Tuesday, February 5, 2013

When Quiet Comes


All thrifted treasures.  I've started collecting juice bottles, I have no idea why, other than they make me happy.  Everything on this shelf is thrifted other than the cookbooks - they were gifts.  Is anyone else over the Pioneer Woman? I feel badly saying that - but I just can't care.


I sit here now with a purring feline on my lap at 2:30 in the pm - 
I've had a mammogram, thrift shopped and purchased the week's groceries.


I'm saving grocery receipts to get an idea of how much I'm spending on food a month.
It's more than I want to, that's for sure.

I came home and had tea and talked with a friend on the phone briefly.


I spend a lot of time at this tea pot!  It remains one of the best gifts I've ever been given.

And now - I blog.

I never imagined a life like this - a life of routine - a life of uninterrupted thoughts.
A world in which things stay where I put them.




Oftentimes, I  feel like I'm missing out on something important.
Surely -there is some busyness that I need to attend to.
Busyness has been quite a coping mechanism for me.
For the record - busyness doesn't equal productivity, a higher social standing or personal importance.

I feel like life is in control, which for me - is a very strange feeling indeed.  I've almost always felt that life was a roller coaster and that I was strapped in whether I liked it or not - and oftentimes I'd forgotten the barf bucket and made a mess of the whole thing.

Have you ever run into a friend somewhere, like a grocery store, and they go on and on about how busy they are, and that they don't have a single second to spare?  They seem completely overwhelmed, and yet you can detect the slightest hint of 'see how important I am?  See how full my life is?  It must be good if it's this full.  I must be good.  I am important, and needed.

The books I ordered with my Amazon.com birthday gift card arrived today!

I used to be that person.
A few months ago, I was that person.
Today my life is tidy - it's organized.  It's quiet.  And that's ok. If you ran into me today and asked me what's new - I'd say 'not a bloody thing, have you got time for coffee?'.

Life is cyclical and today I feel more as if I'm on a Ferris wheel, calmly spinning, enjoying the view.
The crazy thing is - I can do anything I want right now - I mean - within reason.  I couldn't fly to Paris or go on a shopping spree - but you know what I mean.

All the things you say you want to do.

Go to the library.
See a movie.
Spend time with so and so.
Sew.
Read.
Create.
Redecorate.

And the list goes on and on.

.

I could do any of those things at this very minute - and yet I choose to sit with warm cat on my lap and watch the snowflakes fall.

Guess what?
I don't feel a bit guilty about it either.
Spring will be here soon with it's obnoxious to do list.
The ladders will come out, the hoes will be sharpened, the chicks will be ordered and the soil turned over.

Today I'm going to enjoy the quiet.

The man is the richest .... Henry David Thoreau

I'll try a new Kale Salad recipe for dinner tonight, and take a long hot bath afterwards.
I'll cozy up on the couch tonight and watch tv.
I'll be sound asleep by 9:30 in the pm.
I'll sleep like the dead.

I do believe there is healing in the quiet.
Lord knows we all need some of that.

Thank you all for such a wonderful outpouring of birthday wishes to Pam!  I hope I didn't embarrass you too much Pam - wasn't my intent.  Please let us know how your special day was!

50 comments:

  1. What a lovely post. Enjoy your calm time xx

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  2. Quiet days are the best days! Sweet post, Jean

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  3. I have twin 4 year old boys..our days are anything but quiet. However, there is rhythm to our days. There is love and joy and a peace that surrounds me in our tiny chunk of this big world. I try to remember these days are numbered.

    I love that you have found your slice of heaven on Earth! You are a blessed woman and a blessing to my soul!

    Ps loveyour kitty extra for us! Our neighbor accidentally hit our little Pepper.

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  4. (Whispering) I've been over her for quite a while

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  5. I am so thankful you decided to continue with your blog. I had just found it and loved it, and then a day later you were thinking of not blogging anymore. I love what you have to say. Enjoy your time.

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  6. I love boring! I hate busy helter skelter days. I love days filled with nothing much except stuff I may or may not do depending on how I feel. Thanks very much for this post, because sometimes I do feel guilty... that I should be out and about doing lots of stuff, but, hey, I'm over 70 and I want to enjoy the simple pleasures... quiet time reading, sewing, time in the garden, outside raking paths, computer time, walking Morgan, feeding chickens, etc. So, yes, let's not feel guilty and we can get on with our own schedule. Your blog is a treasure! Relax and enjoy!

