Month: January 2025

Chasing Joy

/ carriehuckeby / 1 Comment

The past week hasn’t been a week of no work (the kind you get paid to do), but it was one of those quieter weeks. One of those with the after-holiday lull and before the commitments kick in. You know, the kind of week where an extra cup of coffee is enjoyed. As you drink your coffee, you take the time to read about compost piles, building the soil, starting a worm farm, mindlessly flip through the seed catalogs, and then browse the emails full of plant offers. The algorithms and the gardening articles give me away. Those darn marketing people. They make it too easy to chase gardening joy.

I experienced joy this week, buying too many flower seeds (I need a PO box with another name), dreaming of a cow panel trellis (plural), and sending the hubby blueprints for a roadside flower stand. In addition to algorithms and pretty seed books, Pinterest is evil when time is limited, but I call it “friend” when the coffee pot is full.

I chased extra joy by making a mess in the basement. Playing with dirt outside is too cold, but the basement is warm and cozy (wood stove). I dragged my dirt, seeds, and containers to the basement table. It’s early, I know, but the grow lights and heat pads were dormant, and the Feverfew was lonely. I told myself it was okay since I pulled the cool-weather flower seeds—cherry Rudbeckia, Sahara black-eye susans, and some other flower I can’t recall. It sounded pretty. And okay, I admit I planted some lettuce in plastic boxes to see what would happen. Gardening is nothing but experimentation, right? I’m not sure salad is in my future. Stay tuned.

Besides gardening, I spent some time in the snow, walking the farm, hearing nothing but the crunching sounds of our boots and the creek trickle. It didn’t stay long, but it brought joy to many folks around here, especially the milk, egg, and bread makers. 🙂 A couple of extra bonuses to the snow were the full moon lighting up the snowy landscape at night and the neighbors’ adorable sheep. They didn’t seem to mind the cold at all.

I hope you chased some joy this past week. If not, it’s a whole new week. Take a few minutes to do so. Speaking of algorithms on social media, this link brought me joy, and it might do the same for you. It’s hard not to smile at Rico, the porcupine.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AH457QjFJ

Have a great week!

Carrie

Time

/ carriehuckeby / Leave a comment

We are blessed to have it.

Time doesn’t stop for us. The speed of the clock hands or the clicking of the digital minutes on our smartphones hasn’t changed, but don’t we feel the hours are quicker to pass between the sunrise’s glow and the sunset’s amber streaks? Mom often said that time goes faster the older we get. These days, I feel like she knew what she was talking about.

Since time isn’t slowing down, what will I do with this new year? Many years ago, I moved past the “resolution setting,” and I refuse to feel guilty about it. I always seemed to have the same one and grew tired of making it. It was forever the “lose weight” goal and throwing it to the wind when life got busy and hectic, or Blue Bell was on special. Granted, I continue to fight the fight; I just don’t talk about it or post my struggle on a New Year’s resolution checklist. My scales and I have an agreement to keep it between us. Everyone is happier that way.

Starting each December, if not before, there are so many books, podcasts, and LinkedIn posts about setting goals for the year. Do the most with your time, buy back your time, and don’t waste it on the couch time. Must I buy in? Does anyone else feel it’s one more thing to fail at doing? Experts say if you don’t write it down, there’s no satisfaction in reaching it or marking it off the list. Really? Somehow, I don’t think writing “organize the closet” will add that much satisfaction to organizing the closet. Maybe I’m not dreaming big enough, and that’s the other challenge. My goals aren’t lofty enough to write down. Once again, I am tossing the inclination to feel like a goal-setting failure and that my time should be used differently.

This year, and each year I’m blessed to see, I plan to do things for the pure joy of it. A post on LinkedIn a few weeks ago (you should check out Sean Vanslyke’s weekly vlog-week #248) said chase joy and be you. It takes some of us a few circles around the sun and intentional reflection to realize what brings us joy. If you want to make a list, make that one. As a former type A baby boomer workaholic, it’s ok when it’s not a crazy, challenging goal. Run for office, uh no. Start a business, no thanks. Write a book; have no imagination. Grow more flowers, YES! Stick to no flour and no sugar; work on it. Help people, yes please. Spend more time with friends, yep. Travel more, you betcha. Write an occasional blog, maybe.

Time is short. Won’t you join me in chasing joy? It’s ok. I promise.

Have a beautiful week!

Carrie