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Sunday, January 17, 2010

Quiet Reflection


This was a sunset, as seen from my front porch, last week...a burst of fiery color on a cold Winter's evening.
It doesn't get more beautiful than that now does it?


I live in a smaller house. I don't have lots of bells and whistles. In touring the blog community it is easy to become disenchanted...well...for me at least. So many are doing so much with their homes. I look around our place and see that it pales in comparison...yes. I know that it does. But after 4 days of coverage on the horrific Haitian situation, I know that I am so, so lucky. You will never hear me use the word *blessed*.
I just do not think God chooses who to *bless* with a fine life while others suffer. No, not blessed. It is luck...having a good education yes. Hard work, yes. But luck plays the biggest part. Most of the time it comes down to just that. Yes, some occupations earn more income. Some folks inherit money. Some save and save for years. But much comes down to luck. And I am grateful for the good luck I have received.

I do not have the fanciest of homes but I am grateful to have a warm bed, clean water and heat on a cold night. So many in this country and the world at large do not have these luxuries. Yes, luxuries. The very things that many take for granted are the very things that others live without. My heart is filled with pain just now, to see what so many are forced to endure.

Call it survivors guilt, call me a hippie...yes, I have been called that a time or two...but I look around and even with all I lack, I know I have so, so much. So, instead of doing some of what I had planned to our home, we will give away what we can. I realize that my readership will dwindle even more but that is not what matters now...

I will post about our home and the little tweaks here and there (Mostly done with no money at all!) or about the little viginettes that I play with...but most posts will be about the beauty around us, the silliness found in life, the joy of being in a busy family. Yes, many will see this as unimaginative, boring even. But it is just my *luck* to live such a boring life.

I hope that most of you will stay with me...and we will see where this all takes me.

Wishing you all peace of heart and spirit. Wishing you joy and happy smiles.

Love and Hugs,
Susie Q



22 comments:

Salmagundi said...

Boring! You!! Never!! Some great food for thought today - I am really going to think about the blessed versus luck thing. I've always considered myself to be blessed, but maybe it is luck. Thanks for always making me think - I love that about your blog. Sally

Lynilu said...

Sue, my house is very small. My previous one was 2700 square feet, Great for when the kids were at home, but an awful lot to keep up for two of us, or even worse, just me. I knew I wanted to downsize and I did, to about half that. I miss having storage (especially in my kitchen), I miss having space to display things, I have less wall space for paintings .... and I'm never happier!

I know what you mean about hearing what others are doing to their homes. I wish I could do more, sometimes, but actually, I'm learning to trade out. When I get something new, I use it to "trade out" with an old item, then either sell/give away the old or store it for a couple years and trade out again. So far, it's working for me.

I look forward to seeing what you do with your home!

That picture is truly beautiful!

Anonymous said...

I love your heart, Susie! I agree - we do all have so much in comparison to those poor ones! I'm so thankful for what we have and I will always be here for you! :)
Love ya, Dear One,
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

SaraG said...

BEAUTIFUL photo, Sue.
Your house is your home and it doens't matter if it has bells and whistles, it has you and your family!!!
The tragedy in Haiti makes us all think about things pretty seriously!!
Take care

Tracey said...

I completly agee and think it is hard to be materialistic when others have not even basic living.
I love seeing houses and lovely rooms
but I dont have much money and any decorating is on a tight budget or done using leftover paint and imagination,I dont even live anywhwere as nice as most,but some who have less would say I live in the lap of luxury,I will definetly be staying susie I love reading your posts, I find them really inspirational and lots of fun

Lynilu said...

Well, gosh. I left a message earlier, or thought I did. I just said that my home is very small. The previous home was about 2700 sq. ft., which was nice when all the kids were home, but not fun to keep clean when just one or two people live there. I downsized very purposely to approximately half that, and I love it. I miss storage space, especially in the kitchen, but it's also a message to KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). I also miss the space to display Christmas treasures. If I buy something new for the house, I have to make a choice to get rid of something else or find a way to store it and rotate them, not an easy thing. However, I love my house, the size, the location and everything. Small home rock, IMO!! There is so much more than size that matters in a home.

Unknown said...

Sunsets like that are a gift, stunning! Home is where the heart is and that's all that matters.

Donna said...

Beautiful sunset photo, Sue.

Simple joys are the most important things in life.

Hugs,
Donna

Oh, I'm posting Kipper's painting today on my blog with your link.

Deb said...

