The Walk

I

I like the soft colors: the deep red, light green, sage, soft pinks and seafoam green in this painting called

Down Pour

 

By: LaVere Hutchings Item #: 8650485

And today dear ladies I want to make it Go-For- A-Walk day, at least for me.  If you want to join in, all you need is to go for a walk some time today or when you happen upon this post, no matter what day, and mentally note what you hear, see, smell or feel.  If the weather is not suitable, you can, like ladies used to do, go for an inside-the-house walk.  You can make a route for yourself and appreciate everything you see or hear or sense along the way, outside or inside.  

Here is something I am sharing from my walk:

 I perched my cup on the swing seat while I continued on the path.  Here, it has rained a bit and so I had "raindrop tea" outside. Walking is a way of treating the senses to the sounds and scents and sights and feeling of the day.

This is a rare tea cup I found at a Goodwill, and since I like cottages and houses, it is one I value a lot.  These kind with cottages on them are not easy to find around here. 

After a few daily walks, you will begin to pack some take-a-walk supplies, like a basket with a camera, notebook/sketchbook, an extra shawl or sweater, or just a bag to collect interesting things.

A walk creates a different way of thinking, and kind of relieves the mind of worry.

There is an organization called the News that continually broadcasts worry, and women are very adept at worrying about everything in the world.  Jesus said "My peace I give unto you." 

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Other places in the New Testament say Christians are supposed to pursue peace, which means to go after it.  And yet, the news can be so upsetting as to make ladies at home take their eyes off the duties God gave them, particularly guarding the home and paying attention to their husband and children.  It is a serious waste of a good mind to allow it to dwell on the negative that you can do nothing about, and it can also harm your health.

We know the world is not at peace, and so does God, but we should especially know that God wants Christian women to be at peace. 

  I knew a woman who spent most of her life worrying about the end of the world and it caused her to have no interest in pursuing the good and the lovely things of life.  She died from problems relating to anxiety, and had wasted many days watching and listening to the news media reports of every known negative thing.

If you are being affected by the news, try a three day media fast.  If you feel isolated by it, substitute a "yes" for a "no" by visiting the beautiful and positive blogs on my blogroll and the blogs on other people's blog lists.  There you will find people sharing interesting things they are doing. This good news in real life, and probably more authentic than some of the news you hear on national media. This is something that can only bring good into your life. 

Look around you and noticed that no matter what the news on any given day, life goes on.  The trucks go past on the highway full of food and merchandise to stock the stores.  Notice the shelves in the market places that have things you may be looking for to make your family more comfortable and your house a nice place to spend many happy hours.  The continual bad news does not stop the market from going on, so why do some ladies put their dreams on hold til something is sorted out in the world? 

The real news that matters is the actual things that make a difference in your life every day: what the sermon was about in church on Sunday, what your children are learning, things your family has done, the hospitality you have given, and the trucks still coming down the road with food and fabric for the stores you visit. :-). I live in a place where the sounds of tractors and trucks is so loud I have to close my doors and windows, but it is all good news to me.  When I see the logging trucks with the huge loads of timber, and later the trucks loaded with packages of lumber, I know someone is going to be able to get the materials they need, to build a house. When I hear the farm tractors and see the trucks loaded with pumpkins, it is my news.  Someone is employed, someone's land is yielding a good crop, and someone is living life as it should be led.  When all this passes by my road, I know that there is a lot in this world that is orderly and sensible. Generally, what is right in front of you is what you will get your news and your contentment from.

Our work at home must continue, no matter what the world reports.  Think of all the good and creative things that can be done in the home while time is wasted in worry.  Even if you do get some things accomplished, if you carry the hype and the anxiety  of the world in your mind, you lose the ability to focus and concentrate and enjoy the beautiful minutes of daily life. When you feel worry coming on, substitute a yes for a no, and treat yourself and your loved ones to something good and uplifting. 

In future posts I hope to make suggestions for things to do that will replace negative thoughts and worry, that will also bring progress in your life.  For today, just take a little walk.  Maybe you can carry a little basket or hand made nature bag to collect delicate flowers or leaves or things to make an indoor arrangement, or maybe you can use the time to listen, to breath slowly and deeply (there is probably a lovely blog by that name:-) and to get some data for your little notebook. This notebook has to be your good-times book where you record whatever is lovely. 

 More and more I see why the Word of God empasizes filling the mind with whatever is good and beautiful and tells us to guard our hearts and mind from dwelling on the things that bring our moods down and take our attention off the important things of home.  In the long run, the news reports will not make a better day at home for you or help you get your list of things to do fulfilled.  The news will not help you or motivate you to get your house cleaned up, your laundry or dishes washed. However, there are some motivational videos you can watch or listen to that are designed to help you do your best.  Substitute these good broadcasts for the depressing news broadcasts. 

Also, if you have lived more than half a century, you come to realize that it has always been bad news and we have never been able to fix it.  It's a mistake to think we can fix the world, and it will drive you crazy when you don't make an progress at it.  However, you can fix your home, clean your house, learn to cook, sew, paint, teach, and a myriad of things that can't be numbered.  There is so much to do and see and learn, we wonder why anyone has time to hear the bad news.  Stay with the good news and see how much better your life gets.

Other things I have done today:

Laid out my fall fabrics so I can cut out some things...I really like that salmon/coral color...

Sketched the things I want to paint in my old Bible,

...and tried to figure out how to get the pages pasted back in place.  You will see a colorful waterfall and some nice lettering on these pages when I get it finished.

I have done my preliminary sketch for this dress on some good paper that I am trying out, but have been a bit delayed as I am trying to find a good eraser.  School erasers alter the grain of the paper too much.  I have a little collection of ideas here, including a picture of a window with curtains. 

When I as exploring the new Hobby Lobby store in my area, I found a free flyer that showed a picture of a fake cake made with florals, similar to ones I have made in the past. I want t make a  new one now for a centerpiece and add scent.

A chalkboard from Dollar Tree for my motivational saying,

...and a used book with patterns for making doll dresses out of fancy handkerchiefs and old crochet pieces.

There has not been time to finish any of these things because the cleaning lady, cook, laundry crew, gardener, secretary and hostess did not come today and I have to do it all!

Spring at Dogtown

 

By: LaVere Hutchings Item #: 8650494