And the winners are...

I decided to give away two cowls! My handy dandy name draw-er, Dave drew these names out of the bowl!

Becky of Hill Country Hippie/Seasonality

Ooh, I would love that Caribbean dreams cowl. I have earrings that would match perfectly! 

and 

Teresa of A Life Made Simple 

LOVE them all but the sunset skies is just right. Don't think I've ever seen a cowl before!

Thank you all for participating!

Friday Favorites...

I haven't done one of these in a while! My focus has changed a bit as far as the types of blogs I read and even the pins I pin. While we were on the road, a lot of the blogs I read were full-time RV'rs. Now that we're back in the Austin area to settle back down, I'm back into the swing of simple living, real-food eating, inspirational-type blogs. Here are some of my favorite reads lately...

We are doing a no-white-sugar month here... this is good info !

I always love reading about adventures into non-normal lifestyles, especially those going back to a simpler, old-school lifestyle and recently came across this blog.

I've often pondered simplifying my life even more by unplugging more often. I have an old-school Iphone, but think about returning to a simple cell phone that makes calls and texts (how I often communicate with my kids). So when I read this and this... hmmm...

I think I wanna smashbook!

Living a simple life means that being organized for the sake of being organized is largely unnecessary. If you strip away what you do not need, you will find that life doesn’t need nearly much organizing at all.

A new habit I'm trying to incorporate... Surrendering to the Sabbath 

What a FUN way to celebrate!

And some yummy looking recipes I've marked to try... Buttered Enchiladas, Unique Lasagna, Kale and Garlic Hummus, Black-Eyed Pea Dip, and Cherry Shakes (new food blog of the daughter-in-law of a good friend of mine)!

Great article on "diets"... 

Favorite pins lately...

I'm liking a more simpler style lately

 

 

 

Gray, white and denim

Future hen house?

Mmmmm...

Wanna make one of these!

Enjoy!

My first giveaway

I truly appreciate each and every one of you that keeps coming back! Since I've been enjoying knitting so much I have several cowls and I'd love to give you one. You can choose out of these three...

This is a deep purple... the colors in the photo are lighter than the actual color.

Caribbean Dreams

 

Sunset Skies

Just leave a comment. I'll draw a name Monday morning. UPDATE: If you don't have a blogger account, please leave me your email address or a way to contact you!

So... what have we been up to since our late November arrival in Central Texas?

• established a temporary "residence" at an RV park in East Central Austin
• tossed our arrival/departure checklists (just kidding)
• spent some time with our boys and my parents over the holidays
• enjoyed having our oldest here in Austin with the other three of "us"
• got caught up with our best friends; I've finally has some girl time and it is wonderful!
• ate some GREAT food! 

Rudy's BBQ

Frank

Fresh made tortillas from HEB

Baby A's

Chuy's

• got back into a routine
• patiently wait for our mortgagee to finish up her refinance so we can start looking for a house!

David has been spending time figuring out what it is he wants to do... as in a job. He's applied for some jobs - some he's interested in; some he's thinking he will get interview experience out of. He's been diligently working out - running and working out at the gym here in the park.

We've taken advantage of the hot tub. It's has been unusually cold here and the hot water feels wonderful! We've been experimenting with how to best warm up our tin can home against the cold temps. It's mostly warm... but we also bundle up at night!

We've also browsed homes for sale online while we wait for our monies to be freed. We are debt free and are planning on staying that way paying cash for our next home! It seems like there are a good amount in the price range and size we are looking at. 

I've knitted... 

Here are four of the 9 cowls I've made

and crocheted... 

Cameron wearing a hat I crocheted

 and cooked... 

My new favorite breakfast

and did a little cleaning here and there. I got my hairs cut... 

Simple and slow living at its best!

a u t h e n t i c

authentic - adjective: of undisputed origin; genuine; made or done in the traditional or original way.

Synonyms: genuine, true, real, veritable, original

A common definition of authenticity in psychology refers to the attempt to live one's life according to the needs of one's inner being, rather than the demands of society or one's early conditioning.  Source.

I'm still not sure where this focus on authenticity is going to take me this year and I like that! I'm a list girl. Give me a list of things to do and I will do them, checking them off as I go. But part of me wants to be more of a free spirit. Going where God leads. Embracing where I am, but not so firmly planted that I am not able to pick up and go or do where and when He leads. 

While I will focus on authenticity in 2013, I don't want it to be totally focused on me. From what I understand, the more I get to know God, the more I get to know me. I do want to be aware of my inner soul and what it desires, enjoys, embraces and loves. I'm going to be asking myself... is this something I really want to do... or am I doing it because I think I'm supposed to do it. When I see something I admire in another person's life, is it necessarily something for me? or is it something I just admire?

I'm reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. I just started reading it but so far it is very interesting! I'm an introvert. And from my experience, extroverts are more valued in our American society. So this is an interesting part of my journey towards authenticity... embracing the introvert and living true to myself. 

I'm still not sure how much of this year-long journey to authenticity I will share, but I will blog about some of it!

52 Things update for January

I've stalled a bit... this past month I spent Christmas with my kids (and my parents) in TEXAS and finished my scrap knitted scarf (and I love it!). I've also read some more books trying to get "caught up". I'd planned on making soap in the RV, but realized I'm out of some supplies. Plus I got a sweet supply of homemade soap for Christmas from my parents!

