Life Lately

Sweet Gracie enjoying God's world.

Happy Earth Day! I hope this finds you well. In our little corner of the world, it is raining today. It's pretty much the first rainy day we've had all month. The local weatherman said it's one of the dryest Aprils on record. I'm not excited to take a rainy walk but I am grateful that the pollen is getting washed away.

Here are some things I've been learning lately:

Earth day is having its 50th anniversary. I didn't know Earth Day existed until I was a freshman in college at Ball State University. Apparently, I was introduced to more than just beer and sorority life. Oh, and my elementary education classes.

The dog I rescued seven years ago really thinks she's a therapy dog. Sydney, our Australian Kelpie, never leaves my side. Like NEVER. When I get up to use the bathroom, she comes with me. When I go downstairs to do laundry, she follows me. If I go on the back deck, she wants to come too. If I'm sitting on the couch, she's under my feet or beside me. The ONLY time she isn't by my side or behind me is when we go on walks. Then she leads me. 

Sometimes it drives me crazy that she won't leave me alone. (I bet some mamas of littles can relate.) Other times I appreciate her loyalty and remember that she thinks it is her JOB to make sure I am looked after... Sydney reminds me of a scripture verse that is a good one to remember during this pandemic.

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

I'm thankful God is always with me and I want to walk in trust just like my cat Thor does on our skinny railing.

Sometimes you just need to turn it around. Literally! For two weeks I thought my sewing machine was broken so my mask-making project screeched to a halt. It turns out, I was putting in my new needle backward. Ugh! If we're grumpy or discouraged, maybe we can flip our mindset around, "Pollyanna-style." Let's try to be glad and look for the good! 

CURRENTLY:

Reading- Secrets of Willow House, the first in a series by Susanne O'Leary. I recently finished The Stories We Tell by Patti Callahan Henry. It was SO good!

Watching- "Murdoch Mysteries" on Amazon Prime. We're on season one and there are 13!

Photo source

Needing- My diffusers going and candles lit. I'm going to need to order more Young Living essential oils soon and another citrus soy candle from Target. My Anthro-candle-diffuser-oil recipe was not a big hit with my husband, so I'm not using it, but maybe you'll enjoy it.

I really wanted the "real thing" so I went onto the Anthropologie site to possibly order a Capri Blue Volcano candle, but after shipping it would be over $40!! I just couldn't do it. 

Creating- I am finally working on photo albums. I will have to write a whole other post on that.

Loving- Playing games and laughing with my adult kids on Zoom (hopefully once a week.) The other thing I'm loving is our new downstairs bathroom color. We Mike painted it a pretty pinky-peach called Embrace. It looks a bit like pink grapefruit and goes good with the new shower curtain I picked from Target. 

Thanks for stopping by to read "See Jane Learn." I hope you're safe and well and making the best of this STAY AT HOME season. 

In His Grip, 

xo Jane

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

Proverbs 16:24

Lessons from the Furry Ones

Happy November! We are in THE month. I've been waiting for this calendar month since my daughter surprised me with the news that my first Grandchild would arrive in November. Her due date is the 11th...we're all still waiting for the little one to make her appearance.

Our nest currently contains myself, my husband Mike, our youngest daughter, and her husband, along with their two cats who live in the lower level of our home, our rescue dog Sydney and our rescue cat Thor.

Whether you are the parent of humans or pets, if you have more than one, then I imagine you've noticed how very different their personalities and behavior can be. Let's take a closer look at the four furry animals currently living under one roof:

Since the downstairs kitties are not allowed outdoors, it's easy to see how different life is for our free-to-roam Thor. Memo and Layla, the indoor kitties, spend their days moving from bed to couch, waiting for their parents to come downstairs or sitting by the window, wishing they could go explore. Mimosa, Memo for short, has trust issues but is very happy curled up in her "Mom's" lap or hiding in her Igloo.

