+ hour commute from Kentucky to Indiana to come see the 3 of us here for weekends and holidays. What will happen to us when he's not around is yet to be seen. This is one winter where I'll be praying a lot for a mild winter, clear roads & traveling mercies!  

So, I am especially cherishing the autumn and putting aside any trepidation I might have for the coming winter. I've been back in Indiana for most of this week & enjoyed going on my walkabouts to see how autumn has decorated my little piece of the world.  The following "stuckinindiana pairings" have been put together with pictures I took this week here in the land of stuckinindiana. I hope you enjoy them. And, I hope that you enjoy whatever season you're in as you read this post!!

“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket
than all the other seasons.”
~  Jim Bishop

"Autumn is a second spring
when every leaf is a flower."
~ Albert Camus

"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.
 ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson  #quote 

“It was a beautiful bright autumn day,
with air like cider and a
sky so blue you could drown in it.”
~ Diana Gabaldon

“The leaves fall, the wind blows, and
the farm country slowly changes from
the summer cottons into its winter wools.”
~ Henry Beston #quotes

"Life starts all over again
when it gets crisp in the fall."
~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

Walking outside the past few days here in the land of "stuckinindiana" gave me a renewed outlook and a sense of energy to face the coming seasons in our lives. I ended up with over a dozen MORE shots of autumn that are waiting to be paired up with a good quote. I'm so grateful for fresh autumn air & the beauty of the season. 

5 Minute Free-For-All - When It Gets Crisp in the Fall - #write31days 10-30-16

sunrise thoughts 03 October 2015

There's just something better about waking up on a Saturday. For our stuckinindiana family, Saturdays are different than all those other days of the week. They usually take a slower start and have a schedule focused more on our property & animals. And, we always make an effort to encompass some good family moments.

This morning was unusual in that we had to be dressed up & out the door for an 8am breakfast in town. We needed to be out the door before the time of sunrise

How Many SIGNS Do You Need to See?

Linking this week with Tuesday at Ten... the writing prompt phrase for the week: "If only..."

So, today I write about "If only... I had paid attention to all the SIGNS..."

One of my "recent passions" is administrating a "PAGE" on Facebook called When You're STUCKinindiana. Why such a passion at this time in my life? I HAVE NO IDEA. But, it seems to be something that I can't resist :) I believe that everything is for a season. And, I have no idea how long this season will last. As much as I'm enjoying it & feeling fulfilled by it at this time, I'm confident it will end at some point. But right now, I'm focused on sharing life with others through that page... by way of pairing up some of my photos with quotes, sayings, lyrics, etc. for the purpose of relating to, encouraging, inspiring, and affirming others.

When I find a quote or saying (or someone else's original post) that I like, I save it in a file. When someone sends me a favorite quote, I save it in a file. When I write a blog post and a certain "thought" stands out to me, I save it in a file. I pair these up with one of my photos & save them to post at a later date.

In looking back at my life, I noticed that there were a LOT of "signs" that I ignored as I rushed along from one thing to another. I began keeping a list several years ago of things which should have made me STOP to think before I proceeded. If you're interested in seeing that list as it's posted, check out the When You're STUCKinindiana Facebook page & watch for them to post. I'll organize them in an album as I post them too :)

So, how many signs do YOU need to see before you STOP and think before proceeding? Sometimes it's more than I want to admit.

Seasons of Life - Stretching, Learning & Growing

I'm in the season of my life when I get to accompany a parent to health care visits. And, yesterday was one of those days. However, said "parent" is in a season of life where she does not want to listen to a thing I say - ha ha! The day was a little challenging... in that way. However, I would not have missed the time with my loved one. 

We laughed, talked, and reminisced. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch at an old mom & pops restaurant located in a 100+ year old building which was former a bank. We strolled through a small shop along the main street of that town & talked about fashion trends these days. I shared pics on my phone of our son's recent engagement at the State Park where we'd taken her & Dad on his last Christmas. We looked at pics of my g'daughter -- HER GREAT g'daughter -- and the adventures of hiking, playing & meeting Peg + Cat and Bob the Builder at a recent costume party.

