Get Dirty!

 

So… Cleanliness is next to Godliness, they say, but let me be the Devil’s advocate for a moment, please, and bear with me down the winding path.

One of the factors leading to my “cool grandma” status, is allowing the grandchildren to get dirty, do messy stuff, and use my tools. There are days you would be horrified to see the mess left in the wake of grandkid projects, but they are so happy when they’ve successfully created something.

We all know cleanliness may be next to Godliness; however, God is also a Master Creator, and I’ve never worked with a creative person whose work area was “clean.” 

If you are a painter, there are always paint splatters, paint brushes, your clothes, the floor, your hair, and whatever else you touched that needs to be cleaned.

If you do crafting, its always the glue, the tiny scraps of whatever you cut, stuff that fell on the floor and stuck to your shoe, leftover pieces that need to be cleaned, and the "stuff" the vacuum refuses to pick up.

If its woodworking, it’s the sawdust, the stain, and splinters in your hand. Heck, I can’t even draw on the sidewalk without being covered in chalk dust.

You just absolutely cannot bring something new into this world without some mess. Just ask an OB nurse if you need confirmation of that!

So, what is my point?

If you hold on too tightly to the admonishment that cleanliness is next to Godliness, you may expect your life to be simple and easy. Everything in its place, nothing to worry or complain about. You may expect to live your life on Easy Street, and end up being very frustrated when things don’t go according to your plan.

Therefore, I ask you to consider this perspective. Being created in God’s image makes us creators, too. And, as I said, creation is messy. This is why sometimes our lives seem so complicated. There are always problems to be dealt with. Things are put in our path, both good and bad, that we never expect. "Stuff" changes all of the time. We have to learn how to be the engineers and architects of our own growth, the explorers that carve out the path when we can’t see what lies ahead, and most importantly, mentors to assist those brave (or foolish) enough to follow us.

I guess my point is – Get messy. Get dirty. Get involved!

Life ain’t easy, so share what you know, support who you can, and work together to creatively follow the path to happiness.

 

 contributed by Melody Lowe

SNACKIN'

 

Well, this will give me good reason to eat one of my favorite snack foods! March 14^th is National Potato Chip Day!  We all have that one food we just can’t turn down, and for me it is the potato chip (or a version thereof – chips, nachos, cheezits, straws, etc.)

My most recent favorite is the kettle-cooked variety. It’s changed through the years as trends and availability have changed. I recall my mother making trips to find Sterzings chips before they were available in our town. She would drive at least 100 miles round trip to buy her chips. (Hmmm… maybe this chip craving is genetic?)

Lately, many restaurants have offered “home-cooked” chips. I haven’t gotten up the courage to make my own, but I might try that one day. (My recent homemade Crab Rangoon Pizza was a winner!)

And also happening March 31 is National Tater Day. (Do you see the pattern here?)

Another of my favorites is the twice-baked potato (or sweet potato). Doesn’t matter if it’s plain, cheesy, or loaded. They are all good. There must be a million potato recipes on the internet. Maybe I should get all of my grandchildren together and have a “Potato Day” and have each one pick a recipe for us to make. (Don't judge me! Yes – we can have a day where we just eat potatoes!)  And then maybe, whichever one is their overall favorite we could serve at our Easter meal.

It's okay. Give yourself permission to celebrate potatoes! (And aren’t you supposed to plant potatoes around Easter? I need to look that up!)

 

 

 

Contributed by Melody Lowe

 

 

Resolutions - How's that going?

Remember all those resolutions you made in January?

Remember all those expectations you had of yourself and other people had for you?

Remember all of that stress you placed on yourself right on the heels of all of the holiday pressure you endured?

Did it make you feel like this?  AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!

Consider this subtle shift. 

Make a few SPRING resolutions instead. Instead of trying to rejuvenate your life in January when Earth is in the middle of winter and everybody just wants to hibernate, consider planning your rejuvenation with the Earth’s spring wake-up.

This is a natural time of awakening and rebirth in our culture. Everybody is excited for the first day of spring, spring break, and Easter celebrations. We finally have sunlight past 5 pm so we feel inclined to get out and enjoy the evening rather than cozying up in the house. You see people out walking, children outside playing, people in parks… Everyone is ready to “get out there.” Doesn’t it make more sense to make a few resolutions in conjunction with that?

A word of caution. Just like I said in January, don’t make your goals so high, or have so many, that you feel overwhelmed and the experience becomes negative. Just pick what reset point works for you (New Year’s or New Spring, or maybe something else) and be comfortable moving forward.

The equinox is not that many days away! Happy Spring to you!

Contributed by Melody Lowe

 

 

 

Cursive Writing…

Why? Why!? Why is our culture turning its back on this art form? 

