Spring can be a wonderfully busy time of year. I love how a bit of warm air can refresh us after the long freeze of winter. With so much feeling new, Keith and I have been looking ahead to what is coming up. We have realized that we've reached the stage in our lives where "If you don't plan for it, it won't happen." (to quote my mother). And this sage advice has led us to a lot of decisions, both big and small.
We've begun to be more intentional about "date nights". Keith is mildly addicted to Groupon and other deal websites. Now that we have already spent the money, we much more motivated to go out to play pool or go bowling with the kids!
Secondly, I'm hoping to try my hand at gardening in the community plots here at Matthew House. I have loved reading blogs with the gorgeous pictures of kids with muddy hands from helping plant seeds and make those adorable soil blocks. We don't have room to start our seeds indoors but I'm hopeful to start some peas and lettuce in May. We have a great volunteer here who will be guiding me through my first year as a vegetable gardener.
On a much larger scale, we've begun to look for a more permanent housing situation since our time living here at Matthew House is limited. This world of home-buying is scary and wildly expensive but so very exciting. Lawyers and pre-approvals and neighbourhoods...oh my.
And then there's that whole issue of planning another baby. hmm.
So many plans, long and short term. Not to mention those Christmas gifts for 2011, planned back at the end of 2010...those family vacations to save for, visits to see friends and family. It can be hard to stay "in the now" with all of these ideas whirling in my head. It is a wonderful thing to find myself content here, that these plans are not ones I feel will "make things right".
It is a rare opportunity Keith and I and our kids have been afforded. Not too many people get to live in a place like Matthew House - To take up the challenge of serving others outside of your family each day. To give people a home during a scary transition in their lives. It is a rewarding time, this.
And so we put our "oceans of dreams within eggshells*". We plan in pencil, we enjoy today.
*a small line from a poem by Kate Ndlovu.
Last Spring, Keith's grandma passed away and after a few months Grandpa asked all of the grandkids to come and go through Grandma's belongings and take what we'd like. I was away at school when both of my grandmothers died so I was never part of this process. It was overwhelming - the feeling that these were her's - that she picked them out herself and I felt I knew this Grandmother-in-law of mine a bit better by being there. The most wonderful and also somewhat sad part was going through all of her yarn and fabric and notions. Beautiful fabric all neatly tied into bundles with scraps secured inside. Summery cotton prints neatly folded and waiting for their turn to be sewn into something useful and lovely. She wasted nothing - each scrap was there just in case she ever needed it for a log cabin square or a pocket lining. Grandpa even sent along her Bernina sewing machine. I cannot wait to try it out. It was so special and humbling to go through her wardrobes of cloth and sewing tables - to pick and choose as best I could what I would use and what might be better used by the quilting guild. I was sad because none of her original granddaughters sew or knit. I was sad that they couldn't fully appreciate the richness of her collection of thread, rickrack, wool and cloth. The history in the cut fabric of pajamas and receiving blankets and nightgowns; pant suits and summer skirts and blouses. I was honoured to take it and I hope I can make some beautiful things for her great grandbabies - just like she would have wanted to do.
