House Aesthetics

Recently, my family returned from visiting New England.  While there, we saw many houses like this one.  Houses painted black - imposing, gloomy.  My husband was delighted by them.  I was fascinated.

My husband joked that I should not be surprised if my house was painted black. Our house is blue.  It is calming, welcoming, and secure.

A black house is unique. It is overwhelming. 

I would not want a black house. 

The aesthetics of a house help to invite people in or keep them away. 

It is my goal to be a more welcoming person. Painting my house black will not convey this.

I wish to be a happier person. A dark house may not assist here, either.

Visiting Salem, the House of Seven Gables, the Witch House, and other such Gothic locations has proven to be a fascinating deterrent.  I enjoyed my time there, but I do not want to live in a manner which would be reflected in a black house.

No, I prefer the blue.

From New England with Love

I was MIA last week.  Why? Because I was in New England!

My husband and I are about to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary.  In order to celebrate, we headed to New England for an adventure.  If you follow me on Instagram, you got to see some of the pictures.

 We headed to Salem, MA.  We saw Proctor's Ledge, where many innocent (and maybe a few not so innocent) people were hung.  We went to downtown Salem and experienced "Witch City".  

We also made our way to Hawthrone's Birthplace and the House of Seven Gables.

 The weather greeted us with a powerful, beautiful storm.

My Official Political Stance

Sometimes I read the news or friends’ statuses on Facebook and wonder why there seems to be such a disconnect between what people say...and what they mean....or what they do.

I am not a very political person. Politics bother me because invariably the rhetoric is empty and poor logic is found. I have a great love for logic. I need the world to make sense. When I have commented on politics, it has always been from this need. This desire to understand. After all, the philosopher states that the nature of Man is to know. On occasion, I will read a particularly heinous example of poor logic and I am almost compelled to comment.

Facebook had me pegged as very conservative. Politically, I am not very conservative. Personally, I wouldn’t say conservative. I live a simple, minimalist, and happy life.  I am a moderate. I believe in appropriate and swift penalties for breaking the law, but I think governments should stay out of personal lives. I think that true socialism is unsustainable, but I hold entities, such as Medicaid and Financial Assistance, as necessary. I value the success of capitalism, but I believe the successful should share their success through their generosity. I am very moderate in most things. Why? Because I am not a “conservative”. I am a conservationist - I believe in building foundations first, but applying interventions if necessary.

The second thing that gets me to comment is disrespect or disregard for life. I am a conservationist. My educational background is biology. I am also a Catholic and I believe in the sanctity of human life. It makes my blood boil when I see a disregard for the state of the environment. I loathe the aftermath of protests because of all the trash left behind. It makes me sick to hear of unnecessary loss of life for animals and habitats. Ecosystems are vital to survival. And it deeply wounds my heart when I hear or read of the disrespect of persons.

Race, creed, birth status (born or developing), citizenship, immigration status, job, socioeconomic background, education, mental health, physical health, birth defects, etc. - these all deserve respect. By their very nature, they deserve respect. They deserve the chance of happiness. They deserve dignity. The tiniest fetus. The oldest person in the world. The brilliant mathematician. The disabled adolescent. They deserve respect.

I am an advocate. I give back. I do not judge. I care about the world and everything and everyone in it. My official political position is this: Who can judge the value of life?

What Inspires You?

Sometimes one must gaze out into the world and wonder. 

Sometimes wonder brings action. 

Sometimes wonder beckons contentment.

Inspiration is the movement of the soul. 

Contentment is the rest of the soul. 

Are you content today? 

Or, are you inspired? 

What contents you? 

What inspires you?

Respecting a Child's No

Lazy Day Motivation

Some days we are ready to take on the world. Other days, we lie in pretend. And, then some days, we barely move. Instead of letting life drift on by on lazy days, set yourself up for success. Plan for success. 

How do you become motivated? 

1) Decide 1, 2, or 3 things you want to accomplish on your lazy day. 

Do you want finish the laundry? Do the shopping? Clean the bathroom? Do some reading? Decide what you want accomplished. 

2) Break down hopefully accomplishments into bite-sized tasks. 

If you neee to clean the bathroom, you could say: surfaces, linens, trash, floors. This breaks it down into manageable tasks. Have these tasks be something which will be an accomplishment, not extra work. (If your goal is cleaning the garage, moving everything to the yard is not a good task). 

3) Set a timer. 

Set a timer and see how many tasks you can complete in 5 or 10 minutes. Some might even suggest 8 minutes. 

4) When the time is up, decide: continue or break? 

Take breaks and rest often on lazy days. Your body might need the reprieve. 

5) Pat yourself on the back. You did it.

There is nothing more majestic than realizing your own strength.