Guts

"Do you really have the guts to do all the things you say you're going to do? I hear a lot of talk, but I'm not seeing any action. Why don't you just do it?!" Star wants to know. Fourteen year olds are pithy like that.

All the "things" we are yammering about include:

*becoming digital nomads and living out of our van while traveling the world

*ditto on a 30-40 foot sailboat

*homesteading some farmland where we grow our own food, raise some chickens and maybe a cow or goat

*putting a sleek, environmentally friendly, prefabricated house in the middle of a wooded lot where we write daily and spend the rest of the time running the woods like characters from our favorite Gene Stratton Porter books.

These dreams ask should I stay or should I go? At the root they are the same dream of spending the time of our lives in the ways we feel will be most satisfying and significant to our family: independence, travel, nature, creativity. These are all powerful draws. As My Hero said at his workplace this week, "The only thing between anyone and this place is two weeks notice." We've got the itch, the anxious hollow belly feeling that something BIG needs to change. So why don't we just do it? I can answer that with an equation.

The Equation of Progress by innovation expert Bob Moesta.

F1 (push of the situation) + F2 (Pull of the new idea) > F3 (allegiance to current or past behavior) + F4 (anxiety of new solution)

My friend, Whitney, just posted this equation in regards to social media, but as soon as I read it I realized I had the answer to Star's question. The push of our current situation and the pull of our big dreamy ideas is not yet greater than the sum total of our allegiance to our current situation combined with our anxiety about making the necessary changes.

In all fairness, we have spent the last three years learning sailing and recently certified to sail 50 foot boats. We planted seeds this year. We bought rock climbing shoes. We repeatedly decrease our total possessions. We've spent weeks road tripping and even took the kids camping. Our toes are nearly over the edge. Still, a slight decrease in F4 could result in the net guts required to pack our passion and go. I'm not sure how long I'll be working on this equation, but math has never been more engaging.

Insteading

"Distractination," Sparkle's answer as to why she hadn't even begun washing the dinner table in the time the rest of us had completed our chores. Hmmm.... My Hero calls it "insteading." I think we all do it. Sometimes we do something else instead of what's required, expected, or intended. Life is what happens when you're not blogging. This is my Insteading Collage.

Pride and Prejudice

As I was leaving the library yesterday, my eyes happened upon a dominican man in his early thirties sitting absorbed in a slim paperback volume. I glanced at the title, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It surprised me in a happy ways. First, I'm always happy to discover secret stereotypes lurking in my brain so I can dismiss them. Second, I was happy to hope I may have more in common than I thought, not just with this man but with my fellowman. Lastly, I'm more than a little tickled that Ms. Austen instigated the whole thing. How apropos!

Favorite Things

One of our favorite things is weekly Science Co-op.

Preston's music was our co-op "soundtrack" one lucky day.

I was an obnoxious nine year old. Mom wasn't sure what to do with me until she overheard a grocery store conversation. Two other moms were lamenting over their obnoxious nine year olds. It struck Mom that my attitude was merely symptomatic of my age.

At home she explained her discovery to me, as well as the solution. I would receive an additional birthday to scoot me past this phase. She made treats for school, wrapped a present, and the whole family sang. These tokens proved to be the required talisman. After that, if I slipped into nine-year old behaviors Mom would chasten, "Remember, you're ten now."

You won't find that in any parenting book. Mom, thanks for prayerful, customized, outside-the-box solutions.

Link-back for all my Women (& Men)

If there is ever a time when more is expected of you than you think you can deliver (and you like to laugh) please click HERE. My sister is a certifiable GENIUS!!!!

Today I streamed National Geographics: Stress: Profile of a Killer. Highly recommend.

You must relax. Breathe deeply. Connect with friends. Do something you love. Do something that makes you feel fantastic. Or you will lose your memory and die very soon. Well, a lot sooner than your relaxed counterparts.

This message is brought to you by a huge fan of Netflix streaming.

I'm not a Vegetarian, but...

This is what we're having for dinner. Yesterday it was brown rice with canned kidney beans, sauteed garlic, cajun spices, chili powder, and sea salt (boiled sweet potatoes on the side). Today I dumped in leftover spaghetti sauce and mozzarella. We have this basil growing in our window, so I just threw it on for fun. Basil may not be as versatile as bacon, but it is generally a good idea. Voila! Easy-peasy stuffed pepper "boats."

I'm always interested in more recipes featuring rice and beans, so feel free to share.