Driving the stick shift of determination…
Just make it up
Just make it up the hill.
This is what I told myself when I was stuck halfway between the bottom and the top of my driveway. I was 14 or 15 years old and didn’t have my license, yet. I was a farm kid, so it wasn’t unusual for me to be driving before turning sixteen.
A lot of practice happens between driving all the tractors, trucks, and other farm equipment. Through the fields on different farms, I learned to drive a manual transmission. These fields provided the perfect locations for learning.
Mostly flat, mildly muddy, and, thankfully, no one…
Sheltering in place and “doing school”
With Covid-19 being all anyone is talking or concerned about right now, I have been thinking a lot about the families and children who have been thrust into this time of unknown and chaos. There are daily changes and recommendations into what we can/should and can’t/shouldn’t do. Whether you are on board with the decisions to cancel everything and self-quarantine, or you are “team carry-on”, you are still stuck in the same boat. You and your children are probably at home together, continuing with school assignments and remote work for at least two to three weeks, maybe longer. …
They are not synonyms … even though Webster says so
This is the time of year we hear the words “JOY” and “HAPPINESS” everywhere. We see the wonderful Christmas commercials, the lights, the holiday songs and we feel all the feels! We get caught up in the “feel-good” of the season. These things create a happy emotion that rises within us. Some think it brings joy.
This is the reaction that every company wants us to have when we see their commercials. The marketing team hopes it can get you to think just because you have THEIR product, ONE certain cup of coffee, THAT particular car… then you WILL be…
without losing your lunch!
We’ve all been there. Sitting down to a nice dinner at a restaurant, and suddenly there is a loud shrill from a young child. You try not to look over; you try not to be annoyed, you try to continue with the meal you are paying good money for.
However, your child won’t stop! (You thought I was talking about someone else, didn’t you?) You are just hoping that no one else is as upset as you.
We have four very small children, (5, 3 and 1 yo twins) so when we enter a dining establishment, we get all kinds…
What is anchoring you when the hurricanes of life hit?
Right now we are in the midst of hurricane season
It runs from June 1 through the end of November. Where I live, this isn’t important information. However, anyone who lives near a coastal town or outlying island knows… it is time to make sure you are prepared, whether one is bearing down on you, like Dorian, or not. This is the time to evaluate.
What supplies do you have on hand?
What do you need to survive?
What do you need to come out on the “other side?”
What are you anchored to?
I was reading a book recently, by Colleen Hoover, All Your Perfects. In this book, she…
How the journey of running and developing life habits parallel
I have recently taken up running (jogging to most people). This is significant because all of my life I’ve made statements like, “I only run if something’s chasing me!” or “Running is torture!”
I know…a little dramatic, but necessary to set the stage. When thinking of actually increasing my pace from a walk to what I’d call a run, it would seem like an impossible task. Until I did it one day.
I have a personality that is NOT Type A. I could sit in a chair, the couch, on a beach and read a book all day. …
Getting rid of the trash and dirt
Every single time I sweep my floors, I think, “Didn’t I just do this?” Every single time there is a pile of dirt, crumbs, and dust that needs to be swept away. And, every single time it always amazes me how much accumulates in just a short time. However, with four small kids, a large dog, and two adults in the house, there seems to always be something! I know many of you can relate. It truly is a never-ending job. It is, nevertheless, a necessary one.
I’ve come to realize how much the floors in my house are like…
How to rid yourself of the blood suckers
It is tick season where I live. They are hatching and attaching themselves to anything that moves. We live in an area surrounded by woods and deer. So, that means there are lots of these around!
When you venture outside, it’s important to check yourself when returning in. I don’t always do this. And thus, found me in a predicament the other day. A tick had bitten into my skin. It was so small it looked like a tiny scab the size of a pencil led. However, after the initial moment of “Yikes!” I knew what I had to do!
…
How this may help save your relationships
Getting out of your routine
Picture a beautiful, long winding road. Peaceful sun streaming through the windows and sunroof. Nice, freeing drive. My hubby and I were in the car together on a weekend-long road trip!
We were away from our normal routine of day to day things. We were away from our young daughter, work, boring errands. So fun! I was blissfully in la-la land.
Daydreaming, enjoying the sunshine pouring through the windows along with peace and quiet. (Because…hello…young children, no matter if they are 5 or 5 weeks…are LOUD) :)
Then my husband asks me, “What are three things I do that you…
In my Nanny’s kitchen, I felt ten feet tall. I would say I was her favorite, but if you ask my other cousins, they’d probably say the same thing! She made everyone feel as if they were the most important person in the world. She had a way about her that seemed to wrap everyone in a hug, even if she wasn’t actually physically hugging you.
This feeling, in my memories, began in her kitchen. Starting when I was only two or three years old, I would stand on a stool and “help!” When I was tired, she let me…
Amanda Balkema
A lover of the Jesus, ocean, books, and all things coffee and chocolate. Passionate about helping people with their life and relationships!