My cat Thor spends his nights' hunting. Thor often brings the mice or birds he catches into the garage right by the door so we can see how talented he is. I even found a dead mole in the glass recycling. Ugh! After eating a bit of kibble in the garage for breakfast he joins me for a morning snuggle on the couch while I drink my coffee and have my quiet time. He then takes over the dog bed or climbs up in his "condo" to nap until it's time to remind me he wants his wet food dinner.

Which brings us to Sydney the rescue dog, who should have been named Nervous Nelly. I will start off by saying she is very cute and very loyal. But... she spends her days shadowing me, desperate for attention, begging for walks, chewing on her pink flamingo toy Lola, or chewing on herself. I even had to put the dreaded cone on her since she chewed herself raw. The anti-itch prescription meds she requires are $100 for 45 days!

When we do go on walks, she isn't content staying near me; she always strains on her leash and acts aggressively toward any other dog.

Yoga with goats might be a "thing" but it's not as fun with my dog. Thor could care less, but Sydney is her usual stressed-out self. Sydney just can't relax!

 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

So, I think we can learn a few things from these furry family members:

The girl kitties downstairs aren't living their dream life, but they are content in their circumstances.

Under NO circumstances should any dessert item be left out on a counter. Sydney WILL jump up if left alone and eat ALL the goodies and usually part of the Ziploc storage bag too! Muffins! Cookies! (She obviously is addicted to sugar, and is a visual snacker with a big nose,  just like her pet-mama.)
Sydney is a people-pleaser and constantly needs attention. She should remember she is given grace even when she misbehaves and always will be taken care if. I do give her credit for sticking close to her "master."

Thor is living his cat-life as he was created to be. He never feels guilty about killing, since that instinct was placed in him, and he never feels guilty about resting after a busy night. He is bold and sure of who he is, and he then feels confident and secure in my love.

I'd like to be more like my cat. Not the killing part though. I want to live my life as the Jane that God created me to be; loving others, secure in my identity as a follower of Jesus, tender-hearted yet tough when I need to be, and always caring more about God's opinion rather than being a people-pleaser.

Do you have some furry family members who are teaching you some "Pet Parables?"
I will leave you with a quick video of our daughter's cat, Layla. Is she begging or praying??

Enjoy your weekend, and thank you for taking the time to read "See Jane Learn!"

In His Grip,
xo Jane

I am NOT the Conductor

Back when I was in Junior High, in Carmel, Indiana, I "played" the flute in our band for two years. I had heard a friend of my oldest sister play the theme song from Romeo and Juliet at a talent show and I decided then and there that I HAD to learn how to play it too! 

Photo source: Google.com

Playing this instrument did not come naturally. It took me practicing on the top of a Coke bottle just to make the sound. I kinda, sorta, learned the fingering enough to make my band teacher think I was reading and playing the notes, but I'm sure he knew better. (When you're a flutist, you sit in the front row so it's difficult to fake it.) 

Once I'd mastered the Romeo and Juliet song, and had met the requirement of two years (the school's rule, or my parents?) I quit the band. I did gain a few lessons though, that I started thinking about today on my walk after talking with a girlfriend.

This may or may not come as a surprise to those who know me, but it's been brought to my attention that I like to "orchestrate" things. As in...be in control of the outcome. I over think things and try to micro-manage relationships and basically attempt to direct as if I'm the conductor. 

In a symphony or band, the music is superior if the musicians are directed by a veteran conductor. You can read more about that here. He or she knows all the details. I, however, am NOT the conductor; in my family, or friend group, or life. 
I know who is... 

GOD

"The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." 

Psalm 37:23

So, what other lessons am I learning?

• I have a part to play in God's story, but it's not my job to control outcomes, I just need to participate. 
• Rather than worrying about what others around me are doing or thinking, I need to focus on following the conductor.

"I keep my eyes always on the Lord.

