What I Learned This Winter (Dec.'19-Feb.'20)

One of my sweet friends from bible study gave me the nudge last weekend that I should get back to sharing what I'm learning and what God is teaching me. Last June I realized I didn't have much to share that would be at all interesting to my little group of followers. One month slipped by without a post, and then another and then I hadn't written in 9 months. Anyone who has been pregnant knows that 9 months feels like a significant period of time. I don't keep a journal, and yet when I was writing my "See Jane Learn" blog on a regular basis I was keeping track of my thoughts and processing my feelings.

So...today I'm joining Emily P. Freeman and some other writers to share some things I learned from December to February. (And maybe a couple things from the Fall too.)

One of my favorite outings this winter was attending the Harbor Dance production of the Nutcracker with my daughter and granddaughter. It was special because Sarah danced in it when she was a little girl and it was at Stadium High School which is where my Grandma Grace Pande' Young went to school over 100 years ago. (Photos above.)

Here are 6 things I learned this winter:

1. Instagram can be helpful.
Most people have a love-hate relationship with Instagram. If you get inspired by beautiful images it can be a good thing. If you develop envy or realize you're wasting hours each week scrolling, it can be bad. I have learned that it can also be used to unite us and draw us together for the good of others. 

Case in point: Eva Love Sherbondy. I first learned about this sweet Wisconsin child from the community of bloggers/Instagrammers that I follow who had asked everyone to pray. Her parents, Dugan (a pastor) and Lindsay (artist at Lindsay Letters Co.) shared about the tragic golf cart fall that left Eva (pronounced Ava) with traumatic brain damage. Over the last 6+ months, tens of thousands have joined together to pray for miraculous healing and to send encouraging words. This family's ongoing story of the slow healing journey, faith, and trust in God during this incredibly hard time is such a testimony.

 Eva before her accident.

I had my friend Jenny who makes jewelry at Fairwells Jewelry create a bracelet with Eva Love's name on it so I have a visual reminder to lift her up in prayer every day. 

One of the cool things the Instagram community does is #evasarmy and #evasky. I took this photo out of my kitchen window and it makes me think of her.

2. Predictable is comforting.
Anybody else out there a fan of Hallmark Christmas movies? The storyline is basically the same in every movie; high school sweethearts finally reunite, guy meets girl and they don't get along until they realize they DO get along, an enthusiastic character gets the whole town to rally and discover Christmas cheer, etc. Every movie includes tree decorating, cookie baking, hot chocolate sipping, and caroling. No one ever mentions the reason for the season (the birth of Jesus) but the overarching theme is always loving your neighbor. The movies always leave me with a warm, fuzzy feeling and with all the bad news that is on television it's comforting to know that they'll be a happy ending (and of course, a kiss.)

3. Attending baby storytime at the library is one of my favorite things!

Almost every Monday my daughter takes her baby to the library for storytime. She invited me to join them and I cannot begin to explain how uplifting that hour can be. All those babies! They all have different personalities and watching them react to the stories, songs, games, and fingerplays is a hoot!  She loves the egg shakers, colored scarves, and is a really good listener since her parents read stories to her every night. The minute our little Gracie learned to walk she was wandering all over the room; standing right by the teacher, saying hi to all the Moms and children, sitting by the window, etc. As a former early childhood educator, I believe storytime is such a great experience for pre-literacy and learning to follow directions, and is really fun for grandparents!

Gracie Love wanting to see the story up close.

 In the Fall before Gracie could walk.

4. Before there was Marie Kondo, there was Fly Lady and she's still relevant!

Since becoming an empty-nester again (my daughter, son-in-law and grandbaby moved out at the end of the summer) I have been on a quest to organize, purge and develop good housekeeping systems. Last month I was going through my files doing a purge, and I came across my "Fly Lady" notebook from almost twenty years ago. Have you heard of her? Just like Marie Kondo has the tag line "does it spark joy?" Fly Lady's saying is "shine your sink." Marla Cilley, aka the Fly Lady, teaches that if a sink is empty and shiny, then you'll be motivated to clean the rest of your kitchen which spills over into the rest of your home.  It makes me think of the children's book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Completing one small task has a way of making us want to be more productive. I smiled looking back over the notes I had printed off and bound and thought back to those crazy days when I had four busy, MESSY kids at home. I did my best but looking back I wish I had learned how to let go of more stuff since it is difficult to organize clutter. UGH. You can find out more about the Fly Lady system on her website.

5. We're learning a new rhythm to Empty-Nesting.
The first time we became empty-nesters, we were getting used to being back in the Pacific Northwest and we both had new jobs. After that we were busy moving to our current house, planning weddings, having kids move in and preparing for our first grandchild. 

Fast-forward to this Fall/Winter, and we have gotten into a new rhythm. When my husband isn't traveling for work, we have enjoyed spending our late afternoon and evenings cooking together (Right now we're trying Home Chef. In the past we've used Hello Fresh.), taking Sydney for walks, going out for drinks or dinner, and watching shows we've taped. Weekends are for projects, errands, getting together with friends, seeing our local kids and enjoying church. Which leads me to the times we don't want to do the same things.

I am a reader, he is a puzzler. He likes "Game of Thrones", I like "This Is Us". He's an avid golfer. I'm kinda not. Maybe someday? If he wants to watch one of his series he plugs in earbuds and I keep my eye mask handy to block out the screen light if I'm tired. Because we've been married for 36 years we've learned we do some things together and some apart. 

For two months my table was occupied with my husband's 2000 piece puzzle. I'm proud of him for finishing it, but grateful to look at my table and now only see a vase of flowers.

I'm learning to embrace this slower, quieter season while it lasts.

