Ah! It’s been so long since I was able to journal here! I have been wanting to but life has made a crazy turn on me here and I have been busy!!

First I must write about the BEAUTIFUL day we are having here in Michigan. I was able to sleep in and when I woke the sun was shining through the crack in my curtains. I told Hope ( my roommate) this is going to be a beautiful day. Then pinched her nose. She loves it when I do that. She sleeps on the bottom part of our white day bed.

I tell you what gives me the best feeling in the world. Is having my room somewhat organized and clean. Especially when I am going all the time I usually drop and run. Everything ending up in piles. Not a good feeling at all. Today I have time off… so I said no to other things (which I would have loved to do ) and stayed home to take some “Holly” time. I am the only one in the house! I rare thing. Anyway, I have taken the morning to spend cleaning out my closet of clothes and winter boots and shoes and now I have so much room in there!!! Goodbye winter clothes. You would be surprised at how much space winter stuff takes up. I opened my windows and let the springtime air in. At first it was cold, but as the morning wore into afternoon it is a wonderful temp of approximately – perfect. ( I don’t know what the degree is) Probably 72.

I feel I have accomplished so much and therefore worthy of writing about. I need to run to the goodwill with clothes I haven’t worn in…. at least 2 years or more. But at least they are in a bag! I got to thinking while cleaning. I want to plant Lavender right outside my bedroom window. I have a room facing the street and one window faces the side of the house, so I am at the corner, and it would be perfect to add it right there at the corner. I love my little room because it gets the sunshine. The reason I chose it. Even though it is smaller then the other option…. less sunlight. I think it would be positively lovely to have a lavender bed. Last year I tried growing it and lets just say my manicured thumb is far from green. They grew fast and died fast. Yeah….

(Break in here ran to the dollar store)

Ok, I am back. I had to run to the dollar store for some laundry soap now that my clothes AND sheets are in the washing machine washing and spinning away I feel much, much better! ah…. I also put the kettle on to brew some good ole southern style sweet tea.

So anyway back to what I was saying … I love the idea of lavender growing outside my window. I just think that would be the neatest thing. Then when the breeze blows you would have the lovely scent of lavender filling up your room. Right now I have lit one of my favorite summer scented candles, and I do have favorite summer and winter scents. I love “clean cotton” from Yankee. I have had that one almost every spring. I put it out and it just reminds me of clothing hanging out on the line. I remember when I was young, mom would hang clothes out on the line to dry. I would go up and smell them…. they would get stiff and attract huge beetle type bugs. And while we were playing, we loved playing outside we lived way out in the country in big farm houses. But while we playing outside if big storm clouds ever came up on the horizon we knew we better tell mom and start grabbing the laundry baskets to take the clothes in before a big rain. The good ole days…

Right now I am sitting out on our little porch. I love porches. I am typing in the shade now.. I was sitting in the sun and it started really heating up! Praise the Lord!!!

Have you ever thought that the best things in life come free? I sure did today. I am just having a WONDERFUL day today. I feel like my heart is bursting forth with thanksgiving to Jesus. I like to think it’s not just because the sun is shining in my part of the world but it might be! I was made for the Sun! I like to think of my relationship with Jesus that way as well.

Today as I was cleaning… .I was humming to myself some of my favorite songs. One of them was “Coat of many colors” reminds me of my Mother Love you mom!! Anyway, there is a part in the song that says “One is only poor only if he choose to be…” while she sings about growing up in the smoky mountains not having any clothes yet having a loving family…. that really hit me. So many times I want nicer things. I want to be able to go to school and not have loans to pay back for it. I want a reliable car. I want to be able to go on trips and not have to work part time after school full time….. I think of myself not as poor but maybe a little close to not having a whole lot of extra! Hahah….. as I thought about this today I was hit with the lesson… that the best things in life, they come free. I am only poor or ( in my case, don’t have extra) if I choose to not have extra. Clothes lines on summer days, the sound of the washing machine workin away, sweet tea, sittin in the front porch, taking a walk, listening to the birds, planting springtime flowers, walking in a wide open field, the wind in my curtains, the smell of grass being cut, the smile on my Nephew’s face, sunshine…. they all come free. I just get to enjoy them. Maybe I do shop at the dollar store, I actually really love the dollar store, you can find some cute clothes there… and live from paycheck to paycheck but I am only poor when I choose to be. And I say God has blessed me a whole lot.

I hope that you have a great day today enjoying the sunshine… or wherever you are. I know I am. I think I here my tea kettle singing…. time to fix the sweet tea then head off to work.

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