In With the New ~ A Fresh Theme (and a Book List)

I had a vision for my new year, 2014—my year of 40.

January 1st was to bring a wondrous unveiling of a magical new world here at Mt. Hope Chronicles.

Big dreams. Big plans. Couldn’t pull it off. For various reasons. (Partly this, but mostly this.)

Rather than allowing myself to be stymied by my default all-or-nothing mentality, I’m going to try a one-snowflake-at-a-time approach. And eventually the world will be transformed.

Consider this book list post the first snowflake.

Can you guess my theme for the new year?

 

::  A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily P. Freeman

::  Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L'Engle (again)

::  Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

::  Standing by Words: Essays by Wendell Berry

::  The Way of the Storyteller by Ruth Sawyer

::  The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers

::  A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle

::  Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose by Flannery O'Connor

::  The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story by Bartholomew and Goheen (continued)

::  Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World by Tsh Oxenreider

::  A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned to Live a Better Story by Donald Miller (again)

::  The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big Thing by Jeff Goins

::  Notes From The Tilt-A-Whirl: Wide-Eyed Wonder in God's Spoken World by N.D. Wilson

::  The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life by Os Guinness

::  The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor

::  Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

::  Gilead: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson (again, possibly with Levi)

::  Peace Like a River by Leif Enger (again, possibly with Levi)

::  The Once and Future King by T.H. White

(With Levi)

::  The Story: Teen Edition: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People 

::  Watership Down: A Novel by Richard Adams

::  Fahrenheit 451: A Novel by Ray Bradbury

::  Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger

::  Harry Potter's Bookshelf: The Great Books behind the Hogwarts Adventures by John Granger

::  Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (series)

Favorite Posts of 2012 ~ A Year in Review

Blogging is, for me, a multi-faceted, interactive journal. A journal that would never happen otherwise.

Looking over the past (almost) six years of entries, I am astounded. Astounded by how far we’ve come. Astounded by how much we’ve grown. Astounded by the friendships I’ve made. Astounded by the books we’ve read.

The thoughts, the hopes, the experiences. The low moments, and the highs.

I recently reviewed this past year and picked out my favorite posts as I went along. I’m sharing them today in the hopes that you’ll (re)enjoy them, too.

Education:

In general, my monthly education reports are my favorites. Many days it felt as if we weren’t making progress, but keeping track of our book lists and lessons completed made me realize that putting one foot in front of the other each day truly works. I also loved collecting the quotes and links for inspiration and thought-provoking ideas.

Notes from one of my favorite Book Detectives meetings

Memory Master (I did it!)

I poured a lot of time and effort into this post detailing our experience with Classical Conversations.

Mt. Hope Academy ~ The Great Conversation (the first post in a homeschooling series that will be continued this month)

Reading:

18 Essential Books for 18 Years of Childhood

Living Life:

A Day in the Life~ Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 (Was that really a year ago?!)

Snow and Flood

A tour of our house

Thoughts on Life:

On being real

The difference between lovely and reality

Billboards (one of my most-viewed posts of the year)

Lola’s World:

The Many Faces of Lola (20 months)

Lola @ One (a fun collage from her year as a one year old)

Photo Sessions:

My fabulous four

Stephanie’s maternity session

Stephanie’s family session

Danielle’s family session

Shannon’s maternity session

Welcoming Rilla Grey

Adventure:

It’s no surprise that my trip to see Susan Wise Bauer in Virginia, as well as getting to know some fabulous women and hanging out with Tsh Oxenreider, was a high point of my year: Day 1, Day 2~The B&B, Day 2~Touring, Day 3, and Day 4.

Sand In Our Toes

California road trip to see my Grandparents (I had bunches of posts with pictures, but the important thing is that we spend time with my grandparents!)

Air

The first day of school

The Renaissance Faire

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I had a hard time narrowing it down to that long list! I’m surprised by how many lovely moments we had this year—which is the point of this blog. To remember. To speak gratitude.

And now I’m looking forward to a fresh year. A year full of wonderful possibility.

Have you chosen your One Little Word for the year? I hadn’t even been thinking of it when someone else mentioned it. My first reaction was that I had no idea how to go about picking a word. Then it popped into my head and I haven’t been able to get rid of it.

Onward.

Yes, one foot in front of the other and before we know it, we are on a journey. Who knows where it will take us.

One Little Word ~ 2011

I've been meaning to post about my One Little Word for 2011. Last year, I chose the word 'diligence' at the first of January. I was determined to conquer.... something. I was going to be amazing. And in control. And consistent. And astonishingly productive.

And just weeks into the new year, I found out I was pregnant.