1. See a live starfish in its natural habitat. Hold one if I can?
2. Try stand up paddle-boarding
3. Kayak a river or lake
4. Run a 5k race once a month at least for the rest of our travels, if we can find a race that works for us. (I did run a 5k distance in September but nothing that far since then… I’ve lost my enthusiasm for running!)
5. Visit Washington, DC
6. Visit Asheville, NC
7. Visit Charleston SC
8. Visit Savannah GA
9. Visit as many "homies" as I can (Kristen, Crystal)
10. Get a tattoo
11. Make a supper and invite any "late-arriving" camper that is close to us to share it with us.
12. Make soap in our RV
13. Spend the day in Central Park in NY
14. Highlight my hair with a wild color
15. Buy coffee for the person behind me at a drive thru Starbucks
16. Finish my granny square quilt
17. Finish my scrap knitted scarf
18. Bake treats for grumpy campground hosts (or friendly ones if we don't encounter any grumpy ones) How about pumpkin bread for the guys at the Collision Shop we lived at for almost a week?
19. One month of primal/paleo eating
20. Swim/wade in the Atlantic Ocean
21. Lie on a beach and read
22. Run on the beach
23. Recover the valances in our RV
24. Make covers for the dinette benches
25. Figure out some kinda cover for the loveseat
26. Buy fresh eggs from a roadside stand
27. Eat New York pizza
28. Eat shrimp and grits
29. Eat vegetarian for a month
30. Sit by a fire on the beach
31. Cook a meal over a fire
32. Go to a drive-in movie theater
33. Walk barefoot in the rain
34. Knit a pair of socks
35. Drive the truck pulling the RV!
36. Switch "jobs" with D for an arrival/departure day
37. Go on a dinner cruise
38. Try a new-to-me kinda food/restaurant (Indian, Thai, etc.)
39. Take a cooking class
40. Hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail
41. Attend a yoga class or two
42. Read 52 books (13* read)
43. Be a work camper somewhere
44. Volunteer at a food bank
45. Make a patchwork skirt
46. Hoop every day for a month
47. Make a dream catcher
48. Refashion 12 clothing items
49. Allow D to pick a challenge for me and do it! YIKES!
50. Spend Christmas in Florida Texas with my kids
51. Go to an art exhibit or art museum
52. Live every day like the adventure it is!

 *books read:

1. The Gutter – Where Life is Meant to be Lived, Craig Goss
2. A Watershed Year, Susan Schoenberger
3. Practical Theology for Women, Wendy Horger Alsup
4. Crazy Love, Francis Chan
5. The Reunion, Dan Walsh
6. The Power of Half, Kevin Salwen
7. Hollywood Nobody, Lisa Samson
8. The Best of Me, Nicholas Sparks
9. Touching Wonder, Jon Blasé
10. Finding Joy, Charlotte Davis Kasl
11. Hold Love Strong, Matthew Aaron Goodman
12. The Trouble with Angels, Debbie Macomber
13. Finding Hollywood Nobody, Lisa Samson

One Word 2013 {authentic}

“When we are alive, acting on the deep callings to love, serve, create and try new ways of living, we are cultivating ‘heaven on earth’ here, now.” ~Kathy Escobar

Once again, I've debated continuing to blog or not... I don't truly consider myself a writer, nor do I have a "need" to write. I journal "old school"... I have a group of online friends that I write to about life things. I have met some wonderful people through this blog and even though I read their blogs it's nice to "offer" a little something back. So I'm still not sure if I will continue to blog or not... I'm going with the flow.

Which brings me to my word of the year... authentic. For the last few years I've chosen a word to focus on for the year in place of resolutions. The key for me is keeping that word in front of me throughout the year in various ways. Blogging about it is one way (although I didn't blog the previous years I had chosen a word).

I went through a couple of "exercises" to come up with my word for the year. I ended up being overwhelmed as I had too many words to choose from. So I took a day off from thinking about it. I prayed for clarity and a word from God. 

My two desires for 2013:

1. I want to truly get God's love for me

2. I want to live freely - not live by shoulds.

 

Then asked myself what word come from those two desires... I actually came up with two words (of course).

 

Free - freely accepting... Because of God's love I am free to be who I am - free spirit.

 

Authentic - God loves me for me. He made me unique and wonderful. I want to live authentically honoring who He made me to be... authentically me.

 

Then in Jesus Calling read this...

 

I am leading you along a way this is uniquely right for you. The closer to Me you grow, the more fully you become your true self - the one I designed you to be. Because you are one of a kind, the path you are traveling with Me diverges increasingly from that of other people. However, in My mysterious wisdom and ways, I enable you to follow this solitary path while staying in close contact with others. In fact, the more completely you devote yourself to Me, the more freely you can love people... Enjoy the adventure of finding yourself thru losing yourself in Me.

 

Thank You Jesus for answered prayer! So I'm down to two words and just because I like the word AUTHENTIC more than the word FREE... I'm choosing authentic for my 2013 word.

 

Did you  make resolutions for 2013 or did you choose a word to focus on for the year? I'd love to hear about it!

Currently

listening... to the sound of rain hitting our roof

loving... the coziness of our tiny house

thinking... ahead to the freedom of choosing where to live and build our lives

working... on still being in the present

wanting... to live authentically

needing... some Mexican food!

reading... Far From Home and the Power of a Praying Wife

creating... a crocheted beanie for my oldest and knitted drop stitch cowls

pondering... whether to keep blogging or not.