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Inspirational Jewelry, Gifts and Gab

Monday, August 2, 2010

A Rose-colored View

I've used this summer to do jobs around the house that were neglected during the school year. The "honey-do" list has piled up, so that it's a "just get it done now" list. I've used a critical eye to determine what needs my attention most. We've trimmed trees, raked up old grass, planted vegetables, painted rooms, touched up baseboards, organized closets and scrubbed floors. It feels good to check off the jobs as they are completed, but my eye is now trained to see the negative, rather than the positive. I feel focused on what remains to be done, rather than the beauty and good fortune right in front of me.

I recently read this quote by Jan McKeon, an editor of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. "Allow time each day to simply enjoy your garden. Don't dwell on the negatives - the weeds, the unfinished tasks, the plants nibbled by rabbits. Instead, focus your eyes on the beauty of details - a newly open flower, dewdrops gleaming in the sun, a butterfly winging from bloom to bloom."  The words remind me to strike a balance in maintaining our house and property, yet find joy in the amazingly tall Cypress trees, the giant pink Dahlias and the home where my children play, create and love.