Category Archives: Books

Jan 22

It’s The Little Things

Chicken City

Winter finally returned this week! Mid-week, another winter storm moved in, dumping several inches on us. Today, we ended up with a drizzly, icy rain that left a coating of ice on the vehicle. We enjoyed lots of time indoors with the dogs this week, and managed to get outside a little bit too.

Our basset hound is obsessed with a YouTube channel called Chicken City. She prefers it to be on the televsion all day long, and will often whine and bark if it is not. She also still loves to play with stuffed animals. For Christmas, my Mom got her a stuffed animal; her very own chicken! It was one of the best gifts she could have gotten, and she has been enjoying it since we opened it this weekend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHcFEvoaHLI

Time With Family

Between the blizzard on Christmas Eve, and illness, we didn’t get to spend Christmas with either side of the family. This week, we celebrated with some of Ben’s family early in the week and part of my family later in the week. I spent time with my mom, sister, a niece and nephew at a sporting event, and we exchanged Christmas gifts. It’s odd doing Christmas almost a month later, but since the accident, and with Ben’s health declining, we’ve needed to adjust our expectations and plans in so many different ways.

It was great to see family, and I enjoyed a nice drive. In north-west lower Michigan where we live, it’s often a drive to get anywhere. The weather was great though, and the drive took me through a lot of countryside with limited traffic, which was really nice. I spotted a couple of new species to add to my bird list for this year, bringing the total number of species to 16, and I was able to pick up a few groceries at Meijer on my way back. This may not seem like a big deal, but where we are at, stores like Meijer and Walmart are a bit of a drive, so we plan our trips carefully.

Books I’m Reading:

I haven’t shared book ideas in a while. Here are three books I am either currently reading or have recently read:

  1. Atomic Habits by James Clear
  2. Dear Writer, You Need to Quit, by Becca Syme
  3. When We Were Young, by Karen Kingsbury.

One thing I’ve noted in the past that I’ll mention again now is that different people like different books. I recommend books I am enjoying, but may still be reading some of them. It is always possible I may miss something inappropriate or may not have read a section yet that is inappropriate. Also, things I don’t have a problem with, others may find offensive and vice versa. While I am enjoying and recommend these books, please use your own discretion when picking out books to read.

It’s the Little Things

This week, we remembered my sister-in-law Morgan, who has now been gone 15 years. You can read about that here: https://talesfromnorthcountry.com/2023/01/18/fifteen-years-later/

So often, life seems to be able up of all the big things that happen to us. Deaths, marriages, babies born, graduations, new jobs, big moves, and so many other things that we encounter. And yet, in the day-to-day of lives there are so many amazing things that happen every day and we often pass them right by.

One of the things I will always remember about Morgan is how she focused on the ordinary, but made it seem extraordinary. In memory of her, my dad created a video on Facebook. I hope the link will work. https://www.facebook.com/100000178873722/videos/842670623469457/ In the video, you can see the photography that Morgan took, how it focused on not only the big picture, but also the little things like a butterfly on a flower, raindrops on a daisy or leaf, waves rolling up on a beach, or pinecones hanging from a tree.

Life isn’t just about the big events. The little things matter too. The way the sun slowly rises in the morning or sets in the evening, the way the rain falls softly on a windshield, or the way whipped cream slowly melts in a cup of hot cocoa; it’s these little moments that I think we’ll remember the most in the end. Sure, we’ll remember the weddings, funerals, births, graduations, and other major events. But I’ve found they often don’t stand out as much day to day as the little moments do.

The little things matter. They really do. Whether it’s finding time to read a book, or soak in some fresh air, feel the rain upon your face or feel like water between your fingers as you glide across a lake in a canoe, it’s those moments that make up every day. Often, we pass those moments by because they seem so ordinary, and yet, when we really stop to look at them, they often become extraordinary. Like an amazing sunrise we stop to admire, or a mother duck slowly gliding across a lake with her babies, like the way ice cream is so satisfying on a hot summer day, and how green grass feels against the toes when you’ve had nothing but snow for so long. Those are the moments we need to hold on to, to treasure. Sure, the big moments are important too, and we need to remember them as well, but it’s the little moments that make up our lives.