Such an amazing sunset Sue ~ what a fabulous view from your front porch! I have just visited Donna & saw the portrait of Kipper ♥ ADORABLE Kipper xo
Happy New Year Sue & Kipper!

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Hi Sue,
I just popped in from Donna's blog after seeing her wonderful commissioned painting of Kipper. She did an amazing job! Of course, she had a wonderful model to paint.
Hugs,
Penny

Janet said...

Sue,
I have always loved your "boring" posts, lol. You, like me, consider yourself lucky to have what you have and do not seek to have the biggest and the best. I call this contentment and it makes me very happy. As you see, my 16 y.o. kitchen is not fancy ( and it was the walls that were painted, the cabinets are pickled oak), but a lot of good food comes from that kitchen and a lot of love as well!

Pamela said...

that needs to hang on your wall -- that photo.

I've got to contemplate the other things you said... the world is complicated and dysfunctional .

Sheila said...

Sue I hear you and agree with you. Today I was going to the grocery store and thought about how much we take for granted.Later as I stood in line with my groceries and my usual handful of magazines, the check out girl asked if I wanted to make a contribution to the Red Cross ( for Haiti)through the store. In that split second I said Yes, please!
I put back the magazines and contributed what I would have spent on them. I am getting far more for my money ..it feels so good.
Saw Kipper portrait on dear Donna's blog. It's wonderful..!
Lucky you..
hugs
xoxox

Jo said...

What a pretty sunset. I've just given you a Sunshine award at my blog. Pop on by to collect!!

Laurie - Lolo So Retro said...

I visit your blog because you are sweet, funny, interesting, optimistic, appreciative, and realistic. There are other blogs I visit for eye-candy, and some of those I waver on because I am not crazy about the personality of a particular blogger at tiems. Some I delete because they no longer hold my interest. But I enjoy your blog very much.

Meggie said...

I've never really thought of the blessing vs. luck notion, sweet Sue. While I am a believer, I don't necessarily think of my blessings as being God sent. So, in a way, I guess they are luck...of a sort. In any case, I think one of the secrets to a good life is to be happy with what one has. The Desiderata encapsulates my philosophy of like...there will always be those with more and many more with less. Be happy in your own skin, be grateful, strive to be your best!

The Pleasures of Homemaking said...

Hi Sue,

I think that it's lovely that you've chosen to use your funds in that way. I agree with the whole blessed vs. luck thing.

As to your decision affecting your readership - I think you just have to "do you" when it comes to blogging. I blog for myself. Everyone else is just along for the ride. I do my best not to worry about who reads my blog or why. I don't want any pressure to have to post certain things. I just try to post things that I find interesting. Yes, I know that my decorating post are more interesting to people than my posts on saving money/money management. But I can't tell you how good I feel when someone emails me and says that a post I did on that subject changed their life or helped them in some way. That means more to me than 100 people telling me something I did is pretty. But I'm a creative person so I like to do various projects - it's just who I am so that's a part of my blog as well. But I'm not going to focus on one thing just because more people read/respond to it.

My blog idol is Rhonda at Down to Earth. She never participated in a blog party, doesn't go around visiting other bloggers, blogs about her life, doesn't have tons of pictures in her posts and will take a week off and re-run old posts without ANY apologies AND she has a huge readership. I've been reading her for over a year and remember when she would get one or two comments. Now it's really a lot. But she just kept doing her own thing and people found her.

Just do your own thing and don't worry about anyone else.

Hugs,

Manuela

Brown English Muffin said...

thank you for making me realize that I too should be fortunate for the boring life I lead.

Kelly said...

You say you will never use the word "bless". How, then, do you interpret actual scripture that speaks about blessings? i.e. The Beatitudes in Matt. 5:1-12;Prov. 3:13;Prov. 28:14 and 28:20? There are many, many more scriptures in the Bible that talk about blessings.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

My house is small too, Susie! I don't have room to collect dishes and cloches like some blogger and I don't decorate for every holiday..just Christmas. While I enjoy looking at pretty blogs I also enjoy thoughtful and interesting blogs and I've always thought yours was one of those! I appreciate your visits to mine and I always look forward to seeing what new things Grace and Boo are doing.

We may not have decorators blogs or live in mansions but I hope we have the more important things in life....the love of family and friends!

Hugs, Pat

Jeanie said...

Oh, Sue -- is this the one that started it all? Methinks someone missed the point of this lovely and thoughtful post. Blessing or luck? Does it matter? I think not, so long as we know how very fortunate we are and are grateful in return.

homes in philippines said...

Very beautiful view! So lovely.

Deirdre G