2010 became the year of letting go of all control and preconceived notions about what *I* was going to accomplish. Instead, God turned unexpected....well, labor pains.... into unexpected blessings.

After almost a year of physical (and emotional) weariness, God gave me the most beautiful and wonderful baby girl. She has been a joy beyond what I could have ever imagined. I can't even begin to describe what a blessing she has been in my life. God knows. I can tell you that I feel invigorated and cheerful and strong.

Two weeks after Lola Colette was born, Russ lost his job. Under normal circumstances, this would have consumed me with trepidation or hopelessness. But, by some miracle, I have had no capacity to stress out about it. We are in a much better place than most unemployed families, as Russ is also semi-self-employed. So he has been working on multiple projects for personal clients while searching for a new job. I know God will continue to provide for our family. (Maybe you could add that to your prayer list if you are so inclined?)

In the meantime, I am abundantly thankful for the unexpected blessing of having Russ home and available to his family in the first months of Lola's life. He has been able to hang out with the boys, spend time with Lola, and be exceedingly helpful to me. We have been given the gift of time together, and that is priceless.

(Incidentally, I was thinking about the year I was pregnant with Leif. Russ worked some obscene hours that year which was really tough. I sprained my ankle when I was 8 months pregnant in the middle of a very hot summer (and Levi and Luke were 4 and 2), then Leif was a very needy baby, and we unexpectedly bought a house and moved at the end of the year. It was frustrating to have Russ gone so much, but when I look back at our income that year I realize that God was providing for us in a miraculous way. He made it possible for us to purchase and move into our little house in the country.)

All of this to say that I have been hesitant to choose a word for 2011. BLESSING was my first thought, but then I decided that was more appropriate for 2010.

Instead I've chosen LIFE, because I choose to embrace it, with all its ups and downs, detours and scenic routes, disappointments and possibilities, noise, chaos, and little quiet moments.

Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.

~Henry Van Dyke

To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.

~Emily Dickinson

Listen, are you breathing just a little and calling it a life?

~Mary Oliver

I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.

~Diane Ackerman

I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.

~Agatha Christie

Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: "I am with you kid. Let's go."

~Maya Angelou


Look, I don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive you've got to flap your arms and legs, you've got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully, or you're not alive.

~Mel Brooks

Living. Lovely, ~ Claim Your Vision

Vision looks inward and becomes duty.
Vision looks outward and becomes aspiration.
Vision looks upward and becomes faith.

~Stephen S. Wise

It is a new year of Living. Lovely.

(Want to know more? Read here and here!)



Did you

Claim Your Vision for 2010

yet?

I love to hear about what Living. Lovely. looks like in your life!
Please feel free to add your comments each week,
or blog about the challenges and share your link.
You are welcome to grab the image above (or the smaller image on my side bar) to post on your blog.
Remember to scroll down to the bottom of the post for next week's challenge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was hoping for a kind word. An easy word. A LOVELY word.

What I got? DILIGENCE.

I've spent quite a bit of time trying to get rid of it, but it won't go away.

Still looking for lovely in my life, but it is also:

Time to buckle down and GET TO WORK.

I'll be using my blog as an accountability tool. More about that on Saturday.


dil·i·gence

noun

Definition:

1. persistent effort: persistent and hard-working effort in doing something

What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence.

~ Samuel Johnson

He who labors diligently need never despair;
for all things are accomplished by diligence and labor.

~Menander of Athens

Hebrews 6: 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love

you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end,

in order to make your hope sure.

12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who

through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Hebrews 12: 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,

and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our words together make a big statement.
Watch out 2010!!

Perseverance

Determination

Positivity

FAITHFULNESS

Anticipation

Joy


DILIGENCE!!!

Forgive

Gracious

Embrace

Discipline

RESTORE

Breathe

Peace


Vitality


Intentional


ARDOR


Moments


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next week's Living. Lovely. challenge:

Read a Poem

It's a New Dawn

Two years ago, I followed Ali Edwards' lead and came up with One Little Word to inspire me over the course of the year. From her blog:

Essentially the idea is to choose a word (or let it choose you) that has the potential to make an impact on your life.

Maybe you want to invite something or maybe you are hoping to subtract something. Maybe your word will be practical or hopeful or creative or fanciful. Maybe you need a big word, something in-your-face that will challenge you everyday. Maybe you need something smaller and quieter that will whisper gentle tidings as you make your way throughout the year.

Last year, the word chose me. LOVELY. It was a beautiful reminder to find and create lovely in my life, and I have to say that it made a huge impact. As a way to wrap up the year, I'd like to share (again) the video that was my original inspiration for lovely.

