My dad just sent me, and the rest of my family, a story via email entitled Juggling and Ponds. He had a couple points to make, but one of them was that he can't do everything at once, or as I read it, I can't have everything at once.
I look forward to summer in Edmonton all year. I love being outside in short sleeves and enjoy the sunlight 16 hours a day or more. There is also a sense of excitement in the air, as people come out of their homes and enjoy each other and the weather.
However, with all of these exciting things, one thing I do not like is re-signing our lease. There are many things that I like about our place and in a lot of ways it has become our home. However, there is something about it that I'm just not fully content with and I think I know exactly why. I want a home, a place to really settle, a yard to call my own. I also find myself daydreaming of a having a dishwasher and washer and dryer.
The trouble is, Edmonton's housing/rental market is ridiculously high and it just doesn't fit into our current budget. Ian and I, however, inevitably find ourselves looking on rental sites, talking with people etc... to see if there are any better deals out there that have exactly what we want for exactly the price we want it for. But, we have come to learn it most likely is not going to happen.
This almost frantic searching for the "perfect" place is so fruitless and always leaves Ian and me a bit depressed.
So, when I read my dad's story I was again reminded that I can't have everything at once. We can't have our "dream" place while Ian is working on his PhD to pursue his passion to teach, while at the same time I enjoy being a mom and staying home part-time with Ruth. It will just have to wait. And in the meantime I'll just have to count my many blessings.
Monday, July 4, 2011
How's it going?
In one quick sentence, "Things are well."
Summer is here, green is everywhere... what more could one ask for?
Oh, sorry you meant how is my year-without-new going? Yes, that is going well in the fact that I haven't bought anything new (except I did buy a little soccer ball for Ruth, after not finding one at the second hand kid's shop). However, I am having the itch to buy new and buy a lot!
Every so often, although I'm not a big spender and quite frugal, I have the desire to buy a new wardrobe, buy new furniture and buy whatever my heart desires. It doesn't happen too often or seem to last very long, normally just long enough for me to occupy myself with something else, hopefully a bit more important. However, I must confess it does happen. You might not guess that I care about these things, since I am certainly not the most stylish of my friends (although I would rate myself moderately stylish) and I have socks and clothes that I got in high school (that I still wear). Our apartment is also filled with mainly used stuff or give-a-ways and is modestly decorated (mostly due to our move).
To some this may be very normal and you might be thinking "big deal", while others may be thinking "you definitely need to update some of those things." So, why am I mostly content, while at other times feel the desire to revamp, redo and redress? Well, I guess it's because I am human and not always do I feel content.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, we had two weddings to go to this summer and I really wanted to have something new and exciting to wear. However, I quickly remembered new was not an option for me and I would have to find something out of my closet or take the time to search a used store. I didn't have the time to look at any used places, so I looked in my closet. I had a couple of dresses that would do, but to tell you the truth, I wasn't too excited about any of the choices. However, I went with one dress I had bought in college and another I bought just last year. And as you've probably already guessed, Ian and I had a wonderful time at the two weddings and I didn't think about my outfit once while we were out. I even had several people complement my decor.
Refraining from the urge to buy what I don't really need is not always what I really want to do, but often it is the best idea and the most rewarding in the long-run.
More to come...more for me to learn.
Summer is here, green is everywhere... what more could one ask for?
Oh, sorry you meant how is my year-without-new going? Yes, that is going well in the fact that I haven't bought anything new (except I did buy a little soccer ball for Ruth, after not finding one at the second hand kid's shop). However, I am having the itch to buy new and buy a lot!
Every so often, although I'm not a big spender and quite frugal, I have the desire to buy a new wardrobe, buy new furniture and buy whatever my heart desires. It doesn't happen too often or seem to last very long, normally just long enough for me to occupy myself with something else, hopefully a bit more important. However, I must confess it does happen. You might not guess that I care about these things, since I am certainly not the most stylish of my friends (although I would rate myself moderately stylish) and I have socks and clothes that I got in high school (that I still wear). Our apartment is also filled with mainly used stuff or give-a-ways and is modestly decorated (mostly due to our move).
To some this may be very normal and you might be thinking "big deal", while others may be thinking "you definitely need to update some of those things." So, why am I mostly content, while at other times feel the desire to revamp, redo and redress? Well, I guess it's because I am human and not always do I feel content.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, we had two weddings to go to this summer and I really wanted to have something new and exciting to wear. However, I quickly remembered new was not an option for me and I would have to find something out of my closet or take the time to search a used store. I didn't have the time to look at any used places, so I looked in my closet. I had a couple of dresses that would do, but to tell you the truth, I wasn't too excited about any of the choices. However, I went with one dress I had bought in college and another I bought just last year. And as you've probably already guessed, Ian and I had a wonderful time at the two weddings and I didn't think about my outfit once while we were out. I even had several people complement my decor.
Refraining from the urge to buy what I don't really need is not always what I really want to do, but often it is the best idea and the most rewarding in the long-run.
More to come...more for me to learn.
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