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Mitten Strings ~ a conversation continued!

Hello my friends, and Happy (almost) Friday! :)

On Facebook the other day I shared a beautiful post by Katrina Kenison, author of one of my favorite "mothering" reads of all time, Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry. Some longtime readers might remember back in 2008 when I ran a chapter-by-chapter book study of Mitten Strings here at the blog - and oh, what fun we had with that! We discussed some wonderful topics - Simplicity, Wants and Needs, Stories, and Quiet, for example - but we only made it to chapter nine before my posting ended. (I've always regretted dropping the ball on that series! My sincere apologies to those that were following along.) And we still had another 20 chapters to go - including Grace, Stretching, Sabbath, and Rhythm - so many more excellent topics to digest and discuss!

Well, as Autumn descends and my reading habits change (as in, I crave more of it!) I've been sorting through my books and organizing my baskets and trying to build more reading time into my days/nights. I've had my tattered copy of Mitten Strings sitting on my bureau all Summer, just awaiting a re-read and so I thought ... why not start there?

In addition to my own re-read, I thought it would be nice to revisit that old post series and see what I (what we) all thought and shared in response to those chapters. And then, hopefully continue on! I'll post more about my ideas on continuing our conversation - beginning with my Autumn Tea post next week - but for now I want to talk a bit about Chapter One, which I just re-read last night. If you follow me on Facebook you probably already read this, but it grew so lengthy I thought it really belonged here at the blog ... :)

Mittenstrings for god button

So, I just re-read the first post I wrote in the series (Chapter One: "Dailiness") and first of all - wow, what a snippet of life from nine years ago! I smiled as I read about the goings-on in our home that random day - the boys running about and the things they were into, what I was cooking, and hearing and thinking ...

My blog at that time was just two years old, and it was quite a hodgepodge of "everyday" things. Not that it's not still rather *ahem* eclectic in style - but back then I posted quite frequently (daily, even) as I tried to capture all those little things that made up the fabric of my life at home with a husband and three young boys. I wrote as much to preserve family memories, as I did to shine a light on the happiness I found in being at home ...

But then, as I read on, the post absolutely stopped me in my tracks - because it referenced a death we'd just had in our family. I hadn't thought of this person in so long and it was quite a shock to remember that tragic event. It also brought back the feelings of disbelief and despair which at that time were quite fresh. Amy's death was so sudden and it just seemed so unreal - and unfair - that someone so young and vibrant, leading a life so much like mine, could possibly be gone forever ... 

The message of Ms. Kenison's first chapter - appreciating the very DAILINESS of life while we can - really hit home for me nine years ago, and it still does today. I vowed, as I wrote that post, to always be aware of the blessing of those simple, everyday moments ... the sweet AND the mundane. I even wrote out a few suggestions for doing that very thing, and then invited readers to join me and add their own thoughts. (And what a wonderful conversation we had!)

Maintain balance within our family schedule. I say maintain, because I think we do a pretty good job with our schedule now, but it's always a balancing act. I'm a true homebody at heart, so I make sure we have plenty of quiet days (or at least hours) in a week. I want to set an example for my children, to show them a way to live that is not frantic or pressured. I hope they learn to set their own pace in the world, without tethering themselves to its demands.

Learn to appreciate the "humble household rituals." Remember that it's only for a while that I'll have little boys underfoot and five sets of socks to sort. Focus on the fact that the things I do for my family - even the smallest offerings - are all gifts. From me to them and back again. Even the meatballs. ;)

Make home a nurturing place to be - physically, emotionally and mentally. Help the kids cultivate hobbies. Create space that is cozy and fun to be in. Brainstorm family activities that don't require money or even a lot of fuss - things like lighting candles at dinner every night. (Thank you Mary for the idea!)

Take time to consider it all. Keep up my blog, because it is here that I am preserving my family's memories - our family's dailiness, if you will. When I read through my archives, I remember how "big" all the little things really were. Hopefully my boys will do the same someday. As they grow, I want them "to be able to see the sacred in the ordinary ... to know how to "love the dailiness." And I want them to want that for their own families.

I'd like to think I've been keeping up that kind of awareness, and that I've been as mindful as I could possibly be of the blessing that is LIFE every day, here and now. But a reminder like this is necessary sometimes, mixing the sweet with the sad ...

Ironically enough, I'll have my hands dug deep into cold ground beef tonight again (you'd have to read my post to understand!), but you can just bet I'll be thinking about this book and that chapter ... and especially about my cousin's wife who lost her life so many years ago.

So in my kitchen this evening - a different space, a different soundtrack, one more little guy underfoot - I'll light a candle in remembrance and gratitude. Another day, another chance to be with my loved ones - who could ask for more than that?

I hope you might like to join me as I revisit each of the nine chapters we covered - and continue on with the remainder of this beloved book. We'll talk more at Tea next week!

In the meantime - thanks as always for stopping by! I will see you here again very soon!

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