As December draws to an end, I would encourage you to think about your hopes and dreams for this next year.

Our first Living. Lovely. challenge for January will be to seek out a vision for your new year,

and find a word that will whisper itself in your ear, day in, day out, as inspiration for living out that vision.

If you are willing to share your word in the comment section of this post,

I will add it to the list I post next Thursday (January 7th).


A vision is not just a picture of what could be;

it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more.

~Rosabeth Moss Kanter

The Beckoning of Lovely

Even though the thought was in the back of my mind, I couldn't seem to find the right word. Last year, finding words was easy for me. I couldn't even narrow it down to one. This year, however, nothing. A lingering, nagging voice kept saying, find your word. And still, nothing. Until yesterday. It was so clear. It shouted, even. LOVELY. And the word wouldn't go away. Lovely has grown in proportions you can't imagine.

From Merriam-Webster, these two definitions leaped out at me:

2. delightful for beauty, harmony, or grace

4. eliciting love by moral or ideal worth

I could fill pages with the thoughts of one day. It will have to wait. I promise it is coming, though. If you're curious, start with this video (below). And I leave you with this thought:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true,

whatever is noble, whatever is right,

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable

—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—

think about such things.

~Philippians 4:8

It's May Now?

Will some kind person tell me where April went? I've been looking for it everywhere. And it isn't just April. I want to know where Tuesday went. Where last week went. Where the past year has gone.

It isn't fair. Stop the ride. I want to get off! I want a leisurely Ferris Wheel or something.

Did I even have a monthly project for April? I think my monthly project was to stay alive.

Speaking of life, I think my project word for May is Vitality. I feel like my body is no longer keeping up. I need more water. More veggies. More sleep. More exercise. I've been doing really well the past week, but I need to keep it up. So that is it. I want more Vitality in my life. I'll let you know how that goes.

For those of you who visit for the decorating projects, I sincerely apologize that there hasn't been much inspiration recently. I go in waves and it can't be manufactured. When there are other things on my plate I have to prioritize. I promise there will be more to come in the future!

Thanks for all the comments last week. If anyone else links to my blog and would like their blog linked on my side bar, please feel free to leave a comment. I know I've missed a few of you and would love to get you linked.

Meals, Menus, and Planning

I know that I chose Celebrate for my March focus word, and that I am still finishing up my Finances from February, and that Routine is still a conscious priority, but do you think I should do something with my meal planning notebook?

As we set a tighter family budget and I continue to work on our routine, it seems as if getting dinner meals under control would be a big help. Levi now has Tae Kwon Do three nights a week and piano one (late) afternoon a week, and that seems to be doing a number on my throwing-dinner-together skills. I need a plan. I need a stocked pantry. I need easy access to my recipes. This mess isn't doing it for me.

I could use a little help. I am in need of easy recipes that can be thrown together with little effort, that 3 picky boys would eat, and that are more substantial (and healthier, home-cooked, and cheaper) than chicken nuggets or fish sticks.

Just to be fair, I'll share a few of my favorites with you:

+Chicken strips (pre-cooked or homemade from frozen chicken breasts), grated cheese, lettuce, tomato, and salsa wrapped in flour tortillas (I buy the uncooked ones at Costco and heat them on my flat stove-top griddle).

+Taco Soup: a can of chili heated with a can of diced tomatoes, topped with Fritos, grated cheese, chopped tomatoes and olives. A pan of cornbread served with honey-butter.

+Spaghetti: jarred spaghetti sauce with browned ground beef added (and steamed, pureed veggies if I'm industrious) and whole wheat noodles. Bread, salad, and corn served as well.

+If I'm feeling lazy but still have the time, we love to eat glazed spiral ham and cheese potatoes with a veggie.

I have two boys who don't care for potatoes, one who doesn't want to eat anything with tomatoes/tomato sauce, two who don't care for anything spicy... I need to get better about making the kids go hungry if they don't care to eat what is on their plate!

So, favorite (preferably easy) recipes you all would like to share?

Celebrate

Project 2008 Continues:

Finances

Unfortunately, the word (and Project 2008) that I have chosen for the month of February is Finances. There is just nothing beautiful or artistic about it. Nothing homey or calming. Not a bit soul-affirming or invigorating. Nope. Just money and paperwork.

As a child, the months of January and February were torture. There wasn't anything but rain, mud, and school. As an adult, my first impulse is to go weak in the knees with thrill at the thought of quiet, simple days of cookie baking and reading. I even start to get ambitious planning all of the organizing and cleaning projects I might be able to complete. Then it hits me like a ton of bricks. End of the year book-keeping. Taxes. Paperwork. Ugh. My dream is shattered.