    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

Psalm 16:8

• Just as I should have spent more time practicing my music, and memorizing the fingering, I need to spend more time in and memorize the word of God.
• If a Junior High band conductor can take a bunch of kids, some of whom have zero talent, and with time and patience use them together to make music, then our GOD can certainly be trusted with using little old me as a member of His masterpiece.

I am grateful for the nudge from a friend and the Holy Spirit today. Granted, I have some multi-tasking skills since I was a Kindergarten teacher and raised four children. If you ever see me pulling out the invisible conductor baton, you have my permission to remind me that it's not my job.

I will leave you with this beautifully played version of the song that initiated my short band career. I didn't ever sound ANYTHING like this, nor did I play a solo anywhere except my groovy bedroom. 

Alexandra Mukovnya (flute) - https://vk.com/id97736490

In His Grip,
xo Jane

A Recap: Our Village of Amazing People and a Wedding

My latest lesson learned: It not only takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to put on a wedding!

It's hard to put into words all the gratitude, emotions and memories I experienced before and during my youngest daughter's wedding last Friday. Between Hoopfest weekend, then moving the about-to- be-married couple over from Spokane we jumped into busy pre-wedding activities that included errands, meals, walks, spending a night on a houseboat so the bridal party could have our home for the Bachelorette Party, rehearsing, primping, and setting up for the main event.

 

We had the rehearsal dinner at Kinza Teriyaki, which both our family's love and where the bride and groom had MANY dates through the years. Thanks, Vanderlinda family. It was delicious and fun!

As Mary Poppins often said, our daughter's wedding was "practically perfect in every way!" We were blessed with a beautiful day, spectacular venue (thank you, Gold Mountain Golf Club!) hand-written vows that had everyone in tears, and an amazing dinner. These photos don't do this day justice because they're from my cell phone. We can't WAIT to get the professional photos back. 

Our daughter and son-in-law's "Best Day Ever" would not have been possible without the contributions of many, many people. I want to give a public shout-out to ALL the friends and vendors who made this wedding so special. If I left anyone out, please know it wasn't intentional!

• Gold Mountain Golf course for the beautiful setting, service, details, and the amazing food.
• Jesse McGee, the best wedding coordinator ever!
• Anita; for altering Sarah's dress and re-making my veil for her. Such a blessing!
• Sue for sharing her lovely greenery and Dawn for delivering it.
• Sara for helping me fix my hair before I dashed out the door, and Michaela for helping with this MOB's eye make-up.
• The Davis family for loaning us their truck for the now-married couple's move across the state, and to cart home wedding decor after the event, and hosting the photographers.
• Loree at American Party Place for the pretty pink water goblets.
• Lisa at Lisa Hysek photography for the amazing macrame' hoops and vintage settee.
• Chapel Hill MOPS for the use of their lanterns.
• Mike, Evan, John, and Todd for driving guests in golf carts out to the woods.
• The bridal party for help setting up and for their love, laughter, and support.
• Olivia and UPS for the pretty programs.
• The photographers; wife and husband team. Alycia and Evan Lovell.
• Amy Barnes, from "Brier and Ivy," for her incredible flowers!
• Amanda Muchmore, the videographer.
• My neighbors, for putting up with a million cars in the driveway, noise from the "Bride Tribe" and 12 months of hearing details.
• My Bible study and Fab-5 prayer posse for on-going prayers.
• Most importantly, God. For ALL the blessings.

My Mama's heart exploded with pride as I watched my oldest son officiate the service and then act as the Emcee. During the reception, I got the privilege of listening to the toasts given by my husband, oldest daughter (the maid of honor) and youngest son (a groomsman.) So much genuine love and respect and laughter was shared!

We celebrated the newlyweds the next morning with a family brunch and time of opening gifts and reflecting on our favorite moments. 

As the wedding notebooks and decorations continue to be put away, it's time to focus on our next special event and countdown; only 122 days until our first Grandbaby's due date!

I'll leave you with the sky God painted for us last Thursday night as a gift the night before the wedding. 

