2007 November | chatting at the sky

mind over clutter

November 14, 2007

I just filled an entire empty yard sale bin with trash. From my car. And I don’t mean the kind of trash you can sell. I’m talking wrappers, napkins (both used and unused), junk mail, graham crackers, two fast food cups half full with water and a perfectly good swim diaper…but, well…it’s November. And that is just the stuff I threw away. No need to go into detail about all the toys, DVDs and 47 pink and purple sweaters I brought back into the house.

There is unfortunately a direct correlation between the state of my car and the state of my mind. So it felt good to finally purge my car of clutter. My mind is another matter. I tried to open my mailbox with my key remote yesterday. And I was confused when it didn’t work. I explained to the girls in my Bible study this morning why I left my coat in my car but how I wished I didn’t and was going on and on until one amused member pointed out that my coat was hanging on the back of my chair. And so it was.

My family and I are wanting to be intentional this holiday season about keeping things simple, joyful, peaceful, fun. But I have been stressing already. Why? I want to make sure things are simple, joyful, peaceful…you get it. So my mind is filled with plans and recipes and what to pack when we go to my parents for Thanksgiving and whether we should just get a fake tree and how to get my almost-four-year-old to relax and poop on the potty already and how much more laundry could there possibly be? A great example of how one anxious thought can become a really bad day. No wonder my mind is cluttered.

But in the midst of it all, there is One who is reminding me that HE IS and I am not. That His yoke is easy and His burden is light. What a relief. So come, let us adore Him.

Filed Under a girl, a masterpiece, a mother 1 Comment

another november birthday

November 13, 2007

Growing up shopping with my sister, if I would see a shirt or a pair of shoes I thought I liked, I would test it out by holding it up for her to see in order to get her reaction. If it was favorable, I liked it. If it was not, I suddenly saw the merchandise from a new perspective…namely, hers. And being nearly 4 years her junior, hers seemed to be the only one that mattered. If I am completely honest, it still is to a certain degree.

If you ask her about it, she will undoubtedly roll her eyes and disclaim her good taste as simply having distinct opinions about her…opinions. Maybe that is actually the thing I admire: she knows what she likes and what she dislikes. No apologies. No explanation required. I think that says something about her personality, and probably mine as well.

Her birthday was last week. She is the most fun person to shop for. My goal is always to choose something that won’t end up in her yard sale pile (she’s an addict too…where do you think I got it?) This year, I decided to forgo housewares and fashion and went with books instead: a Southern Living recipe book and Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. You can’t go wrong with food and culture, right?

And by the way…it is 5:15 am. My son is interpreting nighttime as time-to-get-up-and-play time. He’s asleep now. I, however, am not.

Filed Under a sister 2 Comments

my addiction (part 3)

November 10, 2007

I know you’ve been waiting with baited breath. I know you wish you had been able to come. I know you’ve been wondering if I am one of those people who exaggerates and blows things out of proportion just to be funny. Let me assure you, I am not.
This was the book section. See the plastic bin on the bottom right? There were 5 of those which were also filled with books. There were 4 boxes filled with sermon tapes by various speakers. There was a section just for lamps. There was a small but respectable area for things that have red in them. See…
I’ll spare you the rest of the yard sale photos. Suffice it to say, there was a little something for everyone. And I am proud to announce a breakthrough. It could have been due to my lack of time but I choose to believe I have changed. Because I only took one bin…ONE BIN, people.

And I felt free. I know it sounds stupid and that maybe I’m making it up to make a good point…but truth is, I really did enjoy the day more with less of my stuff there. It was kind of nice to be able to say I don’t know how much that is…ask the lady in the jean jacket.

And then I sat back in my seat and drank my hot and delicious coffee….guess I’ve got another addiction to work on.

Filed Under Uncategorized 4 Comments

my addiction (part 2)

November 8, 2007

Something is seriously wrong with me.

Context: my mother in law has been bitten by the de-clutter bug and, against her better judgment (as well as that of my father-in-law) has decided to have a yard sale. And when she has a yard sale, she really rolls out the red carpet (albeit stained and slightly faded). There are lamps. There are desks. There are more place mats than any human would need in lifetime. And the books….oh, the many books she has to sell! And though he is ever the voice of reason and frowns upon having “strangers in the driveway, looking through windows and rummaging through stuff”, my father-in-law always comes through in the end and makes awesome signs to guide the masses, leading them to the junk mecca of the Triad.