I don’t understand it!

I love the feel of a fine pen moving across the paper as it captures my mind’s thoughts and transforms them. It’s a very satisfying feeling. It opens the imagination.

I’m not talking about the scribbled shopping list, or the messy reminder on the post-it note that was written in a hurry. I’m talking about true thoughts put to paper, perhaps in a journal that you use each day. Your family will cherish the thoughts you shared in your journal someday. They show children and grandchildren (and great-grandchildren) a side of you they may never have known, your history, your growth, your life. Every person I know who has inherited a set of journals has been extremely grateful for the memories encased within those sheets of paper.

As a writer, I have many different pens and various types of paper. Finding the right combination for the project I am working on is important to me. When the pen flows freely, so do the character’s thoughts, the scenes, the plot twists. Yes, it can get messy. There is a lot of editing going on as I write. Many strike-throughs, a lot of words crammed in between lines, and related ideas squished into the margins for another chapter. Taking the time to do this – in cursive – brings the pages to life for me, and allows me to create in written form what I have imagined so I can share it with others. There is power in it.

Why is there power in it? The act of physically writing things down on paper is associated with more robust brain activity in multiple areas and better memory recall. Yes, there is science behind this, and personal satisfaction.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210319080820.htm 

I frequently ask my grandchildren if they are learning cursive writing at school and it seems a bit hit and miss. I keep telling them that any note I leave for them will always be written in cursive. It will be my secret code, and if they can’t read it, they just might miss out on something special. After all, how many hieroglyphics and symbols are considered “dead” languages because people can’t decipher them? Yes, maybe it is just a receipt on that ancient clay tablet, but what if it’s directions to something incredible? We won’t know until we learn the secret code. Let’s make it simple for future archaeologists! Keep cursive writing alive!

contributed by Melody Lowe

 Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your loved ones!

Sure, it’s turned into a commercial holiday, but the costs of flowers or chocolates aside, it reminds us to tell those significant people in our lives that they are loved.

Of course, we all immediately focus on our husbands, wives, boyfriends, and girlfriends, but there are others, as well. Those family and friends we sometimes take for granted and forget to say how much we love them.

Valentine’s Day could never go missed at our house! My daughter was born in February – not on Valentine’s Day – but she decided at a very young age that Valentine’s Day was her holiday and there was no arguing about it. We always had to buy extra Valentine’s cards because she shared them with EVERYBODY!!!! I bought many boxes of these on sale after the day and she profusely shared them all year round. I don’t think she’s even outgrown that, she still loves her Valentine’s Day cards.

The point is, she wasn’t afraid to share her sentiments with those people that were important to her, and neither should you. You don’t have to buy expensive gifts, just share your authentic feelings with those you love.

And if you want to share a little something else, here’s some history about the holiday! Valentine's Day

contributed by Melody Lowe

WOOHOO! It’s Global Movie Day…

I’m a movie person! That’s probably why I took up screenwriting as a hobby. While I partake in several types of writing, screenwriting is my favorite. Unfortunately, one of the disadvantages of this is I usually know what’s going to happen in a movie within the first 15 minutes. It’s the rare occasion that I am surprised. Does it bother me? No. I’m still going to watch movies, and share praises for those who do surprise me.

And since it’s “Global” Movie Day, I would encourage to watch some foreign films, as well. It’s easy to watch the English-speaking ones, but I challenge you to watch a non-English speaking movie (yes, this involves reading all of the subtitles) as I’ve found some movies that I really enjoyed through making this effort.

So, take some time this weekend (if you can fit it in around your Superbowl activities) to watch your favorite movie, or something new that appeals to you. Perhaps you have a favorite football movie…

It’s okay to indulge in a guilty pleasure once in a while. Let’s all go to the movies (and the lobby!)

 

Contributed by Melody Lowe

New Year's Resolutions - Yes or No?

Every year, many of us take the time to reflect on our lives and set New Year's resolutions. Whether it’s a goal to lose weight, save money, or learn a new skill - setting New Year's resolutions is an opportunity to create meaningful milestones in our lives and make positive changes.

New Year's resolutions can be a great way to stay motivated and focused on personal growth. They can help us stay accountable for our goals and remind us of the progress we’ve made over the course of the year. It’s important to remember that New Year's resolutions are not meant to be overwhelming or unachievable, but rather achievable goals that will help us reach our desired outcomes. Take it in baby steps! Don’t set your goals so high that they drive you crazy and the whole process begins to feel negative. Whether you use resolutions or not, the point is to give yourself a reset point, and be comfortable in moving forward.

Happy New Year!

contributed by Melody Lowe