perspective Archives - Page 8 of 23 -

Grace in Small Things: #2

June 3, 2012 by Farewell Stranger ·

I’m a bit stuck for words right now for some reason. Too much thinking in my head and not enough thinking with my fingers.

In the absence of being able to give you big thoughts, I will give you small ones. Things I appreciate when I take time to notice them. Last week’s reflections were helpful.

A dog who likes to visit me in bed (even if he farts).
Fruit salad at the start of summer.
Some new clothes when one is busting out of the old ones.
Seeing the new baby.
Moments in which I appreciate that my first baby is still pretty little, even if he won’t be that way for long.

What have you noticed lately?

Waging a battle against embitterment and taking part in Grace in Small Things.

Filed Under: Happy things, Motherhood, Pregnancy · Tagged With: family, Grace in Small Things, gratitude, lists, moments, perspective, toddlers are weird

We’re “home” for a few days, visiting family and friends (and attempting to help my parents clean out their basement). This is the first time I’ve been back since we moved and the perspective it provides is interesting, and useful.

I’m not having a lot of success with my gratitude journal, so instead am going to join Schmutzie for Grace in Small Things.

1. Green. Green trees, green grass. Green is in the air and green is life.

2. Afternoon naps.

3. Food, forgotten and remembered.

4. The voices of generations.

5. Finding the piece of yourself you can only see in the eyes of friends who know you well.

Filed Under: Happy things · Tagged With: family, Grace in Small Things, gratitude, lists, perspective

10 Things I Couldn’t Be Enough Without

May 20, 2012 by Farewell Stranger ·

This week on Just.Be.Enough the Be Enough Me prompt is “10 things I couldn’t be enough without.” I’m interested to see where people take this – Elena is hosting on the blog today and she did something totally different with the post than what I’ve done. More intellectual and reflective, I’d say, but this list is what came to mind for me.

So — trusting that you know that family and friends and health and all that are part of my essentials — here’s a list of what keeps me sane and makes me who I am.

1. Alone time – I need some every day. I go nuts without it.

Image credit: Jake Bouma on Flickr

2. Chapstick – Totally addicted. For life it seems. I just hate having dry lips (and hands, for that matter).

Image credit: ecstaticist on Flickr

3. Two litres of water a day – I’ve been a huge water drinker for years. I down at least two litres a day, often more. I do not feel at all myself without it.

Image credit: The Ilr on Flickr

4. Perspective – In any form. A new point of view or a change of scenery does wonders for my state of mind, which is one reason I love to travel. Nothing challenges my world view like being somewhere else.

Image credit: eschipul on Flickr

5. Chocolate ice cream – Because, duh.

Image credit: Joyosity on Flickr

6. Sunshine – Another thing that can make all the difference. That’s one of the things I’ve loved about having moved – we had way more sun this winter than we used to get.

Image credit: mendhak on Flickr

7. Cheerios – This is likely (hopefully) not going to be a life-long thing, but right now I need something I can eat first thing in the morning so I don’t give up and go back to bed. (19 weeks and I still need them. How am I going to make it through five more months of this?!)

Image credit: Nebraska Becky on Flickr

8. A shower – Cannot.function.without.

Image credit: PhotoAtelier on Flickr

9. Sleep – I knew this about myself before I had a baby so there wasn’t really any need to reinforce it, but one thing is certain: I need sleep to stay sane. Probably now more than ever.

Image credit: Casey David on Flickr

10. This blog – It has shaped my identity in ways I never imagined. Thank you for being here with me.

Filed Under: Happy things · Tagged With: Be enough me, favourite activities, perspective, photos

Eyes Are for Life

May 18, 2012 by Farewell Stranger ·

I remember holding my Grandma’s hand when we came up the steps into our house. I remember my mom labelling the stove and clocks and things in large, dark letters when my Grandma was staying with us and we were going to be away for a bit. I remember her seeing us, but not really seeing us.

My grandmother lost her sight late in life due to diabetes and I was always aware of it in a that-can’t-happen-to-me sort of way. But it could. And I have to say – I think I would be pathetic at adapting to something like that. So I’m interrupting our regularly-scheduled programming (oh, who am I kidding? My posting is anything but regular these days) to talk about eye health.