6. My Mom was right.
When my Mom was still alive she would often joke about how young she felt in her head even though her body didn't look or feel young. I really get it now. I turned 60 at the end of the summer and I still feel around 35 inside my head. Maybe it's because I hang out with MOPS mommies a lot? I am young at heart and still discovering what I'm passionate about. My mom also thought you should always be learning. (She was a teacher her entire life.)

My friends spoiled me with a celebration on a yacht.

I took a 6-week class our church offered this winter. The purpose was to help us learn more about the way God created us and live into His call for us. We learned about our personalities (we also took the Enneagram test), our spiritual gifts, and our natural abilities and how God can bring all those things together to serve others. It was really interesting and fun and helpful. If you live in Gig Harbor the class is being offered again starting tomorrow. Go to the Chapel Hill website to find out more. 

Thanks for taking the time to read See Jane Learn to find out what I've been up to in my little corner of the world.

What have you learned this winter?

In His grip and grateful for grace,
xo Jane

What I Learned This Spring, 2019

I'm linking up with Emily P. Freeman and other bloggers to share what we've learned over the past three months. I feel honored that Emily allows novice writers like me to attach our posts to her amazing, talented, thoughtful writing. If you have not listened to her podcast, Do the next right thing, you must! Her book, by the same name, has been released and is fabulous. I have the audio version and I bought the hard copy for my oldest daughter. She says she's hi-lighted a ton and it's helping her as she navigates her summer move down to San Diego.

Here are five things I learned this Spring:

1. Blonde Coffee looks lighter, yet has more caffeine.

I might have blond hair, but I don't enjoy the "blonde roast" coffee. It has quite a lot of acidity~sort of why I don't like IPA beers. I assumed light meant light-in-flavor and low caffeine content. Although some coffee aficionados suggest there isn't a big difference in caffeine content, most agree that after the beans crack open the second time during roasting, they develop oil on the bean surface which changes the color and flavor. Let it be noted that most West coast coffee drinkers and Europeans enjoy a darker roast. That explains why I do too! I had my DNA tested and I'm a combo of Great Britain, Norwegian, French, Scottish, and German. Oh, and I'm a Midwest girl transplanted in the Pacific Northwest.) I might not enjoy a blonde roast, but I love going on adventures with my blond friends!

My hubby gifted me with a Mini-Keurig this Mother's Day and my favorite thing about it is I can choose a different blend every day! I've been rotating through Italian, French, Pike Place and Breakfast Blend pods.

2. Soy is an ingredient in almost everything! 

Due to a digestive issue, my Grandbaby's doctor forced my daughter to go on an elimination diet for a while. (No dairy, soy, eggs, nuts.) Every time I would grab a product that came in some sort of container (jar, can, box) rather than fresh produce or animal protein it seemed to contain soy! Why? Well, I looked it up... Here's how soy is explained by allergicliving.com: 

"Their consistency allows them to be transformed into oils and flours, as well as dairy and meat substitutes. Importantly, isolated soy proteins are used to emulsify fat and bind water, which keeps many products' moistness without affecting other ingredients."

Thankfully products must have an easy-to-read "contains soy" label since it's the 8th most common food allergy in the world. It might blow your mind to read a list of common food sources. The best substitute we found for actual Soy Sauce was the Coconut Aminos sold at Trader Joe's.

3. You can be sad from a distance.

It goes without saying that the day the Notre Dame Cathedral burned it caught the attention of the world. It was tragic to watch the gorgeous, historic landmark being destroyed by flames. It was so painful to watch on television; I can't imagine the horror that Parisians felt watching it happen in person. I am one of the fortunate people who got to visit Notre Dame on a trip years ago with my husband. It was magnificent!

Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt |  AFP | Getty Images

4. Parenting lessons can come from the news.

When I heard about the college admissions scandal when the story broke in March, I couldn't stop thinking about the mothers. It might have had to do with the fact that this Spring I binge-watched ALL the seasons of the Hallmark series When Calls the Heart, which starred Lori Loughlin as Abigail Stanton.  I just couldn't connect the kind character she played with her real-life mama decisions... I felt like I knew her. Then I remembered she was acting.

Emily P. Freeman's podcast episode 75 explained why she couldn't get it off her mind either. You need to read it or listen. Thank you, Emily, for describing what I couldn't put into words. 

"Doing the next right thing happens one step at a time. So does doing the next wrong thing." and "Today, as you make decisions about your own life and on behalf of those you love, be willing to admit the false stories you’ve been telling yourself." 

I remember when my four children were applying for college. It was a stressful time for a couple of them who missed the scholarship requirement by just a smidge. Thankfully they were still able to attend the University that was their first choice (Yay, Whitworth! Boo for loans.) Their life stories would have been different if they had gone to other schools, but I know God would have been with them down that path. In my brain, I believe it is a parent's responsibility to allow our children to succeed and fail without interceding on their behalf.  In my heart, I often see myself trying to "fix" things. I wrote a blog about my need to fix things. You can read it here.  Lori, I am really sad for you, but you crossed a line...

5. I was born to be pale.

If you read my last blog post, then you know I just had another bout of skin cancer; my second Melanoma. When we've gone on vacations to Florida, Arizona, Hawaii, and California, I love laying out in the sunshine reading. It's been my FAVORITE part of our get-aways besides enjoying the warm weather, scenery, food and drinks, and time with my man away from home. 

I now know that I need to spend more time in the shade and more diligence in coating myself in sunblock.  Life is more important than looks, so I will learn to embrace my fair skin and/or apply self-tanner like a superstar. I will protect myself like I'm a tender baby.

Thanks for taking the time to read See Jane Learn to find out what I've been up to in my little corner of the world.

What have you learned this Spring?

In His Grip, 

xo Jane