Wishing you joy!

In His Grip,

xo Jane

How About You?

It's only January, but on my walk the other day I discovered a Forsythia in bloom! For all of you who live in the Midwest or on the East coast, I'm so sorry for the awful Winter weather you've been enduring. I'm flying back to Indiana next week and my fingers are crossed that the roads won't be too treacherous since I'm out of practice driving in anything but rain. Around here it's been in the 40's and we've had quite a bit of rain and some sun-breaks. Typical PNW weather.

Here's what I've been up to the last few weeks:

I attended the "Gathered" women's retreat at our church Friday night and Saturday. The teaching was on Isaiah 43,44 and 55, and everything about the talks, food, worship, fellowship fed my soul. I love learning more about God's love story for us! We also were inspired by Kelly Welk from Cider Press Lane to do what we love and allow God will use it to bless others. Check out her website here and see how their joy of hospitality has grown into a way to fight against human trafficking.

Around my town: It was like a ghost town at Safeway the other day. Where have all the shoppers gone? EVERYONE in my town has decided to check out the new Fred Meyer. As someone who doesn't deal super-well with change, I'm not in love with them closing MY Freddie's and closing Main and Vine (miss my Wednesday $5 salads!) and then opening a mega store. No more zip-in and zip-out. Now you have to pray for a parking spot and weave your cart around a billion people. Who are you? Where did you come from? 

Around my home:
How come I've gained weight since my husband has been unemployed?! Well...we now eat lunch together and it's probably more calorie-laden than I used to eat, plus at night our dinner portions are about the same size. He goes to the YMCA every day and burns lots of calories through lifting and cardio.  I take walks. Shoot. This can't go on! There are only 166 days until my daughter's wedding!

We finished season two of "The Crown" on Netflix. I won't spoil it for you, but it has definitely caused us to discuss healthy and unhealthy parenting and marriage relationships, and the Monarchy.

I grabbed what I thought was a matchbook out of my husband's bathroom drawer so I could light a candle for my bubble bath. Upon opening, I discovered not matches, but toothpicks. Is this a new thing? Now that smoking is no longer allowed in most places (thankfully!) are restaurants giving out cute toothpick packs? When trying to research, I did find an article on the history of matchbooks.

Did anyone else ever read the former online magazine called "Matchbook?" I loved their tagline; "Field Guide to a Charmed Life." I miss it! Bring it back!!!

I'm knitting again! Yay for yarn and little projects! I sent the girls of my family this blog that talked about the value of creativity and The Creator of all.

I'm back into menu planning and trying to use what we have in our freezer and pantry. Last night's Chicken Marsala was yummy, and I made One-Pot Kielbasa Pasta for a family who just had a baby. 

We've moved my husband's office upstairs to what used to be the guest room, and that is now on the lower level. We have some more projects to complete and then we're possibly going to make a stab at having an Air B and B. 

How about you? What have you been up to this month? 

In His Grip, 
xo Jane

What I Learned This Fall: September-November 2017

Oh Alexander, I can relate!

As I write this, my Mom is celebrating her 91st Birthday!! I am thankful that she was born, thankful she met and married my amazing Daddy Vaughn, thankful that she had my two older sisters and me and thankful to have her as my Mama! She is very young-at-heart and it's hard to believe she's been on Earth for 91 years! I choose to believe that my kind qualities come from her! She was a teacher her whole life; to students and her children. She graduated from Depauw University, earned her Masters degree from Ball State and she taught at  College Wood Elementary in Carmel, Indiana from the day the school opened until she retired. She was the BEST 5th-grade teacher ever and she passed on the teaching gene to her three daughters and three of her grandchildren.

(The Story "girls" on my visit this Fall.)

Besides all the lessons I've learned from my Mom, here are some other things that I learned this fall:
1. Some people can sleep with their cats, but not me!
My one-year-old, always hungry, growing daily, red kitty wants to sleep on my pillow on top of my head or on my neck! He makes it difficult for me to breathe, let alone sleep! I can really only snuggle with him when I'm sitting on the couch.  Oh, Thor!