-Until next time,

Cindy

Jan 15

Catalyst

The Sun Will Shine Again

We’ve had a beautiful week here in North-west lower Michigan, finally getting some sunshine. Michigan isn’t known for its sunny days, especially in winter and this winter has been very cloudy. I’ve seen some reports saying we haven’t had a full day of sun since November, and it’s been weeks since we’ve really seen the sun at all. This week, the sun came out for several days. We enjoyed walks outside, and a beautiful stary night in January.

It felt strange to be able to walk around outside in January. We often have several feet of snow this time of year, so having bare ground and not needing snowshoes to get around feels odd. It was really nice to be able to spend so much time outside this week though, without worrying about a lot of snow gear, or getting worn out quickly in the deep snow. I don’t know what lies ahead. We will likely get a lot more snow and cold temperatures in the days ahead, and probably a lot of cloudy days too. But eventually, the sun will shine again. There is beauty even in cloudy days, and they will not last forever. The sunshine this week was just what we needed to start off the New Year! A photo dump from this week:

Catalyst:

We originally started this blog back in 2012, transferring from another site to WordPress from another blog I’d started to share our adventures in north-west lower Michigan. For a couple of years, I posted occasionally, and then posts became even rarer as I started working on my first Master’s degree. For a brief time, I started posting again but it wasn’t much at all.

Then, in December of 2020, the accident happened. If you are just now starting to follow this blog, you can read about that here: A Christmas To Remember. It changed everything.

A catalyst is defined as “an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action (Merriam-Webster.com., 2023).

The accident was a catalyst to so many things in our lives, including writing more on this blog. At first, it started as a way for us to update people all at once. Then, slowly, it has started becoming what it was originally meant to be to begin with; a way to share our lives with others and keep track of life. A journal in a sense.

For years, Ben and I had discussed the possibility of me working remotely from home, especially as his health deteriorated. After the accident, that became more of a necessity and a possibility than it ever had before. With Grad school between 2013 and 2020, with only a year break between 2 Masters degrees, there were so many things I stopped doing and had to give up because Grad school and working full time came first.

When the accident happened, I was still trying to figure out how to get so many of those things back, like my writing time, birdwatching, playing piano and guitar, crafting, gardening, and doing so many of the other things I like to do. The accident forced us to rethink things. I’ve always been away of just how short life is, but the accident made me even more aware of it, and left me wanting to do so much more before my time on this earth is done. I was already writing a fair amount, but I wanted to write even more. I was barely going out birdwatching, taking photos, or doing crafts because we just never made the time for it.

The accident, in so many ways, became the catalyst to getting my life back. Not only in the physical sense, but getting back to what truly matters. Slowing down. Taking time to sit out in the sun and read a book, hike through a forest in the middle of winter, and jam a tune on the piano. Taking the time to put together a craft, or play with the dog, blog, or try new things I’ve been wanting to learn. It isn’t that I wasn’t doing those things at all before the accident, but I wasn’t doing them much. The accident made both my husband Ben and I aware of what we were actually taking for granted without even realizing it, and what we needed to change to get to where we wanted to be.

So, we started making those changes. I now work from home. I’m blogging this year more than I have in a long time, and I’m writing pretty close to daily. I’m reading books faster than I have in years and taking the time to enjoy the sunshine on my face, and the cold air in my lungs. Life is too short not to.

When temperatures and system pressure change, they become a catalyst to the weather. Clouds move in or get pushed out, either covering the sun, or making room for it to reappear. Just like the weather, pressure and changes in our own lives, whether negative or positive, lead to change. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. But eventually, long enough into the seasons, the sun makes it way out from behind the clouds again. Difficult days don’t last forever. And sometimes, they become the catalyst that leads us towards days better than anything we could ever imagine.

Until next time,

Cindy

Citations:

“Catalyst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catalyst. Accessed 15 Jan. 2023.

Dec 23

Tis The Season

Physical and Occupational Therapy/ Surgery Recovery

The recovery from the surgery I had in November continues to be longer than expected. I have been slowly building my stamina back up, and am able to do a little more most days. I still have days when I’m pretty sore, but have found if I rest for a day or two, the soreness mostly goes away and then I am less sore and able to do more afterwards.

