Inspiration and Peaches as an Alleviation for Thunderstorm

                             The rain clouds whispered their love notes to me as the puddles gathered on my porch. It had been a bright morning.

Do you ever get a sudden impulse to create something tasty? Well, last week I did just that with fresh peaches from my peach tree. I never thought Kansas peaches would be so good! They were delicious. The peach varieties I planted were clingstone. The fruit clings to the pit in these peaches. Which, all in all, is kind of annoying but quite tasty! Did someone say jam?

I had planted two cherry trees in the same area, one a Montgomery and the other a sweet.

These sadly enough do not produce hardly anything.

Since it's summer, biking is quite popular in my area. Though a small town I think the numbers of bikes gliding through town are increasing. I have a mountain bike myself that is in sorry distress. Yes, the gears are unbalanced and the bike chain needs greasing and whatever else.  Oh Lord, it is in my "mechanic shop." Haha, my laundry room. I, honestly, am learning on the job with this bike repair stuff, though I do find it fascinating. Hopefully,  my efforts won't be in vain.

My nighttime hobbies have changed since my sweetie left. I am learning to crochet better and watercolor. My efforts thus far have been something to laugh at but the show must go on.

Sounds like an awful thunderstorm is rolling in.

I am happy to have picked up another freelance newspaper job that gives me the flexibility that I need. The structure of freelance work fits nicely into my schedule, especially as my online classes are finishing up. The first economic development article I completed through the medium of photojournalism. Published online at the Belleville Telescope.




I am slowly eeking through application processes for 4-year colleges. It is quite a tedious task but I'm sure the rewards of doing something great are well worth the wait.  Though I have had multiple opinions---strong opinions offered to me. AHEM-AHEM. I am following the famished writer pathway, at least till I get a Bachelors degree. Heehee. It's quite a leap of faith but I do hope someday to create a work (in this case book) that will be shaping the minds for centuries. With my English degree, I have considered traveling abroad and teaching ESL through secondary education. This would require me to pick up an ESL license and a secondary education major or minor accompanied by a foreign language-- I'm shooting for Italian. Italian culture and Italy has always fascinated me. It's all very confusing but I'm sure it will all work out.

In the meantime, I'm keeping up blogging, making delicious cups of coffee, reading, writing, painting, and my new favorite PLANKING!!

One of my inspirations for planking comes from XHIT, which my morning routines have become entirely obsessed with. I'm not all that strong but I held a plank for nearly a minute and twenty seconds. I was pretty proud of myself. 

So through this post, I hope I've told you a little about my day and maybe inspired you to pick up some new hobbies. PLANKING? KNITTING? CROCHET?

Whatever, inspire you to invest in your imagination and set the world on fire! 🔥

addio!

Overheated Coffee and Books

This morning began with the urgent moans of the alarm clock at 5:00, which I was not very happy to hear. Last night I was a night nurse so I had a very late night! I did a brisk walk after silencing the alarm, I may or may not have thrown it at the wall...


Pour-over coffee is a hot thing in my house nowadays, which my family turns their nose up at which is fine by me, as I guzzle the pot dry :). Realistically speaking I only fill it half full, three or four cups is enough to make a girl sick!


Putting spices in your coffee is the best for pour over I think. Cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg are favorites of mine.
Note to reader: all spices should be very gingerly added (pun intended).



The pot that I use is a BODUM 4 cup pour over coffee maker. Which is fabulous!



Anyway, it is definitely flannel weather here on the farm. December in November. Cold weather is such a nice thing to have after the blazing hot Kansas summers. Winter on the farm is a wonderful time to read. Reading is such a wonderful way to expand your mind and experience vicariously what others write about. To write a book is a painting of the soul, that I endeavor to accomplish someday. Some books that are on my shelf this winter are "Two Years Before the Mast" by R. H. Dana JR., "Summa Theologica", Thomas Aquinas, "Three Methods of Prayer That Will Change Your Life", by Philip Kosloski- this is really good this is my second time reading.