Autumn - A Time of Sowing

The first time I boldly stood at the edge of the field as the farmer passed by in his combine harvesting the corn, I learned a valuable lesson. One should NOT stand too closely to a combine harvesting corn! The large beast of a machine aggressively grabs up 8-10 rows of corn and forcefully shoots out debris... everywhere. That first year, I should have more closely observed the neighboring horses in the field beside -- as they backed away a safe distance until the combine had passed.

This year, as I was eagerly awaiting

A Chapter Closed Today - Paradise by the Sea

Some chapters close in our lives with a wonderful party of celebration... and then there are others...

For almost 13 years, we lived next door to a married couple who owned a condo right by an open beach area on the east coast of Florida. Since the family we'd left (when we first became stuckinindiana) still resided in south Florida, our neighbor's condo became our favorite place to stop when driving into the state. Year after year, we offered them money for the use of their home. But, they would only accept a small gift of appreciation or our verbal thanks.

Oh the memories we had in that place.

PAIRINGS - Winter & Spring; Adversity & Prosperity

What a great reminder:

"If we had no winter,

the spring would not be so pleasant.

If we did not sometimes taste of adversity

 prosperity would not be so welcome."

~ Anne Bradstreet

this is a picture taken from our house of our NEIGHbor horses :)

A scripture passage which comes to mind when I read this quote is the 3rd chapter of Ecclesiastes. Here's the first verse:

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

Remembrances - Friends Gone By

The other morning, as we were driving to church, I heard a song on the radio that reminded me of a dear friend who'd given me a CD in the final weeks of my father's struggle with cancer. And, I thought, "I'd give her the biggest hug if she was here." 

Then I thought of another friend who used to be like a sister to me -- walking beside me through that same journey of my dad's illness & death. But, in the past few years it's seemed as if she's dropped off the radar to me. I know she's still around. I see her posts on other people's Facebook pages. And I thought about that friend, "I'd give her the biggest hug if she was here." 

A third friend crossed my mind -- a friend who went through a bit of a public scandal due to some of her choices. Regardless of her seeing the error of her ways, she still faced looks of judgement from ones, whom I felt, shouldn't be judging... rather, loving & forgiving. And, I wanted so badly to hug her neck right then & assure her that I loved her regardless of her choices. 

A few more friends came to mind. One I'd traveled along a journey of pain in her life and tried to bring comfort & support. She's no longer in touch and, I miss her. Another was a dear friend from many years ago. She'd been living a secret... living a life-style which was contradictory to her core values. I often wonder if, since I'd known of her little secret, she'd chosen to distance herself from me & others who knew of that time in her life?

I've asked myself many questions. Why are these friends gone from my life? Is it because of something I said or didn't say? Were they only friends for the support they desired at a certain time of their lives? Was I not a good enough friend? Did I do something that caused a rift in the friendship? I've asked myself these questions over & over. But, a little voice inside me said that day on the drive to church: 

"Celebrate every friendship whether they last through the years or last for only a season."

I consider myself to be like an old hound-dog... a faithful friend. Once someone gets in my heart, they seem to hold a place there :) Today, I am remembering friends gone by... and wondering why... but, thanking God for those friends in my life!

Linking with Ann Voskamp - A Holy Experience today... 

HOPE, Rainy Days 10-19-13

It's October here in "Hoosier Land" or, as I call it, StuckInIndiana. And, the weather today is cool & rainy. I've been battling a sore throat, body aches & a bad cough for the past few days. I'm determined to nip that in the bud! There's no time to be sick in my world right now. We have a sweet little 9-month old angel & her mommy living with us now. Life is FULL :) Thankfully, I'm blessed with a great LOML (aka spouse) who's been willing to help out a little more than usual with meals at night. That's allowed me to get some much needed rest at the end of the past few days.