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  7. Hey girl, I just love that bowl with the chicken on it! What a great find. If you want to hang out next Tuesday just text me. I'm just hangin at the library. Hope to see ya soon.

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  8. I think somehow, for different reasons, and via different paths, you and I have arrived at just about the same place.
    Ain't it grand to give yourself permission to just BE.
    Wow.
    I'm happy for us. I really am. It's about time.

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  9. This is me...how I enjoy the nothingness. I think we appreciate God's beauty and hear His calling when we pause. "Be still and know that I am God"...He says that for a reason. Isn't life more enjoyable when we relish in the simplicity?
    Taking time to smell the flowers, and pick a few for the mason jar...BLISS!

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  10. Kitty on your lap and a cozy in your heart. Total bliss!

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  11. I never did enjoy that pioneer woman. bleh. Her cookbooks are not healthy recipes and her photography is all way over done with layers of effects. Her children look like washed out zombies all pasty in the face. Nope... I never did enjoy her.

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  12. I was never a Pioneer Woman fan. I think in reality she is a 500 pound Asian man living in his mother's basement. LOL
    I wish I were junking with you. xoxo

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  13. I gotta tell ya, girl....the cyclical rhythm of the days has been a balm to my soul. Just knowin' what is next...whether it be work, laundry, cookin', etc....there is a peace that comes with that. Even tho I do not have near the free time i did when I was not working, I am lovin' the gifts of joy and peace I have right now.
    Healing has begun, and I am in a good/God place.
    Give the birthday kitten some extra lovin' from us bloggin' buds.

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  14. I'm so glad you lifted my guilt on being over Pioneer woman. I loved her blog but in person she just didn't quite translate for me. You have mirrored my thoughts exactly on a quiet simple life....some would die if they had to live it but I love it...:) ....Lovely post as usual...:)

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  15. Such a great post Jayme! I need that and you are so right - can't tell wait to tell the next friend I run into at the grocery store that not a "damn thing is new and let's go have a cup of coffee.!" The simplicity of life is the most treasured! Kelley

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  16. I am still the busy person building a house. Right now we are trying to get the house in town ready to sell. I do NOT like being busy. I want to get up and not have a thing to do except crochet, write my blog, read other blogs, go for a walk, and take a bath and crochet some more. In the meantime we have work to do. I had my mammogram yesterday. For the last two years they called me the next morning and said, "everything is fine." They did not do that this time so I'm starting to obsess about it. Not full blown obsession. Just the edge of obsessing. Why do I do that?

    Cindy Bee

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  17. Sometimes these quiet times come upon us when we least expect them. My back went out...for four whole days I couldn't get around. Luckily the chicken run door was open and the girls got out to get water in the snow. (The water ran out inside..bad me). But do you know what, I read and I read and I read. No house work got done, nada, nothing. I read a wonderful book about a women abandoned in the woods during WWII...how she survived...I got the (simplify) lesson. Appreciating the little things...like reading a good book, with my dog on my lap...going to bed when I wanted. It felt good to just be....and today I got a massage to top it all off...don't I know how to treat myself? I think I am going to just keep doing what I want to do....when I want...wonder how long that will last...hummm.

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  18. Where's my puke bucket? Nursing school is like a roller coaster made of rickety timbers, but I refuse to take the chicken exit. Nope! Not gonna do it! Your blog posts lift and transport me to the most amazing place Jayme. And to think I found you by doing a YouTube search for homemade laundry soap. Your blog is the best thing I've stumbled across...actually the first one I've ever read, and I've read every single word. You have a gift, and I happily accept it. You have accomplished something that I haven't managed to find the motivation to even start, but the turkey sausage is the bomb! Please stay and continue to share your unique perspective with us. You have inspired soooo many. : )

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  19. Jayme, I feel sorry for people who are "that" busy. I always imaging those people bumping from one life event to another, like a pin ball. Life does ebb and flow and can get busy at times. Being busy with purpose is not all bad. But if being busy is just a series of chronic unconnected life events and there is no "down" time or time for meaningful connections with people, then of course it can have detrimental affects on our body and mind. If we make choices that resonate with our internal voice, then our life has a meaning and purpose. "Meaning and purpose" brings, at least for me, a certain amount of peace and calm as I go about my day. I'm a teacher and when I am at work both my mind and body are busy, really busy. But teaching brings meaning and purpose to my life so I'm not exhausted by it. At the end of my day I feel peace and calm, as though I made a difference on that day.

    Donna.

