Share Four Somethings February 2021

Welcome back to Share Four Somethings, a monthly link-up with my friend Heather Gerwing. I’m enjoying listing out my four somethings every month–it’s like an exercise in narrowing in on gratitudes. I invite you to join me in the journey, whether you’re a blogger or not. You don’t need to publish a post–just grab your journal or a sheet of paper, and jot down your own Something Loved, Something Read, Something Treasured, and Something Ahead. I promise, the process of thinking through all the pieces of your month that could be one of your Four Somethings will inevitably bring a smile to your face. We all have joys to focus on. We simply have to look for them.

Something Loved

I’m currently wrapping up the Rediscover Me 28-Day Challenge from Alison Lumbatis, founder of Get Your Pretty On and Outfit Formulas. Rediscover Me is, ultimately, a goal-setting, habit-building, and lifestyle reset. But it’s different from other goal-setting programs I’ve engaged in–more personal, more lively, more fun. In fact, it might be the only goal-setting challenge I’ve ever actually enjoyed. For 28 days, Alison walks you through a unique mix of modules on everything from goals and healthy habits to what she calls “tolerations”–the things that drive you crazy–cleaning out your closet and makeup stash, and identifying authentic means of self-care. A series of videos, accompanied by handy worksheets, walk you through the modules, which are in bite-size pieces, enabling you to take baby steps forward into a more peace-filled and healthy day-to-day. You can get the challenge any time, not just at the start of the year: it’s available here (note: this is not an affiliate link; I’m just a fan).

Something Read

It’s funny–while I always expect our favorite read-aloud of the school year to be a classic, something that was a childhood favorite of mine, it always ends up being a book I’ve never read before, something I didn’t expect. And it’s always something from the Sonlight booklist, proof of their ability to choose books families will love. Some past favorites have included Adventures with Waffles, Happy Times in Noisy Village, and No Children, No Pets. This year, I have a hunch it’s going to end up being Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat. This short chapter book, about a young boy growing up on the prairie in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who adopts not one but two owls, is our most recent read, and we couldn’t get enough. There was lots of laughter and begging for “just one more chapter!” We also now want to adopt a baby owl (which is illegal, by the way). H, who has big feelings about owls, consisting of equal parts fascination and fear, was especially captivated by the antics of Wol and Weeps. If you haven’t read this one to your kids, I highly recommend it.

Something Treasured

My husband isn’t a verbal person–he’s an introvert, for one thing, and he doesn’t waste words. He joked to me once that he’d told me he loved me when he proposed, and that should have been enough for the rest of our lives. Which makes sense. Out of all the people I have ever known, he is the most loyal, the most stalwart, the most unchanging. I’d rather have his silent confidence than all the empty words in the world. But a few times a year–Valentine’s Day, our anniversary, my birthday–he hits me with the perfect card. I even keep the envelopes: he always writes, “Wife #1” on them, a playful pun on “#1 Wife” that has become our personal joke. It makes me laugh. I have a drawerful of cards now, and they remind me of my maternal grandparents. My grandpa wasn’t a big talker, but he always bought my grandma the most loving cards on their special days. Like me, she had a drawerful of them. I remember rifling through them as a little girl, touched even at a young age that after decades of marriage (and 14 kids!), he still loved her so deeply. I treasure my card stash, and if the house were afire, it’s probably one of the things I’d grab first–after, of course, my children.

Something Ahead

We just came out on the other side of an unprecedented snowstorm here–several inches of white stuff, followed by several days of being housebound without internet, safe tap water, mail, UPS, grocery delivery, trash pickup, and all the other

conveniences we’re accustomed to. It was cozy and slow, so it wasn’t all bad, but as the snow has melted and the sun has been warming our part of the world, I can sense spring coming, as though the storm was winter’s final attempt to make her presence felt. The smell of damp earth, the green of daffodils pushing up to find the sun, earlier sunrises, more birdsong. Spring is arguably the best time of year in the Midsouth, and we get excited when it approaches. Our winters are never long or harsh, but they are rather dreary. I always tell my family and friends up north that winter here is like a four-month-long November. I’ve begun making mental lists of all the places we are going to get out, all the hikes and bike rides we want to do.

Finally, we’ve just begun reading through A Path to Soul Rest: 40 Days to a Slower Pace over at The Glorious Table. The ebook is free, and you can get your copy here. I’d love it if you joined us for the remaining 5 weeks! I’m looking forward to continuing on with everyone in The Glorious Table Facebook Community!

It’s been a joy sharing my February Four Somethings with you! See you next month!