But she couldn’t do it alone. She needed help to place, to price, to collect money, to clean up afterward. And being the loving and willing daughter-in-law, I offered to be at her disposal for the better part of the weekend. So it would seem that I would be able to keep my focus, to show up to help, to be available. But I am more than just a loving and willing daughter-in-law.

I am an addict.

It is not possible for me to show up empty handed at this open air market, this antique road show, this carport store with multiple tables filled with trash and treasures. And so I prepare to load up my car yet again, with bins filled with outgrown clothes and worn out knick knacks…items I could have sold in any one of the previous 3 sales I’ve recently been a part of, but for whatever reason, haven’t declared themselves as useless to me until now.

But it isn’t just the $48 I will most likely earn. It is the excitement of waking up while it is still dark, of sipping hot coffee in the brisk November morning, of hanging out with my mom and sister-in-law and watching as people haul away our junk for us while we get paid. Granted, the amount we make will never compensate for the number of hours we put in to this small production. But add to that the thrill of the sell and the satisfaction of knowing my attic is a little less bulging and I think I come out on top.

Even so, this is the last yard sale I will ever have. Absolutely, never, ever again. It’s not worth it.

(Sale is this Saturday! Please come! You won’t be sorry! It will be so worth it!)

Filed Under a mess 3 Comments

celebrating her

November 6, 2007

I met her at my sister’s wedding. I was the maid of honor and she was the guest book attendant. I was immediately drawn to her and by nights end, we had agreed to be roommates. She was a year older than me so, by age alone she was automatically cool. She already had a year of college behind her which somehow gave me confidence by association going into my freshman year.

She was fun and funny, playful and vivacious, blond and gorgeous. She was dramatic, jealous, passionate and, by the standards of our small Bible college in South Carolina, she could be downright scandalous.

It was little things that bonded us at first: we wore the same size shoes and could share clothes and both had an unnatural love for our favorite musicals, often acting them out for one another in our small, girly decorated dorm room…entertainment we resorted to as we had no car between us, nothing within walking distance of campus and we weren’t allowed to have TVs. But we shared a lot more than just a room during those years in college. We shared dreams and drama, heartache and heart breaks as well as a love for the Lord.

As the years have passed, we have graduated and grown up. I have watched as she remained fiercely loyal to those she loved, even if she had been hurt by them. She has taught me to play more, laugh harder and not take myself so seriously. She is beautifully human.

These days we only get to see each other about once a year. Two years ago we went to New York and ate pizza in Brooklyn and saw Wicked on Broadway. Last year she came here for a weekend (with me and my 3 kids…not exactly a walk down 5th Avenue, but still). We keep in touch fairly regularly and always pick up where we left off no matter how long its been. She continues to always always have better stories than anyone I know. For example, strange woman asks her “Will you take a picture of my mom and I for me?” Sure. No big deal…unless strange woman is Queen Latifah. Or accidentally walking in on another woman in an unlocked bathroom stall…again, no big deal. Unless, of course that other woman is Cindy Crawford (or was it Brooke Shields?). True stories…they’re always true stories.

She is one of my favorite people and today is her birthday. We’ve been together on her birthday for the last few years…but not this one. She is on her end of the country and I am on mine. She celebrates with friends I may one day meet but will never know. It is right that she has people there, I have people here, and that our lives have continued. But I miss her. And I am sad that she is no longer a part of my everyday. But I am thankful for her influence, her heart, and her hilarious take on life.

Happy birthday, friend.

Filed Under a friend 2 Comments

something about the bride

November 3, 2007

We just returned from an out of town wedding where the man was the best man. We know the groom pretty well, but we’ve only met the bride once. Regardless of who you know best, when you’re at a wedding, you don’t take photos of the groom, really…not unless he’s standing next to the bride. She is somewhat of a shy girl and I get the feeling she isn’t crazy about being in the spotlight. But I couldn’t resist taking photos whenever she was in my line of sight. I just love bride photos and today was no exception.

She had taken a moment to rest her legs after the ceremony.

I also like photos that tell a story.

It’s kind of blurry, but it says always a bridesmaid…doesn’t it?

Filed Under Uncategorized 2 Comments