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  20. Hi--I could never get into the Pioneer Woman--tried a couple times--
    but her world and that of Martha S. just are not real!!
    I like your world--it's my world--
    simple--quiet--people and pets to love--books to read and a cup of tea to drink--
    thanks for posting today's thoughts--
    hugs, Di and miss gracie

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  21. You make me take a deep breath and exhale! Thank you! I would love to grab your picture "Live a Quiet Life" to post on my side bar on my blog; a little tribute to you and my hobby of needle work. My job can create a negative weight on my shoulders, fighting financial crime, needlework is my sanctuary and brings peace to my mind. I wish it were snowing here love to watch it fall. But snuggled up with my kitty and hound dog in front of the cozy, warm fire. Thank you for providing a calming moment at the end of the day.

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  22. Love routines. It is always hard for me to keep track of all of my groceries. Good for you.

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  23. I've had some of the same thoughts, some people call it "being in a rut". Sometimes a rut isn't so bad. I think God made winter so we all had to slow down a little. I can't wait to drink my coffee on the porch in the mornings, get excited about seeing my perennials coming up, buying new flip flops, but for now I too will sit back and enjoy the snowflakes!

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  24. Sounds like my idea of a perfet day :) As for the pioneer woman I watched one episode and was baffled. There was nothing that stood out as "pioneer" the woman cooks on a Wolf range and has everthing state of the art. I'm not saying she isn't talented but she didn't do it for me.

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  25. You make me want to get a cat and drink hot tea! I do love hot tea in the wintertime and cold in the summer. I just bought some Blackberry Sage that is truly delicious!

    Thank you for this lovely post. I feel as if I've been sedated from reading it!

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  26. Ah yes!!

    The quiet.

    An invitation for coffee anytime, any day would be lovely.

    ***
    Thanks for the Spring Chicken Serum. It came yesterday. Frozen. :) Kinda cold out there, in that ole mailbox... but it thawed up real nice and I'm loving it.

    ***

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  27. You and Janie Fox have me saying "I can't care."

    I my swoon over those juice bottles. You have the best thrift stores. Here it's mainly junk unless you win the lottery and wall in on the day after some old goon's house contents were donated. Then you have to claw your way through it and pray you come out alive.

    Law.

    I miss thee.

    xxoo

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  28. wait a moment - you didn't comment on Downton Abbey ---- what???! i'm glad you are more organized ... i know it makes my life more pleasant & easy going. i love it that way. other days i am just a plain bum. & love that too!! enjoy your week. ( :

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  29. Jayme you made me realize I need to slow down...everything is gonna be alright...next time I run into someone I haven't seen for a while I'm gonna ask 'm if they wanna go have a cup of coffee or tea and. just. talk :)

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  30. What a peaceful post. I can just imagine you relaxing by the fire with your little kitty! Which by the way, does your little sweetie have a name yet?

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  31. Glad you figured it out :-) Quiet& peaceful = happy
    Love your insights!

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  32. Wow....your posts just get better and better! This was my favorite by far. I learn a lot from you. XoXo P.S. I'm over PW too!

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  33. I'm finding myself sitting in the quiet also, and I am cherishing every minute, and thankful, yes indeed. Oh, I've still got a full house here, but my mind is more at peace and I'm able to enjoy the daily mundane. I don't need chaos... as you said.. that doesn't necessarily mean we're being productive.. and I think I finally figured that out. Even folding the laundry and seeing everything in it's place is a joyous thing if you let it be.

    I have NEVER gotten into The Pioneer Woman lust. I know many love her and I have nothing against her!...but.. there is no love affair here. I tried it and I put it back down.

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  34. Pam (from Colorado) here. First of all, my birthday weekend was perfect. I had thought we were going to a rather quaint bed and breakfast that we had been to before, but my guy surprised me with a rather elegant bed and breakfast called Arrowhead Manor (google it -- it was something else). We went on a little hike in Corwina Park and wandered Morrison and then had a wonderful dinner at the Black Hat Cattle Co. in Kittredge, CO. (They serve grass-fed beef.) We ended the day with a long soak in a jacuzzi, just talking. It was wonderful and I felt so special. A great "first" birthday.

    As for quiet... I am all for it. I was quite ill not too long ago and love just being now. I've been spending my off time (when I am not working) doing things I had always loved: painting, sewing, crocheting, cooking, making furniture, reading and learning new things like making rag rugs. It is a hard thing to "learn", to love the quiet and free time, especially when your days were always filled with chores. Almost a luxury in itself.