2. I finally figured out how to clean and shine my teapot.
For some reason, when you leave your teapot on a burner while you fry or cook, it gets coated in residue that just won't come off with dish detergent. After years of frustration, I hunted online and found that a paste of baking soda with white vinegar makes a gentle scrub that takes off the gunk and leaves the finish. Thanks, Martha! 

3. Being a "Great-Aunt" is super fun and gives me a glimpse of how amazing it will be to become a Grandma someday.
Thanks to my nieces and nephews in Indiana, I have nine Greats! I didn't get to see them all on my trip back to the Midwest this Fall, but I did get to see five of them including the two new twin baby girls. 

4. Sometimes life gets hard and things change quickly.

I thought my part-time job was always going to be "my spot."  Finding out my hours were being cut was HARD. Throughout my adult years, I have spent time as a waitress, teacher, full-time Mama, and sales clerk at the baby boutique. What's next? It's time to start hitting the pavement and find my next $pot. 

We knew my husband's job was probably going to end. (I'm proud that he hung in there as long as he did! ) When it really happened a few weeks ago, it was HARD. 

When our five-year-old front-loader washing machine stopped working and even with the new part wouldn't work, that was ANNOYING. My sweet friend let me use her home like a laundromat until our new top-loader was delivered. Thanks again Dawn!!

Deciding to sell our dream home was HARD! Not knowing if it's the right solution has us awake at night. I'll let you know what we decide... Which leads me to #5.

5. TMJ is a THING and I have it!

Headaches. Every day. All day and night. I have been trying to rule out the causes. My doctor sent me to an ENT, Ophthalmologist, MRI and guess what I found out at the Dentist this week?... I have TMJ and my pain is exactly like the picture below. I wish I had found this article months ago! I suffer from all of it. I could be the girl in this photo!

So...I'm now going to be wearing my night guard, taking Advil every four hours, and applying moist heat. (Not sure about the don't speak too much and don't bite your nails mentioned in this article.) Perhaps my stress level is through the roof?...

6. Do you want to become a minimalist? Put your house on the market!

We actually got our home "on the market" one week after we made the decision. I sped through each room, pulling items to get rid of. Some things were boxed up and are stored in our garage. Daily trips to Goodwill happened. My bible study friends got used to me schlepping in bags of "stuff" for them to look at. Two of my best friends did a walk-through and advised me what else I needed to remove to make our home look VERY uncluttered and tidy. Then, the deep cleaning began...

I really miss my family photos and "GOD is Good" artwork, but other than that, everything left "sparks joy" as in Marie Kondõ's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. 

If you're serious about decluttering and purging, you might want to check out a book coming out next month called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson that I discovered while looking around on Amazon. Basically, the premise is "Let's not leave our cr__ for our family members to deal with." I can't believe some of the stuff I've been saving!

Perhaps I need to write a book on how this transplanted Midwest-turned-PNW-recovering-sentimental-hoarder is learning how to say goodbye to stuff?!

For those of you who have read my posts this month, I don't really have an update on my current situation. Are we selling? Moving? Finding jobs? 

I've always loved Fall, this year's Fall just hasn't been my favorite. Alexander in the book at the top had a terrible, horrible, very bad day, and I've been feeling like we've sort of had a very bad month. I DO know God knows and sees and has a plan, and so we will just continue praying for wise decisions that are God-honoring. 

I am linking up to Emily P. Freeman from Chatting at the Sky. Enjoy! 

Only 25 more days until Christmas!! Let the joyful merriment celebrating Jesus begin!

