I am here.

I am here, present among the pines and the wood that sinks deep beneath the surface. I dance in the mist that blankets heavy, waiting for the light that will break and scatter me along the grains of sand and stone.

In the armchair that nature has carved for me,
I will sit, and behold the sandwiched layers of time spread out before me,
I will listen, for the fleeting echos of ancient whispers by land, by animal, by river, by wind and rain, that sings for the caged spirit within.
I will watch, with scouring eyes for the next glimpse of magic that colors the sky, then gaze in awe at the life I've been given to witness such incredible things...

And it dropped out of the sky like paint dripping from a can. They ran out to meet it in search of gold and treasure, riches as far as the imagination can stretch. They said they coudn't find any. Look again, my darlings.

It's been awhile, I know, but there is no excuse. Life has been magical.

Cheers to you this Friday...

Yarn Along ~ The Why of It (part 2)

Joining Ginny over at Small Things for Yarn Along:

"~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? ... ~"

My apron is coming along nicely.  It's cute little pattern with a simple K4 Sl1 on one side, and Purl on the other creates subtle vertical pleats along the front of the apron.  As I continue to learn to knit, my respect for this craft continues to grow.  It is simple, yet intricate, repetitive yet demands attention to detail, and soon I am finding that my emotional investment in a piece gets woven in between as well.  I think I am beginning to love it :).

Last week I started reading The Why Cafe' by John Strelecky.  I finished it and to give you a brief summary, here are the three main questions the book explores: "Why are you here?", "Do you fear death", "Are you fulfilled?".

This book is very short, but does a fairly good job of getting to the point in encouraging people to find their PFE: purpose for existing.  It's a another way of saying find what you love to do and devote your life to that purpose.  It also explores why people might fear death, suggesting that it's because most people spend their lives doing things they think they have to (essentially to make money), not what they love to do.  That lack of fulfillment creates fear that there won't be time for the things they love before they die.  The book goes on to say that if we know our purpose, do what we love and feel fulfilled, then there is no fear that there is never enough.  Death becomes accepted as the next part to play, not something to be feared. 

Hmmm, my own PFE? I think for now it's to be the mom my kids need me to be, and the wife my hubs needs me to be, all the while sprinkling fun, enjoyment, and discovery as much as I can.  How I evolve from here, we'll just have to see.  I don't believe I fear death, but how can I know for sure really until I'm staring at it head on?  I do know there is much I would like to do before that happens, and maybe that is the point.  Am I at least doing the things, or working on the things I want to do, before I die?  Well, let's just say, for right now, I am enjoying writing, knitting, and Yarn Along's with you all :).  Follow the joy, that might be a good plan, yes?  And you?

Wonderment

 Children do that. They wander and wonder most of their childhood. They explore, ask questions, and discover. For them, life is a time of constant renewal, constant growth, and exciting possibilities. I remember. I remember when the most important thing to do was to climb in that dirt hill beside our house and make race car tracks, or to discover a new part of the woods behind us.  I remember fondly, and wistfully, and ponder how and when all that changed.


Many call it "real life" or the "real world", as if it's some requirement of adulthood to have to stop dreaming and stop wondering. To "grow up" meant to accept that life is more about drudgery, meeting "necessary" requirements  and have-to's. Life becomes more about making ends meet, paying bills, meeting deadlines, building a career, going through the motions... School, school, school! Then, work work work!!  To be idle is to be lazy, dead or uninspired!! Bah I say.


When I watch my children, they look far from idle to me. They look far from lazy or uninspired. They look alive, they look happy, and they look free.


At this moment, I hear all the voices of my past, present and future--screaming to me again about "real" life--how its full of pain, conflict, requirement, disappointment, necessity, and hard work. I deny none of that.  In fact, I embrace it, as it's all a part of renewal, change and growth. There is none without it.


This blog is about rediscovering the power of wonderment as we deal with the curveballs that "real life" has to offer. I want to rediscover and explore a meaningful life with my family, through fresh and unfiltered eyes. It is about our family's journey from a life of just being alive, to a life of feeling alive.


We are unschoolers and life learners, all four of us, and this is our journey.