Bluegrass Nostalgia

Some place on a mountain- a mountain in East Tennessee to be exact- lives my family. On the mountain there aren't any material things that draw you to it. The only lure is that of nature, or if you're my family-it is the lure of home. It's the smell of home cooked meals (home cookin' to be exact), the laughter (and sometimes sibling rivalry) that echoes through the trees, and the simplicity of family love and acceptance.

Growing up in a very small town (actually, on a mountain a good twenty-five minutes from that town) wasn't anything to be proud of. I have always been the adventurous one in my family and I think I was bitten by the travel bug when I was playing outside as a toddler. Even at an early age, I imaged the forest was the jungle and that I was a world traveler although I had no concept of the world that was out there. I always wanted to get away and see what places I could explore without the protection, advice, and interference of my mama and daddy. I was always an independent little thing and I wore mix matched clothes, butchered my hair at the age of five and had the desire to move the world over because of it.

Creeks became oceans in my imagination and I would try to jump from one side of the creek bank to the next without touching the water. In 2006, I took a huge jump across the "creek" to England and ever since I have wanted to continue that sense of adventure. Matt and I both suspect that we will live overseas again and it will probably be in several different countries. We both have adventurous spirits and yearn to become knowledgeable of other cultures and their customs. I often dream that we will raise our kids in different countries and expose them to the world around them.

I have recently undertaken a huge dream of mine- writing a book.  The idea of the book came about when I was in a real place of heartache. It seemed that everything around me had either already caved in or was about to.  I decided to write things down as a means to work through those hardships and the idea came to me to write a book about my life. It's not as if my life is glamorous or even that I have endured any more heartbreaking things than anyone else has, but I'm going to write in  hopes that my book will be an inspiration to those that read it if it is ever published.

I've been doing a lot of thinking for the book and as part of the creative process I have been re-teaching myself about the culture in which I was raised. There are things that I am not proud to say I was raised around, such as the harsh judgement of churches in the area, but revisiting those things has made me who I am today. In addition to re-familiarizing myself with the past I have also been listening to a lot of bluegrass music. It never failed- when I was growing up I was always exposed to bluegrass music whether it was being picked by hand in front of me or coming through the speakers of an AM radio station. My senses have been heightened as I have called back home and picked my accent back up, listened to the music of the area, looked at old photos and smelled old recipes as I cooked them for Matt in our kitchen.

I have always associated home with the things that I didn't like about where I was raised. As I have gotten older, I have come to associate home with the things I love most about where I was born and raised. The truth is that no matter where I may travel with my small little family in the future or how much of the world I may see- home is still home sweet home- even if it's on the very top of a mountain in East Tennessee and not a high-rise flat in  London.

"It's All Good"

    Sitting outside in the glow of the warm sun I took a deep breath and a saying that my father-in-law says all the time came to mind- "It's all good." If you know Bill, you know that he is a laid back kind of guy that doesn't get upset easily or get discouraged under pressure. He's a man of few words, but when he talks you want to listen. It's mid-November and an amazing 74 degrees here in Northern VA today. The sun is shining, the leaves are slowly drifting from the branches and onto the ground, the sky is a a powdery blue mixed with white whispy clouds and all I have to say is "It's all good."

   I've always been a talker and because of that I don't always listen as I should because I am planning out what I will say next.  Matt calls his dad for advice from time to time and Matt talks (a lot- like me) while his dad patiently listens on the other end of the line. Bill usually says a few words that are simply put, but hold genuine and sound advice.  Bill will say "It's all good." to Matt on a regular basis and leave it at that.  At first, I thought of it as just a habitual thing to say, but I've found that it implies a lot more than what first meets the ear. : )

   "It's all good." brings us back to a place of thankfulness in the end. Even if said light heartidly, it's true. And for the times that things aren't good at all? Well, "It's all good." implies that there are still things to hold to tightly and to be thankful  for and it also reminds us that there will be a time when things are good; when life does get better.  Matt has picked up his dad's catch phrase and he uses it on me a lot. I will pour my heart out to Matt for an hour and he will look at me patiently and say "It's all good."   I don't find it insensitive for him to say that or to be short with me after I have been talking non-stop.  I'm finding that over time, fewer words seem to be more valuable to me than someone talking in circles trying to "fix" what's going on with me.

   Matt and I are facing a lot financially right now with situations that are beyond our control. Despite what we're facing and will continue to face for the coming months, the truth is that it's still 74 degrees outside right now in mid-November, the sun is shining, the sky is flawless and "It's all good." Our circumstances don't determine our level of worth, contentment, joy or hope for a future. Tomorrow, if Winter decides to make an early arrival and snow covers the beautiful fallen leaves, the sky is turned to gray, and the sun refuses to shine- well, "It's all good."

The 'Etsy' Bitsy Provider

   

 I have pulled a 180! Growing up with my mama's crafts filling every corner I built a wall up to all things "country" and "crafty".  Quilts were all over the place and I often found loose buttons and pieces of quilt scraps in my laundry. The country style has never been my thing- I tend to gravitate toward shabby chic, vintage or modern styles when it comes to decorating. Sometimes, I combine all three.  Mama always tried to get me to at least try sewing like she did, but I always resisted.

     Matt and I have had a tough time financially over the past year and I've been searching for ways to help us out. Our financial situation hasn't been because of our crazy spending (we're both tight wads!) but circumstances beyond our control have smacked us in the face and robbed our wallet. The thrifty part of my brain works really well and I can go without spending or saving major bucks when I buy our groceries, but saving money isn't enough when you need to increase cash flow.  I started a part-time job as a nanny which I am so thankful for! My new income hasn't made us rich overnight or taken care of the issues at hand, but it's a great start to helping us out.  My little job has really improved my self-esteem and that in itself is a huge pay off! Just the fact of knowing I'm helping us out now has improved the way I think of myself. I'm not such a bully to myself now.

     I've been looking at ways to bring in extra money and things to work on during the times that I'm not working.  I decided to pick up jewelry making which I realized I'm not too bad at to be a beginner. I opened a store on http://www.etsy.com/ and named my store Pearls For A Gypsy. Then, I surprised myself by calling my mom and asking her for a sewing machine for Christmas! What?! I also asked for her to create me a starter kit of supplies that she has on hand.  My next project is making throw pillows that I have made as Christmas gifts in the past. I will be adding those to my online store soon! I am also going to use my writing in some craft pieces and see what I can do with that. I'm really excited about the new projects that I have going on and I'm finding that working on things really instills a sense of pride in me because I feel like I'm continuing what my mama has started.  I also feel like I'm genuinely helping with our financial situation. It's going to be such a blessing to be able to potentially make money from home since I'm unable to work a full-time job right now. 

    We shall see how it works out! Please stop by my store and browse for Christmas gifts! I would love any feed back that you may have- positive and need for improvement! Thanks!