I have a bit of envy when I see those who meticulously keep records and receipts all year long. There are people not the least bit daunted by a tax form. Why couldn't I have that gift?

Even though January and February would creep along at a snail's pace as a child, they no longer do. I blink and my winter is gone. Gone are the dreams of snuggling on the couch with the blustery wind outside, fire crackling in the fireplace. (Not that my gas fireplace crackles.) Suddenly it is the middle of March and panic sets in. What happened to the projects I was going to tackle? The to-do list with satisfying check-marks?

At the very last minute, I force myself (under extreme duress) to add up numbers and gather any information that might be needed by our tax-preparers. Things were so much easier before Russ and I both had our own mini-businesses. How I miss the days of turning in one or two W-2 forms. Now, I stuff everything in an envelope and cringe as I hand it to my mother-in-law. That's right. She's an angel. Who else could deal with the mess I hand her with a smile on her face?

You would think I might buckle down and get it over with in January so that I could enjoy the rest of my peaceful winter, but, no. I'm an avoider. So this winter, my goal is to have all my paperwork finished and turned in by the end of the month. It might not be January, but it will do.

If I manage to get my paperwork done before the end of the month (gasp!), it is quite possible that I could even move on to making a household budget. Wouldn't that be amazing? And just because I like a challenge, how about I add reading Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover just for kicks? Okay, that might be going a bit to far. We'll see. Do you think I can live up to my Potential?

Have you chosen a project for this month?

Fresh

In the Kitchen:On the Piano:
That One Little Word:
On the Mantel:
I was in the mood for something fresh. Thanks~The Good the Bad & the Ugly, and Pottery Barn catalog. I needed a push in the right direction.

In a Word

Enjoy

Courage

Generous

Potential

Gratitude

Intentional

Become

Change

Haven

Quiet

Relationship

Intentional

Tranquility

Enrich

Consistent

Joy

Routine

I decided to incorporate my one little word with Project 2008. Each month I will be adding a word to Potential which represents my project for that month.

For January, I have chosen the word Routine. If there is anything in which I need to live up to my potential, it is establishing a calming, productive routine in this household. I must establish the routine, maintain focus, and stay on task.

I'll post throughout the month to let you know how my project is coming along.

Anyone out there joining me?

I'm still collecting the one little word from all my readers. If you leave a comment with your word in the next few days, I will add it to the list and post all of our words together.

De-lurking Challenge

One other thing: I love the friends and acquaintances I've made on this blogging journey. You are what makes this worth it!! I'm giving all my readers an opportunity to introduce themselves.

*Please* if you enjoy my blog on a regular basis (or even if this is your first time visiting), would you consider saying a quick 'hello' in the comments section? Even if you've commented in the past and feel like checking in... I'd love to say hello to friends that have been with me from the beginning, and meet those of you who are just now joining in or have been silent readers.

This post will be on the 'front page' for a week. I'd love to hear from you!

Potential

The one little word I have chosen as a catalyst in my life for the year 2008 is Potential.

As in: Living Up to My Potential and Helping My Children Reach Their Potential. I must make the continual effort to be the best me I am capable of being.

Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is! ~Anne Frank

Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential. ~Winston Churchill

The essence of our effort to see that every child has a chance must be to assure each an equal opportunity, not to become equal, but to become different - to realize whatever unique potential of body, mind and spirit he or she possesses. ~John Fischer

When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments; tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become. ~Louis Pasteur

Have you chosen a word yet? So far, Mt. Hope readers have shared:

Enjoy

Courage

Generous

2008 is going to be an amazing year!

One Little Word

I recently stumbled upon an inspirational blog. One of Ali Edwards' scrapbooking books is a favorite of mine, and I am ecstatic to discover that she has an incredible blog that I look forward to visiting often this next year.

One of Ali's recent posts resonated with me. She talks about the 'one little word' that she chooses each January to set the tone for her new year. (After you've read the link above, read more here.)

One word for a whole year might be a stretch for me. How can I limit myself to one little word? But maybe that is the point. That one little word, when used as a focus, could be like a continuous drip of water upon a stone.

I thought back over the last two years. 'Journey' is the word that instantly comes to mind when I remember 2006. Russ got a new job, Leif was born, we began homeschooling, and moved to our forever home. 'Hope' sums up this past year beautifully. Life in 2007 has been full of hope.

What are my goals for 2008? What tone do I want to set? What can be improved upon in my attitude or actions?


What word would you choose?