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    1. Sounds like an awesome birthday Pam!! Glad to hear how it went. I did look up Arrowhead Manor, such a beauty! Making furniture??? Do tell!

      Amanda

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  35. I love this and agree 100%. What a blessing to hear you say (or read) you never imagined a life like this. I think God wants all of us to have a peaceful life...a life free from the world's busyness. Obviously, sometimes life will be busy but we can certainly still have peace. I love the Bible verse the sign comes from..." Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands." 1 Thes. 4:11 Oh, and I love your thrifted treasures!! :)

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  36. The quiet is such a blessing and a great time to enjoy life.

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  37. I love this post...more than I can even say!! My word this year is contentment and I am learning and growing in this area so much. How do you go about living a simple, quiet life and not feel guilty? I still tend to feel guilty when I have to say no to someone! Ugh!!

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  38. Agreed! There is a time for everything! And yes here in the mid west we slow down in the winter when cold keeps us in! Makes us all ready for spring when she comes hopin down that trail, why you just try n keep our hands outta the dirt. We all over do it those first few warmer days! And we all pay for it too with some sore muscles. So yep enjoy the quiet now.
    Peace Sharon

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  39. Wonderful post. Hope your evening was oh so cozy with that new kitten. I am in that winter mode of alot of cozy and alot of comfort. There isn't a day without tea for me either. It's pefectly fine for you to be moving at a different pace right now. Spring will be here soon enough. I say feet up and enjoy for now!

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  40. What a peaceful post Jayme. . . the older I get the more I adore the quiet and peace of winter. . . it is to be embraced, and loved, it took me years to learn it's not a rut, it's a privilege

    Thanks for the reminder on the chalk board. . . sometimes we get so cozy in winter, we forget to keep in touch with the girlies. Going to plan a get together, next week, where we all just sit and craft and be.

    Honestly, don't you love "I can't care" it has such a matter of fact serene tone to it, I just love that Janie Fox

    It's that time of year when you look around at your friends birthday gift sitting on the desk, and say, hmmmm I oughta put that in the mail some day soon, but for now, I'll pour me another cup of coffee xo soon, soon, I promise Ü

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  41. You are a wise, wise woman! I have often felt the same way....busy=important. Now I know that is just a bunch of hooeey. I love my quiet life and am working on the "not feeling guilty" part!

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  42. After that DIY Ovary removal tutorial, which still makes me break out into laughter, you deserve a little quiet time. Hope your mind is active thinking up another incredibly funny blog. Really, I haven't read anything funnier. I enjoy a quiet life interspersed with rapid movement and chaos followed by another time of quiet.

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  43. Discovering balance in our lives at such a time as this.....priceless! (just like this post Jayme - I love the 'real' in your words.)

    God Bless,
    Barbra.

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  44. I know exactly what you mean. I love the quiet season in life - however short it may be. You're right about the sanctimony of busyness. I think I've said it with pride myself. "I'm so busy - I don't even have a minute to sit down". There is goodness in quiet. Watch your snowfall. It sounds lovely.

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  45. I like the way you think about things.
    Taking time to relax and just enjoy life is
    a gift. I am thinking about when my sons
    were small and how fast our daily lives sped by
    us. Some days I laughed and some days I cried
    Of course, I always tried to take a small
    amount of time for myself. One day I had all
    of my most pressing chores done and I read a
    book while my sons played a game or napped.
    I did not feel guilty at all. Now that they
    are older and so am I, I have a lot of free time
    even though I work 4 days a week 7 month a year.
    I enjoy your posts.

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  46. I enjoyed visiting you today! I loved what you wrote...and I agree! Isnt it fun..how certain things we find makes us happy? I started bloggin because I loved looking at others creations and homes..it made me happy :)

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  47. I give myself "permission" at times to have pajama days. I don't get dressed, comb my hair, do housework, nothing. Just sit and veg. It's wonderful. Then I'm up and at it again. I still love Ree, the Pioneer Woman. As with anyone, anyone, I can glean ideas and inspiration and decide what's for me and what isn't. In this world of cynicism, she is always positive and upbeat. To quote Ina Garten, "how bad can that be?"

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  48. I envy you - I'm still having a hard time giving myself permission to slow down. When I do I'm so much happier. Loved the post.

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  49. Jayme,
    I'm missing you!!! Are you okay??? We are freezing up here in northern Wisconsin!! -9 this morning (20th). Take care, friend!! Earlene

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