Sunday, February 27, 2011

The Silver-Woven Lining

For today's update, lets start with my Bottom 5 and Top 5 events of the past week:

BOTTOM 5:
1. The car decided to stop starting regularly. Long story short, it has been in the shop for 3 days to get the starter replaced, and we have been stuck in Dunsmuir without a car and without weekend bus service. The up-side of this? We have learned to do without AND we get the car back tomorrow!

2. Everything seems to be taking so long to manifest here. Job opportunities are scarce, if not non-existent. Our work on the house is slow even though we work throughout the day, all day. Unpacking is still incomplete because we lack shelving and finished rooms. The up-side of this? I am learning a new level of patience AND trust that things will fall into place in our lives here.

3. I am seriously missing regular social interaction! I have yet to tap into the community here and build new bridges. The up-side of this? I am spending lots of quality time with my betrothed AND making more of a daily effort to stay in touch with friends and family afar.

4. Psoriasis is popping up in various spots of my body. It is chilly here still, though mostly sunny, so I am not getting the direct sun to skin contact I need to keep these spots away. I have one spot right in the middle of my forehead! The up-side of this? Hmmmm.....it is a reminder that the quality of my life AND the character of my being do not have to do with what my skin looks like.

5. We are still finding signs of black mold lingering in the house. The up-side of this? The persistence required to obliterate the mold from the house is helping us to create a healthy AND safe home environment!


Now that we got that out of the way....


TOP 5:
1. Lucas and I went snowshoeing on Mt. Shasta, before our car officially needed help. It was soooo beautiful and magical to snowshoe among the tall evergreens clumped with snow. The best part about this? We had a good workout AND felt so happy to call this area our home.



2. While snowshoeing on Mt. Shasta, I met THE local midwife. We talked for a few minutes of our shared passion for birth and babies. Tomorrow we are going to meet for tea because she is excited to help me develop my niche of teaching infant massage classes in the area and doing post-partum doula work. The best part about this? I AM developing a social network AND moving forward with finding an income.


3. Even though our car breaking down caused me to cancel a meeting with the members of a collective art studio (who are in search of a ceramic artist to join their crew), they were happy to reschedule. This Wednesday I will be meeting with them, to make sure that I am the right fit for their collective. If all goes well, I will be getting my hands dirty again soon! The best part about this? I AM developing my social network AND moving forward in finding both another source of income AND a much needed creative outlet.

4. The painting job in our bedroom should be done in the next few days. Also, Lucas and I have made major, though slow, headway in the bathroom. The walls are almost ready to be primed, then painted. And the floor is almost done being re-tiled. Lucas has been working hard! The best part about this? We will be able to sleep in a bedroom on my bed once again, AND leave the living room for sitting and reading, AND the bathroom is well on it's way to being finished.



5. And last but not least, I am feeling so blessed and lucky. Even though we haven't been letting ourselves spend money on eating out until we get jobs (we haven't eaten out at all since being here, now 4 weeks in!), we have been eating many awesome home-cooked meals. Healthy, diverse, and delicious. More recipes from my kitchen to follow soon! Also, we really do have a nice strenuous hike right in our backyard. Today, we hiked a little bit further than before and found a view of Mt. Shasta looming as sacred guardian over the area. It was awesome. The best part about this? I am getting healthier and stonger by eating so well AND by getting back in shape!


Give thanks for all the goodness we are blessed with in our lives, AND for the things that seem hard. Don't they usually have a silver-woven lining too?


What are you thankful for?

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