The night brought cooler temp's and a light rain. That didn't discourage some of our household members! Our sweet daughter is totally loving motherhood & had the day planned already for her little girl. They were up early, all excited for the day regardless of the weather. And, as I posted on Facebook this morning...

Q: What does a girl do on a rainy Saturday?

A: She puts on a frilly skirt & glittery boots

and heads to the Children's Museum with a few dear friends!

Sometimes when we encounter life's rainy days, it's the perfect time to dress up in glitter and ruffles to face the day head on. Sometimes when we encounter life's rainy days, it's the perfect time to stay in fleece jammies while reading & writing and leisurely catching up on a few things around the house. Instead of letting a rainy day dictate what you do, choose what you do to suit what you need! I've learned that life lesson through the rainy days of my life! Some days I head right out into the rain. Other days, I nestle into the warmth & comfort of my home, resting up for another day.

As a little child, I memorized the verse, 

“Honor the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8

The New Living Translation reads, “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” And, their commentary notes read, 

“The Sabbath was a day set aside for rest and worship. God commanded a Sabbath because human beings need to spend unhurried time in worship and rest each week. To observe a regular time of rest and worship in our fast-paced world demonstrates how important God is to us, and it gives us the extra benefit of refreshing our spirits. Don’t neglect God’s provision.” 

This cool, rainy Saturday, I am enjoying SABBATH!

Linking October 2013 with The Nesting Place

 for the 31-day Challenge

A Different Season

(written early August 2013)

It's not yet August and, we're entering into a different season in our lives. 

School is starting earlier this fall for our school corporation. Summer is too short. Why can't they get out right before Memorial Day and go back right after Labor Day? In my mind's eye, that's how it should be! It was that way when I was little. And, I turned out just fine!

Miss Frizzle (that'd be me) isn't returning this fall to drive her "magic school bus." Her break was to be for the summer. But, the big changes in our home seem impossible to manage with a 2:00-6:15pm weekday gig. 

The end of August will bring another school year for our son. Hard to believe our younger child will be a junior in college. There will be less music in the house when he leaves... and a lot more food. 

The end of August will bring more school hours for our daughter - chipping away at her last 17-18 hours while working about 25 hours a week, tending to her child & (in our view) walking on egg shells in a relationship which she continues to grasp to tightly despite the heartbreaks. This will be a different season for her - one where she comes home to a relatively clean house with a peaceful, loving atmosphere. 

We have two new family members here -- our daughter & her baby. The LOML & I aren't "empty-nesters" this season. We'll be figuring out a new rhythm to our lives this fall. We don't know how long this season will last. But, we will embrace it with our entire being and strive to be a reflection of God. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says,

For everything there is a season...a time for every activity under heaven. 

A time to be born and a time to die.A time to plant and a time to harvest. 

A time to kill and a time to heal.A time to tear down and a time to build up. 

A time to cry and a time to laugh.A time to grieve and a time to dance. 

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 

A time to search and a time to quit searching.A time to keep and a time to throw away. 

A time to tear and a time to mend.A time to be quiet and a time to speak. 

A time to love and a time to hate.A time for war and a time for peace.

And, in follow-up to the above thoughts, I love how verse 11 begins...

"Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart..." 

God is making this new season beautiful for us even if the condition of our home is total chaos  & not what most would consider beautiful. My heart affirms that this season is part of God's big plan!

For years now, I've been in the habit of changing my home decor to reflect the seasons. I love doing it. The LOML could take it or leave it. I have boxes & boxes of "seasonal" decorations which he joyfully pulls out & puts away for me throughout the year. This season his "work load" is a bit different. Yes... here's a picture of how my home is decorated for this season!

What are you doing to reflect the season you're experiencing now?

Linking 9-17-13 with the #1000Gifts Community of Ann Voskamp...