Country kitchen, boiling noodles, and hot tea…

As I sit here tonight, in my little country kitchen staring at beautiful local hand crafted cabinets, grape wallpaper, an eggshell hutch filled with labeled old  tin sugar, flour, cornmeal cans, and a menu chalkboard labeling the weekly meals hanging on the wall; cant get more country than that. And I actually do live in the country so maybe its extra country? Anywhoo, as sit here, I have a hot cup of tea, some sweet tea cooling on the counter, some frozen homemade spaghetti sauce thawing and noodles boiling for tomorrows dinner. I can not believe that at 9 pm I am up doing this and writing all at the same time. I am usually so tired and tonight is no different. Physically my body is tired, my muscle ache from the pain of a condition I can really do little about (fibromyalgia). Yet tonight is different, not only in my being able to get up and do these things. But more so, in that I am writing and enjoying a hot cup of tea while I do so, in my little kitchen of all places. I usually do not write or make time for it or anything I really love. My days are spent at my job as a Parent Educator getting to be creative and to help people. I love it but it is tiring at times. When I am not at work I am caring for my husband, sometimes my 3 stepsons (the days they are here, and my 3 dogs. Oh and this lovely home we own right in town, our tiny little town but town nonetheless. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in all I need to do or think I should do that I miss the little things. The joy in the blessings I have. I have a home I own, a job, 3 stepsons, a husband and doggies. I am blessed. Yet I usually live lost and sad and broken. I forget the joys when I am wrapped up in responsibility, wallowing in my own self pitty.

Tonight for some reason was different. I came into the kitchen, tossing our bowls from the homemade blackberry cobbler I made and was thinking of eating a small bowl of cereal and laying on the couch. Then I saw the noodles I needed to make and then the tea that was almost empty. As I started these, I stretched a little right in the kitchen and felt a lil better. Then I decided on a hot cup of tea, before I knew it I was aching to go to the office/craft room and write. But the noodles were taking forever and if I waited on the noodles to get done, the tea in my cute little cup would be cold and I would be  inevitably too tired. If I left the kitchen I would ruin the noodles and possible set my house on fire. Choices choices… of course I would stay in the kitchen.

And with that you must excuse me while I go to check the noodles……

I am back, all is well and finally the noodles are done!

So back to when I had that light bulb moment of sitting on the stool at the little table in my country kitchen and simply writing as my noodles cooked. i made the choice, as you can now tell, to do just that. to sit and write, to watch my noodles, to sip hot tea. And here I am writing and feeling more like me than I have felt in a long time. I am here feeling relief and life and my God. I am here in my kitchen feeling grateful for all I have and the ability to multitask. Haha. Who knows maybe this will be my new spot for not only sanity, but for inspiration as well?

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