I think I've got my work cut out for me!

My Sunday Full of Purpose

Sundays are days of much-needed rest in a farmers household. Most Sundays begin with sleeping in past the old rooster crow! Aaah, those glorious days of sleeping till 8:00 😊.

Urggh... chickens, my detest of chickens will be discussed later... (clenching my teeth)

 On the farm, it's usually bright on Sundays with the sun glistening over the long shadows cast by the oak trees. This Sunday was different though. The sun was late but I wasn't.

This is later in the day

I woke to the long drawn call of a coyote harking to the black sky above.

Somewhat disgruntled at this rude awakening I awoke to a still sleeping house. It was a different kind of day though. 

A day full of integrity and a new found awakening to achieve what others said I couldn't. I dressed in my workout clothes and two hoodies, yes, I could still see little puffs of my breath as I did pushups and planks. 

The quiet night that surrounded me provided a thoughtful workout that filled me with motivation and a sense of purpose.

A workout in a still cold night with the wild cries of coyotes surrounding me. I was awake to this new life of fitness and doing what others thought I couldn't achieve, it was a splendid triumph of my own self-doubt. Self-doubt that said I couldn't be fit or have a purpose to make a dime and that I was someone who had missed the ship for the beginning of life.

Which had happened. Most of my friends are in colleges spread far and wide or following jobs far away. They were all making their own beginnings

This was just my beginning slow, steady and plagued with many boundaries.

I am too creatively distracted for my own good. I like having breakfast for lunch, reciting 19th-century poetry on a whim, listening to classics #Audible and getting to know new people.  

I've had lots of dreams over my life and never really any sure path until I read a book that changed my life. 

"Living Forward" is a book written by Micheal Hyatt, that truly set me on a different course and way of thinking about my life purpose. I am thoroughly enjoying it's helpful and thoughtful analysis on setting life goals and creating a plan to stop drifting and get the life you want. For this I commend Hyatt as I'm sure others have read and been changed by this, well, to say it simply, life-changing book. 

This quiet morning that was like black velvet I completed the chapter on writing your eulogy. Cheery stuff, I know, just kidding. Really though, writing your eulogy really puts your life in perspective. It provides a whole new kind of clarity that strengthens the reader's endeavors for this life. 

It's a challenge in this life to determine what our drive is and why we're here. It's a challenge to find happiness. Our own little niches of artistry that keep us from day-to-day madness. Yes, the kind that Lewis Carroll talks about in the quote from Alice and Wonderland as the Cheshire cat tells Alice, "We're all mad here." 

This quote by Carroll is truly a thought-provoking which I will explicate in an upcoming b log post. 

But for now, back to the velvety night and coyotes...

My phone was I'm sure very chilly, as the temperature upon my waking was a balmy 27°, just kidding not balmy at all!

As my dad jokingly says when it gets really cold, "Well, at least we don't have to worry about mosquitoes!" Point taken, thanks dad for elevating the conversation 😄.

After completing this workout, I moved onto a neurological kind of workout. I recently downloaded this dandy little app on my phone called Vocabulary Builder and being quite a word buff, let me tell you I am a huge fan! One of my recent favorite words being "Euphoria- extreme joy or Jovial- happy." I must say these words complete my personality.

Two other curious and unexpected things happened this morning.

After I dressed in leggings and a snappy bright turquoise and white striped little sweater that really just was perfect for the day, I made scrambled eggs and homemade espresso,. Sometimes, I think outfits are just suited for certain days. 

 I made my espresso in a little antique teapot. looking contraption that had a metal straw and a coffee chamber/ filter. I'm not entirely sure what it was called but it made a fine brew of coffee. 

With this brilliant early start, I was so happy to accomplish so much more in my day!

So for good books, early mornings and life goals I will raise my coffee mug!

For this, I am grateful for that mangy coyote that woke me up before the sun.