In His Grip,

xo Jane

Spring Break in San Diego (Part Three: Lessons Learned)

We always learn new things when we visit new places and in this third and final Spring Break post I'm sharing some tips and things I learned last week in San Diego:

1. Engage in conversations with people you meet. 
We made friends with a sweet gal in the gym, some of our waiters, the hotel staff, and a couple sitting next to us at Happy Hour. If we hadn't been aware of others and struck up conversations we would have missed out! It can be so interesting talking with new people and hearing their "stories." I even had a challenging faith discussion with one of my Uber drivers named Lance who is also a self-published author. My motto: "strangers" are just friends I haven't met yet...

2. Wear sunscreen and if you feel you're getting a tan, that's all that matters! 
I'm a fair-skinned girl who has battled skin cancer twice but I do love to lay out and get some color. I kept reapplying sunblock and I never really burned. I got a bit of color; I see swimsuit lines! I also "grew" some new freckles. You really should ALWAYS tell someone who goes to a sunny location that they look happy, healthy and tan. Please?!

3. Let your daughters go order beverages.
My oldest daughter somehow managed to get us free drinks from the pool bartender without even flirting! Cute girl, bikini, talking about basketball all equaled money saved. Thanks Allie! 

4. Explore new spots but try to revisit favorites. 
The fun part about returning to a city I've had the pleasure of visiting in the past, means I have favorite restaurants or hotels that I get to revisit. Last time I was in San Diego I was with my oldest son and his wife. This time it was fun to return with my daughters and watch them enjoy the spots. Besides the two places I picked, I let my girls decide where they wanted us to go. We also asked the concierge and our Uber drivers what they suggested, took notes, and were really happy with their recommendations!

5. Watch the 2016 Netflix documentary called "Minimalism: A documentary About the Important Things" before doing any shopping. 
You'll be reminded how material things aren't what life is all about, you'll save money and you won't drag home unneeded souvenirs or new clothes. I did buy one new top at the LOFT, but it was on sale and quite cute! Instead of stuff, spend your money on a massage!  I mentioned the Bangkok Spa in part one. SO good!

6. Location, location, location.
Just like finding the perfect neighborhood, try to find a hotel or VBRO in a centralized spot.
If you stay at the Kimpton Hotel Solamar, try to get a room on the same floor as the rooftop pool and fitness center on the 4th floor. We walked out our door and BOOM, we could walk out to the patio or to the gym. Kinda felt like it was our own swanky condo!

7. When flying home, if the plane ride is bumpy, open up your ECHO prayer app.                This takes your mind off your fear and instead you focus on praying for friends and family. 
(And that the pilot can land safely!) When we finally did land without incident, we discovered the PNW was having a major wind storm and power was out in some towns. I missed you immediately San Diego!

8. Take a trip with your adult kids! 
Mothers and  Daughters or Fathers and Sons. This was the first time I have had an intentional get-away with my two daughters. What fun it was to be together in such a beautiful place! Memories we make together help us through weeks that aren't so fun...like my sweet youngest daughter getting in a car accident yesterday. Thankfully she wasn't hurt too badly, (her car is history) but she is definitely wishing we were still on vacation!

"The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again." Deuteronomy 6:4-7

How do I love thee, San Diego? 
Let me count the ways:

Sunshine, walkable, the airport is close to downtown, lots of food and drink options, interesting people, nice Uber drivers, great atmosphere for having wonderful talks with my daughters, THE OCEAN!, pretty pools, cute boutiques, pretty ships and sailboats, seagulls, flowers, restaurants with outdoor patios, NO RAIN (at least not while we were there.) 

I LOVE to travel. One of my daydreams is to be a travel blogger or have a show like Rick Steves on PBS. Since Rick's covering Europe, I volunteer to cover America! After all, he's from Washington State, and I live in Washington State too! A girl can dream...

I am so grateful for the opportunity to escape with my beautiful daughters (and to have my husband join us at the end of our trip!) to one of my favorite cities in California. I hope you get a chance to visit too! Thank you for reading my three-part series on San Diego.

What have you learned on vacation lately?

Grateful for Grace and In His Grip,
xo Jane