Here, there and the road between

My last post set out some hefty goals and expectations for this year.  I have had several people say they look forward to seeing the "how".  Here I will share with you just a few of the thoughts and plans I have for truly making this the Year of Less.  First, I have to share some of my inspiration.  I suppose the ball got rolling with my decision last fall to read On Wealth and Poverty, followed up by St. Basil's On Social Justice.  Talk about convicting a person to simplify one's life!   Around that time, I also ran across one of the best organizational books I have ever read:  Organized Simplicity.  I can see God's hand in each area, as He guided me to the right book at the right time.  I have worked chore charts, I have made schedules and routines, I have planned ways to organize my household; but Organized Simplicity takes a great approach, first dealing with the issue of "stuff" and then giving very practical advice for how to evaluate your home and the things within.  With all of these ideas rolling around in my head, the Year of Less seemed like the right direction to head.

So, how am I really making this the Year of Less?

The big picture first:
I have taken out my calendar for the year and created a master list of all of the major commitments I already have for this year.  This includes church feasts I usually help coordinate, attending a cousin's wedding, making a wedding cake for a family friend, further training for Sunday School etc.  All of the big things that have a fixed date and will require my full attention.  I then evaluated those.  Was there anything I could eliminate?  I managed to cross a few off the list, which left me with the things I really had to do.  I have typed that list out and am handing it over to my husband.  He will hold me accountable in this area.  I have promised him I will not accept any new obligations beyond this list without having a conversation with him first.

I took a look at all of the possible travel dates we have for the year (travel for above mentioned cousin's wedding, our region's parish life conference, a hopeful trip for husband and I etc.).  We looked over dates and determined which ones we were committed to, and let the others go.

Finally, I have gone back and made a brief list of smaller goals for the year that fit within the overall goal.  Using A Mother's Rule of Life's five "P's", I have listed what I want to change or accomplish in the areas of prayer, person, partner, parent and provider.

Armed with these three lists, I can now look at my year more closely, and begin to consider the days.  I am currently experimenting with a daily planner page which promises to give me the guidance and structure I need along with the flexibility of real life.  As I work out the details, I hope to share more soon!

The Year of Less

 Last year I took on the goal of simplifying my life.  In some areas I was successful, in others a complete and utter failure.  It is a long, slow process, but well worth the effort.  The past few months have given me a better handle on the direction in which I should proceed, as well as a more clear plan of action to make it happen.  After reading Ann's challenge to name your year, I feel I want to give this year a goal as well; one that continues with the theme of simplifying, as well as listens to the huge blinking signs God has managed to put in front of me on a daily basis this past Advent.  I christen this the Year of LESS.   LESS commitments, LESS spending, LESS consuming, LESS acquiring, LESS chaos, LESS clutter, LESS distraction from what matters. 

LESS. 

It is a hard goal for me.  I am a MORE kind of person.  I like to go all out.  I really LIKE big projects, elaborate parties and garland hung from every banister at Christmas.  While I value the beauty and joy of those things, I think I need a year to experience less.  In doing so, I hope I am able to experience MORE.  

More time with God, MORE awe over His creation,

MORE fun with my children, MORE connecting with my husband, MORE quiet evenings on the porch, MORE books read aloud,

MORE hands in the dirt,

MORE hands in the dough,

MORE contentment with life. 

MORE JOY

What will you name your year?

Little Babushka

I did a lot of sewing in the past few weeks.

This little number was for my god-daughter for Christmas.

The Queen was gracious enough to try it on for me and give it a whirl.

Don't you just love that fabric!  Wish I could find more :(

Warm and cozy red top for winter,

breezy white tee will carry her into the spring.

I think the Queen likes it.  I might have to make her one too.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Making a Cave

Need a cave for your nativity set?  Here was our solution.

2 sheets of foam core board

roughly sketched cliff lines

a box cutter and a very sore arm

lots of elm*r's glue

paper cl*y

paint (okay, so the paint job is incomplete, but we need these for tomorrow morning in Sunday School, so they will do until next week when I can do a better job :)

add a few figures, and we are good to go! 

(I did NOT paint the beautiful figures, an artist friend from church painted them for us!)

I like the cave so much, I may do one for our home nativity set, since these must go live at church now.  Interested in how they will be used?  Next week I will share all about the beautiful transformation that has occurred in childrens' religious education at our church since August.

My thoughts exactly!

After much pressure from my children, who are "the only ones" of their friends who have yet to see the new Narnia movies, I rented Prince Caspian to preview it.  I came away greatly disappointed, and very torn about allowing my kids to watch these movies.  Why?  First, why mess with a good story?  The Chronicles of Narnia are fantastic stories, with no need for embellishment or adjusting.  I understand that translating a book to cinema requires a bit of adjusting, but that does not justify complete character changes - such as Peter and Caspian and the overarching tension between them, and the "subtle" sexual tension added between Susan and Caspian.  Beyond that, the removal of key elements is even more frustrating.  The story is missing deep meaning when you leave out the entire conflict between Lucy and her siblings over following Aslan.  Eliminating Aslan's appearance to Lucy and her realization that she must follow him regardless of what anyone else does is a pivotal point. That is the kind of message I want my kids to take away from these stories.   And how can you forget the moment when Edmond stands up for Lucy, acknowledging that in the past when he didn't believe Lucy, it was to great detriment?  If that is not bad enough, after removing these beautiful and significant moments, I guess the writers needed to fill time.  They chose to do so by dreaming up a long battle scene at Miraz' castle which does nothing but portray Peter as an arrogant boy who thinks he knows better than Aslan - again completely distorting his heroic and worthy character.   I admit, it is hard to say no.  What kid doesn't want to see these movies?  Am I being unreasonable?  Am I just being a controlling parent?  Am I reading too much in to the distortions of the story?   I was beginning to feel guilty, until I saw this article, and it echoed everything I have been feeling.  So, while many may think I am being unreasonable, I think not, and I stand firm in my decision, when a movie destroys truth found within great literature, this family will pass.

A Bonnet for the Princess

A dress for inspiration ......

...... a Y*u-Tube Video for guidance...

.... a little bit of extra dress fabric, a few late hours last night...

....and a happy little girl I hope grows up an Elinor, but whom I fear may well be a Marianne.