Spring Green

 Writing is one of my most favorite things to do but do you know my least favorite thing about blogging? Finding a title to the post. I get stuck on it every time. It either sounds stupid, too long, uninteresting or leaving the reader wondering what the heck the post could possibly be about. Well today I titled it after one of my favorite childhood books which is about Danny the Duck who is invited to a birthday party that has the theme "green". He is required to bring one green item and spends forever trying to decide what to bring. He ends up meeting a frog and they become friends and he brings the frog as his green themed item to the party. I also named the post Spring  Green because I'm dying for the valley and my property to turn green. My chickens must know that spring is in the air, they've left me some beautiful blue eggs in the last few days after taking a 3 month hiatus. It's a precious time of year here!    

        I never much liked spring on the west side of Washington. I associated it with rowing a boat to get to work (JK, but sometimes it felt like it) and cruel teases of summer in the air. Now, I'm chomping at the bit to get to projects listed in my previous post. Has it really been 45 days since I last wrote? Wowzer. 

       Something I struggle with so much is being in the moment. I'm a planner, organizer and dreamer and that leaves my head swimming in ideas for the future. When things don't get done in a certain time frame or fashion, I find myself getting mad at no one in particular. I was walking up to the house from the compost pile which is a little ways down the driveway. Our driveway is very steep and and feels like you are never going to reach the top but then suddenly the house is there on the top of a hill looking over the valley and it's a beautiful site. I remember what it felt like when I first saw the cabin. When I wondered how long and steep is this dang driveway? I've already forgotten, after only 10 months of living here, how beautiful and peaceful it is. I've been so eager to get to my plans that when I look at our house and our land, all I see is work now. I am trying to work on balancing being able to move forward with my goals and maintain gratitude for the gifts God has given me. I begged God for years to give me my own home on land with my horses and here we are. Now all I can think is "I need more money, more time, more energy, etc". More, more more. Ugh, I get sick with myself. I am incredibly grateful for the views from our home because sometimes it just forces me to sit down and marvel. Even when it's five degrees outside and snowing I will sit outside on the porch. (View from last time things were kinda green) 

I've been finding over the last few months that my energy and oxygen levels are dwindling. Walking the hill up to the barn or stacking wood is leaving me more out of breath than before. My annual cardiology appointments are approaching in April and for at least a month prior, I'm always deep in thought about it. It's like, for the rest of the year I hardly even remember I have these issues and  then all of a sudden its "that time" and I'm lost in it. As I was pondering these health issues of mine, God was saying to me "If your health declines, are you capable of just being grateful for what I have given you right in this moment, knowing you will not have the energy to improve upon it?" yikes! For a workaholic like me, that's a hard pill to potentially swallow. My first thought is "No God, I need several more acres fences, more animals, a garden, etc". But hey, He is just trying to keep me down to Earth. I'm really rock'n the dark circles, something I didn't used to have! 

What are your spring plans? What would happen if God slammed the breaks on in your life and made it  so that you couldn't pursue any of your goals any more or move forward in your life, could you still find a way to be content in Him? 

Until next time

-L