Happenings...

http://www.theartjournaler.com/

Still playing the waiting game here... Waiting on our payoff to be able to buy another house... waiting for "our house" to come on the market... We are trying to savor the mild before the wild.

We have decided to leave the "way too crowded" Austin area and look for a home in a nearby small town. 

The housing market in Austin is crazy right now! Decent homes are under contract usually within 2-3 days of going on the market! I recently read of another couple looking for an Austin home (although we aren't looking in the Austin market but in the 'burbs of Austin).

Links hubs has emailed me recently... 

He misses having a friend like this.

Can you tell we are shopping for a home?

I don't think we want to live here... 

Good reads recently...

When I started looking thru my reader for those items I had "starred" they were mostly food-related! I do love to cook and bake and eat!

Now I want to buy a fresh coconut! 

David and I are sauce people... so this Cilantro Mayo caught my eye!

We like Mexican food too...

I like this sideboard and also want to try the blender pancakes from Heather.

I love it when I connect with the writing of someone. This young woman is my son's age, but I've connected with her on several of her posts. Her and her husband are new to the Austin area and also shopping for home! It is fun to read about her adventures in Austin as her new hometown (she is a native Texan though).

I haven't given up blogging for good... yet. Several times I've thought of something I want to write about but give up before my fingers actually hit the keyboard. BUT I am a bit bored with the waiting game so thought I might write a few things now and then to give me something to do!

2 february

one of my February goals... eat a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and veggies...

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!