Physical therapy has pretty much been put on hold until I recover more. I have been trying to do some simple PT exercises that my therapists taught me, such as lifting my legs as high as I can and rolling my ankles, but for the most part, I am not able to do a lot yet. I am getting closer though, and hope to return to PT after the New Year. For Occupational Therapy, most of what I do involves common, everyday things around the house such as pulling out laundry from the washer to the dryer, or folding it to put the laundry away. Sometimes I will use weights or a hammer with my wrists to help stretch the muscles out when they get tight.

Writing

My writing was slowed a little bit the past week, with the power outage. I’m hoping to catch back up in the next couple of days. I am aiming to write at least 50,000 words like I did for NaNoWriMo in November. So far, I’ve managed to write about 34,000 words this month.

I am also hoping to start posting a little more on www.myamuseinglife.com. It has been hard to get back into a routine now that I am able to type more, but I would really like to get my writing blog back up more.

Books On My Shelf

Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess, by Dr. Caroline Leaf

Feeding the Soul, by Tabitha Brown

Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers

The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

Please note: I recommend books I am enjoying, but may still be reading some of them. It is always possible I may miss something inappropriate or may not have read a section yet that is inappropriate. Also, things I don’t have a problem with, others may find offensive and vice versa. While I am enjoying and recommend these books, please use your own discretion when picking out books to read.

Scripture and Quotes:

Tis The Season

We are hoping to get a family photo at some point, but I thought I would share photos of our dogs for now, with their Christmas Bandanas. Christmas has been my favorite holiday pretty much my entire life. I like to go all out, with decorations both inside and outside the house as early in the season as we can get them up, and Christmas music playing, as well as special treats throughout the month of December. Last year, it was a very different celebration which I wrote about here…https://talesfromnorthcountry.com/2021/01/01/a-christmas-to-remember/.

This year is still not going to be a “normal” Christmas for us. Between me still healing from surgery, a power outage, and Ben’s health, the entire season feels off. It’s not our normal. But it is a new normal. We’ve been having a lot of conversations about starting some new traditions and finding a new normal in all of this.

Ultimately, no matter what we end up doing, what matters most is the reason we even celebrate Christmas to begin with. Now I realize there are many different beliefs out there, and not everyone agrees on Christmas. To me, Christmas is the time of year we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know this likely isn’t His actual birthday, and I am also aware that much of Christmas as we know actually came from pagans.

But I choose to celebrate because I want to honor the One who came to save the world. I need to be reminded every year, not only of the fact that He came, but how He came. Every year, we put up a tree and I reminded that my Savior gave His life on a tree for us. We add tinsel, and I am reminded of how Jesus is the One true King. We put up the lights, and I am reminded that He is the light of the world. We add ornaments, and I am reminded of all the years He’s given me on this earth so far. So much of this season reminds me of my faith. No matter what happens, no matter what traditions we miss out on, or how difficult things are, the one thing that remains constant is the Reason for the Season.

Last Christmas was a Christmas to Remember. This Christmas is as well, in different ways. In many ways, every Christmas is special, unique. Yet some stand out more than others, and the past couple of years are an example of this. Tis the season for lights, tinsel, gifts, time with family, decorations, and so many other things. Yet it is also the season of hope. Of a belief in a better tomorrow, and a time to celebrate a Babe born so long ago who came to save the world.

I know for non-believers, it doesn’t always make sense. There is so much about the Christian faith that relies on belief, not seeing. To quote from The Santa Claus movie “Seeing isn’t believing; Believing is seeing.” Sometimes, I think more often than not, we aren’t going to see the entire path in front of us. We just have to believe that it’s there.

This season may be different for us than many others in the past, but we choose to celebrate no matter what circumstances we find ourselves because it isn’t just about tinsel, and lights, good food, time with family and all the other little things we do. It’s about so much more. It’s about hope, faith, and love. It’s about a love so great that a baby would be born, and grow up to suffer and die for us. Our circumstances cannot change that. Tis the season for joy, for reflection and peace. Because in this season, we got the greatest gift we could have possibly dreamed of, and nothing on this earth can ever change that.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

-Until next time,

Cindy and Ben