Back in the day when I was blogging routinely, my friend from Love, Jaime and I wrote ‘stream of consciousness’ posts each Saturday morning. We’d set a timer and write for ten minutes about whatever was on our minds and hearts. Setting the timer allowed the words to flow without too much concern for grammar, syntax or even content.
I feel like resurrecting this tradition. Today is not Saturday and I may not be able to to do it every single week, but I’m going to put the goal into the universe and see what happens.
So, here goes. The timer is set.
It’s 6:50 a.m. I’m sitting on the porch at my house in Maggie Valley, N.C. Birds are chirping, rain is falling and the Smoky Mountain air is perfect this time of day. I have a thin blanket across my lap and can see the mountain tops through the trees. I love the early morning hours. As Rumi says in one of my favorite quotes, “The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep.”
And also, I’m trying to escape the inside of my house because the air conditioner is out and I had a recent flea infestation. My cat’s flea medicine apparently didn’t absorb well enough last month, which led to the pesky little insects taking up residence in my house.
My boyfriend, Matthew, and I worked tirelessly last week while the boys were at the beach with their dad. We bombed, set traps, cleaned, covered floors with baking soda, made homemade essential oil sprays, vacuumed a million times, etc. etc. Aside from the fleas, my house is the cleanest it’s ever been. And fortunately, we made a huge dent in the infestation. The upstairs rooms, where the boys are, have been eradicated pretty much. We’re still finding a few here and there, but things are looking up. I’ve learned a lot about fleas, so if you need an amateur pest control person, I’m your gal.
My air condition is also out, but I think I have a plan for that. Other than having to spend money, no A/C in the Western North Carolina mountains is much less of a burden than fleas.
I’ve been missing my mom something horrible lately. She loved this time of year and when she was alive, I was still teaching, so I always had summers off. We would take the boys all over the place during those summer months. We also had a family beach trip every year, which I also miss. I haven’t been to the beach with the boys in three years, so I am excited to say we’re going in a few weeks. It will be wonderful to be back on the ocean, watching sunsets and searching for sharks teeth. My mom will be in my heart the entire time.
During my morning quiet time, I always try and have an inspirational book to read. Right now I’m reading Emily Freeman’s The Next Right Thing. It’s a faith-driven book about what it looks and feels like to listen to God and our own intuition about making the next right move or choice, whether it’s professionally or personally. With so many changes in my life over the past several years, I need a book like this in my life.
My timer just went off. Those ten minutes flew by. I could sit on this relaxing porch and write all day long, but I have a day to get started. Here’s to a good Monday, friends. May it be productive, light-hearted and offer some smiles and surprises along the way.