It’s finally here. We’re in the throws of Spring and yet it’s been a strange season of life for me… at least deep inside my heart, it has. I know I’ve done a lot of prattling on about moving lately. I’ve been kind of obsessed. And that obsession has had some ramifications. Mostly it’s affected how I express myself in my surroundings. (Which, duh, is huge for me.)
Knowing that we’ll be moving later this year caused me to really rethink my garden and any effort towards creativity in general, I’ve had zero inspiration. Just like years ago when I felt myself detaching from my beautiful garden to prepare my heart for leaving it. I felt that happening again. Indoors, I find I’m not moving furniture, rearranging… around and horror of horrors, I’m not making my bed every morning and prettying up my room like I’ve done my whole life. Last time that numbing detachment was the right thing for me to do in order to guard my heart against the sadness of leaving that house. There was a lot of pain leaving that home and garden (as excited as we were to move change our life by moving to this little farm).
This time though, detachment isn’t the right decision.
Look – I feel like I’m standing at the edge of something amazing.
AMAZING.
I’m SO blessed to have so many irons in the fire. So many possibilities out there. I don’t know what this next chapter of our life will look like and I’m soooooo excited about it BUT I’ve been looking out into the unknown, wracked with curiosity and downright frustration. … I’ve been looking out when I should have been looking down, down at where I am now…
…and living in the present.
So, friends, I want to share with you that I’m taking a deep breath. I’m tired of trying to figure it all out. Door Country? Paris? The moon? For the love. I have no idea how it’s all going to play out, I have no idea what creative projects on the horizon might shape our plans, I have no idea how our doTERRA biz will grow this year, I have no idea what God has planned for us and strangely enough – I’m sick of thinking about it. All this dreaming and scheming and timeline-ing have made me miss my actual life that I’m living. Right now.
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve found myself again. True, I agree, that sounds so stupid but I feel as though I had lost my way a bit. All that looking forward and not enough looking down to see where my feet are actually planted. So, with a gorgeous, renewed fervour I’ve been creating up a STORM in my kitchen, I’ve planned my garden, experimented with new bread recipes, I’m carving out more precious moments with my gorgeous children and making intentional memories here on THIS farm with my wonderful husband…
I’ve harvested honey and ordered more bees and I’ve found a renewed pride in this little farmhouse when before all I felt was frustration that it’s a rental and so I can’t reeeeeeeeeeally design the way I want to.
But this is my life. Now. And God forbid I miss it by craving more. Shame on me for my lack of gratitude.
Yes. I have a crapload of potential that I can’t tap fully until we move. But I’m done pouting.
To celebrate, I spruced up the living room a bit for spring. Clean and bright. ‘Got it all pretty so I can go play in the mud for the rest of the season.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord…
If you enjoy my “Parisienne Farmhouse style” you’ll enjoy these other posts. Click the photo for the tour.
Contentment is God’s blessing. 🙂 Everything looks beautiful. What is your wall paint color? I love how it shifts with the light ….
If you know you are eventually going to move, it does stop your wanting to change anything in your “right now” home. But if a move is in your future…it is time to look hard at your “now” home and see if it needs to come with you to your “next” “new” home. I am not moving but my sweet husband had a stroke recently, bypass surgery that was so successful and he is his old self again but both of us came “smack up the head” of what would happen with all the stuff we have that someone else might need. So, long story short, we are not planning to move but we are definitely “downsizing”, if we haven’t used it, send it to where someone would love it or need it. I did that with my work clothes when I retired…got my tailor go over all the lovely suits, dresses and I took all of the work clothes, purses, shoes to the charity shop, gave them a $200 cheque and told them that they must give my lovely clothes to whomever needed them…no strings attached. A month after that I got a lovely note from a woman who just signed “Going back to the work place feeling so good. Thank you from the bottom of my heart xoxoxoxoxo
So happy to read of your contentment and wanted you to know that your home is an inspiration.
Lovely, Angela – images and thoughts. ♥
My oh my, Angela. You just cracked me over the head with that much needed post. Living temporarily in an apartment (loving to decorate), possibly buying a home next year, gardening in my daughter’s yard 30 minutes away. No more pouting for me either. Perfect Bible verse!
Welcome back. In the middle of a busy morning I was going to push your blog to the “I’ll read later column” but I am glad I didn’t. The unfolding story of your life style has attracted me since I viewed you on the cover of one of the “Creative Woman” magazines some years ago. While I admire your pioneering spirit I prefer to live vicariously! The continual refinement and re-definition of your style remains inspirational. Best wishes, hug those babies. We have them for such a short period of time. And it is indeed the times that defines us and our lives.
Love the room. Is that a new white couch? I will miss this farm more than you I think. I love all the rooms you’ve shown us. Good luck with the search.
Absolutely beautiful. Nothing better than a fresh coat of paint, re-configuring a room (s) to bring on a whole new perspective of life and a New Day!
Good for you! I so agree that we can and do get looking so far ahead, we miss what is happening in the moment we are in.
We are not promised tomorrow but we certainly have this day. This moment.
Thanks for the reminder.
Hugs from Maine.
We are all guilty of living in the future at times…especially if we know a change is coming. My house was on the market from August 2016 until Feb. 2017. Everyone said it was beautiful, loved the huge yard, all the updating, etc. I lowered the price 2 times, but no bites. I kept asking the realtor what is wrong? He said nothing. People right now are not spending over $200,000 on a home in an established neighborhood! So the end of Feb . I took it off the market and said, ‘well God you answered my prayer”, so age in place is what I am doing. It was a disappointment because I had lived in the future for months in a smaller home, patio home new. I had decorated in my mind, etc.
Well I am over it, and living in my home and changing many rooms…just the way I want it. Very similar to your taste, in fact I have chair pillows in the dinning room just like the coral red toile you have. I love it, love french look, but love color.
Happy for you and your success, and love my friendship with you through doTERRA.
Good for you…these are the good ol’ days!
j’adore la façon dont tu as arrangé/décoré cet endroit. Merci pour le partage!
I cannot even tell you how much this post reflected my heart this week…. been struggling with discontent, pouting that the “next thing” is taking so long to get here. “Bloom where you’re planted ” is EXACTLY what I’ve been telling myself! This. You wrote out my feelings so well. Thank you!
Hello Angelia,
It’s Been awhile between visits. I am always charmed with any part of what you share in your home that inspires a French heart.
Beautiful contentment, you and your family will be blessed.
love your style, makes me want to add some more color in a paler tone of old, and muted in all the French patina I can find.
Inspiring here.
Xx
Bisous
Doré
Oh my word.. I love it. Congratulations on your new found contentment. I struggle myself everyday for something ahead and constantly remind myself of the now. Thanks for sharing! You are truly an inspiration. I joke that I’m a “fake homesteader” from an Indiana town.
PS~ Hey, what happened with Coco? Boy or girl? Milk? Cheese? Give us the update, woman! 🙂
We’ve been in our current home for 3 years now and just after Christmas the talk of “moving” entered our conversation. I can’t tell you how good it feels to have put that conversation aside and live here, in this moment, appreciating it for what it is. Someday we may move again but for today, we live here. As my dear friend Brenda said…these are the good ol days!
Happy Mothers Day, Angela! “Half Way” has never looked prettier! Love your heart!
Any movement on your search for a forever farm?
Wish you’d just buy that place and add on fabulous buildings – for your blogging studio, your oil business, home school room and a master suite wing with a ginormous kitchen/keeping room.
I know… but we have no desire to own land in Illinois, it’s only three acres and littered with hundreds of black walnut trees.