Seeking Serenity

Life has been especially hectic recently. Today I had 3 different appointments, with lots of driving in between. Fortunately I carry a huge purse - a real bag of tricks with all kinds of things to keep me busy and happy - like magazines and notebooks and snacks.

For the past few days I've been carrying around the most recent issue of TEACH Magazine. To Encourage And Challenge Homemakers is what TEACH stands for. Anyway . . . today after sweeping some aisles of the horse barn while waiting for the girls' riding lesson to be done, I found a quiet corner and pulled out my TEACH magazine.

I laughed out loud when I read on the cover "This Issue's Theme - Seeking Serenity". The fact is that most mornings I've been seeking socks since it's suddenly gotten cold, and the laundry is kinda behind. Serenity would NOT describe our current lifestyle. At least that was my first thought.

But, I was pleasantly surprised to read Lorrie Flem's explanation that "serenity is not . . . a destination . . . serenity is a character quality. How about that?

There was lots of good reading in this issue, including a piece that listed over 40 specific ways to foster serenity. Here are a couple of examples that appealed to me. "Be kind to unkind people. They probably need it the most." and "Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe."

An article by Cindae Hull about a day at their house was reassuring to me. NOBODY gets it all done every day. Whew. That's a relief. If YOU do, I don't want to hear about it!

I loved the description of "Oven Roasted Rosemary Potatoes". Yum! I'll be trying that recipe. And my tired feet and arms (remember the sweeping the horse barn part) were loving Lori's "Stress Busters from your Kitchen" piece, with recipes and tips for a homemade, healthy spa experience. I'll definitely be using some of these ideas.

My 1/2 hour with TEACH this afternoon was such a pleasant pocket of refreshment in a way-too-hectic week. I look forward to reading the rest of the magazine, and putting some of the great ideas into practice!