Little Sentimentals Passed on by Grandmas

So, I'm sorting through everything I own. I have to decide if it's a "keep" or "trash" item. Going into my jewelry box was the toughest. Do I keep things I'll never wear? Is it a treasure to me, and why? How ruthless can I be? How many artifacts need to be kept? Yeah, you've been there.  It gets tricky, right?

I don't even wear jewelry! This is the most challenging category I find in the process of purging my home of excess.

I found a couple pictures of old Italian mothers with their babes that caught my eye. They are definitly some items I will hold onto.

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If these items were appraised (which I can imagine as long as I want, though it will never happen) I would not care about their monetary value. I will only hold on to those things that mean something to me now. 

Case closed. I'm prepared to move on to a new category.

Appreciate your life now. Let go of the excess so important things can take the stage.

Keep it simple,

Lisa

Living Old-School in a Modern World

I want to share the flavour of my life. I wanted the design of the blog to reflect the values I hold dearly.

I have settled on this template since I'm an old fashioned girl who loves good books and family traditions.

What does it look like to be an old fashined soul in modern times? It's a tricky conundrum. You may find yourself battling with the convenience of modern communication while longing for the personal connection from days gone by even though it possessed the dalayed connection of old-school mail.

Have you ever recieved a hand-written letter in the mail with a personal photo from a friend? Did it make your heart brim with satisfaction knowing that great effort was put into the contents of the envelope that you opened with excitement? How did it compare with the email you recieved yesterday? I'm sure both warmed your heart, but one did so with a deeper touch.

I know that email is great for immediate and essential communication, but don't forsake the art of writing personal letters, placing a beautiful stamp on your envelope and dropping that letter into the post office box. If you are one of the people who longs to get back to old roots, don't hesitate to send me your address so I can mail you a good old fashioned letter.

I will be experimenting with the art of writing old fashioned letters. The content will require creativity since phones and emails are part of our every day life. I hope my letters will bring joy to the recipients.

These are photos of our last year's summer solstice party. All of the little ones dressed up as fairies and went on a flower hunt. It was a reminder to me that our children come forth much like flowers do in nature. They each sprout in the soil that they will grow best. They each need specific conditions to flourish. Some are orchids, some are daisies. If we each work to know our family just as a gardener studies each plant and its needs for optimum growth, we will see our family flourish with maximum potential. I think the same can be said when it comes to friendship as well. Hold those you love gently with the wisdom of a gardener. Hold those you find to be challenging in the same careful way. Consider yourself honored to be a parent and a friend. There is no greater honour.

My prayer for the day is that your family and friendships will flourish like a well nurtured garden be they wild flowers or delicate orchids.

The Fairytale in Progress

This is the backdrop my girl sees in her fairytale. There are a few gaps in the kingdom's structure, but... no biggie! I try to see it the same way as she does, except the creaks and cracks are more painfully obvious to me. It's still our cozy palace though. We could not wish for much more when it comes to being right in the middle of nature. Solid siding and a coat of paint will do wonders for this rustic little cabin. It's a lobour of love in progress. Although sometimes it's too rustic for my liking, I would hate to live a life more refined without the awe of hearing owls calling each other outside our window or the sight of raccoons crossing our driveway in single file. God's creation is unsurpassed in it's beauty.

She Makes Beauty Out Of Any Plain Thing

My Miranda is a princess in her kingdom.

Every little thing she makes is magic to her and a mystery to us. She lives in a kingdom unaffected by the spots and blemishes that are part of rustic country living. It makes no difference what surrounds her as long as she is allowed to imagine and create freely. In her world, even the dog is a stately lord (he graces a Batman cape with canine dignity)..

My girl is a passionate dreamer. This is reflected by the paper and string scraps endlessly strewn across our floor. She sings like Dorothy and dances like the Sugar-Plum Fairy while competing with Pigpen for the "Messiest Person" award. The world is her oyster. If I try to shake it up I'll hear her answering in an accent just like Judy Garland's...and then she'll sing her mismatched socks off..