simplifying: purging & cleaning

God has given me the gift of time, for a time. The first couple weeks were a bit overwhelming and stressful, but now that some business is taken care of, and the normal "decompressing" that tends to be needed before a true sense of "settling" and meditation occur has transpired, peace and rest are the more dominant undercurrent.

Two or three times a year I find the "purge bug" roaming through me, but this time seems a bit different. Rather than just my room or closet, I'm finding an urge to purge almost everything! I don't know if it's due to the extra time the Lord has given me, if it's preparation for something He has ahead, or perhaps a combination of both. A simplistic lifestyle has always been a cool, fresh breeze for me, but this time it's running deeper and bigger. Hmph. Love deeply, live simply, give generously.

It's been interesting to see the different nooks and crannies I've found myself wanting to purge/simplify... the welcome basket in the guest room, all the pens and supplies in the office, the gift bags & tissue paper, the pantry, pictures on the computer & my SD cards, emails, email contacts, Tupperware in the kitchen... the list goes on.

Most recent purge: the unpublished curly strands in the drafts folder. So brace yourself, a surge of posts is about to erupt. Well, interspersed between the baking of gingerbread cake, lemon pound cake, chocolate truffles, grilled salmon, turkey burgers, eggplant, and zucchini! [Uh, grilled eggplant, where have you been all my life!?!? YUM!]

Pictures that have been waiting:

The girls and I at Animal Kingdom. Mia was tall enough to ride Everest this year... the look on her face was PRICELESS!

baby gorilla, three months old

lemur: will always cause me to think of "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium"

I LOVED this: three little ducklings sitting on lily-pads with fish swimming all around them

the mini caramel apples I was so proud of