How Do You Begin Your Day?

"...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.  

Philippians 4:8

I hope you have had a fabulous first week of summer!  June is flying by here.  School was out the last week of May just in time to make a quick trip out of town to celebrate my grandson's second birthday.  A week later my daughter and children came for a two week visit I dubbed "Camp Bee".  It was all about having fun!

Camp Bee coincided with my two weeks of my schools summer playdays.  This year's playdays was a special time for me, my grandson had the chance to attend.   His room was across from my classroom, so I had the chance to peek in and check on him.   He had the best time with his new found independence;  I had the best time watching him.  

When we were not at the school, we worked in the garden, went swimming, ate ice cream, had pizza night and generally had a grand time.  Bonnie Rose enjoyed watching and napping.  I am keeping my fingers crossed Camp Bee becomes an annual event; I have plans... it can only get better.... right?

This week has been a quiet one without the chatter of my little ones' voices.  I am easing into my summer morning routine.   During the school year I don't have the luxury of quietly beginning the day.  Now I can take my time.  My day begins as I grab a cup of coffee and iPad, and head outside to spend some quiet time with my morning readings and listening to the sounds of summer.   I count on this time.  It sets the tone for my day, and it is a good thing. 

How do you begin your day? 

Do you start off slowly

 or do you bounce out of bed ready to conquer the world?

Have a fabulous weekend!

Sometimes It Happens...

Sometimes it happens... a book is opened, and somewhere among the pages we stumble upon a sentence, a phrase, a group of words that sit down in the most comfortable chair
 and linger with us. 

"...it is about nothing, about the many nothings of ordinary life that somehow arrange, symphony-like, into the whole of everything".

I happened upon this group of phrases  just as I was finishing Margaret Eby's book, South Toward Home.  (We'll chat about the book later.)   Though Eby writes these words to describe John Kennedy Toole's book, A Confederacy of Dunces, I keep returning to them, because, it is in these  "nothings of ordinary life" that I find everyday blessings.    

I find it so easy with today's social media to get caught up in the wanting better and more.    We need only to log in for a few minutes to begin reading that everyone else is off on the best vacation, has the best relationship, friends, house, children...  Everyone else's life is filled with all these spectacular moments...  you get where I am going.   I don't know about you, but I often sigh and think what if.   Then I land, usually face down caused my own blindness... 

 Summer mornings sitting outside with a cup of coffee, my morning readings and listening to the sounds of summer...  meals around my own dinner table with family and friends...  watching the joy on my grandson's face as he licks a popsicle.    Extraordinary is great, and I am grateful for all those adventures, but nothing compares to my nothings.   It is recognizing and accepting the blessings of the moment to moment, the ordinary,  that stitch together and create a rich, and spectacular life.  

**** 
  Perhaps it is the southern humidity, the intoxicating smell of  magnolias, or the over indulgence of spirits... no one can create a multi-layered, damaged yet heroic character or spin the  tragedy/drama/comedy tale like the southern writer.  (this southerner's personal opinion, of course.)   South Toward Home, is the ultimate road trip for the southern lit lover wanting an insight into the lives, people and places that inspired some of the south's most infamous (Welty, O'Connor, Faulkner, Lee, Capote and Toole) southern authors, and maybe a few not found on everyone's reading list, but no less talented.  Each chapter stands alone, so no need to feel like you must tackle this journey in one trip.

My favorite son(-in-law), picked out this book for me while we were browsing one of my favorite bookstores, Lemuria in Jackson, Mississippi.  Thanks for the great suggestion,
loved it!

Now I want to get into the car, fill-up the gas tank, and trace Eby's tire treads.  
Anyone up for a southern road trip?

I hope you are reading something fabulous!

Seven Years of Ramblings

Seven years ago one of my moms suggested I write a blog.  I played around a bit, then one Saturday morning in May  I gathered the courage, wrote a profile and hit publish.    

Wow, seven years ago!  

The first year or so I spent finding my voice.  I sometimes go back to reread my post... some are so far off the mark and some surprise me.  There are posts that I became so passionate about my subject I lost track of my writing and it became gibberish.   In the beginning, like many beginning bloggers, I battled between developing a blog persona and wanting to be authentic.   I hope I have been and continue to be successful at being real.

Where do I go from here?  
A lot has happened over the last few years.   I'm learning to accept imperfection and enjoy the process and time saved.  I honestly don't know where I'm headed.  I am going to stop worry about quantity.  I have a few ideas running around in my head.  I'm doing a little test driving on Instagram.  Join me if you are interested, livingbeeslife.   I do know, I will continue to share God's blessings found in ordinary moments of Living Life.   

Thank you for reading, lifting me up and helping me through the last seven years.  I appreciated each and everyone of you and all of your comments.

Hugs and wishes for a great weekend!

And He Whispers, Slow Down

Have you ever found yourself running around in circles trying to catch-up...

make someone happy... stay on course.   When I start playing catchup I'm have visions of the old "spinning plate" circus act.    A performer comes into the ring where several tall stakes have been placed; his assistant follows, holding a stack of plates.  He begins by placing one plate atop a stake and starts it spinning, then another and another.  The idea was to keep all the plates spinning at one time.  By the time he had the last one going, the first would begin to wobble, and he would rush back to start it spinning again.   He was constantly running from pole to pole hoping to keep each plate balanced and rotating.   I don't know about you, but when I start moving from one task to another, trying to keep all my "dishes" perfectly balanced and moving, something almost always happens.

This happened to me last week.  I slipped back into the classroom knowing I had a ton of things waiting to be finished.  Though I prepared for my absence, and good friends generously helped with things while I was away, I had to jump in running.  It was program week and Mother's Day gifts needed to be finished and wrapped.  I began with my usual "bird by bird" pace,  but quickly began feeling behind and moving from one task to another.   I kept telling myself, " it will all get finished".  I couldn't sleep.  I would wake up thinking about everything I needed to do, everything everyone else needed me to do; I would say a little prayer and begin making my lists.  My plates were spinning at break neck speed.

Program day finally arrived.  My prayers were answered, I had checked almost everything off my list.  Though a voice in my head kept saying, "relax, your almost there", I wasn't satisfied.  I didn't want to listen.  I wanted control.  I wanted to be finished, and the only thing left was to have the children sign their Mother's Day cards and attach them to the gifts.   Each signed their name as they arrived, and I began attaching them to the wrapped packages.  Ten minutes before showtime and everything was going smoothly.  I announced we needed to pick-up and get ready to line-up.  I turned around to tie one more bow, when I felt eleven small bodies rush against me for hugs.  I heard a book fall, a plate slide and... crash... it happened so quickly,  I didn't have time to react... the full tumbler of coffee,  I had so carefully place at the back of my counter, turn over, spilling coffee everywhere...papers were soaked and as were the wrapped Mother's Day presents and just finished cards. 

I could blame my children for the mess, for the extra work, but in reality I was trying to do too many things at one time.  I had ignored the voice telling me to relax, I wanted to tie one last bow... check that final thing off my list.   Then, God whispered a little bit louder with eleven sets of arms and a bump..."slow down".

I often need to be reminded answered prayers are seldom accompanied by drums and bugles, but with whispers.   Sometimes when we fail to listen to that little voice in our head the whisper becomes a soft roar. 

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9