Livin' the Dream

April 25, 2012

Good Afternoon!  I am enjoying the afternoon out on the back patio.  The honeysuckle is right behind me and I get a whiff of the wonderful aroma as the wind blows past me.  Sadie is laying on the settee snoring up a storm and Toby is making his rounds of the gardens.  It is so peaceful...

Speaking of Sadie, she has been miserable lately.  She's been drinking tons of water, peeing constantly, and scratching til her fur has dropped out leaving several sores on her back.  I took her to the vet this morning ... it's a good thing because she was running a fever, had a urinary tract infection, her liver wasn't functioning properly, and her allergies were out of control.  She was such a little lady, greeting everyone with tail wags and polite "sits."  The vet said she hadn't seen many Scotties and that Sadie was beautiful.  Yes, she is ... if you want to know, just ask me!!  She gave Sadie four shots and me a bag of meds with instructions to bring her back in two weeks.  It's so nice to have her resting without whining!

My son and I have this ritual going.  I call him on the phone and ask how he's doing and he replies, "Livin' the dream!"  Then, we both laugh...  Some rituals are funny aren't they.   It's those little inside jokes that make relationships fun.  Even, when we both know life's tough, it breaks the ominous dread of reality and sets the tone for a positive uplifting conversation.

When the economy started to crumble a few years ago, I began to take stock in what I really needed.  My retirement fund cut in half, I revisited how I wanted to live and once that was done, took steps towards my goals.  Easy?  No.  Necessary?  Absolutely!  That shift was not only a matter of survival but also one that lead to a more paring down.  It was about making the most of what I had, enjoying simple pleasures, reconnecting with my roots, and, more than ever, my home became my sanctuary.

Moving permanently to the little casa endeavored to inspire me to enjoy the charm, beauty and ingenuity of the simpler lifestyle many of you also embrace or aspire to.  Forget about the fussy furnishings and coordinated looks.  Living large in a small space became a way of life and a way of Livin' the Dream!

I don't know about you, but I am enjoying repurposing things.  The casita is a great example.  I sit here typing away and every now and then look up to envision what the finished product will look like.  One day I was sitting on top of the storm shelter look at this dilapidated garage and now, I am looking at a beautiful work in progress.  From salvaging old lumber, refreshing tired dark corners with paint, and making use of each nail, it's become a labor of love.  At the end of the day when Lupe and his crew leaves, I see more of what it will look like.  All of a sudden, today, I said to myself, "Miss Dottie, you are Livin' the Dream aren't you?!"  You get to take something rather ugly and make it beautiful!  I have a tendency to go back to what I am familiar with and I don't want to do that.  I want this to be an adventure ... I want it to be a cottage fit for a little lady ... namely, moi!

Some days I have to pinch myself, I am so content.  Livin' the Dream hasn't been like I thought it would be.  When I was forty, I thought I would be living large in my large dream home.  I thought I would be traveling the world and writing great novels.  (I laugh)  What am I doing?  I am living a simple life where I don't have a whole lot to take care of ... I am free to create, enjoy cooking and baking, and writing my blog.  Time with friends and family?  Priceless!  My friends are few but my relationships are deep and rewarding.  I have been blessed with the best family ever.  My children are warm, loving people who wrap their arms around their families and others, including Michael and I.  We share a common bond in Jesus Christ and will spend forever in eternity.  What more could I ask for?!

Yesterday, Beverly and I made our Tuesday venture to Dress Barn to take advantage of our Senior discount.  I had been in such a purple funk ... my clothes from last summer must have shrunk (or so I told myself) and after selling most of my clothes at the garage sale, I was in need.  The clerks there know us by name and scurry around getting us our dressing rooms and writing our names on the doors.  Our arms filled with clothes, we tried on this and that to our heart's content.  Before I left, Michael told me to just find things that fit and that I like, forgetting about the size on the tag.  I did just that and came away with a couple outfits that fit to a tee and that I liked a whole lot.  I was Livin' the Dream.

When it comes right down to it, Livin' the Dream is an attitude isn't it??  If I spend too much time wallowing in the stock market drop, what I don't have, what I wish I had, etc. etc. etc., I miss a wole lot of happiness with what I do have.  Blessings often come in small packages each and every day -- no exceptions!!

May 12, 2012 is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day.  Since I have been diagnosed with that crazy illness, I appreciate each day that I have energy and my pain is manageable.  I push myself to exercise and enjoy a positive outlook.  The days that I am down and out, I rest knowing that in rest there is rejuvination of body and soul.  I thank God for the hard times because without the hard times, the good times would be less special.  I sing praises remembering that this is the life God awarded me ... my life was His gift.  How dare I say, it was not enough!!

My life has been full of twists and turns.  I have loved deeply and passionately and danced in the rain.  I have met some of the most amazing people on earth and have been a part of society that I dreamed about as a child.  I learned how to be a lady with manners and grace.  I've traveled the roads of despair and sorrow rising to heights of wonder and joy.  Livin' the Dream?  You betcha!!  I am grateful ... and, as long as I have breath left in me, I will celebrate my time on earth meeting and greeting those I come in contact with.

Are you Livin' the Dream?  Do you have that peace inside of you knowing that you took the road less traveled and even though some of those risks didn't turn out so well, you lived a full life?  It's not too late you know ... every day is a new day with new adventures right before you.  Come on ... dance a little, love a little,  take that risk you've been afraid of.  What's the worst that can happen?  Even the worst is not as bad as not trying at all and wondering what might have been...

Til we meet again, I am signing off ... always remember how precious each of you are to me.  I think of my Readers so often and pray for you daily.  Have a wonderful rest of the day...

Miss Dottie

Won't be long & I will be
neck high in bubbles!!
Livin' the Dream is
soaking in a claw foot tub!!