Little Dreams and Amazing Grace

 Once upon a time, there was a girl with a dream. She considered and debated. She read article after article. She talked to those closest to her about her dream.  She googled things like, "Best blogging platform," and "domain names," and "how to start a blog." She tried writing a few blog posts, just to see if she really could do it, if she really had things to say to whoever it may concern. And then, then she did it. She fulfilled her dream and started a blog. The first post was called  Do That Thing . It talked about, well, doing things - after first considering whether they were the right things to do then and there and for her. She also wrote a post not long thereafter about her vision for the blog, and what the readers of said blog should expect - and that was a weekly post. To be honest, it feels like a stretch to believe that I was her and that was just over a year ago. Since then, there have been many changes in my schedule (do I still know what a

I love hearing other people's favorite things, and often I find new things to enjoy through other's recommendations. So here are a few of my favorites, nothing profound, but things that make me happy and enrich my life. Although these are things I enjoy, use your own discretion. Some of the podcasts or authors I mention, for instance, may vary in some areas from what I believe, but I've still found them helpful and enjoyable. FOOD I recently ate a chicken cheese steak for the first time. On the first bite, I knew I found a new favorite, and so I was happy to find an easy recipe so I could enjoy them at home. If you're new to chicken cheese steak, they're like a traditional cheese steak, only with chicken as the base instead of beef steak - and in my opinion - they're better. You can find a recipe to make your own  here . I frequently struggle with knowing what to make for Sunday lunches. I like to be able to prepare it ahead so it's ready when we get home fr

  I'm pulling out the cleaning supplies when I hear a small cry. "This is not an interruption," I remind myself, because I need to hear that again. I stoop over the white crib to pick up the infant - my very own baby - and she quiets as soon as she's in my arms. Her soft hair brushes against my face and her warm body presses against my own. I am her mother, and she needs me. She is my daughter, and I can no longer imagine life without her. The cleaning waits, like it has before, like it will again, like so many other things wait their turn. Gone, for now at least, are the days of long to-do lists being completed. Gone is the ability to accurately plan how much I can accomplish in any given chunk of time, for Baby may nap longer than normal or she may barely nap at all. Countless times I've turned from what I've been doing to care for her. Sometimes she needs fed, sometimes burped, sometimes changed. Sometimes she needs held, just reminded that she's not al

  I’m a planner. I love the organized feeling of having my goals on a piece of paper, and thrive on the sense of accomplishment that comes with crossing those goals off, one by one, until that magical moment when each job has been completed.  There’s those also those other days when the list isn’t completed. Or the days when the list is abandoned altogether. Those days lack the feeling of accomplishment. Sometimes, in fact, they make me feel lazy, unproductive, or disorganized. Laziness and disorganization can be causes for an uncompleted to-do list. But they’re not the only reasons. There are the unexpected interruptions, the last-minute change of plans, the little things that pop up. There are the real-life days, the fussy baby days, the sick days. Some days, my lists are a tool to help me be organized, focused, and productive. Other days, my lists are a tool of destruction, if I let them be, as they stand up to judge me and base the value of my day on how many items I crossed off. F

A tiny nose A wide grin Long dark hair The cutest double chin Or as someone said, "She is everything that is perfect, wrapped in a tiny bundle." (Bon Johnstone) He must have been talking about our baby. Because I can't imagine a more perfect or more beautiful little girl.  Since I last posted, she arrived - a bit early,  but not too soon. We're glad she's here, delighting in the perfection of holding a baby that is our very own.  There is no feel like snuggling this little one in my arms, or anything that smells as good as the fresh newborn scent. There is nothing like watching my husband become Daddy - and a very good one, it's obvious already.  I have never had such interrupted sleep, or cleaned up so many messes, or felt like I had so much to learn. But neither have I  seen such sweetness or felt such happiness.

  My hands full enough as it was, because one energetic puppy on a leash can be quite the handful, I almost pulled out my phone to try for a picture, but then reminded myself. I couldn’t capture it, not this. Not those stunning colors splashed against the western sky. Not the perfect lighting of the moment. Not the fresh crispness of evening setting in. Not the beauty of life. Snapping a picture of this moment was insufficient to capture its beauty on several charges, one being how this moment required being it to fully enjoy it, and another being my lack of photography skills. I savored the colors, took in the fall evening feelings from the air surrounding me. I enjoyed the sunset, and, pictureless, continued my walk. I haven’t always done it that way. The picture app on my phone created a “Sunsets” folder of its own accord. There are evening sky shots from chorus tour in 2018, from Paraguay in 2019 (most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen), from my parents’ farm, from a tree stand with