Less is More...but More of What?

For awhile now my Hubby and I have adopted a "Less is More" philosophy and for the most part we have enjoyed these changes. But, these choices have given us challenges, disappointments and CHANGES to our lives. C.H.A.N.G.E.S to your life does not necessarily result in happiness.

We thought we would be happy because it would be a more simple life which would result in happy!
Those changes did not make us happy nor was it simple...in fact sometimes it was just complicated and time consuming.

We had thought " happy" would result from our choice to have one car...One car is less than two cars, so, less is more, more happiness...

I did ride the "smug train" for a year, not literally but metaphorically. I wish Florida did have a commuter train, smug or otherwise as I would ride it and it would be a step up for Florida's public transit! Alas, Florida does not have a "smug train"...

But, we are now on four years of my Hubby and I sharing a car. While I know we have saved on expenses, gas, and have lowered our carbon foot print...these choices while not impossible to make have not resulted in a simple life but rather a complicated set of planning and rethinking of our values and how we live our lives!

It has also resulted in one of us being stranded places for longer than we anticipated, missed appointments, late appointments and the knowledge we as grown ups don't share all that well!

The Less is More philosophy has caused us to make some really hard decisions and that has resulted in us making difficult choices in other parts of our lives, as well. Which did not make us happy! So, not happy in fact we wavered on our decision to keep doing the Less is More. It's really hard, even for grown ups NOT to just go along with the crowd... I used to love having the latest fashion but I am not living that life style anymore...

I know, bigger is not better, brand new is not better...More of more does not make you happy!
So, these days, you will find me wearing last year's dress, sitting in the passenger side of my six year old car and going to a church that feeds the homeless on Sunday mornings!
My happiness is not based on things but rather on how God can use me and that is my ministry...and really most days...I am happy!

Doing the Impossible...

Weddings make me happy, I didn't really realize that until I started my year long Happy Project. I am trying for a year to focus on my happiness, sounds selfish but it's not...it's mindful!

The part of the wedding I enjoy most is hearing the couple recite their vows because while they do I remember mine...

I, Ronda, take you Robert, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

At the time, I thought, geez  "piece of cake,"... "wedding cake" to be exact. But, I was wrong, it is the hardest job you will ever take on, (the army is wrong) it's not just my marriage, it's marriage...it's not easy. But, it's not meant to be easy. It's the ultimate challenge and to struggle in your marriage is to grow in faith, to grow in knowledge and to grow in love.

I have not been a perfect wife nor has my husband been a perfect husband but we have grown in love and I honestly didn't realize I could love him more than when I took my vows for the first time!

I love weddings, I love watching a couple, in front of their family and friends promise to do the "impossible" while other "old" couples hold hands and silently agree to continue doing the "impossible."

It was a beautiful wedding!

Being HAPPY!

For awhile now, I haven't been happy. I haven't been unhappy but rather something in the middle of happy and unhappy... hap-limbo...it is my word, deal with it! I started this blog when I turned 50 and it was my outlet for trying to be not-so-fearful! This year, my start of 52 years on this planet will be my pursuit of "happy"! I understand, that many will tell you that being happy is not what it is all about but this is not their blog nor their life... and I want to be happy.

If you have ever read my blog, you know I like to read and it brings me happiness. So while looking for something to read I found The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It has inspired me to begin a year long HAPPY Project. While I read her book, I realized many of the things that brought her happiness , would not bring me happiness and actually, that is her point. We each have unique ways of finding happiness based upon our personalities and our unique talents.

Ah, talents...I had begun to feel like I hadn't any...
I read somewhere, that if you ask a child...
"Can you sing?" that they would answer enthusiastically "YES"
or
"Can you dance?" that same child would answer "Yes" again...never doubting their talent or abilities.
As we age, we start believing we can't do some things because we aren't as good as others!
But, we CAN!
Some one recently asked if I could Kayak?
I answered without thinking, "Yes" and then I started to doubt that I still could.
So the Hubby and I went kayaking...
and "I can" and it made me Happy!

I had my HAPPY on and I am going to keep being HAPPY...for a year and maybe longer.
By the way...I have missed blogging and it also, makes me HAPPY!

What makes you HAPPY?

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Rolling with the Punches...

The saga continues...

So...we (he) made an appointment to have that cracked windshield fixed on our car and literally (not metaphorically) we were rear ended by another vehicle the morning of the appointment.

What I noticed about the incident/accident is that while my husband and I both showed kindness and compassion to the young man who failed to use his brakes at the red light, instead allowing our back bumper to do the job for him; we weren't all that kind or compassionate to each other. We weren't mean but we were nicer to the man who hit us than to one another. Both of us have had car accidents that were our fault when we were younger and I think this allowed us to remember how it felt and gave us compassion for this young man. I am glad as I think he needed it.

Where we failed, was being there for each other. I am not complaining as I am as guilty as the Hubby...we weren't there for each other. To give credit to one another , we didn't realize we needed it. But...why do we married people sometimes show more compassion to a total stranger than to one another?

We kept going...I mean we have this giant TO-DO List..and DO we must!

But, later I felt achy... not from the accident but I think just from being so tense about the experience of the accident.

So, I took a moment to really thank God that no one was hurt, that my husband is a gracious man who can be kind to a young man who makes a mistake and that THIS...thankfully is no big deal! A peace came over me...

My windshield is fixed like brand new...and Monday morning my car goes in for repairs to fix my smashed rear end!

We will keep rolling on and doing our TO-DO List...

Cracked Glass...and Other Crack Ups!

My husband picked me up from work for a quick lunch the other day and I noticed the spot where a rock had hit our windshield had become not just a little spot but rather an inch long crack.

"Whoa...How did that happen?" I asked.
He said " I must have hit a bump...and it's spreading! "
"Well, our insurance pays 100% of your front windshield replacement and we should just take care of that! " I commented.

Now, I said we...but I meant he. We nor he has taken care of it. More importantly...I did not take care of it! (There is no "I " in teamwork...wait that's not what it means...) that was a week ago....
it it now about six inches long.

I looked at it yesterday and I have decided that the crack in the windshield is a metaphor for our lives right now...

I am just hoping the windshield doesn't land in our laps!

Our to-do lists keep growing and we don't seem to have enough hours in the day...